Rivarly renewed: Man Utd & Barcelona's most memorable matches

The two clubs are set to meet in continental competition for the first time since 2019 and history suggests there will be fireworks…

The inevitable happened following Manchester United's failure to finish top of Europa League Group E, with a heavyweight tie against Champions League dropouts Barcelona confirmed during Monday's knockout round play-off draw.

Two of the world's biggest clubs, who boast eight European Cup wins between them, will clash over two legs in February for a place in the last 16, with the winners already being touted as champions-elect.

Barca edge their head-to-record, having won six games to United's three, while four of their meetings have ended in draws, only one of which was a 0-0 stalemate.

Their upcoming meeting will be the first on a Europa League stage, which shows how far they have both fallen in recent years, but there will still be plenty of top talent on display and an intriguing touchline duel to keep an eye on between Erik ten Hag and Xavi.

The question is, will this United vs Barca tie be able to rival any of those from the past?

Below, GOAL provides a recap of their most memorable battles, from a classic at Old Trafford to a masterclass at Wembley from a certain Lionel Messi…

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    Man Utd 3-0 Barcelona | Cup Winners' Cup | 1984

    The memory of United overturning a two-goal semi-final deficit against Barca in the second leg of their 1983-84 Cup Winners' Cup campaign ranks among the fondest for the club's die-hard supporters, and for good reason.

    United stormed to a 3-0 win as they completely overwhelmed the Blaugrana at Old Trafford, with Bryan Robson scoring twice and Frank Stapleton also getting in on the act.

    Argentina legend Diego Maradona was essentially reduced to a spectator as Ron Atkinson's side executed the perfect gameplan, with Robson rightly grabbing most of the plaudits after a career-defining display.

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    Man Utd 2-1 Barcelona | Cup Winners’ Cup | 1991

    May 15, 1991 – the night Sir Alex Ferguson's technically inferior Manchester United side battled their way to a 2-1 victory over Barcelona's 'Dream Team' in Rotterdam to claim the Cup Winners' Cup.

    Then-Blaugrana boss Johan Cruyff famously argued the English outfit had "played the British game" to secure victory in his native Netherlands.

    But the Dutchman's bitter words only sweetened the success for Ferguson, who had secured a first European trophy for United in 23 years thanks to two goals from a former Barca player, Mark Hughes.

    Robson was the architect of both goals to cap another stellar all-round display as the underdogs held on for victory despite a late own goal from Les Sealey.

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    Barcelona 3-3 Man Utd | Champions League | 1998

    United were involved in a number of titanic tussles during their run to the treble in 1998-99, but few were more dramatic than their second 3-3 draw against Barca in the Champions League group stage.

    The two teams somehow topped a thrilling first meeting at Old Trafford as they shared another six goals, with Barca crashing out of the competition despite the best efforts of a seemingly super-human Rivaldo.

    The Brazilian scored two equalisers, hit the bar from 30 yards and produced a superb near-assist for Giovanni late on in a performance for the ages, but United ultimately went through alongside Bayern and went on to lift the trophy with a famous final win over the Germans at Camp Nou.

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    Man Utd 1-0 Barcelona | Champions League | 2008

    United also met Barca on their way to their second European Cup success under Ferguson, but this time it was defence that trumped attack as Messi & Co were kept quiet over two legs.

    After earning a 0-0 draw at Camp Nou, the Red Devils took an early lead at home thanks to an absolutely sensational 25-yard strike from Paul Scholes that flew past Victor Valdes and into the top right corner of the net.

    Barca dominated possession thereafter, but could find no way past a stubborn United rear-guard marshalled brilliantly by Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown, who gave a career-best performance after deputising for the injured Nemanja Vidic.

Marta será tema de escola de samba neste sábado no Carnaval do Rio

MatériaMais Notícias

O talento de Marta renderá samba na Série A (grupo de acesso) do Carnaval do Rio de Janeiro. A Inocentes de Belford Roxo reverenciará a dimensão da história de vida da “Rainha” no samba-enredo “Marta do Brasil – Chorar no Começo Para Sorrir no Fim”.

– O fator principal é que ela representa a garra e a força da mulher brasileira, que sonha com uma vida mais digna e com um futuro melhor. A vida dela é um.exemplo para todos os brasileiros. Lutou contra a pobreza, contra o preconceito e até contra as adversidades climáticas. Hoje é embaixadora da ONU Mulheres pelo seu engajamento na batalha contra as desigualdades. Eleita seis vezes pela Fifa a melhor jogadora do mundo. fez da sua chuteira e seu talento as suas principais armas – declarou Reginaldo Gomes, presidente da agremiação.

Carnavalesco da escola de samba localizada na Baixada Fluminense, Jorge Caribé não esconde seu entusiasmo em levar para a avenida a história da camisa 10.

– É uma grande felicidade para nós falarmos de uma mulher vencedora, contar sua trajetória desde o início de vida no Nordeste até a forma como Marta foi alcançando os degraus da fama. Vamos levar muitas coisas positivas para o nosso Carnaval deste ano – disse, ao LANCE!.

De acordo com Caribé, o desfile da Inocentes de Belford Roxo também abrirá espaço para as causas que Marta abraçou com o passar de sua carreira.

– A gente trará um setor homenageando a busca por uma igualdade salarial entre as mulheres e os homens no futebol. Outro setor dará espaço à sua luta contra a homofobia e o preconceito – detalhou.

O carnavalesco também confirmou que o desfile trará presenças ilustres na Marquês de Sapucaí:

– A Pia (Sundhage), técnica da Marta na Seleção, estará presente. E, claro, não poderiam faltar colegas da Marta que a acompanharam em todo este tempo no futebol.

Na véspera do desfile, a camisa 10 esteve no barracão da escola de samba, em Belford Roxo, e acompanhou os últimos preparativos da Inocentes antes do desfile. A relação de Marta com a escola já vem de longa data.

– Quando estava iniciando sua carreira no Vasco (em 2000), ela veio aqui várias vezes. Ao lado da colega de equipe Carol Carioca, jogava nos campos de várzea em Belford Roxo e sambava na Inocentes – disse o presidente da escola de samba, Reginaldo Gomes para, em seguida, ser categórico sobre a “Rainha”:

– Ela é a heroína dos novos tempos – completou.

A Inocentes de Belford Roxo será a segunda escola a desfilar na noite deste sábado na Marquês de Sapucaí. A segunda noite de desfiles da Série A será aberta pela Acadêmicos do Sossego.

‘QUANDO OUÇO O ENREDO, ME EMOCIONA’, DIZ MARTA

A visita de Marta ao barracão da Inocentes de Belford Roxo já deu o tom do que a jogadora espera. Enquanto observava as alegorias feitas pela escola, a “Rainha” contou o que deve sentir na Marquês de Sapucaí.

– Vou ficar desidratada de tanto chorar, porque toda vez que ouço o enredo me emociona – afirmou, ao “Extra”.

A escolha de Marta como enredo da escola da Baixada Fluminense partiu de Carol Carioca, ex-colega de clube da “Rainha”. A Inocentes começou a planejar o tema para o Carnaval deste ano a partir do segundo semestre de 2019.

‘RAINHA’ REPRESENTADA EM OUTRA ESCOLA

A homenagem a Marta não ficou restrita à Inocentes de Belford Roxo. Última escola a desfilar na noite da sexta-feira passada, o Império Serrano dedicou uma ala à “Rainha”. A agremiação leva para a Marquês de Sapucaí o enredo “Lugar de Mulher É Onde Ela Quiser”.

O carnavalesco Júnior Pernambucano destacou o que foi crucial para colocar a jogadora de futebol no desfile da escola de Madureira.

– Marta traz a imagem de uma mulher empoderada. Ela superou desafios, alcançou o sucesso no futebol, conseguiu superar preconceitos e, hoje, é reconhecida no mundo todo. Sem dúvida, é um grande exemplo tanto para as mulheres quanto para todos nós – declarou, ao LANCE!, antes do desfile.

O Império Serrano passou pela avenida marcado por uma sucessão de falhas. Em sua ala, as baianas desfilaram sem saias. A presidente da escola,Vera Lúcia Corrêa, deixou a Marquês de Sapucaí antes do fim do desfile e anunciou que deixará a Imperio.

Narine 2.0 hasn't lost his old magic – Hogg

Sunil Narine will rejoin Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday evening after a brief visit back home to Trinidad and Tobago following the death of his father. Narine will be available for selection for Knight Riders’ second fixture on Wednesday, against Mumbai Indians at Eden Gardens.Narine, who opted out of the 2016 World Twenty20 to work on his remodelled action, underwent testing at the ICC-accredited centre in Chennai before joining his IPL team-mates in Kolkata, but had to rush back home on April 3. His action was deemed legal by the ICC on April 7, two days before the start of this year’s IPL.Brad Hogg, Knight Riders’ other lead spinner, who addressed the pre-match press conference on Tuesday, insisted a change in action has had little impact on Narine’s control and mastery. “It is good having Sunil V 2.0,” Hogg said. “It is just a confidence thing with Sunil. I remember taking some balls from him.”I struggled to pick it from the hand. He was bowling the or I thought it was going the other way and I looked like a complete idiot as the ball went to the boundary past me,” Hogg said rolling his eyes to the left to indicate the ball sliding down the leg side. “His action was perfect. And he was still bowling the balls we see out in the middle. We know that he can do it legitimately.”Hogg, who took three wickets in Knight Riders’ nine-wicket win in their tournament opener against Delhi Daredevils, said Narine’s return would mean a tussle for spots, but insisted it was a healthy rivalry.”We put pressure on each other with the ball. It is competitive and respectful competition between us,” he said. “He is a class bowler. He has been sorely missed. As individuals we train hard. We want to be able to be on the park. But it is a team. If I am not playing and he takes my spot, I have to create the energy which I quite have in the change room to make sure everyone is up for the challenge.”

All-round Matthews leads West Indies to series win

Hayley Matthews’ all-round performance led West Indies women to a nine-wicket win against Sri Lanka in Colombo, to wrap up the three-match T20 series 2-1

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2015
ScorecardHayley Matthews took 4 for 10 and scored an unbeaten 32•Cricket Australia

A splendid all-round performance by Hayley Matthews helped West Indies women wrap up the three-match T20 series 2-1, after they had lost the first game. Matthews’ 4 for 10 helped restrict Sri Lanka to 74, before she scored an unbeaten 32 to ensure a nine-wicket win in the series decider in Colombo.Sri Lanka struggled from the start, losing wickets at regular intervals. Anisa Mohammed started the slide with two wickets in consecutive balls in the second over. Only Chamari Atapattu, who top-scored with 43, and Chathurani Gunawardene(10) reached double figures.In the chase, West Indies lost only one wicket as they hunted down the target of 75 with 52 balls to spare. Stafanie Taylor and Matthews put on 74 for the first wicket, before Taylor was caught for 38. Seven bowlers were used by Sri Lanka in 11.2 overs, with only Inoka Ranaweera taking a wicket.

Guptill's 237 drives New Zealand into semi-final


Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

A double-century in a one-day international is not quite passé, but has become more common than ever seemed possible. A double-century in a World Cup quarter-final? is something truly special. Martin Guptill’s unbeaten 237 was the highest World Cup score of all time and the second-highest in all ODIs, but most importantly it ensured New Zealand’s progression to the World Cup semi-finals for the seventh time.Nobody in the partisan crowd in Wellington will ever forget Guptill’s innings. Nor will Marlon Samuels, who in the first over of the match grassed Guptill at square leg. It is hard to imagine a costlier one-day drop, for Guptill went on to score 60% of New Zealand’s 393 for 6. To add to the hurt, Samuels later fell to the most brilliant of catches, when a backpedalling Daniel Vettori at third man leapt and pinched a one-hander above his head that would have gone for six.It was that sort of day for New Zealand. Buoyed by the home support, they did just about everything right. West Indies kept up with the run-rate, just not the preservation rate required. They limped past Guptill’s individual tally at nine wickets down, and were bowled out for 250 in the 31st over. Trent Boult had done the damage by claiming four wickets in his opening spell.Chris Gayle pummelled 61 off 33 balls and provided some evening entertainment. Stiff with a bad back, Gayle dealt almost exclusively in boundaries. He struck eight sixes and two fours, and his innings was the most one-sided thing in a one-sided game: only one of his runs came through off. But he was bowled by Adam Milne for what was but a cameo compared to Guptill.Guptill had faced the first ball of New Zealand’s innings and the last. He played proper cricket shots, premeditating little but punishing the West Indies bowlers when they offered up half-volleys. He saw off 65 dot balls, respecting the good ones and making the most of the others. He brought up his 200 with a powerful crunch down the ground for four off Andre Russell from his 152nd delivery.It was fitting, for throughout his innings Guptill’s straight driving was so impressive you’d think he’d just had a wheel alignment. Guptill basked in the standing ovation, knowing that this was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. When he had moved past 171, he had the highest World Cup score by a New Zealander, beating Glenn Turner’s effort in their very first World Cup match back in 1975.Guptill’s 163-ball innings featured 24 fours and 11 sixes, and he alone scored 92 of New Zealand’s 153 in the final ten overs. In the 50th over he even launched a six onto the roof. New Zealand knew they had the ingredients for a show-stopping product: a huge home crowd, a good pitch, a toss won, a shaky opposition attack. But Guptill cooked up something that spilled out of the Cake Tin entirely.He scored freely throughout his innings but not surprisingly the flow of runs became an inexorable current during the late stages. His first half-century came off 64 balls and his hundred from 111. Do the maths and you’ll realise that means his second hundred came from 41 deliveries. Wherever West Indies pitched it in the final ten over, Guptill had a six waiting for them.This was a man at the peak of his powers: his 105 against Bangladesh in the previous game was just a warm-up. And though he scored 195 more than his nearest team-mate, he had plenty of support. The most prolific partnership was his 143-run stand with Ross Taylor for the third wicket; Taylor scored only 42 of those runs as he nudged the ball around for ones and twos.In fact, the run out of Taylor arguably came at the perfect time for New Zealand, as it allowed Corey Anderson and then Grant Elliott to come in and find the boundary. Elliott’s 27 off 11 balls was a fine cameo and his half-century partnership with Guptill came from only 15 legal balls. Jerome Taylor got rid of Elliott and Luke Ronchi at the end, but Elliott and Ronchi were not the problem.The West Indian effort in the field was listless. Samuels’ dropped chance was the stand-out, but the first ball of the game was ominous: Jason Holder and Sulieman Benn both lethargically pursued Guptill’s straight drive. They could have saved the boundary, but didn’t. West Indies became more disheartened as the innings wore on, and more mistakes were made.Really, they’d have needed to do everything right after losing the toss. The first wicket was encouraging, as Holder lived up to his name by running away with the flight from mid-off and clinging on to a super catch to get rid of Brendon McCullum for 12. New Zealand were 27 for 1, but from there not much went West Indies’ way.Guptill and Kane Williamson put on 62 for the second wicket before Williamson drove Russell’s slower ball to a juggling Gayle at cover for 33. But as long as Guptill was there West Indies – and a whole bunch of ODI and World Cup records – were anything but safe.The result means New Zealand will host South Africa at Eden Park on Tuesday, a meeting that guarantees a first-time finalist at this World Cup. New Zealand have reached semi-finals at six previous World Cups but have yet to emerge from one victorious. In form and at home, they may never have a better chance.

Fábio pega pênalti, revelação marca e Cruzeiro vence o Vasco no Mineirão

MatériaMais Notícias

O pênalti batido por Yago Pikachu, defendido por Fábio no início do segundo tempo, definiu o destino do Vasco no Mineirão, neste domingo. Em partida válida pela 17ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Cruz-maltino teve uma boa atuação, mas, ao perder a chance de abrir o placar, viu a Raposa – em reação desde a chegada de Rogério Ceni, vencer por 1 a 0 com gol de Maurício – que marcou seu primeiro gol como profissional. O resultado deixa a equipe carioca na 15ª posição, com 20 pontos. Os mineiros ficam uma posição atrás, a quatro pontos da zona da degola.

O Vasco volta a campo no próximo sábado, às 11h, contra o Bahia, em São Januário. Os mineiros – que se distanciam da zona da degola – por sua vez, têm dois gaúchos em sequência: na quarta-feira, enfrenta o Internacional, em Porto Alegre, por uma vaga na final da Copa do Brasil, e no domingo, recebe o Grêmio, no Mineirão, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.

TABELA
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Início azul
Na tentativa de confirmar a reação desde a chegada de Ceni, com uma escalação ofensiva, a Raposa começou espremendo o Vasco em campo. Marquinhos Gabriel, com apenas 44 segundos de jogo, finalizou com perigo, e depois chegou a marcar com um bonito toque de cobertura, mas estava impedido. Thiago Neves, com uma cabeçada rasante, tirou tinta da trave.

Vasco cresce
O gás inicial do Cruzeiro acabou rápido, o time carioca encaixou na parte defensiva e cresceu em campo. Com a bola rolando, o Cruz-maltino não conseguiu levar grande perigo, mas teve boas chances com Barcellos em cobranças de falta. Cadenciando o jogo e acelerando na hora certa, o Vasco terminou o primeiro tempo com seis finalizações, uma a mais que os donos da casa.

Sempre ele!
O Gigante da colina seguiu rondando a área cruzeirense na etapa final e fez por merecer o pênalti de Fabrício Bruno em Yago Pikachu, aos cinco minutos. O lateral vascaíno bateu firme no canto direito de Fábio, que voou para defender sua 20ª penalidade pelo Cruzeiro com bola ‘rolando’. Foi a segunda cobrança seguida perdida pelo camisa 22.

Pênalti fez falta
O Vasco sentiu a oportunidade desperdiçada e viu o time celeste ganhar confiança. Fred, que entrou no segundo tempo, assustou Fernando Miguel. O gol, porém, veio dos pés de outro jogador que saiu do banco. Aos 34, o meia Maurício, de 19 anos, recebeu de David na área e fuzilou o gol do Vasco, marcando seu primeiro gol como profissional. Os cariocas ensaiaram uma pressão, mas, sem forçaS, amargaram a derrota fora de casa.

RelacionadasVascoYago Pikachu não esconde tristeza por pênalti perdido e diz: ‘Continuarei trabalhando forte’Vasco01/09/2019VascoLuxa lamenta derrota, mas passa confiança aos atletas: ‘Esse é o elenco’Vasco01/09/2019VascoFernando Miguel sai em defesa de Pikachu: ‘Também é passível de erros’Vasco01/09/2019

FICHA TÉCNICA
CRUZEIRO 1 X 0 VASCO

Estádio: Mineirão, em Belo Horizonte (MG)
Data-hora: 1º de setembro de 2019, às 19h
Árbitro: Marcelo Aparecido Ribeiro de Souza (PB) – Nota L!: 6,0 – Acertou em lances capitais, mas parou muito o jogo
Assistentes: Bruno Boschilia (Fifa/PR) e Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis (Fifa/SP)
Árbitro de vídeo: Wagner Reway (Fifa/PB)
Público e renda: não divulgado.
Gramado: Bom
Cartões amarelo: Robinho, Henrique, Marquinhos Gabriel (CRU); Raul, Talles, Rossi (VAS)
Cartões vermelhos: não houve.

GOLS: Mauricio, 34’/2ºT

CRUZEIRO
Fábio; Orejuela, Dedé, Fabrício Bruno, Egídio; Henrique e Robinho (Ederson, 40’/2ºT); Marquinhos Gabriel, Thiago Neves (Mauricio, 21’/2ºT), David e Pedro Rocha (Fred, 15’/2ºT). Técnico: Rogério Ceni

VASCO
Fernando Miguel; Yago Pikachu, O. Henríquez, Ricardo e Danilo Barcellos; Richard, Raul e Marcos Júnior; Rossi (Tiago Reis, 31’/2ºT), Marrony (Fellipe Bastos, 32’/2ºT) e Talles (Valdívia, 27’/2ºT). Técnico: Vanderlei Luxemburgo

متجاهلًا محمد صلاح.. لويس دياز يختار فريق أحلامه من ليفربول

تجاهل جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، لويس دياز، زميله الهداف، محمد صلاح، ضمن لاعبي فريق أحلامه من الريدز.

ويلعب دياز مع ليفربول منذ يناير 2022، لكنه أثبت جدارته مع المدرب يورجن كلوب وأصبح لاعبًا أساسيًا مع الفريق الإنجليزي خاصة بعد رحيل، ساديو ماني.

ولكن لم يختار الكولومبي ضمن فريقه محمد صلاح رغم تألقه على مدار آخر 6 سنوات بقميص ليفربول وتسجيله العديد من الأهداف وصناعة بعضها الآخر.

اقرأ أيضًا.. جماهير ليفربول تعلق على استبدال محمد صلاح أمام سانت جيلواز: نحتاجه أمام برايتون

وظهر لويس دياز عبر قناة “JD Football” على منصة “TikTok”، واختار: “أليسون، فيرجيل فان دايك، ستيفن جيرارد، شيردان شاكيري وكيني دالجليش”.

ولعب دياز مع ليفربول منذ وصوله من بورتو 56 مباراة، سجل خلالها 14 هدفًا وصنع 9 أهداف أخرى في جميع البطولات المحلية والأوروبية.

الجدير بالذكر أن صفقة دياز كانت قد كلفت ليفربول قبل عامين تقريبًا 47 مليون يورو لتدعيم مركز الجناح الأيسر.

Scotland crushed by Elliott, Watling tons

ScorecardBJ Watling and Grant Elliott both struck hundreds in Ayr•Donald MacLeod/Cricket Scotland

Hundreds from Grant Elliott and BJ Watling powered New Zealand A to a comprehensive victory in Ayr, as Scotland, without a number of their top-order batsmen, succumbed in the first of three matches.Scotland had started well with the ball but lost the plot at the back end of the innings, conceding nearly 150 runs in the last ten overs as Watling and Elliott piled on the misery. In reply the home side never threatened, with only Richie Berrington and David Murphy displaying any fluency with the bat.Without eight regulars due to injury and county commitments, including captain Kyle Coetzer, Scotland were forced to field a weakened side, handing a debut to 21-year-old Gordon Munsey; by contrast, the New Zealand A side featured six players with Test match experience.Having won his first toss as Scotland captain, Matt Machan would have been delighted with the way his bowlers started, removing both openers inside the first ten, including in-form Hamish RutherfordAfter the seamers’ hard work, it was the introduction of spin from the Cottage End that broke the third-wicket partnership, when Dean Brownlie chopped the third ball of Majid Haq’s first over on to his leg stump; seam struck an over later when Evans trapped Daryl Mitchell lbw to leave New Zealand A 92 for 4.However, as the sun and stiff breeze dried the pitch, batting got easier and easier. Both Machan and Michael Leask were deposited over the boundary by Colin de Grandhomme, and had he not missed a straight one off Haq the No. 6 might have caused some real damage. But for Scotland, the worst was yet to come.Once Elliott reached an obdurate fifty, he accelerated alongside Watling, who batted with total ease. Their partnership was eventually worth 185 from 19 overs. Elliott scored his second half-century off 26 balls, while Watling’s second came off just 13, as they battered Safyaan Sharif’s final three overs for 57 runs. Still 20 short of his hundred, Watling mistimed the ball over mid-off but Machan, running back, never quite settled under it; the drop seemed inevitable, as did defeat even at that point.If Scotland’s bowling was ultimately sub-par, their batting was dire. From the moment Hamish Gardiner became the first of Matt Henry’s four victims, Scotland never looked like threatening the target of 348. There were bright patches for Grant Bradburn, Scotland’s coach, to focus on: Munsey looked at ease with the pace and bite of the attack until he played a loose drive and Berrington once again showed form with the bat, although by the time he got into his groove the game was well done. In truth, it had the feel of a square practice for both sides after Henry and Scott Kuggeleijn blew away the top order.”The first 35 overs, we bowled well, we fielded well, and then we let it get away from us,” Bradburn said. “We’ve got a lot of high-level cricket between now and the World Cup, and we have to try and improve those skills, and try and be comfortable chasing. At the moment, we’re more comfortable setting than chasing, and we have to be able to do both. We have the skills to go out and chase big scores, but what we need is the belief.”

Need to try players before World Cup – Raina

Suresh Raina, the India captain, was swift to defend the squad he has been charged with for the three ODIs against Bangladesh

Alagappan Muthu in Dhaka14-Jun-2014Suresh Raina, the India captain, was swift to defend the squad he has been charged with for the three ODIs against Bangladesh. Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu and Amit Mishra are the only ones in the squad to have played in India’s last 50-over game against a Full Member, but Raina stressed the selectors had to consider India’s calendar ahead.”I don’t think they took the series lightly. The England tour is coming up and so few of the players are rested,” Raina said. “If you look at the side, all the players have done well in the IPL and first-class cricket. The World Cup is coming up and you need to try a lot of players. I think it is a good opportunity for youngsters to do really well in this series and see how it goes in upcoming matches.”I think the Bangladesh captain said we are coming with the A team. We are playing between two countries. It’s really important for us to play fearless cricket. A lot of our players have done really well and I think the series is a good platform, to cement their places in the team.”And there are vacancies to be targeted. India look settled at the top of an innings, but the middle order is far from decided. The space between Virat Kohli at No.3 and MS Dhoni at No. 6 courts several contenders. Cheteshwar Pujara will try to convince the selectors of his fluency in limited-overs cricket. Raina will look to regain some trust after a lean spell. Ajinkya Rahane will want to mend his iffy strike-rate of 68.78 in 10 innings batting between Nos. 3 and 7. Ambati Rayudu will hunt for the innings that makes people stand up and take notice and Manoj Tiwary will need to prove his fitness as much as his talent.During a practice session, Duncan Fletcher, the coach, conveyed he would like five minutes with all the new guys. Two of them were in the middle of batting practice. Kedar Jadhav, another contender in the middle-order scrum, was having good success smothering a spinner, a healthy skill to manoeuvre runs without taking too much risk. Beside him, Tiwary was punching through the covers and lofting down the ground. Clarity at the crease was what he wanted – going right back or right forward.”When I was out of the squad, it was because of my knee injury and not poor form,” Tiwary had said. “Just before that I had scored a hundred for India A against Australia. So once I was match-fit, I knew my time would come.” His belief has paid off, but the management will now demand performance. After two years in the wilderness due to a spate of injuries, he will want that for himself.In the adjoining net, Pujara was trying to gain a leg up in the race, polishing his bowling skills. He ran up sedately and landed a loopy legspinner on middle and off. As the batsman defended, Pujara willed his wrists to impart greater rip. He got back to his mark and the process continued – the odd and exaggerated roll of the wrist and flighted deliveries on middle – until the end of training.Pujara has been eager to assist India’s plans for 2015 and had advertised an interest in bowling to help gain a permanent spot in the XI. His control was promising but not threatening and the effort he put in epitomised what his captain desired.”Some players are coming back to the Indian team, some are getting their chance to play. It’s important to stick to together,” Raina said. “It is a short tour for us, seven days, three one-dayers and no gaps in between. You have to plan very well and work really hard.”The lure of a defining World Cup performance had been party to curtailing Jacques Kallis’ Test career. VVS Laxman’s regret over not being able to participate in one is also common knowledge. All 15 players were mindful of avoiding that situation, even as the afternoon sun blazed away.

Srinivasan to attend ICC meeting in Dubai

N Srinivasan will attend the ICC executive board meeting, to be held in Dubai on April 9 and 10, in his capacity as a BCCI “representative”

Amol Karhadkar08-Apr-2014Despite having been sidelined from BCCI affairs following a Supreme Court directive, N Srinivasan will attend the ICC executive board meeting, to be held in Dubai on April 9 and 10, in his capacity as a BCCI “representative.” While BCCI interim president Shivlal Yadav said he has “no comment on this” and secretary Sanjay Patel didn’t respond to queries, a senior BCCI official confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Srinivasan “will attend the ICC Board meeting”.While splitting the BCCI presidency between Sunil Gavaskar (IPL affairs) and Yadav for other issues, the two-judge bench of the Supreme Court had declined to pass an order in relation to Srinivasan’s role in ICC affairs, saying it was an “internal” matter of the BCCI.In normal practice, the BCCI president is inducted onto the ICC board as a Director while the secretary attends the ICC Chief Executives Committee meetings. At every Annual General Meeting (AGM), it is the BCCI president who nominates the Board’s representative at ICC meetings. At the last BCCI held in Chennai on September 29, 2013, it is understood the issue of an ICC representative had been discussed and it was verbally decided that “Srinivasan will continue to be in the (ICC) executive board and Patel in the CEC.” The minutes of the AGM have, however, not yet been circulated among the BCCI members.Srinivasan’s position in the ICC, as one of its directors, can be questioned under various ICC regulations in the light of the Supreme Court observations and orders around the BCCI’s handling of the IPL 2013 corruption case. In theory, any member can raise questions pertaining to two clauses in the ICC’s constitution – firstly, Clause 2.1 of ICC’s code of ethics which states that “Directors shall not engage in any conduct that in any way denigrates the ICC or harms its public image.” Under clause 4.11 (F) of the ICC’s constitution, an ICC director can be removed as a member of the Executive Board by notice given to him and executed by not less than two thirds of the members of the Executive Board on any one of the following grounds:”(1) he is guilty of any dishonesty, gross misconduct or wilful neglect of duty (whether by act or omission); or (2) in the reasonable opinion of the Executive Board, he commits (whether by act or omission) any act which brings or would tend to bring the Council into disrepute; or (3) he conducts himself in a manner materially adverse to the interests of the Council.”The ICC has remained tightlipped over the issue ever since India’s Supreme Court directive had Srinivasan removed from his official position, repeatedly saying, it has “no comments at this stage.” Other than merely attending the meetings this week, Srinivasan’s involvement in the ICC extends towards taking over as its first chairman in June this year. Under the new ICC constitutional amendments to be made this June, “the initial chairman of the ICC… shall be the nominee on the ICC Board of the BCCI (or nominees of the BCCI if the original nominee is replaced by the BCCI as its nominee on the ICC Board during this period.”)The BCCI remains confident that not only have they acquired the apex court’s approval for Srinivasan to continue with his ICC responsibilities but also that there will be no protest from within the ICC Board itself towards the ICC chairmanship.An ECB spokesman said the issue of Srinivasan attending the meeting had, “nothing to do with us.” The terms of reference required for anyone to sit on the Board, he said, “is that they are a nomination from their home board. The ECB have no role to play in that decision. It is a matter for the BCCI who attends an ICC meeting.”Hours after the Supreme Court order, Patel had said that Srinivasan will remain BCCI’s representative at the ICC. Since then, the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) has requested the ICC to sideline Srinivasan from the executive board and to not allow him to take over as the ICC chairman in July. “Serious allegations of betting and spot-fixing in IPL 2013 have been made against Mr Gurunath Meiyappan as the alleged team principal of Chennai Super Kings and these remain the subject of proceedings before the Indian Supreme Court,” he said. “Mr Srinivasan is the managing director of Indian Cements Limited [the owner of the Chennai Super Kings] and is also the father-in-law of Mr Meiyappan,” FICA chief executive Paul Marsh had said.”The Supreme Court order from last Friday noted that Mr Srinivasan had made a written offer through his legal counsel to step aside from his functions as BCCI President until investigations into the allegations against him were completed. The Supreme Court has issued an interim order prohibiting any employees of India Cements Limited (other than players or commentators) from performing any duties for the BCCI. FICA understands that the order applies to Mr Srinivasan, as managing director of the company.”