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MS Dhoni, Lasith Malinga, Chris Gayle, along with others like de Villiers and Malik, are close to the end of their careers

Gaurav Sundararaman21-Jul-2020MS Dhoni
It’s impossible to speculate when it comes to MS Dhoni, but with the IPL and the World Cup originally scheduled for April and October this year, you’d think Dhoni had a perfect sign-off planned. However, we are talking about another year now, and Dhoni hasn’t played any cricket for India since July 2019. He will be 40 by then too, and will need two solid IPLs to stand a chance, which makes it highly unlikely. But it’s Dhoni we are talking about – can’t rule him out, can we?Lasith Malinga
The leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 107 strikes, Lasith Malinga had earlier announced that he would be retiring after the 2020 World Cup. Does the change mean he will hang around? He will be past 38 then. That said, the last year or so has been great for Malinga, who helped Mumbai Indians win the IPL again and followed it up with four wickets in four balls against New Zealand in September 2019. Fitness will be a concern, but form might not be, and it might come down to whether he is up for one more tilt or not.Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo have been two of the most iconic T20 players in the world•Getty ImagesChris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo
Chris Gayle is perhaps the most recognisable face on the T20 circuit, and even at 40 – close to 41, actually – he is a force to be reckoned with in the format. Gayle has hinted at extending his career but would be very lucky to make it at the end of the postponement. Also, Gayle has lot of competition for his spot in the side, so making the cut might require a combination of form and fortune, not to mention fitness.Gayle’s old colleague Dwayne Bravo came out of retirement earlier this year with an eye on the World Cup. Since his return, he has taken seven wickets at an economy rate of 7.15. With potentially an IPL and a CPL before the World Cup, Bravo was all gung-ho. It will be interesting to see how he deals with the tweaked situation. From his point of view, the best thing would be to play as much franchise cricket as possible, and hope the West Indies team management still has room for him, and his unique skills.Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik
The Pakistan duo of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik were expected to script their swansongs in Australia. Hafeez, who will be 40 in October this year, had said that he would delay his retirement if the tournament is rescheduled, and might go ahead and do just that now, though whether he will fit into the team’s plans a year on remains to be seen. Ditto for Malik, who will turn 39 in February.Pakistan may have found many competent youngsters the last few months to not miss the two veterans, and the fact that both of them have similar skills means fitting both of them in the squad could be a bit of a stretch. But big performances between now and then, and who knows…Both Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers want to play the T20 World Cup•AFP via Getty ImagesFaf du Plessis and AB de Villiers
Faf du Plessis had announced his desire to captain his side till the end of the T20 World Cup. But that was a long time ago, and Quinton de Kock has replaced him at the helm since then. Du Plessis will be 37 by the time the next World Cup starts, and it’s not unthinkable that South Africa would have looked at younger players to take the team forward by then.As for AB de Villiers, well, the question marks around him linger. The much-speculated comeback has been put on ice, but he is certain to be active in the franchise circuit, whatever the number of tournaments that get on the road eventually. Therefore, there’s not much difference between now, when he is 36 and a half, and next year. The bigger issue, of course, is whether he wants it or not.

Jonathan David has told his agent to get his transfer to Juventus over the line after reaching a personal agreement with the Serie A side.

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• David agrees personal terms with Juventus
• Signing bonus and Commissions left to be sorted
• David a free agent after running contract down with Lille

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Canadian striker David agreed on a salary of €6 million (£5m/$7m) plus bonuses and must now sort out his agent's commission, according to

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  Juventus received a €7 million (£6m/$8m) boost thanks to their Club World Cup participation. This money should aid their pursuit of David. who is a free agent after running his contract down with Lille.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  David is coming off the back of an impressive season with Lille in which he scored 25 goals in all competitions. Juve are eager to sign him as they are expected to sell Dusan Vlahovic this summer due to his refusal to sign a new contract.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR DAVID AND JUVENTUS ?

  Juventus president Damien Comolli would be hoping to get the deal over the line as quickly as possible to reinforce their attacking department. For David, it would be a step up for his career moving from Lille to a giant club like Juventus, and he hopes he will be able to recreate his form.

Controversy flares between the two sides yet again as Sri Lanka celebrate series win with players pointing to their watches

Mohammad Isam09-Mar-2024Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has asked Sri Lanka to move on from the timed-out incident at the 2023 World Cup. Shanto’s comments came after Sri Lanka’s win in the third T20I in Sylhet, where the visitors had sealed the series 2-1 and, while celebrating with the trophy, made a collective gesture – players pointing to their watches – that originates from that incident. Later, Sri Lanka’s assistant coach Naveed Nawaz played things down, saying players from both sides are “very friendly outside the boundary line”.Angelo Mathews, who became the first player ever timed out in international cricket during the World Cup after an appeal from Shakib Al Hasan, was the first to use the pointing-at-watch gesture in question. Mathews did it later in that same World Cup game, when he dismissed Shakib. After the game, Mathews had roundly criticised Shakib for his decision to appeal.Shoriful Islam brought back the gesture in the first T20I of this series, on March 3, after he took Sri Lanka’s first wicket.Related

Why Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh is like large men fake-wrestling each other in too-tight underpants

Silverwood welcomes 'great rivalry' with Bangladesh: 'We need good competition'

SL name Kamindu Mendis and Lahiru Kumara in squad for Bangladesh ODIs

Kusal Mendis on Thushara's hat-trick: 'Reminded me of how Malinga bowled'

Mathews the first to be dismissed timed out in international cricket

Today, the Sri Lanka fielders took aim at Towhid Hridoy after his dismissal; he was bowled by a peach from Nuwan Thushara to leave Bangladesh 15 for 3 and, as he walked off, someone in the Sri Lanka huddle said something to him leading to an angry exchange. Hridoy had to be dragged away by umpire Tanvir Islam, the type of scene not wholly uncommon at a Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka game in recent times as a feisty rivalry has developed.Asked if he would like to tone down the rivalry from his end, Shanto said: “It is not about aggressive handling or anything like that. They showed the timed-out gesture, right? They haven’t moved on from the timed-out incident.”I think they should get out of it. They should stay in the present. We were within the rules [with the timed out dismissal]. They are in a frenzy about it. I am not too worried about it.”Shoriful Islam had revived the time-out celebration second ball of this series, while celebrating Avishka Fernando’s wicket•AFP/Getty ImagesKusal Mendis, who made a career-high 86 in the match, also had to field questions on the topic. Speaking about his side’s celebrations, Kusal said: “Someone was doing the timed-out celebrations. I don’t know why. We can celebrate our own things. I think we celebrated because we are happy.”When there were more questions on the same lines, Nawaz took over. “I think we have moved on from that [timed-out incident]. I think it was a celebration which was misunderstood at that time. It was during the heat of the game. Both teams should forget about it.”Nawaz said that the two teams get along fine off the field. “I think both teams play really hard. The atmosphere is really nice. They all give their 100%. Sometimes emotions come into the middle. The players are all very friendly outside the boundary line. They fight really hard once they are inside the ground.”I think that’s what the game is all about. As long as you maintain discipline in the middle and play really hard, and then cross the boundary line and be good to each other, that’s what both teams are expected to do.”Asked whether Sri Lanka felt vindicated winning the series following the controversial overturning of Soumya Sarkar’s dismissal in the previous game which Bangladesh won, Mendis said that wasn’t the case. “I think the umpire made a mistake. Everyone can make a mistake. Our team isn’t thinking about it too much. It is part of the game.”

Matt Henry has been confirmed as his replacement for Welsh Fire

Matt Roller and Danyal Rasool04-Jun-2024

Shaheen Shah Afridi is in talks to join Canada’s Global T20 league, after pulling out of the Hundred citing a desire to spend time with his family. The two leagues are set to clash directly in 2024 and Afridi’s withdrawal is a significant blow to the Hundred’s standing.Afridi played in the Hundred for the first time last year, taking six wickets in six appearances for Welsh Fire. He was retained by mutual agreement on a contract worth £100,000 – the second-highest salary band in the league – for the 2024 season, but has now pulled out of his deal. The ECB confirmed his withdrawal on Monday.”I’m sad to miss out on playing for Welsh Fire this year,” Afridi was quoted as saying in a press release. “I enjoyed the Hundred a lot last season, and I was excited about being back in Cardiff. I wish Mike [Hussey, Welsh Fire’s coach] and the team the best of luck for 2024.”Related

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ECB finalises process for Hundred private investment

MLC 2024 to begin on July 5, set for six-day clash with the Hundred

Pakistan men's players to get landmark central contracts

ESPNcricinfo understands that Afridi’s official explanation to the ECB was that he is reluctant to commit to spending four weeks away from his family. The Hundred starts on July 23 and ends on August 18, with players expected to report a few days before their opening match.Pakistan players are only permitted two No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to play in foreign leagues per season, as per the terms of their central contracts with the PCB. Afridi is already locked into a long-term deal with the Avram Glazer-owned Desert Vipers in UAE’s ILT20.Rather than using his second NOC on the Hundred, Afridi will instead consider playing in the Global T20, a privately-run league in Canada, which is set to return for a fourth season in 2024. The league’s organisers are yet to announce a schedule but it is expected to run from July 25 until August 11 – a slightly shorter window than the Hundred.The first two editions of the Global T20 were in 2018 and 2019 but it was postponed indefinitely during the Covid pandemic. It returned unexpectedly in 2023, attracting a strong cast of overseas players including Andre Russell, Mohammad Rizwan and Shakib Al Hasan, running at a similar time to the inaugural Major League Cricket (MLC).The Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) has received reports of late or non-payment issues with the Global T20 in the past 24 months. As a result, FICA recommends on its leagues hub that “any participating players request advanced payment”.Matt Henry, the New Zealand seamer, has been confirmed as Afridi’s replacement at Welsh Fire in the Hundred. He could miss the start of the tournament if San Francisco Unicorns, his MLC franchise, reach the play-offs, with around half of the men’s overseas players signed up for the Hundred in a similar situation.The ECB’s desire to compete with salaries on offer in other leagues is among the reasons underpinning their decision to open the Hundred up to private investment. Four other Pakistan players are under contract in the men’s Hundred for 2024: Naseem Shah (Birmingham Phoenix), Haris Rauf (Welsh Fire), Imad Wasim (Trent Rockets) and Usama Mir (Manchester Originals).

India’s 3-0 series win over Sri Lanka was their first ever clean sweep away from home in a series of three or more Tests

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2017

Sri Lanka’s worst series results in Test history*

• 0-3 v Australia in Australia, 1995-96

• 0-3 v India in Sri Lanka, 2017

• 0-3 v India in India, 1993-94

• 0-3 v South Africa in South Africa, 2016-17

• 0-3 v Australia in Australia, 2012-13

A rare drubbing in an away seriesAs much as this was written was on the wall at the start of the series, the achievement is put in perspective in the fact that this is India’s first ever clean sweep away from home, in a series of three or more Tests. While Sri Lanka did not help their cause for the best part of the 11 days, they were repeatedly put on the back foot by a spate of injuries through the series. They lost allrounder Asela Gunaratne, their best seamer in Nuwan Pradeep, and finally their most experienced Rangana Herath. The final scoreline would have been no different in all likelihood, but a full-strength Sri Lanka side could have prevented this from becoming India’s most dominant performance in a series away from home.Three Tests, three innings winsFor the first time in 65 years and only the second time in Test history, a three-Test series ended with the same side winning by an innings every time. India dished out spiteful turners which their spinners made the most of, while the Sri Lanka attack, led by a young Muttiah Muralitharan, couldn’t cope as well against India’s top order. It was the series in which Kapil Dev broke the world record for Test wickets, going past Richard Hadlee.The ‘Brownwash’India had won just one of their previous 25 Tests when England visited in 1993. As they landed on Indian shores, offered an early prediction, saying that “current form suggests they are in for a good hiding”. What followed was anything but, as England became the first visiting side to lose every single Test in a series in India. Vinod Kambli smashed a double hundred in Mumbai, and Graeme Hick’s resistant 178 ended in vain. Three big wins, which popularised the usage of ‘brownwash’ in cricketing parlance.Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar hand over the Border-Gavaskar trophy to MS Dhoni•BCCISpinners hand New Zealand a thrashingIndia’s spinners picked up 41 of the 60 possible wickets to help their side kick-start a home season in which they won 10 of the 13 Tests over a six-month period by handing a 3-0 thrashing to New Zealand. Kane Williamson, the visiting captain and their best batsman, struggled through a series, battling form and fitness issues. He ended up with a single fifty from four innings, and fell to R Ashwin every single time. His numbers were reflective of how New Zealand’s batting line-up fared, as they slipped from one defeat to another against India’s rampant bowling attack.‘Homework-gate’ and other horror talesUntil 2013, India had never swept a four-match series, and it was made all the more special by the fact that it was Australia they beat. The Border – Gavaskar Trophy has been among the most closely fought ones in recent years, and this was a rare one-sided series in which Australia seemed to have lost the plot off the field. Mickey Arthur’s ‘homework-gate’ after the second Test dominated headlines, after which the previously suspended Shane Watson returned to lead Australia in the final Test. It was a rare spell of sustained domination for India, as they humbled a higher-ranked Australian side in familiar conditions.

MatériaMais Notícias

da imperador bet： Chegou a hora do primeiro teste da Seleção Brasileira após a Copa do Mundo de 2022. Neste sábado, o Brasil encara o Marrocos em amistoso internacional na cidade de Tânger, no país africano. O duelo será disputado às 19h (de Brasília; 22h no horário local), no Estádio Ibn Batouta.

Ainda sem um técnico definido depois da saída de Tite, a equipe brasileira será comandada interinamente por Ramon Menezes, que é o treinador da Seleção Brasileira sub-20. A expectativa é que o presidente da CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues, anuncie um novo nome até o meio do ano.

+ Veja a tabela e os jogos da Champions League

RelacionadasSeleção BrasileiraSeleção Brasileira: Casemiro comenta especulações com Ancelotti e elogia Ramon MenezesSeleção Brasileira24/03/2023Seleção BrasileiraNovo ciclo escancara disputa mais acirrada por posição na Seleção Brasileira: as lateraisSeleção Brasileira24/03/2023Lance! BizMarrocos x Brasil: CBF vende novo pacote e define transmissão na TV fechadaLance! Biz23/03/2023

da jogodeouro：
MARROCOS
Semifinalista no Mundial do Qatar, o Marrocos fez história e atingiu o posto de melhor classificação de uma seleção africana em Copas do Mundo ao ficar com o quarto lugar. A equipe deWalid Regragui, que foi muito festejada após o torneio, jogará com o apoio de seu torcedor, que deve lotar o estádio com capacidade para mais de 60 mil pessoas.

+ Confira as movimentações do mercado da bola no Vaivém do L!

BRASIL
Em início de ciclo visando a Copa do Mundo do Canadá, Estados Unidos e México, o Brasil terá novidades na equipe. Serão poucos os nomes que foram titulares no Qatar que começarão jogando neste sábado com Ramon Menezes.

+Amistoso dará chances: saiba há quanto tempo um jogador do seu clube não é titular na Seleção Brasileira

FICHA TÉCNICA

Marrocos x Brasil
Amistoso internacional
​
Data e horário: 25/03/2023, às 19h (de Brasília; 22h no horário local)
Local: Estádio Ibn Batouta, em Tânger (MAR)
Onde assistir: TV Bandeirantes, ESPN, Star+ e Canal GB (Youtube). O LANCE! acompanha o duelo em tempo real

PROVÁVEIS TIMES

MARROCOS (Técnico: Walid Regragui)
​
Bounou; Hakimi, Aguerd, Saïss, El Yamiq e Mazraoui; Ziyech, Ounahi, Amrabat e Boufal; En-Nesyri.

BRASIL (Técnico: Ramon Menezes)
​
Ederson; Emerson Royal, Éder Militão, Ibañez e Alex Telles; Casemiro, Andrey Santos e Lucas Paquetá; Rodrygo, Vitor Roque (Antony ou Rony) e Vini Jr.

Wrexham are keen on a deal for striker Danny Ings, who will leave West Ham as a free agent, but could miss out on another Premier League target.

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Wrexham targeting free agent IngsWelsh side bolstering squad for Championship returnDavies has signed Tottenham extensionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Wrexham are on the hunt for Premier League experience as they prepare to return to the Championship and are keen on picking up Danny Ings, who will soon leave West Ham upon the expiry of his contract. Sky Sports' Anthony Joseph claims the Red Dragons have held talks with the three-time England international, who scored five goals in 69 appearances for the Hammers.

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Wrexham have also been credited with an interest in Tottenham and Wales defender Ben Davies. The 32-year-old's deal in north London was due to run out this month but Spurs announced on Sunday they had triggered an option to keep Davies at the club until next year.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-owned club are back in England's second tier for the first time since 1982 and have been linked with all sorts of major names during the early part of the summer. The likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Jamie Vardy have been touted to make the move to the Racecourse Ground, though the realism of those stories was recently questioned by Les Reed, the club's strategy advisor.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham will undoubtedly be keen to get some new recruits signed by the time they embark on their latest adventure. The likes of Ben Foster, James McClean and Steven Fletcher have all turned out for the Welsh side in recent years.

The result ensures Bangladesh have at least one hand on the trophy as they head into the final game 1-0 ahead

Sreshth Shah29-Dec-2023

No result Mount Maunganui had a solid Friday turnout to start off the year-end weekend, but rain had the final say in the second T20I between New Zealand and Bangladesh after only 11 overs of action.It was an even contest with New Zealand at 72 for 2 in 11 overs, with Bangladesh crawling back after Tim Seifert’s early assault.Seifert scored 43 in 23 balls with six fours and one six, but everything wasn’t spectacular. Craig McMillan on the broadcast said, “he swung like a rusty gate”, suitably describing the opener’s stay with a few lucky boundaries off slogs adding to New Zealand’s early momentum.It was however an important innings because Finn Allen was out driving Shoriful Islam to cover in the second over of the game, and Daryl Mitchell in at No. 3 was slow to start after Bangladesh opted to bowl. In between, on 8, Seifert was also hit on the side of his helmet at the non-striker’s side after Mitchell crunched a drive back. He continued after the physio’s go-ahead.Mitchell struggled in his 24-ball stay of 18, looking to overhit Bangladesh’s pacers or legspinner Rishad Hossain. Rishad’s three overs at 3.33 apiece kept Mitchell and No. 4 Glenn Phillips (9* in 14) in check.On a slippery outfield, Bangladesh’s impressive fielding added to the squeeze. Soumya Sarkar down the ground was busy manning long-on, and it was Najmul Hossain Shanto’s tricky catch running behind from cover that removed a rampaging Seifert in the eighth over.A light drizzle soon gained momentum forcing the players off the field. Had there been a short DLS-adjusted chase, Bangladesh would’ve needed 46 in five overs but those were slim hopes. The rain never relented rather only increased in intensity and the umpires abandoned the fixture at 9.55pm local time.Friday’s washout confirms Bangladesh will have at least one hand on this T20I trophy come Sunday. New Zealand can only level the series in the third T20I on December 31 with the hosts trailing 0-1.

His opposite number Tom Latham admitted it “hurt” to get so close but fall short, but even he could not help gushing over how “fantastic” a game it was

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Oct-20231:17

Tom Moody: ‘Travis Head highlighted how much his game has evolved’

Australia put up 389 on the board, in Dharamsala, and New Zealand came within one six of chasing that down. It was 19 runs needed off the last over with an in-the-mood James Neesham going strong. Pat Cummins turned to Mitchell Starc, who went wicketless for the first time in 24 ODI World Cup matches and must have been feeling the nerves. Not to mention every other person watching this all unfold. At the height of the chaos, Australia captain Cummins felt like one of these riveted spectators.”That was awesome,” a grinning Cummins said after the game. “Sometimes, I had to remember I’m in the middle of a cricket field; it was a fantastic game. They just kept coming at us. It was fantastic.”Tom Latham, New Zealand’s captain, echoed Cummins’ sentiments. “It was a fantastic game of cricket, ebbs and flows throughout the 100 overs, and then, I guess to come so close… obviously hurts but it was a fantastic game.”Related

• James Neesham: '2019 was the first thing I thought of when coming off'

• Head marks return from broken hand with scintillating century

• Stats – The highest aggregate in a World Cup match

• Travis Head produces the winning hand in 388 vs 383 nail-biter

Starc missed his line and gave away five wides second ball of the final over, leaving New Zealand needing 13 off five. Neesham got the ball into the outfield three consecutive times but agile fielding – from Marnus Labuschagne in particular, putting in the yards repeatedly at deep midwicket – ensured none of these were boundaries. Cummins appreciated that.”Marnus, out there, throwing himself around, it’s not the easiest ground here [to field on],” he said. “But the way the guys threw themselves around, hung on to the catches, made a big difference.”Australia were ahead for most of the game, thanks to a 175-run opening stand between Travis Head and David Warner. Head was returning to the side after a broken hand left him on the sidelines for Australia’s first five games of the tournament, and he hit his straps right away with a punishing 67-ball 109.Pat Cummins relied on Mitchell Starc to bowl the last over•AFP/Getty Images

“Love that”, Cummins said of the partnership. “Especially Trav, who’s been away for five weeks, to just get back in the game; just their intent – that’s the way we want to play, we want to take the game on and that led from the front.””Not really,” Cummins said when asked if Head had shown any signs of his being in this sort of form ahead of the game. “He was close to playing against Netherlands and had a hit [in the nets] the day before, just didn’t quite feel right. [Then he] managed to have a couple more [nets] before this one. He surprised all of us.”

Bayern Munich look set to miss out on signing Xavi Simons after the RB Leipzig star reiterated his desire to join Chelsea this summer.

Bayern make fresh enquiry for SimonsSimons only wants Chelsea moveBayern also in talks for NkunkuFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Bundesliga giants have been strongly linked with a move for Simons, 22, after the Netherlands international told Leipzig he wished to leave the club following their failure to qualify for any form of European football. And according to Sky reporter Florian Plettenberg, Bayern have since made a fresh enquiry to Simons' camp as they look to gauge his interest in moving to Munich.

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However according to Plettenberg, Bayern have been told Simons only has eyes for Chelsea and is waiting for the Premier League side to agree a deal with Leipzig. The Blues are currently trying to offload players in order to raise enough money to match Leipzig's reported £60 million ($81m) valuation.

DID YOU KNOW?

In what could turn out to be a transfer merry-go-round between the three clubs, the report also claims Bayern are in talks with Chelsea to sign forward Christopher Nkunku. And should a deal be agreed between the two clubs, Enzo Maresca's Chelsea may then have the means to bring Simons to Stamford Bridge.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN, LEIPZIG AND CHELSEA?

Bayern have the chance to earn their first piece of silverware of the new season when they take on Stuttgart in the German Super Cup on Saturday. Meanwhile, Leipzig are set to face SV Sandhausen in the German Cup on the same day, whereas Chelsea will lock horns with Crystal Palace in their opening Premier League fixture on Sunday.