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MS Dhoni, the India captain, has said it was important to spread cricket in more countries and look beyond mere commercial interests

Abhishek Purohit in Perth28-Feb-20153:30

‘Can see improvement in Associates every time they play’ – MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni, the India captain, has said it was important to spread cricket in more countries and look beyond mere commercial interests. He also felt that while the Associates had improved considerably, India had no time to give them games with an annual schedule that was too crowded already.”You have to see that cricket is developing as a sport because what’s very important is you want cricket to be a global sport when it comes to participation,” Dhoni said after India had beaten UAE by nine wickets. “What’s more important is rather than looking at it from a commercial point of view, what we have to make sure is where there’s existence of the sport, it keeps on increasing there, and at the same time you look at some of the other countries where there’s the prospect of playing cricket.”I feel overall it’s a win win situation, but what’s most important is to make sure that if there’s a bit of fire anywhere, you have to make sure it becomes a bush fire in terms of the intensity.”Dhoni said that some of the Associate sides had come a long way and deserved to be given more support in terms of facilities and chances. “If you see Afghanistan or some of the other teams, you can see a bit of improvement in their game every time they come and play. Whatever we have seen of a lot of the Associate nations, there has been a lot of improvement in their cricket. But we’ll have to give them more opportunities and we have to make sure that the infrastructure in those countries gets better and better so more people can come and play cricket.”When asked if the Associate sides should get more matches against the big nations such as India, Dhoni said that with the IPL and Champions League already crunching their calendar to a little over nine months, his team could not pitch in.”Not against India. I don’t see even a few days off to play any more cricket than what we play. We can’t, unless we play two games in one day, which is just not possible, because you want to keep the quality up.”It’s a difficult one. Yes, the Associate nations, if they can get a few more games, better scenario, good facilities, it will be good for them, but at the end of the day, it’s like a circus where you want to play in front of people, you want to compete in the best scenarios. So we’ll have to formulate a way, but please, not India. India can’t play any more games.”Several Associate captains and coaches have criticised the ICC’s move to limit the number of teams for the next World Cup to ten. Dhoni refrained from giving his opinion on the matter, saying that it was for the authorities to take a call on.”You know, there’s plenty of stuff on my table. We’ll let the ICC decide; they should also do a bit of work, so let them sit in their air conditioned room and decide whether the Associate nations need to play in the World Cup or not because that’s what they come up with. So the bunch of people will sit in the hall and they’ll decide whether or not it’s good for cricket.”

Goal rounds up some of the most exciting World Cup 2018 group stage fixtures – including Spain vs Portugal and England vs Belgium

With the World Cup set to kick off on June 14, Goal rounds up some of the biggest and best clashes to take place in Russia – including Spain vs Portugal which sees the new and old guard of La Furia Roja battle it out against the European champions, and Luis Suarez facing off against Mohamed Salah when Uruguay and Egypt play each other.Getty ImagesEgypt vs Uruguay

Mohamed Salah propelled Egypt to the finals after scoring a 95th-minute penalty against DR Congo to ensure that the Pharoahs would appear in their first World Cup since 1990.

The 25-year-old endeared himself to the world after an emphatic debut season at Liverpool where he smashed records and netted 44 goals in all competitions, and though he was unable to lift the European Cup with the Reds, he will be looking to redeem himself with a successful World Cup campaign.

He is set to face off against none other than Luis Suarez for Uruguay in their sides' opening fixture. Suarez was the Salah of yesteryear for Reds supporters before he moved to Barcelona in 2014 – and his was one of the scoring records that Salah broke this season.

It'll be an exciting game with Salah and Mohamed Elneny facing off against Suarez and Paris Saint-Germain star Edinson Cavani – and a chance to assert each forward's abilities.

Match Information: Egypt vs Uruguay | Friday June 15 | 1pm UK time (8am US ET)

AdvertisementGettyPortugal vs Spain

Portugal vs Spain is easily one of the most exciting fixtures of the tournament. Portugal are a threat in this competition as they are helmed by a confident Cristiano Ronaldo fresh from winning the Champions League as well as leading his side to a European Championship victory two years ago.

The current Spanish team features a mixed assortment of promising young talent including Marco Asensio, David de Gea and Isco as well as talismen in Andres Iniesta, David Silva and Gerard Pique.

Match Information: Portugal vs Spain | Friday June 15 | 7pm UK time (2pm US ET)

EITAN ABRAMOVICHArgentina vs Iceland

What will happen when Argentina – one of the most storied national sides of all-time – comes up against Iceland, one of the smallest of the qualified nations and who are set to make their first ever appearance in the World Cup?

Lionel Messi has yet to lift a major honour on the international stage and has finished as runner-up in four of his last Copa America finals. Despite his great successes with Barcelona – he has long since been the Spanish side's all-time top-scorer and has won every major club trophy imaginable, as well as lifting the Ballon d'Or on five separate occasions – some critics still feel that to truly cement his place as one of football's greats he must win the World Cup with his nation.

Match Information: Argentina vs Iceland | Saturday June 16 | 2pm UK time (9am US ET)

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GettyGermany vs Mexico

The defending champions will be looking to make their World Cup success a back-to-back feat, starting with their opening fixture against Mexico, as the current Germany squad is still as strong as the one four years ago – even without hero Mario Gotze in the squad.

The Germany squad is rife with experienced players in the shape of Thomas Muller, Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos as well as young talent such as Leroy Sane, who had a magnificent season with Manchester City, winning the title in the process, where he scored 23 goals.

Add the likes of Timo Werner, Marco Reus and Manuel Neuer and Germany are once again favourites to defend their title.

Match information: Germany vs Mexico | Sunday June 18 | 4pm UK time (11am US ET)

Michael Clarke has admitted that Australia will have to adapt quickly if the pitches produced for the Investec Ashes series are similar in character to that in Cardiff

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jul-2015Michael Clarke has admitted that Australia will have to adapt quickly if the pitches produced for the Investec Ashes series are similar in character to that in Cardiff, where his side was heavily beaten as England took a 1-0 lead. Clarke was hopeful of seeing a more lively surface at Lord’s, just as he hoped to have a fit Mitchell Starc to call on in the second Test.On a slow, dry Cardiff pitch, Australia were bundled out twice in 154.2 overs, after England had won the toss and posted 430. England’s attack showed the discipline and patience required as they completed victory inside four days. Clarke said his team needed to improve if they were to win a first Ashes series in England since 2001.”That’s part of playing international cricket, you got to have success away from home as well and a big part of that is adapting to conditions,” Clarke told Sky Sports. “Let’s wait and see what the wicket’s like at Lord’s, I look forward to hopefully seeing a little bit more grass, but if we get similar conditions we’ve got to play better than we did here.”We know what’s expected of us as individual players, we know the conditions, all the guys have been able to see that now. I think the guys have prepared really well, we just haven’t played our best cricket against a good opposition. If you don’t play your best you lose.”Starc was Australia’s most successful bowler, although he was intermittently erratic in taking 7 for 174, but he visibly struggled with an ankle injury during the second innings. He was able to bat on the final day, lasting almost an hour during a 72-run stand with Mitchell Johnson, and Clarke was positive about his chances of appearing at Lord’s, with the second Test starting on Thursday. His loss, after the sudden retirement of Ryan Harris, would be another blow.”He walked out and batted, which was a positive, he was still able to bowl and took a couple of wickets in the second innings, so hopefully he’ll be fit and available for the second Test,” Clarke said. “The real positive for us was that he was able to bowl and get through it.”Despite having had England 43 for 3 on the first morning, Australia let the advantage slip – chiefly through Joe Root, who was dropped by Brad Haddin on nought, scoring a century. Australia then slipped from 180 for 2 to 308 all out, as a succession of batsmen got in and got out, conceding a 122-run deficit that they never recovered from. Clarke did not wish to dwell on specific moments, concluding instead that England had been the better team.”To cut a long story short I think we were outplayed in all three facets of the game. I think England’s batting in the first innings, their bowling throughout the whole game and their catching was exceptional. We’ve got some work to do before the second Test.”That’s the difference, when you’re playing against a very good team, when you get in you’ve got to cash in. If you get opportunities as a bowling and fielding unit, you’ve got to hang on to those chances.”

Marcos Alonso is reportedly set to choose between a Premier League return or a move to Saudi Arabia when leaving Barcelona in 2024.

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Experienced defender seeing deal run downJanuary move being speculated onSeveral options to considerWHAT HAPPENED?

The experienced full-back will see his contract at Camp Nou expire next summer. No extension has been discussed, with the expectation being that Barca will look to get another wage off their books. There are murmurs of a switch being sanctioned in January.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Former Bolton and Chelsea star Alonso was linked with Manchester United over the summer, and the Red Devils may choose to rekindle their interest. According to , the 32-year-old defender is also attracting admiring glances from the Middle East.

DID YOU KNOW?

Alonso could be presented with an opportunity to join the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in Saudi Arabia, with several sides in that region prepared to do a deal. It is, however, reported that the Spain international wants to see out the 2023-24 campaign in Catalunya first.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ALONSO?

He intends to compete for minutes with Alejandro Balde and Joao Cancelo. Another big decision on his future will be made at the end of the season, with interest from England and Saudi Arabia not going away.

Alex Telles has played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United and Al-Nassr, making him well placed to determine whether CR7 is “annoying”.

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All-time great demands the bestDrags team-mates along with himConsidered to be a 'born leader'WHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazilian full-back was joined at Old Trafford by Ronaldo in 2021, having been in England for a little under a year at that point, and has subsequently been reunited with the Portuguese in Saudi Arabia after making his own move to the Middle East in 2023.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TELLES SAID ABOUT RONALDO

Telles has told when asked if Ronaldo can be “annoying when the team isn’t winning”, with the 39-year-old famed for demanding the best of himself and those around him: “He is a born captain and leader, everyone knows his way of dealing with football, due to his professionalism… And the good thing about that is that he is a positive leader, always pushing the team for the positive, he never lets the team throw in the towel. We use that as an example, he is very influential in our team, for us he is an asset.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Telles jumped at the chance to join Ronaldo in Riyadh, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner convincing him to make a switch from the Premier League to Saudi Pro League. The 31-year-old left-back added: “Cristiano Ronaldo was a very important part of my coming here. We exchanged messages beforehand. My agent was involved. But obviously, when it comes to the legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the greatness he has clearly made it easier for me to come. We talked a lot. He told me what the club was like and that he was looking forward to me coming. I’m happy to have a player and human being like him (alongside me), with all his dedication for me to come here. So all this effort I make for myself is also for him, for Al-Nassr and for all the players who are here.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Ronaldo sat out Al-Nassr’s latest fixture through suspension, after being punished for his response to “Messi” taunts from the crowd, but he should be back – with 34 goals to his name this season – for the first leg of an AFC Champions League quarter-final clash with Al-Ain on Monday.

A round-up of Regional Super50 matches played on March 11, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2013
ScorecardCombined Campuses and Colleges scraped to a three-wicket win over Leeward Islands in a low-scoring match in Bridgetown on Monday.Set a paltry target of 116, CCC struggled with their chase, losing seven wickets before they passed Leewards’ score in the 33rd over. Shacaya Thomasplayed an important role in the victory: his 61 accounted for more than half of the team’s runs, even as the other batsmen failed to reach a score of 20.Earlier, Leewards Islands were bowled out for 115 after choosing to bat first. Offpsinner Ryan Austin, who played an important role in CCC’s victory over Leewards in the Regional Four Day Competition, once again led the bowling attack, conceding 24 runs in his 10 overs and picking up two wickets. Left-arm spinner Derone Davis picked up three wickets, while Nekoli Parris picked up two wickets.The win helped CCC move to third place in the table, behind Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.
ScorecardJamaica’s bowlers set up a 78-run win after a collective batting failure led to Windward Islands folding for 151 chasing 230 for victory.Windwards never recovered from their poor start and were struggling at 2 for 2 early on in the innings, before Andre Fletcher, Miles Bascombe and Liam Sebastien tried bringing some momentum into the chase. The partnerships they added, however, failed to put Windwards’ chase on track and the team were eventually bowled out in the 39th over. Odean Brown’s domination over Windwards’ batsmen continued as the legspinner picked up 3 for 19 in 7 overs.Earlier, Jamaica, who were put into bat, lost opener Simon Jackson in the second ball of the match, but recovered through an 88-run second-wicket partnership between Nkruma Bonner (39) and Danza Hyatt (59). Carlton Baugh and Andre Russell added some important runs towards the end, as Jamaica posted a total of 229.
ScorecardTrinidad & Tobago won a close match against Guyana by two wickets in Port of Spain. Although T&T chased down the Guyana target of 235 in 45 overs, they lost eight wickets in the process, giving Guyana a chance right till the end.Fifties from captain Christopher Barnwell and Devendra Bishoo helped Guyana put up 234 on the board after they were struggling at 117 for 7 in the 28th over. The pair added 107 runs for the eighth wicket, to help Guyana pass 200. Barnwell, whose last significant innings for Guyana came in the Caribbean T20 competition, struck a solid 66 off 100 balls, including four fours and two sixes. Bishoo excelled in the supporting act, hitting an unbeaten 52 with four fours and one six.In reply, T&T kept up with the chase in spite of losing regular wickets. Adrian Barath guided the chase, scoring 65 off 80 balls. T&T stuttered briefly after Barath fell with the score at 180 for 6, but a brisk 28 from Sunil Narine ensured that T&T remained unbeaten in the Regional Super50 Competition.

Somerset believe they have played an important part in giving England a head start to the Test series against India after being able to “bully” India for three days in Taunton

Andrew McGlashan17-Jul-2011Somerset believe they have played an important part in giving England a head start to the Test series against India after being able to “bully” the visitors for three days in Taunton. The Indians were never a threat in their lone warm-up match before Lord’s as their bowling was twice taken apart and the batting folded for 224.For most of the contest, once they had lost the toss on a flat pitch, the Indians didn’t appear to have their heart in the game whereas the county side took it very seriously. They were determined to limit the value India could take from the outing, which is why they didn’t enforce the follow-on. Then Peter Trego embarrassed them with a 57-ball 85, which left them looking well short of readiness for the first Test.”I fully understand it’s quite difficult for Test sides to get themselves up for these games, however it’s about practising good habits,” Andy Hurry, the Somerset coach, said. “They are going to come up against a stern test against a side challenging to be No. 1, so they’ll have to lift their game. I’m sure they will, playing at the home of cricket, but it’s been interesting – their approach and how that reflects in the way they performed.”It was important that we gave it our best shot and really put them under the pump. We won the toss on a great batting pitch, dominated the game and started to bully them, which is a great position for England to sit back in their seats and appreciate what we have done for them.”We had an opportunity to build scoreboard pressure, then got our rewards and bowled them out,” he said. “They were looking for the follow-on but we weren’t giving them that. It was an opportunity for us to go in again and reinforce our position before giving them a little dart at the end to try and bowl them out.”Andrew Strauss, preparing for the Test series with a guest appearance, made the most of his time with scores of 78 and an unbeaten 109 to ensure he enters the main contest in good spirits following his lean time against Sri Lanka earlier in the season. Hurry couldn’t praise Strauss highly enough for his short spell with the team and the benefit it brought to the younger players.”It’s been a perfect three days for him,” Hurry said. “We kept the Indians in the field for a number of overs. He looked really busy at the wicket and built his innings. He’s been outstanding to have in the changing room. The boys have thrived on having him around. He’s been a real good egg.”It’s had a huge positive effect on the younger players. Guys who have aspirations of playing for England now understand what the England captain is about. He has an aura about him. [As he] sat in the changing room, the guys were listening to everything he said about batting and the England set-up. It’s been positive from all sides.”

Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi has accepted an offer to lead one of the provinces in the inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) later this year

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2011Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi says he has accepted an offer to lead one of the provinces in the inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) later this year.”It’s a good opportunity and I will try to make the most of it,” Afridi, 31, told Pakistani daily the . “There is a comfortable window for us [Pakistan’s cricketers] to feature in the league in Sri Lanka. We have a sufficient break from international cricket this summer.”The SLPL comes as a shot in the arm for Pakistan’s cricketers who have been ignored by the lucrative IPL since the inaugural edition in 2008. Afridi said that he has signed a three-year contract, worth US$35,000 for the first season of the SLPL, with the amount doubling in 2012. He is expected to be joined in the tournament by Pakistan team-mates Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Akhtar, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul and Umar Akmal.The SLPL will be a seven-team inter-provincial tournament played over approximately 18 days in July-August. The teams will play each other once, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals. All the games will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and the winner of the tournament will qualify for the Champions League Twenty20.Among the other international players who will be taking part are Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi, Daniel Vettori, Daniel Christian, Herschelle Gibbs and Kevin O’Brien.

A round-up of the second round of matches from the domestic Supersport Series in South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2011It was a spinner’s paradise in Pietermaritzburg where the Titans beat the Dolphins by seven wickets.The Dolphins were skittled out for 243 in their first innings. Morne Morkel first hurt them by removing Imraan Khan for 18 before CJ de Villiers deepened the wound when Hashim Amla was trapped lbw. However it was Paul Harris, who is no longer nationally contracted, who had the biggest impact. He manhandled the Dolphins middle order to take 5 for 37 in the innings. Wicketkeeper Daryn Smit put up a fight, with his unbeaten 77, and a 79-run seventh wicket stand with Kyle Abbott, but it was not enough to stop the Titans bowling them out on the first day.In the Titans reply, Tumelo Bodibe and Henry Davids went cheaply on a pitch that was difficult for batting. But the Titans did not suffer any more slumps as national team hopeful, Jacques Rudolph, was among the runs again. He top scored with 118 and shared a century stand with Farhaan Behardien to set the Titans up to take the lead. Heino Kuhn’s gritty 90 will be of interest to the national selectors as he took the Titans to 117-run advantage.Harris opened the bowling in the second innings but did not make an impact immediately. The Dolphins ground out a 66-run first wicket partnership before Khan was out lbw to Martin van Jaarsveld’s offspin. Harris removed Hashim Amla and van Wyk to open the door for legspinner Shaun von Berg to create havoc. His 5 for 76 crippled the Dolphins middle order and their score of 288 in the second innings set Titans a modest target of 172 to chase.Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj caused trouble, plucking three Titans wickets, half-centuries from Berhardien and van Jaarsveld saw the Titans to victory after lunch on the fourth day.On a traditionally flat pitch in Kimberley, the Lions and Knights drew a high-scoring encounter. Runs were slow but steady as the Lions declared their first innings on 455 for 9. Stephen Cook batted throughout the first day and scored 131, which he could not add to on the second morning. Ryan McLaren celebrated his international recall with three wickets and Dillon du Preez, who replaced Johann van der Wath, also claimed three as the Lions middle order battled.Their second century came from an unlikely place. No. 9 batsman, Dale Deeb, better known for left-arm spin, did a Jason Gillespie and scored 101 to give the Lions a meaty first innings total. Late on the second day, the advantage had swung firmly to the Lions as Pumelela Matshikwe took four wickets to have the Knights on the back foot at 95 for 5.Obus Pienaar, who played for South Africa Under-19s, scored a century and put on 155 with McLaren, who made 55 to steer the Knights to safety. Du Preez’s 83 took the Knights to within 100 runs of the Lions total, when Morne van Wyk declared on 378 for 8, 77 runs behind.His decision quickly looked like the right one, with the Lions stumbling to 72 for 4, with Quinton Friend doing the early damage. Alviro Petersen who is competing with Jacques Rudolph for a Test spot, dropped to No. 4 in the order, but scored a duck to end with disappointing stats of just 35 runs in the match. Neil McKenzie and Temba Bavuma both scored centuries to make sure the Lions could build a competitive total. They declared on 266 for 4, at lunch on the last day, setting the Knights a target of 344 and leaving themselves two sessions to bowl them out.Reeza Hendricks and Dean Elgar started safely with a first wicket stand of 62 but Cliffe Deacon’s triple strike after breaking through the opening partnership gave the Lions a sniff. He took here wickets in three overs to send Elgar, Boeta Dippenaar and Ryan Bailey packing. Deacon finished with five wickets in the innings, but the Lions did not have enough time to bowl the Knights out and had to settle for the draw with the Knights at 189 for 6.

It was ironical that a run-out ended Shakib Al Hasan’s innings that was so solidly built on patience and thinking on his feet

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur18-Dec-2011It was ironical that a run-out ended Shakib Al Hasan’s innings that was so solidly built on patience and thinking on his feet. He made 144 in nearly six hours that spanned five sessions, two of which went wicketless. But instead of focusing on how it all ended, a DVD of this innings would be worth it for the sheer quality of the innings.When Mushfiqur Rahim tucked Umar Gul off his hips into the vacant midwicket area, there was a single for the taking. But the captain took a few steps forward and called late, leading to hesitation and by the time Shakib turned back, Taufeeq Umar broke the stumps with a direct hit. The error was Mushfiqur’s and Shakib’s reaction was a natural expression of a man who had battled the conditions and the opponents.”Nobody wants to get out like that so I am slightly disappointed, but I am happy with the runs I have scored,” Shakib said. “Run-out is also part of the game, it happens.”This was the fifth longest stint at the crease by a Bangladesh batsman, and easily Shakib’s longest innings. Most of those in front of him in this list were picked and recognised for their ability to bat long. His only other Test century came in the second innings against New Zealand in 2010, a three-hour knock that was on par with most Test hundreds in terms of time. However, this knock in Mirpur began on the first day and he knew that one mistake could prove costly for the entire team.”I would keep this century ahead of the other one. I had to work really hard for this. I batted with the tail-enders in Hamilton and the situation was different there,” Shakib said.”The first century is always special but this one’s the most satisfying, I had phases when I had to check my shots. I have batted a long time for this century,” said Shakib, whose ability to pick singles (63, more than half the team’s 118) was another lesson for his team-mates.Of the 15 boundaries during the 242-ball innings, Shakib hit just one on the second day. Perhaps the situation and the bowling attack was taken into consideration, but he let Mushfiqur find his feet during their 82-run sixth wicket stand. They batted out the shortened first session of 21 overs without fuss.For the past two years, Bangladesh had lost a wicket when they were nearing a break. But in two days, they had as many wicket-less sessions, thereby reversing the trend. The last session of the first day and the first on the next is often critical for Bangladesh when they bat first and make a good start.Shakib mentioned how the team has had to start “all over again” due to the long breaks between Test series.”I don’t think we are going backwards. The trouble is when we get to play Tests after long breaks,” Shakib said. “We have to start everything anew when we play Tests after 2-3 months. It takes an innings or two to understand the situation.”If we could play regularly, it wouldn’t be a problem. You can see that we played Tests regularly before taking the 14-month break. Our performance was better at that time.”Shakib regretted not carrying on during the second day, and the thought of a possible double-century crossed his mind.”If I say I don’t have it [regrets] I would be wrong. But I didn’t target that I have to score X number of runs. I wanted to bat as long as possible. If I could have batted all day, I would have gotten the double-century,” he said.But Shakib is a hard man to impress. When asked if Bangladesh had gotten rid of their mental block after their vastly improved first-innings performance, he said that he would talk about it after the second innings.