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England have not won successive Tests or a series since the summer of 2013, and this is their last opportunity to score a victory until the 2015 World Cup

The Preview by George Binoy06-Aug-2014Match factsAugust 7-11, 2014
Start time 1100 local (1000 GMT)Big PictureIf India have worked as hard on their game as they have to get James Anderson punished in the previous week, they will almost certainly win at least a session at Old Trafford. They could not manage that in the third Test. The visitors had a nightmare in Southampton: their lead bowler was passed unfit before the toss and the rest of the cast was flat, they dropped catches and mis-fielded, and their batsmen got out soon after they got in. MS Dhoni’s glass was certainly half-full when he said of his batsmen, “getting starts is more difficult that converting starts.”India had 13 double-figure scores at Ageas Bowl but Ajinkya Rahane’s 54 was the highest. They had 11 partnerships over 20 but only three over 50 and none more than 74. A first-innings score of 330 is respectable, but it won’t win Tests unless the opposition collapses, and England had amassed 569. The batting problems, however, seem more fixable than the bowling worries. Apart from Anderson and Stuart Broad, England’s back-up seamers did not trouble the Indian batsmen in Southampton, and the visitors should back themselves to negotiate Moeen Ali’s offbreaks better than they have done in previous Tests.The challenge for Alastair Cook’s team will be to replicate their flawless efforts at Ageas Bowl. England’s out-of-form batsmen made runs, two out of the three new players they brought in were successes, and their spinner proved he was no part-timer. A second performance of such magnitude would be proof that the first one – which ended a winless run of 10 Tests – was not merely happenstance. England have not won successive Tests or a series since the summer of 2013, and this is their last opportunity to score a victory until after the 2015 World Cup.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)
England WLDLD
India LWDDL
In the spotlightSam Robson has not yet done enough this summer to suggest he has succeeded where Nick Compton, Joe Root and Michael Carberry failed, in making the opening slot vacated by Andrew Strauss their own. Robson had one century and three low scores in two Tests against Sri Lanka, and after a half-century against India on a lifeless Trent Bridge track, he has not passed 30 in his next four innings. With England taking a hiatus from Test cricket at the end of this series until April 2015, Robson potentially has four innings to ensure he isn’t forgotten. Moeen Ali is faring marginally worse than Robson with the bat in this series, but all anyone is talking about is his 15 wickets.Can any combination of Indian bowlers take 20 wickets in a Test? No one was asking that question after Lord’s, but it has almost become rhetorical after Southampton. With Ishant Sharma injured, Bhuvneshwar Kumar tiring, Mohammed Shami averaging 73.20 for five wickets, Pankaj Singh luckless, and Ravindra Jadeja being outbowled by Moeen Ali, the lack of depth on India’s creaking bench has been exposed, as many thought it would be over five Tests. There is talk of offspinner R Ashwin and fast bowler Varun Aaron bolstering the attack, but Ashwin averages nearly 75 in away Tests and Aaron hasn’t played since his debut in 2011.Team newsEngland played the near-perfect Test in Southampton, but Chris Jordan’s performance – his lithe slip catching apart – had plenty of room for improvement. He did not bat, and when he bowled he posed almost no threat and went wicketless. If the Old Trafford pitch is fast, England could give Steve Finn a comeback, but they will probably stick with their successful XI.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Sam Robson, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Joe Root, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan/Steve Finn, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson.India are likely to bring in Ashwin and Aaron for Rohit Sharma and Pankaj. Shikhar Dhawan could miss out too, but if India decide not to play Gautam Gambhir, they could retain Rohit and push everyone one slot higher.India (probable) 1 M Vijay, 2 Shikhar Dhawan/Gautam Gambhir, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Varun Aaron/Pankaj Singh.James Anderson has two Man-of-the-Match awards this series, one Level 3 hearing appearance, no ban, and is 13 wickets away from becoming England’s top wicket-taker•PA PhotosPitch and conditionsThe pitch at Trent Bridge made for dreary cricket; the Lord’s surface resembled a budding lawn but its bark was worse than its bite; and Ageas Bowl rewarded only the bowlers who had the skills to exploit its strip. Old Trafford is tipped to have the quickest pitch – although not grassy – of the series so far, but the lead-up to the Test has been wet.The forecast for the first day is fair, but it is worse on Friday and progressively so over the weekend. The temperature is expected to be between 18C and 20C, so it is certainly sweater weather, for the Indians at least.Stats and trivia India last played a Test at Old Trafford in 1990, when Sachin Tendulkar made a match-saving maiden century; they have drawn five and lost three matches at the venue. England have won six and drawn two of their last eight Tests in Manchester; their last defeat there was against Pakistan in May 2001. Anderson had taken 12 wickets at 35.33 apiece in four Tests at Old Trafford, his home ground. His new-ball partner Stuart Broad has only two wickets in two Tests at the venue, at an average of 108.50. Ian Bell averages 78.57 in six Tests in Manchester. He has 550 runs in ten innings there, with two hundreds. Cook has scored 431 runs at an average of 53.87 at the venue.Quotes”We put a lot of wear and tear into the Indian bowlers in that game [third Test], that’s how you win Test-match series. We put a lot of miles in their legs like they did to us at Trent Bridge, which affected us at Lord’s. At the start of this game it’s nil-all and you’ve got to earn the right to put miles in their legs again.”
“The match will tell us how fresh they really are, but at the same time the best we could have managed is to work on fitness and manage their workloads, and we have done that really well. So we will turn up on the field and see if they will be fresh and raring to go.”

Darren Maddy stole the show with a thunderous display to take Warwickshire home in a tough run chase

12-Jul-2013
ScorecardDarren Maddy needed just 42 balls for his unbeaten, matchwinning 84•Getty ImagesVarun Chopra completed a match-winning double for the week as Warwickshire finally registered their first Friends Life t20 victory of the summer as they beat Worcestershire by seven wickets at New Road.Captaining the side in the absence of the injured Jim Troughton, Chopra made 65 from 52 balls in an impressive follow-up to his double century in overcoming Middlesex in the LV= County Championship at Uxbridge.Facing a Worcestershire total of 188 for 5 – built around by Moeen Ali’s 85 against his former county – Warwickshire got home with an over to spare as veteran Darren Maddy managed to outshine Chopra.The 39-year-old all-rounder, who retires at the end of the season, turned the clock back to his early career with Leicestershire in racing to an unbeaten 84 from 42 balls. He hit nine fours and three sixes, one of which hit a woman spectator on the head.Yet it could have been different but for a let-off when Chopra was on 10, wicketkeeper Ben Cox missing a clear opportunity to run him out when failing to knock off the bails. The cost mounted as the third pair put on 119 in 12 overs, a Warwickshire record for any wicket in the competition, before Chopra was caught at backward squad leg.The result was tough on Moeen after a superb knock, including nine fours and four sixes in front of a sell-out crowd of 4,200. He faced 42 balls in scooting to a competition-best score and was denied another six only when Laurie Evans pulled down an overhead chance at long-off.Even with Moeen gone, Worcestershire took 59 from the final five overs, largely the work of Andre Russell, the big-hitting West Indian dashing to an unbeaten 47 from 21 deliveries.Russell crashed five fours and three sixes in his best innings since joining the county for the tournament and in the field he gave his side an early boost when holding a superb running catch from William Porterfield.But Worcestershire could not contain the irrepressible Maddy and Chris Woakes finished the job with six fours in an unbeaten 28 from nine balls. The last 20 runs were cleared off in an over from Jack Shantry.

The Brazilian might just be the best player in the Saudi Pro League right now, but his career could have turned out far differently

Very few casual football fans would have been aware of Anderson Talisca's existence before Cristiano Ronaldo's shock transfer to Al-Nassr in January. Indeed, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's arrival in Saudi Arabia soon sparked an unprecedented European exodus, with other household names such as Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Jordan Henderson also accepting mega-money contracts in the Middle East.

The Pro League hasn't just attracted players who are into the final stretches of their careers, either. Neymar, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Riyad Mahrez and even 21-year-old Spain playmaker Gabri Veiga have also been persuaded to turn their backs on Europe.

The world is now watching as the Saudi game grows at an exponential rate – which has presented Talisca with a unique opportunity. The Brazilian could easily have shrunk into anonymity at Al-Nassr as merely a supporting cast member, existing only to help keep the spotlight on Ronaldo, but has instead made it his mission to show people that he is also a superstar.

The question is, how did a player with Talisca's immense talent go under the radar for so long?

GettyWhere it all began

Talisca was born in the city of Feira de Santana in Bahia – the fourth-largest state in Brazil. Like most children in the country, he was raised in poverty, and quickly realised that football could be a path to a better life.

After honing his skills on the street, Talisca stepped into Vasco da Gama's youth ranks as a 13-year-old and spent two years with the club, before joining then-Brasileiro Serie B outfit EC Bahia in 2009.

He graduated from Bahia's academy four years later, at which point they had been promoted to the top-flight, and made his professional bow in a clash with Corinthians. Talisca opened his scoring account for the club in his second appearance against Sao Paulo, and soon became a regular in Cristovao Borges' team.

The raw edges in Talisca's game were clear, but so was his limitless potential. "We have to understand that at this age this inconsistency of performance is natural," Borges told reporters when quizzed on the forward's development. "He is a national-team player. Just be patient."

Talisca went on to net a crucial last-minute goal at Cruzeiro that ensured another season in Serie A for Bahia, who parted ways with Borges in December 2013 before appointing another Brazilian coach in the form of Marquinhos Santos. The manager was impressed with Talisca's dedication right from the off, and his ability from a dead-ball.

"Talisca has been reaping the rewards of his training," said Santos. "He is a player who dedicates himself. He is always one of the last to leave the field. After training, he is insistently training free-kicks. It's still early days, he's a young man who has potential and my biggest concern is with his head. Let him continue to evolve and become a great player."

AdvertisementGettyThe big break

Talisca found the net nine times in the first half of Bahia's 2014 season, and his impressive performances eventually attracted the attention of Portuguese giants Benfica, who forked out €5million for the Brazilian starlet that July. Jorge Jesus gave his newest signing big billing, telling the media at his unveiling: "He’s another one who is going to make millions for Benfica."

The manager's words had the desired impact as Talisca scored eight league goals in his first three months at Benfica, including a stunning hat-trick in a 5-0 victory over Vitoria Setubal. Jesus received widespread praise for unearthing a new gem, which prompted a surprise outburst from Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

"I think Benfica hired well," Mourinho said to Portuguese broadcaster . "They say Talisca is unknown, but he is only so unknown because he's only not playing in England because he doesn't have a work permit. If he had one, he would be here!"

Jesus then fired back in hilarious fashion: "They knew as much about him as I know about D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers!"

Former Bahia coordinator Newton Mota was the man who really deserved all the credit for discovering Talisca, and he wasn't at all surprised by his fast start to life at Estadio Da Luz. "People call him Yaya Talisca [after Yaya Toure], but I think he is closer to Rivaldo, who was left-footed, with long strides and good shot from distance," Mota told.

Benfica were flying in the Primeira Liga, but had only picked up one point from their opening three Champions League games. They were eight minutes away from being held to a disappointing 0-0 draw at home to Monaco on matchday four, too, only for Talisca to score a last-gasp winner after ghosting in at the back post to meet a corner on the half-volley.

That was the moment he truly announced himself to European audiences and lived up to his tag as the 'new Rivaldo'. Although Benfica still ended up exiting the competition at the group stage, his status as one of the continent's most exciting young players had been secured, and links to Chelsea began to intensify.

Jesus' side finished the 2014-15 season as Portuguese champions and also lifted the Taca da Liga trophy, with Talisca managing 14 goal contributions across all competitions. He also received his first call-up for Brazil, but everything changed when Jesus cut ties with Benfica to join their arch rivals Sporting CP.

GettyThe turning point

Rui Vitoria was the man selected to replace Jesus after an impressive four-year spell in charge at Vitoria Guimaraes, and he instantly set about stamping his authority on the squad, insisting on a 4-4-2 formation with two combative central midfielders, which essentially eliminated the need for the playmaker role Talisca had made his own under Jesus.

The Brazil Under-23 international only started three league games in the first half of the 2015-16 campaign, and he was forced to come out and address reports of tension with the new manager. "Every player has to go through such moments" Talisca said in December of that season. "There is insecurity and lack of confidence, but I am working hard. I played more under Jesus, but there is no personal feud with Rui Vitoria."

Talisca scored nine goals in all competitions despite his limited playing time, including a brilliant free-kick against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals. Benfica ended up losing that tie 3-2 on aggregate, but earned plenty of plaudits for their surprise run in Europe, and bounced back to clinch their third successive league title.

Vitoria had undoubtedly taken Benfica to another level, and decided that Talisca's services were no longer required ahead of his second season in the dugout. Liverpool and Wolves emerged as suitors for the former Bahia wonderkid, but Besiktas won the race for his signature – agreeing a two-year loan deal with Benfica.

Less than a month later, Talisca came up against his parent club in the Champions League. Benfica were 1-0 up when the Brazilian was introduced to the action as a second-half substitute, and they managed to hold their lead under deep into stoppage-time. However, with seconds remaining, a needless foul gifted Besiktas a 25-yard free-kick, and Talisca stepped up. Inevitably, he was able to whip the ball into the far corner using his instep, and didn't hold back with his celebration before being mobbed by his team-mates.

In his post-match interview with , Talisca accused Benfica of not paying him his final salary after the birth of his daughter, before emphatically denying that his exit from the club was financially motivated: "I want to send a message to Benfica management, because they didn't respect me. There were people who criticised me and said that I left Benfica because of money, but that is a lie."

Talisca ended his maiden season at Besiktas with 17 goals and another league title, earning the nickname 'Kiralik Katil' from supporters, which translates to 'Hired Assasin'. He was the top scorer for the club in all competitions in 2017-18, too, but Besiktas dropped a level as a team and they were not able to make his transfer permanent.

Benfica were still determined to offload Talisca, who had burned all of his bridges at Estadio Da Luz, and it was reported that Mourinho reignited his interest in the attacking midfielder, this time as Manchester United boss.

Guangzhou Evergrande beat United to the punch, though, snapping Talisca up on an initial loan deal in June 2018. Four months later he joined them outright for €19m (£17m/$21m), bringing his time in European football to a premature end.

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Talisca spent three years at Guangzhou, scoring 39 goals and setting up another 13 in 65 appearances. He added one Chinese Super League title to his crown during that period, and was identified as a top target by Saudi giants Al-Hilal in the early months of 2021.

The allure of even greater riches in the Middle East did indeed prove too much for Talisca to ignore, but it was Al-Nassr who won the race for his signature as they struck a bargain $9m deal with Guangzhou in May that year. Talisca was an instant hero in the eyes of Al-Nassr fans for turning down their main rivals, and their bond grew as he quickly established himself as the most important member of the squad. A prolific haul of 31 goals from his first 37 games saw Talisca singled out as the new Pro League poster boy – but Ronaldo took that title from him at the start of the year.

They quickly forged a strong partnership, though, not least because of their Portuguese language connection, and combined for a number of crucial goals in the second half of Al-Nassr's 2022-23 campaign. However, the league title did not come back to Mrsool Park, which ensured another busy transfer window in the summer.

Al-Nassr bolstered their squad by bringing in the likes of Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, Aymeric Laporte and Seko Fofana, along with Ronaldo's Portugal colleagues Otavio and Alex Telles. Talisca's position at the club was called into question after Mane's arrival, with it suggested that head coach Luis Castro would be unable to fit the Brazilian into his line-up next to the ex-Bayern Munich star and Ronaldo.

A potential return to Besiktas was mooted for Talisca, but he committed to staying put – only to suffer an injury that saw him miss the first few weeks of the new season. Fears over Al-Nassr's tactical set-up were raised again upon his return to full fitness, despite the club's poor start in the Pro League.

As it turns out, Talisca was actually the missing piece in the puzzle. Al-Nassr have been flying since welcoming the former Benfica man back into the fold, winning 17 of their last 18 games in all competitions.

That has included picking up maximum points in the AFC Champions League group stages, with Talisca scoring all three goals in their latest victory over Al-Duhail. He's already up to 17 goals for the season in total, just four fewer than Ronaldo.

Gazi Group Cricketers offspinner Mustafizur Rahman has been reported for a suspect action again

Mohammad Isam29-Apr-2016Gazi Group Cricketers offspinner Mustafizur Rahman has been reported for a suspect action a second time in consecutive matches. The umpires made the call during his team’s match against Legends of Rupganj in the Dhaka Premier League on Thursday.Mohammedan Sporting Club left-arm spinners Naeem Islam jnr and Faisal Hossain were also reported for suspect actions during their match against Victoria Sporting Club.There have been seven bowlers reported for suspect actions so far, and the DPL is only in its second round. With the Bangladesh Cricket Board yet to establish a bowling action review committee, all of them can continue playing in the tournament.Mustafizur was one of four bowlers who had been reported a week ago, on the opening day of the league. Faisal had been reported in the 2006-07 season following which he was kept under observation and allowed to bowl in 2007-08.

Michael Hussey is one of cricket’s finest finishers, so it was only fitting that he ended his international career by steering Australia to victory and a series clean-sweep over Sri Lanka

The Report by Brydon Coverdale06-Jan-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Michael Hussey was warmly welcomed by the Sydney crowd•Getty ImagesMichael Hussey is one of cricket’s finest finishers, so it was only fitting that he ended his international career by steering Australia to victory and a series clean-sweep over Sri Lanka. Despite the best efforts of his partner Mitchell Johnson to dead-bat the ball with one run needed, Hussey was not able to hit the winning run, instead sprinting through for a single as the ball ran off Johnson’s thick edge and away to point off Rangana Herath.To Hussey, it barely mattered. The win – the 48th of his Test career – was what meant everything. And in a small chase of 141, he had done an important job of guiding Australia through some late jitters to complete a five-wicket victory. He finished unbeaten on 27 and ended his Test career with 6235 runs at an average of 51.52. He walked off to lead Australia in the team song one last time before he hands the job over to Nathan Lyon.Of course, the win was not all about Hussey. Ed Cowan, Phillip Hughes and Michael Clarke all played important parts in edging Australia closer to their goal. For the second time since Clarke took over the captaincy Australia completed a clean-sweep of an opponent – the first was last summer against India – and it was a positive end to a summer that began with two draws and a loss to South Africa.Smart stats

Australia’s five-wicket win is their 17th in 26 Tests against Sri Lanka. It’s the third time they’ve blanked Sri Lanka 3-0 in a series.

Australia’s win-loss record of 17-1 in Tests against Sri Lanka is the most lopsided between any two sides, excluding matches involving Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

In their last ten Tests in Sydney, Australia have won nine.

Dinesh Chandimal’s unbeaten 62 is his fourth half-century in ten Test innings. His 62 is also the fourth-highest Test score by a Sri Lankan No.7 batsman against Australia.

Rangana Herath finished with match figures of 7 for 141, only the fourth instance of a Sri Lankan bowler taking seven or more wickets in a Test in Australia. His series haul of 12 is the joint-highest for a Sri Lankan in Australia.

As the target was reduced with every gap pierced by Cowan and Clarke, the crowd at the SCG experienced the unusual feeling of wanting to see an Australian wicket fall. Hussey has been a favourite of the Australian fans over his seven years in the Test team and his absence from the one-day international squad announced earlier in the day meant this was certain to be his final match for Australia.With 37 runs still required, the moment arrived. Clarke prodded forward to Tillakaratne Dilshan’s offspin and lobbed a catch to short leg, and his home crowd cheered. This was no insult to Clarke, but a recognition of everything Hussey has done for Australia since his Test debut at the age of 30, and for one last time his team needed him. He walked to the crease to a standing ovation and settled down to business.After a nervous leading edge first ball, he was off the mark from his second delivery with a cover-drive for two, and even managed to get a reverse-swept boundary in there as well. The small chase of 141 could have been tricky on a fourth-day SCG pitch, especially when Australia lost David Warner in the second over for a golden duck when he edged to Mahela Jayawardene at slip off the bowling of Suranga Lakmal.But his opening partner Cowan set himself to guide Australia as close to their goal as possible and although he was in no hurry, he anchored two very important partnerships, a 45-run stand with Hughes and then a 59-run effort with Clarke. Hughes played some impressive strokes in his 34 from 49 balls but was flummoxed by Herath. When Herath trapped Hughes lbw it was a much-deserved wicket, even though the Sri Lankans had called for a review mostly to check on a bat-pad catch.At 2 for 45, Australia were not yet out of the woods, especially given their decision to play five bowlers in this Test. But Cowan did not lose his cool and gradually eked out the runs, while Clarke was a little more fluent. Their partnership was the one that took Australia from a slight danger zone to a position of comfort and after Clarke fell, Cowan was bitterly disappointed to follow him and miss out on the chance to see the chase home, trapped lbw on 36 by Herath coming around the wicket.Matthew Wade also lost his wicket when he was bowled attempting a sweep off Herath for 8, but by then Australia needed only another nine runs. The Sri Lankans, who have never won a Test in Australia, were left to wonder what could have been had they just scratched out another 50 runs in their second innings. Truth be told, they had done well to make a game of it after losing a string of wickets on the third afternoon.Dinesh Chandimal finished unbeaten on 62 and the 41-run stand he put on with Nuwan Pradeep for the final wicket was critical in giving Sri Lanka’s bowlers something to defend. Pradeep was dismissed nearly half an hour before lunch for 9, with Sri Lanka’s total on 278, and it left Australia’s openers a short period to bat before the break which Warner didn’t survive.Every run was important for Sri Lanka as they resumed the morning at 7 for 225. Only ten runs had been added when Herath played on to Jackson Bird while attempting to leave the ball alone, and when Lakmal was bowled for a duck trying a hefty swipe off Johnson it appeared that the innings could be over quickly. But Pradeep offered impressive support for Chandimal, who farmed the strike effectively.Chandimal immediately lifted his tempo and struck three boundaries off a Bird over and soon had his half-century from 75 balls with another boundary whipped through midwicket off Bird. Pradeep got in on the act with four down the ground but next ball was caught behind off Bird as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 274.It left Australia needing 141, the kind of target that has proven difficult at times in past years. It’s also the sort of target that meant Australia needed not only their openers, but their No.5 as well. And Mr Cricket delivered.

The Madras High Court has restrained Zee Media Corporation Limited and News Nation Network Private Limited from airing any interviews or news related to fixing allegations against MS Dhoni

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2014The Madras High Court has restrained Zee Media Corporation Limited, an Indian television conglomerate, and News Nation Network Private Limited, another private television news channel, from airing any interviews or news related to fixing allegations against MS Dhoni. The interim order was passed on Tuesday after the India captain sought Rs 100 crore from four respondents, including police officer G Sampath Kumar, as damages for tarnishing his image.In his affidavit to the court, Dhoni stated his hard-earned reputation was at risk from unverified reports. Dhoni had earlier issued notices to ZMCL, Zee News editor and business head Sudhir Chaudhary, Kumar and News Nation. Justice S Tamilvanan, in his interim order, stated, “I am of the view that there is a prima facie case and the balance of convenience is also in favour of the plaintiff. Hence, interim injunction granted for a period of two weeks,” the judge said in his order after perusing Dhoni’s affidavit.*In his affidavit, Dhoni, represented by the firm of BCCI lawyer PR Raman, accused all four respondents of intentionally projecting Dhoni as an object of hate and ridicule, thereby maligning his image in the eyes of cricket lovers, especially fans of Chennai Super Kings.This is the first time Dhoni, albeit through his lawyers, has reacted in any manner to the IPL scandal. He had been silent at the time, even after the arrest of Super Kings official and the BCCI president N Srinivasan¹s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan.The reports surfaced following the submission of a sealed envelope – said to contain names of high-profile players allegedly involved in corrupt practices – to the Supreme Court by the Justice Mukul Mudgal committee investigating the IPL fixing case. Kumar, who had deposed before the Mudgal committee, had alleged in an interview to various news channels that Dhoni’s name had been mentioned by an alleged bookie during interrogation with regard to fixing the game between Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals on May 12, 2013. The charge sheet filed by the Mumbai Police against Meiyappan and 21 others also mentioned that fixing allegations had surfaced about the same match.While establishing Meiyappan as a CSK official, the Mudgal committee in its report last month noted that Dhoni, along with Srinivasan and officials of India Cements took the stand that “Mr Meiyappan, had nothing to do with the cricketing affairs of Super Kings and was a mere cricket enthusiast supporting CSK”.* – March 18, 2014, 1615 GMT – story was updated with the interim injunction

The scenes at the Wankhede Stadium were scarcely believable as Mumbai Indians’ turnaround of a campaign that had begun so disastrously culminated in the most fairy-tale of finishes

The Report by George Binoy25-May-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details8:56

Isa Guha: Rajasthan deserved to lose

The scenes at the Wankhede Stadium were scarcely believable as Mumbai Indians’ turnaround of a campaign that had begun so disastrously culminated in the most fairy-tale of finishes. As Aditya Tare swung his first ball – James Faulkner’s leg-stump full toss – over long leg to give Mumbai the boundary they needed to claw into the playoffs, Rahul Dravid rose from the dugout and flung his Rajasthan Royals cap to the ground as the team he was mentoring completed the most spectacular of meltdowns to lose an un-loseable game.The shambles that caused Dravid to lose his temper would have broken less-composed men much sooner. Despite the mad-scientist experiments in their last few matches, Royals had gone into this game with a hand full of aces. Mumbai Indians, having decided to chase, needed to achieve whatever target they were set in 14.3 overs to get ahead on net run rate. Royals set them 190.Corey Anderson, whom Mumbai picked in place of fast bowler Marchant de Lange, played the attack-shredding innings he had been bought to play but had failed to produce so far in the tournament. However, when Mumbai needed nine off three deliveries to win in 14.3 overs and qualify for the playoffs, Anderson could manage only a single off Faulkner’s first to move to 95 off 44 balls and take his place at the non-striker’s end.Faulkner had eight runs to defend off two balls, but that equation lurched heavily in favour of Mumbai when he delivered a leg-stump full toss that Ambati Rayudu smacked over the long-leg boundary. Rayudu then mis-timed what should have been the decisive ball of the match into the covers and would have been run out had Shane Watson hit at the bowler’s end. But the throw was inaccurate and Rayudu was eventually run out attempting the overthrow that would have given Mumbai all they needed.That moment in the field capped a horrendous match for the Royals captain. Watson’s timing had been incredibly poor during his struggle for 8 off 18 balls after opening the innings, and then he conceded 33 off two wicketless overs. As Mumbai began building the momentum of a runaway train, Watson looked listless and frazzled, and at times Brad Hodge was seen marshalling fielders to their positions.As Rayudu sank to his knees after his dismissal, gutted because he thought Mumbai had fallen so agonisingly short, chaos broke out around him. Calculators went to work off the field, the batsmen and fielders crowded the umpires for clarification, and play halted for several minutes. Some Royals players had begun to celebrate – 14.3 overs had been bowled and the scores were only tied, Mumbai had not won – but substitutes ran out with the message that it was not done yet. If Mumbai hit a boundary off the next ball, they would make it. And then Faulkner bowled a staggeringly loose full toss, Tare hit it for six, got in Watson’s face, tugged his jersey over his head and celebrated like a footballer. Beyond the boundary, Dravid threw down his cap.The hero on the night was the man striding off the field, chest puffed, and wearing a smile as broad as his shoulders. Anderson had played only because Mumbai were in desperate need of men who could hit a long ball. His team-mates – Lendl Simmons, Michael Hussey, Kieron Pollard and Rohit Sharma – came out swinging but soon ran out of steam. Anderson’s guns never stopped firing.Coming in at 19 for 1, he hammered his first ball – from Watson – to the cover boundary and pulled his second into the crowd beyond deep midwicket. Anderson then watched Kevon Cooper york Hussey and pocket Pollard with a slower ball. Cooper conceded only four runs in the seventh over, leaving Mumbai needing 115 off 45 balls to qualify. They scored more than 14 in all but two of the remaining overs, and never less than 11.Anderson slog-swept Tambe’s legbreaks and googlies to and over the deep-midwicket boundary and repeatedly pummeled the seamers between long on and long off. Only 11 of his 95 runs came behind the wicket. In Rayudu, Anderson found an equally aggressive partner and they put on 81 in 5.1 overs. When Mumbai needed 51 off 21, Rayudu hit three fours and Anderson a fourth in a Watson over to turn the game. Cooper, Tambe and Faulkner were entrusted with the remaining overs to delay Mumbai beyond 14.3, but a battered Royals outfit had no self-belief. Mumbai had it all.The despair Royals felt at the end of the night had rendered the achievements of their two youngest batsmen all but forgotten. Having watched their captain Watson flounder on a pitch that made the ball grip, Sanju Samson and Karun Nair batted fluently, repairing the innings to 59 for 1 after 10 overs before launching an unexpected salvo.Rohit Sharma, the Mumbai captain, used five bowlers between overs 11 and 15 and Samson and Nair took more than 10 runs of everyone, scoring 75 runs in this period. They carved over the off side and slog-swept over the leg, they played reverse and orthodox shots and they timed everything sweetly. Samson brought up his 50 off 36 balls and Nair got his in 26; the century stand took only 9.2 overs.After they fell in the space of four balls in the 15th and 16th over, Royals finally abandoned their inexplicable tactic of preserving Hodge and Faulkner for later. The Australians finished strongly, and had Royals used them better the previous games, they might have already had their playoff spot before tonight. But they had given Mumbai an opening, and fell to pieces as Anderson broke the door down.

A round-up of the Faysal Bank T20 matches on March 28, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Mar-2013
ScorecardMisbah-ul-Haq’s unbeaten 85 off 47 balls took Faisalabad Wolves to a seven-wicket victory over Karachi Dolphins at the Gaddafi Stadium. The victory ensured Wolves reached the semi-finals, while the Dolphins were ruled out of the final four.Batting first, Karachi lost opener Fakhar Zaman in the first over, but Shahzaib Hasan (51) and Khurram Manzoor (42) added 100 runs for second wicket to take Dolphins to a commanding position. Offspinner Khurram Shahzad broke the partnership, and the Dolphins lost three wickets quickly to be reduced to 157 for 8.In reply, Faisalabad began nervously, with Farrukh Shehzad and Khurram Shehzad out cheaply, leaving Misbah and Ali Waqas (39 off 40 balls) to do the repair work. The two added 67 for third wicket; Waqas smacked four boundaries, including two sixes, before being caught brilliantly at long-on by Anwar Ali, who dived forward to pouch a blinder.Faisalabad needed 69 off 45 balls. But Misbah kept his nerves to steer Wolves home safely with Imran Khalid (18); they added 73 runs for the fourth wicket. Azam Hussain and Akbar-ur-Rehman took one wicket each.
ScorecardSohail Tanvir’s all-round performance led Rawalpindi Rams to a 20-run victory over Bahawalpur Stags in a rain-affected match. Rawalpindi were put in to bat first in overcast conditions. Naved Malik (29 off 24) and Awais Zia (26 off 13 balls) put on 43 runs for the first wicket. Bilal Khilji (3-24) snapped two quick wickets to slow them down, but Umar Waheed’s run-a-ball 20, and Sohail Tanvir’s 28 off 16 balls helped Rawalpindi post an imposing total.Bahawalpur lost wickets regularly in reply. Besides Imranullah Aslam (15) and Kashif Siddiq (45), no other batsman scored in double figures. Seamer Hammad Azam was the most productive bowler for Rawalpindi, taking three wickets, as Bahawalpur were eventually bowled out for 96.
ScorecardIn a topsy-turvy contest, Lahore Lions limped to a three-wicket victory over Abbottabad Falcons. Abbottabad, after choosing to bat, lost wickets in a hurry. Besides Sajjad Ali and Hammad Ali, both of whom scored 20, the rest in the line-up didn’t provide much resistance, and Abbottabad were eventually bowled out for 94 off the final ball of the innings. Offspinner Adnan Rasool was the wrecker-in-chief, taking four wickets.In reply, Lahore lost an early wicket, that of opener Nasir Jamshed for 7, but a 51-run stand between Ahmed Shehzad and Umar looked to be taking them to an easy win. They then lost six wickets for 22 runs, but eventually reached their target in 17 overs.

With transfer rumours rampant, the homegrown winger made his case to remain with the Barca as they bid farewell to some club legends & their stadium

Barcelona capped off their final home game at the soon-to-be-renovated Camp Nou in style, with Ansu Fati scoring twice in a 3-0 win against a struggling Mallorca side. The Spanish champions are moving to a new stadium next season while their old home undergoes extensive repairs, and it didn't take long for Barca to celebrate Camp Nou with a goal in their final fixture.

Gavi surged down the right, before cutting the ball back to a wide-open Fati, who couldn't miss from close range. The Blaugrana were handed a further advantage by a Mallorca sending off, after Amath Ndiaye clattered Alejandro Balde and earned himself a straight red.

Barcelona were far more dominant against 10 men, and Fati was at it again 20 minutes later, capping off a fluid move with a neat near-post finish. The Blaugrana were somewhat wasteful after the break, but the chances still came, and Gavi made it three on 70 minutes with a fine left-footed strike. Fati also could've had a third with 15 minutes remaining but squandered a good chance.

At the end of it all, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba enjoyed applause from the Barcelona faithful, the duo departing at the end of the season to conclude legendary careers in Catalunya. Fati, meanwhile, might just have done enough to prove he could be part of the next one.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Camp Nou…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (6/10):

Probably very bored.

Alejando Balde (5/10):

Had little involvement before being taken off with a lower leg injury. Looked a nasty one, too, though he should be fit for pre-season.

Jules Kounde (6/10):

Still doesn't convince at centre-back, despite insisting he's a centre-back. Will be interesting to see where he plays next year.

Andreas Christensen (6/10):

A solid showing once again, despite having very little to do.

Jordi Alba (7/10):

A fine Camp Nou swansong. Emotional when subbed off with 10 minutes to play. He's past his best, but will certainly be missed.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Sergio Busquets (7/10):

Tidy in his final Camp Nou appearance. Completed the most passes on the pitch. Got a standing ovation as he was removed.

Gavi (7/10):

Assisted Fati's first, scored one of his own to make it three. Won a few tackles. Much more influential on the ball than in recent weeks.

Frenkie de Jong (7/10):

Adventurous in his distribution and silky on the ball. Xavi has got the best out of him.

Getty ImagesAttack

Ousmane Dembele (8/10):

Lots of good stuff on the ball, created four chances, assisted Gavi. An impressive showing.

Robert Lewandowski (6/10):

Headed wide when he really should have scored. Smashed a free-kick off the bar. The Pichichi will still be his, but he's not been at his best for a while.

Ansu Fati (8/10):

Easy finish to score less than a minute in. Far more complicated one to make it two 20 minutes later. Made a case to stay amid rampant transfer speculation.

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Subs & Manager

Sergi Roberto (6/10):

Replaced an injured Balde, did his work well.

Raphinha (6/10):

Unfortunate not to start. Didn't make much of an impact in what could be his final contest at Camp Nou.

Eric Garcia (N/A):

No time to make an impact

Ferran Torres (N/A):

Blasted a free-kick over in pretty much his only involvement.

Xavi (8/10):

Went back to a 4-3-3, and handed starts to Dembele and Fati. And it worked well, with both wingers proving instrumental in a convincing win. He will be annoyed by the Balde injury, but it was an otherwise solid day for the league champs.

An NZC official Greg Barclay has said the board is remaining vigilant about the threat of an alternative cricket structure but that there was no danger of its players being poached

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2015A New Zealand Cricket board member Greg Barclay has said NZC is remaining vigilant about the threat of an alternative cricket structure but that there was no danger of its players being poached by another rebel establishment.”I don’t think our players are under threat at the moment,” Barclay, NZC’s representative at the ICC, told . He said the reports were “hype and speculation” at present and he was not aware of any approaches to players or venues in New Zealand to host any matches.”It is quite possible that anyone organised could pick it up and run with it, and if they do it and don’t do it right, it would be particularly damaging to cricket. There is nothing more we can do at the moment. It is business as usual. The real question is what does it all mean? Why are they doing it?”Last week Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards had also described the reports as “highly speculative” and said CA would work with the ICC and other countries to protect the global interests of the game.An ICC committee – comprising its chairman N Srinivasan, ECB’s Giles Clarke, and Edwards – was set up to investigate the apparent new moves made by the Indian billionaire Subhash Chandra, owner of the Essel Group and also Zee TV, whose subsidiary Ten Sports owns home international cricket television rights for numerous Full Member countries including Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Chandra was the driving force behind the Indian Cricket League, a Twenty20 tournament that preceded the IPL but was crushed by the BCCI for being unsanctioned cricket.