Tag Futebol

A similar tournament had been scheduled and budgeted for the 2015-16 season, only for it to be scrapped

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Aug-2017

Sri Lanka Cricket has reiterated its commitment to starting a condensed, provincial-based first-class tournament in the 2017-18 season.Although a similar tournament had been scheduled and budgeted for the 2015-16 season, the board led by Thilanga Sumathipala had scrapped those plans, and has since failed to organise a high-quality first-class tournament for two seasons running.Next season, however, will see the introduction of a four-team first-class season, SLC vice-president K Mathivanan has said. The teams will be based in Dambulla, Pallekele, Galle and Colombo. This “Super Provincial” tournament will effectively be the centrepiece of the domestic schedule, with the club-based first-class tournament likely to be a three-day tournament only, where usually a portion of it is played across four days.”Since our focus is mainly on the Super Provincial tournament where only the top cricketers will be in action, we will play the [club tournament] as three-day games only,” Mathivanan told . “The 60 [that will play in the Super Provincial tournament] are the cream of our cricketers who will be selected for the national team, Sri Lanka A team and the Sri Lanka Emerging team.”While previous iterations of provincial-based tournaments had been short-lived, Mathivanan said he is intent on making the Super Provincial tournament a long-term success by ensuring “there’s a clear graduation path,” and that there is “loyalty of the players for their provinces – a culture we need to create in this country”.The domestic season will also be more clearly divided into first-class and limited-overs segments: “We do not want to switch from one format to other in a haphazard manner. Unlike previous years, we will be first playing red-ball cricket (first-class) followed by white-ball cricket (List A). This will enable players to have a better focus.”Mathivanan’s words align with those of SLC president Sumathipala, who told ESPNcricinfo in May: “Definitely, we are going to play the super provincial four-team tournament. We are looking at day-night pink-ball cricket for that as well. Initially, for the next two to three years, we’ve decided to distribute the players into the provincial team based on where they come from, as much as we can. The national selectors will then sit together and work out the best possible balance, and assign players accordingly.”However, the present board had also promised to organise a provincial-based first-class competition for the 2016-17 season, and subsequently failed to do so, scheduling only a List A provincial-based tournament instead.Nevertheless, if the Super Provincial first-class tournament is actually played as Mathivanan and Sumathipala have outlined, it is likely to represent a significant step in the development of senior talent. The club-based first-class system has been criticised for its bloated format for several years, and a consensus has formed that the quality of cricket in that competition has declined substantially.And while Sri Lanka’s age-group based tournaments remain relatively healthy – thanks in part to the present board’s investment in that area – cricketers who leave the school system have graduated to one of the weakest domestic structures in the Test-playing world. The club tournament has also been plagued by poor pitches.A four-day tournament, with fewer players and a higher quality of play, aims to fix that. Additionally, as each of the venues at Dambulla, Pallekele, Galle and Khettarama can be directly administered by SLC, this should theoretically mean the Super Provincial competition will be played on good surfaces.

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo can be “challenging” to work with, admits former Juventus CEO Beppe Marotta.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• All-time great moved to Turin in 2018
• Inspired those around him
• Not always the easiest to work with

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The five-time Ballon d’Or winner completed a stunning transfer to Turin from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018. He was one of the last marquee signings put in place during Marotta’s time with the Bianconeri and registered 101 goals for the Serie A giants through 134 appearances.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  WHAT MAROTTA SAID ABOUT RONALDO

  Ronaldo delivered two league titles and a Coppa Italia triumph during his time with Juve, but he was not always the easiest to work with. Marotta has told of bringing the all-time great on board and how he acted behind the scenes: “He was a very good player, he still is and above all he is a great champion. The champion is that person who manages to convey beliefs to his team-mates. He was a bit of a leader of the team, he was the most famous and he dragged the others into the game. So, it was challenging, but he didn’t make me angry.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo did go on to ruffle feathers back at Manchester United, leading to his release in November 2022, with Paul Pogba doing likewise during his time at Old Trafford. Marotta says the French midfielder was his most difficult piece of recruitment business when first taking him to Turin in 2012. He added: “There is a player today who’s at Juventus called Pogba. It was a very complicated deal. Because he came from Manchester United, he hadn’t signed a contract so there were many teams that wanted him. It was difficult to negotiate his purchase, it was very complex.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Pogba returned to Juventus in 2022, but he has suffered a number of injury issues back in Italian football and is currently serving a ban after failing a drugs test. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is still going strong at the age of 38 with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr.

Mahela Jayawardene, the Mumbai Indians coach, used the phrase ‘wake up call’ thrice, and with good reason, at the pre-final press conference. On the surface, it might have seemed more for effect, as the question to him was about Mumbai Indians’ consistent run in IPL 2017. But, Jayawardene’s iteration was for the three losses they’ve been handed by Rising Pune Supergiant this season.After Rising Pune had nutmegged them off the penultimate ball in their opening fixture, Mumbai went on a six-match winning spree before they were halted again by – no surprises there – Rising Pune. This, too, was a close defeat following which Mumbai went unbeaten in all but two games, but who do they run into in the first Qualifier? Rising Pune.The stakes were higher this time as the winner would get a direct passage to the final. Given how things had panned out, the result wasn’t hard to predict. The consolation for Mumbai, if any, is that they have been comprehensively bested and not handed out a last-over heartbreak. As for Rising Pune, they have now won all their games at the Wankhede. In fact, so absolute has been their dominance over Mumbai that you will have to ferret out a scorecard from last May to look up their only defeat in five games.After a disappointing 2016 season, Jayawardene said Mumbai had made it a point to address their notoriously sluggish starts to IPL campaigns. He also suggested that Rising Pune was the bogey team his team needed to sharpen their competitive edge against. “The first game was against Pune and they gave us a wake-up call,” he said. “We realised that we had to play better cricket than that. We got a little bit of momentum….we won some close matches, made sure we kept going and again they gave us a wake-up call in the middle of the season.”We made sure we regrouped and didn’t slack as a group towards the later part of the tournament. It’s been a good team effort and a lot of boys put their hand up in tough situations and won matches. I think it’s a tough tournament because any team could beat you on the day, home and away conditions are different. But credit to the boys, they have really performed well. And again they gave us a wake-up call in the knockout stages. We had to go to Bangalore, regroup again and play a good game of cricket which is good because it keeps everyone on the toes going into the final.”The Rising Pune question, specifically the defeat in the first Qualifier, was put forth to captain Rohit Sharma as well. Should Mumbai win, this will be their third title – after 2013 and 2015 – with Rohit at the helm. His response to the two questions was a potpourri of processes, results and focus. But eventually, he made the point that Mumbai had never lost a Maharashtra derby, in Hyderabad.”It’s true we haven’t played well against Pune. But now we’re playing them in a neutral venue,” he said. “They have been playing some really good cricket and it’s just that we haven’t been playing too well on those days. Conditions will be different for both teams. The aim is to avoid whatever mistakes we have done in the past against them. Hopefully, we’ve learnt from the mistakes and don’t repeat again tomorrow. We’ve got to make sure we’re better and we play good cricket and focus on what we need to do.”3:37

Tait: Having beaten Mumbai last game, Pune should go in unchanged

Sitting on the other side of the table, Rising Pune coach Stephen Fleming and captain Steven Smith flashed knowing smiles when their counterparts were talking. Fleming said they would continue to stay low-profile in the final like they have all tournament.”We’ve faced a lot of challenges throughout this tournament and we’ve faced them well,” he said. “We’re quietly confident, pretty much like our entire campaign where we have flown under the radar and done things quietly. I don’t think we’ll do anything different when we get up. If we get up because there’ll be a couple of wily foxes [Rohit and Jayawardene] who’ll be trying to stop us. They’re well awake now,” he added for good measure with a laugh.While Rohit conceded there wasn’t much individual brilliance that contributed to Mumbai’s success this year, he saw that as a positive in how the team has collectively pulled its weight. “Whenever they had an opportunity they put their hand up, taken the responsibility and obviously made sure that team crossed that line,” he said. “Guys have come at different points and taken up the responsibility and goes to show that teamwork is so much important whether it’s batting or bowling.”Not everyone can have a good day every day, so it’s important guys coming at different points deliver.[I am] honestly not really worried about the key players not delivering consistently because they have not had opportunities consistently. A lot of the game if you see, the first half was batted by the top three batsmen and the middle order has delivered whenever it had the opportunity.”Rising Pune share a similarity with Mumbai, especially in the way young players have come to the fore. Two of their key youngsters – Rahul Tripathi and Washington Sundar – are playing their first IPL. Washington, in fact, was the thorn in Mumbai’s flesh in the first Qualifier. Smith felt their callowness might actually work in the team’s favour in a high-profile final.”That can play into your favour sometimes because you can just come out and play with freedom,” Smith said. “I thought Washington was absolutely fantastic against Mumbai the other night, for a 17-year old to come out on the big stage against some quality players and to do what he did was outstanding. Those guys, the young guys, have been a real big part of our success throughout this tournament. Hopefully, they can have a bit of success tomorrow night too. “For Fleming, the dynamic between Smith and MS Dhoni, who captained Rising Pune last year, was an integral part of the team’s success. “They’re both fine leaders with their performance. Arguably both are the best in their position. Certainly, MS for a period of time [has been up there with the best wicketkeeper-batsman] and Steve is right up there if not the best batsman in the world at the moment,” he said. “It’s just good communication between the two of them.”Much has been made of their relationship but certainly sitting with them it’s nothing but influential to the younger players and beneficial for the senior players and for me. It has been a great dynamic to be a part of. This is the first time I am working with Steve and I have enjoyed it thoroughly.”As for the coaches, how do they stay insulated from the pressure of producing results on the big night? Fleming felt most of the work was done at the start of the tournament and at the auction, and that this was the time to enjoy the fruits of the labour. “Then you bring the team together and find the right combination. If you’re lucky enough to find that in time, then it pretty much rolls along itself,” he said. “The finals should ideally be a time when you sit back because if you’re in the finals things must’ve gone right at the start. You don’t have to start over-analysing and make changes because it might not be beneficial to the team. Two of the most consistent teams are there and some great players on show. From a coach’s point of view, just a good seat in the house.”Jayawardene concurred with his counterpart’s assessment and said there was plenty of mutual respect between the teams. “You just have to be consistent throughout the tournament. For us as coaches, it’s good that whatever we planned from January onwards, how we wanted to have backups, a lot of boys were leaving, England boys and all that, so to plan all that and to get everything right and for us to be in this position is just brilliant. Right now, it’s just about having a good day tomorrow and letting the boys enjoy themselves.”

James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has jumped on Virat Kohli’s allegations of Australia’s captain Steven Smith “crossing the line” by seeking off-field advice for DRS referrals, calling them “outrageous”.Currently in India, Sutherland spoke strongly in defence of Smith and the team after the coach Darren Lehmann had also categorically denied any orchestrated use of the team viewing area to deliberate on decisions.”I find the allegations questioning the integrity of Steve Smith, the Australian team and the dressing room, outrageous,” Sutherland said. “Steve is an outstanding cricketer and person, and role model to many aspiring cricketers and we have every faith that there was no ill-intent in his actions.”We reject any commentary that suggests our integrity was brought into disrepute or that systemic unfair tactics are used, and stand by Steve and the Australian cricketers who are proudly representing our country.”Sutherland’s comments came after Lehmann insisted that Australia “play the game the right way” in the wake of serious allegations by Kohli.The adjudicating match referee Chris Broad has reportedly stated that Smith would not face sanction over his attempt to check with support staff off-field whether to review his lbw on the final day of the Bengaluru Test match. However others, including the former captain Michael Clarke, have expressed concern about the young batsman Peter Handscomb’s role in the exchange and other possible instances of the practice.Broad is scheduled to be replaced by Richie Richardson for the final two matches of the series, and ICC management based in Dubai are yet to comment on the episode. Lehmann delivered a staunch denial when asked whether there had ever been communication between the team on the field and the dressing room about referring a decision: “Never ever. No. Never.”He [Kohli] has his opinion and we have ours. At the end of the day we play the game the right way. I’m very proud of the way the lads actually played. Disappointed we didn’t get across the line today. We changed the way we wanted to play with a change of side, a younger side. I’m really pleased with the way we do things now, we’ve never done any of that, and we’ll just get on with the next game. Disappointing today but you move on.”Very surprised to hear it [the allegation] but again, that’s their opinion.”Clarke, who worked alongside Lehmann as captain and coach for more than two years, said Handscomb’s involvement to prompt Smith to look towards the team viewing area worried him. Handscomb has tweeted that he had only done so because he was “unaware of the rule” forbidding players from seeking off-field guidance.”If you look at the footage, Peter Handscomb actually suggested Smith to turn around and look to the support staff. If this was a one-off, I don’t think that would have happened,” Clarke told India Today. “The fact that Handscomb has even thought of asking the Australian skipper to turn around and look to the support staff, I’ve got my concerns.”I think Steve Smith respects the game and if it’s a one-off, then it’s a brain fade. I want to find out more about it. But if Virat is correct and if Australia are using DRS that way, then it is completely unacceptable and it is not a brain fade.”Kohli stated after the Test’s conclusion that he had seen the Australians look towards their viewing area twice earlier in the match when he was batting, and had advised both on-field umpires to watch out for it. When Handscomb and Smith conferred, the umpire Nigel Llong stepped in quickly to stop any communication from taking place.ESPNcricinfo understands that members of the Australian team had discussed seeking advice on referrals in the past, but ruled it out on the basis that it was both against the rules and also impractical on the basis that it would take too long. The ICC had also clarified the illegality of the practice to international teams in briefings several years ago.Lehmann insisted that there had been no orchestration whatsoever, and went on to say that the Australian team had changed much in terms of attitude and on-field demeanour under Smith’s captaincy and the selection of a younger touring team to venture to India.”Probably on their side it might but our side again I’ll say we were very good the way we went about it and trying to play the game the way we want to play it moving forward,” he said when asked if the series would remain tense. “Gone were the days where we used to be the other way, and I was part of that as an Australian side.”So the young guys the way they want to portray themselves and get others to play the game and enjoy the game has been exceptional. I’m very proud of the way they went about it this game, even though we lost. [We want to] be remembered as a side that grows as a group together, doesn’t bite on confrontation and just plays the game.”We want to be remembered as a side that learned and grew together as a group. So for us that’s a challenge. There’s tough times in India no doubt, but how we want to play is a lot like everyone else around the world wants to play, and that’s the brand of cricket people come to watch. It was a great Test match … disappointed but proud of them.”The ugly scenes on the field during the Bengaluru Test marked a major downturn in relations between the two sides, but Lehmann said he had not sought out his opposite number Anil Kumble or Kohli to seek to smooth the waters.”No, we leave that with ICC and that’s the way it goes,” he said. “We’re here to play cricket, we didn’t play it well enough, they outplayed us, the partnership between Pujara and Rahane was fantastic the way they played. We could have bowled better a bit yesterday and batted better today, but they outplayed us so we need to be better.”It’s heated, it’s always heated in India that’s the way it is. So we didn’t cope well enough as a group in the last four or five sessions, pleased the way we bowled to get us back in the game, and we had our chances with the bat and didn’t get across the line.”

Six months ago, Sam Heazlett was yet to make his one-day debut. Indeed, he is still yet to make his one-day debut for Queensland, having missed this summer’s Matador Cup due to injury. But in Auckland on Monday, Heazlett leap-frogged state cricket to become the 220th ODI cricketer to represent Australia, a late addition to the XI after stand-in captain Matthew Wade was ruled out due to a back injury.Heazlett struggled to have any impact against New Zealand, scoring 4 before he was caught behind off the bowling of Lockie Ferguson. His chances of playing again in the second ODI on Thursday will likely depend on whether Wade is passed fit. But for the time being, he finds himself in the unusual situation of having playing List A cricket only for Australia and for the National Performance Squad in a winter A series last year.It was that series that won Heazlett his surprise national call-up. On his List A debut in Townsville in August, he struck 101 off 87 balls against South Africa A, and he followed up later in the series with 60 against India A and 73 against South Africa A. Since then, Heazlett’s only innings of note were a couple of brisk BBL contributions for the Brisbane Heat, and two Sheffield Shield fifties.Heazlett’s ODI call-up was thus one of the most glaring examples of Australian fast-tracking in recent times, although other inclusions this summer – fast bowler Billy Stanlake was also rushed into the ODI team with only four List A games to his name, and none this summer – have also raised eyebrows. Heazlett is studying to be a physiotherapist, but his selection has rubbed a few people the wrong way.”When his name got read out, it was a bit like, you need to go to the Cricinfo site and have a quick look around to work out who he was,” former Australia fast bowler Stuart Clark said on the radio show on Tuesday. “I don’t know, they’ve obviously seen some potential in this guy … the next thing you know he’s in the one-day international team.”I don’t know how you come up with that selection. Personally I don’t like that sort of selection. You’ve got a lot of guys running around playing first-class cricket and you go, ‘Hang on, why are they not getting an opportunity?’ But the selectors have obviously seen someone and thought, ‘Well this guy’s a player of the future, let’s get him into the series’. But I’m a bit uncomfortable with that.”Heazlett, 21, was a late inclusion in Australia’s Chappell-Hadlee squad after Steven Smith was ruled out due to injury. He was picked ahead of prolific Matador Cup run-scorers from this summer, including Cameron White (457 runs at 76.16), Moises Henriques (414 at 69.00), Daniel Hughes (386 at 64.33) and Player of the Tournament Marnus Labuschagne (271 at 45.16).Although Heazlett was told on the day before the Auckland ODI that he would not be in the side, things changed when Wade was ruled out on the morning of the match. Heazlett said coach Darren Lehmann had told him to play his natural game.”I was a little bit nervous but no more than any other cricket game. I’m usually pretty nervous before any cricket game,” Heazlett said. “Darren had a chat and just said bat the way you have been, back yourself. It’s good to have that backing from the captain and the coach.”It was a bit annoying not to score a few more with the bat, but that’s the way it goes in cricket. Hopefully next time I can take the opportunity and contribute to a win for the team. We’ll see what happens for the rest of the series. If I get another go, then great. But we’ll see if Wadey comes back, what happens, and take it from there.”

West Indies batsman Shai Hope was pleased at having scored a maiden ODI century in only his second game but some off the sheen from that achievement was taken away by the side’s tied match against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo19-Nov-2016West Indies’ tie against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo took some of the gloss off what was otherwise an adventurous maiden hundred by West Indies batsman Shai Hope. Playing his second ODI, Hope marshalled West Indies’ chase along with Kraigg Brathwaite, the pair putting on 162 for the third wicket, and reached his ton with a whip through midwicket off the second ball of the 45thover. But two deliveries later a wild swipe resulted in an edge through to the wicketkeeper, opening a window for Zimbabwe to claw their way back into the game.”[Getting the hundred was] a good feeling, but it would be even better with a win,” Hope said. “That’s the main thing: it’s about winning games. So the hundred doesn’t really mean much right now because we didn’t win.”Hope, who also kept wicket today, was at the crease as early as the 12th over in West Indies’ chase after Johnson Charles and Evin Lewis fell in the teens. “It’s a bit tough [keeping wicket and batting up the order], especially if the team loses quick wickets at the beginning,” Hope said. “But it’s about transferring the effort of your wicketkeeping into your batting, and keeping your team on top of things.”After a period of consolidation, during which both batsmen survived confident appeals at the hands of Zimbabwe’s spinners, Hope broke the shackles with 10 runs from consecutive long hops in the 20th over. Thereafter, he was soon outscoring Brathwaite, and rode his luck as West Indies sought to press home their advantage.In the 32nd over, he was caught by Donald Tiripano at long-on, but the fielder stepped on the boundary rope while completing the catch. Three overs later, he slapped a full toss straight to Sikandar Raza but the chance was dropped. In the 39th over, a top-edged slog once again evaded Raza, running towards long-off from cover.Those errors aside, Hope and Brathwaite appeared to be in control, with the latter focusing his efforts on turning the strike over to his more aggressive partner. “We were trying to put the bad balls away, capitalising on those ones and rotating the strike,” Hope said. “We wanted to take it as deep as possible and finish off the game, but it was unfortunate we couldn’t get that done today.”West Indies were 220 for 3 when Hope fell, and still appeared to be on course in their chase. Yet five more wickets fell in the next five overs, and with three needed from five balls in the last over, Carlos Brathwaite swatted a Tiripano legcutter to Sean Williams at long-on to set in motion Zimbabwe’s unlikely comeback.”There’s always nerves, especially in games like this. But I must say it was a bit disappointing not to cross the line. That’s the game of cricket. Sometimes it can go both ways. On another day, that ball Carlos hit would have gone for six. Today he lost his wicket. It’s just about being more aware. It didn’t happen for us today.”

A move by Manchester United to land Jeremie Frimpong looks increasingly likely, with a report from SportBILD (via Sport Witness) suggesting that a deal to send the player to Old Trafford "beckons".

Are Manchester United signing Jeremie Frimpong?

The defender has become a first-team regular for Bayer Leverkusen this season, playing in 33 Bundesliga outings – the most he has managed over the course of his career to date. The club have reaped the rewards of getting the player on the field more, too, with Frimpong managing eight goals and seven assists so far – again a career-best for the wing-back.

And while achieving an average WhoScored rating of 7.15 for the club in the league, the 22-year-old has become hot property. Showcasing his ability to do it at the top level, his rating puts him as the 17th-best player in the entire division (min. 18 apps) and above people like Alphonso Davies – understandably catching the attention of sides who now want to sign him in the process.

One of the most heavily interested sides are Premier League giants Man United, who have been linked with a switch for the defender on several occasions over the last few months. Erik ten Hag remains keen to add some more depth to his side in the right-back position and the Bayer Leverkusen man would fit the bill in that respect.

Now, it seems that a deal to send him to Old Trafford is becoming more likely. That's because a report from SportBILD (via Sport Witness) states that a move to the Red Devils "beckons" for the player.

Who are Man United signing at right-back?

If United do pull off a deal to bring in Frimpong, they could have themselves a top-level player – and for a good fee, too.

For starters, the CIES Football Observatory suggests that his value is around the €40m (£34m) mark, which, if accurate, makes him not too expensive considering what he could potentially offer to United.

He's also been praised highly by Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who stated that the defender is a "special" player and has a "big impact" for the team when he is on the field. It's high praise indeed from a manager who accomplished plenty as a player himself.

Frimpong would also offer plenty offensively. Despite his position on the field, he is the second-highest goalscorer in the Bayer Leverkusen squad this season, while his assist tally also ranks him second in the side. He would therefore enable United to get on the front foot more and could offer them a real upgrade on that right flank if he was able to replicate his Bundesliga form in the Premier League.

USA wicketkeeper-batsman Akeem Dodson has issued a plea to global administrators to work towards supporting an ICC application for cricket’s inclusion in the 2024 Summer Olympics, calling the Olympics “the grand stage of sport”. Dodson’s comments were made after Patrick Sandusky of the USOC told ESPNcricinfo in a recent interview that “Twenty20 cricket at least is a very natural fit” in the Olympics, though the ICC remains ambivalent to the idea.”I pray weekly, daily for cricket in the Olympics,” Dodson told ESPNcricinfo. “Right now USA is in the lower league and we have to work our way up. Cricket in the Olympics would mean cricket on a world stage where USA starts on a level playing field.”Everyone will start at level zero and we will now look to make whatever dreams we can come true from there. I believe that team USA, given that platform and a clean slate, cricket in the Olympics, I think we could [win a] medal. That is the prospect you all want. Can the USA win American gold at cricket? Hell yeah we can.”The 28-year-old from New York was USA’s leading scorer at the World T20 Qualifier last summer in Scotland and Ireland, with 165 runs in six games as USA won three and lost three to narrowly miss out on qualifying. Encouraged by an improved on-field performance, the ICC unveiled a strategic plan for USA late last year setting targets for the 2019 World Cup, the 2020 World T20 as well as making a bid for hosting a future World T20, as early as 2024.However, USA might alternately play a role in a push for cricket at the Olympics if Los Angeles wins the hosting rights for the 2024 Summer Games. When asked if he would rather reach a maiden World T20 or an Olympic T20 tournament for USA, Dodson did not hesitate to state his preference.”Olympic T20. Even though playing a World T20 competition is something very commendable and it is the grand stage of world cricket, the Olympics is the grand stage of sport,” Dodson said. “That’s where we want to play, that’s where every athlete dreams of playing, to do it at the Olympics.”Everyone always says you are a national representative when you’re playing for USA and you’re a representative to US cricket, but we would truly feel like national representatives if we played cricket as an Olympic sport for Team USA. That would be a dream come true. A US Olympian, that part of it is the most important. A lot of people are able to say they’ve played a sport but to say that you’ve done it at an Olympic level, that is unbelievable almost. To have that experience with you and to remember everything that goes along with the Olympics – the Olympic village and the opening ceremony – doing all of that would be unforgettable.”Dodson would be 36 by the time the 2024 Summer Olympics rolls around and his reputation as a fitness workhorse means he would still have a realistic chance to be part of a USA team, if cricket were to successfully gain inclusion in the Olympics. He is convinced that helping the USA qualify for a spot in an Olympic T20 competition would galvanise the sport’s growth around his country and the world. It is why he is pleading for administrators elsewhere and in ICC circles to come around to the idea of submitting an application to the International Olympic Committee.”Cricket was in the Olympics a long time ago, in the early 1900s,” Dodson said. “What can I say to you to make you want to put cricket in the Olympics? Please, do I have to beg? Cricket is the kind of sport that once you learn to love it, the passion and the feeling that cricket gives you, I haven’t experienced it anywhere else.”The amount of American spirit that we could generate and create in this beautiful game, it would be paramount. It would take over the world. Please let us play the Olympics.”

Liverpool are interested in completing the signing of Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram at the end of the season, according to a fresh update.

Is Thuram having a good season?

The Frenchman may only be 22 years of age, but he is already an integral part of Nice's team, enjoying an eye-catching season for them to date as Les Aiglons compete for European glory. He has made 30 appearances in Ligue 1 overall, scoring two goals in that time and also chipping in with four assists, while he was in Europa Conference League action in midweek as his side earned a 2-2 away draw against Basel.

Midfield is an area of the pitch that Liverpool simply have to focus on during the summer transfer window, with a complete rebuild needed in the middle of the park. Both Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have looked past their best throughout this season, while Thiago is now 32 years old and injury-prone, highlighting why changes need to be made.

Meanwhile, the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita are expected to leave at the end of the campaign, while doubts surround the future of veteran James Milner.

This highlights why new signings are desperately required in midfield, and with Jude Bellingham seemingly off the table now, Liverpool need to look at alternatives – and it looks as though they have one lined up in the form of Thuram, according to a new claim.

Are Liverpool looking to sign Khephren Thuram?

According to Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are one of many clubs who are "dreaming of signing" Thuram in the summer window. They have been "seduced" by his performances for Nice this season and see him as one of France's potential next great midfielders.

Nice are demanding €60m (£53m) for one of their star players' services, however, and that price tag could rise further if even more clubs become interested.

Thuram could be exactly what Liverpool are looking for in the middle of the park this summer, as he possesses the technical quality and energy that has been so badly lacking.

He is averaging 1.5 tackles per game in the French league this season as well as an 86.4% pass completion rate – performing better than Henderson in both departments, albeit in a different competition. He has also averaged more interceptions per game than the Englishman and Fabinho, and given he would have youth on his side, there is an argument to suggest he could offer something to the Liverpool midfield in time, if not immediately.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded Thuram's "significant upper-body strength", his "excellent technique" and his impressive "ball control at speed", as well as "above-average vision & playmaking skills" – all of which could take the Reds up another gear next season and beyond when you consider the current midfield has vastly underperformed this term.

He may not be able to transform Liverpool's fortunes on his own, but if he was to be part of a number of arrivals in the summer, we believe could become an integral part of a team in dire need of a refresh.

by seven wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:08

100 T20Is for Pakistan

UAE’s decision to bat seemed a bit like someone doing away with the veggies so they could get to the meat quicker. All their captain Amjad Javed hoped for was “120 to 130” runs; they got 129. Pakistan tried to sink their teeth into the target and suddenly found it was more than they could chew. The top three fell by the time the fourth over of the chase began, but Shoaib Malik and Umar Akmal buckled down and took Pakistan to a seven-wicket victory in Mirpur.While that margin indicates it was all hunky dory, Javed’s new-ball burst and the way he could rally his team together had given UAE a strong chance to record their first victory against a Full Member. He took three wickets off his first seven balls to make his team believe, and then made sure they did not waver by slinging his arm around every one of his bowlers while he was at the top of his run-up and clapping his hands until they stung.Pakistan were 17 for 3 when Akmal and Malik got together. They recognised the momentum was with UAE, but knew they could turn it around. They just had to bide their time, to keep their wickets intact and take the chase deep so that the ball wouldn’t be swinging and their experience could trump UAE’s adrenaline. The first boundary of their fourth-wicket partnership came off the 15th ball and the next one came off the 31st but overhauling a target of 130 doesn’t take pyrotechnics. Just patience.There was a moment when UAE could have stormed back. With 40 runs to win from 26 balls, Malik dragged a Mohammad Shahzad bouncer from outside off and the resulting top-edge seemed destined for deep square leg’s hands but Usman Mushtaq, who was brought into the XI in place of Saqlain Haider, dropped it. Malik reached his fifty with a four and a six off the next two balls he faced and along with Akmal sealed Pakistan’s victory with their unbeaten 114-run partnership.Javed was in uproar when the catch went down. He could have had a match-winning three-wicket haul after all. He dismissed Sharjeel Khan lbw, but replays showed the ball would have climbed over the stumps. Two balls later, Khurram Manzoor was caught behind playing an unwise cut against a rising ball that didn’t give him the requisite room to free his arms.Javed’s final wicket of the night though came about because of the room he offered to the batsman. Mohammad Hafeez thought he had an easy put away through the covers but failed to keep his drive down much to the glee of one of UAE’s best fielder Fahad Tariq. The one over he saved for the death turned out to be dreadful as Malik and Akmal caned 23 off it to pull ahead.That Pakistan would need to huff and puff a bit had not seemed likely when they had UAE at 12 for 3 in four overs. Mohammad Amir was in the thick of things again, bowling a first over that went for only one run and following up with a second that had five dot balls and an indipper that squeezed through Muhammad Kaleem’s limp defences. At the other end, Mohammad Sami made Rohan Mustafa pay for driving on the up by summoning some extra bounce. The batsman spooned a simple catch to mid-off and extra bounce from the seven-foot tall Mohammad Irfan accounted for Mohammad Shahzad.Pakistan were barely at full throttle. They even rested their fastest bowler Wahab Riaz to give left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz an international debut. But the rest stacked enough balls around middle and off stump to capitalise on the batsmen’s mistakes.Shaiman Anwar stuck it out for 46 off 42 balls, but he may have been helped by Pakistan resorting to spin soon after the Powerplay. Shahid Afridi brought himself on, at the other end came Nawaz and UAE found some relief. They were 20 for 3 and going nowhere, but seven overs of slow bowling got them to 70 for 4. Anwar even took Afridi for a hat-trick of fours – a cut right through the point fielder, a beautiful loft over extra cover and a superbly-timed sweep. Lucky over 13 yielded 17 runs, the most UAE have scored in one over against a Full Member in T20Is.There had been plenty of plays and misses because the UAE batsmen had not faced quick bowlers of this quality. At the 2015 World Cup, then captain Mohammad Tauqir had been shocked at the South Africa quicks roughing up their batsmen with bouncers. Here too, the company of Amir, Irfan and Sami were outclassing them. Amir had 21 dot balls out of 24, Irfan and Sami had 15 apiece.Still, UAE went down swinging in their death overs as edges and mis-hits flew to the boundary to get a total that gave them a chance. But once again, they couldn’t seal the deal and are now out of the Asia Cup.