All posts by h716a5.icu

Kylian Mbappe has reportedly told his Paris Saint-Germain team-mates that he will be leaving this summer as his transfer to Real Madrid edges closer.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Mbappe set to end PSG stint in summerAllegedly informed team-mates of decisionApparently will be heading to Real Madridgetty imagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 2018 World Cup winner will run down his contract at the Parc des Princes and leave as a free agent in the summer of 2024. According to journalist Fabrice Hawkins, the 25-year-old also informed the PSG dressing room about his impending departure when they met on Friday morning at the club's training ground.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mbappe could have triggered an additional year in his contract to extend his stay in Paris but the forward has reportedly rejected that option. He had already officially communicated his decision to the Parisian hierarchy a day earlier and has now subsequently announced the same to his team-mates.

DID YOU KNOW?

Real Madrid are leading the chase for Mbappe and it believed that they have already tabled an offer. Although the financial package might not be as lucrative as the one that they presented to him in 2022, it should still include a hefty signing bonus of between €120 million (£103m/$129m) and €130m (£111m/$140m).

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT?

Real Madrid are reportedly confident that their contract offer would prove to be enough to make Mbappe another ‘Galactico’at Santiago Bernabeu. However, even if the deal is signed behind the scenes, Los Blanocs are unlikely to announce it anytime soon as they might be drawn against PSG in the Champions League.

Ahmed Shehzad and Shan Masood have been included in Pakistan’s 15-man squad for the Test series in Sri Lanka in June while offspinner Saeed Ajmal has been left out

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2015Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood and Ehsan Adil have been included in Pakistan’s 15-member squad for the Test series in Sri Lanka in June.Offspinner Saeed Ajmal, who was part of the squad in the two-Test series against Bangladesh, was left out because of his lack of impact with the remodelled bowling action. Ajmal picked up a solitary wicket in the tour game before the start of Bangladesh Tests, but couldn’t make it to the Test XI with Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah pipping him for spinners’ spots. He played two ODIs and one T20 on the tour, but managed just one more wicket.Babar Azam, Bilawal Bhatti, Sami Aslam were also excluded, while Rahat Ali, Sohaib Maqsood and Sohail Khan continued to be unavailable due to their respective injuries.Shehzad was dropped from both Test and ODI squads after the 2015 World Cup on disciplinary grounds. He was recalled for the Zimbabwe ODIs but remained on the bench throughout the three-match series. Shehzad is one of three openers – Mohammad Hafeez and Masood, being the other two – in the squad.Interestingly, the selectors said they had considered the performance of Pakistan A players on their tour to Sri Lanka recently but both Umar Amin, the top-scorer in longer format, and Fawad Alam, leading run-getter in the limited-over games, were ignored. For Aslam, his 47 runs from three innings in Bangladesh, went against him.”While selecting the squad, the selection committee considered the following key areas: suitability to play in varied playing conditions, potential to perform at international level, current form and fitness, performance in the previous tours of Bangladesh and recently concluded Pakistan A team’s tour of Sri Lanka, and feedback from the team management on the performance of players on Bangladesh tour,” PCB chief selector Haroon Rashid said.”Fawad Alam, Sami Aslam and some other players were also under consideration but could not be included but they remain on the selectors radar. Rahat Ali (hamstring), Sohail Khan (back) and Sohaib Maqsood (wrist) are still on rehab after sustaining injuries and it is hoped that they would be available for selection in the near future. Selection committee has also kept its options open in case of need for the 16th member keeping in mind the extreme weather conditions in Sri Lanka.”Pakistan squad: Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (vc), Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Imran Khan, Ehsan Adil.

Graham Ford, the Sri Lanka coach, has said that his team’s young batsmen are in the “apprenticeship stage” of their careers, and so are required to bat down the order though they have the games suited to batting higher up

Sa'adi Thawfeeq07-Dec-2013Graham Ford, the Sri Lanka coach, has said that his team’s young batsmen are in the “apprenticeship stage” of their careers, and so are required to bat down the order though they have the games suited to batting higher up.”It has been a bit of a concern for both Chandi [Dinesh Chandimal] and [Lahiru] Thirimanne who are bats capable of batting in the higher part of the order, their games are more suited to it,” Ford said ahead of Sri Lanka’s departure for the UAE, where they will play a full series against Pakistan. “We have current [senior] players filling those slots [up the order], so it has been quite difficult. Still, the selectors have tried to give them opportunities up the order when possible, and that’s why it looks like they’ve been shifted around.”The top three slots in the one-day batting order are occupied by Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara, all three of whom have indicated to the selectors that they will be around till the 2015 World Cup. That means Chandimal and Thirimanne are left with closing out the innings, even though they are not “finishing” batsmen, Ford said. “Perhaps it is not ideally suited to their styles because they are not really the 50-overs finishing type of batsmen. They are more of the batsmen who get in the engine room and set up the innings.”They’ll have to work a little bit on adjusting their style. They are both young players and they have very important roles to play in the future.”However, with Jayawardene missing the two T20s and the five-match ODI series against Pakistan on personal grounds, it gives one of the youngsters an opportunity to partner Tillakaratne Dilshan as opener. It’s likely to be a toss-up between Kusal Perera and Dimuth Karunaratne. “They are both very exciting young cricketers,” Ford said. “Kusal is tremendous talent. He is such a natural player and plays with such flair. A really good guy to have in the team and he can certainly put the opposition on the back foot pretty quickly.”Dimuth is more of a traditional type of player. He has done well in the longer form and it’s confidence-boosting for Sri Lanka to know that they’ve got those two options – one, more of a stabilising type of player and the other one who can really take the game to the opposition and put the bowlers under pressure. Depending on the strategy and tactics you can decide on which option one wants to use.”Ford said the absence of fast bowler Shaminda Eranga from the team was not because he has been overlooked, but because he is being monitored carefully with a view to manage his workload for the busy season ahead. Following the series against Pakistan which also comprises three Tests, Sri Lanka travel to Bangladesh for two Tests and a one-day series, followed by the Asia Cup and the World T20, then the IPL and a tour of England for two Tests and a limited-overs series.”Eranga is very much in the plans. There is a lot of cricket ahead and it’s really going to be tough on the fast bowlers. We get to situations when there are five Test matches in a row. He is bowling beautifully and he is fit as can be, but he doesn’t fit into the starting ODI line-up in the combination they would put out in the UAE conditions. But come the next World Cup [in Australia-New Zealand], he will be close to [the first eleven] in those sort of conditions. He is a very important part of the Sri Lankan bowling unit.”Ford said Sri Lanka need to further develop their fast-bowling skills. “I don’t want to be critical about my group of players but there are few areas of concern. People are working on some of the weaker and softer areas, and at the same time we got a lot of strong areas. We’ve got to [take advantage] of those strong areas and put the opposition under pressure.”

English cricket remains “very nervous” about the participation of players in the Bangladesh Premier League and has warned those taking part of the risks

Andrew McGlashan20-Dec-2012English cricket remains “very nervous” about the participation of players in the Bangladesh Premier League and has warned those taking part of the risks. The head of the players’ union does not believe any significant improvements have been made since last year’s controversial debut edition.Alex Hales, Luke Wright and Ravi Bopara are the highest-profile English players to have been bought by franchises although a host of other county cricketers have been snapped up. Michael Lumb and James Taylor, who both play for Nottinghamshire alongside Hales, withdrew from the auction. All the players who earned deals on Thursday are understood to have been granted No-Objection Certificates by their counties but not without concerns.”We remain very nervous about the competition,” Angus Porter, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, told ESPNcricinfo. “I don’t see any evidence that the competition is going to be better off or better organised than it was last year. I’m not sure anyone involved in the game is very comfortable with this event.”We haven’t yet seen any final contracts, we are uncomfortable with the proposed payment schedule for players. We brought all the issues we can to the attention of players but at the end of the day it is their decision whether they go. From a financial and organisational point of view, we still think the tournament has a lot to prove.”Following the first edition of the BPL last year players suffered from delayed payments and the PCA had to get heavily involved to ensure money was delivered. Although those issues have now been resolved some of the coaches and backroom staff from the 2012 tournament are still without fees.A new payment structure is in place for this year’s tournament with players receiving 25% before the tournament, another quarter before it finishes then the remaining 50% within six months but Porter does not believe this system is any more secure.”The proposed payment schedule for this year is actually worse than last year,” he said. “The players will get to the end of the tournament with only 25% of the fee in their pocket if it goes to plan and of that a chuck is having to go to an agent proposed by the BPL. They won’t have an awful lot of money even if the schedules are met until a considerable time after the tournament. That is far from satisfactory, given the events of last year.”The other significant area of concern was the policing of corruption. Porter has spoken to a number of the players involved in the auction to outline the risks and the PCA’s concerns, but he also understands why some continue to pursue an opportunity.”A number of players I’ve spoken to have said they want to go for the experience and boost their talents,” he said. “They are aware of the risk they are taking. I am concerned though that the tournament is sending a signal to organisers of tournaments that you can mess with players and not deliver an event that has the governance you want to have.”

Rob Quiney has won his second successive Bill Lawry Medal as Victoria’s best first-class player of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2012The batsman Rob Quiney has won his second successive Bill Lawry Medal as Victoria’s best first-class player of the season. Quiney also picked up the Dean Jones Medal as the state’s one-day player of the year at the Cricket Victoria awards night in Melbourne on Wednesday.Quiney, 29, was rewarded for a season in which he scored 938 Sheffield Shield runs at 49.36 and 310 at 44.28 in the Ryobi Cup. It capped off an outstanding year for Quiney, who in February was named Australia’s Domestic Player of the Year at the Allan Border Medal night.David Hussey was named the Melbourne Stars Player of the Year and Aaron Finch won the Melbourne Renegades award. Meg Lanning collected both the Sharon Tredrea Trophy and the Cathryn Fitzpatrick Award as the WNCL and Women’s T20 Player of the Year.The left-arm spinner Clive Rose won the Jack Ryder Medal as the best player in Melbourne’s grade competition in a season when he also made his state debut for Victoria. Rose, 22, took 35 wickets for Casey-South Melbourne at 22.57 during the season and also scored 402 runs at an average of 28.71.

Australia is building a support system in place for offspinner Nathan Lyon, to ensure his path of advice is defined

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide21-Nov-2012If Nathan Lyon’s growing confidence was summed up by the back-spinner he unleashed to dismiss Jacques Rudolph in Brisbane, his valued place in Australian cricket can be measured by how carefully the national team is building a support network around him.Ahead of the Adelaide Test match, Lyon was advised on bowling by the former Australian spin bowler Ashley Mallett, but not directly. Instead, Mallett had discussions with the senior coach Mickey Arthur, who passed Mallett’s advice along to Lyon and also Steve Rixon, who has been appointed as the designated spin coach to allow the other specialist bowling coach Ali de Winter time to work purely with the pacemen.As the season began, Lyon had spoken of how difficult he had found sorting through a myriad of advice during his first year as an international bowler, whether it had arrived via friends, the media or other bowlers and coaches simply calling him up at random to state what he was doing wrong. Eager for Lyon to learn but equally keen to ensure he is not overloaded with voices, Arthur, Rixon and South Australia’s coach Darren Berry have worked assiduously to make sure Lyon’s path is consistently defined.”We’re filtering it through the people he knows best,” Arthur told ESPNcricinfo. “Darren Berry and SA have done a really good job with him, Steve Rixon within my support staff is a really experienced coach and has been very good with him as well. They’ve built a good relationship so he’s been monitoring those messages, and I wanted to have a chat with Ashley Mallett because he’s so knowledgeable on spin bowling and he confirmed what we were doing with Nathan. So I opened up a nice little communication channel there.”I just asked Ashley if he had anything he could mention to me. I’ve designated Steve Rixon within our squad as working with Nathan and I’m really happy they’ve got a good relationship going. Our messages are very consistent with the messages of Darren Berry. Everybody is saying exactly the same thing and that’s the message being delivered to Nathan within our team. That to me is really important, that the players are getting the same messages and not a conflicting message.”No one was more delighted to see an Australian spinner benefit from his expanded repertoire than his captain Michael Clarke, who has shown an instinctive feel for leading slow bowlers from the moment he dived to pouch the sharpest of slip catches from Lyon’s first ball in Test cricket, against Sri Lanka in Galle last year. In addition to knowing the value of spin bowling, Clarke also finds a great deal of fun in it, and the twinkle in his eye when he spoke of Lyon’s variation could only have come from someone who has bowled spin for years himself.”Well, we’re calling it a more than a back-spinner,” Clarke said, grinning. “It’s something he’s worked on and it was nice to see him get a wicket with it [in the] last Test match, so hopefully we’ll see him get plenty more wickets for Australia with balls spinning in both directions.”He can contain if he has to and we can dictate that by the fields we have, but then if there’s an opportunity for Nathan to put more pressure on the [batsmen] I think he’s got the skill to be able to do that as well. He’s bowling well, I thought he came back really well in Brisbane and that shows his character.”I know he wants to do well in front of his home crowd, but as I’ve said to Nathan plenty of times he needs to keep doing exactly what he’s doing, don’t change a thing and he’ll continue to have success at the highest level.”South Africa’s batsmen have now tried several times to hit Lyon out of Australia’s attack in the manner they took to Bryce McGain in Cape Town in 2009, but each time the bowler has responded with better subsequent spells and important wickets. The touring captain Graeme Smith noted Lyon’s importance to this match with a good degree of respect.”Nathan has proven to be a solid performer for Australia. That’s exactly how we view him,” Smith said. “We haven’t taken an arrogant view of him, maybe some other people have. We respect what he is capable of and he will play a role in this game.”

Ireland resume their quest to qualify for the 2015 World Cup next month with two World Cricket League ODIs against Afghanistan.

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2012Ireland resume their quest to qualify for the 2015 World Cup next month with two World Cricket League ODIs against Afghanistan. It is their first series since securing a place at the World T20 with victory in the qualifying event in the UAE.Stuart Thompson, a 20-year-old allrounder, has been added to the squad for the two matches on July 3 and 5 at Clontarf. Thompson has been rewarded for his form for Ireland A, scoring 93 in helping his side to a record chase against Gloucestershire second XI and making 71 against Scotland A.”Stuart’s been very impressive this season and has a sound technique which will stand him in good stead at the higher level,” Ireland coach Phil Simmons said of Thompson’s inclusion. “He’s also bowled pretty well at times and gives the squad plenty of options.”These are two vital games – two wins would put us in a fantastic position to qualify but we’re well aware of just how dangerous Afghanistan can be. We’ve had some tremendous tussles with them over the past few years.”Ireland currently lie joint top of the World Cricket League Championship with five wins from their first six games. Afghanistan are joint fifth with three wins from six games. The top two from the Championship automatically qualify for the 2015 World Cup.Ireland also play an Intercontinental cup match against Afghanistan from July 9 to 12 at Rathmines, where Kevin O’Brien will captain a much-changed squad.Fixtures
Ireland v Afghanistan, World Cricket League Championship, Clontarf, July 3 and 5Squad
William Porterfield (capt), Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Ed Joyce, John Mooney, Tim Murtagh, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Paul Stirling, Max Sorensen, Stuart Thompson, Andrew White, Gary WilsonFixtures
Ireland v Afghanistan, InterContinental Cup, Rathmines, July 9-12Squad
Kevin O’Brien (capt), John Anderson, Andrew Balbirnie, Alex Cusack, Trent Johnston, Rory McCann, John Mooney, Paul Stirling, Max Sorensen, Stuart Thompson, Albert Van der Merwe, Andrew White, Ben Wylie

India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 10% of his match fee for using offensive language against Shane Watson, after the Australia batsman was dismissed during the final ODI in Bangalore

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2013India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja has been fined 10% of his match fee for using offensive language against Shane Watson, after the Australia batsman was dismissed during the final ODI in Bangalore.Watson, who had scored a quickfire 49 off 22 balls during the chase of 384, was caught at short third man off Jadeja, before the bowler gave him a send-off. The match referee Andy Pycroft ruled that Jadeja had breached Article 2.1.4 of the ICC code of conduct. Jadeja had apologised for his actions, though, so there was no formal hearing or heavier penalty – such a level one breach could draw a reprimand and a fine of up to 50% of the match fee.After his ruling, Pycroft said: “Mr Jadeja’s reaction after dismissing Shane Watson was clearly in breach of the code as the players are always expected to respect their opponents, no matter what the match situation. Mr Jadeja apologised for his action when on-field umpire Nigel Llong spoke to him immediately after the incident and reminded him of his responsibilities.”There was some tension in the air all through Watson’s stay at the crease in Bangalore. He seemed to have done damage to a hamstring halfway through his bowling spell and had to leave the field, and then came out to bat only at No. 8, when Australia were 138 for 6. Watson punched his first ball into the covers, where Shikhar Dhawan fielded it and hobbled exaggeratedly, seemingly mocking Watson and drawing several shakes of the head from him. There were also words exchanged between Virat Kohli and James Faulkner later, with the umpire having to intervene and MS Dhoni having a word with his players.

Jose Mourinho insisted that Carlo Ancelotti will stay at Real Madrid and advised him not to be a "madman" and join Brazil.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ancelotti linked with Brazil jobMourinho advised the Italian to stayAlso spoke about his departure from the BernabeuWHAT HAPPENED?

The Portuguese manager emphatically discouraged Ancelotti from departing Real Madrid, denouncing any move to coach Brazil as the decision of a "madman". The Brazilian Football Confederation's claim regarding Ancelotti coaching the national team at the 2024 Copa America has raised questions about the Italian's future in the Spanish capital. Moreover, his contract which ends in the summer of 2024, is yet to be renewed which adds fuel to speculation about the potential Brazil job.

AdvertisementWHAT MOURINHO SAID ABOUT ANCELOTTI

Mourinho, in an interview with TG1, said: "I think only a madman would leave Real Madrid when he is still wanted. I am certain that at the first sign from Florentino [Perez, Madrid's president], Carlo will remain, because he is perfect for Real Madrid and Real Madrid are perfect for him."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Although Mourinho dismissed any possibility of him returning to the Bernabeu, there was a hint of regret in his voice when he spoke about his own departure from Real Madrid as he left in 2013, despite agreeing to an extension until 2016, a year back.

"That madman was me, the only one who after three years, with a President who still wanted me, and Jose Sanchez too, I decided to leave," he said.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MOURINHO AND REAL MADRID?

Mourinho's future at the Italian capital also hangs in the air as his contract at Roma will come to an end at the end of the season. He had lucrative offers from the Saudi Pro League during the summer and could once again be tempted to set sail for the Middle East after completing his obligations with Roma.

Meanwhile, several names have been floated as Ancelotti's successor which include Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi and Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso.

Ian Bell wasted no time in hitting his straps in Australia and Michael Carberry seized on the chance afforded to him by Alastair Cook’s absence as England put up a solid display in their first innings of the Ashes Tour.

Brad Elborough in Perth01-Nov-2013
Scorecard0:00

Could Carberry stake a claim?

Ian Bell wasted no time in hitting his straps in Australia, resuming where he left off in the previous Ashes, and Michael Carberry seized on the chance afforded to him by Alastair Cook’s absence as England put up a solid display in their first innings of the tour.Bell closed the second day at the WACA unbeaten on 77 with Jonathan Trott on 64 as England reached 2 for 270. The warm-up is heading for a draw as England trail Western Australia by 181 runs after the home side declared in the day’s first session at 5 for 451.Bell was quickly back into the form that saw him named Man of the Series in the Ashes in England and Carberry demonstrated that England have a competent opener should they need to make a change at the top of the order.While Carberry grasped the opportunity to make runs on a good batting wicket, Joe Root, yet to convince as an opener in Test cricket, missed out. He is the only batsman dismissed in the game so far not to reach a half-century.Each of the five WA batsmen dismissed in their innings made it to at least 50, highlighted by Chris Lynn’s entertaining 104. But Root managed only 36 from 60 deliveries before he was trapped lbw by Glamorgan allrounder Jim Allenby.Root shared in a 100-run opening stand with Carberry, who was the more aggressive of the pair. Carberry made 78 before he slashed at a short and wide delivery from spinner Ashton Turner and was caught by Allenby at backward point.Carberry, 33, has played just one Test for England, against Bangladesh in 2010 and is thought unlikely to start the Ashes barring injury. But finding form will put pressure on Root – who was recently awarded a central contract – to deliver as well as put another name in the mix for the middle order. He still has a possible two further four-day games, in Hobart and Sydney, to spend some time in the middle before the first Ashes Test starts in Brisbane on November 21.But it was Bell who again suggested he could be the key to England’s chances of claiming a fourth consecutive Ashes series for the first time since 1890.He enjoys playing against Australia. In the recent Ashes series in England he was the difference between the two sides, leading the scoring with 562 runs at an average of 62.44. In the 2010-11 series in Australia, he was also crucial to the tourists’ success, scoring 329 runs in six innings, at an impressive average of 65.80. Only Cook (766 runs at 127.66) and Trott (445 at 89.00) averaged more in that series.Trott was in no hurry in his first innings on tour, bringing up his 50 in 101 balls, compared to Bell, who took only 71 deliveries to bring up his half-century.Ian Bell was quickly back into his stride•Getty ImagesAfter turning six starts into just two half-centuries against Australia in England this year, Trott appears keen to spend as much time in the middle in the lead up to the Test series to help improve on his tally of 293 runs that he contributed the last time the two sides met.After Bell bought up his milestone he belted former Australia spinner Michael Beer and Turner for big sixes. He looked comfortable at the crease from the first ball and hit two fours in the first over he faced and was confident in leaving balls alone that were passing close by his stumps.WA were hampered by the loss of opening bowler Burt Cockley, who left the ground half-way through his third over with a knee injury. He wasn’t the only fielder from the home side forced from the ground, after keeper Tom Triffitt was hit in the face by a ball from Beer that appeared to bounce unexpectedly high. He required six stitches.England’s bowlers had earlier struggled for a second consecutive day, managing to take only one more wicket before WA declared. The hosts added 82 runs to their overnight score in 18 overs with Turner unbeaten on 62, meaning that each of WA’s top 6 batsmen made half centuries.Allenby took his overnight 34 to 53 before he was trapped lbw by Steven Finn in the 10th over of the day, Finn’s first. Unfortunately, it failed to inspire Finn, who bowled five overs for 36 runs, finishing with 1 for 123 from 23 overs in the innings. But he will still consider himself very much in the mix for the vacant fast bowling position in the Brisbane Test, as his competition was not much more impressive.Chris Tremlett took up the attack this morning and bowled only four over for 17 runs, while Boyd Rankin’s final contribution was 1 for 92 from 20 overs.James Anderson was easily the pick of the England attack, conceding only 55 runs in 23 overs, bowling nine maidens. But he managed just one wicket on a deck that is offering the bowlers little.