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Talk of a Cristiano Ronaldo transfer that could see him reunited with Lionel Messi at the Club World Cup remains "science fiction", claims Al-Hilal.

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• CR7 into final year of Al-Nassr contract
• Linked with a switch across Riyadh
• Al-Hilal also said to be keen on Salah

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi will be gracing that competition next summer with MLS outfit Inter Miami – on the back of their Supporters’ Shield triumph in 2024. Al-Hilal, who have been drawn in the same group as Real Madrid, will be the Saudi Pro League representatives – as winners of the 2021 AFC Champions League.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It has been suggested that Portuguese superstar Ronaldo could be on their books by the time that a global tournament takes place in the United States, with the all-time great seeing his contract at Al-Nassr run down. A surprising move across Riyadh has been speculated on.

• WHAT AL-HILAL CHIEF EXECUTIVE SAID

  Such a switch could give Ronaldo an opportunity to face Messi again – following their epic battles while on the books of Real and Barcelona – but Al-Hilal chief executive Esteve Calzada has responded to those rumours by saying: "That sounds like science fiction. Cristiano Ronaldo is not our player so it's difficult to comment on that. He's not a free agent just now, so it's not nice to talk about that."

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  Ronaldo is not the only household name to have been linked with Al-Hilal – who already have the likes of Neymar, Ruben Neves, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Joao Cancelo and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in their squad. Calzada added on reports of interest being shown in Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah, who is due to become a free agent in 2025: "We are not commenting on rumours. There are many players associated with us, and we have a policy of not commenting. This is not the time to talk about players."

Seamer to go home with back stress injury, Ben Cliff called into squad

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2022

Fast bowler Sonny Baker has been ruled out of England’s Under-19 World Cup campaign after being diagnosed with a back stress injury. Ben Cliff, who was among the travelling reserves, has been added to the squad.Baker, the Somerset quick who was expected to lead England’s attack in the Caribbean, experienced discomfort while bowling in a warm-up fixture and was subsequently sent for an MRI scan that revealed bone stress in his lumbar spine. He will now return to his county for rehabilitation work.Yorkshire right-armer Cliff, who picked up four wickets at 23.25 on England’s tour of Sri Lanka in December, will come in as Baker’s replacement. England started their campaign by bowling out Bangladesh for 97 in St Kitts on Sunday.Baker’s addition was approved by the ICC technical committee and is available for England before their game against Canada.

ESPNcricinfo presents the plays of the day from the opening day at Lord’s

George Dobell at Lord's16-May-2013Family link of the day
Among the trio of young cricketers utilised by England for 12th man duties was Billy Root, the 20-year-old brother of Joe. Billy, who has played second XI cricket for Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Surrey, and Leicestershire, is currently with the MCC Young Cricketers having progressed through the same club, Sheffield Collegiate, as his older brother and Michael Vaughan and, along with two of his MCC YC colleagues, Adam Dobb and Adam Hose, was charged with bringing drinks and gloves to the batsman as required. Joe was actually the third of the family to play at Lord’s this season, with Billy playing against his father, Matt in an MCC vs MCC Young Cricketers match earlier this season.Reward of the day
The wicket of Jonathan Trott was deserved reward for excellent bowling, catching and captaincy. The delivery, a beauty from left-armer Trent Boult that was angled in but then left Trott, would have been dangerous in any circumstances but, coming after a delivery that was slanted across Trott, found the batsman coming forward just a little tentatively. The edge, low and to the left of Dean Brownlie at third slip, was brilliantly held but the fact that New Zealand even had a third slip in the 54th over of the innings speaks volumes for the positive captaincy of Brendon McCullum and the level of control exerted by his bowlers that allowed him to attack throughout so much of the day.Shot of the day
This was not a day littered with pleasing strokes. 30 of the day’s 80 overs were maidens and England only managed 15 boundaries. Only one of them came between mid-on and mid-off. But there were a couple of drives from Ian Bell that were almost worth the admission money on their own. One of them, sent through the covers off the bowling of Neil Wagner with Bell holding the pose with his right knee on the pitch, left Lord’s purring with pleasure. He may not develop into the truly great player some once thought he might, but few can drive as sweetly as Ian Bell.Wicket of the day
Anyone watching the highlights and seeing Ian Bell’s dismissal – bat pushing limply well outside the off stump – may conclude that his downfall was the result of poor batting. But, while this was not a stroke that will fill Bell with any great pride, a great deal of credit was also due to the bowler and his team-mates. As is so often the case, it was not just the delivery that claimed the wicket, but the consequence of many of the deliveries that preceded it. Not only had Martin rendered Bell near to strokeless at one end – he scored off only three of the 50 deliveries he faced from Martin – but Neil Wagner had bowled from over and round the wicket, swinging some back into the batsman and seeing others carry on across them. It does not excuse Bell’s poor shot, but it does explain why he was drawn into the stroke. The timing of the wicket, just 10 deliveries before the second new ball became available, was awful for England.Review of the day
If the introduction of the Decision Review System has taught us anything, it is that the best umpires really are very good indeed. In Aleem Dar this match has one of the best so it was something of a surprise when New Zealand utilised the system after Alastair Cook had been adjudged not out following a leg before appeal off the immaculate Boult. Sure enough, replays showed that, while the ball pitched in line, it would have passed some way over the top of middle stump. It was proof, once again, that it rarely pays to review Dar’s decisions.

Aston Villa have certainly enjoyed a frantic start to their transfer business since the window opened, making five new signings while selling three players.

Unai Emery had to move on a few players before June 30 to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability regulations, forcing his hand in the transfer market, but it now looks like he has the green light to bring in several new additions between now and the end of the window.

Might a reunion be on the cards for a former Villa favourite in the coming weeks?

Aston Villa keen on signing Premier League superstar

According to Football Insider, Manchester City are willing to sell Jack Grealish this summer, with Pep Guardiola looking to recoup a large chunk of the £100m they shelled out on him three years ago.

The report states that Villa would be keen on re-signing Grealish, who moved from Villa Park to the Etihad in 2021, but much will depend on exactly how much City will demand for the attacking midfielder.

The transfer would signal a sign of intent by Emery as he looks to strengthen ahead of playing in the Champions League next season.

What Jack Grealish could offer Aston Villa

Since moving to City three years ago, the Englishman has made 125 appearances under Guardiola, registering 32 goal contributions in the process.

It's fair to say, however, that the 2023/24 campaign wasn’t his most productive, as he managed to score just three goals in 33 appearances and these performances meant he missed out on England’s Euro 2024 squad.

Perhaps a move back to Villa could be the spark which ignites Grealish’s career, especially considering the success he enjoyed in the Midlands.

Not only was he dubbed a “world superstar” by presenter Dan Bardell in 2021, but Grealish also amassed 213 appearances for his boyhood club, emerging as a massive fan favourite during his spell.

If he moved back to Villa, Grealish could shine under Emery in a number ten role, which could help him create chaos along with current star man Ollie Watkins.

When compared to his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, the City star ranks in the top 2% for progressive carries per 90 (7.6), while also ranking in the top 5% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (7.37), showcasing his talents for bringing the ball forward as often as possible, which could see plenty of chances being created for Watkins, perhaps even more than last term.

Adding someone of Grealish’s quality to the squad could see Emery’s side shine in Europe’s premier club competition. Indeed, not only has the 28-year-old won the Champions League, but he has registered five goal contributions across 28 matches, evidence to show that he can perform well at the highest level.

Watkins scored 27 goals last season for Villa, but with Grealish performing behind him, there is no doubt he could have the chance to increase this total during the 2024/25 campaign, that’s for sure.

Jack Grealish repeat: Important Aston Villa star could leave for PL club

Another of Aston Villa’s finest academy graduates could depart.

By
Joe Nuttall

Jul 4, 2024

A Manchester United player has reportedly said yes to joining a European giant in the summer transfer window, according to a new update regarding his future.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils continue to be linked with a host of exciting players, in what supporters will hope is a hugely productive first summer with Sir Jim Ratcliffe overseeing matters. The United part-owner will want to make big inroads in the market, in order to slowly guide his boyhood team back to the summit of English football, having been in the wilderness for too long by their high standards.

Left-back could be an area that the club look at in the coming months, with Luke Shaw's injury problems well-documented at this point, and Bournemouth ace Milos Kerkez has emerged as a strong option to bring in. Still only 20, the Hungarian made 28 appearances for the Cherries in the Premier League last season, averaging two clearances and 1.7 tackles per game in the competition.

Benfica midfield star Joao Neves has also constantly been backed to seal a move to United in the summer window, too, as he continues to stand out as a young player with an enormous amount of potential. Bruno Fernandes has even spoken of his admiration for his Portugal teammate, saying: "He is an excellent player, he’s with the national team. That’s also why the big clubs are after him."

There are also players who could leave the Red Devils before the start of next season, however, joining the likes of Raphael Varane and Antony Martial in heading out of the exit door. A big update has now emerged regarding one such figure.

Man Utd player says yes to joining Juventus

According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via The Faithful MUFC], Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood wants to join Juventus this summer and has already said yes to a move to the European giants. A minimum fee in the region of £30m is mooted, with a transfer thought to be advancing.

Ratcliffe appears to be willing to sell the Englishman, who spent the 2023/24 season on loan at Getafe. In truth, it could make complete sense for United to part company with Greenwood for good this summer, with the Red Devils making numerous changes behind the scenes and to their playing squad.

There is no question that the 22-year-old remains a footballer of huge long-term potential – he scored eight goals and registered six assists in La Liga in 2023/24, handling the change to a different league impressively – but Ratcliffe and everyone associated with the club may well be looking at the bigger picture.

What Man Utd's dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree

Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.

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By
Tom Lever

Jun 7, 2024

Granted, the club have backed him in the past, but Ratcliffe has come in as part-owner and now may be the driving force in ensuring that his time at Old Trafford comes to an end. They could receive good money for him from Juventus, using those funds to bring in another exciting young attacking player.

Comment by chair of Barnsley Woolley Miners CC reported to Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League

George Dobell27-Jun-2021New concerns about the culture of cricket in Yorkshire have emerged after “disgraceful” comments made by a leading official in the recreational game on social media.Reacting to the news that Darfield Cricket Club had signed Kastun Stoute, a top-order batter from Barbados, as an overseas player, Phillip Chapman replied: “I’m sure he sold me some sunglasses with flashing lights in Tenerife!!”Chapman is chair of Barnsley Woolley Miners CC and has worked in the Yorkshire system as a pathway coach and team manager. His comment received a laughing emoji from Roy Chapman, who has also worked as a pathway manager and coach in the Yorkshire system.Others were far less impressed. The comments were quickly branded “disgraceful”, “vile” and “disgusting”. Chapman subsequently deleted the post.Darfield Cricket Club confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they have reported their concerns to the Yorkshire Cricket Southern Premier League and are understood to have vowed not to let Chapman set foot on their property.Barnsley Woolley Miners CC were previously called Barnsley CC. The likes of Geoffrey Boycott, Darren Gough, Dickie Bird and Martyn Moxon all developed through the club. The journalist and broadcaster Michael Parkinson also played for them.While Chapman admitted his comments were, in retrospect, “clumsy” and apologised “if someone found it offensive”, he denied any suggestion of racism. He also clarified that his comments were made in a personal capacity and not as a spokesperson for the club.”My best friend is black,” Chapman told ESPNcricinfo. “And my wife is Eastern-European. There’s no way I’m racist.”I’m sorry if someone found it offensive. On reflection, I can see it was clumsy. But I was making a joke about sunglasses, not about the colour of his skin. If he had been white, I’d have said he looked like Elton John.Related

John Holder sues ECB over alleged racial discrimination

Rafiq raises doubts over 'evidence being ignored'

“Do we live in a time when you’re not allowed to have a sense of humour anymore? It seems that whatever anyone says, the race card is played.”The incident comes at a time when the culture of cricket in the region is under scrutiny. A much delayed enquiry into the issue, sparked by Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of racism at Yorkshire, is expected to report within the next three weeks.ESPNcricinfo has seen some submissions to the enquiry. Among them is an allegation from Rafiq, the former Yorkshire captain, that as a 15-year-old player at Barnsley he was held down and had red wine poured into his mouth. His account is supported by an independent eyewitness.”The worrying thing for me is that Mr Chapman doesn’t seem to realise the problem with these comments,” Rafiq told ESPNcricinfo.”He doesn’t seem to realise they are demeaning. He doesn’t seem to realise that one person’s banter is another person’s demise. He doesn’t realise how black or Asian kids growing up around Barnsley will see these words and conclude the club isn’t a welcoming environment for them. He just doesn’t get it and you can’t have a person like that involved in a position of authority.”And think about this: if people have the confidence to say these things on social media, what do you think they say when nobody is watching? I hope the league step in and if they don’t, I hope the ECB takes action.”Stoute made 98 on debut on Saturday to help his new side to victory over Wakefield Thornes.

Zimbabwe hampered by batting collapse after looking good for 200 at one stage

Mohammad Isam22-Jul-2021

Bangladesh made a trifecta of winning their 100th matches in all three formats after beating Zimbabwe by eight wickets in the first T20I. Their pace bowlers took eight wickets to engineer a batting collapse, before Mohammad Naim and Soumya Sarkar put together the team’s first-ever century opening stand in the format.Zimbabwe paid the price once again for fielding errors and conceding too many extras, but mainly lost out due to a batting collapse. They slipped from 91 for 2 to be bowled out for 152, at least 40 short of what they looked set to get.Naim’s 66 not out – his second T20I fifty – was a matured effort, in which he not only played the role of the aggressor upfront but also finished the game off. The match was sealed when he slapped a boundary over mid-off in the penultimate over. He had Nurul Hasan at the other end when victory was achieved.Naim’s three fours off Richard Ngarava in the fourth over fuelled Bangladesh’s innings. Sarkar joined in the fun by then whacking two big sixes, eventually getting to a half-century off 45 balls. He would fall soon after as Regis Chakabva’s back flick after collecting a throw from the deep caught Sarkar short of the crease as he tried to complete a second run.Zimbabwe could have had Naim on 49, but for Sikandar Raza’s misjudgment when he stopped a throw from the deep with Naim well short of the crease behind him.Zimbabwe eventually effected a run out when Blessing Muzarabani scored a direct hit from short third man to dismiss Mahmudullah, but it was all too late.Earlier, Nurul Hasan played a critical role in bringing Bangladesh back into the game after Regis Chakabva took off like a bullet train, hitting a 22-ball 43. He drove, pulled, scooped and nurdled runs during the course of a second-wicket stand worth 64 with Wessley Madhevere. Just when Zimbabwe looked set, Madhevere lobbed a simple return catch to Shakib in the ninth over.But Zimbabwe started to decelerate when Hasan’s throw towards the non-striker’s end ran out the rampant Chakabva in the eleventh over. Raza fell later in the same over, caught behind off Shoriful Islam to turn a wobble into a full-blown collapse.After a little recovery, Zimbabwe lost their last four wickets in 11 balls. After Mohammad Saifuddin bowled Luke Jongwe, substitute Shamim Hossain ran hard to his left at long-on to take a brilliant catch to leave batter Ryan Burl stunned.Apart from Islam, Rahman struck some late blows to ensure Bangladesh finished well short of what they would’ve aimed for. They also didn’t utilise one full over of their innings. Eventually their collapse – 8 for 61 in 13 overs – cost them an opportunity to take a lead in the series.

كشف سيزار برافو، وكيل نجيك جراديشار، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، عن كواليس انضمامه لصفوف القلعة الحمراء خلال فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الماضية.

وقال برافو في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر 2”: “المفاوضات بدأت عندما اتصل بي أسامة هلال، عضو لجنة الاسكوتينج في الأهلي”.

طالع.. الأهلي يعلن تعيين متحدث رسمي لقطاع الكرة

وتابع: “لم نتخذ قرارًا محددًا، لكنه تحدث معي بشأن اللاعب وطلب مني تقريرًا مفصلًا عنه، ولم نكن نفكر وقتها أن يكون للاعب نصيب في التواجد بالأهلي، لأن كان لديه عروض أخرى، وعندما جاء عرض الأهلي، درسناه جيدًا”.

وأضاف: “جراديشار كان يمتلك عروضًا من أوروبا، وكنا نستهدف انضمامه إلى نادٍ في المجر ليستكمل معه الموسم”.

وأتم: “بعد أن علم بمفاوضات الأهلي، كان يهدف إلى استكمال الموسم في مكان آخر، والأهلي يمتلك استراتيجية كبيرة، ولا تتاح لأي لاعب فرصة لرفض اللعب له، نظرًا لما يحققه من شهرة”.

ويستعد الأهلي في الوقت الحالي لمواجهة الزمالك، على أرضية استاد القاهرة، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الـ15 من الدوري المصري.

Two teams, who have struggled in the last two cycles, are now pushing for a final spot in this cycle

Firdose Moonda26-Nov-2024It could not be more deliciously set up. South Africa and Sri Lanka will play in what is effectively a quarter-final of the World Test Championship (WTC) over the next two weeks. Both believe they have built outfits that could challenge for the title next June.If that sounds like an obviously optimistic thing to say, consider who we are talking about. Over the last two WTC cycles, South Africa lost more than half the series they played in, while Sri Lanka finished in the middle and in the bottom half of the points table. These are teams that have spent a significant amount of time, especially recently, talking about transition phases and building blocks. Now, it sounds like they are ready to move off the ground floor and potentially catch the elevator to the roof if they make it to Lord’s next June.Both captains spoke about their current teams as “the best we have after a long while,” as Dhananjaya de Silva put it, though for vastly different reasons. For Sri Lanka, who have won six out of their last eight Tests and crossed 400 four times in that period, they have the makings of a batting line-up they can trust to perform in various conditions and the numbers to prove it.Related

• Sri Lanka reap the rewards of investing in their seam bowlers

• SL begin crucial SA tour in happy hunting ground

• Bavuma battles 'mental demons' on return from lengthy layoff

• Race to the WTC final: India back on top after Perth win

• Bavuma, Coetzee, Jansen return for SA's home Tests against SL

Kamindu Mendis is Sri Lanka’s leading run-scorer of this WTC cycle, and seventh overall, while Dhananjaya is 11th, with three hundreds and six fifties. For context, South Africa only have one batter in the top 40, and he is in 39th place: David Bedingham. Mendis also leads the averages in this edition of the WTC (with a cut-off of 10 innings), with Dhananjaya in fifth place. Between them, they have scored eight of Sri Lanka’s 11 hundreds; the other three have come from three different players. Mendis’ hundreds have come in Sylhet, Manchester and Galle, which speaks to the ability to transfer talent across what Dhananjaya called increasingly tough conditions for run-scoring everywhere.”It’s hard to get runs anywhere in the world,” he said. “If you go to Sri Lanka, it’s spinning. And if we go to England, it’s going to seam. When we come here [to South Africa], it’s going to bounce. It’s hard work always for the batsman. But we’ve got some experience, people who played a lot of cricket here and a lot of cricket in England, a lot of cricket in Sri Lanka. In this team, there’s experience and youngsters; we’re a mixed side. So I think this is the best team after a long while and we have to make the most of it.”South Africa have something similar, not in numbers necessarily but in sources of their achievements, which come from a wide spread of players. The seven hundreds they have scored in this cycle have each come from a different batter and five of those are from batters scoring hundreds for the first time. For a line-up without any standout superstars (and you may argue one that overly relied on Dean Elgar most recently but AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla before that), that shows progression in both domestic depth and their ability to make the step up.Kagiso Rabada has been in terrific form in Test cricket•AFP/Getty Images”We’ve had different players putting in performances,” Temba Bavuma said. “Younger guys have come into this space and they’ve started putting in performances. With me being a senior player, I take a lot of joy from seeing the young guys coming into the team and I try to contribute to them becoming as good as they can be.”It will probably come as no surprise to hear that what South Africa lack in batting, they make up for in their bowling. Kagiso Rabada is top of the bowling averages among bowlers who have bowled more than 100 balls in this cycle, with Keshav Maharaj not too far behind. Overall, South Africa have the second-lowest bowling average, of 24.13, of this WTC. Yes, Rabada steals the headlines here but with good reason. His career wickets of 313 are only 16 fewer than Sri Lanka’s entire six-man pace attack, and we can’t forget that he has always had strong support. It’s not Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje this time but Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee, who are two of the quickest going around.All this makes the battle lines clear: this series will be decided by how Sri Lanka’s batters take on South Africa’s attack, even on surfaces which are not expected to be overly seamer-friendly. Given the way they played in England, where they won at The Oval, Sri Lanka have every reason to believe they will be able to challenge South Africa at two venues where they have had success before. “We didn’t have a bad series in England, but results didn’t come our way. We played good cricket, and we pushed the England team,” Dhananjaya said. “We’re going to push the South African team to the very end.”And South Africa, after winning their first series in the subcontinent in 10 years last month, also have cause to be bullish as they keep faith in a group of players who will form the core of the future of the Test team. “In this series, there’s no new faces, so we’re definitely settling in as a team and guys are very comfortable with each other,” Bavuma said. “It was all about putting together this team of personalities, guys who effectively can do something special for the team. For me, there is a sense of something special that can come about this team. And I guess we have four or five games to kind of do that.”Four? Definitely because that’s the number of matches both South Africa and Sri Lanka have left in this cycle.Five? Whoever wins at least one of the next two can start to realistically dream of that finale next year.Let the Test summer begin.

Phil Jones slammed a fan who claimed his career was a "shame" as the former centre back launched a scathing attack to defend his Old Trafford legacy.

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• Jones spent 12 years at United
• Racked up 229 appearances across competitions
• Won five major honours including a PL title

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After signing for Manchester United from Blackburn Rovers in 2011 under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, the centre-back was initially hailed as one of the most promising young defenders in English football. Unfortunately, recurring injuries hampered his progress, restricting him to only 13 appearances over his last four seasons with the Red Devils.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the twilight of his career, Jones often faced ridicule from fans for his dismal injury record. His past achievements drowned into oblivion as the defender struggled to secure a squad berth at Old Trafford and subsequently settled into a premature retirement.

• WHAT JONES SAID ABOUT HIS CAREER

  Jones recently opened up about his career in a candid discussion on the podcast, where he recalled an interaction with a fan who described his career as a "shame".

  "Someone said to me, ‘Oh, it’s a shame about your career, Phil, but it’s lovely to meet you,’" Jones recounted during the interview. "I said, 'You what? What do you mean?' I’ve been at United for 10 years, won the Premier League, played over 200 games for United, played in two World Cups, won the Europa League and FA Cup, and you’re trying to tell me it was a shame?"

  Jones used the moment to assert his pride in his time as a professional footballer. “That was me standing up for myself and having respect for myself, saying, ‘No, this stops now.’ I’ll tell you how my career went. Of course, I would’ve liked to play more, but I’ve lived the dream. 99% of people would snap their right hand off now for their kids to come through and have the career I had,” he explained.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Jones made 229 appearances for United during his stay at Old Trafford. He won five major trophies, including a Premier League title, an FA Cup, a Europa League title and two FA Community Shields.