Jesse Lingard goes full Lamine Yamal! Ex-Man Utd joins bleached blonde hair craze after taking inspiration from Barcelona wonderkid

Jesse Lingard appears to have taken inspiration from Lamine Yamal in his new look, with the ex-Manchester United star joining the blonde hair craze.

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  • Barca starlet embracing bold style
  • Not the first to sport peroxide look
  • Lingard enjoying life in South Korea
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    WHAT HAPPENED?

    Barcelona wonderkid Yamal opted to get the dye out as he showcased a bold style for the closing stages of 2024-25. His bleached do was sported while helping to get Barca over the line in a La Liga title-winning campaign.

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  • DID YOU KNOW?

    Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, who often opts for highlights in his hair, is another to have gone full peroxide over recent weeks. He was unable to prevent the Red Devils from suffering a Europa League final defeat to Tottenham.

  • THE GOSSIP

    Lingard would, given his strong ties to Old Trafford, have been an interested observer of that contest in Bilbao. The former England international is currently a long way from home as he represents South Korean outfit FC Seoul.

  • WHAT NEXT?

    The 32-year-old playmaker has a new look of his own after being given the blonde hair treatment during a photo and interview shoot for fashion magazine Men Noblesse. Lingard was initially surprised to learn of the transformation planned for him, but was soon fully on board.

Ryan Patel century guides Surrey to consolation win

Ryan Patel recorded his fourth List A century to steer Surrey to their second Metro Bank One-Day Cup victory of the season and consign Essex to the Group A wooden spoon.However, Patel’s 117 off 119 balls was not enough to help Surrey finish any higher than one place above Essex after a disappointing campaign for both counties.Patel shared partnerships of 62 with late call-up Krish Patel, 60 with Josh Blake and 51 with Conor McKerr as Surrey chased down 260 to win with a boundary off the last ball. McKerr also claimed career-best List A figures of 4 for 55 in Essex’s 259 for 9.Essex were indebted to two significant stands in reaching a slightly below-par score on a dead pitch. Beau Webster (69) and Noah Thain (63) lifted them from 79 for 4 with a fifth-wicket partnership of 109 in 24 overs, while Jamal Richards (31 not out) and Ben Allison put on 52 for the ninth wicket.There was drama before play started when captain Rory Burns twisted an ankle in the warm-up and at 10.28am Surrey had to register 17-year-old leg-spin all-rounder Krish Patel.Essex tails were up when they had Surrey’s best hope of anchoring their response, Dom Sibley, out first ball to a bottom edge and having his middle stump jagged back. But they had not factored in Ryan Patel.Josh Blake joined Patel in a 60-run partnership that took up 10 overs before picking out the square-leg boundary sweeper to give Richards a wicket in his first over. Ben Geddes followed to a catch at mid-on off Aron Nijjar.The left-handed Patel hit three fours in the first over and reached his fifty from 50 balls with a six over midwicket. But he lost Cameron Steel to a running catch at long leg off Webster.The debutant Patel joined his namesake and had revised the target to 116 off 20 overs. The lateness of his call-up did not affect his nerves and even found time to deposit Nijjar for six over long off to mark the fifty partnership. He was eventually out for a 46-ball 30, lbw going back to Nijjar.The senior Patel reached three figures with his 13th boundary, punched through extra cover, from his 102nd delivery faced. McKerr’s 20 from 24 balls kept Surrey on course before he was bowled by Webster.Patel’s 45-over innings ended when he drove Allison to Webster at short extra cover and suddenly Surrey needed 33 from six overs with three wickets in hand, then 15 from 12 balls. They lost Ealham to another Webster catch in the covers off Allison as the target rose to 13 from eight balls.A sweep off the first ball of Beard’s final over by Griffiths reduced the figure to nine off five balls, but only a single from the next two balls heightened the suspense. However, Moriarty nudged another bourndary followed by another to leave three required off the last ball. But Griffith’s drive through mid-on for four from a full-toss decided the outcome.Essex lost their first three wickets to sloppy shots inside the powerplay. Nick Browne, captaining the side in his first List A game of the season, lofted Amar Virdi straight for six but perished next ball when he chipped tamely to short mid-on.Feroze Khushi also departed after hitting Dan Moriarty’s second ball over the ropes before being stumped off a legside wide. And Luc Benkenstein became the third to fall in the first 10 overs when he chased a wide one. Charlie Allison did not last long either, dragging on against Steel to leave Essex four down and only 14 overs gone.However, that was the prelude to a steadying century stand between Webster and Thain that helped Essex out of their nosediveThain’s second six, driven straight off Tommy Ealham, brought up the hundred stand in 21 overs before the pair were back in the pavilion in the space of 13 balls, both falling to McKerr. Thain pulled to short midwicket and Webster edged a lifting ball behind.The returning Virdi grabbed two quick wickets for List A-best figures of 3 for 38 with Beard playing all around one to be lbw and Will Buttleman bowled off his pads.

The only T20 World Cup preview you need to read

Here’s the real truth about every team’s chances of winning

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Oct-2021So you’ve probably read or watched a few men’s T20 World Cup previews. Many will have been sober and informative summaries of where the teams stand. Others will have highlighted key players and tournament history. Yet more will have revealed strengths and weaknesses through elaborate data analysis.Sadly, you’ve wasted your time. They are all trash compared to this preview.

West Indies

Motto: Eyeing title No. 3.Sample dressing-room pep-talk: “Men, everyone knows what we are. We’re T20 superstars who go off and have our own epic adventures before coming together in World Cup years. Yes, we have untold batting firepower, and bowling smarts, but maybe we’re missing something. Some X-factor. When we won in 2012, it was the ‘Gangnam Style dance. In 2016, it was Dwayne Bravo’s ‘Champion’. Who’s got a single coming out this year? No one? Okay, it’s panic stations. Everyone make a call to your choreographer.” How far they will go: Probably win it.

Pakistan

Motto: We live by grievanceSample dressing-room pep talk: “Brothers, we know what’s happened. We played a tour in New Zealand, and were made fun of around the world for opening our doors for biryani without our masks on, which, they say, broke their precious quarantine rules. How did they repay us? They ran from Pakistan without even giving a reason. And we went to England when their country was basically a petri dish of disease? How did they respond? Cancelled their tour. This time, these other teams can’t run away from us. We know we have to win this tournament. We can show the world the spirit and unity of Pakistan cricket. It will be glorious. But first, obviously, play like trash for a few games. I don’t want to see any of you jokers hold a catch, and if you can fight publicly among yourselves, that would also help.” How far they will go: Predict how Pakistan will do? Yeah, I’m not falling for this again.”Everyone take this time to work on your Ashes banter. Remember, if it doesn’t prick your conscience, it’s not good enough”•Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images

Australia

Motto: Can you believe we have to play this s**t?Sample dressing-room pep talk: “Oi. Mayte. What are we even doing here? Who bloody plays cricket in the UAE? Apart from the IPL, I mean (the highest form of the game, just to be clear). And what is this utter crap about us potentially having to play a match against Bangladesh, or West Indies, or maybe even bloody Scotland? Three weeks and there’s only one match against England scheduled. And not a single scheduled game against India (the highest form of cricket team/human beings, not that it needed to be said)? Who organised this trash heap of a tour? Absolute shambles.” How far they will go: They’ll hold it together until late in the group stage, but will eventually be overcome by their disgust at having to step on to a field with a team that should not be breathing the same air.

South Africa

Motto: This is our ti… wait, why are you laughing?Sample dressing-room pep-talk: “People can say what they like, but only we know how hard we’ve worked for this. We’ve won seven matches in a row. Who’s coming in with a better lead-up than that? We’ve got one of the best quicks in the world in KP… I mean KG. And not to mention the top-ranked T20I bowler in the world in… what’s your name, brother? Shamsi – that’s the one. We even have AB. Wait, no, we don’t, do we? You know what? It’s not easy giving these pep talks fellas, everyone’s attention is on me all of a sudden. Can someone get me a glass of water? God, is it me, or is it really stuffy in here?” How far they will go: They’ll be in line for a semi-final spot. Keep the popcorn handy.”Gently guys, we don’t want to startle the batter with a loud clap, do we?”•Gareth Copley/ICC/Getty Images

New Zealand

Motto: Are you ready for a cuddle? Sample dressing-room pep talk: “Hi everyone. I’m Kane Williamson. I know I’ve been the captain of the team for five years, but I didn’t want any of you to feel as if you should automatically know who I am. I’m not that entitled. I want to thank you for pushing pause on each of your charity causes to join us here in the UAE for this tournament. Let’s just go out there, enjoy ourselves, compete hard, but when it comes to the post-match fist bumps, let’s really put the effort in to make all our opponents and their support staff feel truly seen for who they are as people.”How far they’ll get: You wouldn’t bet against them to get to the semis. You shouldn’t bet against them anyway, you monster.

Bangladesh

Motto: We’ve been trying to tell you we’re serious.Sample dressing-room pep talk: “Come on everyone. I thought we were past this. We’re big boys now. We’ve got one of the greatest short-format allrounders. We have an incredible left-arm seamer, another bowler who regularly clocks speeds of over 140kph, plus experienced batters through the middle. We should be looking down our noses at the lesser teams. We can’t be embarrassing ourselves in front of the Associates again. Big boys.” How far they will go: A group-stage exit followed by a board-ordered inquiry at home.”Virat is stepping down from captaincy to mourn my departure, that sweet boy”•Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images

India

Motto: Shastri + Kohli: Don’t cry because it’s ending. Smile because it happened.Sample dressing-room pep talk: “Boys! We’ve come to our last campaign with me in charge. It’s been quite the journey. Kohli hit his first hundred in England under my watch. It was with me at the helm that he became the fastest batter to 12,000 ODI runs. These are all things we’ve achieved together. Of course there are jealous people out there who have constantly tried to run me down as a coach, accusing me of things like being Kohli’s yes man. Don’t these idiots realise that right from the start, Virat told me I could say no to him if I wanted? But he doesn’t have an ICC trophy as captain. Let’s go out and win this for him. That’s what you want, right, skipper?” How far they will go: Losing finalists.

Sri Lanka

Motto: Would you believe it if we said we won this seven years ago?Sample dressing-room pep-talk: “Hello. Answer, will you? HELLO! This bloody phone. Always on mute. Ah, you can hear? Look, us administrators have given you players everything you could possibly need. We’ve barely badmouthed you in the press this year. We were kind enough to let you have some contracts. We even organised a domestic T20 tournament that lasted a whole two weeks. If you fellows can’t even bring back a World Cup after that kind of backing from your cricket board, you shouldn’t be calling yourselves cricketers. We’ve already booked our hotel rooms to come there for the knockouts, so don’t screw it up, ah? Goodbye! …. Oof, that call really worked up an appetite. Where’s that cake? What? Is this call still going? Useless phone never does what I want…” How far they will go: Not very.”We’ll be flying high in this World Cup, chaps. High in the sky on our way home”•Aijaz Rahi/Associated Press

England

Motto: We probably won’t quit this tour. No promises, though.Sample dressing-room pep-talk: “How’s everyone feeling? No, really, did anyone see any red flags on the way here? Geez, baggage claim at the airport was a nightmare, wasn’t it? Unacceptable. We’re doing the ICC a favour by staying on, really. And from the team bus I saw a guy in the distance just sneezing away. That’s not sanitary in this day and age. We left South Africa for less, almost. Oh dear, what was that racket? Did a bat just fall to the floor? That’s it. I’ve seen enough. Pack up, everyone. We’re out of here.”How far they will go: Depends on how real karma is.

Afghanistan

Motto: Deep existential dread Sample dressing-room pep talk: “Look, it’s time to focus on the cricket. Yes, it’s been an atrocious few months for our country. Yes, our barely functional women’s team has probably been banned from playing. Our cricket board has had its chairman replaced by the Taliban. Australia refused to play a Test against us and our series against Pakistan was postponed. And although we may be cricket’s biggest success story in the 21st century, who knows how long we’ll be allowed to continue in international cricket, and there were questions even over our involvement in this tournament, and argh, oh wow, this is a lot.” How far they will go: With any luck, upsets will be sprung.”Let’s give the big boys a fright now”•Francois Nel/ICC/Getty Images

Scotland

Motto: Eat the richSample dressing room pep talk: “Right. You all know what’s waiting for us out there. Ten Full-Member fat-cat nations, gorging themselves on their plump ICC cheques, becoming snobbier and snobbier every year. Lads, let’s get out there and show them what playing for Scotland is all about. We may not have their resources, but the fight in us is bigger… wait, hold that thought, I have to take this call. () Oh, hello there. So listen, I’m really sorry but I’m going to need another two weeks off….”How far they will go: They might juuust have one more upset in them.

Namibia

Motto: Zimbabwe who?Sample dressing room pep talk: “Who would have thought we’d make it to the Super 12? No one. But we’re here, boys. We’ve shown the world what we can do, and now it’s time to seize this moment. We’ve got a shot that we barely dared to dream about. A golden opportunity to advance Namibian cricket by light years. By which I mean the chance to get as close as possible to the South Africa players, so we can lure a bunch of them over to play for Namibia in World Cups down the line.”How far they will go: You’d hate to think they’ve won their last game.

AI tool predicts IShowSpeed would win 100m race against Mbappe, Ronaldo and Haaland

da bet esporte: IShowSpeed is one of the biggest online superstars, boasting over 40 million YouTube subscribers, while also having more than 36 million Instagram followers.

da doce: Speed’s real name is Darren Watkins Jr, and he was born Cincinnati, Ohio in January 2005. Best known for his energetic content, visiting numerous countries and athletic challenges, Speed has admitted that he wants to represent the United States of America at the 2028 Olympic Games.

He showcased his pace and shocked many after challenging Noah Lyles to a race towards the end of 2024, and Speed has admitted previously he has run a 100m time of 10.5 seconds.

But how does that rank against some of the best footballers in the world such as Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and his idol Cristiano Ronaldo?

Well, AI tool ChatGPT has estimated the 100m times of some of the quickest players past and present, and it looks as if the internet star has the beating of many.

AI predicts 100m race between footballers and IShowSpeed

Predicted time

Alphonso Davies

10.3 seconds

Gareth Bale (prime)

10.3 seconds

Adama Traore (prime)

10.4 seconds

IShowSpeed

10.5 seconds

Cristiano Ronaldo (prime)

10.6 seconds

Kylian Mbappe

10.6 seconds

Erling Haaland

10.8 seconds

Theo Hernandez

10.8 seconds

Theo Hernandez 10.8 seconds

Noted for his ‘excellent recovery speed’ by ChatGPT, Theo Hernandez is regarded as one of the quickest defenders around and is a must use for any player on EA FC 25.

The Frenchman once reportedly hit 35.7km per hour in the Champions League, but over 100m has been predicted to finish in 10.8 seconds, meaning Speed is quicker.

Erling Haaland 10.8 seconds

A machine and clinical finisher, Erling Haaland doesn’t seem real at times, using his pace and power to bully some of the best defenders around.

The Manchester City superstar wouldn’t have the better of Speed in a 100m race, though, according to Chat GPT, who say despite Haaland being excellent over 60m, he would record a 100m time of 10.8 seconds.

Kylian Mbappe 10.6 seconds

Regarded as one of the fastest forwards on the planet today, Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe wouldn’t be quick enough to beat Speed.

The Frenchman has been backed to clock a time of 10.6 seconds over 100m, so it would be close between Mbappe and Speed with the latter running out as the winner.

Cristiano Ronaldo (prime) 10.6 seconds

A race that millions across the world would like to see is Speed vs Cristiano Ronaldo.

ChatGPT states that Ronaldo clocked 96m in 10 seconds during his time at Real Madrid, but even in his prime, Speed could beat his idol by a tenth in a 100m dash.

Adama Traore (prime) 10.4 seconds

When you think of Adama Traore, you immediately think of speed and power. Traore wouldn’t look out of place in a professional 100m race, and he would pip Speed across that distance according to AI.

The former Barcelona youngster has been predicted to record a time of 10.4 seconds, just pipping the internet star.

Gareth Bale (prime) 10.3 seconds

Citing his famous sprint against Barcelona in 2014 Copa del Rey final, Speed wouldn’t have the better of a prime Gareth Bale, according to ChatGPT.

The Welshman was known for his pace during his time at Tottenham and Real Madrid, and reaching a top speed of 36.9km per hour, would finish a 100m race in 10.3 seconds.

Alphonso Davies 10.3 seconds

A player with ‘explosive acceleration’ who is ‘built like a sprinter’, Alphonso Davies would also have the better of Speed, ChatGPT says.

The Canada international actually watched the Champions League final with Speed and a real race between the pair looks set to be on the cards once the Bayern Munich star is back from injury.

تعليق غير متوقع من توني كروس على أزمة فينيسيوس جونيور في الكلاسيكو

تحدث الألماني توني كروس، لاعب ريال مدريد السابق، عن الأزمة التي نشبت بين فينيسيوس جونيور ومدربه تشابي ألونسو خلال مباراة برشلونة في كلاسيكو الدوري الإسباني.

واستضاف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة الكلاسيكو بين ريال مدريد وبرشلونة، ضمن منافسات الجولة العاشرة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”، يوم الأحد الماضي.

وتمكن ريال مدريد من حسم نتيجة المباراة بثنائية مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

وفي الدقيقة 72، قرر تشابي ألونسو خروج فينيسيوس جونيور ونزول مواطنه رودريجو، ولكن ذلك القرار لم يعجب الأول.

وأبدى فينيسيوس جونيور غضبه واستياءه من قرار تشابي ألونسو، حيث انفعل بطريقة عصبية على ذلك الإجراء، وظل يردد كلمات وهو في حالة انفعال شديد خلال خروجه.

وقال كروس، في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “سبورت”: “عندما تقدم أداءً استثنائيًا وخاصةً في مباراة كهذه، لا تشعر بالسعادة، لن يعجبني أبدًا استبدالي ولكن لأكون منصفًا لن أذهب مباشرةً إلى غرفة الملابس بعد استبدالي”.

اقرأ أيضًا | دوجاري: فينيسيوس لا يتوقف عن البكاء.. وبيريز سيبيعه

وأضاف: “يمكنك دائمًا الحكم من الخارج لكنني أود أن أذكر أنه في الواقع، لا أحد باستثناء من حضروا المباراة أمام 80 ألف متفرج والنتيجة 2-1، يدركون أنك لا تريد أي شيء سوى الرحيل”.

وأردف: “لا أحد ممن يحكمون على المباراة في النهاية يستطيع تخيل هذا الشعور أو في كثير من الأحيان، معظم من يحكمون عليها ببساطة لا يستطيعون وضع أنفسهم في مكانهم”.

واستطرد: “عندما تنظر إلى الأمر بهدوء وبعيدًا عن العواطف، قد تقول حسنًا، يمكنني كبت غضبي لفترة أطول، أفهم ذلك، لكن كما ترون من الصور، لا يبدو الوضع مثاليًا”.

وأتم: “مع ذلك أود الإشارة إلى أن التواجد في مثل هذه المباراة يُمثل حالة عاطفية استثنائية، لقد مررت بهذه التجربة مرات عديدة، لذلك ليس عليك دائمًا أن تأخذ كل شيء على محمل الجد، المدربون لا يفعلون ذلك عادةً وخاصةً أولئك الذين كانوا لاعبين سابقين”.

How Parshavi Chopra ventured from skating to googlies and found her feet in WPL

At one point, she wanted to be a fast bowler. Now she is troubling the best batters in the world with her legspin

S Sudarshanan23-Mar-2023Young Parshavi Chopra was told a few things about legspin. That she will have to risk getting hit and only then the chances of picking up wickets will rise. That it is wickets that will earn her laurels and not the low economy rate.In UP Warriorz’s game against Gujarat Giants earlier this week, Ashleigh Gardner and D Hemalatha had added 93 to keep Giants on track for a tall score. Both had displayed their range of strokes against seam and spin, but Warriorz captain Alyssa Healy trusted Chopra to bowl at the death.Chopra was part of India’s squad that won the Under-19 T20 World Cup in January this year. There she had bowled Sri Lanka’s Vishmi Gunaratne with a googly. The batter had danced down towards the off side but the ball spun past her pads to hit the stumps. But a majority of her 11 wickets in the tournament came off legbreaks.Between that World Cup and the WPL, Chopra worked on the googly and grew confident to use it more frequently.Now, bowling the 17th over of the innings against Giants, Chopra went for wickets instead of trying to stop runs. She tossed the first ball up to Hemalatha outside off. It was the wrong’un and Hemalatha didn’t pick it, holing out to long-on. On the first ball of the 19th over, her last, she once again flighted the googly to entice Gardner out of her crease and got her stumped.It was just the second appearance for Chopra in the WPL and she already left a mark on those who hadn’t watched her at the World Cup.Vishal Bhatia, her coach at Yuvraj Singh Centre of Excellence (YSCE) in Greater Noida, just outside Delhi, credits Chopra’s increased use of the googly to the target bowling sessions they had ahead of the WPL.”Before the WPL, we were working on target bowling, bowling in [various] situations, and when to use the googly,” Bhatia tells ESPNcricinfo. “She didn’t bowl the googly much in the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup. But now she is confident in bowling the googly and reading the batter well.Parshavi Chopra was the second-highest wicket-taker at the U-19 T20 World Cup•ICC/Getty Images”You can be needed in the powerplay or the death overs. We worked on what ball to use when and how to read the batter by looking at her stance. I told her that you shouldn’t play the name, but play the batter – it so happens you bowl to someone looking at their reputation – and the situation.”Chopra pursued skating in her younger days, just like Yuvraj, but was drawn to cricket listening to her father, uncle and grandfather talk. She watched the 2017 Women’s ODI World Cup on TV and wanted to don the national colours after seeing India’s narrow, heart-breaking loss to England in the final. Her father, Gaurav, identified her interest and got her enrolled in the coaching centre where Bhatia and later JP Nautiyal coached her.”I never let her compromise with her cricket but I compromised on her studies,” Gaurav says. “She was very good in her studies. But to achieve a goal or target in life, you have to focus on just that one thing. If you try and do multiple things, you won’t get as much success.”At a YSCE summer camp in 2017-18, Bhatia came across Chopra who then wanted to be a fast bowler. But given her slight build, she was encouraged to bowl legspin. Her run-up and action had to be tweaked accordingly but once that was done, and she was able to generate spin, there was no looking back.In the 2019-20 season, she picked up 20 wickets in the Women’s Under-19 One Day Tournament playing for Uttar Pradesh. During the Covid-19 lockdown, her father left no stone unturned and prepared a pitch at home for single-wicket practice with assistance from Nautiyal and inputs over video calls from Bhatia.”Her body was very flexible because of the stretching, which is part of skating,” Nautiyal says. “Her wrist position comes naturally to her. We had to work on her lines and lengths. But she grasps things quickly and works really hard for hours together.”Chopra picked up eight wickets in the Under-19 T20 Trophy in October 2022, and was then selected for the T20 Challengers and the Quadrangular Under-19 series featuring West Indies and Sri Lanka. A good show at the Under-19 T20 World Cup in South Africa led her to be picked by Warriorz at her base price of INR 10 lakh.The only girl child in the family, Chopra was fascinated after watching videos of Australia legspinner Shane Warne’s bowling. She took an immediate liking to his action and was upset for a few days after he died last year. But through her steady rise and eye-catching outings in the WPL, she is keeping the flag of legspin flying high.

Patterson resurgence continues with Australia A century

The New South Wales batter continued his impressive season as he dominated the opening day against England Lions

AAP30-Jan-2025Australia A 262 for 3 (Patterson 126*, Goodwin 70, Philippe 54*) vs England LionsFormer Test batter Kurtis Patterson further staked his claim for an international comeback after batting all day to make a superb century for Australia A.Patterson, who played the last of his two Tests in 2019, starred with an unbeaten 126 as Australia A went to stumps on day one of their clash with the England Lions at Cricket Central in Sydney on 262 for 3.Facing Test players Shoaib Bashir and Josh Tongue, Patterson arrived at the crease in the first over on Thursday after opener Tim Ward fell for a duck.Patterson will resume batting on Friday in the four-day match with Josh Philippe (54 not out).Opener Jayden Goodwin combined with Patterson for a 177-run second-wicket stand after Ward’s early dismissal.It has been a remarkable turnaround for 31-year-old Patterson, who began the summer playing grade cricket for St George after a concerning form decline cost him the New South Wales captaincy. Admitting in November he deserved to be dropped, Patterson has responded in the best possible way for NSW, and now Australia A.He has a Test average of 144, after hitting a century against Sri Lanka in Canberra in 2019. But Patterson was a victim of circumstances, not needed on Australia’s Ashes tour that year after Steven Smith and David Warner returned from their Sandpapergate bans.Australia A opted to go for a bowler-heavy XI on Thursday in the absence of Jack Edwards who had been due to captain the side, with Queensland quick Xavier Bartlett due to come in at No. 7 after Victorian allrounder Will Sutherland.

AB de Villiers – IPL's best striker and a death overs phenom

If there was any doubt about his quality as a batter, these numbers will put it all to rest

Sampath Bandarupalli19-Nov-20214:53

Vettori: de Villiers is one of the greatest players cricket has seen

1 Player to bat 50 or more innings while averaging 35-plus with a strike rate of 150-plus in T20 cricket – AB de Villiers. He scored 9424 runs across 320 innings at an average of 37.24 and a strike rate of 150.13. Graeme Hick – 1201 runs in 36 innings – is the only player other than de Villiers with more than 1000 runs at 35-plus average and 150-plus strike rate in this format.ESPNcricinfo Ltd151.68 de Villiers’ strike rate in the IPL, the highest for any batter to have faced a minimum of 2000 balls. His T20 strike rate of 150.13 is also the second-highest among the 41 players to have batted 5000-plus deliveries in this format.232.56 De Villiers’ strike rate in the death overs (17-20) in the IPL, the highest for any batter (Min: 100 balls faced). He scored 1421 runs off 611 balls in IPL death overs with 106 fours and 112 sixes. De Villiers’ strike rate in all T20s at the death reads 225.05, also the highest for any batter (where ball-by-ball data is available).Best SR at death in IPL•ESPNcricinfo Ltd8 Fifties for de Villiers coming in less than 25 balls in the IPL, the joint-most for any player. David Warner and Kieron Pollard also have eight fifties coming in fewer than 25 deliveries.Related

'That flame no longer burns so brightly' – AB de Villiers retires from all cricket

de Villiers 'took the game to another level single-handedly'

AB de Villiers: 'I am going to be an RCB-ian for life'

179.1 de Villiers’ strike rate when he walked in to bat in the IPL after the 10th over, the highest among the batters with 300 runs or more in these situations. de Villiers scored 1175 runs at an average of 39.1 when he came in to bat after the 10th over. No other batter among the 59 to score 300 or more runs averaged better.124 Runs scored by de Villiers in the IPL against Lasith Malinga, the leading wicket-taker in the league. He scored those runs from only 61 balls while being dismissed just once. De Villiers’ strike rate of 203.27 against Malinga is the third-highest for any batter off a bowler in the IPL (min: 100 runs).AB de Villiers vs Lasith Malinga in IPL•ESPNcricinfo Ltd22 Fifty-plus scores for de Villiers coming at a 200-plus strike rate in T20s, only behind Pollard (31) and Chris Gayle (29). In terms of the highest percentage of fifty-plus scores at a 200-plus strike rate in T20s, de Villiers’ 30.1% is second only to Pollard’s 54.4% (among the players with at least 50 fifty-plus scores).25 Player-of-the-Match awards for de Villiers in the IPL, the most for anyone in the league. In all T20s, he had 42 such awards which are the second-most in the format, behind Gayle (60).3175 T20 partnership runs for de Villiers with Virat Kohli, the highest for any pair in this format. The Royal Challengers Bangalore duo shared a record ten 100-run partnerships, including two double-ton stands, the top two for any wicket in the IPL.

Advantage Antonio Conte? Napoli exact 'revenge' on Nottingham Forest as they target €20m star

Napoli may be about to exact a "small revenge" on Nottingham Forest after missing out on forward Dan Ndoye.

Nottingham Forest eye €20m signingBeat Napoli to one transferCould lose out in anotherFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to journalist Ciro Venerato on RAI, via Napoli Magazine, Forest, Wolves, and Napoli have been vying to sign Sevilla star Juanlu Sanchez. Although Forest have reportedly offered €20m (£17.3m) for the 21-year-old, Venerato claims that the player either wants to join Conte's team or stay in Spain. This comes just over a week after Napoli target Dan Ndoye joined Nuno Espirito Santo's side in a deal worth up to £34m ($46m). 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'A SMALL REVENGE'

Venerato said on the matter: "Sevilla received an excellent offer from Nottingham Forest (who beat out Wolverhampton) of close to €20 million. But they recently had to deal with the player’s extremely tough position. Juanlu Sanchez was peremptory. Either Sevilla sells him to Napoli, or he stays in Spain! There’s no middle ground. Now that Napoli have decided to make the move, the player is fully committed. Nottingham are out. A small revenge for the Neapolitans, after the English side prevailed over the Campanian side for the Bolognese player Ndoye."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite talk of a "small revenge", Fabrizio Romano reports that Sevilla have rejected Napoli's €17m (£14.7m) offer for Juanlu, so a switch to the Serie A champions is far from certain. He adds that the Spanish team wants €20m plus a sell-on clause – something Wolves have 'already offered'.

@sevillafcWHAT NEXT?

The extremely versatile Juanlu – who can play at right-back, as a central midfielder, or as a winger – is likely to be the subject of more transfer bids from these teams ahead of the summer window shutting in just over three weeks.

Champions Trophy: PCB wants an explanation in writing from India for refusal to travel

The PCB’s stance remains unchanged, stating there is “no chance” of a hybrid model for the tournament

Osman Samiuddin12-Nov-2024

Pakistan had travelled to India for the ODI World Cup last year•Getty Images

The PCB has written to the ICC and asked them to provide a written confirmation from the BCCI that they are unable to play the Champions Trophy in Pakistan, as well as giving a reason for it.The PCB was told last Friday by the ICC that the BCCI has not been given permission by the Indian government for the Indian team to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, scheduled to be played across three venues in Pakistan from February 9. But the PCB wants it in writing from the BCCI that they are unable to attend, as well as the justification for it.That ICC communication came three days before what would’ve been the official launch event for the tournament in Lahore, starting a 100-day countdown. Instead, the event has been postponed, with uncertainty now swirling around the eight-team tournament.Related

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The PCB’s stance at the moment remains unchanged: the entire tournament will be played in Pakistan with a senior PCB official reiterating to ESPNcricinfo there is “no chance” of a hybrid model being considered. Such a model, used once for the Asia Cup in 2023, would allow India to play their games outside of Pakistan. There has been speculation about the UAE being used as a second venue in this instance but the PCB has unequivocally ruled that out. The tournament is scheduled to be played in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi between February 19 and March 9.As well as that stance, there is also a growing realisation that with the Pakistan government now involved, any decisions on hosting and hybrid models may not be driven by the PCB but will be firmly in the government’s hands.One of the reasons the PCB is standing firm at the moment is because they feel aggrieved by events last year. After they were forced to use a hybrid model in hosting the Asia Cup, Pakistan agreed to travel to India for the World Cup. That decision was taken after consultation with the government and permission was ultimately granted – despite considerable opposition – on the hope that it would lead to India reciprocating by visiting for the Champions Trophy.The same government remains in place in Pakistan and Mohsin Naqvi, a senior figure within it as the country’s interior minister, is now the PCB chairman.The PCB has also pointed out that the tournament was awarded to Pakistan three years ago and no objection was raised at the time, or has been raised since. The PCB is believed to have provided a progress report at the ICC’s board meetings in October including the intention to go ahead with the 100-day launch event on November 11, with no concerns raised.The ICC has been approached for comment.