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Kedar Jadhav suffered a hamstring injury while training on the eve of the ODI series opener against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-20173:08

‘IPL 2017 was life-changing for me’ – Washington Sundar

Kedar Jadhav, who suffered a hamstring injury during training on the eve of the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Dharamsala, has been replaced by 18-year-old Tamil Nadu allrounder Washington Sundar in India’s ODI squad.Washington earned his maiden international call-up earlier this week, when he was named in the T20 squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka. After representing India in the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh last year, Washington played a pivotal role in Rising Pune Supergiant’s run to the IPL final earlier this year. He managed only eight wickets but his economy rate of 6.16 and tight lines and lengths in the Powerplay stood out. He was then picked to play for the Indian Board President’s XI in a 50-over game against the touring Australians and impressed again, claiming the wickets of Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell while giving away only 23 runs in his eight overs.Washington was also part of the Tamil Nadu side that clinched the 50-over Vijay Hazare and Deodhar Trophy titles, and the India Red team that won the first-class Duleep Trophy.Jadhav’s injury further shakes up a middle order which has seen constant changes in recent times. Since the 2015 World Cup, India have used 11 different players at No. 4 – the most by any side at the position in this period.Updated squad: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Washington Sundar

The semi-finals and final of the National T20 Cup have been set for November 29 and 30, with Rawalpindi playing host

Danyal Rasool in Rawalpindi27-Nov-2017The semi-finals and final of the National T20 Cup have been rescheduled for November 29 and 30 after they were postponed by the PCB due to religious unrest in the country. The venue for the three games has not changed, with Rawalpindi playing host, just like it has for the rest of the tournament. The four remaining teams – Lahore Whites, who play Faisalabad, and FATA, who face Lahore Blues – are already in Islamabad, Rawalpindi’s sister city.The tournament had been set to conclude in the weekend, but an unrest that began when police tried to disperse a sit-in by a religious gathering at an interchange in Rawalpindi forced the PCB to postpone the event. With protests turning violent and escalating throughout the country, Islamabad had been in a state of effective lockdown over the weekend, with all roads leading to Karachi and Lahore closed off. Teams had found themselves confined to their hotels, and roads leading to the Rawalpindi stadium had also been blocked. Private news channels were taken off air for most of Saturday and Sunday, while access to social media sites Facebook, Twitter and YouTube was also suspended. All educational institutions in Lahore, which hosted the recent World XI series, as well as the third T20I against Sri Lanka, were closed on Monday, and will remain shut on Tuesday.But the situation has been defused for the most part, with life returning to some semblance of normality in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. That enables the postponed games in the National T20 Cup to be held earlier than what may have been expected on Monda or Tuesday. The decision to play these matches on Wednesday and Thursday, as opposed to the weekend, may be down to a religious holiday throughout Pakistan on Friday, with the PCB keen to avoid further hindrances to their premier domestic T20 tournament.The National T20 Cup faced several hindrances this year. Earlier, it had clashed with the ICC World XI’s trip. The rescheduled dates clashed with the Bangladesh Premier League and the now-postponed T20 Global League in South Africa. Even then, smog in Faisalabad and Multan forced a relocation to Rawalpindi once and for all.The scheduling of the National T20 Cup created uncertainty on other fronts as well. In August, the board revoked the No-Objection Certificates of 13 players participating in the Caribbean Premier League and the English domestic season, asking them to return home and fulfill national and domestic commitments. However, a few days later, PCB chairman Najam Sethi said the National T20 Cup had been postponed and the players could return to their franchises and counties after undergoing fitness tests.The tournament will also mark the end of Saeed Ajmal’s career, who announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.

Chelsea are still in the race to sign Montpellier striker Elye Wahi this summer, and a reliable journalist has revealed where the Blues stand after their bid was rejected.

Is Elye Wahi leaving Montpellier?

The France youth international still has another two years to run on his contract at the Stade De La Mosson, but having firmly established himself as Michel Der Zakarian’s top goalscorer last season, he’s caught the eye of Mauricio Pochettino in SW6.

The Ligue 1 centre-forward was previously reported to have agreed personal terms over a move to Stamford Bridge which later encouraged chiefs to take their initial interest one step further, though their first proposal didn’t go down as well as they no doubt would have hoped.

Read The Latest Chelsea Transfer News HERE…

The Daily Express’ Ryan Taylor confirmed that the Blues saw an opening verbal offer for the 20-year-old turned down last month, and whilst talks were set to continue, it was stated that the youngster was “sceptical” about the idea of being sent out on a development loan Strasbourg rather than staying in the Premier League.

With Christopher Nkunku having been ruled out of action for 16 weeks after undergoing surgery on a knee injury, the boss will need to enter the market for attacking reinforcements, and despite their earlier setback, it sounds as if there’s still a chance that they could secure the services of their target overseas.

Are Chelsea signing Elye Wahi?

Taking to Twitter X, Nizaar Kinsella revealed that Chelsea are still very much in the running for Wahi, but admitted that a deal won’t be easy to get over the line as a result of other unnamed clubs also considering a swoop. He wrote:

“Chelsea haven't fully pulled out of the race for Elye Wahi despite having a £24m bid rejected by Montpellier. There's a lot of rival interest there, of course.”

How many goals has Elye Wahi scored?

In Ligue 1 last season, Wahi racked up a remarkable 25 goal contributions (19 goals and six assists) in 33 appearances, showing how prolific he is, so if he was to put pen to paper at Chelsea, Pochettino would receive a huge boost by having the striker at his disposal.

The DW Sports Management client, who’s sponsored by Adidas, also recorded a total of 62 shots over the course of the campaign which was more than any other of his teammates, via FBRef, highlighting his constant desire to find the back of the net.

Montpellier’s gem additionally has the versatility to operate in five different positions over the pitch, including everywhere across the frontline and even two roles in the midfield, so he would be able to easily adapt should the manager want to switch up his team selection.

Wahi has been dubbed a “powerful” centre-forward by his club’s former academy director Francis De Taddeo meaning that he would be a real handful for an opposition’s defence to deal with due to his physical strength, so should the opportunity present itself once again, this is a no-brainer of a deal to complete.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in the running to sign Conor Gallagher from Premier League rivals, Chelsea, with the Englishman looking set for a departure from his current home.

What's the latest on Gallagher to Tottenham?

According to journalist Nizaar Kinsella, the Lilywhites are set to fight it out with West Ham United for the signing of the 23-year-old, with the Blues believed to be open to moving on the former Crystal Palace loanee this summer.

Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider revealed: "Chelsea are ready to sell Conor Gallagher despite his preseason appearances. It's a direct battle between Tottenham and West Ham for his signature. He'll cost around £35m with two years left on his Chelsea deal."

In his piece for the Evening Standard, Kinsella writes that the north Londoners are in need of homegrown players as well as a possible replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with the Danish maestro having asked to leave the club in order to join Atletico Madrid.

If Ange Postecoglou's side are keen to get their hands on Gallagher over the coming weeks they may well need to get a move on, with West Ham having already stolen a march by lodging a £40m bid, which has been rejected by those at Stamford Bridge.

Should Tottenham sign Conor Gallagher?

Postecoglou has already moved to strengthen his midfield ranks with the signing of James Maddison from Leicester City, although the playmaking ace – who finished tenth in the division for chances created last term – could well be aided by a relentless, "box-to-box" presence, as described by writer Zach Lowy, alongside him, such as Gallagher.

With Maddison typically being deployed in a right-sided midfield berth – or on the flanks – during his time with the Foxes, it is likely that the Chelsea man would slot in on the left of Postecoglou's three-man midfield, allowing him to strike up an exciting partnership with wing wizard, Heung-min Son down that side.

The latter man enjoyed a below-par season by his standards last time out after scoring 'just' ten league goals – having netted 23 times the previous campaign – although he could well be rejuvenated by the change in the dugout, having already been hailed as an "elite" talent by Postecoglou as a sign of the important role that he is set to play next term.

With the South Korean star undoubtedly a real "goal threat" – according to his manager – the aim will be to keep the 31-year-old operating at the top end of the pitch whenever possible, hence having a workmanlike presence behind him such as Gallagher to put in the hard yards defensively.

Previously lauded as a "sensation" by Lowy during his loan stint at Selhurst Park in 2021/22, the Epsom-born ace is a truly relentless presence in the centre of the pitch, with Chelsea legend Pat Nevin having recently stated:

'If you need someone to cover ground, go from box to box, make tackles, be a threat in the opposition box one minute and making superb defensive blocks in his own area the next, then Conor is your man.'

That ability to cover ground with ease should allow Son the freedom to wreak havoc in the final third, while Gallagher could also offer support to the long-serving Spurs ace when needed, with his desire to get forward showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 3% among midfielders in Europe's top five leagues for touches in the attacking penalty area.

That all-action style will not only be beneficial to Postecoglou, but it could also ensure that Son is able to shine even brighter from the flanks next term.

Everton are still in the hunt to sign Almeria forward El Bilal Toure in the summer transfer window, according to an update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Do Everton want to sign El Bilal Toure?

The Blues are in desperate need of a positive summer when it comes to incoming business, in order to avoid yet another Premier League relegation battle next season. They stayed up on the final day last time around, following a 1-0 victory at home to Bournemouth, and while there was obvious happiness and relief from supporters, it is a situation that cannot afford to keep happening.

Everton struggled in various areas of the pitch in 2022/23, but they were arguably at their most disappointing in attack, with a lack of quality and firepower on show far too often, scoring only 34 times. The need to bring in at least one new forward this summer is plain to see, and one player they have been linked with signing is Toure.

The 21-year-old scored seven goals in just 15 La Liga starts for Almeria last season, also chipping in with two assists, and he looks like a young player with plenty of potential. His current contract runs out in the summer of 2028, however, so his current club are in no rush to sell him at all, and can instead demand a healthy amount of money for his services.

While Everton are yet to seal the signing of Toure, hailed as a "major talent" last summer by 90min's Graeme Bailey, in the current transfer window, it is a rumour that is refusing to go away, as things stand.

What's the latest on El Bilal Toure to Everton?

Taking to Twitter, Romano gave an update on the current situation surrounding Toure, saying Atalanta are eyeing a move for him but that Everton are also still in the mix:

"Atalanta are pushing to sign El Bilal Toure from Almeria, revealed as top target one month ago. Negotiations are ongoing but Everton interest remains.

"Atalanta want Toure as priority but new striker has to join ASAP in any case because Man Utd will bid for Hojlund soon."

It clearly isn't going to be easy for Everton to sign Toure this summer, with Atalanta an attractive proposition who are superior to the Blues currently, but there is always the lure of the Premier League that can be great for any player, given its reputation as the best and most competitive division in world football.

The 15-cap and five-goal Mali international is someone who could be such an exciting addition to Sean Dyche's squad next season and beyond, given his age, and he could help solve the goal-shy issue that held Everton back too often last season, and arguably has done for a lengthy period of time now.

Admittedly, it would be unfair to expect fireworks from Toure every week, considering he is still an emerging talent who is honing his skills, but his young energy and eye for goal are both things that could help take the Blues up a much-needed gear moving forward, as they look for a far better campaign this time around, pulling away from the relegation zone in the process.

Hashim Amla, who scored fifties in each innings in Trent Bridge, returned to the top ten rankings for Test batsmen

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-20170:57

Quick Facts – The rise and rise of Herath

Rangana Herath has leapfrogged R Ashwin to be ranked as the No. 2 bowler in Tests, following his match haul of 11 wickets against Zimbabwe in the one-off Test at Khettarama.Herath claimed his eighth ten-wicket haul and also passed the tallies of Waqar Younis (373), Malcolm Marshall (376) and Ian Botham (383) in Colombo. All of that contributed to Sri Lanka achieving the highest successful chase in Asia, beating Zimbabwe by four wickets.Ashwin, as a result, moved down to third place while James Anderson, who took seven wickets in the Trent Bridge Test, climbed one place to be tied with Josh Hazlewood on fourth.Hashim Amla, who made fifties in each innings in Trent Bridge, returned to the top ten rankings for Test batsmen. He moved six spots up to seventh. Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza, who struck centuries in the Khettarama Test, were also major gainers, achieving career-best rankings. Ervine moved up 20 places to 40th while Raza vaulted 28 places to 48th.Vernon Philander continued his steady rise towards the top in the allrounders’ rankings. Philander’s Man-of-the-Match performance at Trent Bridge – he scored 96 runs and took five wickets – saw him rise two places to break into the top five. He also moved to ninth in the bowlers’ rankings.Other significant movers were Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer, whose nine wickets against Sri Lanka helped him gain 20 places to a career-best 53rd while South Africa left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj rose 12 spots to 26th after claiming six wickets against England at Trent Bridge.

AB de Villiers’ behind-the-scenes leadership skills are good enough to merit him continuing as ODI captain despite mounting calls for him to step aside. That was national head coach Russell Domingo’s endorsement of de Villiers, which added to a growing chorus from inside the team camp in support of the ODI captain following South Africa’s first-round exit from the Champions Trophy.”He has done a fantastic job as captain during this campaign. He leads from the front. I know there has been a lot of criticism about his leadership but a lot of it takes place behind closed doors, so what people see on the field, they will create their impressions from that. But the team and management all think he has done a wonderful job behind closed doors, in the preparation and lead-up to games,” Domingo said. “There’s a lot more that goes on than just making a bowling change. People can question his tactics, but there is more than one way to skin a cat. There is no right and wrong way in cricket. He has got to go with what he feels are the best decisions on the field and he has got to commit to that and that’s what he does.”De Villiers was appointed captain of the ODI and T20I sides in 2011, when Domingo began his work with the South African side. At the time, Domingo was Gary Kirsten’s assistant and two years later, he took over the main job only for de Villiers to hand the T20 reins to Faf du Plessis and set his sights on Test captaincy. Throughout that time, de Villiers was still said to be learning the leadership and slow over-rates, coupled with occasionally odd tactics, were proof of that. Domingo was among those who were patient with de Villiers’ schooling.When Graeme Smith stood down in March 2014, Hashim Amla was preferred over de Villiers but less than two years in, Amla did not want to do the job anymore. De Villiers captained two matches as interim skipper before being confirmed the permanent Test captain but never fulfilled the role after injury and then a Test hiatus kept him out of the whites.De Villiers’ absence from the longest format has now stretched to 18 months and could extend to as much as two years. He has opted out of Tests until the home series against India – dates have yet to be confirmed but it could start as late as January 2018 – to manage his workload ahead of the 2019 World Cup in England.Domingo on de Villiers’ choice to opt out of Tests: ‘By no means can we force players to play every single format’•Getty Images

De Villiers’ selective availability for South Africa – while still playing in tournaments such as the IPL – has not sat well with everyone, including former national batsman and current Cobras’ coach Ashwell Prince, who, in the aftermath of the Champions Trophy exit, tweeted: “Perhaps it’s time that @OfficialCSA dictates to players when they may have the honor of representing this country instead of other way round.”Asked whether de Villiers’ decision has affected the team, Domingo denied that it did. He said: “A lot of players have given up a certain format to focus on another one and that’s their choice. By no means can we force players to play every single format. You’ve obviously got to play them according to what they’re contributing in the particular formats and that’s what has happened. If he wants to just play one-dayers and T20s then that’s a decision he has got to live with and a decision he has got to make. You can’t force players to play every format if they are not committed.”Domingo went even further in his defence of de Villiers, pointing out that although de Villiers is not available for Tests, he has not missed any fifty-over cricket since recovering from elbow surgery early this year. After being unable to play against Australia at home last October, de Villiers returned against Sri Lanka, went to New Zealand and has now played in England, where he is also set to feature in three T20s ahead of the Tests. He is expected to play all of South Africa’s one-day series ahead of the World Cup.”He hasn’t sat out any one-day series where he hasn’t been injured. Whenever he has been fit, he has played one-day series. He’s sitting out Test cricket at the moment. His [lack of] Test cricket, in my opinion, would not be affecting his one-day cricket that much,” Domingo said. “So I can’t see the last time he missed a one-day series out of chance – it’s either been having a baby, or getting injured, and those are the main reasons. I wouldn’t say he has been picking and choosing one-day series.”

أعرب الدولي البلجيكي، كيفين دي بروين، لاعب فريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي مانشستر سيتي، عن سعادته بالفوز على كريستال بالاس خلال المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم السبت.

وسجل دي بروين هدفين في مواجهة كريستال بالاس، وتمكن من قيادة الفريق للفوز بعدما كان متأخرًا في النتيجة بهدف، إلى انتصار برباعية مقابل هدفين.

وقال دي بروين في تصريحات لشبكة “TNTSports” البريطانية: “لقد كان الأداء جيدًا، موسمي من بدايته ليس مستقرًا بسبب الإصابات، أحيانًا أشعر أنني بحالة جيدة، وأحيانًا جسدي يجعلني أشعر بعدم ارتياح، أنا مستعد الآن، وهذا ما أظهرته أمام كريستال بالاس”.

طالع أيضًا.. جوارديولا: لاعب مانشستر سيتي أنقذنا أمام كريستال بالاس.. ومستعدون لـ ريال مدريد

وأضاف: “نعم شعرت بالضغط عندما سجل فودين ثلاثية في مباراة أستون فيلا الأخيرة، هؤلاء الرجال يجعلونني على أهبة الاستعداد، والمنافسة بيننا في صالح الفريق، أتوقع أن أحصل على مكاني إذا قدمت مستوى جيدًا، ولكن إذا تراجع مستواي، فلن أتمكن من اللعب أساسيًا، لقد كان فودين مُذهلًا هذا الموسم، ويستحق ذلك أن يبقيني على أهبة الاستعداد”.

وأكمل لاعب مانشستر سيتي: “يمكنني اللعب مع فودين، عندما بدأت في عمر الـ17 عامًا، لم يكن أحد يعتقد أنني سأكون مع دافيد سيلفا في ملعب واحد، لكن حدث ذلك، ربما يكون الأمر يتكرر مع فودين الآن”.

وواصل: “أحاول أن أكون قدوة ويتعلم مني اللاعب الصغير، ولست أنا فقط، هناك العديد من اللاعبين الكبار الذين يحاولون مساعدة الشباب، لقد لعبت مع فودين 7 أو 8 سنوات، حتى الآن، لذلك لا أشعر أنه شاب بعد، إنه نجم مُذهل في فريقنا”.

وعن اللعب قبل ليفربول وآرسنال: “الآن بعد أن فزنا، يمكننا أن ننظر إلى المباريات ونرى ماذا سيحدث، علينا العودة إلى المنزل، والاستعداد لمواجهة الثلاثاء أمام ريال مدريد”.

Glasgow Rangers target Cyriel Dessers is keen on making the move to Ibrox this summer, according to reliable reporter Scott Burns.

What’s the latest Rangers transfer news involving Dessers?

Michael Beale has made a quick start to the club’s summer transfer plans by bringing in four players already. The Gers have signed goalkeeper Jack Butland, full-back Dujon Sterling and attacking midfielder Kieran Dowell on free transfers. The club have also spent some money by bringing in forward Sam Lammers from Italian side Atalanta for €3.5m.

Despite already bolstering the attacking ranks, Beale and Rangers seemingly want to strengthen their option in the final third even further, with Dessers a real target.

A bid was submitted for the Cremonese forward earlier this month, although a report recently stated that the player has said no to a move to Scotland and favours remaining in Italy.

However, that doesn’t appear to be the case in a fresh transfer twist shared by Burns. Writing for The Daily Record, the reporter said:

“Dessers remains keen on a move to Ibrox and is waiting for Rangers to make another offer.

“Reports in Italy claimed the Nigerian international had turned down a switch to Ibrox. Sources close to all sides of the deal are adamant that is not the case. Dessers is very much keen on a move to Scotland and for the chance to play in the Champions League.

“Rangers have already made multiple bids for the striker but have still to reach an agreement with Cremonese. The Ibrox side are expected to go back in for the 28-year-old but won’t be rushed into a deal.”

Who is Cyriel Dessers?

Dessers, hailed as "phenomenal" by members of the media, is 28 years of age and is an out-and-out centre-forward. The Nigeria international previously plied his trade in Belgium and the Netherlands before moving to Italy with Cremonese last summer.

In total, Dessers has made 280 club appearances throughout his career, scoring 111 goals and registering 40 assists. As per FBref, the striker ranks in the 92nd percentile for touches in the penalty area and 93rd for goals per shot on target, showing how he can be a real danger in the box.

He certainly knows where the back of the net is and has been described as someone who is “awkward to play against” because of his physical strength by journalist Josh Bunting, so he could prove to be a smart signing, joining Lammers in the process.

أكد محمود فتح الله مدرب بيراميدز السابق، ضرورة سعي لاعبو الزمالك للفوز بالمباريات المقبلة والمنافسة على كافة البطولات في الموسم الجاري.

ويستعد الزمالك لمواجهة فريق فيوتشر في إطار مواجهات ربع النهائي ببطولة الكونفدرالية يوم 31 مارس الجاري.

وكيل محمد شريف يرد على أنباء رحيله عن الخليج السعودي والانتقال إلى الزمالك

وقال محمود فتح الله في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة الزمالك: “الزمالك يجب عليه أن يأخذ كل المباريات المقبلة بكل البطولات عبارة عن مواجهات كؤوس، بطولة الدوري ما زالت في الملعب”.

وتابع: “الكونفدرالية هي البطولة الأقرب لـ الزمالك في الموسم الحالي، الأبيض هو المرشح الأقوى للتتويج باللقب”.

واستطرد:”الزمالك في التوقيت الحالي غير مؤهل للتدوير يجب تثبيت التشكيل، ولا توجد رفاهية للتدوير واعطاء راحة لبعض اللاعبين”.

وأضاف: “عبد الله السعيد أفضل لاعب في مصر خلال العشرة السنوات السابقة وهو لا يشارك حاليًا في مركزه مع الزمالك”.