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Andre Fletcher’s Man-of-the-Match performance against Sri Lanka won the praise of the man he replaced as opener, Chris Gayle

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Mar-20162:46

Jayawardene: Controlled West Indies deserved win

Be aggressive in the Powerplay and then bat deep. That is Chris Gayle’s advice to Andre Fletcher, the Man of the match in West Indies’ second win of the World T20 against Sri Lanka on Sunday, and the rest of his team if West Indies are to progress deep into the World T20.Gayle, who did not bat against Sri Lanka because of a minor twinge in his left hamstring while fielding, is understood to be fit and available for selection against South Africa in Nagpur on Friday.”In the second game against Sri Lanka I started, but didn’t get a chance to bat. But Fletcher came in, played his part and grabbed his opportunity with both hands,” Gayle told WICB media in Nagpur. “He played a fantastic knock and carried right through till the end. And that’s the sort of thing batters require – once you are set in these kinds of conditions, it is very important to bat as deep as possible and it just makes it easier for the team to chase or set a target, so it is very important to see Fletcher come on board and be Man of the Match.”Gayle said the key for Fletcher was not to be “overconfident” when he goes in to bat next. Fletcher is likely to open with Gayle against South Africa, considering Johnson Charles made a duck against England and 10 against Sri Lanka. “Just continue to play smartly, pick and choose his bowlers to target at a particular time. Also whatever it is that works for him, like continue being aggressive in the first six. It’s very, very important to try and capitalise on that new ball as a batter. So just keep that aggression going and once you get past that first six, try and take it as deep as possible, look to pick up the odd boundary in the middle overs as well. Just build on whatever start you get.”I’ve opened the batting with him on many occasions so I know what sort of a player he is, he is very dangerous and he’s capable of getting big scores as well. So hopefully he can build on this and carry on, not leave it for anybody and get more Man-of-the-Match awards.”Though Fletcher played an aggressive innings, the crowd in Bangalore was desperate for Gayle to bat. He had sat out for about half of the Sri Lankan innings as a precautionary measure, and despite the crowd’s urging and his own insistence, he had to wait for a certain amount of time to pass before he could bat. By then the match was over. Gayle finally emerged after the win and thanked the crowd, a gesture that was well received by the fans.Gayle had already lit up the tournament and made West Indies a force when he hammered a 48-ball century against England in Mumbai last week. The innings had a characteristic that is usually missed when talking about Gayle: patience. In the Powerplay, Gayle had faced barely six deliveries as Marlon Samuels took charge.Gayle said he was not thinking of the century until he was a handful of runs away. The focus until then was just on riding with the momentum built by Samuels. “I wasn’t really thinking about the hundred because if you look at the way we started, after facing the first over, in the second Marlon came in and he actually batted the entire Powerplay. I was saying to myself, regardless of what happens, I need to be here, and the good thing about it is that Marlon was getting the ball away and keeping the run rate intact so it was very important to be there then. We knew they had two spinners, especially a leg spinner, so being a left-hander it was good to be there in the middle overs, it was crucial.”Talking about the century, Gayle said the turning point was him hitting England offspinner Moeen Ali for three consecutive sixes, when West Indies needed 59 runs from the final seven overs. Andre Russell had just come in after Denesh Ramdin and Dwayne Bravo had fallen. “I got some momentum when I took down Moeen Ali – when I got three consecutive sixes. And then the momentum was actually built from there and when the rest of the bowlers come to bowl in the back end, we’re always going to be on the go at that particular time. That’s when the opportunity presented itself. I had done the hard work already, so I said, ‘I’ve done the hard work, let’s get the hundred’. At that point, we were way ahead, and I wasn’t going to risk it, and batting there with Andre Russell we just wanted to finish off things. When I got to 96 or something like that, that was the time I said I’ll get the hundred.”Gayle said the century brought back memories of his ton in the first edition of the WT20, where he scored a century, too. Having won their first two games, West Indies are now favourites to make the semi-finals from Group 1. “We have a lot of back-up. I shouldn’t be using this word back-up, we have a lot of guys who are match winners themselves who actually can do the same thing and destroy different bowling attacks around the world.”

Jose Mourinho slammed his Roma players for their 'superficial' attitude in their 1-1 draw with Servette and singled out Housseum Aouar for criticism.

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Roma held to 1-1 draw at ServetteSecond in group behind Slavia PrahaMourinho slams players after resultGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Roma's chances of finishing first in their Europa League group took a blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Swiss side Servette on Thursday. Mourinho's team took the lead after 21 minutes through Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku but Chris Bedia levelled proceedings five minutes after the break as both sides came away with a point. After the match, Mourinho laid into his players, including summer signing Aouar.

Advertisement(C)GettyImagesWHAT JOSE MOURINHO SAID

He told Sky Sport Italia: "We had important opportunities, but the start of the second half was something that happens too often to us. It’s a pity that you don’t have a camera in our locker room at half-time, because every time I make it clear to them that the opponents playing at home who are a goal down will come out fighting.

"That is a natural reaction, it is something we expect. Yet again we were superficial in our attitude, in our interpretation of this moment of the match. There are players who once again missed an opportunity to prove themselves, for example, Aouar.

“There are several who are on the bench and come on in Serie A with a great attitude, then in the Europa League they come on with this sluggish attitude, like they are not accustomed to being on the bench and then do not improve the game.”

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Roma will be in the knockout stages of the Europa League but it is likely they will face a side who has come third in their respective Champions League group after failing to put away Servette. Mourinho led Roma to the Europa Conference League title in 2022 and were runners up in this competition last season. With the former Chelsea boss expected to leave the Italian giants at the end of the season, extra games will not make his task of claiming more silverware any easier.

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WHAT NEXT FOR ROMA?

Roma's final group stage game is against Sheriff on December 14. They will have to beat the Moldovan side and hope Slavia lose against Servette to top the group and avoid the play-offs.

The vast majority of the Dutchman's signings have played in the Netherlands, but the Red Devils must recruit from a bigger pool if they are to succeed

Towards the end of last season, the Manchester United fanzine editor and journalist Andy Mitten came up with an innovative approach to track who the club would be signing in the upcoming transfer window. Speaking on the podcast, Mitten joked: "We all need to start watching the Dutch version of Match of the Day".

United employ around 140 scouts who work around the world, but since Erik ten Hag has been manager, those based in the Netherlands have been the busiest. Of the 13 players the club have signed since the Dutchman's arrival, be it on loan or on permanent deals, eight have previously played in the Netherlands. Three of those (Antony, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia) joined directly from the Eredivisie, while Andre Onana had spent the majority of his career there, only leaving Ajax for Inter in 2022.

Christian Eriksen began his career at Ajax and spent five years there, although he has since enjoyed the bulk of his playing career in the Premier League and could not be accused of lacking top-level experience when he signed for United in 2022. The same is true of Mason Mount, who spent one solitary season with Vitesse.

Then there is Wout Weghorst, who began his career in his native Netherlands but moved to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga in 2018. Finally there is Sofyan Amrabat, United's latest arrival, who came through the ranks at Utrecht and played under Ten Hag before switching to Feyenoord and then to Club Brugge of Belgium in 2018, eventually joining the Red Devils from Fiorentina via Hellas Verona.

The Netherlands has a rich football history, producing some of the best players and managers of all-time, and United have a rich connection with the country. The club's Dutch links stretch back to Arnold Muhren in the 1980s and were strengthened by the roaring successes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Jaap Stam and Robin van Persie, as well as Louis van Gaal's colourful two years in charge.

Ten Hag is a continuation of this long and mostly successful relationship. However, the manager's apparent penchant for players who have played in the Eredivisie oversteps the mark. And with United languishing outside the top four and floundering in the Champions League, there is plenty of evidence that this transfer policy is not working.

As Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS counterpart Sir Dave Brailsford continue to assess what they need to make United a force to be reckoned with, they will need to bring the strategy to an end.

GettyOnly Martinez adapted well

The Eredivisie has long lagged behind Europe's top-five leagues (the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1), and between 2016-17 and 2018-19 it was ranked outside the top 10 by UEFA, below Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and even Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

It has grown in stature in the last three years, rising to sixth last season, but it is still unusual for United to draw so heavily from it. Given that the level is deemed lower than in Germany, France, Spain and Italy, it is perhaps unsurprising that a few of the signings have struggled in making the step up to the Premier League.

Five of United's signings in the summer of 2022 came directly from the Eredivisie, and Martinez was the only player who seemed to adapt well to life in the Premier League, despite initial concerns about his height. The Argentine made up for his lack of stature due to his excellent technical skills and ability to make incisive passes out of defence, although this season he struggled as a result of the metatarsal injury he picked up last April, suffering a reoccurrence of the problem in September that has ruled him out until the new year.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMalacia goes from hero to zero

Malacia was a key player for Feyenoord, who finished third in the 2021-22 season, notching four assists and a goal. When Ten Hag looked within the Eredivisie for a player to give competition to Luke Shaw, he was the natural choice and was available at a reasonable price of £13 million ($16m).

But he experienced a lot of problems in his first campaign with United, soon losing his place to Shaw and then making costly errors against Sevilla and Tottenham. According to, Malacia's struggles were little surprise to members of Wales' coaching staff, who had identified him as a weak link due to his lack of physique when they faced the Netherlands in a Nations League match in 2022, and had tried to give the ball to Brennan Johnson as much as possible in order to put him under pressure.

The travails of Malacia, who has not played any football this season due to an injury sustained in June, appears to underline the gap between the English and Dutch top-flights. But he is not the only one.

Getty Antony is soon found out

Antony has been an even bigger flop than Malacia, especially considering United paid an eye-watering £85m ($106m) to sign him from Ajax on transfer deadline day, despite only being valued at £55m ($68m) at the start of the summer.

Antony cost United so much as Ajax were reluctant to let him go given he was such a crucial part of their team, having scored 18 goals and set up 14 in 57 appearances in the Eredivisie. He got off to an excellent start in England, too, becoming the first ever United player to score in his first three appearances for the club.

But Premier League opponents did not take long to work Antony out and defenders quickly managed to prevent him from pulling off his favourite trick, cutting in from the right wing and shooting with his left foot. Having scored three times in his first month at United, the Brazilian then went six months without scoring again in the league or providing an assist.

His second season has been a farce. He has not scored nor laid on an assist in any competition, and gave the club a deeply uncomfortable situation to deal with when he was accused of assault by his former girlfriend and two other women.

He is looking like United's worst-ever signing, even outdoing Alexis Sanchez, and the worst thing about his dire time at United is that Ten Hag campaigned so vociferously to sign him, believing him essential to putting his style of play into action.

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Getty ImagesTurning to Weghorst

Antony is the last player United signed directly from the Eredivisie, but Ten Hag has continued to look to his home country when he is on the lookout for a new player.

After Cristiano Ronaldo left the club in disgrace in November 2022 and with no funds left after spending so much in the previous transfer window, the United boss turned to Weghorst, who had just scored twice in the World Cup for the Netherlands against Argentina.

Weghorst had had an unhappy previous spell in the Premier League with Burnley, but that did not put Ten Hag off and he signed him for United on loan, continuing to start him despite his lack of impact. The striker left United with no Premier League goals despite being given 17 appearances, his greatest moment being when he ran the length of the Wembley pitch to celebrate with supporters after the FA Cup semi-final shootout win over Brighton.

James Harris and Steven Finn, two seam bowlers who have laboured so long under the burden of “promise”, combined to haul Middlesex into the ascendancy on a day of hard graft at Lord’s

Andrew Miller03-May-2015
ScorecardJames Harris and Steven Finn, two seam bowlers who have laboured so long under the burden of “promise”, combined to haul Middlesex into the ascendancy on a day of hard graft at Lord’s.After Sam Robson’s first-day 178 had hinted at the sort of toil that might be in prospect on a typically unforgiving surface, Middlesex’s challenge was compounded after two balls of Durham’s reply when Tim Murtagh, their Ireland seamer, limped out of the attack with an injury to his left hamstring.But in his absence, Harris led the line with aplomb, claiming two of the first three wickets to fall, before Finn, with his penultimate ball of a frustrating 14-over workload, extracted some extra lift outside off stump to bowl Callum McLeod off his arm for 13.With James Franklin removing Scott Borthwick for 26 to claim his first wicket in Middlesex colours, Durham were indebted to a composed unbeaten 61 from their South Africa-born opener, Keaton Jennings, son of Ray, who was joined at the close by the nightwatchman, Chris Rushworth.At 157 for 4 overnight, Durham are one good partnership from restoring a measure of parity to the contest, but they failed to capitalise on some of the best batting conditions of the match so far. They regularly shipping wickets when well set, with all four dismissed batsmen making between 13 and 26. Geoffrey Boycott would have a fit, if he wasn’t pre-occupied with an even more slipshod effort in Barbados.To a degree, Durham missed their opportunity with the ball as well. After overnight rain had caused a 50-minute delay, their seamers briefly thrived in the damp morning conditions and capitalised on the void in Middlesex’s batting left by the late extraction of Robson on the first evening.John Hastings, their one-Test Australian allrounder, produced a bullish spell to extract both overnight batsmen for the addition of 12 runs. First to go was Franklin, who was trapped on the crease from round the wicket as Hastings shaped the ball back down the slope to pluck out his middle stump for 18. Then Harris had a loose waft outside off, and snicked a simple chance through to Phil Mustard behind the stumps for 9.But from the relative nadir of 341 for 6, Middlesex consolidated through the efforts of Simpson and Neil Dexter, who took their partnership to 58 before – with the sun breaking through after lunch and batting looking comparatively effortless – Dexter was late onto a Hastings bouncer and picked out Usman Arshad on the fine leg boundary for 33.But Simpson ground on, reaching his half-century from 89 balls with nine fours, and adding 41 for the eighth wicket with Rayner, who made 16 before Rushworth rapped him on the pad to claim his second victim of the innings.In a prelude to his efforts with the ball, Murtagh came and went in a hurry as he got himself into a tangle against the legspin of Scott Borthwick and was bowled on the heave for 11. And then, with only the No.11, Steven Finn, for company, Simpson took one chance too many against the persevering Hastings, and flapped an attempted glide to mid-off.Durham’s reply seemed solid from the outset, with Stoneman making the early running in his opening stand with Jennings, with two fours including a well-timed on-drive against Harris. But the bowler had his revenge when Stoneman pushed too firmly outside off and edged a simple catch at a comfortable height to Ollie Rayner at second slip. It was due reward for Middlesex’s perseverance. After their triumph at Taunton, they are enjoying their cricket at the moment.

Andrew Flintoff is closing in on a deal with Brisbane Heat to play in Australia’s Big Bash League and extend his return to Twenty20 cricket.

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-2014Andrew Flintoff is closing in on a deal with Brisbane Heat to play in the Big Bash League and extend his return to Twenty20 cricket.A stint in Australia has been on the cards for some time with initial reports saying that Flintoff will shortly put pen to paper so long as other commercial deals in the country come together.Stuart Law, the Heat coach and former Lancashire player, confirmed to the that talks are well advanced.”We’ve had discussions with Freddie,” Law told the newspaper. “And if things go well, hopefully we will be able to confirm next week that he will play some part in the Big Bash for us.”If the deal does come off there is the enticing prospect of a head-to-head with Kevin Pietersen on December 28 when Heat take on Melbourne Stars.Flintoff had previously agreed to play for Queensland in 2009 shortly before he was forced into retirement due to a knee injury. At the time he had planned to continue in the limited-overs formats, but The Oval Test against Australia proved to be his last professional match until the recent English season when he made a surprise return for Lancashire in the T20 Blast.Flintoff only managed two group matches amid further injury setbacks but, with the ball especially, showed he could still hold his own. There was almost a fairytale conclusion to his first season back in the field when he struck 20 off eight balls in the final against Birmingham at Edgbaston but could not quite haul Lancashire over the line.At the time of the Blast final, Flintoff said: “I have had offers to play in the Big Bash. I am going to sit down with my wife and see what we decide to do. But I would love to do that.”If there is an opportunity there, then why not? It is one of the things I have always wanted to do. I was about to sign for Queensland in 2009 but was forced to retire. I have never been over there and played in domestic cricket so would love to do it.”Although Flintoff’s T20 comeback has so far been brief he continued to train as the English domestic season drew to a close and was seen in the nets during Lancashire’s final Championship match against Middlesex at Old Trafford.Since returning to the cricket field he has also continued with his TV projects, the latest of which involves travelling around the UK in a fish and chip van.

As most of the continent's 'Big Five' leagues reach their respective halfway points, Goal picks out the most impressive performers in all competitions

Getty ImagesGK: Alisson

Alisson may have made a couple of errors since joining Liverpool during the summer but the Brazilian has had a massive impact on Merseyside.

His excellent distribution has added a new dimension to the Reds' play, as so spectacularly underlined by his role in the first penalty won in the rout of Arsenal on Saturday.

Alisson has also exhibited a helpful habit of making big saves at big times – it was his ast-minute save against Napoli that saw the Reds through to the last 16 of the Champions League. 

So, while Jan Oblak, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Tomas Vaclik and Samir Handanvoic have all been excellent for their respective sides, none of them have kept more clean sheets than Alisson (14), who also boasts a better save percentage (80.77) than all of his rivals for the No.1 jersey.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Joao Cancelo

Inter's loss has proven Juventus' considerable gain, with Joao Cancelo now excelling in Turin after spending last season in Milan on loan from Valencia.

The Nerazzurri were unable to make the Portuguese's stay at San Siro permanent due to Financial Fair Play restrictions, so the Bianconeri swooped, paying €40.4 million for a player who has made Massimiliano Allegri's defence even stronger.

Compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo is understandably drawing more attention but the versatile Cancelo has been consistently excellent for Juve, offering an outlet down the right flank.

GettyCB: Virgil van Dijk

Andy Robertson has admitted that he has grown tried of talking about the brilliance of Liverpool team-mate Virgil van Dijk.

Just like everyone else, the left-back is running out of things to say about the Dutch giant, who has transformed the Reds' defence and, as a consequence, the team's fortunes since arriving at Anfield for record-breaking £75m during the 2018 January transfer window.

The numbers speak for themselves, though, with Premier League leaders Liverpool having only conceded eight goals in 20 matches this season primarily due to Van Dijk's aerial prowess, fantastic reading of the game and organisational skills.

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Getty ImagesCB: Kalidou Koulibaly

Kalidou Koulibaly has reportedly just signed a contract extension that makes him the highest-paid player at Napoli and there is no player more deserving of that status at the San Paolo.

The Senegalese centre-half has once again been immense at the back for the Partenopei, the foundation on which their game pursuit of Juventus has been built, and his dismissal against Inter does nothing to change that.

Indeed, watching Koulibaly win everything that is thrown at him in the air, week in, week out, it's easy to understand why Manchester United allegedly bid €100m for his services last summer – and why Aurelio De Laurentiis turned it down.

As he underlined with his response to the incessant racial abuse he received at San Siro, Koulibaly is as inspirational a character off the field as he is on it.

The ECB cut payments to the counties while increasing spending on the national team and their own administration, according to figures in their annual report

George Dobell10-May-2016The ECB cut payments to the counties while increasing spending on the national team and their own administration, according to figures in their annual report.They also increased the amount of money they hold in their reserves despite a drop in turnover of more than £40m.The figures will increase concern around the counties that they are being pushed into a situation where they have to accept the ECB executive’s plans for a city-based domestic T20 competition to meet short-term financial requirements.While the Ashes contest may remain the most emotive for supporters in both England and Australia, the figures in the report leave no doubt that encounters with India are now by far the most profitable. So while 75,000 more spectators watched international cricket in England and Wales in 2015, when Australia toured England, the total income for 2015-16 was £134m. That compares to £174.7m for 2014-15, which encompasses the period when India toured England.At a glance

Turnover: £134m (£174.7m in 2014-15)

Reserves: £73.106m (£70.039m)

Community expenditure: £21m (£24.2 m)

Professional game expenditure: £48.4m (£63.8m)

England teams expenditure: £30.6m (£27.5m in 2014-15)

Support expenditure (governing body plus administration): £14.1m (£12.4m).

As a result of that widely anticipated drop in revenues, the ECB was forced to look at cost across the game. But while community expenditure – effectively spending on the grassroots of the game – was cut by £3.4m (from £24.2m to £21m) and spending on the professional game – effectively the first-class counties – was cut by more than £15m (from £63.8m to £48.4m), the cost of the England teams increased by £3m (from £27.5m to £30.6m) while the cost of the game’s administration increased from £12.4m to £14.1m.The ECB also increased their reserves by £3m from £70.04m to £73.11m. County debts total roughly double that amount – the result primarily of ground improvements over the past decade.The report also contains details on the growth in women’s cricket – there were 93 women’s clubs in 2003; there are 615 now – and the number of spectators who watched professional cricket in 2015. There were 2.3m in all, with 1.5m attending domestic cricket. The NatWest Blast attracted 827,654 spectators in 2015.

The superstar France forward was blanked as Luis Enrique's side dropped their second straight road game in Europe

There is something about Paris Saint-Germain and Champions League away games this season. Although the Parisians are a fearsome side at home, their form away from Parc des Princes has been alarming, and so it proved on Tuesday, as they surrendered an early lead to a rampant AC Milan side. And it happened in perhaps the most puzzling way possible, with Kylian Mbappe left anonymous as the Parisians lost 2-1.

Luis Enrique's side took the lead inside 10 minutes as one centre-back combined with the other, Marquinhos flicking a corner to the far post, where an unmarked Milan Skriniar nodded home from close range. But the Milan response was swift, Rafael Leao providing it with an acrobatic volley inside the six-yard box to tie the game early.

PSG nearly had a second midway through the opening period, only to see Mike Maignan deny Mbappe as he ran through on goal. Ousmane Dembele, too, came close, rattling the bar with a curled effort.

But it was Milan who grabbed the next goal, as Olivier Giroud peeled away at the back post and met Theo Hernandez's cross with a thumping header early in the second half. Their chances multiplied from there, the Rossoneri midfield simply outrunning a lifeless Parisian outfit. By the end of it all, the visitors were pinging balls to Mbappe and praying for a European miracle — one that never arrived.

GOAL rates PSG's players from San Siro…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

Booed by the home support from the first minute. Perhaps could have done better on the opener, but was helpless on the second. Made a few sharp saves to rescue what was otherwise a miserable homecoming.

Achraf Hakimi (5/10):

Given all sorts of problems by Leao, who was excellent on the night. Didn't offer his usual quality in the final third, either.

Marquinhos (6/10):

Assisted the first, but then obstructed his keeper's view on the Milan equaliser. Held his position well and distributed effectively.

Milan Skriniar (5/10):

The former Inter defender opened the scoring, but was outjumped by a 37-year-old Giroud for Milan's second. Lucky not to see red after putting in a number of challenges that should have earned him bookings.

Lucas Hernandez (5/10):

Picked up a silly booking in the second half and didn't deal with the lively Pulisic. Removed after 65 minutes.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Manuel Ugarte (4/10):

Dispossessed consistently, and struggled against Loftus-Cheek in the middle. A forgettable night.

Warren Zaire-Emery (6/10):

Struggled to find a foothold against an impressive Milan midfield. A few nice moments, but he was ultimately overrun.

Vitinha (5/10):

Very tidy on the ball, and linked up well with the forward line. Lacked the grit required in such an intense game.

Getty ImagesAttack

Ousmane Dembele (5/10):

Dangerous on the ball, but tried to go alone a lot. Rattled the bar with a curled effort in the first half, which was pretty much his only threatening moment in the final third. World-class — until he gets into key areas.

Randal Kolo Muani (5/10):

A disappointing hour from the Frenchman. Enjoyed some solid moments, but didn't get involved enough.

Kylian Mbappe (5/10):

On the ball a lot, only to be met with a swarm of Milan defenders. Misfired on a one-on-one in the first half, wasting his only good chance of the night.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Fabian Ruiz (5/10):

Helped his team find a foothold in the middle, without really offering any game-changing moments.

Lee Kang-In (6/10):

Offered an injection of quality and intensity.

Goncalo Ramos (5/10):

Came on for Kolo Muani, who appears to have sealed his spot in the XI. Didn't get on the ball much.

Nordi Mukiele (5/10):

Offered an extended go of things to relieve Hernandez.

Luis Enrique (4/10):

Went back to a 4-3-3, but found his side outmatched in the middle. PSG couldn't deal with Milan's pace or intensity, and will need to consider how this keeps happening on the road.

Taufeeq Umar, the left-hand opening batsmen, has made a comeback to the Pakistan Test squad, for the two-match series against Australia in the UAE. Taufeeq played the last of his 43 Tests in July 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2014Pakistan squad for Australia Tests

Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Ehsan Adil, Haris Sohail, Imran Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Talha, Rahat Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Shan Masood, Taufeeq Umar, Yasir Shah, Younis Khan, Zulfiqar Babar
In: Taufeeq Umar, Mohammad Hafeez, Zulfiqar Babar, Haris Sohail, Yasir Shah, Imran Khan, Ehsan Adil
Out:Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz, Khurram Manzoor

Taufeeq Umar, the left-hand opening batsmen, has made a comeback to the Pakistan Test squad for the two-match series against Australia in the UAE. Taufeeq played the last of his 43 Tests in July 2012.Legspinner Yasir Shah, 28, and seamer Imran Khan, 27, get maiden call-ups to the Test squad. Mohammad Hafeez has recovered from a hand injury and gets a recall after being dropped for the away Tests against Sri Lanka in August – he had had a poor 2013 in Tests, averaging 17.54, and scored 21 and 1 in the only Test he played this year. He had missed the preceding ODI series against Australia with a split webbing on his left hand.Left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar, who had played those one-dayers, stays on – he last played a Test a year ago. Batsman Haris Sohail, who had been called up for the away Tests against South Africa in early 2013 but had to leave the tour without debuting due to an ankle injury, also makes the 16.Batsman Umar Akmal and left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, whose fitness levels were found to be wanting by the PCB in September, were left out – both had played in Pakistan’s previous Test assignment, the two Tests against Sri Lanka in August. Opener Khurram Manzoor also misses out from that squad, as do the injured Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz, and the suspended Saeed Ajmal.Pakistan play two Tests against Australia between October 22 and November 3, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Uncapped left-arm spinner Taijul Islam is among four Bangladesh players called up for the Test series in the Caribbean

Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2014Taijul Islam, the uncapped left-arm spinner, has left Dhaka on Friday evening to join the Bangladesh team in the West Indies. Tajiul as well as Robiul Islam, Shafiul Islam and allrounder Shuvagata Hom have been added to the Test squad.*Taijul is expected to arrive in time for the only Twenty20 game of the tour, and remain for the two-Test series starting next month.”As I had earlier informed Mashrafe [Mortaza] and Taskin [Ahmed] will not be playing the Test series,” chief selector Faruque Ahmed told . “They will be replaced by two other fast bowlers [Shafiul and Robiul]. Taijul has played recently in the West Indies with the Bangladesh A team where he took wickets. Shuvagata will add some strength in the middle-order.”Apart from Mashrafe and Taskin, left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak will head home early.Taijul is the season’s highest-taker in Bangladesh’s domestic cricket, taking 55 wickets at an average of 22.7. During Bangladesh A’s recent tour of the West Indies, he took nine wickets in the two four-day matches. With Shakib Al Hasan suspended and Razzak not considered a regular Test bowler, Taijul was always seen as a frontrunner for a place in the Test squad.Robiul has been Bangladesh’s Test specialist in the fast-bowling department. He hasn’t had a great year so far though, picking up just 11 wickets in five first-class games, and going wicketless in the only Test he has played this year. He has also struggled with a hamstring injury in the past 12 months.More intriguing is the decision to pick Shafiul, as he has not been in consideration for Test cricket for more than three years. He has been the 12th highest wicket-taker among quick bowlers in first-class this season, leaving many above him frustrated.Shuvagata is another interesting choice, as his all-round performance this season has been taken into consideration, and not just as a batsman. He had played four ODIs in 2011, after which he faded away from the national side. He has averaged 38 with the bat and picked up 21 wickets in the 2013-14 season, and as an allrounder he has leapfrogged Farhad Reza for a place despite Farhad being second highest-scorer in the 2013-14 first-class season and taking 15 wickets.As Faruque suggested, Shuvagata could find himself in the middle-order and expected to bowl a fair share of the overs. But it is more likely that Taijul, if he remains fit, will make his Test debut in the Caribbean.*12.00GMT, August 25: This article has been updated after the BCB confirmed the additions to the Test squad