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Cristiano Ronaldo's late efforts were not enough to save Al-Nassr, who were eliminated from the AFC Champions League by Al-Ain on penalties.

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• Teams play out insane seven-goal thriller
• Ronaldo takes match to shootout with 118th minute penalty
• But Al-Ain progress with victory on spot-kicks

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  At 1-0 down on aggregate and with home advantage on their side, the onus was on Al-Nassr to make a strong start in front of an expectant crowd. But the hosts were haunted by a familiar face in the first-half, with Soufiane Rahimi adding to his decisive goal in the first leg by scoring a scintillating first-half brace. Three goals down on aggregate mere minutes from the break, the writing appeared to be on the wall – until Abdulrahman Ghareeb's effort in first-half stoppage time gave Al-Nassr life. The 26-year-old winger turned home from close range after Sadio Mane had capitalised on some bizarre decision-making from Al-Ain 'keeper Khalid Eisa.

  Hope turned into optimism in the second half when Otavio helped make it 2-2. Eisa was again at fault as he somehow managed to turn the ball into his own net from a tight angle from the Portugese's shot. Al-Nassr pushed late in regulation time and should have gone ahead earlier than they did. Another mistake from Eisa saw him spill the ball directly into Cristiano Ronaldo's path mere yards from goal, but the Portuguese somehow fired wide. His blushes were spared moments later when Alex Telles' cross-cum-shot from a free-kick bamboozled Eisa, who again didn't cover himself in glory as Al-Nassr made it 3-2 to take it to extra time.

  The home side's efforts to push for a winner turned on its head when substitute Ayman Ahmed was sent off for a rash challenge following a VAR review. Mere minutes later Al-Ain scored again through Al Shamsi, but this time it was Al-Nassr 'keeper Raghed Najjar who was at fault. He clawed at a tame cross and fumbled it onto his own bar, leaving an easy tap-in for the substitute. The topsy-turvy tie wasn't done there, though. Ronaldo finally had his say, scoring a penalty in the 118th minute to make it 4-3 on the night and send the game to a shoot-out. However, those efforts weren't enough as Otavio missed the vital spot-kick, as Al-Ain progressed 3-1 on penalties.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Monday's defeat means Al-Nassr are knocked out of the AFC Champions League at the quarter-final stage for the first time since 2018-19.

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  While Otavio missed the crucial kick, this was Rahimi's match – and tie. The Moroccan forward scored the vital goal in the first leg and his brace in the second should have put Al-Ain in cruise control headed to the semi-finals. But Eisa's errors proved costly and the away side had to do it the hard way, as Rahimi's fine individual efforts were cancelled out as Al-Nassr nearly completed a memorable comeback. With eight goals to his name in the competition – one behind Ronaldo after his late effort on Monday night – Rahimi has emerged as one of the AFC Champions League's standout performers this term.

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• THE BIG LOSER

  What a horrible night for the goalkeepers. Ronaldo's miss was a dreadful one but it was handed to him on a plate by Eisa, who had a game to forget for Al-Ain. He rushed out of his goal for no apparent reason for Al-Nassr's first, leaving himself horribly out of position, before turning home a completely misdirected shot by Otavio for a dreadful own-goal. Eisa also should have reacted quicker for Telles' strike for Al-Nassr's third, even if it was well hit through a crowd of players.

  That said, Eisa was ultimately let off the hook – unlike Najjar. The Al-Nassr goalkeeper made some good saves in the match but choked at the crucial moment. He snatched at a seemingly harmless cross in extra time and was unfortunate for it to bounce kindly off the bar into Al Shamsi's path. Not one he'll want to see back, and he couldn't make amends in the penalty shoot-out.

Jon Lewis, the former Gloucestershire and England fast bowler, has been named as the head coach of the ECB’s Young Lions programme

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2018Jon Lewis, the former Gloucestershire and England fast bowler, has been named as the head coach of the ECB’s Young Lions programme, following his interim role at the recent Under-19 World Cup.Lewis, who had previously been assistant coach at Sussex, will take up his new position in April, at the start of the English domestic season.He succeeds Andy Hurry, who returned to Somerset in December as Director of Cricket after three years in the U19 role. Lewis’s first engagements will be two youth Tests and three ODIs against South Africa this summer.David Parsons, the ECB’s performance director, said: “After a full and open recruitment process, Jon was an outstanding candidate for the role after his work on our International Pathway over the last couple of years, most recently as head coach at the ICC U19 World Cup in New Zealand. We’ve been impressed by his leadership, his ability to build relationships, and the high standards and expectations he sets.”We should also recognise Sussex’s considerable contribution to English cricket through the development opportunities they have provided to coaches such as Jon, Carl Hopkinson, Mark Robinson and Peter Moores.””I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities given to me by Sussex since I joined in 2013,” said Lewis. “Sussex will always have a special place in heart.”Since taking on the fast-bowling coaching position in 2014, I am very proud of my achievements, from helping grow million-dollar cricketers in [Jofra] Archer and [Tymal] Mills, to developing a youth pathway so our young fast bowlers can see a way to become future Sussex and England cricketers.”Looking ahead, the Young Lions position is a great opportunity for me to lead my own programme and work with the best young cricketers in the country, whilst continuing to develop my fast bowling and head coach skills within the England pathway.”

Scotland coach Grant Bradburn made clear his disappointment with the Future Tours Programme, and asked the ICC to consider rewarding Scotland’s recent performances

Peter Della Penna21-Jun-2018A week after Scotland scaled new heights by becoming the first Associate team to beat the No. 1 ODI side in the world, a cold dose of reality has brought them back to earth. It comes in the form of the FTP schedule release through 2023. Scotland are nowhere to be found in that.The paucity of fixtures and funding is nothing new for them. But it’s something that coach Grant Bradburn hopes will be one of many areas that will be reconsidered by the ICC administrators going forward, ahead of next week’s ICC annual conference in Dublin.”It’s incredibly sad to see that FTP come out,” Bradburn told ESPNcricinfo. “We’re fully aware that the FTP didn’t just get drafted after our victory against England. Clearly it’s been in the pipeline for some time. Our players hope that the statement that was made with the win against England, and the [wins over Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan] over the past 12 months, force the ICC into reviewing their investment and continuing to see value in their investments so far in the top Associates.”According to Bradburn, his players have come to grips with their failure to qualify for the 10-team World Cup in 2019. He also said that calls for Scotland and other Associates to get more opportunities should not be viewed as a knee-jerk reaction to their win over England but instead as a recognition of their consistent performances since the start of 2017 that has seen them beat four Full Members and tie a fifth in a T20I, against Ireland, during the recent tri-series.As part of the T20I tri-series win, Scotland also notched two dominant wins over Netherlands. Netherlands are now guaranteed 24 ODIs against Full Members over the next three years in the FTP cycle and the ODI League while WCLC runners-up Scotland get none.”Number one, we hope they review that decision for the 2023 World Cup,” Bradburn said. “Number two, and most importantly for us, is that we do hope the ICC continue to invest in us.”The campaign against England, Pakistan, Netherlands and Ireland, we framed it strategically. It’s not a matter of chucking games in here or there. We would love the ICC to give us the ability to plan just like they do the Full Members by putting out the FTP schedule, which is great for them because they can now plan. Unfortunately, we don’t have that luxury.”Unlike the funding distributed to Full Members, Scotland and other Associates have to pinch pennies on shoestring budgets to maximise their efforts both domestically and internationally. Cricket Scotland’s core funding from the ICC as an ODI status Associate is US$1.5 million. However, Bradburn said they successfully appealed for a US$250,000 per year funding boost for 2017 and 2018, which enabled them to play more matches and improve their on-field performance, culminating in the win over England.Scotland celebrates after Mark Watt’s first wicket of the match•Peter Della Penna

“That extra $250,000 enabled us to do extra things like the Desert T20 Challenge, like the tri-series that we’ve just been to in Holland and the preparation in Pretoria before the World Cup Qualifier and also the second trip to Dubai that we had in January before the World Cup Qualifier, which was just fantastic,” Bradburn said. “It was excellent and appropriate preparation for us, and we feel we spent the money wisely. If we had the same or just a little bit more, we could do so much.”What’s on many of our minds is, ‘Wow! Look what we’ve done with $250,000. Imagine if that was $500,000’. And that’s not even a fraction of what the lowest Full Member receives on an annual basis, which is around $9 million per year. So for Cricket Scotland to receive more funding is an absolute must and we just hope that the ICC, when they gather around their table next week, have taken note of the performances and we hope that they are pleased with their investment and continue to see benefits in investing in the top Associates.”The last of Cricket Scotland’s US$250,000 supplemental funding boost for 2018 was spent on the recent tri-series, meaning they have no more money to arrange bilateral fixtures with other Associates. It also means they are short of funds to access facilities they have invested in for the national team’s training camps. Bradburn does not want to see all the momentum that Scotland have built up over the last year and a half go waste when qualification for the 2020 World T20 is just around the corner.”We’ve got a great facility in La Manga, Spain that Ireland and ourselves have invested in but right at this point in time we can’t afford to go there,” Bradburn said. “We’ve only been there once in the last two years and it was just brilliant. It’s such a great training base, a place where we develop our future Scotland internationals and also play games but we can’t afford to go.”As opposed to pleading for money every year, it would be nice for the ICC to turn around and say, ‘Okay, here’s a sum of money per year for the next four years. Go play in a programme that sees you guys continuing your rise toward Full Membership.’ That would be brilliant. But right now we need to apply to the ICC through our chairman Tony Brian who has done a brilliant job pleading our case. We have to apply every time and we’re hoping there might be an answer next week but that answer might not come until the next ICC meeting in October.”At the moment, the best case scenario is that in the last quarter of this year we get confirmation of some funding and can put some cricket in place for November and December which prepares us for the start of 2019. Clearly T20 is going to become more important over the next couple of years with World Cups confirmed in 2020 and 2021. So we would love to be able to position ourselves to continue to get better at that format of the game especially and have a little more funding to continue to improve.

Liverpool’s interest in Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has been confirmed by Fabrizio Romano and the whole gang of transfer reporters. While there is a long way to go, the chances of adding the Sweden star to Arne Slot’s ranks has become a more realistic thought.

With Newcastle pushing to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, another top target at Anfield, we’re likely set for an interesting saga that could see the stars head in a number of different directions, if they move at all.

Whether Liverpool sign Ekitike or Isak this summer (if either of them, of course), remains to be seen at this stage, but there’s little question that Slot’s system would improve with such a frontman bagged to replace Darwin Nunez, who has been heavily linked with a move away, Napoli and Al Hilal both keen.

However, with Florian Wirtz already signed for a British-record £116m fee, a sale to go along with that of Nunez could help offset any financial imbalances.

And Luis Diaz fits the bill in that regard, with suitors hungry to secure the winger’s signature.

Why Liverpool could sell Luis Diaz

Liverpool owe much to Diaz’s performances over the past year, the versatile forward posting 17 goals and eight assists across all competitions, sometimes filling in at number nine as Nunez toiled.

Liverpool’s stance is that they will not be selling their Colombian forward, but then this is the same with Newcastle’s stance toward Isak’s future. Food for thought.

After seeing an opening bid reject, Bayern Munich, Sky Germany report, are planning to return with an improved offer for Diaz, who wants to leave Anfield, and if this falls into a ballpark Liverpool consider acceptable, things may well start to gather apace.

Diaz is a valued member of Liverpool’s squad, crucial in the Premier League triumph. However, aged 28 and with two years left on his deal, cashing in for the right place wouldn’t be the most egregious course of action for Hughes to take.

Indeed, given FSG’s position that they will only sell on their financial terms, the means to redirect the transfer cannon toward another marquee move for Slot might come to fruition.

Liverpool showing strong interest in superstar replacement

As per reports from Spain, Liverpool are showing ‘strong’ interest in Real Madrid winger Rodrygo, who might leave the Santiago Bernabeu this summer after falling down the pecking order in Xabi Alonso’s fledgling system.

Arsenal are also keen on the Brazil international and are probably considered favourites at this stage, having been reported to be leading the race earlier this month.

Valued at £78m, the 24-year-old Rodrygo’s signature would be a hard one to attain, but if Liverpool sell Diaz, they might just find the stars align for a staggering signing.

What Rodrygo would bring to Liverpool

Rodrygo might be coming off the back of a campaign that has left plenty to be desired, but he’s also one of the most talented wide forwards in the business, with his former teammate Luka Modric even calling him a “world-class superstar”.

However, Rodrygo longs for a role on the left, something that is proving impossible with Real Madrid, for Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe both have priority in that regard.

With Los Blancos open to the player’s sale this summer, the chances of his switch to the Premier League grow stronger and stronger, and Liverpool must ensure it is they who win the race, should Diaz go.

Indeed, the £207k-per-week talent actually scored six goals and laid on six assists when playing on the left flank last season, even though he only made 12 of his 54 appearances from the position.

This makes the interesting comment that Rodrygo, four years Diaz’s junior, could actually prove to be an upgrade on a man who played so vital a part in Liverpool’s celebrations this year.

The data above gives you an illustration of the calibre of forward that Rodrygo. Indeed, in spite of spending the lion’s share of the 2024/25 La Liga season out of position, he’s still managed to maintain a level to be admired.

Just imagine how high he could rise under Slot’s wing on the left flank of a super-charged Liverpool frontline.

Furthermore, Liverpool need not fret over losing some of their big-game firepower. Rodrygo is one for the grand stage, with his record in the Champions League quite the thing.

Diaz is defined by more than his winged feet and electric movements. The Colombia international is clever, intuitive, crisp. His passing, in particular, aligns with the measured take Slot has on build-up play, knowing when to be creative and when to promote steady progression.

All good stuff, but Real’s wantaway forward does it better. As per FBref, the Brazilian ranked among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for pass completion and the top 12% for passes attempted per 90.

With Rodrygo playing a role of greater importance, entrusted by Slot to grow into the ‘superstar’ he has already been touted as, there’s every chance that Diaz’s prospective departure this summer could come to be a positive thing.

He’s been a wonderful part of Liverpool’s latest chapter, but Diaz could fetch a pretty penny this summer, and if that is redirected toward Rodrygo, who’s to say that the Premier League champions would be worse off?

Wirtz's dream CF: Hughes in talks to sign £63m "monster" for Liverpool

Isak and Ekitike aren’t the only high-level strikers Liverpool have their eye on.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 15, 2025

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly was spotted picking his nose and then eating it as he watched LA Dodgers take on the San Diego Padres.

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• Boehly spotted at MLB opener
• Cameras spot him picking his nose
• Proceeds to potentially eat it

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In Major League Baseball's season opener, Boehly's Dodgers started their Shohei Ohtani era with a 5-2 win against the Padres in a historical event for the sport. The match was played at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, creating history as the first MLB main-season game played in South Korea. Boehly was also present for the event and his actions disgusted fans as they watched the 50-year-old in the background.

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  In 2022, Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over at Chelsea Football Club after the former owner, Roman Abramovich, had his assets in the United Kingdom seized due to his involvement with the Russian government during the Soviet nation's attempted takeover of Ukraine. Since then, Boehly and co. have pumped in a lot of money into the Stamford Bridge side, however, the results have not followed the trail of money for the Blues as they have struggled to compete.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR BOEHLY?

  The American is not only the owner of Chelsea and the Dodgers but he also owns a majority stake in Ligue 1 side, RC Strasbourg. He will likely remain with the Dodgers for some time with Chelsea not in action until March 30 when they take on Burnley at Stamford Bridge.

Celebrating Kohli’s finest moments as a T20I batter, from the mayhem in Mohali to the party at the Wankhede

Sruthi Ravindranath28-Aug-2022Mayhem in Mohali
82* vs Australia, 2016 T20 World CupLet’s get this out of the way: 2016 was Kohli’s year, period. Within that, some innings stood out. In the group match against Australia at the T20 World Cup that year, for example, he handled a tricky chase expertly, with a place in the semi-final at stake. He started off in characteristic manner, seemingly in cruise control, and then shifted gears. A chase of 161 was looking tough on the slow pitch in Mohali and India’s top two had fallen within the powerplay. Adding to the worry was Yuvraj Singh’s twisted ankle, which made taking twos hard. While it seemed like the match was slipping out of India’s hands, MS Dhoni joined Kohli at the crease, and the two started picking up runs with some helter skelter. It was in the 18th over – when the required rate had touched 13 – that Kohli finally unleashed mayhem, starting with a superbly-timed pull off James Faulkner’s slow short ball. The yorker next ball missed its mark, and Kohli guided it for four through point, followed by a six over long-off. Nathan Coulter-Nile was then taken for four boundaries in the 19th over. Game over. And Kohli stood in the middle, soaking in the adulation.What they said: “He likes a fight, he likes a scrap as well, and he loves playing against Australia” – Nasser Hussain on commentaryWhat Kohli said: “It [the innings] certainly has to be in the top three. Probably the top right now, because I’m a bit emotional, so I would like to put this on top.”That familiar, old cry of delight!•ICCThe ‘gift’ of Dhoni
72* vs South Africa, 2014 T20 World Cup semi-final, DhakaThe match is perhaps best remembered for Dhoni’s gesture of defending the final ball of the penultimate over so that Kohli could hit the winning runs. But what came before was a masterclass. From Kohli. As he constructed a match-winning innings under pressure to take India to the final of the World Cup. And he was not feeling “too good” before the game.Kohli came out when India were in need of a lift – India were 77 for 2 in nine-and-a-half overs chasing 173 for victory – and calculated the chase perfectly. He followed his usual template of scoring most of his runs upfront in ones and twos, stroking the ball into the gaps and putting the bad balls away. His first shot in anger came only off the 18th ball he faced, coming down the pitch to swing a JP Duminy delivery to the long-on boundary. He started taking his chances after that, with the pressure easing, celebrating almost every shot – his or his partner’s – with trademark animation. Kohli finished off the match with a flick to the midwicket boundary after Dhoni gave him the strike in the 20th over and celebrated with a vein-popping roar.What they said: “The least I could offer Virat was the winning shot so I played out the last ball of the 19th over without a run.” – Dhoni at the post-match presentation ceremonyWhat Kohli said: “I have struck the ball better in T20s in other games. I have also timed the ball better than I did today and have managed to score five or six boundaries very fast. Today it was difficult as I had to work hard for the knock. But as per the importance of the game, this knock tops it.”‘That’s how I do it in my notebook’ – Virat Kohli to Kesrick Williams•BCCIIt’s payback time, Kesrick!
94* vs West Indies, 1st T20I, 2019 in HyderabadKesrick Williams had dismissed Kohli in 2017 and sent him off with his notebook celebration. A couple of years later, Kohli decided it would be payback time. But the knock didn’t come easy. It was not a typical Kohli innings – at least at the beginning – as he could hardly time the ball. Kohli lost his cool – at himself, at the umpires, at Williams – as he struggled his way to 20 off 20 balls in a chase of 208. The asking rate was climbing and Kohli was struggling, and showing it, but the Hyderabad crowd never dialled it down. And Kohli seemed to feed off the crowd as he turned it around in the 15th over. He brought up his half-century with a lofted shot into the stands and followed it up with a slash to the deep-third boundary. The 14-run over brought the equation down to 54 off 30 and Kohli cranked it up further in the next over, hitting a four and a six off Williams. He didn’t hold back on the theatrics, mocking Williams’ signature celebration as he sent the crowd into frenzy. Off the last 25 balls he faced, Kohli scored 68 runs. He finished the match with eight balls remaining with a magnificent drive for six over long-off off Williams, cracking his career-best T20I score in the process.What Kohli said: “To young batsmen watching, don’t follow the first half of my innings. I was batting poorly that time. Luckily got that one over from [Jason] Holder [the 15th, which went for 15], and then I began to analyse why I’m going wrong. Realised I’m not a slogger but a timer instead, and then changed my playing style.”All that bottom-hand power, and the damage is done•Associated PressHaving fun at the Wankhede
70* vs West Indies, 3rd T20I in 2019, MumbaiOn a belter at Wankhede in the series decider, India turned up looking very West Indian, with openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul putting up a blistering 145-run stand. Kohli joined the fun after back-to-back wickets and seemed keen to bring back the momentum that had been slipping away. He came in at No. 4 in the 13th over after Rishabh Pant’s dismissal and sent the fifth ball he faced for a wristy slog over long-on. He took no time to settle in, as he usually does, bringing up his fastest T20I fifty, off 21 balls. He seemed to be continuing from where he left off in the first T20I: cutting loose against Holder and pointing to Williams at short fine-leg on reaching his fifty. He smashed 24 runs off Kieron Pollard in the 19th over, and pulled out one big hit after the other as he went along. He finished with a strike rate of 241.37, which is his highest in T20s (min 25 balls faced), taking India to a match-winning total of 240.What Kohli said: “It was about going out on the field and executing. I had the opportunity to do something different, which I don’t usually do.”Pakistan, Eden Gardens, Kohli.•Associated PressClassy Kohli does it again
55* vs Pakistan, T20 World Cup 2016, KolkataOn a testing pitch at Eden Gardens, a cool-headed Kohli showed impeccable judgment and masterminded yet another chase. India had allowed Pakistan to score more than they would have liked in the 18-overs-a-side rain-affected game – 118 for 5 – and were reduced to 12 for 3 in the chase. While every other batter struggled to time the ball, or even connect with it, Kohli was in full control on a pitch that offered sharp turn. He resisted any temptation to cut loose – until the ninth over, he had only struck one boundary – as he focused on rotating the strike. But when he got his chance, he showed his class: be it the slog-sweep for six off Shoaib Malik in the 11th over, or his back-to-back boundaries through extra cover off Shahid Afridi, or the punch to the sweeper-cover boundary off Mohammad Amir. He eventually brought down the asking rate. The fifty came up, off 34 balls, and he bowed to Sachin Tendulkar, who was in the stands, in celebration. The win was sealed with 13 balls to spare.What they said: “He [Kohli] takes everything as a challenge. He wants to improve, he wants to contribute in each and every game. And that’s what it’s all about, because he wants to contribute, he wants to score runs, he prepares well, he takes care of his fitness.” – Dhoni at the post-match presentation ceremonyWhat Kohli said: “I was confident that I needed to play with a straight bat so that the strike keeps rotating. Luckily my heart rate was low when we lost three wickets, it could have shot up as it was a big game and a full stadium at Eden Gardens. I am just grateful I was able to do it.”The Adelaide love story
90* vs Australia, 1st T20I in 2016, Adelaide A blistering Kohli knock in a high-octane clash [with a dash of drama, of course]. Familiar, right? It happened yet again, this time at one of his favourite venues, in the first T20I against Australia in 2016. Kohli was coming off an incredible run in the format and was all charged up on the day. In Suresh Raina’s company, he took over the mantle of chief aggressor and picked runs off offspinner Cameron Boyce as easily as he did off the quicks. He was electric, running aggressively between the wickets and sticking to playing good cricket shots. He hardly slogged, used his feet well, and identified areas he wanted to target. The timing was spot on as usual. He spared no-one as he got into his zone and amped up the scoring rate to take India’s total to 190: the top strokes included a back-foot drive over cover for four off Kane Richardson and the wristy flick off Shane Watson placed between long-on and cow corner, as he scored a 55-ball 90.What they said: “By the time he ends his career, quite a few Australian grounds will have his stand.” – DhoniWhat Kohli said: “I could take this stadium with me wherever I bat. This stadium is right up there with anywhere in the world.”

Plays of the day from second day of the second Test between India and Australia in Bangalore

Sidharth Monga at the Chinnaswamy Stadium10-Oct-2010The cruelty
Sreesanth must have done something really awful to Ian Gould some time in the past. The revenge act was one of the worst possible. When finally Sreesanth put a good spell together, he thought he had been rewarded when Tim Paine chased a wide delivery and edged. Sreesanth was done thanking the heavens, the relief was writ large on his face, when Gould asked Paine to wait. For the second time in two Tests, an umpire was not sure about the legitimacy of the ball he had not called immediately. The replays showed the suspicion was well founded, and that Sreesanth had overstepped. Just to rub it in further, Paine drove Sreesanth through the covers and midwicket later in the over.The inexplicable field
A man trying to save his career had just moved from 95 to 99 with a streaky boundary past slip. He would obviously be anxious about that hundred. The Indian field settings suggested otherwise. Three men waited on the on-side boundary, and singles were there to be taken everywhere. Sure enough North did that, spending no time on 99.The turnaround
The Bangalore crowd came in for a fair share of criticism on day one after their random booing of all Australians. Today, though, they were going to make up for it. Paine’s fifty, the partnership’s fifty and hundred, and North’s hundred were cheered heartily. When a disappointed North was walking off after holing out to deep midwicket, he acknowledged the full house’s appreciation. All was well again.The message
Sachin Tendulkar may have become the first man to reach 14,000 runs today, but that doesn’t quite make today his day. However, there are other reasons that do. As pointed out by a spectator, and displayed on the big screen, it is October 10, 2010 today, which is conveniently written as 10-10-10: 10dulkar will want to score big and make tomorrow his day too, never mind the date.The repeat offence
Rahul Dravid has, for no explicable reason, developed a weakness against left-arm seamers of late. And it’s not the ones that swing the ball in, and create doubt. It’s the ones that angle it across, and get him chasing. Chanaka Welegedara has had his share of success against Dravid, and so had Doug Bollinger in the first Test of the series. Australia were ready to exploit that chink. As soon as Dravid came to bat, Ponting called back Mitchell Johnson, put in three slips, and asked his main fast man to bowl full and wide. Six balls later, the edge was induced, and the catch taken at third slip.

Plays of the Day from the third day of the third Test between India and New Zealand in Nagpur

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2010The giggle of the day
Suresh Raina was the runner for a limping MS Dhoni but nearly joined the wounded list himself. He had just completed a single when he realised, almost too late, that the throw was heading straight at his head. He swerved, looked at the approaching missile, swayed away and collapsed down to the ground. When he got up on his feet he was smiling.The power-packed shot of the day
Andy McKay hurled one full and Dhoni thrust his front foot out and bludgeoned it to the straight boundary in his inimitable style. He then strolled across the pitch and sported a gentle smile at his partner Rahul Dravid.The misery of the day
Every bowler is going after Raina’s head these days. Either bounce him out, or push him back and get him with a fuller delivery. Today, too, Raina got hit on the body by short deliveries and was tested with full ones. He must have sighed in relief when Daniel Vettori brought himself on. Mistake. The first ball turned in and bounced, and Raina edged his defensive prod to short leg.The anticlimax of the day
The very first delivery from McKay was an off cutter from short of a length that Sachin Tendulkar partly steered, partly edged past gully. The third delivery kicked up and left Tendulkar, who, after being opened up, stabbed it to the keeper. The 50th hundred that the fans have been waiting for since the start of the series couldn’t come today.

A look at security arrangements ahead of Karachi’s biggest cricket event in nearly a decade

Umar Farooq in Karachi24-Mar-2018After nine years with no cricket of comparable magnitude, Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, is gearing up to host the Pakistan Super League final. This is the second major venue after Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium to host a high-profile game in recent years, and it is considered a crucial step on the long road to reviving international cricket in the country.The final between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi will be played at the National Stadium and the entire route from the hotel to the stadium will be lined with guards from Pakistan’s paramilitary force, the Rangers, and the Sindh police. A full house (around 33,000) is expected, with tickets sold out hours after they were released. There is a three-tier security layer, heavily guarded by security forces. Deputy Inspector General Traffic Imran Yaqoob Minhas, while addressing a press conference, said a total of 8500 police personnel will be deployed around the stadium for the match.The landscape of the city has changed drastically over the last nine years and the law and order situation has improved significantly. Karachi still remains the venue of the last completed Test match in Pakistan, a few days before the 2009 terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore.Karachi is generally viewed as a more challenging city in terms of its law-and-order situation, and providing a complete security plan, what with the nearest hotel being at least 12 km from the National Stadium, is harder than it is in Lahore.The stadium is situated in the centre of the city, and all major routes from all four directions that connect with the stadium will be closed for the general public. The two biggest hospitals of the city, Agha Khan and Liaquat National, are located close to the stadium, but the roads leading to them will be open. A shuttle service will be in place to take fans from the parking area to the stadium gates. The flow of traffic is likely to be reduced, but a strict directive has been issued to follow the day’s plan to avoid congestion. The fact that the game will be held on Sunday will help.”It’s a big occasion for Karachi and the whole country,” said Rashid Latif, the former Pakistan wicketkeeper who is now team director at Karachi Kings. “I am very much thankful to the PCB for making this possible. This was a much-needed step because you cannot revive cricket by playing at one venue. It’s important to involve at least three or four cities to get this going. Otherwise, you cannot have a positive impact. Karachi is a huge city and I cannot explain in words how big this would be for us and for this country.”We have played a month in Dubai and Sharjah but we actually felt the intensity when cricket came to Lahore for the playoffs. We realised how people are hungry for cricket and how desperate they are to have cricket back in their stadiums. This is huge for fans; they are really passionate about the game and during isolation we have suffered a lot in world of cricket.”I think the security is somewhat overdone. I don’t want to be critical but I feel security should be given to the foreigners only, not to us. When we were in Lahore for playoffs, even local players and officials were restricted from going out freely. So this shouldn’t be the case because this will give off a bad impression among the overseas players.”The security protocols are being overseen by international security consultant Reg Dickason who has praised the “remarkably thorough” security arrangements for the final, saying they were “as good as I have seen in all my years”.The PCB plans to bring a major chunk of the next edition of the PSL to Pakistan, with at least three venues hosting more than 15 games in total. “We plan to have half of the PSL next year in Pakistan,” Najam Sethi, the PSL chairman, said on Friday. “But for that, we need four stadiums. As of now, we have Lahore, Karachi and Multan ready to host big matches, so now our focus is on preparing the stadiums of Rawalpindi and Peshawar. We’ve been working day and night to bring international cricket back to the country.”

Leeds United have now been provided with an injury update on a key player, who manager Daniel Farke has previously described as “unbelievable”.

Leeds already struggling on the injury front

With three games played of the new Premier League season, Leeds are likely to be happy with the start they’ve made, having collected four points and kept clean sheets in both of their games at Elland Road.

That is despite the fact two first-team players have already suffered injury setbacks, namely Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu, who are set to spend a little while longer on the treatment table due to MCL issues.

Losing Tanaka will be particularly frustrating for the manager, as the midfielder made a fantastic start to the campaign, being voted Player of the Match for his performance in the 1-0 victory against Everton.

With the international break now upon us, the most important thing for Farke will be all his players returning to Elland Road unscathed, but there has already been a cause for concern.

As reported by the BBC’s Adam Pope, Joe Rodon has withdrawn from the Wales squad ahead of their matches against Kazakhstan and Canada, but thankfully it is not thought to be a major issue.

Pope added: “I’m told it’s not serious & he should be ok to face Fulham.”

It has since been widely reported that concussion protocols meant Rodon couldn’t be called up for his national side, which will no doubt be frustrating for the 54-time international, but it is a boost for Leeds that he should be fit for the trip to Fulham on September 13th.

"Unbelievable" Rodon has made impressive start to the campaign

Getting a positive result at the Emirates Stadium was always going to be a tall order, and the Whites struggled as expected, but otherwise they have made a promising start to the new campaign, and the Welsh defender has looked impressive.

The 27-year-old has started all three games, most recently putting in a solid display to keep Newcastle United at bay, with a point against a Champions League side certainly not to be sniffed at.

Farke has also made it clear just how highly he rates the defender, who is widely reported to pocket £40k-a-week, saying: “He has unbelievable pace and it is good when we have to defend that high in the field, it helps.

“He brings also aerial threat into our game, we have many smaller, not the tallest players, (it’s) also important for us in terms of set-pieces he is strong in duals and build up passes in his technique.”

As such, the Leeds boss will be grateful Rodon’s injury is likely nothing to be worried about, ahead of their trip to Craven Cottage in just over one week.