All posts by h716a5.icu

David Richardson says ‘no indications’ from either board that June 16 match will not go ahead as planned

Nagraj Gollapudi19-Feb-2019The ICC and the 2019 World Cup organising committee remain confident that the tournament’s biggest match, to be played between India and Pakistan on June 16 in Manchester, will go ahead despite the volatile situation between the two countries in the wake of a terrorist attack in Kashmir last week.With the World Cup starting in exactly 100 days, there are have been scattered voices that want India to boycott the group match against Pakistan. The fixture itself remains the biggest game of the tournament: nearly half a million applications for tickets poured in as soon as the ICC opened its ballot. Even the World Cup final, to be played on July 14 at Lord’s, paled in comparison with about a quarter of a million applications.Although neither board has made a public comment, internally top officials from both the BCCI and PCB agree that it is too far-fetched right now to predict the situation in June. The ICC’s quarterly meetings take place in Dubai next week, where representatives from both boards will have a chance to conduct discussions in person.David Richardson, the ICC’s outgoing chief executive officer, said that “no indications” have been sent from either board about the World Cup clash not taking place. “We haven’t written to the boards as yet,” Richardson told ESPNcricinfo in London, where he was present to mark the 100-day countdown to the tournament. “Our thoughts are with the people that were impacted by the incident. And we are monitoring the situation with our members including the BCCI and PCB. Certainly there are no indications any of the matches, including the Pakistan-India match, will not be played as planned at the World Cup. But as I say we will continue to monitor the situation.”This is not the first time the fate of an India-Pakistan match at a global event has been called into question due to the fragile relations between the two neighbours. However, Richardson remained optimistic. “Sport, and cricket in particular, is perfectly placed – it has the wonderful ability to bring people together to unite communities. And hopefully cricket can be used in this fashion rather than a way of [dividing] people.”For Steve Elworthy, the World Cup tournament director, the India-Pakistan contest will be a marquee occasion. “It is probably one of the biggest sporting events in the world,” Elworthy, the former South Africa fast bowler, said. “You think of that match and you think of the passion, the support, the audience, the [number of] people who applied for tickets.”David Richardson, Steve Elworthy and UK sports minister Mims Davies at an event marking the 100-day countdown to the World Cup•Getty ImagesElworthy was also the tournament director for the 2017 Champions Trophy, where India and Pakistan played each other twice including the final where Sarfaraz Ahmed’s team won convincingly. It only increases the needle for the Old Trafford match on June 16.And that can be seen in the record demand for tickets, which Elworthy pointed out was significantly bigger than for the final. “That particular game, we had over 400,000 applications for tickets, which is an incredible number. The stadium only holds 25,000 people. So there are a number of disappointed people. That’s just locally, but [there is also] the audience globally.”To put that [number] in perspective, England v Australia was around 230-240,000. And the final was around about 260-270,000 applications for tickets. So that gives you a bit of perspective for the demand for this match [India v Pakistan]. It’s a big game. They could end up playing each other in the final [too], you never know.”In the scenario where one team decided to forfeit the match, Richardson said the ICC would open the rule books to ascertain the repercussions. “There is justifiable non-compliance and unjustifiable,” he said. “That we will have to deal with under the playing regulations.”But neither Richardson nor Elworthy are currently too concerned – both said they would not be having any sleepless nights. Not yet. Elworthy even afforded a big smile when asked who he thought would win the game.”Good question,” he said. “We’ve had them play a couple of times against each other, haven’t we? And Pakistan won the last one about 18 months ago. That was an incredible game, down at The Oval. But then, India have beaten Pakistan in the group stages. They are very balanced teams. It is very hard to choose because it is just that passion, that rivalry that you can’t really account for. And when they get on to the field what takes players over, what drives them, and motivates them. So whatever the result we are going to see an incredible game of cricket.”

Lyon is available for Sydney Sixers as they target a place in the BBL then he will be straight off to India

Andrew McGlashan08-Feb-2019Nathan Lyon hopes to use his belated availability for the Big Bash to kick start a bid to cement a place in Australia’s World Cup squad as he embarks on the most sustained period of white-ball cricket in his career.Lyon is available for the remainder of Sydney Sixers’ campaign which will include the final group match against Melbourne Stars and at least a semi-final next Friday with the Sixers assured of a knockout place. They are very likely to host the second semi-final but victory over the Stars on Sunday would confirm it.If the Sixers make it to the final, Lyon would then fly to India the next day as part of Australia’s one-day and T20I squad for that tour with the prospect of heading straight on to the UAE to face Pakistan after that.Although Lyon went wicketless in two ODIs against India last month, he looks in pole position to secure one of the spin-bowling slots in the final World Cup squad alongside Adam Zampa. Head coach Justin Langer endorsed the pair after that previous series with him calling Lyon, who has played just 17 ODIs since his debut in 2011-12, “probably the best offspinner in the world”.ALSO READ: Australia playing catch-up on spin as World Cup looms”Hopefully my World Cup campaign, my selection, will start on Sunday,” Lyon said. “I just need to keep putting in good performances with the ball and making sure I can play my role, whichever side I’m playing in whether that’s the Sixers or Australia.”I know my role in the Australian set-up with captain Aaron Finch, we just have to keep working on it and ensuring we are playing an exciting brand of cricket. There’s a massive couple of goals just around the corner for the Australian side.”Though Australia lost 2-1 against India last month, they competed strongly with a reshaped one-day side. Lyon is aware that taking them on in their own conditions will be a tough examination.”We get a great opportunity to play a lot of white-ball cricket before the World Cup so I think if we can go out and enjoy ourselves, make sure our preparation is right, then we can compete against the best in their conditions as well. It will be a great challenge for us, there’s no point shying away from that. It’s a great opportunity for a young side.”Lyon’s return to Australia’s one-day set-up means he won’t be available for the final batch of Sheffield Shield matches which begin later this month. His next competitive red-ball fixture may not be until the end of July when Australia take on Australia A in their final warm-up match before the Ashes, but he is not concerned about losing touch.”White ball, pink ball, red ball, it’s all pretty similar for me,” he said. “No doubt I’ll have training sessions where I’ll focus on nailing my stock ball and ensuring I’m in best shape for England come the Ashes. The best possible thing for me is to keep bowling cricket balls, it’s exciting. It’s a great opportunity to create something special over the next seven or eight months.”

Jurgen Klopp is not bothered with Mohamed Salah's rough patch in front of goal despite struggling again during Europa League exit to Atalanta.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Liverpool beaten on aggregate by AtalantaSalah scored from the spot but his performance was not up to the markKlopp puts his weight behind the EgyptianWHAT HAPPENED?

Salah found the net against Atalanta from the spot at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia on Thursday evening but could not inspire Liverpool to a comeback by overturning a 3-0 deficit from the first leg. He was instead caught guilty of squandering chances and had to be subsequently taken off in the second half despite his team trailing by two aggregate goals.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

However, Klopp downplayed Salah's ineffectiveness in front of the goal. Instead, he insisted that missing chances is part and parcel of the sport and is not a cause for alarm.

WHAT KLOPP SAID

“I’m not particularly concerned,” said Klopp. “That’s what strikers do. That’s how it is. We have to go through it, he has to go through it. He is one of the most experienced players in the squad. That’s pretty much all.

"It’s not that Mo didn’t miss chances before in his life, that’s part of the game. The penalty was super convincing, a super penalty then the next chance that was unlucky, but it’s not the first time has has missed chances like that. I won’t make a big story of it. I’m not particularly concerned.”

KLOPP HAS OTHER CONCERNS

However, Klopp did focus on the broader shortcomings, particularly in creating scoring opportunities, against well-drilled defences like Atalanta.

"We didn't have enough chances," he said. "We have to create a little bit more than we did in the first half already as it's clear you need a result to help destabilise the opponent and if you have a second goal it's a tricky one as the next goal is extra time but we didn't get to that point and we will never really know how that would have looked. If you don't deserve it, it's all good."

The Dutchman arrived at the club on a mission to put an end to player power, but one man alone can't fix a culture that has been brewing for a decade

It began with Alejandro Garnacho turning up late for breakfast during Erik ten Hag's first pre-season tour as Manchester United manager. Then Cristiano Ronaldo started leaving matches early, even when he was supposed to come on as a substitute. The Portuguese later gave an unauthorised and explosive interview to Piers Morgan, firing shots in all directions, including at his manager. Then Marcus Rashford was late for a team meeting and dropped from the starting line-up.

A blissfully quiet few months with little to report on in the form of dressing room politics then passed, only to be followed by one negative story after another to greet the new season. First Jadon Sancho didn't train hard enough and when he was bluntly told so, fired back in an angry social media post. Days later, Antony was accused of violence against women and took a leave of absence to deal with the allegations – which he denies.

Anthony Martial turned up at training at the wrong time before Rashford visited a nightclub after the humiliating defeat in the derby by Manchester City in October. Three months later, Rashford missed training after a wild drunken night out in Belfast and lied to the club about his whereabouts. Then, on the lower end of the scale, last Saturday, Garnacho liked a tweet criticising Ten Hag after the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

Exhausted just reading the long list of misdemeanours committed by United players in the last two years? Then imagine how Ten Hag must feel having to deal with them…

Getty Only Ferguson had control

When Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge of United, dressing room leaks to the media were extremely rare, and any dissent was quickly and brutally stamped out. Ruud van Nistelrooy was forced out after disagreeing with being benched for the League Cup final; Roy Keane was hounded out for a critical piece of analysis on David Beckham was sold to Real Madrid once Ferguson had concluded he had lost his focus due to his celebrity lifestyle.

No player, no matter how talented or influential, was above the manager or the club, and the team continued to be successful after each high-profile departure. The show went on, with Ferguson the only star who could not be disposed of. To the ruthless Glaswegian, making sure he, and not the players, ruled the club was a non-negotiable.

"If the day came that the manager of Manchester United was controlled by the players – in other words, if the players decided how the training should be, what days they should have off, what the discipline should be, and what the tactics should be – then Manchester United would not be the Manchester United we know," he told the . "It creates power for the players – that is very dangerous. If the coach has no control, he will not last."

AdvertisementGetty Revolt began with Moyes

When Ferguson retired in 2013, United not only lost the mind that had won them 13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues, they lost that sense of control. His first successor David Moyes, for example, got on the wrong side of players just weeks into the job. According to Rio Ferdinand, it all stemmed from him banning them from eating chips the night before games. Ferdinand said Moyes' reactive tactics had also rubbed the players up the wrong way.

Moyes had never taken on a club of United's size and was ill-equipped to cope with big-name players and the constant scrutiny he was under. His successors, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, should have been much better prepared given the enormous institutions they had worked, at including Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Inter and Chelsea.

Getty Mourinho's toxic atmosphere

However, both the Dutchman and the Portuguese struggled to impose their authority on United. Van Gaal's rigorous training regime meant he got off on the wrong foot with many players and his larger-than-life personality, coupled with his habit of saying exactly what he thought and never biting his tongue, alienated them too.

Mourinho's old-school methods and dictatorial personality won over some players such as Ander Herrera, but severely annoyed others, none more than Paul Pogba. The Portuguese would also call out players who he felt had underperformed, especially Luke Shaw and Martial.

When Mourinho was eventually sacked and replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, there was a notable difference in the vibe around the training ground. The toxic atmosphere Mourinho had forged had vanished, and the positive vibes between manager and squad led to a massive upswing in results in the Norwegian's first few months in charge.

GettyRefusing the armband

But Solskjaer eventually fell victim to United's lawless dressing room, and when the positive early results began to dry up, it dawned on him that there was a dearth of big characters who could help galvanise the other players.

He has revealed that several players refused to be captain in certain games and did not even have the courage to inform the manager themselves, getting their message across through intermediaries instead. The Norwegian also complained of the group splintering off.

"When you have a group you need everyone to pull in the same direction. When things didn't go right, you could see certain players and egos came out," Solskjaer told last year.

"Some players felt they should’ve played more and weren’t constructive to the environment. That’s a huge sin for me. When I didn’t start games, I wanted to prove to the manager he’d made the wrong decision. Now, a lot of players aren’t like that. Agents and family members get into their heads and tell them they’re better than they are because they have a vested interest. It’s a disease of modern football."

India’s chairman of selectors says virtually all 15 spots for the World Cup in May have been sealed

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Feb-20195:28

I was surprised when asked to bat at No. 3 – Vijay Shankar

Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar and Ajinkya Rahane are all in contention for a World Cup berth, according to India’s chairman of selectors MSK Prasad. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Prasad said the selectors have virtually sealed the 15 spots barring the “one odd” position, which would be firmed up before the deadline set by the ICC to pick the final squad.If Pant is a “healthy headache”, Vijay, who is seen as a batting allrounder, has brought in a new “dimension” to the World Cup selection with his impressive performances in the New Zealand series this month, Prasad said.”Undoubtedly he (Pant) is in contention,” Prasad said. “A healthy headache. The progression of Rishabh in the last one year is phenomenal across the formats. What we actually felt is he needs a bit of maturity now, gain more experience. That is reason we have included him in India A series wherever possible.”Pant might have only played three ODIs – all against West Indies in 2018 – but his good form in Test cricket and for India A in the last year has received a positive appraisal from the selectors. Prasad admitted about thinking of Pant as a “thick-skinned” person, but that feeling has now been replaced by that of a young player who is showing maturity at the highest level and commitment to the team’s cause.Along with Dinesh Karthik, Pant was earlier seen as the back-up wicketkeeper for MS Dhoni. However, with Karthik having settled down in the lower order in the past 12 months, the selectors are now looking if Pant can be included as a specialist batsman.Ajinkya Rahane plays a lofted drive•Kerala Cricket Association That position might have opened up also because of the weak form of KL Rahul since the South Africa tour last year across the three formats. In this period, Rahul has just played three ODIs – all during the England tour – and was recently suspended by the BCCI over an off-field controversy. Prasad pointed out that although Rahul was still in the race, he could jump over the competition now only by scoring runs.In contrast, Vijay has now leapt into contention with a promising display during the T20I series in New Zealand, where he was asked to bat at No. 3 in Virat Kohli’s absence. After India lost the series in Hamilton, the Tamil Nadu allrounder said he was “surprised” to bat at No. 3, where he made a 28-ball 43.Prasad agreed that Vijay would be the fourth allrounder in the pool of 20 players the selectors have drawn up to then pick the final 15. “In whatever opportunities he has got, Vijay Shankar has shown the skillsets required at this level. We have been grooming him through India A tours in the last two years. But we will have to see where he can fit in the dynamics of this team.”Until the England tour last year, Rahul was being seen as the third opener by the selectors. With him struggling to find form, the selectors have been forced to look for other options which is possibly why Rahane is once again part of the deliberations.Although he has not played for India in ODIs since last year’s South Africa tour, Rahane has been consistent in List A cricket this season: 597 runs in 11 innings at an average of 74.62 with two big hundreds and three fifties. Two of those fifties came recently for India A in the unofficial ODI series against England Lions in Thiruvananthapuram last month. However, Rahane’s strike rate during these 11 innings has been 77.83; in not even one of those innings did he score at more than run a ball. It was probably his scoring rate that had seen him being left out of the India ODI side last year.”In domestic cricket he has been in form,” Prasad said. “He is very much in contention for the World Cup.”

Diogo Dalot was disappointe by Manchester United's defensive errors in their 2-2 draw against Bournemouth on Saturday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Dalot pointed out Man Utd's defensive woesConceded too many shots on goalHeld Bournemouth to a 2-2 drawWHAT HAPPENED?

United rode on Bruno Fernandes' brace to hold Bournemouth to a 2-2 draw at Vitality Stadium in a Premier League clash on Saturday. The club's defence came under scrutiny after they conceded twice in the first half and allowed the opposition to take 12 shots on goal.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After the game, right-back Diogo Dalot admitted to the mistakes committed by the Red Devils' backline as he advised his colleagues to be more compact and reduce the gap between the midfield and the defence which has been a massive concern for the team this season.

WHAT DIOGO DALOT SAID

Speaking to after the game about conceding too many shots, the Portugal international said: "It's been one of our concerns, maybe [we need to] try to be more compact as a team – don't try to make the gap between defenders and midfield too big. Sometimes it is, and they counter on the counter-attack. It's something we have to improve because it's been nowhere near good enough for the level of this club.

"We've been showing belief through the season, coming back from down moments. Too many this season. We have to control more and have the game under control, we lose it too many times. That's the aim for the next couple of games."

When asked about individual committed by the players, Dalot added: "It's been happening in the last couple of games, we don't look to who has done it but we know it can happen at this level because they are clinical enough to score if we make mistakes. It's something we have to look for and try not to do.

"It's part of life to make mistakes. It's about reacting well the next game and the next few minutes to try to do better. That's what we have to overcome. We have to take responsibility but try not to do it for the next games and that's the challenge."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Erik ten Hag's side will aim to get back to winning ways on April 21 as they take on Championship side Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final.

Pakistan’s bowlers hauled themselves off the canvas after a lethargic start to the Johannesburg Test, taking seven wickets for 33 runs after tea

The Report by Alan Gardner11-Jan-2019The notion is that Test matches are being played at an ever-faster pace, and the first day at the Wanderers was a frenetic case in point. For two sessions, South Africa batted serenely, seemingly set up for a day of dominance by Aiden Markram’s dashing 90. Then, suddenly, Pakistan’s four-man seam attack hauled themselves off the canvas like mercury rising to demolish the lower order in 90 minutes of searching reverse-swing bowling that saw South Africa lose their last seven wickets for 33.Their lethargic start to the day was forgotten, but Pakistan would have been praying for a sleepy finish, after the trials of their batsmen in the first two Tests of the series. Instead, Vernon Philander nipped out two in two balls as the sun began to set over Johannesburg, Shan Masood and Azhar Ali both edging behind. Pakistan were rolled for 49 on their last visit to the Bullring, in 2013, and South Africa’s quicks – in particular Dale Steyn, who took 6 for 8 that day – will be pawing the ground impatiently when the teams return in the morning.In all, the final session saw nine wickets fall, a stark about turn after South Africa had cruised to a seemingly dominant position of 226 for 3 at tea. To that point, Mohammad Amir was the only bowler offering his captain a semblance of control, with Pakistan’s reshaped attack guilty of collective indiscipline.However, in the third over after the interval, Mohammad Abbas snaked a ball into Theunis de Bruyn’s pads to win an lbw decision and set in motion an extraordinary South Africa collapse. Amir found the right lines and a modicum of away movement to have Temba Bavuma and Zubayr Hamza, after an impressive cameo on debut, caught behind and the rest of the lower order wilted. After a stand of 75 for the fourth wicket between de Bruyn and Hamza, the next-highest partnership was 9.Faheem Ashraf, the seam-bowling allrounder Pakistan had been reluctant to pick in the first two Tests, finished with 3 for 57, while Amir, Abbas and Hasan Ali – who had earlier been treated like a confectionary stall by South Africa’s top-order batsmen – each claimed two wickets apiece.It was a curious showing from South Africa, who would have been disappointed not to post a more significant first-innings score in their pursuit of a series whitewash but know that Pakistan’s batting has only once passed 200 in the series so far. Despite the Wanderers offering up a far more friendly surface than that which was rated “poor” for India’s visit a year ago, it seemed to quicken up during the day – which will only encourage the home side after they stuck to their four-man seam attack from Cape Town.South Africa went into the game with just one, enforced change, Cape Cobras batsman Hamza handed a debut in the wake of Faf du Plessis’ slow over-rate suspension. Hamza, the 100th cap of the “Proteas” era – though the 335th man to play Tests for South Africa – was able to soak in the occasion from the dressing room during the morning before showcasing an impressive range of strokes in his 41 from 68 balls, lifting Shadab Khan’s legspin into the stands at deep midwicket and launching a flying uppercut over point off a Hasan bumper.He and de Bruyn ramped up the pressure on Pakistan, after they had removed Markram and Hashim Amla in quick succession. De Bruyn padded up nervously to his fifth ball and then survived an lbw review to an Amir delivery that pitched just outside leg on 14, but showed that he had settled at the crease when carving Hasan for a brace of cuts before tea – although he was unable to go on and reach fifty for what would have been only the second time in his nine-Test career.Markram also failed to convert a sparkling start into a hundred for the second time in the series, but he set the tone for South Africa during a morning session in which the sight of his blade flashing fours through the off side was the standout feature.His first boundary was a crisp cover drive off Abbas and then, twice in consecutive deliveries, Hasan was thrashed through backward point, Markram riding the bounce with disdain. Sarfraz Ahmed, who lamented his bowlers’ lack of pace after defeat in the second Test, could do little but fold his arms and wish for a few kph more.Ashraf, one of three changes to the Pakistan XI from Cape Town, was introduced within the hour, and he was close to drawing a mistake from Markram, as a flashed back-foot drive flew just beyond the reach of gully. The only other chance offered by Markram came when he was on 2 and jabbed a ball out of the meat of the bat straight at short leg, where Shan Masood was unable to get his hands up in time for the epitome of a reaction catch.His 14th boundary of the morning, an imperious straight drive off Abbas, took Markram to lunch on 78. With Amla puttering along smoothly in a lower gear – a peremptory chop into the covers here, a nudge off the pads there – South Africa made uncluttered progress while Sarfraz shuffled through his options in vain. But Markram’s tickle down the leg side shortly after lunch gave Pakistan the breakthrough, as well as the first of five catches for Sarfraz.That ended a stand of 126 for the second wicket, after Abbas had given Pakistan an early lift by having South Africa’s stand-in captain, Dean Elgar, caught behind in his first over. There was some success – and early signs of turn – for Shadab, too, as he had Amla edging a drive to slip when seemingly well set. For South Africa, that was to be the theme of a topsy-turvy day.

A late goal in the second half secured Cavan Sullivan and Philadelphia Union U17's place in the GA Cup semifinals on Thursday evening.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Sullivan on verge of Man City transfer14-year-old playing with U17s in GA CupUnion advance to semifinals with massive winWHAT HAPPENED?

In the 2024 Generation Adidas Cup, Sullivan and the Union advanced out of the group stage after going 2-1 through their first three matches. In their first test of the knockout round, they prevailed over South Korean side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors thanks to a 57th-minute goal. At the full-time whistle, Sullivan and his teammates celebrated with friends, fans and family by leaping onto the chain-link fence behind the pitch to cheers and applause from many.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Sullivan is one of the hottest prospects in all of world soccer at the moment, and is on the verge of completing a monumental move to the Premier League with Manchester City. Scouts of the Pep Guardiola-coached side have dubbed the 14-year-old the 'most exciting' player of his age in the entire world. Now, Sullivan will hope to lead the Union to glory on the podium, while also looking to put pen to paper on his first professional contract shortly thereafter.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

MLSWHAT NEXT FOR SULLIVAN AND THE U17 UNION?

Sullivan and the Union will take on Croatian side Hajduk Split in the semifinals of this years tournament as the Union look to go back-to-back in the U17 division. The match will be streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV at 5:00 pm ET Friday night.

The pair played key roles in Oman to help USA march into WCL Division Two

Peter Della Penna21-Nov-2018The Barbados-contracted pair of Aaron Jones and Hayden Walsh has come in for special praise from USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake for their roles in helping the side earn promotion to WCL Division Two. The allround abilities of Walsh combined with the batting of Jones played a pivotal role in USA ending WCL Division Three on Monday with a 4-1 record, good enough to be promoted along with undefeated tournament champion Oman.”I can’t tell how happy I am about those two guys,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo after USA finished runners-up at WCL Division Three in Oman. “They’re great players, they know how to behave inside a team and they fit straight into our culture. So I think that those two guys are the best thing that could happen to USA Cricket moving forward actually.”Jones and Walsh finished first and third for the team in scoring on tour with 200 runs and 167 runs respectively, regularly rescuing USA from perilous positions. Their best tag-team effort came against Denmark when they came together at 87 for 5 and produced a 131-run stand, a USA record for the sixth wicket.Jones came into the squad as an injury replacement for Sunny Sohal during the Super50 Cup, while Walsh hadn’t yet made his debut coming into WCL Division Three. Dassanayake revealed Walsh was initially picked as a legspinner, but a century during an intrasquad trial match at a USA training camp in North Carolina on the eve of the tournament convinced Dassanayake of his batting abilities.”When we looked at him the first time, we all thought he was a good legspinner but we were not sure about his batting, even though he came and said that he can bat,” he said. “But we had a few training sessions in Barbados and match scenarios basically playing a 50-over game on a full field using local players. Every scenario we played, he was scoring runs.”Dassanayake also hit back at criticism leveled at team management before the tournament for picking the pair in USA’s 14-man squad for Oman despite their non-participation in this year’s USA Cricket Combines. The caretaker administration run by the ICC Americas had communicated to stakeholders that anyone wishing to compete for a spot in USA’s Division Three squad had to attend a combine trial.That meant former West Indies batsman Xavier Marshall, who had made his USA debut in January, was axed after he skipped the last two days of the New York trial to play club cricket instead.New Zealand-based US passport holder David Wakefield also paid his own plane tickets to Florida to be evaluated, something that was not mandated of Jones nor Walsh. This was a source of unhappiness amongst players who attended the combines and felt it equated to double-standards.”Even though critics was there to criticise certain things about our performance and selections, we as a group had that confidence from the beginning which way we are moving and the players were confident and these results were not a surprise for our group,” Dassanayake said. “I’m not happy that we didn’t become number one but it’s part of the game. Oman played better cricket on that day against us but I still believe that USA is a better team and we are looking forward to move forward.”

Manchester United's Antony is reportedly undergoing a training boot camp to turn around his underwhelming season.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Antony's heroics fired United past LiverpoolWinger working on himself to build on that performanceHas flown to Madeira for a special campGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazilian winger had an impactful contribution in United's 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals, where he scored a crucial goal, thereby highlighting his potential to be a game-changer on the field. However, his cup heroics were not enough as Brazil manager Dorival Jr. ignored Antony for the international friendlies against England and Spain.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Nonetheless, the disappointment of being overlooked by the national team did not deter him from seeking improvement. According to the forward has chosen to utilise the international break to focus on enhancing his skills and fitness and has embarked on a specific training regimen at the renowned Fisio Clinic in Madeira, Portugal.

DID YOU KNOW?

Recognising the need to elevate his performance, Antony has committed himself to strength and conditioning sessions under the guidance of trainer Joao Pedro Silva at the Fisio Clinic. Since his high-profile £85.5 million transfer from Ajax to United in 2022, he has faced scrutiny for failing to live up to his hefty price tag as he has scored just 10 goals and provided four assists in 74 appearances across competitions.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

GettyWHAT NEXT?

As Antony prepares to return to action with the Red Devils after the international break, his focus shifts to the upcoming Premier League fixture against Brentford on March 30. With renewed determination and a steadfast commitment to improvement, Antony could make a significant impact on the pitch to seal a Champions League spot for his club.