Seamers Jhulan Goswami and Sukanya Parida have been ruled out of the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers to be played in Colombo from February 7 to 21

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2017Seamers Jhulan Goswami and Sukanya Parida have been ruled out of the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers to be played in Colombo from February 7 to 21. Soni Yadav and Mansi Joshi will replace the injured pair in India’s squad.The loss of Goswami (10 Tests, 151 ODIs and 60 T20Is) in particular will leave India needing to make up a vast experience gap in the bowling department. Both Joshi and Yadav are yet to make their ODI debuts. Joshi has played one T20I, returning figures of 1 for 8 against Bangladesh during the Women’s Asia Cup T20 in November, while Yadav is uncapped in all formats.India have already had to make one change to their squad, with the allrounder Mona Meshram replacing the injured Smriti Mandhana.Updated India squad: Mithali Raj (capt), Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Thirush Kamini, Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Mona Meshram, Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yadav, Deepti Sharma, Devika Vaidya, Sushma Verma (wk), Soni Yadav, Mansi Joshi.

Anna Peterson took the first international hat-trick by a New Zealand women’s bowler in more than 20 years to help her side level the series against Australia 1-1 in Geelong

The Report by Brydon Coverdale in Geelong19-Feb-2017
ScorecardMolly Strano claimed 5 for 10, the best figures by an Australian in a women’s T20 international•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Anna Peterson took the first international hat-trick by a New Zealand women’s bowler in more than 20 years to help her side level the series against Australia 1-1 in Geelong. The Australians seemed well-placed at the change of innings, having been set 102 for victory, but the match turned as the New Zealanders claimed early wickets and then managed to defend a Duckworth-Lewis target of 70 after heavy mid-innings rain.Still, Australia were in the hunt in the late stages and needed 11 runs off the final over, which was the first of the match for the offspinner Peterson. She began by having Jess Jonassen caught skying an attempted slog, followed up with Alyssa Healy, who was also caught trying to clear the field, and completed the hat-trick when Megan Schutt slogged a catch to midwicket. It left Peterson with the remarkable figures of 0.3-0-0-3.It was the sixth hat-trick taken in women’s T20 internationals and the first by a New Zealander; last time a New Zealander claimed an international hat-trick was February 1996, when Emily Drumm achieved the feat in an ODI against Australia in Adelaide. Peterson’s strikes left Australia needing 11 off three balls, which was far too tall a task for tail-enders Amanda-Jade Wellington and Molly Strano.Strano herself had been especially impressive with the ball earlier in the day, collecting three wickets in the final over of New Zealand’s innings – not to mention having a catch dropped off the last ball of that over – to finish with 5 for 10, the best figures by an Australian in a women’s T20 international. New Zealand’s innings had started reasonably, with a 38-run opening stand between Suzie Bates and Rachel Priest.But Strano broke that partnership by having Priest stumped for 20, and regular wickets after that affected New Zealand’s momentum – particularly the loss of Bates for 30, sharply caught and bowled by Wellington. However, Australia’s chase stuttered from the outset, with the loss of Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner and Meg Lanning within the first six overs, before the rain arrived.At the time, Australia needed 67 off 72 with seven wickets in hand; the revised target left them requiring 35 off 30 balls when play resumed. But they struggled to gain any real traction, especially when Alex Blackwell was caught behind swiping at Holly Huddleston for 14, and Elyse Villani was caught off Amy Satterthwaite for 14 in the next over. Peterson did the rest.

With the summer transfer window now well underway, Tottenham Hotspur will be aiming to hand new boss Ange Postecoglou the tools to spark something of a revival at N17, amid the need for quality additions over the coming months.

According to recent reports in France, one man who is believed to be on the north Londoners' 'shortlist' is Lyon midfielder, Maxence Caqueret, with German giants Borussia Dortmund also keeping tabs on the promising Frenchman.

The 23-year-old – who is said to be valued at around £26m, according to CIES Football Observatory – has racked up 130 appearances for his current side since rising up through the youth ranks, notably contributing four goals and seven assists in 40 games across all fronts last season from his deep-lying berth.

Undoubtedly a player of "pure quality and intelligence" – according to talent scout Jacek Kulig – it is no surprise just why the 5 foot 9 gem has warranted such interest of late, with Postecoglou seemingly looking to shake up his midfield ranks this summer, amid reports that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could be on his way.

For all Caqueret's quality, however, Spurs may well be cautious with regard to splashing out on another exciting midfield star from Lyon, having previously been burned by the signing of Tanguy Ndombele from the French outfit.

Has Tanguy Ndombele been a good signing for Spurs?

While there have been reports that Postecoglou could be open to giving Ndombele another chance to impress this summer, the mercurial Frenchman has perhaps had enough opportunities over the past few years, having been signed on a club-record £63m deal back in 2019.

The 5 foot 11 enigma – who has spent time on loan back at Lyon and at Napoli over the last 18 months or so – has scored just ten goals and contributed only nine assists in 91 games in all competitions over the last four years for Spurs, having failed to truly make his mark in the centre of the park.

Branded a "disgrace" by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher due to his lack of work ethic, the one-time Amiens man also came under fire from former boss Jose Mourinho due to his Tottenham woes, with the Portuguese stating in 2021 that "Tanguy is the kind of guy that you always expect more from."

With it clear to see that the £200k-per-week asset has not lived up to his rather hefty, initial price tag, it would be fair to suggest that the signing of Ndombele has proven a notable error for Daniel Levy and co, hence the possible concern over snapping up another Lyon midfield man in the form of Caqueret.

The academy graduate, who scored a crucial second goal, could be the next game-changing talent for Xavi's side

Fermin Lopez was crucial in Barcelona's first, and scored a wonderful second, as the Blaugrana saw off Shakhtar Donetsk to maintain their perfect record in the Champions League. Xavi's side took a 2-0 lead, but conceded in the second half to make for a nervy finish to a 2-1 victory.

Ferran Torres opened the scoring after 30 minutes, lashing a rebound home from short range after Lopez's effort cannoned off the post. Lopez made it two shortly after, collecting Joao Cancelo's pass in stride before pinging a shot in off the post from 20 yards out.

The Blaugrana had the ball in the back of the net for a third time, but Torres mistimed his run and was ruled offside. And they were made to pay. The visitors pulled one back on the hour mark, Heorhiy Sudakov running behind a Barca high line and blasting past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Lopez nearly had a second shortly after, but rattled the woodwork with a curled effort. Still, Barca saw out the contest to make it three wins from three in Group H.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the Olympic Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Marc-Andre ter Stegen (6/10):

  Will be annoyed to concede, and was probably too easily beaten at his near post.

  Joao Cancelo (6/10):

  A creative threat from deep areas, dangerous in his dribbling. But his final ball was lacking.

  Ronald Araujo (6/10):

  Failed to execute the offside trap on the Shaktar goal. Blasted a free-kick over the bar. Not his best showing.

  Inigo Martinez (7/10):

  Solid in central defence. Shaktar never really threatened down his side.

  Marcos Alonso (7/10):

  Got forward well, and put in some solid defensive work. An agreeable showing from a backup.

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  Midfield

  Oriol Romeu (6/10):

  Held things down well in the first half, but looked less secure when the game was stretched after the break.

  Fermin Lopez (8/10):

  A second straight start for the youngster. Played a crucial role in the opening goal after seeing his shot deflect into Torres' path off the post. Scored his first Champions League goal shortly after. Looks a real talent.

  Ilkay Gundogan (7/10):

  His dink into Lopez set up the Barca opener. Was otherwise steady in the middle of the park.

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  Attack

  Lamine Yamal (7/10):

  Dangerous on the right wing with his usual array of cuts and turns. Some more clinical finishing from his team-mates and Yamal might have come away with an assist or two.

  Ferran Torres (7/10):

  Took his goal well. Found the net a second time, but was ruled out – correctly – for offside. He's been solid, but the drop-off from Robert Lewandowski is immense.

  Joao Felix (7/10):

  A fine creative influence once again, even if he wasn't playing with a natural centre-forward. Limped off with an injury with 15 minutes remaining. Barca will hope it's not too serious.

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  Subs & Manager

  Alejandro Balde (7/10):

  Offered an injection of pace and creativity down the left after he came on.

  Marc Guiu (6/10):

  A lively cameo. Full of running off the ball and got into some good attacking areas.

  Andreas Christensen (N/A):

  No time to make an impact.

  Marc Casado (N/A):

  Only introduced late on.

  Xavi (7/10):

  Went with his strongest line-up, given the injury situation. He'll be glad that Barca were able to get ahead early, but things got stressful after Shaktar pulled one back. With the Clasico on Saturday, he needed a calm one.

The shortlist for the 2023 Puskas Award has been revealed with some big names and some impressive goals all in contention.

Julio Enciso, Sam Kerr and Linda Caicedo have been included in the 11 nominees for the 2023 Puskas Award which is handed to the player who scored the most beautiful goal of the year. The honour comes as part of FIFA's The Best award series.

Real Madrid's Caicedo scored an excellent goal in Colombia's win over Germany in the Women's World Cup this year, while Enciso netted a stunning effort against Manchester City in the Premier League last season.

So who are all of 2023's Puskas Award nominees? GOAL has listed all the goals below.

Alvaro Barreal vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Alvaro Barreal's world-class finish for FC Cincinnati against Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the US Open Cup quarter-final deservingly gets nominated for the Puskas. The Argentine scored from well outside the box with a brilliant left-footed volley.

AdvertisementLinda Caicedo vs Germany

Linda Caicedo's solo effort against Germany in the group stages of the Women's World Cup this year has also made it to the list.

The Colombia forward won the Goal of the Tournament as she cheekily dribbled past two German defenders inside the box before finding the back of the net.

Julio Enciso vs Manchester City

The Paraguayan received a pass nearly 25 yards away from goal, took a touch, and then unleashed a powerful right-footer which went straight inside the goal through the right top corner. Ederson attempted a dive toward his left but had no chance of stopping the ball from going in.

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Seong-jin Kang vs Jordan U-20

This solo effort from the South Korean youngster has found its way among the nominees for the Puskas Award this year.

Seong-jin Kang started a run from inside his own half and went past three defenders with a couple of step-overs before launching a precise shot that found the back of the net.

South Africa’s AB de Villiers has displaced Australia’s David Warner at the top of the ICC rankings for ODI batsmen

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2017

South Africa’s AB de Villiers has displaced Australia’s David Warner at the top of the ICC rankings for ODI batsmen. This the tenth time de Villiers has climbed to the top since 2010 – when he first went to No. 1 – and this latest stint comes after he top scored in the recently concluded series in New Zealand.De Villiers had scored 262 runs in the five-match series at 87.33, including two fifties. As per an ICC release, he has never been ranked outside the top-five ODI batsmen since September 2009.India’s Virat Kohli remains at No. 3 behind de Villiers and Warner, while England’s Joe Root has jumped four places to No. 4. following scores of 4, 90 not out and 101 in the Caribbean.De Villiers’ team-mate, fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, broke into the top five of the ODI bowling rankings for the first time, slotting in behind Imran Tahir, Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc and Trent Boult. Following his haul of 10 at 11.50 with an economy rate of 3.57 in the five-match series in Zimbabwe, Afghanistan offspinner Mohammad Nabi has climbed three spots to reach a career-best No. 7. England pacer Chris Woakes has jumped nine placed to No. 9 – the first time he is in the top 10 – courtesy his successes against West Indies.

Glasgow Rangers have already made four new signings, with Jack Butland, Sam Lammers, Dujon Sterling, and Kieran Dowell all arriving at the Ibrox side.

Michael Beale will know that getting a head start on their Old Firm rivals, who are still currently searching for someone to replace Ange Postecoglou, could be the difference between winning their first Premiership crown since 2020/21 or finishing in second for the third year on the spin.

But in order to make more signings in the transfer window, Beale will surely have to move a few players on to generate funds. Scott Wright and Jon McLaughlin already look as though their futures lie away from Ibrox, while striker Antonio Colak could also make way.

The Croatian only moved to the Light Blues last summer and enjoyed a decent enough debut season, scoring 18 goals, yet his appearances were limited under the 42-year-old, starting just five matches during the second half of the season, and according to The Scottish Sun, the club are open to bids for the striker.

If he did depart, Beale could replace him with Kenyan striker Michael Olunga, who has been scoring for fun recently.

Could Michael Olunga join Rangers?

With Dutch attacker Lammers only recently joining, the Gers should still sign another striker or two this summer as they target silverware – and Olunga could be an excellent signing having been linked with a move to Ibrox.

The 29-year-old is a machine in front of goal, scoring a total of 159 club goals while also adding in 21 across 48 appearances for Kenya, even scoring twice at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019, indicating that he can perform at the highest level.

Beale wouldn’t need to spend any money on the player as he is soon to be available for free, while he is reportedly only wanting a weekly salary of around £7.5k per week, and he could therefore become an ideal option for the club without having to splash the cash.

His stay in Qatar for Al-Duhail has been the most productive of his career, scoring a remarkable 83 goals in 83 appearances, while he particularly impressed in the AFC Champions League in 2022, netting six goals from eight matches and finishing as the third-best performer in the squad as per Sofascore. He also ranked second for goals and shots on target per game, further highlighting his clinical nature in front of goal.

Following his two-goal salvo against Tanzania in 2019, he was dubbed a “match-winner” by Squawka, while former boss Sabri Lamouchi said he was “special”, and if Beale wants some more goals in his side, signing Olunga would be a cheap yet reliable option.

Australia are gearing up for Tests against a team that has not lost at home in over four years – India; England are undergoing generational change as Joe Root takes over from Alastair Cook; South Africa’s preparations for the Champions Trophy have seen them reach No.1 on the ODI rankings and they are now fine-tuning against the No. 3 side – New Zealand; Pakistan are in the midst of their T20 showpiece, and Zimbabwe? Zimbabwe are about to play Afghanistan for the fourth time in three years. Welcome to the future of cricket.This is what things could look like post the current FTP, when, if the 9-3 Test split is agreed upon, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will become even more familiar with each other than they already are. Ireland will join their club, and although all three of them should be able to look forward to regular fixtures against their other nine Full Members, they will have to get used to forming a second tier of sorts. Afghanistan and Ireland won’t mind too much – it is their chance to play with the big boys – but Zimbabwe are understood to be more than just a little put out by the prospect.They already feel like outsiders looking in, and their fixture list will keep them that way. Zimbabwe are not due to play anyone until July, when they should visit Sri Lanka. They host West Indies before heading into the World Cup qualifiers next March, and unless their fixture list fills up fast, they will be woefully short of match time. That is why they are reaching out to Afghanistan – and are also reportedly in talks with Scotland – and why they are trying to play against as many A teams as possible.Zimbabwe need matches, and they need them desperately if only to figure out who their best are. To say they have very little idea of that is putting it mildly. To that end, Zimbabwe have named a squad that includes six changes from the one that played in a triangular series against Sri Lanka and West Indies in November. That’s almost half the squad that is different, and it suggests they are still very much in a look-and-see phase.The most notable exclusions are Hamilton Masakadza, Tinashe Panyangara and Sean Williams, who all failed fitness tests. Williams has a back injury and should be recalled upon recovery, provided he passes a second test while Panyangara, who has not played any cricket since the tri-series, will retake his test on Friday. Chamu Chibhabha and Brian Chari have struggled for form, although Chari scored an unbeaten 84 in the most recent round of List A matches.In their places, Zimbabwe have picked from some of their most in-form players from the series against Afghanistan A. Although they lost 1-4, Ryan Burl was the highest run-scorer with 266 runs at 53.20 and could not be ignored. Burl notched up over 100 runs more than his nearest challenger, Innocent Kaia, also from Zimbabwe, who was not selected. Instead, Zimbabwe looked to add bowlers who performed against Afghanistan A despite an obvious lack of penetration. Tendai Chatara and Nathan Waller were their joint highest wicket-takers with six each, and fourth overall. They were picked alongside Wellington Masakadza, 19-year old left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava, and Solomon Mire, whose return is the most interesting.Afghanistan have proven that they can challenge established international outfits, and this series will give them the chance to make another case for more matches•Peter Della Penna

Mire was talked up as the next big thing – a Lance Klusener of sorts – ahead of the 2015 World Cup. He played five matches and did not make anything like the impact he was expected to before choosing to stay in Australia and play grade cricket. He has only recently returned to Zimbabwe and made himself available for international cricket.The indication is that Zimbabwe need someone (else) in the Elton Chigumbura mould so that if Chigumbura, who has most recently played as a batsman only, needs to be dropped, they don’t lack a seam-bowling allrounder. Mire’s worth is chief among all the things Zimbabwe want this series to reveal.So is appeasing the country’s sports minister, who has voiced his disapproval with the state of Zimbabwean cricket to the point where he has asked for “something drastic” to take place to improve things. “We are extremely worried by the performance of our cricket teams, especially when they are playing Associate nations,” Makhosini Hlongwane, the sports minister, was quoted as saying in . “Zimbabwe should work hard to improve its rankings among Test-playing nations and should move away from being the whipping boys of cricket.”That’s not an exaggeration, and Afghanistan are the best evidence of it. Zimbabwe have played Afghanistan in three ODI series since July 2014 and not won any of them. They drew the first, 2-2 at home, lost the second 3-2, also at home, and were then defeated 3-2 in Sharjah in the third. Zimbabwe may take heart from the level of competitiveness they showed in all those rubbers – they came back from 2-nil down to draw level in the UAE – but the fact that even their A side has struggled against Afghanistan’s next-best does not bode well for World Cup qualification, especially as Afghanistan will be one of the teams they will be up against.Afghanistan have already shown they have enough in the tank to challenge some of the more established international outfits and recently narrowly lost a series to Bangladesh 1-2. They don’t even need the A sides and their international outfit to overlap as much as Zimbabwe do and could leave out the top three wicket-takers from the A team’s recent win in Zimbabwe – Nawaz Khan, Abdullah Adil and Fazal Niazai – for the series proper. They have called on Aftab Alam and Samiullah Shenwari to join the ranks.With recent history on their side, Afghanistan can only look to this series as another opportunity to make a case to be considered for more matches. They already have recent developments at the ICC on their side. If the ODI league and new Test structure materialise, Afghanistan and Ireland will be the greatest beneficiaries, and unless Zimbabwe step up soon, they may find that even those two countries don’t want to have too much to do with them.

Grant Elliott channeled his 2015 World Cup semi-final heroics for Lahore Qalanders, hitting a six in the final over off Mohammad Sami to seal a one-wicket win over Islamabad United at Sharjah

The Report by Danyal Rasool20-Feb-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIn a nutshellMohammad Sami found out today exactly how Dale Steyn felt after that 2015 World Cup semi-final at Eden Park as Grant Elliott smashed Sami into the stands over long-on to seal a sensational one-wicket win for Lahore Qalandars over Islamabad United.In a game during which Brendon McCullum’s side looked beaten for much of the chase, Elliott hung around, much like he had that fateful Auckland night, nearly running out of partners. Off the second ball of the last over, with his side nine wickets down, the 37-year old grabbed his chance as Sami missed his length on an attempted yorker and Elliott seized on a full length ball in response to give Lahore two points they desperately needed.Lahore would have been expected to chase down the target of 146 much more comfortably, but they ran into trouble early on. With McCullum still struggling badly and the rest of the batting lineup faring no better, Islamabad looked like they would scrap out an unlikely win. Umar Akmal stood between them and victory, showcasing the form that made him the leading run scorer of the PSL last year with 66 off 42 balls to take Lahore within touching distance. A Sunil Narine cameo – he hit two sixes in his five-ball innings – and steely nerves from Elliott took them over the finish line.In truth, Islamabad didn’t have enough runs to defend, as no batsman in the top six crossed 20. Poor umpiring decisions didn’t help, with Dwayne Smith and Misbah given out incorrectly, and at 83 for 6 in the 14th over they were in danger of being bowled out. But emerging players Shadab Khan and Amad Butt forged a plucky 53-run partnership for the seventh wicket, taking Islamabad to a total they so nearly defended.Where the match was wonThat Umar has a lot of talent must be the most oft-repeated claim in Pakistan cricket over the last decade, and the fact he fails to justify it so often has led to a lot of cynicism around the assertion. But anyone watching this match would have seen the truth behind the cliché.In an innings where his teammates couldn’t find the middle of their bats if someone handed them a flashlight, Umar went about the chase by combining grit with awesome power-hitting. He came to the crease with his side at 29 for 2, and was dismissed lbw with the score at 110. To get a sense of how his innings single-handedly kept Lahore in the chase, consider this: of the 81 runs Lahore scored while Umar was at the crease, he made 66. Elliott’s last-ball six only happened because he was standing on the shoulders of Umar.The men that won itAamer Yamin, playing his first game this season, was outstanding in the Powerplay: skidding off the surface and tailing into the right-handers to cramp them for room. It particularly flustered Rafatullah Mohmand, who played a strange innings in any case, being dropped twice before he was caught on the third offering during his 13-ball 16.Brad Haddin too fell victim to a Yamin inswinger, failing to adjust his feet as he inside edged a swipe that knocked over his leg stump. Even though Yamin was lucky to dismiss Misbah – replays showed he had missed a ball the umpire believed he had edged – there was nothing fortunate about his performance, which figures of 4-0-17-3 illustrated effectively.The moment of the matchThe Lahore innings began with an absorbing mini-narrative as McCullum searched for his lost form, trapped between his instinct to hit every ball out of the stadium and his desire not to be dismissed cheaply again. It included a riveting cat-and-mouse affair between the former New Zealand captain and the in-form Sami, who understood exactly what the batsman wanted to do, following him down the leg side whenever he tried to free his arms.Normally such a sweet timer of the ball, McCullum seemed to flail at a number of deliveries he was nowhere near to. It was one of the odder innings of his career – he made 11 at a strike rate of 61.11 – and even his most devoted fans might have been slightly relieved when it came to an end, as he drilled a slower ball straight into mid-off’s lap.Where they standLahore surge to second in the table after this last-wicket win, bumping Islamabad United down to third. Both sides have six points, but McCullum’s men boast a slightly superior net run rate.

The transfer window may only have been open for a week, but already Burnley have found themselves linked with a couple of different goalkeepers ahead of their Premier League return.

What are the latest Burnley transfer rumours?

Following reports Anderlecht 'keeper Bart Verbruggen is on Vincent Kompany's radar, L'Equipe now claims Royal Antwerp's Jean Butez has been approached by the Clarets.

Is Jean Butez an upgrade on Arijanet Muric for Burnley?

Given Burnley boasted the best defensive record in the Championship en route to storming to promotion last season, bringing in a replacement for Arijanet Muric may seem strange on the face of it.

But Muric – on a reported £20,000 a week, according to Capology – came in for criticism at times last season for perceived errors and was also criticised for his passing out from the back.

As Burnley Express Sports writer Chris Boden put it following February's 1-1 draw with Watford, Muric's "passing was poor" and he "makes a number of mistakes".

Kompany brutally opted to bring off Muric at half-time for Bailey Peacock-Farrell after his number one gifted Joao Pedro the game's opening goal.

That is not to say former Manchester City stopper Muric is a bad keeper – a Championship-best 0.77 goals conceded per 90 minutes last season and a division-high 76.7% of shots saved says as much.

But Butez boasted similar numbers in Belgium's Jupiler Pro League – which is near enough on a par with the English Championship in terms of quality, according to Global Football Rankings – as the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets.

Indeed, on the face of it there are plenty of similarities between Muric and Butez, such as goals against per 90 minutes (0.77 v 0.76 respectively) and save percentage (76.6% and 76%), as per FBref.

Butez has many admirers across Europe, with La Liga side Villarreal also reportedly showing an interest, having built up a showreel of impressive saves.

As football writer Josh Bunting pointed out, Butez looked "very impressive" in the Antwerp goal when making a couple of big stops in a 1-0 win against Gent.

As a commanding presence (he measures in at 6 foot 2) and someone comfortable with the ball at his feet, as his 74.15% pass-completion rate showed last season, Kompany may well decide that he is prepared to twist by signing Butez, rather than sticking with what he has in Muric.