All posts by h716a5.icu

ESPNcricinfo previews the three Women’s World Cup matches to be played on July 5, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2017With three wins from as many games, India, perched atop the points table, will look to continue their unbeaten streak against sixth-placed Sri Lanka in Derby. After two strong batting performances – against England and West Indies – India’s struggle against Pakistan’s disciplined bowling prompted the captain Mithali Raj to underline the need for batsmen to be wary of a collapse: “We definitely will look into the fact that we don’t lose wickets back-to-back because that puts a lot of pressure on the incoming batters as well as the team. We need to work on our partnerships as batters.”Having bagged 18 out of the 28 wickets taken by the team so far, India’s spinners have led the charge with the ball on pitches that have offered both turn and lateral movement. With their most recent win having come at the venue just two days ago, it is unlikely India would want to tweak their playing combination. That could mean Shikha Pandey, who was dropped in favour of fellow medium-pacer Mansi Joshi in the previous game, will sit out a second straight match.Sri Lanka’s hopes of notching up their first victory in this World Cup will rest on their batsmen, with their bowlers having scalped only six wickets in three consecutive defeats. Led by Chamari Atapattu, the second-highest run-getter in the tournament so far, and former captain Shashikala Siriwardene, Sri Lanka have amassed totals in excess of 200 against defending champions Australia and hosts England. It is an accomplishment the captain Inoka Ranaweera emphasised is “a big thing” for the team, and is likely to instill as much confidence in the side as will memories of knocking India out with a shock 138-run win at the 2013 World Cup.Bowlers have found it hard to crack open Australia’s top-order•Getty ImagesHaving opened their campaign with three losses, Pakistan are now left to try turning it around against an Australian team whose batting is as unflinching as their bowling. Despite a narrow loss to South Africa in their tournament opener, Pakistan looked like a team ready to challenge much-fancied opponents. But their bowling and batting let them down, by turns, subsequently, resulting in defeats to England and India by 107 and 95 runs respectively. Apart from openers Nahida Khan and Ayesha Zafar, who have struck one half-century apiece, no other Pakistan batsman has been able to get into the thirties.An untimely injury to their leading run-getter Bismah Maroof , weakened an already struggling middle order, but the inclusion of medium-pacer Diana Baig inspired Pakistan to a spirited bowling and fielding effort against India on Sunday. Much will depend on Nashra Sandhu’s leg spin for Pakistan to be able to pull off a miracle at Leicester.Australia have rollicked their way to three wins out of three matches and would look to forge their position at the top of the points table before the knockouts. They will, however, be without captain Meg Lanning, at least for this match, as she receives treatment for a shoulder problem. The team will be led by Rachael Haynes, who will turn out for her first match of this edition. Lanning’s absence will put more responsibility on opener Nicole Bolton, who has already struck a century and a fifty in three innings. When Australia’s openers have struggled, allrounder Ellyse Perry has picked up the mantle of holding the batting together. That has been Australia’s key to success in this World Cup, aided by a robust spin contingent that has pushed one performer to the fore every game.Natalie Sciver and Heather Knight have been pivotal to England’s turnaround after opening with a loss to India•PA ImagesAfter being stunned by India in the tournament opener, England bounced back with successive wins. However, they will be wary of their fourth position, given three of their four remaining opponents are semifinal contenders. The first of those comes in the form of South Africa, whom they face in Bristol on Wednesday.Dane van Niekerk’s team are fresh off crushing West Indies, having sent them packing for the sixth-lowest score in tournament history on Sunday. Van Niekerk was at the forefront of the demolition of West Indies, her record haul of 4 for 0 making her the only bowler in cricket history to take four wickets in an international game without conceding a run. Prior to the win against West Indies, South Africa had barely scraped through against Pakistan and their match against New Zealand was abandoned without a ball bowled. But with a pace attack that is every bit as potent as van Niekerk talked up before the tournament, South Africa are a force to be reckoned with.England went back to their regular opening combination against Sri Lanka, with Lauren Winfield, returning from wrist injury, partnering Tammy Beaumont at the top. It facilitated a move down to her favoured No. 3 position for Sarah Taylor, who struck an unbeaten 74 – her first major innings since returning to the side after a year-long break due to anxiety issues.Bristol is expected to be warm for most of Wednesday, although there could be a partial cloud cover at the start.

Burnley have been told how much they would have to pay €10m to land Aster Vranckx this summer, according to a report from DH, via Sport Witness.

Who is Aster Vranckx?

The 20-year-old currently plays for Wolfsburg in Germany, but didn't spend the 2022/23 campaign with the club. Instead, he was sent out on a season-long loan deal to AC Milan, and he featured more for the Italian outfit than he had managed with the Bundesliga club last campaign.

Wolfsburg gave him only one league outing before his move, while the Serie A club played him on nine occasions in the league with two of those coming from the start. It meant the midfielder spent most of his time sidelined and managed no goals or assists, but earned some valuable experience in a high level side – Milan made the last four of the Champions League.

Having been given his debut for Wolfsburg in his teens, he has also showcased an ability to perform in a top league. When he first arrived in Germany, he played 24 times in the Bundesliga for them and even chipped in with two goals despite being just 18 at the time. Prior to that, he had also impressed with Mechelen in Belgium – he made his debut for the First Division A side at just 16 and went on to play in 38 league games for them during his time there, with five goals and three assists.

Are Burnley signing Aster Vranckx?

Vranckx then is only relatively early on in his career but has already racked up over 50 league games in total. However, with his gametime dipping at his parent club, it appears he could be available this summer and there is interest in his services.

According to a report from DH, via Sport Witness, the wonderkid is on the radar of Burnley in the Premier League but also Fulham and PSV. It seems as though Wolfsburg are prepared to let him leave, as he isn't a part of their plans at the club and a deal could therefore happen.

No official bid has been made by any of the aforementioned teams – it seems to be just interest at this point – but the German outfit have already slapped a 10 million Euro (£8.6m) price tag on his head should any offers come in. It means the Clarets would need to stump up a fair amount of cash to sign the youngster.

He already appears to have caught the eye of those who have watched him. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has highlighted Vranckx as part of what he describes as a "superb generation" of talent in midfield for his country Belgium.

Vranckx has already managed two caps for his national team, and the potential appears to be there for the 20-year-old to perhaps play a prominent part for them in the future. If Burnley did snap him up then, it appears they could be landing a real gem – it's just whether they would be prepared to take such an expensive gamble by their standards.

An update has emerged regarding Manchester United’s pursuit of Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, and it will come as good news to Erik ten Hag as he aims to significantly bolster his attack ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

How much will Dusan Vlahovic cost?

Having been linked with a move for the Serbian hitman earlier this summer, Italian news outlet Corriere dello Sport (via Man United News) are reporting that Juventus have lowered their asking price to just €65m (£55m) and this could tempt Ten Hag into making a move for the player.

The Serie A side had previously valued him at around €80m (£68m) according to the same publication, and although it still represents a large fee, it is much lower than previously expected.

The Old Trafford outfit made a bid to sign Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund, which included a players plus cash deal, according to The Athletic, yet it was booted out by the Italian side as they aren’t looking to budge from their £86m price tag that has been set for the youngster.

Vlahovic then, could turn into an ideal alternative for Hojlund should any potential move fail to materialise during the transfer window.

Could Manchester United sign Dusan Vlahovic?

The Red Devils have made just one acquisition this summer, luring Mason Mount from Chelsea and although this is certainly a step in the right direction with regard to bolstering his attacking options, Ten Hag now needs a proper centre forward to join ahead of next term.

Only Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes scored more than ten goals for the club throughout the whole of last season and the Dutchman will be looking for another one or two players who could arrive and boost this area.

Despite conceding just 43 goals in 38 league matches, United scored only 58 goals, with all but two of the top ten scoring more than them and this heightens their need for a player who could score plenty.

Vlahovic didn’t enjoy the best season for Juventus compared to previous years, yet he still managed to score 14 goals and grab four assists across all competitions, and he could prove to be a big upgrade on Anthony Martial, who managed just 12 goal contributions in comparisons.

Indeed, not only does the Serbian score more than Martial, he has also registered more shots per 90 (3.12 to 2.26), taken more touches in the attacking penalty area (144 to 58) and made more progressive carries into the final third (29 to 15) suggesting that his game revolves around more than just scoring, and he puts himself in excellent positions to shoot often and also in order to create chances for others.

Lauded as a “monster” by journalist Carlo Garganese, Vlahovic, as evidenced by the statistics, offers a more well round approach than Martial, while also being capable of scoring more often and this should tempt Ten Hag into making a move for him this summer.

The fee of £55m may seem a lot on the surface, but in terms of value for money and the chance to further develop the 23-year-old at United, it could be a wise investment by the club.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore has joined Yorkshire with immediate effect, bringing to an end a row with his previous club, Worcestershire

George Dobell08-Jun-2017Tom Kohler-Cadmore has been released from his Worcestershire contract and will join Yorkshire immediately.ESPNcricinfo revealed a week ago that Kohler-Cadmore, who was out of contract at the end of the season, had agreed to join Yorkshire for 2018. When he informed Worcestershire of his plans, their director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, was furious and threatened not to select him in first- or second-team games for the rest of the season.Rhodes has now partially relented and allowed Kohler-Cadmore to move on. It is understood he will, initially at least, play in Yorkshire’ssecond XI. He is thought unlikely to be selected in the Yorkshire side for the Royal London Cup play-off.”Worcestershire County Cricket Club have mutually agreed with Tom Kohler-Cadmore and his representative of the immediate release from his contract with the club,” Tom Scott, the Worcestershire CEO said. “We would like to thank Tom for the contribution he has made at New Road and wish him continued success in the future.”The timing of the news may unsettle Worcestershire supporters. The club is due to play in the semi-final of the Royal London Cup(possibly against Yorkshire) in little more than a week – their first semi-final appearance for 13-years – and Kohler-Cadmore was an important part of their white-ball team.It is understood that neither the player or Yorkshire sought an early release from his contract. Indeed, Kohler-Cadmore is understood to bedistressed that a happy spell at New Road has ended in sour circumstances. There is no suggestion that Yorkshire in any way actedinappropriately.While Kohler-Cadmore graduated through the Worcestershire academy – he was attracted to the area by a sixth-form cricket scholarship at nearby Malvern College – he had, until then, developed through the Yorkshire system and is understood to value a return to the north of England.Aged 22, he is a fine prospect. He scored the fastest century of the English domestic season, off 43 balls, in 2016 and made the onlycentury of the Worcestershire campaign – against Yorkshire – to help the county top the North Group in this season’s Royal London Cup. He also averaged 48.40 as the club won their first four Championship matches of the season.Since the news of his departure broke and he was dropped from the side, Worcestershire subsided to an innings defeat against Sussex.”Producing players who are qualified for England and could go on to play for England is what we’re all about,” Rhodes told ESPNcricinfo.”That won’t change.”It’s a delight to watch guys you’ve seen from the age of 13 play first-team cricket and enjoy success together. We’ll carry on trying to produce players and our aim will be to keep them, too.”We’ve a semi-final coming up and everyone here is very excited by that. Hopefully it shows you can play here, enjoy success and furtheryour career.”

Celtic are now strong favourites to sign Shakhtar Dontesk winger Tete, who has confirmed that he plans to leave this summer, according to recent reports from Ukraine.

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

Celtic have recently sold Jota to Al-Ittihad, with the winger moving to Saudi Arabia in a reported £25m move, and while transfer insider Dean Jones believes his departure is a "blow", he thinks the club will be "reinvesting a significant amount of money that they earned from that deal".

Gangwon FC winger Hyun-jun Yang has emerged as a potential replacement for the Portuguese winger, with journalist Anthony Joseph reporting the Hoops have recently stepped up their efforts to sign the 21-year-old, having first made an approach last month.

Tete is another option for the Scottish champions, with The Daily Record recently relaying reports from the Ukrainian media which indicate they are now the strong favourites to win the race for his signature, in part due to his existing relationship with Brendan Rodgers.

Rodgers worked with the Brazilian winger at Leicester City last season, with the Northern Irishman seemingly keen to sign him once again, and the player himself has now made it clear he wants to leave Shakhtar Donetsk.

As a result of the war in Ukraine, the 23-year-old believes he can no longer stay at his current club, saying: "Shakhtar became the first serious club in my career and gave me a lot. I will always love this team. But I can no longer stay here. I hope the fans understand my point of view.

"There are clubs that are interested in me. My agent is already negotiating with the management of Shakhtar about my contract."

Who is Tete?

The Alvorada-born star is primarily a right-winger, having made 125 appearances in that area of the pitch throughout his career so far, during which time he has picked up 37 goals and 23 assists, just under a goal contribution every other game.

As a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine, the £50k-per-week earner has spent some time away from Shakhtar, and he had a very promising spell with Lyon, registering eight goals and ten assists in 30 appearances for the French club.

After that, the former Brazil U23 international went on to play for Leicester, and Rodgers was full of praise for him after his first game against Aston Villa, saying:

"What a debut for him. It was really good. He knows football, he knows the type of game we were trying to play, his touch is immaculate. He has a good weight of pass but can run in behind. His finish was absolutely brilliant. He loves football off the pitch and he is super professional."

Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergi Palkin has lauded the right-winger as "extremely difficult to stop", while also claiming he is known as a "hurricane" by people in Brazil.

At 23-years-old, Tete is at the right age to be a fantastic long-term replacement for Jota, and it appears as though Celtic stand a good chance of winning the race for his signature.

Nottinghamshire boosted their hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages of the Royal London Cup with a six-wicket victory over Leicestershire at Welbeck

ECB Reporters Network07-May-2017
ScorecardSamit Patel ensured Nottinghamshire’s chase had few alarms•Getty ImagesNottinghamshire boosted their hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages of the Royal London Cup with a six-wicket victory over Leicestershire at Welbeck.James Pattinson took 4 for 42 as Leicestershire were bundled out for 217 in only 43.5 overs, after being asked to bat first.Mark Cosgrove, with 80, played the only innings of any substance for the visitors but when he fell the visitors lost their way and slipped from 179 for 4 to 194 for 9.Samit Patel gave the run chase a timely boost by speeding to 79 from 60 balls and it was left to a fourth wicket stand of 80 between Brendan Taylor and Steven Mullaney, who both made half centuries, to take Notts to the finishing line.In cold, blustery conditions Cosgrove arrived at the crease in the seventh over of the morning after Luke Fletcher and Harry Gurney had reduced the visitors to 18 for 2.Cameron Delport was denied a couple of early boundaries when two straight drives both crashed into the stumps at the non-striker’s end. His luck appeared to be changing when he top-edged a delivery from Gurney high over third man for the only six of the innings.He’d only made 8 when he nicked behind, one of three catches for Chris Read. Mark Pettini made 39, sharing in a third wicket stand of 65 with Cosgrove, before becoming Pattinson’s first wicket.The Australian then spent most of the next hour trying to keep warm on the boundary edge before returning to blow the middle and lower order apart with three wickets in four balls.Both Lewis Hill, who made a breezy 30, and Rob Sayer, who fell first ball, were sent on their way after bellowed lbw appeals. Tom Wells was then yorked for just 3.Pattinson also thudded a thunderbolt onto the boot of Zak Chappell, who was still hobbling when he tamely fell to Gurney at the other end.Cosgrove, who is yet to score a one-day hundred in England, seemed about to correct that anomaly but was undone by Gurney and ballooned the ball up to Patel in the covers.Gurney finished with 3 for 29 and Stuart Broad claimed 2 for 48, which included the final wicket to fall, that of skipper Clint McKay, bowled for 14.Nottinghamshire’s innings got off to the worst possible start as Chappell trapped Michael Lumb lbw first ball. Patel made the most of his early arrival in the middle to race to an impressive 50, which included 10 boundaries in only 30 balls.Riki Wessels, with scores of 85 not out and 114 in the last two years at Welbeck, only made 20 before nicking Tom Wells behind but the home side overcame his loss with another punishing stand.Patel and Taylor put on 58 in only 10 overs to take the game completely away from Leicestershire. Patel, who had hit 14 fours in his punishing innings, tossed away the chance of a century by hitting Chappell out to Jamie Sykes, the substitute fielder, on the point boundary.Mullaney hit both Wells and Aadil Ali for sixes as he raced to his second fifty in consecutive matches, getting there from only 42 deliveries but he fell to his next ball, hoisting Aadil Ali out to deep midwicket.Taylor’s own 50 had come from 72 balls faced and he was unbeaten on 51 as Billy Root stroked the winning run with 70 balls remaining.The win moves Nottinghamshire on to six points and enables them to leap-frog Leicestershire into third place in the North Group.

BCB chief Nazmul Hassan has said that the issues India have with the ICC’s proposed revenue model need to be sorted as a “weaker BCCI means weaker Bangladesh”

12-Apr-2017BCB chief Nazmul Hassan has said that the issues India have with the ICC’s proposed revenue model need to be sorted as a “weaker BCCI means weaker Bangladesh”.The BCB chief, who is also a part of ICC working group, met the BCCI’s Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai in Delhi today, to discuss issues related to the ICC board meeting later this month.”Everybody is trying to find a middle path to solve [the revenue structure problem] in a more amicable manner,” Hassan said after his meeting with the CoA, according to PTI. “We don’t want any member country to get hurt. Especially India as they have always supported us. If India becomes weak, we also become weak.”However, Hassan is an advocate of equitable distribution of ICC revenue. “I was a party to the decision when N Srinivasan was there [as ICC head] and the Big Three concept was mooted. Look, I believe we need a more equitable distribution but that certainly doesn’t mean you take away India’s share. No, no that’s not what we want.”Hassan said there was still a need, though, to help member countries which are going through financial crises.Asked about the proposed changes to the ICC’s governance structure, Hassan said different member countries had different issues with it. “Not all of us had agreed on the governance structure. There are a lot of issues that others don’t agree and there are some with which we don’t agree. That’s why it was placed at the ICC board meeting for everybody’s observation.”Hassan said both the BCCI and the BCB have submitted their observations on the governance issue with the ICC. He said the BCB discussed its reservations with the CoA. “The COA put forth their point on what their concerns on revenue model and governance structure are, while we also told them why we are supporting a few issues and not all. We will meet again and want more countries to join us,” he said.Hassan also met ICC chairman Shashank Manohar in Nagpur before his meeting with the CoA in Delhi. Hassan is part of the five-man ICC steering group lead by Manohar, which prepared the new draft constitution, which will be discussed at the second quarterly meeting of the ICC board later this month in Dubai.Hassan said the steering group will be meeting before the ICC meetings to discuss the responses filed by various Full Member boards on the draft constitution. According to Hassan, he met Manohar to discuss a possible date for the steering group’s meeting. “We are trying to find a suitable date because there are lot of recommendations from various boards. [If] we have to incorporate changes, we need to change the governance structure and finalise it before the next [ICC] board meeting.”Rai told PTI that many ICC-member directors had met with the CoA recently. David Peever (Cricket Australia, chairman), Haroon Lorgat (Cricket South Africa, CEO), Tavengwa Mukuhlani (Zimbabwe Cricket, chairman), Thilanga Sumathipala (Sri Lanka Cricket, president), Dave Cameron (WICB, president) and Associate representative Imran Khawaja were in India to meet the CoA in the last few weeks, Rai said.Asked if he was hopeful that other Full Member boards would agree with the viewpoint expressed by the the CoA last month on its reservations regarding the ICC’s draft constituion, Rai said he was optimistic. “I am very confident as we have proposed a formula that will be acceptable to everyone. It is a win-win situation where the Indian cricket board will not lose out on anything and every other board will benefit from the model. In the last two weeks, discussions with every board head who has come to India has been fruitful.”

Former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fàbregas recently announced his retirement from professional football.The World Cup-winning Spaniard has had done incredible things throughout his illustrious career, so Football Fancast has decided to highlight 10 memorable moments as a footballer.How many of these do you remember?

Four assists v Blackburn Rovers

On 4th October, 2009 at the Emirates Stadium, Fàbregas registered four assists in one match whilst scoring a sensational goal of his own.

The La Masia youth product captained the Gunners to a 6-2 victory over Blackburn Rovers and etched himself into Premier League history, becoming only the third player to provide four assists in a single game.

The record still stands today and only seven players have managed to achieve the phenomenal feat.

Assisting the World Cup winner

Does it get much bigger than this? Assisting the winning goal in a World Cup final…

Fàbregas, Spain’s No 10, delicately controlled a loose ball before playing a perfectly weighted pass to Andrés Iniesta, who powered home a half-volley past Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg in the 116th minute, sending the Johannesburg crowd into raptures.

It marked the crowning moment during a golden era of Spanish football, after winning the UEFA European Championship in Austria two years prior.

That assist on his Chelsea debut

After completing a £30m move from Barcelona, Fàbregas starred at Turf Moor on his Chelsea debut, laying on two assists and putting the rest of the league on red alert. Jose Mourinho’s men brushed aside Burnley with ease, winning 3-1 and setting an early precedent in a season that led to a Premier League title.

Chelsea’s second goal was simply masterful. Pure football at its finest. Fàbregas cut open the Burnley defence with one pass before the onrushing André Schürrle clinically finished a quite mesmeric move.

Dethroning Vieira v Juventus

The 2006 Champions League quarter-final between Arsenal and Juventus was billed as Patrick Vieira’s homecoming, and a lot was made of the midfield battle between Vieira and the young Fàbregas.

The Spaniard was only 18 at the time, but he was already viewed as the Frenchman’s replacement, who departed the previous summer.

In a classic encounter between the master and the apprentice, Fàbregas gave his predecessor the run-around, and contributed with a goal and an assist on the night, beating the Turin titans 2-0 at Highbury.

Swearing on camera after winning the title

Celebrations were in full flow at The Hawthorns, after Chelsea sealed the title with a 1-0 victory under the stewardship of manager Antonio Conte.

Live in a televised interview, the elated Fàbregas let slip an expletive, to Gary Cahill’s amusement, and in many ways, it displayed his complete authenticity as he described his love for football.

Not quite what the broadcasters would’ve wanted to hear, but it was a refreshing moment for viewers.

Scoring from kick-off v Spurs

Arsenal, having just scored to go 1-0 to the good, stunned their north London rivals from the restart. Fàbregas pounced on a deflected Wilson Palacios pass and drove through the Tottenham midfield before nipping it past Ledley King and finishing off a wonderful solo effort.

It’s easy to forget quite how fast the Spaniard was. His acceleration and quick feet probably aren’t traits he’s remembered for, but certainly, in his earlier career, he had them in abundance.

Reaching 100 assists

On the final day of 2016, Fàbregas became, at that time, the fourth player in Premier League history to register 100 assists. He also became the fastest (293 appearances) player to reach that landmark, beating Ryan Giggs’ previous record of 367 appearances.

The two-time Premier League winner still ranks as the second-highest (111) assist maker in the league’s history, further showing the difficulty of such achievement.

He also notes it as one of his favourite memories in a Chelsea shirt.

Crucial winner v QPR

A late 88th-minute winner at Loftus Road restored Chelsea’s seven-point lead at the top of the table and provided a great deal of relief for Blues fans after nearly dropping points against relegation-threatened QPR.

Fàbregas came up trumps and delivered a crucial side-footed finish past Rob Green, who was beaten by the pace of the shot.

Captain John Terry led buoyant celebrations after the full-time whistle in what felt like a monumental moment in a pressurising title race.

Throwing pizza at Fergie

On 24th October, 2004, Manchester United defeated Arsenal 2-0 at Old Trafford to end their 49-game unbeaten run. Chaos unused in the tunnel afterwards, but the most notable event of the brawl involved a slice of pizza…

17-year-old Fàbregas, who was at the back of the conflict, launched a slice of pizza in frustration but wasn’t aware of where it landed. He later discovered it hit Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson directly in the face, who wasn’t best pleased, to say the least.

The famous match was later dubbed ‘Battle of the Buffet’, or alternatively ‘Pizzagate’.

Broken leg penalty v Barcelona (March 2010)

During a Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona in 2010, Fàbregas scored a penalty to level the scores – breaking his leg in the process…

The Gunners skipper later admitted he was playing off pure adrenaline.

“The adrenaline must have been flowing through me so strongly because I didn’t feel any pain as I smashed the ball past Victor Valdes. But as soon as I ran to collect the ball to take it back to the centre-spot, I was in agony,” Fàbregas said.

He also added he didn’t know whether he sustained the injury the week prior.

“Some people think I may have even broken the leg against Birmingham a week earlier – and, to be honest, I just don’t know. Yes, it’s exactly the same spot but I didn’t go into the game against Barcelona thinking ‘My leg’s broken’.”

The Trinidad quartet of Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons and Samuel Badree has been picked by the West Indies selectors to play in the T20 segment of the limited-overs series against Pakistan

Colin Benjamin17-Mar-2017The Trinidad quartet of Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons and Samuel Badree has been picked by the West Indies selectors to play in the T20 segment of the limited-overs series against Pakistan. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the four players are part of a squad picked for the first two contests of the four-match series.The T20 series starts on March 26 in Barbados with the following three matches to be played in Trinidad on March 30, April 1 and 2.It is understood that all the four players were informed on their selection on Wednesday, by WICB selection committee head Courtney Browne. It is not clear whether the four will feature in the final two games of the T20 series, which will end three days before the IPL begins. All the four players are part of various franchises in the IPL.West Indies’ last T20 series was also against Pakistan, in the UAE last September.With the exception of Simmons, the players in question all featured, although West Indies lost the three-match series 3-0. Simmons has not played for West Indies since featuring in the two-match T20 series against India last August in Fort Lauderdale.Based on the WICB policy to pick only players who featured in the Regional Super50, none of the four players are expected be available for selection for the ODI segment of the Pakistan series which follows the T20 series. Although the senior WICB staff comprising team director Jimmy Adams and chief selector Courtney Browne have indicated that the board is likely to review its selection policy, it is fair to assume that none between Pollard, Narine, Simmons and Badree will be picked for the three-match ODI series.Despite his lean recent form, Carlos Brathwaite is expected to lead West Indies in the T20 series against Pakistan. It remains to be seen whether the selectors would bring back former West Indies captain Darren Sammy, whose last assignment was winning the World T20 crown in Kolkata last year. Sammy was instrumental in Peshawar Zalmi winning the PSL earlier this month and says he has not yet given up hope of making a West Indies comeback in limited-overs cricket.”I’m only retired from Test cricket,” Sammy said after participating in the recently concluded Hong Kong T20 Blitz. “I’m not retired from limited-overs cricket. I’m available for selection. We have a series coming up against Pakistan, [I’m] available for that and wherever my services are needed.”

Chelsea are still pushing to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo and have a free run at him this summer, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is Caicedo signing for Chelsea?

The Blues are desperately in need of bolstering their midfield ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season, especially with experienced pair N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic moving on this season.

Enzo Fernandez has proven to be an excellent signing, having arrived in the January transfer window and been one of the few positives from a dreadful season at Stamford Bridge, but more reinforcements are now required.

It looks as though Caicedo is Chelsea's primary transfer target in the coming weeks, with the 21-year-old standing out as one of Brighton's best players in 2022/23, averaging 2.7 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in the league, as well as 1.2 key pass per match.

While the Seagulls star is clearly a highly-rated young football with a potentially huge career ahead of him, it does look as though the race to sign him has narrowed down recently, acting as a significant boost to the Blues.

What's the latest on Caicedo to Chelsea?

Speaking to Caught Offside, Jacobs gave a positive update regarding Chelsea's pursuit of Caicedo this summer, suggesting they are the front-runners to snap him up:

"Chelsea are pushing, there is not necessarily a direct rival yet, but there could still be a twist and it will be interesting to see what the price is.

"We’re hearing at the Brighton end £100m+ but from my understanding, there is a verbal agreement between Caicedo and De Zerbi that says he can go for a fair offer and the Caicedo camp made it clear before he signed a new deal after January – that fair deal is basically the Tchouameni package and that is about £70m plus add-ons.

"I think Chelsea or another suitor might be able to get a deal there. Arsenal are not looking at Caicedo at this point but that could change if Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey go and Manchester United were never realistically going to be able to come in for Caicedo."

This is an exciting update from a Chelsea perspective, with Caicedo surely looking highly likely to be plying his trade at Stamford Bridge from next season onwards.

Granted, the Ecuador international is going to cost a lot of money, but the funds are seemingly there to make new signings this summer, especially if the club manager to dispose of some of the dead wood, easing the wage bill in the process.

Caicedo has been lauded by former Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter in the past, which further highlights what an exciting addition he would be, with the Englishman saying of him last August:

"It doesn’t surprise me that people are looking at him because he is playing at a fantastic level. As soon as you do research on him you realise he is a top kid, great person, young, playing in the Premier League, has all the attributes to play at the very, very highest level."