Neymar, Sanchez, Torres and the worst transfers of the decade

Goal examines some of the poor decisions made by Europe's biggest clubs over the past 10 years…

A foray into the transfer market represents an exciting time for a club and its supporters as new blood is added to help achieve the team's goals.

But not all purchases work out, with players failing to settle in their new homes, struggling on the field or not justifying the money spent on their services.

From Neymar joining PSG in a world record deal to Alexis Sanchez's incredible wages during his flop at Manchester United,  Goal selects the worst transfers from 2010 to the end of 2019…

  • Getty Images

    Bebe | Vitoria to Manchester United | £7.4m

    "On this occasion I didn’t watch him," Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson admitted after signing Bebe. "It is the first time I have done it. Normally I see plenty of video footage but our scouting department is very good and sometimes you have to go on instinct."

    In this case, the instinct was definitely wrong as United decided to sign Bebe from Portuguese club Vitoria in 2010 with rumours that Real Madrid and other European clubs were interested.

    The attacker had grown up in a homeless shelter after being abandoned by his parents and it was a nice story to see him end up at the Theatre of Dreams.

    Bebe made seven appearances in his first season at Old Trafford, scoring in the League Cup and Champions League, but it was clear he still needed plenty of development.

    He had loan spells at Besiktas, Rio Ave and Pacos de Ferreira over the next three seasons, but the Red Devils decided to cut their losses and sold the forward to Benfica in 2014, with the player becoming something of a punchline since his departure.

    The now-29-year-old is currently plying his trade in the Spanish Segunda Division for Rayo Vallecano but has also played in La Liga for the Madrid club and Eibar.

  • Advertisement

  • Getty

    Danny Drinkwater | Leicester City to Chelsea | £35m

    After forming an incredible midfield partnership with N'Golo Kante to help drive Leicester City to the 2015-16 Premier League title, Drinkwater decided it was time to move to a bigger club and joined Chelsea on a five-year deal under Antonio Conte.

    But the England international struggled to settle at Stamford Bridge and only made 12 appearances in his first season as he quickly found himself low down in the midfield pecking order behind Kante, Cesc Fabregas and Tiemoue Bakayoko.

    The appointment of Maurizio Sarri in 2018-19 failed to change Drinkwater's fortunes at the Blues and his substitute appearance in the Community Shield was his only game time of the season.

    The 29-year-old is currently on loan at Burnley but has only made one league start as he battles to establish himself as a starting midfielder again.

  • Getty Images

    Roberto Soldado | Valencia to Tottenham | £26m

    Tottenham thought they had secured a coup when they signed Spanish forward Roberto Soldado from Valencia in a club record deal, surpassing the €19.9m paid for Paulinho earlier in the window.

    The centre-forward had been a prolific scorer in La Liga, scoring an incredible 24 league goals for Los Che the season before he moved to England.

    Soldado had also broken back into the Spain team and scored against Uruguay in the 2013 Confederations Cup just prior to committing his future to Tottenham.

    But the striker never found his feet in the Premier League and only managed seven top-flight goals across two seasons in north London before he was allowed to return to La Liga with Villarreal in an €11.7m deal.

  • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

    Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

  • Getty Images

    Wilfried Bony | Swansea City to Manchester City | £28m

    When Manchester City signed Bony from Swansea City in January 2015, he was the Premier League's top scorer in the previous calendar year with 20 goals.

    The €29.3m fee paid was, at the time, the most amount of money ever paid for an African footballer and he joined up with City's squad in February after winning the African Nations Cup with Ivory Coast.

    Bony became the understudy to the prolific Sergio Aguero and struggled to get into any rhythm while not consistently starting matches.

    After scoring six league goals in 36 appearances for City across two campaigns, the striker was loaned to Stoke City. A return to Swansea followed and he dropped into the Championship with his the Welsh side once they were relegated.

    Bony is currently without a team after a stint in Qatar last season.

Potter, Arsenal, Klopp and those most impacted by the Premier League's break from football

All football across the UK has been postponed this weekend following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and many within the game have been impacted

All football matches in the UK were postponed this weekend as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Sporting authorities were given the option to make a decision whether to play on, and the Football Association, the Premier League and English Football League confirmed on Friday that all matches will be off.

While many questioned the wisdom of the decision, there is no doubt that it will have a knock-on effect for many clubs players and coaches.

Irrespective of the circumstances, there will be some who could gain an advantage from a weekend break, but for others it will be an unfortunate interruption.

GOAL takes a look at those that will have been most affected by the shutdown and why…

(C)Getty imagesGraham Potter

Officially confirmed as the new Chelsea boss on Thursday, Potter was surely eager to get up and running in his new job with a London derby against Fulham.

An extra few days on the training pitch, however, will likely help him settle into his new role, get to know his new squad and introduce some fresh ideas into a side that has lost three of their last five games.

Potter will now start his reign against Red Bull Salzburg in the Champions League, in a game that Chelsea need to win after surprisingly losing their opener to Dinamo Zagreb.

Depending on whether next weekend’s fixtures go ahead, his first Premier League match could also now be at Stamford Bridge and a huge clash with Liverpool, so extra preparations for a key double-header will be beneficial.

AdvertisementGettyArsenal

While a pause could help reset Chelsea’s stuttering form, the opposite is the case for Arsenal, who have made a brilliant start to the season.

Last weekend’s defeat to Manchester United was a setback, but there were still plenty of positives in the way that Mikel Arteta’s side played at Old Trafford, and the early-season leaders will have been desperate to get back to Premier League action to put it right.

It would have been a good time to play Sunday's scheduled visitors Everton, too, with the Toffees not having won all season and were likely to have several key players missing, including goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

And with closest rivals Manchester City and Tottenham facing-off at the Etihad Stadium, it would have been a good opportunity to extend their lead over one or both.

GettyJurgen Klopp

With an injury crisis and defensive issues, a weekend off might help Liverpool after a crazy start to the season.

Liverpool's injury list is one of the longest in the Premier League, but Klopp at least welcomed Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota back to his matchday squad in recent days and can give them extra time to be fully fit to start matches soon.

More pressing is a backline that shipped four goals against Napoli, with the reliable Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Joe Gomez in worrying form.

Klopp questioned his players’ “attitudes” on the opening day of the season and may use this unexpected time off to help spark a revival.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesBrighton

With Potter's departure coming late in the week, it might come as a relief that Brighton have extra time to find a replacement.

An interim management team that included experienced midfielder Adam Lallana were set to take charge for the trip to Bournemouth, but after a remarkable start that has seen them move up to fourth in the Premier League, it would be a frustration to be undercooked for a game that they would hope to take three points from.

Next weekend's game against Crystal Palace has already been postponed because of a rail strike, meaning that the Seagulls have until after the international break to make an appointment before their next game.

Manchester United's greatest-ever transfers in Premier League history

The Red Devils have broken the transfer record a number of times in the last three decades, but which players have been their best signings?

Getty Images1Eric Cantona – 1992 – £1.2 million from Leeds UnitedManchester United started the Premier League era with a couple of marquee signings, bringing in Dion Dublin from Cambridge United and Eric Cantona from Leeds United. Dublin was Alex Ferguson's second-choice in the transfer market, bringing him to Old Trafford after Alan Shearer moved from Southampton to Blackburn Rovers. He scored just two league goals for the Red Devils before leaving for Coventry City in 1994. On the other hand, Cantona was a revelation for the club, reaching double figures in the Premier League in four of his five seasons, picking up four league titles and two FA Cups along the way.AdvertisementGetty2Roy Keane – 1993 – £3.75m from Nottingham ForestRoy Keane became the most expensive player in English football when he joined United as a 21-year-old and was the face and heart of the team for the next 13 seasons. He played 480 times for the Red Devils winning seven league titles as well as the Champions League in 1999. The Republic of Ireland midfielder was the team's captain for their European success, but missed the final due to suspension after picking up a yellow card during a career-best performance against Juventus in the semi-final.Getty Images3Andy Cole – 1995 – £7m from NewcastleAndy Cole was an immediate success at Manchester United after signing in January 1995. The England attacker ended the season in double figures in the Premier League despite playing just 18 times in half-a-campaign. He went on to score 121 times in all competitions for the club, finishing with five league titles and a Champions League medal.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images4Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – 1996 – £1.5m from MoldeOle Gunnar Solskjaer would go down in Manchester United history for one single moment, but scored almost 100 Premier League goals as he became the world's best 'super sub' under Alex Ferguson. He was signed by United after local rivals Manchester City were not willing to take a chance on him, and ended up coming off the bench to score the winner in the club's miraculous comeback in the 1999 Champions League final.

Bahia faz proposta a Jean Mota, do Santos; Peixe analisa valores

MatériaMais Notícias

O meia Jean Mota, do Santos, faz parte dos planos do Bahia para a próxima temporada. O clube baiano está disposto a desembolsar R$ 5 milhões pelo atleta. O Peixe, no entanto, ainda vai avaliar o valor.

A informação foi inicialmente publicada pelo ‘Yahoo Esportes’ e confirmada pelo empresário do meia, Diogo Silva, ao LANCE!.O presidente do Santos, José Carlos Peres, foi procurado pela reportagem, mas ainda não respondeu.

O interesse do Bahia é antigo. No ano passado, o Tricolor de Aço fez uma proposta de empréstimo, mas o Santos não aceitou. O Peixe, inclusive, quis uma troca entre o camisa 41 e o volante Ramires, que foi recusada pelo time baiano.

TABELA
>Veja a classificação e o simulador do Brasileiro clicando aqui

RelacionadasSantosOs mesmos que ovacionam Sampaoli no Santos deveriam gritar ‘Fica, Lucas Veríssimo’Santos04/12/2019SantosÁrbitro expulsa F. Jonatan por chamá-lo de “ladrão”; jogador do Santos rebate: ‘Desafio a ter imagem’Santos04/12/2019SantosEntenda os motivos que tiraram Jorge do time titular do SantosSantos05/12/2019

Jean Mota teve um primeiro semestre acima da média. O meia foi artilheiro do Paulistão, com oito gols, e se tornou o craque do torneio estadual. Porém, a má fase e as críticas chegaram no segundo semestre. O atleta tem sido opção do técnico Jorge Sampaoli no decorrer das partidas.

No geral, Mota tem 164 jogos e 15 gols pelo Santos. Ele chegou ao Peixe no meio de 2016 depois de se destacar pelo Fortaleza.

موندو تكشف تفاصيل موجة غضب تشافي من لاعبي برشلونة في مباراة ألميريا

كشفت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الكتالونية تفاصيل موجة الغضب العارمة التي اجتاحت مدرب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، تشافي، أثناء مباراة ألميريا في الدوري الإسباني.

واستطاع برشلونة تحقيق الفوز بصعوبة أمام ألميريا في ملعب “منتجويك” مساء أمس، الأربعاء، بنتيجة 3-2 مع أداء غير جيد من اللاعبين.

ولكن بين الشوطين كان هناك حديث ساخن من قبل تشافي تجاه اللاعبين في غرفة الملابس بعد انتهاء الشوط الأول بالتعادل الإيجابي 1-1.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سيرجي روبيرتو: برشلونة كان يحتاج لـ 3 نقاط بأي طريقة.. ونعلم غضب الجمهور

وبحسب التقرير فإن تشافي كان غاضبًا للغاية، ومن خلال التسريبات من قبل أحد ضحاياه في غرفة الملابس أن المدرب لم يكن بهذه الوقاحة في انتقاد لاعبيه من قبل.

وتحدث تشافي مع اللاعبين وأن الأداء في الشوط الأول كان مخزيًا للغاية وطالبهم ببذل قصارى جهدهم وإلا فلن يفوزوا بأي شيء هذا الموسم.

كان هناك حديث موجه من قبل تشافي إلى المهاجم، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، الذي كان هناك علامات استفهام كبيرة حول أدائه الفني في الشوط الأول.

We didn't bully, but it's not U-11s – Swann

Graeme Swann has insisted there was no bullying culture within the England dressing room as claimed by Kevin Pietersen

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2014

Graeme Swann insisted England’s style in the field was just to do with the desire to win•Getty Images

Graeme Swann has insisted there was no bullying culture within the England dressing room, as claimed by Kevin Pietersen in his autobiography, saying that the emotion shown on the field was because the players were involved in “international sport, not the Under-11s”.In his column for the , Swann said he never shouted at one of his own team-mates over a dropped catch. He acknowledged there was some truth to Pietersen’s claims that Jonathan Trott had reacted angrily during a match in Bangladesh on the 2010 tour although said Pietersen had “misinterpreted” the incident.Swann had already called Pietersen’s book a “work of fiction” and the various claims “codswallop” and did not hold back in further criticism.”There was absolutely no bullying. Sure, bowlers shout at fielders if they are out of position or not concentrating,” he said. “A bowler or wicketkeeper delivers a bit of a kick up the backside – just like a goalkeeper shouts at his centre-half. This is international sport, not the Under-11s.”If Kevin or other players can’t take a bollocking for being unprofessional, for being out of position or seemingly not trying, they are in the wrong business.”However, another version of events over how errors in the field were treated came from Ajmal Shahzad, the Nottinghamshire seamer, who played for England in 2010 and 2011 and recalled feeling under pressure to apologise for errors.”There were times when I misfielded balls, in the World Cup I dived over a ball [and] there were some senior players you just didn’t want to look at,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “You knew they were disappointed and [thought it was] a bit of a disgrace … what you’d done was really bad.”If you did something wrong it wasn’t looked kindly upon. It did feel quite bad. I remember misfielding [in Bangladesh] and didn’t want to look up because you knew you were going to get these hard looks, stern looks – and it did feel a little uncomfortable.”Time to move on – Giles

The former England coach Ashley Giles has said “everyone has to move on” amid the fallout from Kevin Pietersen’s autobiography.

Giles was close with Pietersen as a player – he gets a brief mention in the book when Pietersen writes about England’s buddy system in 2004: “My buddy was Ashley Giles. Again, still a mate.”

After the Ashes whitewash, with rumours swirling about Pietersen’s future, Giles called Pietersen a “million pound asset” although he would never have the chance to work alongside him again as coach.

“I played in the dressing room with Kev and got on very well with him, but similarly with those other guys as well,” Giles said in his first press conference as Lancashire’s new head coach. “I coached them, and I never had any major issues with any of them.

“He’d still consider himself a multi-million pound asset, I’m sure. He’s that sort of player, he’s the big show if you like. Things have unfolded, and he’s not going to play for England, by the looks of it, again. I’m sure it’s disappointing for him, and everyone has to move on.”

About the Trott incident in Bangladesh, Swann said it stemmed from a field placement and that Trott had misunderstood a signal from Matt Prior over whether he was able to dive for a ball. “So Trotty started screaming from the boundary, ‘F*** off, f*** off.’ There’s a bit of truth in the story Kevin tells but, really, he has misinterpreted it,” Swann said.Shahzad, meanwhile, added that there was often only one route to dealing with mistakes, and encouragement when things went wrong was in short supply. “There weren’t many times when someone would come up to you and say ‘don’t worry about it – that’s sport, you have ups and downs’. It was a tough environment.”Swann was also strong in condemning Pietersen’s comments about Prior, who came in for a sustained campaign in the book over his perceived role in causing dressing-room splits.”Matt is the most passionate bloke about protecting the team environment. He was the voice of the dressing room … Now Kevin has written a whole chapter assassinating him, even having a pop at him for taking his bike to New Zealand. Kevin’s attack on Matt is, dare I say it, a bit like bullying.”One of the more cryptic responses to the claims in Pietersen’s book has come from Chris Tremlett, who was part of the successful 2010-11 Ashes tour as well as the more recent whitewash. “Glad @KP24 has finally been able to give his side of the story. People can now make an informed opinion of what went on in the dressing room,” he posted on Twitter.

مران الأهلي | جلسة بين كولر واللاعبين.. وتقسيمة قوية

استأنف النادي الأهلي تدريباته مساء اليوم الأربعاء على ملعب التتش بالجزيرة، وذلك بعد انتهاء الراحة السلبية التي حصل عليها اللاعبون لمدة ٢٤ ساعة.

واجتمع مارسيل كولر المدير الفني باللاعبين قبل انطلاق فقرات المران، وذلك لتأكيد بعض الأمور الفنية والتدريبية، في إطار الاستعدادات لمباراة العودة أمام سانت جورج الإثيوبي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موقف رضا سليم من مباراة الأهلي وسان جورج بعد إصابته في التدريبات

فيما قاد أندريس إندويا مخطط الأحمال مرانًا بدنيًّا مطولًا للاعبين على مجموعتين، الأولى في الجيم والثاني في الملعب.

كما أدى رباعي حراسة المرمى محمد الشناوي ومصطفى شوبير وحمزة علاء ومصطفى مخلوف تدريبات بدنية وفنية متنوعة، تحت إشراف ميشيل يانكون.

واختتم كولر فقرات المران بتقسيمة قوية على أربعة فرق، تم خلالها تنفيذ بعض التعليمات الفنية المحددة للاعبين.

ويستعد الأهلي لمواجهة فريق سانت جورج الإثيوبي في إياب دور الـ٣٢ لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، والمحدد لها السابعة مساء الجمعة المقبل على استاد القاهرة.

I owe it to Donald – Steyn

Dale Steyn has said his inspiration to give his best is his bowling coach Allan Donald, while Hashim Amla said the declaration was based on the ground’s chasing history

Firdose Moonda in Galle20-Jul-20143:54

Was always confident about winning – Amla

Steyn: Every day he (Donald) comes and tells you how good you are and what a legend you are. That must take a lot out of him because he is a legend himself•Associated PressFor inspiration for his paintings, Salvador Dali relied on his wife Gala. For motivation to write the upbeat tune , The Beatles’ George Harrison drew on the year he had quit the band temporarily and been arrested. For a reason to bowl faster and fiercer, Dale Steyn looks at the boundary rope because that’s where Allan Donald is usually stationed.South Africa’s bowling coach is not an unusual choice for a hero. Everyone from children playing street cricket to members of the opposition, like Mark Gillespie of New Zealand, cite Donald as someone they look up to. But to Steyn, he is more than just a role-model. He is also a personal tutor, a cheerleader and a friend.”Allan is an amazing bowler. I watched a couple of his Youtube videos before I bowled here and he was just incredible. And then every day he comes and tells you how good you are and what a legend you are. That must take a lot out of him because he is a legend himself,” Steyn said. “That’s why every time I take wickets, I try to signal to him; to try and say this is not just for the team and the fans. This is to say thank you. He keeps me going.”Since Donald took over as South Africa’s bowling coach in June 2011, Steyn’s success has soared. In the three years between then and now, Steyn has taken more than a third of his total career wickets at a lower average than his overall numbers. Not only is he more threatening than he was before, he is also more miserly. His 133 scalps have come at 21.84 with an economy rate of 2.91. Before Donald’s tenure, Steyn had 232 wickets at 23.2 and conceded 3.48 runs to the over.Those performances have included match-winning bursts against teams including Pakistan and Australia at home and now, Sri Lanka in Galle. Steyn picked up the best figures by a seamer at this venue – nine for 99 in the match – a feat made even better by the expectation conditions would conspire to work against him in this series. “Every time I go on tour I want to better my last performance. Every time I come to the subcontinent I want to do well,” Steyn said. “If I run in and take a five-for on a green track, no-one cares but if you run in and take a five-for here, that really counts.”Steyn’s performance was headlined as much by pace as it was by purpose. He knew bowling quickly would work no matter the type of surface but he also knew bowling with an attacking approach would allow no wriggle room against an opposition who thought there was a realistic chance to pull off a historic chase. “It’s not the fastest wicket in the world but if you can get pace through the air and bowl with a bit of aggression you always stand a chance,” he explained. “It’s the kind of wicket where you have to bowl the ball in the right areas more often.”That adaption and attention to discipline is something Donald has enforced rigorously since he became part of the set-up. He wants South Africa’s pack to operate under the principles of jungle law: hunt or be hunted. That approach seems to have been picked up by more than just the seamers.Hashim Amla, in his first Test as captain, made a declaration that was considered too bold for a man taking baby steps in Test leadership but was rooted in realism. Amla and the management knew that no team had scored more than 300 runs in the final innings at Galle, they knew that no team had chased more than 96 to win successfully here and that no team has batted out more than 114 overs in the fourth innings.So they made the decision to call time on their innings at a time when Sri Lanka would need 370 to win. They had 122 overs to do it, which made it a comfortable equation but you can see why South Africa did not think they would be bowling that many. Their safety net was secure as it could have been but still, there was a stage when it seemed to be hanging by a slender thread.”I just wanted to have as many overs as possible to win the game. If we had lost the game, so be it but that would give us the best chance to win the game,” Amla said. “At 110 for 1 the thought in my mind that maybe we could lose but batting last, chasing 370 is a tough ask for any team.”Other captains may have become nervous or defensive. But Amla did not because he enjoyed the shifting sands in the tussle. “I was confident and I was extremely excited because the uncertainty is quite exciting. The thought was there that we could lose this game but if we lost the game I wouldn’t have had any regrets,” he said.”It helped that the bowlers were hungry. They asked for the ball regularly. Once we picked up one and I could see how the game is unfolding, I tried to use the spinners to hold the game more because the seamers were doing the job today.”Steyn struck the first blow, Morkel joined in and then when JP Duminy snared Kumar Sangakkara with a long-hop, Amla knew he had his victory even though it came from an unexpected source. “Some plans you don’t tell the captain, you just give the bowlers the freedom to do what they want,” he joked. “Those kind of things, I mean how often do you see a good ball not get a wicket and then a not so good ball get a wicket? It’s just part of the game.”In celebration, South Africa may salute their muses. The team’s is likely that they are a massive step closer to regaining the No.1 ranking. Steyn’s is Donald and Amla’s? “A nice cup of tea to enjoy the win.” As long as it’s Ceylon tea, even Sri Lankans will approve of that.

O'Brien signing reflects Surrey strength

Surrey 132 and 47 for 0 (Smith 39*) need another 220 runs to beat Gloucestershire 168 and 230
ScorecardKevin O’Brien will be returning to play in Surrey’s colours for the NatWest T20 Blast•Getty Images

Squad rotation is a reality that modern football has become well acquainted with. To most counties, their meagre playing resources make that notion an unimaginable luxury.Surrey are different. On a day limited to 17 deliveries – Surrey’s quest for a second Championship win since September 2012 will resume on Wednesday – they provided another reminder of their financial strength by signing Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien. It adds lustre to their Twenty20 batting line-up ahead of their tournament opener at Hove on Friday night.But it is in pace bowling that Surrey’s resources are most plentiful and where resting players is a luxury they can afford.While Tom Curran, Matt Dunn, Tim Linley and Chris Tremlett illustrated their contrasting qualities to take 20 Gloucestershire wickets for only 398 in this game, Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker were rested with the NatWest Blast in mind. Add in George Edwards and Surrey, for all their plight near the foot of Division Two in the Championship, have seven pace bowlers with strong claims.The club’s approach to managing these talents evokes Claudio “The Tinkerman” Ranieri’s selection policy at Chelsea a decade ago. “You generally try and get your quick bowlers to play between ten and twelve games each, so that when they play they’re fresh and when they’re just lagging a bit you can leave them out and someone else can come in fresh,” Surrey’s director of cricket – and Chelsea fan – Alec Stewart explained after the first day. “That’s how we try and do it with the bowling resources.”Tremlett is among those who should benefit. “That’s the joy of having a big squad,” he said. “I don’t want to put my body under too much stress.”In other positions, the need for rotation is less pressing. Behind the stumps, Gary Wilson, who has deposed Niall O’Brien as Ireland wicketkeeper, will be in no mood to relinquish the responsibilities that he has gained while Steven Davies works on his batting.Stewart warned Davies that, “No one has a divine right to say ‘I’m a keeper therefore I keep’. It’s how the selectors feel.” Wilson strengthened his case with impressive keeping in both innings against Gloucestershire, which was not reflected in a match total of 25 byes.With rain dominating the day, Wilson had the chance to welcome his compatriot Kevin O’Brien. In the spirit of the age, he tweeted a selfie, though one imagines that it resonated rather less far than David Cameron’s attempt at Nelson Mandela’s funeral last year. O’Brien is expected to be available for nine games before he heads to the Caribbean: such is the life of the nomadic cricketer.The lack of regular team-mates is “probably one of the hardest things to get used to” but O’Brien said that it was “easier when you come back and you know the guys in the changing room”. He made a big impression in very little time last season, relishing the short boundaries to the Mound and Tavern stands in scything a 24-ball 54 at Lord’s.That innings was from No. 4, though it is opening – as when smiting a century for Gloucestershire in 2011 – that O’Brien prefers. “It’s the best time to bat in Twenty20,” he said. “You’ve got an opportunity to face the most balls.” It is expected that O’Brien will be used in the middle order, with Graeme Smith, Jason Roy, Steven Davies and – once his IPL commitments are done – Kevin Pietersen at the top.It all promises no shortage of razzmatazz. Surrey’s challenge to win this game is more mundane but, against a Gloucestershire attack who bowled them out for 132 in their first innings, no less challenging for that.

Mahela, Herath rested from ODIs

Sri Lanka have rested Mahela Jayawardene and Rangana Herath from the three-ODI series against Bangladesh, which follows the two Twenty20 internationals later this month

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2014Sri Lanka have rested Mahela Jayawardene and Rangana Herath from the three-ODI series against Bangladesh, which follows the two Twenty20 internationals later this month. They also left out batsmen Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne from the one-day squad that played Pakistan in the UAE, and brought in spinning allrounder Angelo Perera, who made 244 off 204 balls in his most recent first-class game.Mahela had also missed the limited-overs games in the UAE in December last year because he was on paternal leave. Both Mahela and Herath will be available for the two Twenty internationals that precede the ODIs, though, subject to the state of Herath’s injured knee, which has put him in severe doubt for the second Test. These Twenty20s are Sri Lanka’s last official matches before the World Twenty20 March.Angelo Perera was also included in the T20 squad, while the players to miss out from the group that travelled to UAE were Ramith Rambukwella, Thirimanne and Kithuruwan Vithanage.Thisara Perera was named in both squads, after having his work ethic put under scrutiny by the national selectors. Perera was denied permission to play in the Big Bash League, and told instead to train with Sri Lanka’s A team, but he pleased the selectors well enough to return to the national fray. Doubts over Lasith Malinga’s fitness have also been quelled, after he returned from the BBL to Sri Lanka briefly, in order to address that issue.Middle-order batsman Ashan Priyanjan retained his place in the ODI squad, after having impressed with a 74 on debut in Abu Dhabi, in December. He has been with the team in Bangladesh, after replacing Prasanna Jayawardene in the Test squad. Both he and Angelo Perera also bowl effective finger spin in domestic cricket.ODI squad: Angelo Mathews (capt), Dinesh Chandimal (vc), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Kumar Sangakkara, Ashan Priyanjan, Kithuruwan Vithanage, Angelo Perera, Lasith Malinga, Thisara Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Sachithra Senanayake, Ajantha Mendis, Seekuge Prasanna.T20 squad: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lasith Malinga (vc), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Angelo Perera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Sachithra Senanayake, Ajantha Mendis, Rangana Herath, Seekuge Prasanna.

Game
Register
Service
Bonus