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Pakistan are set to host SL, tour Australia, and play Ireland home and away as well as feature in the Commonwealth and Asian Games

Umar Farooq28-Mar-2022The PCB has chalked out a year-long calendar for women’s cricket, comprising extensive international and domestic cricket including home series against Sri Lanka and Ireland and Pakistan’s participation in the Commonwealth and Asian Games this year. The board has also revived its Under-19 tournament after eight-and-a-half years.The Women’s PSL is not part of this year’s calendar, though ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB is working out the feasibility of the tournament and, under chairman Ramiz Raja, has ambitions of organising the event in March 2023.Related

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Bismah Maroof's daughter denied accreditation for Commonwealth Games

Sri Lanka Women to tour Pakistan for three ODIs and T20Is in May-June

Sri Lanka Women to not tour Pakistan in October as SLC-PCB talks fall through

The series against Sri Lanka, which was postponed last year following a change of leadership in the PCB, is now scheduled to be played from May 18 to June 7, with the series falling under the ICC Women’s Championship cycle.Following this, Pakistan are set to tour Ireland in July for a triangular series that also includes Australia as the third team. This will be immediately followed by the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July-August.In September, Pakistan are due to travel to Hangzhou, China, for the 2022 Asian Games, before returning home for a three-ODI, three-T20I series against Ireland in October-November. The year is then set to end with the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, which is due to take place in December, though further details are still awaited.The Women’s T20 World Cup is set to be played in South Africa in February 2023, and Pakistan’s preparations for the event will conclude with a tour of Australia from January 4 to Feb 1, comprising three ODIs and three T20Is.Under-19 domestic tournament to serve as talent pathway
The year-long calendar – the first one the PCB has announced for women’s cricket – includes a blueprint for the domestic circuit as well.The national youth-level tournament was disbanded in 2013 due to a policy shift and a change of leadership in the PCB. Before that, there had been a national Under-17 event that took place from 2004 to 2008, which was replaced by a regional Under-19 tournament that was a regular event from 2009 to 2013. A Pakistan A team was formed thereafter, comprising players from the Under-19 circuit and those on the fringes of the senior national side.The PCB is reviving its Under-19 women’s domestic tournament after an eight-year gap•AFP via Getty ImagesThe pathway to the national team, however, had always been vague, with no solid link between the grassroots and the top 30-35 women players in the country. The investment in women’s cricket had narrowed down to two major tournaments, with three teams playing the National T20 and ODI Challenge Cups.Seeking to expand the talent pool in women’s cricket, the PCB has announced a new T20 tournament featuring six provincial Under-19 teams, which will take place in August 2022. The best players from this level could go on to feature in the senior domestic season.The senior season will begin with a two-phase T20 tournament in September-October. The first phase is a four-team event featuring the best players from the six provincial associations; the top performers from this phase will play alongside the best international players in the second phase of the championship, a three-team tournament.The women’s domestic season will conclude in April-May 2023 with a 50-overs tournament featuring four teams playing each other in a double-round-robin format.Pakistan exited the ongoing ODI World Cup campaign at the league stage, but managed to break their 18-match losing streak in the tournament. However, they lost six out of seven games to finish bottom of the table, their only win an upset of West Indies in a rain-hit contest. The last team Pakistan had beaten in a World Cup was also West Indies, back in 2009.”The past few weeks have brought to light the gulf between our side and the leading international teams,” Tania Mallick, the PCB’s head of women’s cricket, said. “To develop and strengthen our national side, it is imperative to have a strong and competitive domestic structure and provide more opportunities to the national side to play in challenging conditions so we continue to gauge where we stand.”We have put in a lot of thinking before penning down our upcoming season. I am grateful to all six Cricket Associations who have jumped on board and expressed their desire and willingness to develop women’s cricket at age group and senior rungs in their jurisdictions. Their help and support will unearth talent from all parts of the country and, with a strong system in place, I am sure we will be able to produce players who are capable of performing according to the contemporary demands and needs.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is suddenly under pressure. It seemed as though the Australian was building something positive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, although things have begun to go wrong in recent weeks.

Although the Lilywhites have beaten Aston Villa 4-1 at home and Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium, they have also had some shocking results.

That includes a 2-1 defeat against Ipswich Town in North London and most recently a 1-0 loss away to Bournemouth. Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara told talkSPORT that he thinks the club “will sack him” if Postecoglou doesn’t improve results soon.

His side certainly underwhelmed against the Cherries, and some of his players were far from their best.

What went wrong for Spurs vs Bournemouth

It was a very frustrating evening on the South Coast for the Lilywhites. Despite dominating possession across the game, Bournemouth absolutely battered Spurs and had far more shots than the visitors.

Andoni Iraola’s side managed 21 shots and eight on target to the North London side’s 12 shots and four on target, as per Sofascore.

Not only that, the South Coast outfit created far more big chances, many of which they missed. Bournemouth had seven big chances against the Lilywhites, missing six of them, and on a different day, it could have been a far more embarrassing scoreline for Spurs than the 1-0 it ended up being.

Spurs’ Achilles heel of defending corners once again hurt them at the Vitality Stadium. Young centre-back Dean Huijsen got his first goal for the Cherries, managing to run behind the Lilywhites’ zonal marking system and convert a free header at the back post. It was poor defending.

There were also some poor individual performances littered throughout Postecoglou’s side. James Maddison was someone who struggled, having endured something of a horror show on the night.

The England international certainly did not have much of an impact in the middle of the park, and although he created two chances, struggled to keep hold of the ball. Maddison lost possession 17 times and missed a big chance which could have been pivotal for his side.

After a poor performance from the former Leicester City man, Postecoglou might well decide to reshuffle his side ahead of a crucial clash against Chelsea. Pedro Porro is someone who could come back into the side to replace the Spurs number 10.

Why Porro could start vs. Chelsea

Porro himself was actually rotated out of the side last Thursday against the Cherries, although it was clearly not a decision that paid off for Postecoglou.

He has been a key player for much of the season, playing 17 times in all competitions, so it was something of a surprise he was dropped.

Now, he could well be brought back into the side, although not for Archie Gray who replaced him at right back. Instead, Maddison could drop out of the side with Gray moving into his natural midfield role and Porro slotting in at full back.

That would perhaps reduce Spurs’ attacking output in the centre of the park, although Gray is a player who can contribute in the final third, having provided two assists for Leeds United last season.

As for Porro, he would have a big job to do defensively against Cole Palmer. The England international has something of a free role and roams around the pitch, meaning the Spaniard would have to likely deal with him.

However, he will surely be up to the task. As football statistician Statman Dave explained, he is a “complete” fullback and has some impressive defensive numbers from this term.

Over the past 365 days, the former Sporting CP defender has averaged 3.61 combined tackles and interceptions and 5.95 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, according to FBref.

Stat (per 90)

Number

Percentile

Tackles won

1.62

83rd

Blocks

1.54

85th

Tackles and interceptions

3.61

78th

Dribblers tackled

1.57

89th

Ball recoveries

5.95

93rd

It will certainly be a tough day for Porro against Palmer, but he has the opportunity to bully the Chelsea winger. He already has nine goals and six assists in 14 Premier League games this term, so he will be hard to stop.

However, the Spurs defender has a fantastic chance to put in a statement performance and keep a player quiet who averages more than one goal and assist per game in the top flight this season. Bring it on.

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1 ByTom Cunningham Dec 7, 2024

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has revealed why Dan Ashworth last just five months at Manchester United and admitted a new deal for Erik ten Hag was a mistake.

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Ashworth left Man Utd after matter of monthsRatcliffe says there was a lack of "chemistry"Admits to mistakes on Ashworth and Ten HagFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ashworth left Old Trafford last December after just five months in his sporting director role. Now, United minority owner Ratcliffe has lifted the lid on his departure and that he made a "mistake" extending former manager Erik ten Hag's contract last summer.

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He told The Telegraph: “They were just mistakes. The Erik thing is slightly mitigating. There was quite a lot of debate about that time. He had just won a Cup final. The fans were clearly of the view that we’d like to stick with him and all that sort of stuff. They were both mistakes. I don’t think we can say much more than that. It’s a journey and there’s a lot of decisions that we have to make over the course of the journey and we’re not going to get them all right. I don’t think in the future we’ll get them all right either because we’re not perfect.”

On Ashworth, he added: “We’re talking about our old industry [with Ineos]. I think we just have to say, ‘chemistry’. Really, I don’t want to go down that [road]. It is what it is, and it was our fault.”

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United are in a state of turmoil at present, with the club sitting 14th in the Premier League, widespread redundancies have occurred and fans are stepping up protests against the Red Devils' ownership. The fact that United chased Ashworth from Newcastle United for months, only to get rid of him soon and at great expense after is not a good look.

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Ruben Amorim's United will hope for some good news when they host Real Sociedad in the last-16 of the Europa League on Thursday. The tie is level at 1-1 after the first leg in Spain.

They were upbeat yet clinical in the field and with the ball, led by Dean, who got her ODI career-best 4 for 23 in just her second World Cup game

Valkerie Baynes16-Mar-2022Charlie Dean epitomised how England wanted, and needed, to play to secure their first points from four World Cup matches with a four-wicket victory over India.Interviewed between innings after her four wickets had been pivotal in bowling India out for just 134 in 36.2 overs – their lowest total at a World Cup since the 2005 final – Dean told the host broadcaster that she was just excited to be out on the pitch with her team and performing.On the eve of this crucial match for the defending champions, experienced wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones had emphasised England’s need to overcome two poor fielding displays against West Indies and South Africa but to maintain their enjoyment of the game to avoid wilting under pressure.Against India, they were upbeat yet clinical in the field and with the ball, led by Dean, their rookie offspinner whose ODI career-best 4 for 23 in just her second World Cup game, is the second-best haul of the tournament so far behind Marizanne Kapp’s devastating 5 for 45 against England on Monday.Then an unbeaten half-century by captain Heather Knight saw them home inside 32 overs despite wobbles at either end of the England innings to secure a win which allows them to retain some control over their own destiny as they bid to make the semi-finals with matches against New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh remaining.England stumbled early in the chase, falling to 4 for 2 when Danni Wyatt, who had replaced Lauren Winfield-Hill at the top of the order in the previous game, fell cheaply once more, this time to a sharp catch at slip by Sneh Rana off Meghna Singh in the second over. Tammy Beaumont followed, originally adjudged not out lbw with the bat close to the pad before India’s review revealed that Jhulan Goswami had in fact hit her on the pad first to claim her 250th ODI wicket.Nat Sciver, who fell to a freak slips catch off the back of her bat against South Africa, enjoyed a stroke of luck when she drove at Goswami, deflected onto her pad and the ball rolled into the base of the middle stump with some force but stopped dead without dislodging the bails.Meghna bowled well, sending down 20 dot balls in her four-over opening spell and claiming three wickets in all, but Sciver and Knight put on 65 runs for the third wicket to break the back of the chase before Sciver fell to a simple catch by Goswami off Pooja Vastrakar for 45. By that stage, England were 69 for 3 with 33 overs remaining.After Jones fell to a spectacular catch from Harmanpreet Kaur, backtracking from mid-on and jumping with perfect timing to pull the ball down, Knight set about hauling in the target, helped by a 17-run cameo off 21 balls by Sophia Dunkley, who was caught behind off Meghna with just seven runs needed. Meghna and Richa Ghosh combined again to remove Katherine Brunt as England lost two wickets in the space of three balls but Knight, who had struck eight fours en route to her 53 not out, stood firm and Sophie Ecclestone brought up the winning runs with a four off Meghna.Heather Knight saw her team through with an unbeaten fifty•ICC via Getty ImagesHarmanpreet sent a scare through the India camp when she jarred her knee fielding late in the match but she managed to walk off the ground for further assessment.Earlier, Anya Shrubsole, the heroine of England’s 2017 World Cup final triumph over India, set England on track with two early wickets. Punished for bowling too short in their three-wicket defeat to South Africa, England’s bowlers came in with a clear plan to bowl fuller to the Indian side and their execution ensured that India never really got going amid a steady stream of wickets as they lost a damaging 7 for 73 in the end.Shrubsole claimed her 100th ODI wicket when she removed Yastika Bhatia in the fourth over, tempting a drive with an excellent fuller ball which had a hint of inswing and caught a faint inside edge before clattering into the top of middle stump. Perhaps even more satisfying for England, given their previous poor performances in the field, was Shrubsole’s next wicket as Dunkley took their first chance in the air, diving forwards at cover point to take a strong low catch off Mithali Raj.Sharp run outs by Kate Cross and Sciver to remove Deepti Sharma and Ghosh respectively, rammed home the point that England were a different fielding side in this encounter.Dean entered the attack in the 17th over and made an immediate impact, claiming two wickets in four balls as India slumped to 61 for 5.Dean, who only made her international debut during the home series against New Zealand in September and was playing just her second World Cup game, drew an edge as Harmanpreet defended and was caught behind by Jones. Dean then dismissed Rana for a second-ball duck with a flighted delivery outside off, her invitation to drive accepted and Jones once again collecting behind the stumps.Smriti Mandhana’s 35 was India’s top score but she fell to Ecclestone and, while Vastrakar overturned her lbw dismissal off Dean when ball-tracking revealed the impact was outside off, Dean responded two balls later by tightening her line on a flatter delivery as Vastrakar failed to connect on her sweep and was struck in front of off stump. She decided to review again with barely a second to spare only to have umpire Paul Wilson’s decision confirmed.Goswami and Ghosh tried to rescue their team, Goswami launching a six down the ground off Cross, but their union ended on 37 with Ghosh’s run out, with replays showing her bat was still in the air as Sciver’s throw hit. Goswami fell a short time later, and Dean finished off the innings by bowling Meghna.

Leeds United are back in action once again in the Championship as they prepare to travel to face Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in the early kick-off.

They are second in the division after Sheffield United’s win over Sunderland on Friday night and a win in Lancashire would see them move back to the top.

Daniel Farke’s side come into this match off the back of a terrific 3-0 win over recently-relegated Luton Town on Wednesday night, thanks to goals from Sam Byram, Joel Piroe, and Dan James.

Despite that superb victory, there is one Leeds star who could be ruthlessly ditched from the starting XI after an underwhelming individual performance – Brenden Aaronson.

Why Brenden Aaronson should be dropped

The USA international started in the number ten position for the Whites but was not directly involved in any of the three goals, as he ended the match with zero goals and zero assists.

Aaronson did not create any ‘big chances’ for his teammates and failed with two of his three attempted dribbles, whilst he also could not find the back of the net with either of his shots.

The former Union Berlin loanee has now gone four matches without a goal contribution to show for his efforts in the Championship, and six matches without one for club and country.

With the likes of Manor Solomon, Gnonto, James, and Largie Ramazani all fit and available for selection, Aaronson may not be able to afford to have multiple matches without any direct contributions, which is why he could be brutally binned from the XI this afternoon.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Farke must now drop the American attacking midfielder from the line-up to unleash James from the start on the right wing, with Gnonto moved into a central position.

Why Dan James should be unleashed

Firstly, the Wales international came off the bench on Wednesday night to score a terrific goal, lifting the ball over the goalkeeper from Jayden Bogle’s ball over the top.

His pace offers Leeds a huge threat in transition, as was evidenced by his contributions against Swansea in the previous match, and that could be a useful weapon against Blackburn today.

In the 4-3 win over the Swans last Sunday, James assisted Solomon and Gnonto for goals, whilst he also provided the cross that Ben Cabango scored an own goal from, essentially creating three of the four goals.

Appearances

11

Starts

7

Goals

3

Big chances created

5

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, the £50k-per-week wizard has contributed with eight goals and ‘big chances’ created in 11 league games this term, despite only starting seven times.

James, who pundit Sanny Rudravajhala described as “electric” last season, has assisted two, three if you include the own goal, and scored one goal in his last two Championship matches, which shows that he is in-form and thriving at the moment.

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Whereas, Aaronson has not provided a goal or an assist in his last four starts in the division for Leeds and must be binned from the XI to make room for the former Manchester United forward to start.

Xavi Hernandez said he was too emotionally connected to Barcelona to deliver sustained success during his time at the club.

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Midfield maestro returned to boyhood club as manager in 2021He led the Blaugrana to a title in his first full seasonXavi: "I am open to offers"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Xavi, who made 767 appearances for the club, took over as Barcelona manager during the 2021 season. While he led Barca to a La Liga title during his first full season, he was sacked last summer after failing to collect any silverware. The former Spain international acknowledged mistakes he made in his final season, but he doesn't regret giving younger players a chance.

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His dismissal came amidst a tumultuous period behind the scenes. During his tenure, several key players, including Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez left as the club continued to grapple with its financial situation. The loss of Busquets was particularly difficult for Xavi, as he admitted he made 'mistakes' in rethinking Barca's style without their playmaker.

WHAT XAVI SAID

In an interview with France Football, Xavi said: "Expectations were extremely high in comparison to my history in coaching at the time. At times, my deep emotional connection to the club may have worked against me.

"I was more emotional than I should have been in certain moments, but this experience has been a valuable lesson in learning for me."

"I chose to play with a midfield that included three attacking players, but it wasn't always the best option.

"Beyond trophies, I feel proud that I trusted a new generation of players: Fermín López, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Alejandro Balde… These players represent the future of the club."

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Xavi said he planned to take a sabbatical after leaving Barca, but he is now ready to listen to offers, including from other clubs in Spain. "I have nothing concrete on the table," he said. "I am open [to offers]. Why not coach another team in La Liga? I am looking for an exciting project."

Decision part of Ramiz Raja’s plans to overhaul state of pitches in Pakistan

Umar Farooq15-Mar-2022The PCB has sought the services of former MCG and ICC academy curator *Toby Lumsden for a 10-day period to oversee pitch preparation ahead of the third Test against Australia in Lahore. He will also assist local curators as part of chairman Ramiz Raja’s broader plan to overhaul the process of pitch preparation in the country.Australia’s first Test tour to Pakistan in 24 years has been marred by plenty of criticism over the state of the pitches. Last week’s series opener in Rawalpindi ended in a tame draw, with the surface being rated by the ICC s “below average,” leading to the venue getting a demerit point. ‘Only 14 wickets fell across five days. While Pakistan managed to take all 10 Australian wickets in the first innings, the visitors managed just four overall, with Pakistan making 476 for 4 declared and 252 for 0 when the match was called off.Related

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'Dead, benign' – Steven Smith's assessment of Rawalpindi pitch

ESPNcricinfo understands the surface for the ongoing Karachi Test was originally meant to assist the spinners. However, it has also been deemed too slow and not to its character. Australia batted for over six sessions after winning the toss to put up 556, with the Test very much in their control despite Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam having put together an unbroken 171-run third-wicket stand in pursuit of 506.Raja has initiated an overhaul of pitches, and is set to look at installing readymade drop-in pitches from Australia in Lahore and Karachi as early as next year. The PCB is understood to have ordered two drop-in pitches in a bid to simulate Australian surfaces, which they believe would help their players acclimatise better on overseas tours.Lumsden landed in Lahore earlier in the week to begin work. He began at the ICC Academy in 2010 and held the job for two years before rejoining in 2017 as head curator. 1600GMT The story had earlier stated Tony Hemming as the curator PCB had summoned. This has been corrected.

One thing Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have tried to do since taking over Chelsea is lower their wage bill, bringing in younger talents before they hit their prime, and making their pay structure more incentive-based, to reward the top performers.

The club’s current highest earner is the club captain, Reece James, who is earning £250k-per-week, coming through the academy ranks, and being valued as one of the Blues’ best players when he is fit. However, people could argue he isn’t currently justifying that wage, as he is often out with injury issues.

Reece James

£250,000

Ben Chilwell

£200,000

Wesley Fofana

£200,000

Christopher Nkunku

£195,000

Enzo Fernández

£180,000

Marc Cucurella

£175,000

Raheem Sterling

£162,500

Pedro Neto

£160,000

Moises Caicedo

£150,000

Cole Palmer

£130,000

One name that stands out in Chelsea’s top ten earners, is Raheem Sterling. Despite being out on loan with Arsenal this season, he still ranks as the seventh highest earner at the club, and next season, when he returns, he would be back to the top earner, on a whopping £325k-per-week.

Raheem Sterling's time at Chelsea

When Chelsea signed Sterling for £47.5m from Manchester City back in 2022, Boehly said Sterling was a “world-class” talent, who was also a “serial winner” and he couldn’t wait to have him playing at Stamford Bridge.

But things didn’t turn out that way, as the winger struggled to live up to the expectations set for him, not providing the same output as he did at City, and not providing enough overall quality elsewhere to make up for that lack of goals and assists.

In his 81 appearances for the club, the Englishman has scored 19 goals and provided 12 assists, totalling 5,326 minutes. This output wasn’t enough to justify his mega salary and Enzo Maresca made it clear in pre-season that other wingers would be ahead of Sterling in the pecking order, leading to his loan move to Arsenal this summer.

However, The Blues will still have an expensive problem to deal with next summer, a £64.4m problem to be exact combining his £47.5 purchase fee and £16.9m-per year-wages, as they look to offload the 29-year-old on a permanent basis.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

How Chelsea's wingers compare to Sterling

The two wide players for Chelsea with the most appearances so far this term are Noni Madueke and summer signing, Pedro Neto.

The former has made 16 appearances, scoring six goals and providing two assists, whilst Neto has also made 16 appearances, scoring three times and providing three assists.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Sterling

Neto

Madueke

Goals

0.33

0.33

0.38

Assists

0.26

0.16

0.30

xG

0.30

0.07

0.43

xAG

0.20

0.36

0.23

Progressive Carries

5.45

5.68

6.60

Progressive Passes

3.55

1.14

3.98

Shots Total

2.29

2.03

4.09

Key Passes

1.36

2.27

1.36

Passes into Pen Area

1.59

1.36

2.23

Shot-Creating Actions

3.86

3.98

3.50

Successful Take-Ons

2.05

2.05

1.94

Madueke has thrived this season, ranking highest in seven of the 11 metrics measured above, providing the most progressive actions, the highest shot volume, and the most output per 90 (goals + assists).

Neto, on the other hand, whilst he hasn’t added the same level of output as Madueke, has added a new creative level to this Chelsea side, producing the most xAG (expected assisted goals), playing the most key passes per 90, and generating the most shot-creating actions per 90.

Chelsea have been much better off this campaign without Sterling in the side, and therefore the challenge will come next summer as they look to offload the 29-year-old on such high wages, which could prove to be the biggest stumbling block. Either way, they must find a way to lose him permanently.

Chelsea have found their answer to Salah and it's not Cole Palmer

Chelsea may have found their very own Mo Salah.

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Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda brought in as replacements

Shashank Kishore11-Feb-2022India vice-captain KL Rahul and allrounder Axar Patel will miss the upcoming three T20Is against West Indies in Kolkata starting on February 16. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has recovered completely from Covid-19, and Deepak Hooda have been named as their replacements in India’s 18-member squad.Rahul sustained an upper left hamstring strain while fielding during the second ODI on Wednesday. The injury also prevented his participation in Friday’s final ODI. Axar is recovering from Covid-19 and is in his “final stage of rehabilitation”, as per a BCCI statement.Axar was the only member from India’s T20I squad who hadn’t joined India’s extended biosecure bubble in Ahmedabad – comprising members from both limited-overs squads – ahead of their departure to Kolkata on Saturday evening. Both Axar and Rahul will head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of their injuries.Gaikwad’s addition leaves India with three opening options alongside captain Rohit Sharma. They also have Ishan Kishan, who is the second wicketkeeper, and Venkatesh Iyer, the allrounder who has had much of his T20 success in recent times as an opener for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.Gaikwad is capped in the format, having featured in two T20Is on the tour of Sri Lanka last July. His exploits in IPL 2021 have accelerated his journey to India’s white-ball squads. He ended the previous season with a chart-topping 635 runs at an average of 45.35 and strike rate of 136.26.Having debuted in ODIs during the ongoing ODIs against West Indies, Hooda was in prolific form for Rajasthan in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic T20 competition, where he finished as the highest run-getter for the team. His 294 runs, including four half-centuries, came at a strike rate of 168. Hooda previously made it to India’s T20I squad for the home series against Sri Lanka in 2017. He was also part of India’s squad for the Nidahas series in Sri Lanka the following year.The Indian camp had faced issues due to Covid-19 ahead of the ODIs as well, when seven members, including four players – Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Gaikwad and reserve fast bowler Navdeep Saini – tested positive.Axar had missed India’s preceding ODI assignment too, in South Africa, reportedly for a stress-related injury.India’s T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (capt), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda.

Jack Grealish has been told his 'career might slip away' if he does not get back to focusing on football at Manchester City.

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Grealish struggling at Man City this seasonBeen linked with a move awayTold his 'career might slip away'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Grealish has only started 14 matches in all competitions for City this season, including six in the Premier League. His playing time has diminished since he played a crucial part in City's treble in 2022-23 – and former England international Teddy Sheringham believes he needs to snap "back into football mode" at the Etihad.

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Grealish has suffered a succession of injuries this season and City boss Pep Guardiola revealed last week that his "problems" prevent him from playing as often as he would like. The England international was also spotted drinking in a pub in east Manchester on Sunday, which was on a sanctioned day off but may not have gone down well with Guardiola, who claimed City winger Savinho was in "better shape" than Grealish in January.

WHAT SHERINGHAM SAID

Ex-Manchester United and Tottenham striker Sheringham told Prime Casino: "I used to work hard, play hard in my day, but you still need to know when to play hard. There have always been players over the years that worked OK and played hard, and their football abilities fell off a cliff. Jack's a little bit in that mold at the moment. They won the treble, and he celebrated, and it doesn't seem like he's got back into his football mode yet. He needs to, otherwise his career might slip away. He's had a couple of injuries, I know he has, but it's amazing how easy it is for a football career to slip away. He needs to get his focus back again and make sure that he gets back in the Man City team and stays free of injuries. To do that, you have to do the right things at the right times. I think he needs to get his focus back on football and everything else will fall into place."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR GREALISH AND MANCHESTER CITY?

City are next in action at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday, in a crucial game for both side's top-four hopes. They then host Brighton before an FA Cup quarter-final encounter against Bournemouth after the March international break.