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Karim Benzema scored twice in the last 10 minutes to settle an uneasy Real Madrid as they picked up a 2-0 win against struggling Valladolid.

Karim Benzema had to wait. He stood over the ball for nearly a minute before taking the penalty, left to ponder his spot kick while cards were flashed around him. But when the whistle blew, Benzema was clinical, striding up to the ball and stroking it into the bottom corner.

His goal saved Madrid after a tepid showing against 15th-placed Valladolid. Real were on the back foot for long periods, and relied on the sharp reflexes of Thibaut Courtois to keep them in the game. And on his return, Benzema wasn't exactly sharp early on.

He fired over from close range, and Madrid had a penalty shout denied to mark a morbid first half for the away side. Meanwhile, Valladolid were dangerous on the break. They found holes in a makeshift Madrid midfield trio, testing an often sloppy backline for most of proceedings. Still, thanks to Courtois, they never found the back of the net, and their visitors made them pay. Benzema scored twice in the last 10 minutes, once from the spot and again following a flowing counter attack to make a tricky game seem routine.

This was never likely to be an easy contest for Los Blancos. With 12 of their players coming back from Qatar and in front of a hostile home crowd, here was a game near-destined to be uncomfortable. And Valladolid ensured it would be a tricky one.

Still, Madrid posted a mostly assured performance. Courtois kept them in it, and their star striker found the net twice. For all of the sluggishness of the first half and anxiety of the second, they picked up a win. And in a La Liga title hunt, it's the points that really matter.

Getty ImagesThe Winners

Thibaut Courtois:

Is he the best in the world? After nights like this, it's hard to say anyone is better. Courtois made three diving stops to frustrate the home side, giving Madrid a foothold in a game they really should have been losing.

Ancelotti won't be happy to have to rely on his goalkeeper, especially with his side in the title hunt. But the Belgian kept Los Blancos in the contest for long enough for them to get the job done.

Karim Benzema:

It was a frustrating start for the striker. Benzema's first touch was lacking, and he wasn't as slick in his usual flowing interchanges with the Madrid midfield. But he grew into the game, forcing Jordi Masip into a few diving stops.

And when the clear chances came, Benzema struck. His penalty was a confident one, as he sent the keeper the wrong way. He added a second with less than a minute remaining in regular time, smashing the ball into the net after a fluid counter. In the end, it was an unlikely brace, but a vital one nonetheless.

Luka Modric:

Modric was only on the pitch for 10 minutes, but showed just how important he is to the team in a short spell. Madrid were transformed when he joined the fray. And he was influential in Real's second, winning the ball back before playing a wonderful ball down the line to Camavinga, who dutifully set up Benzema for the winner. Perhaps he can no longer play 90 minutes every week, but it was a delightful cameo from a player who still looks at his best.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

Marco Asensio:

Asensio has made it clear that he wants to stay at Madrid, but isn't doing himself many favours on the pitch. The Spaniard often tried to do too much, and didn't jell with Valverde along the right wing. Although he worked hard off the ball, Asensio showed exactly why he's behind Rodrygo in Ancelotti's plans.

Dani Ceballos:

With Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni all returning from World Cup duty, this was Dani Ceballos' chance to justify more minutes in a deep Madrid midfield. And he squandered it. The Spaniard was often caught lagging on the ball, and failed to pick out Benzema on a number of occasions.

The gap in quality between the 26-year-old and Eduardo Camavinga is immense, as Madrid looked a different side altogether when the young Frenchman was introduced. He can still offer , but it looks increasingly like Ceballos' future lies away from the capital.

Barcelona:

It was likely a frustrating one for the league leaders, who watched their nearest rivals snatch a perhaps undeserved victory at the death. They still have a game in hand, but find themselves in second place heading into the new year. Based on the calibre of Valladolid's performance, Xavi's side might feel as though they should still be top.

Getty ImagesReal Madrid Ratings: Defence

Thibaut Courtois (8/10): Made one crucial diving stop in the first half when his side lost control of the game. Did so again to keep Sergio Leon out. Incredibly, this was his first clean sheet of the season.

Dani Carvajal (6/10): Reliable defensively, covered for Rudiger well on a couple of occasions. Ran out of legs after an hour.

Antonio Rudiger (7/10): The bright spot at the back. Won his aerial duals and distributed well. One fantastic burst of pace stopped Leon on the break.

David Alaba (6/10):Fortunate to not concede a penalty for a silly first half challenge, but was otherwise solid.

Ferland Mendy (6/10): Not the best night in attack for the left-back, but was assured defensively. Average, which was enough.

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Getty ImagesMidfield

Federico Valverde (6/10): Has an unfortunate habit of disappearing for long spells, and did so here. He will have better showings.

Toni Kroos (7/10): Fantastic early on, dictating play and imposing himself on the game. His influence faded over time. Not at his best as a No.6, but played 90 valuable minutes.

Dani Ceballos (6/10): An ineffective performance. Made one crucial interception to stop a Valladolid counter. Substituted for Camavinga after 70 minutes, who looked far more composed.

Faf du Plessis has committed to staying on as South Africa’s T20 captain, even though the next World T20 is four years away

Firdose Moonda29-Mar-20163:53

‘SA stars will feel this missed opportunity’

Faf du Plessis has committed to staying on as South Africa’s T20 captain even though the next World T20 is four years away. Du Plessis, who is 31, considers himself “on the right side of 30,” to keep playing international cricket in the foreseeable future.Du Plessis is one of four South African players to have reached 1,000 T20 runs – the others being JP Duminy, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla – and has led them since February 2013. All four players play in all three formats and are among a group that also includes Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir, who are expected to give up some formats of the game in the near future.”The wrong side of 30 would be over 35. I am 31. That’s the right side of 30 and see myself playing a big role,” du Plessis said. “I haven’t thought of stopping playing T20 cricket. I feel my performances speak for themselves.”Du Plessis fined for dissent

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has been fined 50 percent of his match fee after he was found guilty of showing dissent at an umpire’s decision. It is his second such offence in 12 months – the first came against India in Chennai in October 2015 – and a third before October 2016 would lead to a suspension.
The incident had occurred during South Africa’s final World T20 match against Sri Lanka, when du Plessis was ruled lbw by umpire S Ravi in the 13th over. Replays later indicated that there was an inside edge before ball hit the pad. An ICC release said Du Plessis showed dissent “by occupying the crease for a period of time before leaving the field while looking at his bat and shaking his head.” After the match, du Plessis admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Match referee Jeff Crowe.

After South Africa completed their World T20 campaign with a facile victory over Sri Lanka in Delhi, du Plessis suggested de Villiers was fully committed to all formats but told reporters they would have to ask Steyn himself if he wants to continue. Amla had earlier in the week claimed South Africa’s big names still had more to offer and du Plessis has put his name on the list of those who do.”I love captaining South Africa. I think some of the players, yes, won’t be there in four years,” he said. “But there won’t be a lot of T20 cricket in the next while. So we can look at it in terms of a few younger guys coming through and building for the future. It’s impossible to look four years ahead. It’s an incredibly long time but for now I am loving playing T20 cricket and loving captaining South Africa.”South Africa are not scheduled to play their next T20s until a home series against Sri Lanka in January 2017, which means du Plessis will not have to take on much of a leadership role before then while CSA will also undergo an extensive post-season review. Still, he hopes that the progress the T20 side had made in the last few months – which included series wins over Bangladesh India and England – will not be forgotten and they can use that as a springboard to develop their other formats.”The T20 side has been very successful of late. We didn’t produce at an ICC tournament. The T20 World Cup is a tough one. Your easy game is supposed to be Afghanistan and they are just as good in these conditions,” he said. “Our ODI side has also team has improved a lot. Two years ago we were in a bit of a hole and we rebuilt the side, now the Test side is there.”South Africa have come through one of their least successful periods with defeats in successive Test series and the bubble bursting on the fine limited-overs form they built up. Du Plessis believes the foundations for fixing things are there, they just need some fine-tuning.”In terms of ticking the boxes we had all areas covered. We had great variety in pace bowling. We had different combinations to play. We had great spin options, all round options. Everything was there,” he said. “It was just a case of how to you deliver on the day when the pressure is on and that’s the difference between winning a World Cup and getting knocked out.”

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ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2015

Trevor Bayliss has been confirmed as England’s new coach the day after it emerged that he had become the ECB’s preferred choice ahead of Jason Gillpesie.

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-20150:31

‘An Aussie in the ranks is a brilliant idea’ – Prior

Trevor Bayliss has been confirmed as England’s new coach the day after it emerged that he had become the ECB’s preferred choice ahead of Jason Gillespie. He will join the ECB next month ahead of the Ashes series which begins in July.Bayliss, 52, a former Sri Lanka coach who led them to the World Cup final in 2011 and No. 2 in the Test rankings, is currently coach of New South Wales where he has won two Sheffield Shield titles in separate stints, Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. He briefly coached Australia last year during a Twenty20 series against South Africa and his appointment will see him reunited with Paul Farbrace who was his assistant with Sri Lanka. Both men were in the team bus that was attacked by terrorists in Lahore in 2009.His pedigree in limited-overs cricket was a key factor in his favour ahead of Gillespie as England look to overturn their horrendous white-ball form in time for next year’s World T20 in India followed by the 2017 Champions Trophy and 2019 World Cup – both of which will be held in England.Bayliss can be ‘strict’ – Jayawardene

Mahela Jayawardene, who was Sri Lanka captain for part of the Trevor Bayliss was coach, has said Bayliss could be “strict” and “doesn’t like the limelight” but thought he would help the captain and players and a new-look England side.

“Trevor is a good, old-fashioned coach who likes to work behind the scenes,” he told the . “He doesn’t like the limelight very much and just lets the players get on with it most of the time.

“If he sees something wrong he is very strict about it and will keep a firm line around the team, putting his foot down to make sure certain things do not happen.

“He will give the team a clear game plan but then he will let them play. He will try to help the captain in his decision-making and is very sharp on tactics, although he is not a huge guy for statistics.”

Jayawardene dismissed the suggestion that Bayliss’ lack of international playing experience was a issue.

“I don’t think it is a problem that he never had international playing experience. A lot of good coaches around the world are in the same position and you just need to look at Trevor’s record. He has been very consistent in all forms of the game.

“I am sure he knows what needs to be done and that he will give it a good try. It is a great time for him to take the job, because this is a young England side with a lot of talented players.”

“It’s an honour to be appointed England coach,” Bayliss said. “There’s a great opportunity to help Alastair Cook and Eoin Morgan shape the direction and development of their respective teams. I am also looking forward to working alongside Paul Farbrace once again as we have a similar outlook on the game, get on well after two years working together and have kept in touch.”What particularly excites me about the role is the chance to work with a very talented group of players. I firmly believe that the team has a bright future and I’ll be doing everything I can to help them realise their potential and achieve success on a consistent basis.”Bayliss was the only non-Englishman interviewed just over a year ago when England searched for a replacement for Andy Flower before they eventually settled on returning to Peter Moores – an appointment that lasted barely 12 months. Bayliss was told, at the time, that he had interviewed well but that the preference was for an English coach. While England have used specialist Australian coaches in the past – the likes of David Saker, who was bowling coach – and have had two head coaches from Zimbabwe, they have never previously employed an Australian as head coach.Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, said: “Trevor has an outstanding record as coach, has global experience and is very highly regarded in the game. He has proved himself in both domestic and international cricket, has a strong reputation for man-management and has shown how to build winning teams in all three formats.”His expertise in the shorter forms of the game will be vital as we build towards three major ICC events over the next four years”Trevor will also work well with Paul Farbrace, an exceptional coach who will continue as assistant coach after helping us to an outstanding victory over New Zealand in the first Investec Test of the summer. This has been a very competitive recruitment process and we’re grateful to all of the candidates who showed their interest in this role. I’m excited to have him on board.”Meanwhile, the current Australia coach Darren Lehmann looked forward to locking horns in the Ashes. “Trevor has been a great servant of the game in Australia and has had great success with NSW in both long and short format, as well as with the Sydney Sixers and Kolkata Knight Riders in T20s,” he said. “He did a great job for us when he took the reins in the International T20s against South Africa last year.”A trademark of Trevor’s teams is that they are well prepared and this just serves as another reminder to us that this Ashes will be a tough contest. I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him all the best.”Andrew Jones, the New South Wales chief executive, said: “Trevor has been an outstanding coach for NSW and internationally. He has a wonderful ability to get the best out of sides with his firm but low key approach. And his attacking attitude as a batsman develops a belief in proactive and entertaining players and teams.”His appointment as England coach is another feather in the cap for NSW cricket, which continues to produce players and coaches of outstanding quality. The highly anticipated Ashes series will now have an extra dimension, with Trevor coming up against nine NSW players he helped mentor who make up the bulk of Australia’s squad.In the short term, Farbrace will remain in charge for the second Test against New Zealand at Headingley and the limited-overs games that follow it.

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson has issued an apology to the supporter he confronted during his team's 2-0 defeat at home to Brentford last month.

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Jackson involved in altercation with fanIncident happened as Chelsea lost to BrentfordStriker issued apology to supporterWHAT HAPPENED?

The Senegal international was involved in an altercation with a Chelsea fan who told him to 'wake up' as he spoke with coach Mauricio Pochettino during the game. Pochettino then discussed the situation with the supporter as Chelsea went on to lose 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT JACKSON SAID

"To the fan, I have to say sorry. I never had this before. At Villarreal, you play without so much pressure because it’s a different team, but I know it comes from a good place," he told . “Normally, I don’t talk to fans or get distracted by what they say. I don’t know what came over me. It must have been frustration. It’s not a small thing, everybody at the game expecting you to do what they want you to. It’s because they love you, not because they hate you. They want you to make them happy. Now I know that. I was in Villarreal, but it was a different environment. You don’t have these kinds of things there. In Chelsea, it’s different."

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Jackson was criticised by former England striker Alan Shearer after the game, who mentioned the 22-year-old's "complete lack of movement". Pochettino defended the attacker, and Jackson says he has no need to respond to critics, adding: "Cristiano [Ronaldo] would score 30 or 35 goals a season and people would criticise him. You’d never hear him talk about it, he’d just respond with a celebration. So it doesn’t affect me. I’m learning from him, I’d never answer back to criticism. I know what I can do, I believe in myself."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JACKSON?

The ex-Villarreal forward will likely be in action on Saturday when his team visit St James' Park to face Newcastle in the Premier League.

West Indies coach Phil Simmons believes allrounder Ben Stokes is the glue that holds the England side together and said he was in the mould of Jacques Kallis

George Dobell in Barbados30-Apr-2015A year ago Ben Stokes returned from Barbados having made a fool of himself. Struggling for form, he reacted to his first ball failure in a T20I by returning to the dressing room and punching his locker so hard that he broke his wrist. It was an injury that ruled him out of the World T20 that followed.It would be naive to claim he is a completely reformed character now. There is still an edge; still something just a little feral about him. You wouldn’t want to spill his pint in a pub.And you wouldn’t want to change him. Channel him, perhaps. But not change him. Because English cricket is already well-stocked with careful cricketers. It is well-stocked with percentage cricketers who bowl good areas, bat with discipline and field tidily. And there’s nothing wrong with any of that.But Stokes could be special. It is his passion – his almost angry desire to win – that saw him rise to the moment while others cowered away during the Ashes. A batsman capable of destroying the best attacks – remember the Perth Test? – a bowler of unusual strength and pace and an outstanding fielder wherever he finds himself, Stokes has the potential to inspire, excite and damage. If all goes to plan, he could balance the England team for a decade.Paul Farbrace on…

Steven Smith: “There will be a lot of comments like that [Smith saying England won’t “come close” to Australia during the Ashes]. He was someone I tried to sign for Kent when he was 17 because his mum had a British passport. But his dad was adamant he was going to play for Australia and to be fair his dad was a pretty good judge. We think we’re making progress as a Test team.”

Adil Rashid: “The progression he has made in the last few weeks has been excellent. He has worked incredibly hard at getting his pace right and all the batters have been helping out, a bit like Ian Bell did with Moeen last year. He is bowling a little bit quicker but is still getting the ball above eye-line and still spinning the ball. He adds hugely to our batting as well. He is a fine player who has improved massively with the bat and has put himself into a really good position.”

Ignoring rumours of changes at the ECB: “I had a grounding with my two-and-a-bit years working with Sri Lanka. The first time I was there the board was dissolved three times. One night Murali told me I was sacked and the next day we were all reinstated. You know in international sport that results are what it’s all about. You can’t worry every day about what might happen.”

Travelling to Ireland for ODI: “It is an England game and I couldn’t imagine watching the game on television. Some day I will be watching games on television but I don’t want that to be now. I want to keep working with the team. It is quite exciting with all these young guys – I think there are potentially six debutants – and I want to be there when they play their first game.”

World Cup: “The World Cup, it was horrible. Horrendous. You get home and watch the quarter finals and that was horrible as much as you make yourself watch them. We spent all winter being hammered but winning in Grenada feels like turning a corner. There was a huge relief.”

It was a point acknowledged by West Indies coach Phil Simmons ahead of the Barbados Test. “I wish I had him at No. 6,” Simmons said.” He’s in the mould of Jacques Kallis. He can take a game away with you with bat or ball.”He’s the glue that holds the England team together. His bowling allows Jimmy Anderson to come back fresh and that’s a big thing. He showed his quality in Australia. He took them on and he scored a hundred. I’ve been impressed with him since then. That’s the kind of cricketer you need.”They are strong words and, coming from an opposition coach during a series, they carry extra weight.But a word of caution is required, here. Stokes is supremely talented. But he is no more talented than Rikki Clarke was at 20 or Ben Hollioake was at 19. Young cricketers don’t come with a guarantee. At some stage Stokes has to fulfil the talent.That has only happened sporadically to date. His bowling average in this series – 214 – is eye-wateringly awful, while his marvellous innings of 79 in Antigua was followed by an innings of 8 in Grenada, which ended when he pulled a long-hop into the hands of deep midwicket. On both occasions he played admirably selflessly but both innings were ended somewhat gormlessly.But statistics sometimes tell only the partial story. Stokes actually bowled splendidly in Antigua. He hurried batsmen on a slow pitch – he was regularly timed above 90mph – and combined that hostility with control. But for a wicket off a no-ball and a couple of dropped chances, his figures would be somewhat improved.While he was not quite so controlled in Grenada – he conceded 16 fours in his 25 overs – he continued to ease the load on Anderson, in particular, and underlined the impression that he is a vastly talented player in a period of development. He needs to learn more skills with the ball – and he will find no one better to learn from than Anderson – and just a little patience with the bat. Nobody wants to change him, but he may require investment and patience.For that reason, if no other, it seems England will persevere with him in the side for the third Test. While the wicket looks dry – very good for batting, but dry – and West Indies picked two spinners for the last Test here (against New Zealand last June; Sulieman Benn claimed a five-wicket haul in the first innings), an unchanged England side appears likely.”He certainly is someone that the more he plays the better he’ll be, there’s no doubt about that,” Paul Farbrace, the England assistant coach said after training on Wednesday.”At the moment I see him as a batsman who bowls. We want him to develop into a high quality allrounder. By playing him he’ll make the progression he needs and he needs to play. The more he plays the more he’ll understand international cricket.””It’s the same with Chris Jordan and Moeen. The more they play the more they’ll understand it and the more they will win games.”We all saw the progress Jordan and Stokes made by playing. Yes, they might be quite similar but there was good progression by playing them. Stokes has had one outstanding game and one tougher game. Jordan seems to be progressing all the time.”You would think that, if you were thinking of playing two spinners, they’re the most likely to miss out, but at the same time you want to keep progressing them and keep pushing them forward. We’re all seeing the progress that the two of them are making.”The England selectors were criticised retrospectively for not taking Stokes to the World Cup. But he had passed 10 only three times in his last 10 ODIs (his highest score was only 33 and he averaged 11), while his bowling had become a liability. It was his own fault he missed out. Just as missing out on the World T20 was his own fault.He knows that. And he knows that, in returning to Barbados, he has a chance to put things right. The Ben Stokes story is just beginning; it should be a lot of fun.In an ideal world, England might like to rest Anderson and Stuart Broad. But the series is not won and failure would bring consequences. So England will probably play an unchanged side in Barbados. That is tough on Liam Plunkett and Adam Lyth and Adil Rashid and Mark Wood – all of whom are training well – but Jordan and Stokes are learning their trade in international cricket and need some continuity to settle. They have bowled some tough overs in docile conditions.Meanwhile the ECB has supplied candidates for the director of cricket role with a job specification. Contrary to reports elsewhere, nobody has yet been offered the role and Andrew Strauss – perhaps encouraged by news that it is not necessary to travel with the team – has not withdrawn from the running. Tom Harrison is in New York and Colin Graves has just arrived in Barbados.

Saudi Arabian football chiefs have been sensationally tipped to buy the Champions League franchise and create a new worldwide Super League.

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Oil prices surging in Middle EastCould open door for purchase of UCLFinance expert claims Man Utd could benefitGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Saudi Pro League is gradually emerging as a new footballing superpower, having been able to attract a host of star names to the Middle East over the past year. Cristiano Ronaldo started the trend when he joined Al-Nassr after leaving Manchester United last November, with the likes of Karim Benzema, Neymar, N'Golo Kante, Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson treading the same path in the summer transfer window.

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The rapid rise of the Saudi Pro League has led to suggestions that the division's top teams could one day play in Europe's flagship Champions League competition. However, Ole Hansen and Kim Cramer Larsson, who work for Danish investment bank Saxo in respective head of commodity strategy and technical analyst roles, have gone a step further by suggesting that a Saudi Arabian consortium could purchase the entire Champions League franchise in the near future, on the back of an unprecedented surge in crude oil prices.

WHAT OLE HANSEN & KIM CRAMER LARSSON SAID

Such a move could then see Saudi officials push for the creation of a worldwide 'Super League', as Hansen and Cramer Larsson wrote in their annual 'Outrageous Predictions' article for : “Saudi Arabia’s radical restructuring of its economy away from its dependency on oil revenues towards becoming a tourism, leisure and entertainment powerhouse, receives an added boost from a meteoric rise in oil prices, which reach $150 (£118) per barrel around mid-year on stronger-than-expected demand, as the green transformation begins to sputter amid rising costs, and after OPEC+ oil, led by Saudi Arabia, maintains a firm grip on supply. In recent years, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a known football enthusiast, has overseen the revamping of the Saudi Pro League, with a focus on improved on-pitch performance through the acquisition of world-class players in order to become one of the top 10 football leagues in the world. However, with oil revenues surging, MBS sees an excellent opportunity to go one step further and, backed by FIFA, the Kingdom launches a successful attempt to buy the UEFA Champions League, one of the world’s most prestigious football tournaments.

"Now holding the keys to the cherished football competition, the Saudis immediately move to transform it into a global club competition that FIFA, despite offering prize money of $150 million (£119m), had tried but failed to establish amid resistance from UEFA and the European Club Association, and not least the biggest clubs in Europe, fearing risk of players’ fatigue. However, with the Saudi takeover, the new offer reaches a level where the big clubs cannot say no, especially after being offered money for all 220 leading clubs under the European Club Association umbrella. A FIFA World Champions League becomes a reality, with a considerable number of games being played in Riyadh. The new competition ends up consisting of 48 teams, with European clubs just like the current UEFA Champions League format being guaranteed 32 spots, Asia/Middle East, Africa, and the Americas getting five spots each in the tournament, and the remaining going to Oceania.”

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Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

The financial gurus have also claimed that Manchester United could be one of the top European clubs to benefit financially if the Saudis are indeed able to complete a full purchase of the Champions League in the coming years. “As a result of this takeover, the effect on the market would see Manchester United’s stock price doubled as Brent crude oil rises to $150 (£118) per barrel," Hansen and Cramer Larsson added.

The Toffees legend joins a number of world-class footballers who have returned to their national sides after initially retiring

England and Everton veteran Wayne Rooney recently announced his decision to come out of international retirement for a one-off special charity match against the U.S. National Team – but the Three Lions' all-time record goalscorer isn't the first player to have reversed his decision and feature for his country again.

Getty1George Weah | Liberia, 2018

Liberia legend George Weah returned to the national team for a special friendly against Nigeria in September 2018, playing at 51 years of age while also balancing his duty in office as the country's president.

The No.14 shirt which was worn by Weah at the peak of his playing career was retired during the friendly, and the former striker received a standing ovation when substituted in the game.

AdvertisementGetty Images2Tim Cahill | Australia, 2018

In July 2018, the Australia veteran announced his retirement from international football shortly after the end of the World Cup finals in Russia, but immediately overturned with the decision to participate in one final home friendly planned against Lebanon in November 2018.

AFP3Kevin-Prince Boateng | Ghana, 2013

In November of 2011, Boateng announced his retirement from the Ghana squad due to fatigue from travel at 24 years of age – and missed out on participating in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

In October 2013, however, the midfielder was called up for Ghana's 2014 World Cup qualification play-offs against Egypt, and his goal against the Pharoahs in the 89th minute secured qualification for the Black Stars in Brazil.

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Getty4Asamoah Gyan | Ghana, 2014

During the Africa Cup of Nations in January 2008, Gyan and his brother Baffour opted to leave the Black Stars after his team were criticised for their unconvincing 1-0 win over Namibia.

The media became aware that the brothers intended to walk out on the Ghana side and were ready to leave the team hotel, but were persuaded to stay by their teammates.

After Gyan missed a crucial penalty kick in the 2012 African Cup of Nations semi-final, however, that led to Ghana losing 1-0, he decided to take an 'indefinite break' from international duty – but announced his return to the Black Stars a few months later and still features for the side.

Shardul Thakur’s 5 for 54, his fifth of the season, led Mumbai’s fightback as they bundled Delhi out for 166, conceding a mere 10-run first-innings lead

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2015
ScorecardShardul Thakur boosted Mumbai on the second day with a five-for and a run-out to dismiss Virender Sehwag•PTI Shardul Thakur’s 5 for 54, his fifth five-for of this Ranji Trophy, led Mumbai’s fightback as they bundled Delhi out for 166, conceding a mere 10-run first-innings lead. Opener Akhil Herwadkar’s unbeaten 52 then helped Mumbai build a 77-run lead by close of play on the second day in Cuttack.Mumbai, who had been dismissed for 156 on the first day, got early breakthroughs as pacers Wilkin Mota and Balwinder Sandhu dismissed the Delhi openers in successive overs. A 78-run partnership between Shivam Sharma and Virender Sehwag steadied the innings for a while, before Sehwag was run-out by Thakur one run short of a half-century. Sehwag’s wicket left Delhi at 98 for 3 and they rapidly lost their last seven wickets for 64 runs. Apart from Thakur, Mota and Sandhu were the only Mumbai bowlers to pick up wickets, finishing with two each.Herwadkar’s steady 52 gave Mumbai’s second innings a solid start as they finished at 87 for 1 at the end of 30 overs.

USA Cricket Association administrators have expressed worries over possible safety and security risks posed by the country’s scheduled tour to Uganda in late October for ICC WCL Division Three

Peter Della Penna24-Aug-2014USA Cricket Association administrators have expressed worries over possible safety and security risks posed by the country’s scheduled tour to Uganda in late October for ICC World Cricket League Division Three. In an email to the USACA board, treasurer John Thickett cited a US state department advisory from February which rates Uganda as a “high threat for terrorism.”Despite that advisory, there has been no directive from the state department to avoid travel to Uganda as compared to warnings issued for some other countries recently. A USACA board member also told ESPNcricinfo that Thickett’s concerns are shared by other members of the board. At the moment, USACA has not made any plans to cancel USA’s participation in the tournament, but a board meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday where the Uganda security issue and overall team preparation is expected to be formally discussed. Prior to the internal USACA discussions, the ICC had sent an email earlier in the month to all participating teams in an attempt to ease safety concerns.”The email we got from the ICC was kind of vague,” the USACA board member said. “They said, ‘Generally speaking, there are currently no major concerns identified or any specific threats to the tournament’. During last weekend’s meeting in Florida, the secretary mentioned the email from the ICC and that they said ‘generally speaking’ and it is what it is. They’re not overly concerned and there’s no talk of moving the tournament right now.”The board member stated that multiple players had brought up the issue with him to express some reservations about going on tour. However, no players have explicitly stated that they are withdrawing themselves from consideration for the tour over security or health concerns related to heightened fears about contracting the Ebola virus. The current Ebola virus outbreak is centered in West Africa but the US Centers for Disease Control documented a smaller outbreak in Uganda as recently as 2012.”Some of the players are concerned about the Ebola crisis out there and also about attacks on US citizens,” the board member said. “So that would be something we have to be concerned about. Once our players are out there representing the United States, we have to be extra careful. There are concerns about being a representative of the United States and what’s going on in that part of the world. If and when we go there, we have to at least guarantee some safety. The ICC has to tell us that the country itself has to make sure that they provide some safety mechanism to show that the players are safe at all times.”The most recent terrorist attack in Uganda occurred more than four years ago on July 11, 2010 when a rugby club and an Ethiopian restaurant in the capital city of Kampala were bombed, killing 76 people including one US citizen according to the state department web site.USACA’s concerns are not just focused on Uganda but also the proximity to threats in border countries such as Kenya, where the attack on the Westgate mall in Nairobi last September by Al-Qaeda affiliate group Al-Shabaab resulted in the deaths of 67 people, including four terrorists.”Any US national team could become a target, but we are the US cricket team not a US Olympic team,” said one player at last weekend’s USACA T20 National Championship. “(Barack) Obama doesn’t know who we are. With a lower profile, who knows what kind of security we would get.”The USA team has been offered increased security on previous tours. In February 2010, USA received military and police escorts to all training sessions and matches while on tour in the UAE ahead of their highly anticipated maiden encounter against Afghanistan in the World T20 Qualifier. USA also received police escorts later in the month on tour in Nepal for ICC WCL Division Five. Although there was an infamous crowd riot during USA’s group-stage match against Nepal in Kathmandu, there were no serious incidents which directly targeted the USA squad in the UAE and Nepal.The USACA board member also said that he had fielded calls from local constituents who felt any proposal to call off the tour over player safety was a cynical attempt to avoid accruing more debts related to the cost of touring. While the board member conceded that international tours can cost between $80-100,000 for USACA and that the national governing body is “in bad shape financially”, he and another source shot down any theory that USACA would cancel an ICC tour over costs.”USACA has been in debt for years,” the source said. “USACA has not stopped any USA team from participating in ICC events in the past due to financial problems. An U-17 team was sent to Bermuda this week for an ICC event and we just held the T20 national tournament in spite of our financial problems. As long as safety is not an issue, we are preparing as though we will be sending a team to Uganda.”