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Cricket West Indies (CWI) is offering its contracted and non-contracted players major pay hikes as an incentive to play the series of three T20 internationals in Pakistan next month.West Indies will announce a 13-man touring squad to tour Pakistan when the ongoing World Cup Qualifier concludes. CWI did not confirm or deny the amount but it is being suggested that the touring squad are being offered around US$25,000 each for the three matches in Karachi on April 1, 2 and 3.Depending on the contract status of players, that means they will be getting anywhere between 70% more and double what they would ordinarily be paid. Under the new CWI contracts announced in January, many of non-contracted T20 specialists got a raise of US$1725 to US$5000 per game, along with double match fees for all three formats.Though CWI will be paying the players, the money for that to happen has come from a payment made by the PCB to CWI for this series – as it is outside the Future Tours Programme (FTP) as it stands. According to a PCB official, that payment to a touring side by the host board is standard for non-FTP series and one the PCB benefited from in a 2013 ODI tour to South Africa.”Pakistan are looking to play more cricket at home, by playing half of the PSL in Pakistan next year and a number of matches in upcoming bilateral series under the current FTP,” CWI CEO Johnny Grave told ESPNcricinfo. “However what they can’t continue to do is pay international players additional fees to tour Pakistan or PSL.”So, considering this tour is outside the Future Tours Programme, the PCB have made a payment to CWI that is being fully utilised. CWI isn’t making any money from the series, just supporting cricket going back to Pakistan.”The issue of paying players extra to tour Pakistan, which hasn’t hosted regular international cricket since the March 2009 terror attacks on the Sri Lanka team, is a delicate one for the PCB. They paid Zimbabwe’s players US$12,500 each for a tour in 2015, the first by any international team to Pakistan since 2009.Foreign players were also offered extra money on top of their contracts to play in the PSL final in Lahore last year. The players that toured Lahore as part of a World XI last September were also paid by the PCB.It is an extra cost the board could easily do without but, because the aim is to bring back cricket to Pakistan, it is seen as a long-term investment. The PCB gradually wants to end the practice – no extra money was paid to Sri Lanka when they played a single T20 in Lahore last year, although it was a heavily depleted squad that came.Grave did confirm that the boards have a separate agreement to play T20 matches in USA and Canada. According to an ESPNcricinfo source, CWI has reserved dates at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida for the weekend of August 4-5 to play a pair of T20Is. This is the last weekend ahead of the start of the Caribbean Premier League, for which all West Indian players were announced to be available from August 8-September 16 since it does not clash with any FTP requirements.”As a trade off for this, we have their agreement to play regular T20 games in USA or Canada outside of the FTP to try and build interest in cricket in our timezone,” Grave said. “We [CWI] have been very up front with players and told them all money we are getting for this series they will be getting.”It is unclear which members of the current squad in Zimbabwe will tour Pakistan, however. According to sources close to players none of five of the Bravo brothers, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell – whom chief selector Courtney Browne attacked for choosing PSL over the World Cup Qualifier – were selected. There will also likely be no place for Darren Sammy.Russell and Dwayne Bravo are currently injured, while Narine also elected not to visit Pakistan, even before doubts resurfaced over his action after he was reported in the PSL.According to his representatives, Pollard does not feel comfortable traveling to Pakistan at the moment. He had already decided not to travel with his PSL side, Multan Sultans, if they had made it through from the group stage.Whether Darren Bravo was contacted about playing is unknown, but some likely squad members include veteran legspinner Samuel Badree, Rayad Emrit and potentially a recall for Denesh Ramdin.Badree is set to visit Pakistan with Islamabad United and has the experience of going there with the ICC World XI last year. Emrit, who was recalled for the January T20 series in New Zealand for the first time in a decade, also visited Pakistan for the PSL final in 2017.

More than six months since they finished runners-up at the World Cup on July 23, 2017, India will begin their second cycle of the ICC Women’s Championship on level pegging with their opponents South Africa, the tournament’s semi-finalists. Neither side has played an international fixture since they lost to England in thrilling encounters. While there had been little clarity on the part of the BCCI on why the board wasn’t keen on arranging for any bilateral fixture to sustain the interest generated through the India’s path-breaking run at the World Cup, Harmanpreet Kaur, the India ODI vice-captain and T20I captain, harped on the importance of the “break” the team got subsequently.”Before the World Cup, we had had back-to-back series and tournaments [the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Sri Lanka followed by the Quadrangular series in South Africa]. Personally, I was going through a patch of injuries, too, so I think we needed a break,” Harmanpreet said. “I understand, had there been one or two series after the momentum we gathered through our World Cup campaign, that, too, would have been good. But the break that the BCCI gave us, I feel it was important for us.”Set to become only the fifth India women’s player to feature in 150 internationals with the ODI on February 7, Harmanpreet, who is currently part of a one-week preparatory camp in Mumbai, said the tour is likely to throw up myriad challenges for the side in both the three-match ODI series and the five T20Is that follow. Having returned to India last week after her second stint at the Women’s Big Bash League in Australia, she underlined that the re-grouping of the players after the protracted break from international cricket and a fairly busy domestic season in India will bode well for the side. The series starts from February 5, in Kimberley.”I think the tour will be very challenging for us. At the [ongoing] camp, we have been trying a few things because after the 50-over matches, we’ll be playing the T20Is. We have two-three youngsters in the side; for them this is a good starting point. Otherwise, more or less everybody’s had a decent domestic season. We have a couple of practice matches there before the series gets underway. So those two matches are also going to help us get in our preparations.”Even though there had been no international assignment for India following the World Cup, the BCCI had organsied three camps at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore, through October and November, starting with one featuring India probables and a few internationals who haven’t been in the reckoning in the recent past. This was followed by a special wicketkeeping camp at the NCA under the supervision of former India wicketkeeper-batsman Kiran More. This was followed in November by one centred on fielding and fitness, involving all the members of the World Cup squad. Speaking on the sidelines of a practice match against the Mumbai Under-16 boys at the Wankhede Stadium, Harmanpreet also emphasised how the three camps held in the run-up to the ongoing one will prove to be beneficial for the side going into a month long tour of South Africa.”After the World Cup, we had a couple of camps at the NCA, and now this one as well. These camps have been good for us. The team has been getting along really well, hopefully we’ll be able to do well in South Africa as well.”In comparison to the blitzkrieg of a debut WBBL season, in which her all-round exploits earned her the Sydney Thunder Player-of-the-Tournament distinction, Harmanpreet had a relatively sedate second season, making 107 runs from nine innings and bagging three wickets. Attributing her performance to the paucity of opportunities – the bulk of the scoring this season has been done by a robust Thunder top-order – Harmanpreet said despite the scant game-time, her training off the field has helped her keep her confidence about her form up.”Although I didn’t get too much opportunity to bat, I had been training on the side, and that has been fairly good. The experience of playing on those wickets [in Australia] will come in handy in South Africa as well.”

Crystal Palace still have time to complete some late signings in the summer transfer window and they are reportedly eyeing one audacious addition.

Will Crystal Palace make more signings?

The Eagles retained their Premier League status once again last season, with Roy Hodgson coming in and steadying the ship impressively, and the hope is that they are going to kick on again in 2023/24.

Palace have looked fairly good in the opening weeks of the campaign, winning 1-0 away to Sheffield United in their opening fixture, before losing 1-0 at home to Arsenal on Monday night ahead of Saturday's trip to Brentford.

Some new signings have come in to bolster the options at Hodgson's disposal, including Jefferson Lerma and Matheus Franca, while Michael Olise decided against a move to Chelsea at the eleventh hour, before deciding to sign a new long-term deal at Selhurst Park.

Will Crystal Palace sign Eden Hazard?

According to a key update from Football Transfers, Palace are now 'plotting a shock move' for former Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard this summer:

"Crystal Palace are plotting a shock move to save Eden Hazard from retirement, FootballTransfers understands. The Belgian is still a free agent after leaving Real Madrid earlier in the summer and there have been suggestions that Hazard could retire due to his persistent injury issues.

"At this stage in his career, this would not be a grand comeback to the Premier League, but more of a last hurrah. Hazard would be offered a simple one-year deal with a pay-as-you-play structure. In other words, he would receive an inexpensive base salary but with the ability to augment his income through appearance and performance bonuses."

This could be quite a signing by Palace, with Hazard someone who has arguably been one of the most exciting attacking players of his generation, scoring 110 goals in 352 appearances for Chelsea, at a time when he was described as "world-class" by Hakim Ziyech.

Since joining Real Madrid, there is no question that the Belgian's career has absolutely plummeted, however, with injuries holding him back hugely, and only seven goals coming his way in 76 matches.

For that reason, there would be a clear risk to Palace signing Hazard, who is unquestionably past his best as a player, but at 32, he may still have something to offer if he can remain fit, considering the likes of superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are comfortably older yet still playing on a regular basis.

It is one of those signings that could ultimately go either way, with the risk that it could backfire but a chance that the Nike-sponsored ace could also find his groove again back in the Premier League, improving the level of everyone around him and enjoying the autumn of his career. Whether it happens remains to be seen, but Palace may look to take a punt on a pay-as-you-play deal.

Manchester United travel to face Tottenham Hotspur on this weekend in what’s always a big Premier League fixture. The Red Devils will turn to Bruno Fernandes to lead them in this one – so how does he typically do?

We’ve looked into the history to find out exactly what you can expect from Fernandes against Spurs.

What is Bruno Fernandes' goal record against Tottenham?

Fernandes has faced Tottenham six times in his career, all coming since his move to United back in January 2020. Things started off well, too, as the Portuguese playmaker scored on his first appearance in the fixture.

And he’s kept up a good record ever since, scoring three times in those six games for a record of 1 in 2. Notably, those goals all came in different games.

What is Bruno Fernandes' assist record against Tottenham?

Fernandes has managed two assists in his six meetings with Spurs. In fact, one came in their latest meeting, as the two teams drew 2-2 at Tottenham.

The other was the season before, again coming in the away fixture – though, this time United won 3-0. Much like his goals, then, Fernandes’s assists have come in different games.

How many goal contributions does Bruno Fernandes have against Tottenham?

Six games, three goals, two assists. So five goal contributions in six games – a fantastic record for any player.

The notable thing here, though, is that all of those contributions came in separate games. It means Fernandes has only actually failed to either score or assist against Spurs on one single occasion – during the 3-1 away win back in 2021.

You can otherwise count on the skipper to provide something in this fixture. It’s incredibly rare that he doesn’t.

What is Bruno Fernandes' head-to-head record against Tottenham?

While Fernandes almost always scores or assists in this fixture, he doesn’t always win. United have only won half of their meetings with Spurs when Fernandes has played.

What you can say, though, is that they don’t typically lose. Spurs have only beaten a team involving Fernandes once – with that win coming in the infamous 6-1 win at Old Trafford in late 2020. Though, it was Fernandes who scored United’s goal early on.

The overall record reads as: played six, won three, drawn two, lost one.

What is Bruno Fernandes' record at Tottenham?

Fernandes has played more away in this fixture than he has at Old Trafford. Of the six meetings, four have come in north London – and the player does well.

He’s never lost at Spurs, winning two and drawing the others. Fernandes usually provides something, too, with a goal (coming in his first appearance there) followed by assists in his two latest meetings.

It’s a productive fixture for the player and one where Spurs rarely get the better of him.

Who has Bruno Fernandes scored the most goals against?

One team stands above the rest for Fernandes – Aston Villa. He’s scored seven times against them in his career, coming in just eight games. Next is Leeds United, with six goals in six appearances.

A couple of teams from Fernandes’ time with Sporting CP are after that. Rio Ave and Feirense have each conceded five times to the player, while Everton, Brighton, Napoli and Portimonense each conceded four.

Who does Bruno Fernandes have the most goal contributions against?

You have to go back to Fernandes’s time at Sporting for the answer here. He’s managed an incredible 13 goal contributions against Portimonense, coming in only seven games.

This figure is boosted dramatically by his nine assists in the fixture. In fact, he managed seven assists in his last three appearances against the side before moving to United.

As for his spell in England, Aston Villa are once again the answer here. Not only does he have seven goals in eight games but a further two assists. Those nine contributions are the most Fernandes has managed against any side other than Portimonense.

How many goals does Bruno Fernandes have in August?

Fernandes has done very well in August throughout his career, scoring a quite fantastic 12 goals in the season’s opening month. Though, half of these did come for Sporting.

Six of the 12 were in Portuguese football, dating back to August 2017 – Fernandes managed to get three goals that month. He’d continue to perform well and has carried his August exploits over to United.

A further six goals have followed since. The first two came in unusual circumstances, however, as they were actually in the Europa League’s knockout stages. The 2019/20 competition had been postponed, so Fernandes’s goals were actually in the final month of the previous season, rather than the opening month.

But he’s since gone on to do well in August in the Premier League. A hat-trick against Leeds United in 2021 is undoubtedly the highlight, followed by a goal against Southampton last year.

In fact, one way of looking at this is that Fernandes has at least one August goal in every year since 2017. There’s almost certainly one coming.

What is Bruno Fernandes' overall Man United goal record?

Bruno Fernandes has now played 186 competitive games for United. In that time he’s managed 64 goals – with the vast majority, unsurprisingly, coming in the Premier League.

44 have come in England’s top flight, with the Europa League providing the next-most profitable competition with nine. There have been a further four Champions League goals, with five in the FA Cup and two in the EFL Cup.

The Premier League is now the highest-scoring competition of Fernandes’ career, having overtaken his Liga Portugal tally of 39 last season.

What is Bruno Fernandes' overall Man United assist record?

Fernandes isn’t just about the goals, of course – he’s managed plenty of assists in his United career, too. There have been 54 in total and, once again, the Premier League dominates the stats here.

32 of the 54 have been in the Premier League and nine in the Europa League. Eight have been in the Champions League, while the FA Cup has seen three and the EFL Cup two.

Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane's prospective exit to Bayern Munich 'is probably going to happen' and chairman Daniel Levy will let him go when an 'acceptable fee' arrives from the German champions, according to journalist Paul Brown.

Is Harry Kane leaving Tottenham Hotspur and who could replace him?

According to The Guardian, Tottenham have rebuffed Bayern Munich's latest offer for Kane, which is said to have been in the region of £86 million and the German champions are now mulling over whether to continue their pursuit of the £200k-a-week ace.

The report states that Daniel Levy has held firm in negotiations and has not budged regarding Kane despite the London-born forward being out-of-contract in north London next summer. Kane wants 'clarity' before Spurs gear up to take on Brentford this Sunday and also has the offer of a new deal on the table from his current employers.

Despite speculation over his future, Kane delivered a marvelous performance in Tottenham's 5-1 demolition of Shakhtar Donestk in a pre-season friendly last week, scoring four goals in front of an adoring home crowd, as per BBC Sport.

As per The Daily Mail, Genk's Gift Orban, Nottingham Forest's Brennan Johnson and Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel all form part of a three-man shortlist that could potentially succeed Kane in N17.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Rosario Central youngster Alejo Veliz is on his way to Tottenham as a deal has now been struck for the teenage striker.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that it is only a matter of time before Kane leaves the building to join Bayern Munich from his boyhood club.

Brown told FFC: "It still feels to me like this is a transfer that will probably get done. I think all parties know that that is probably going to happen and that there is a point where the deal gets done."

Who else could join Tottenham Hotspur?

According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo via The Sun, Porto striker Mehdi Taremi has cropped up on Tottenham's radar as a surprise candidate to replace Kane.

The Iran international's entourage have reportedly opened talks about a move to north London for Taremi and he is believed to be available for a fee of £17 million.

Micky van de Ven is set to be announced imminently as a Tottenham player; however, Tanguy Ndombele and Djed Spence have been put up for sale by Lilywhites boss Postecoglou, as per The Evening Standard.

Foot Mercato claim that despite Tottenham's interest in Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo, he would prefer to move to Ligue 1 side Monaco to replace Axel Disasi, who has landed across London at Spurs' bitter rivals Chelsea for around £38.5 million.

Chelsea have already had 'first contacts' with Juventus as they try to strike a deal for striker Dusan Vlahovic and both parties will hold a meeting this week to discuss matters further, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

Is Dusan Vlahovic coming to Chelsea?

According to The Daily Mail, Chelsea have explored the merits of signing Vlahovic this summer as they target a new striker; however, his wage packet is said to be too prohibitive amid their aim to restructure 'wage tiers' at Stamford Bridge.

The Serbia international is reportedly available for around £77 million and has also been sought after by Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain in the off-season.

Journalist Alfredo Pedulla has claimed that Vlahovic would prefer to join Paris Saint-Germain as opposed to swapping Juventus for Chelsea following 'dialogue' between both parties.

Chelsea are looking to offload forgotten man Romelu Lukaku and Juventus have emerged as leading contenders to sign the Belgium international after talks with his former club Inter Milan collapsed, as per Telegraph Sport.

Lukaku has returned to training at the Blues' Cobham base but will not partake in their pre-season tour out in the United States, though Juventus will only look to strike a deal if they have to sell Vlahovic.

Inter Milan have shifted their focus from Lukaku towards Arsenal frontman Folarin Balogun, who has also been linked with Chelsea in the last few weeks, as per FootballTransfers.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Galetti has revealed that talks between Vlahovic and his representatives over a move to Chelsea will take place soon.

Galetti stated: “Vlahovic could leave Juventus this summer after only one year and a half.

"We already revealed his possible move weeks ago and now that the transfer market session is getting to the heart, this option appears to be increasingly concrete with Chelsea the ones that are moving towards the Serbian player.

"The first contacts between the Blues and Juventus have already taken place in recent days: Bianconeri have confirmed that the price tag of Dusan is set at around €80 million.

"Probably too high at the moment, even if a new meeting is scheduled for Vlahovic during the week.”

Would Dusan Vlahovic be a good fit for Chelsea?

Vlahovic, who has been hailed as a "machine", is certainly a handful to contend with and would become a big asset at Chelsea if he was to move to Stamford Bridge this window.

Last term, the 23-year-old racked up decent numbers for Juventus across all competitions, registering 14 goals and four assists in 42 appearances, as per Transfermarkt.

Leading the line efficiently, Vlahovic was also able to bring others into play over the course of last term and successfully pulled off 63 shot-creating actions, according to FBRef.

As per WhoScored, the Serbia international carried a strong goal threat throughout the campaign and took on 2.5 shots per match in Serie A for his current employers.

Chelsea have already bolstered their forward line with the additions of Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku. Nevertheless, getting another striker through the door will be necessary for Mauricio Pochettino to achieve his aims in 2023/24.

Leeds United have seemingly identified the man who could be their first big acquisition under Daniel Farke's new leadership…

Is Glen Kamara leaving Rangers?

Despite reportedly closing in on a swoop for Scottish youngster Lewis Pirie, it is unlikely that the promising 16-year-old will have an immediate impact on the Whites' goal to earn an instant Championship promotion.

However, someone who certainly could is Glen Kamara, who has starred in recent years for Rangers, but could now be set for pastures new.

Transfer insider Dean Jones is the latest to tout his potential exit, as he told GIVEMESPORT:

"Glen Kamara has been a topic of talk for some time, but it does look like he will finally leave. Leeds and Southampton are looking at him, and for clubs like that, in the Championship, he would probably be a great signing. He has offers from abroad too though, so it’ll be interesting to see what he decides to do."

The Scottish outfit are thought to be demanding around £5m for his signature this summer, according to The Herald.

How many goals has Glen Kamara scored?

Having bounced around numerous clubs, his 193 appearances for the Gers suggest the Finland international has at last found some stability in a career that once promised much.

His former boss Steven Gerrard had still outlined a bright future for the 27-year-old during his stint at Ibrox, detailing:

“He’s a terrific footballer in possession, always playing with his head up and looking to connect defence and attack. But what pleased me most is what I spoke about when we signed him in terms of how he’ll be out of possession. Will he hunt the ball back, be aggressive, work hard for the team and be a monster in the middle of the park.

"He showed signs of that against Kilmarnock and potentially he can become a top midfielder."

With an all-action play style that blends a touch of quality with defensive steel, all the attributes are in place for this experienced stalwart to emulate the success Kalvin Phillips enjoyed during his time in Yorkshire.

Although his exit was somewhat unceremonious, fans still remember the powerful performances in the engine room under Marcelo Bielsa that finally propelled them back into the Premier League.

Averaging a 7.28 rating across that 2019/20 league campaign, he would maintain an 82% pass accuracy with 1.4 interceptions, 2.6 tackles and 1.8 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

Whilst it would be near-impossible to replicate these stellar numbers, Kamara did showcase signs during the 2021/22 Scottish Premiership season that suggests he could emulate the 27-year-old treble-winner.

After all, his 7.01 average rating gave way to six goal contributions, a 91% pass accuracy, 1.3 key passes and one tackle per game, via Sofascore.

He could prove to be a dictating presence in a key area for the Whites, seeking that metronome to conduct their return to the top flight.

Even lacking a goalscoring touch, with just nine goals and 11 assists during those games for Rangers, is not enough to downplay his influence.

Although Tyler Adams seemed set to replace that energy in midfield, having maintained 3.7 tackles per game last term in the Premier League, recent links touting his exit suggest they might need someone new to finally fulfil such a role.

In Kamara, who clearly has all the attributes necessary to thrive in the Championship and be a creative threat from deep, Farke could find just that as he looks to find someone to emulate the success of Phillips in the Elland Road engine room next season.

Chelsea's pursuit of Brighton & Hove Albion's exciting Moises Caicedo could soon end as the deal is "moving, the deal is on, and the deal is slowly advancing", claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Moises Caicedo joining Chelsea?

After breaking records with their immense spending only six months ago, Chelsea are once again in the mood to splash the cash on exciting new players to try and help new boss Mauricio Pochettino guide the club back into the top four after a disastrous season last year that saw four separate managers take the helm.

This new wave of spending has partly been funded by the firesale the club has held over recent weeks, with a whole raft of players leaving Stamford Bridge, including nine first-team quality players.

Some of them, like Kalidou Koulibaly, have left for the new riches of the Saudi Pro League; others, like Kai Havertz, have joined Premier League rivals and some, like Cesar Azpilicueta, have joined some of the continent's biggest clubs.

Up to this point, the most notable signing to come through the door this summer has been young striker Nicolas Jackson who joined from La Liga side Villarreal.

That said, the biggest name linked to the Pensioners, and the one that has seemingly got fans the most excited, is Brighton's Ecuadorian superstar Caicedo.

The 21-year-old has been the subject of one of the window's biggest transfer sagas thus far, with the South Coast club placing a £100m price tag on his head.

However, one thing the Blues have in their favour is the player's desire to join the club; in an interview on the La Cancha Con Majo YouTube channel, he said:

"It's a big team, that's true. A very historic team, and I can't say no, because it's a very big, historic, beautiful team."

Despite initial disagreements over the price and structure of the deal, negotiations between the sides are progressing well, and the "deal is on", per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"The conversations remain ongoing, and what I am understanding, to give you some more detail on this story is that Chelsea and Brighton are now discussing how much they want to agree for the fixed part of this transfer.

"Sources believe that Chelsea wanted to close this deal around £70m plus add-ons, Brighton are not going to accept 70. So something more is needed in terms of fixed amount and then to add some add-ons so they are discussing this kind of details, but the deal is moving, the deal is on, and the deal is slowly advancing."

How good is Moises Caicedo?

The short answer is good, very good. At just 21 years old, the Ecuadorian international is easily one of the most exciting and sought-after players in the Premier League, and it's easy to see why, especially when looking at his underlying numbers.

According to FBref, who compare players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the "physical monster" sits in the top 6% of midfielders for pass completion, the top 11% for interceptions, the top 13% for tackles, the top 15% for attempted passes, and the top 26% for progressive passes, all per 90.

He had a brilliant season for the Seagulls last year, helping them qualify for the Europa League for the first time in the club's history and achieving an average rating of 6.92 across his 37 league matches, per WhoScored.

Football scout Jacek Kulig predicted the astronomical rise, and price, of Caicedo last summer when he said:

"Moisés Caicedo's market value/asking price will be astronomical next summer. And he'll be worth every penny of it.

"Machine Man."

If the Blues are serious about challenging for the Premier League crown once again under Pochettino, then signing a player of Caicedo's talent would certainly be a great place to start.

Remarkable control from the Australian bowlers resulted in massive pressure being built up which led to a steady supply of wickets as India folded for 189 on the first day

The Report by Alagappan Muthu04-Mar-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:15

‘Surprised by the Bengaluru pitch’

First there was control, then panic and eventually wickets. Most of them went to Nathan Lyon, whose 8 for 50 was the best ever haul by a visiting bowler in India. He personified Australia’s ability to adapt to unfavourable conditions – which included a lost toss – and by the end of the day they had ransacked 10 wickets for 189 runs, put up a score of 40 for 0 themselves and did their chances of retaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy no harm whatsoever.Most teams coming to the subcontinent will be aware they have to invest heavily in maintaining tight lines and lengths for pressure is as good as any help they might receive off the pitch to pick up wickets. The batsman starts to feel trapped, doubts begin to fester, he searches for release and…India know this template well. Yet they lost Cheteshwar Pujara on the stroke of lunch. Virat Kohli gave his wicket away – and then a review as well – by padding up to a straight ball. Were it not for KL Rahul’s 90 on his home ground in Bengaluru, they would have been in far worse shape. And that is saying something considering they were bundled out for under 200 for the third time in as many innings.Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were in prime form with the new ball. Six of the first 12 overs on Saturday were maidens, the result of their getting just enough movement in the air and off the pitch. Lyon was precise with his line and smart with his length. He got the ball to turn and bounce sharply on some occasions and on others he made it drift and go straight on. His biggest strike, though, was simply down to a set up.Kohli was new to the crease and only a few seconds ago had a good length ball jumped past his inside edge and hit his thigh pad. Something told the Indian captain he could trust the bounce here, that if he was playing on the back foot, the ball was unlikely to threaten his stumps. That made picking length very, very important. Lyon flattened his trajectory, Kohli left the ball, suckered into believing it was short, it thudded into his pad in front of middle stump and umpire Nigel Llong put his finger up. While the error in judgment can be forgiven, the gamble with DRS was less so for it was driven not by logic but hope, and even a little bit of fear at losing the best batsman in the team giving Australia the kind of momentum they would love.Watching all this from the other end was Rahul. His innings spanned 205 balls – the next best was a mere 66 – was a battle all through. He was struck on the glove as Starc peppered him with bouncers. He was often unsure against Hazlewood’s two-way movement. He could have been caught on 30 but even Peter Handscomb, whose agility is already becoming legend, was unable to hold on to a rather difficult chance low to his left at silly mid-off.Nathan Lyon’s 8 for 50 was the best figures by a visiting bowler in India•Associated Press

Rahul had the mettle to work past his troubles, to not buckle to pressure and go looking for that boundary that makes him feel better for but an instant. He had had enough of that in Pune. Normally a free-flowing batsman – evidenced by his striking the first ball of the match to the point boundary – he understood the importance of a big score and buckled down to get it. With time at the crease, his defensive game grew tighter but most of all, he was able to absorb all the pressure Australia piled up on him.The same could not be said of his team-mates. Ajinkya Rahane hurtled down the pitch against Lyon only for the straighter ball to beat his outside edge. He was so far past the crease that Matthew Wade even had time to recover from a fumble and pull off the stumping. The 17 runs he made marked the ninth time out of 10 innings that he has fallen for a score under 30. Karun Nair, who was brought in to lengthen the batting line-up, playing for the first time since his 303 not out in December, committed the same mistake against O’Keefe and this time the ball turned sharply to leave him stumped too.Against the vagaries of the M Chinnaswamy strip – hosting a Test for the first time since large-scale renovations of the outfield – and the discipline of the Australian bowlers, it was difficult not to imagine India as those kids waiting for Mum and Dad to slack off so they can raid the sweets in the pantry. But by the end of the day, with no hope of their craving being satisfied, they could only fold their hands over their chest and go “this sucks”.By tea, Australia’s GOAT had gutted India’s middle order and sent back their big three. The first of his wickets was a major turning point. He had a set Pujara caught at short leg off what became the very last ball before lunch and a 61-run second wicket partnership was broken.Against a bowler in such rhythm, the lower order folded quickly. R Ashwin was undone by a spitting cobra. Wriddhiman Saha edged one that didn’t turn as much as he thought. Ravindra Jadeja inside edged a catch off the pad to slip – which was only confirmed when Smith made fine use of the review available to him. Even there, Australia were thumping India. And it all tied in to Lyon’s skill. A newfound skill.In the early part of his career, he couldn’t figure out how to bowl on turners. He would either be too slow and too full and get driven a lot, or too quick and too short leading to outcomes a lot worse. Here all of his wickets came off the 5 to 6m mark. For a batsman, that meant even if he came forward, he couldn’t reach the pitch of the ball. To then make connection, he has to push his hands out in front and that compromises his balance. Playing back is a risk too because Lyon’s overspin generates awkward bounce.Against that, the extra batsman was of little use. M Vijay, however, was not among of the XI having injured his left shoulder in the 333-run defeat in Pune and in his place came Tamil Nadu team-mate Abhinav Mukund. The 27-year old was representing India for the first time in over five years and his team was using their eighth opening pair in the last 12 months. He got an eight-ball duck, the partnership yielded only 11 runs, the position is clearly cursed, it time to call Scooby Doo yet?

يترقب عشاق ومتابعو الكرة المصرية مساء غد الجمعة، ظهور منتخب مصر للمرة الأولى تحت القيادة الفنية للمدرب الوطني حسام حسن، وذلك في مواجهة نيوزيلندا.

ويخوض منتخب مصر معسكرًا مغلقًا في القاهرة يتضمنه دورة دولية ودية (كأس عاصمة مصر)، بمشاركة منتخبات كرواتيا وتونس ونيوزيلندا.

المباراة يحتضنها ملعب استاد العاصمة الإدارية الجديد، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً.

بطولات يوضح ترتيب قادة منتخب مصر في المعسكر الحالي

ويلعب منتخب مصر مبارياته الودية استعدادًا لاستكمال منافسات تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026.

ومن المقرر أن يلعب منتخب مصر مباراتين في شهر يونيو المقبل أمام منتخبي بوركينا فاسو (3 يونيو) وغينيا بيساو (10 يونيو).

ويتربع منتخب مصر على عرش صدارة ترتيب المجموعة الأولى التي تضم إلى جواره منتخبات بوركينا فاسو وغينيا بيساو وسيراليون وأثيوبيا وجيبوتي.

وأسفر الاجتماع الفني لمباراة منتخب مصر ونيوزيلندا عن ارتداء منتخب مصر القميص الأحمر والشورت والجورب الأسود، بينما يرتدي منتخب نيوزيلندا الطاقم الأبيض بالكامل.

ومن المقرر أن يواجه منتخب مصر بقيادة حسام حسن حال فوزه، الفائز من مواجهة تونس وكرواتيا المقرر لها مساء السبت، ويستضيفها استاد القاهرة. قائمة منتخب مصر

في حراسة المرمى: محمد عواد، محمد أبو جبل، المهدي سليمان، مصطفى شوبير.

خط الدفاع: محمد هاني، أكرم توفيق، محمد حمدي، محمد شكري، أحمد حجازي، رامي ربيعة، محمد عبد المنعم، أحمد رمضان بيكهام.

خط الوسط: مروان عطية، حمدي فتحي، إمام عاشور، محمد مجدي أفشة، أحمد نبيل كوكا.

في الهجوم: محمود تريزيجيه، مصطفي فتحي، عمر مرموش، مصطفي محمد، أحمد عاطف، محمد شريف، محمد الشامي.

وتشهد قائمة منتخب مصر غياب اللاعب الدولي محمد صلاح المحترف ضمن صفوف ليفربول الأنجليزي، بعد اعتذاره عن التواجد.