New Zealand’s coach Mike Hesson and selectors believe the three players had done everything possible in a bid to be fit for selection

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2017

Fast bowlers Mitchell McClenaghan and Adam Milne, and allrounder Corey Anderson have been recalled to New Zealand’s ODI squad for the 2017 Champions Trophy, after proving their fitness in the ongoing Indian Premier League.Milne has played two matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2017 so far, bowling his full quota of overs with returns of three wickets at an economy rate of 8.75. McClenaghan, who impressed with Mumbai Indians last season, has turned in another good performance, bowling 28 overs and taking 12 wickets at an economy rate of 8.67. Anderson, playing for Delhi Daredevils, has continued to take on bowling responsibilities – he has bowled a total of four overs across two innings so far, continuing his short bowling stints with Northern Districts in Plunket Shield matches this season.New Zealand’s squad comprises five specialist batsmen, four pace bowlers, three seam-bowling allrounders, two spinners and one specialist wicketkeeper in Luke Ronchi, with Tom Latham as a back-up option behind the stumps.New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said the three players returning from injury had done everything possible in a bid to be fit for selection.”It’s been good to see all three back on the park and bowling; together they add a lot of experience to our squad,” Hesson said. “Mitch and Adam have been running in well, and Corey has shown he’ll be capable of providing an option with the ball.”We believe it’s an exciting squad; an experienced squad, and one that has the batting power and the bowling variations to prevail in a potentially high-scoring tournament.”Having four all-rounders (including Mitchell Santner) certainly helps with balance, and the return of Mitch and Adam will offer options with the new ball, through the middle of the innings, and in the death overs.”Mitchell McClenaghan has proved his fitness with steady performances for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2017•BCCI

Beset by injuries, both McClenaghan and Milne have not played international cricket since the World T20 in India last year. Hamstring, side and elbow injuries meant that Milne played only one more match in 2016 – an IPL game for Royal Challengers – after the World T20, before making a return to competitive cricket in the Plunket Shield first-class tournament in March.McClenaghan’s last ODI appearance came against Pakistan in January 2016, before an eye injury ruled him out of the subsequent one-day series against Australia. McClenaghan returned to play in the World T20, and impressed in IPL 2016 with 17 wickets in 14 matches. A pelvis injury, picked up during a county stint, ruled him out of the India tour in October last year, and an ankle niggle kept him out of New Zealand’s international assignments this year.McClenaghan later reacted to the news on Twitter with a Terminator-like response writing “nice to be back”.In Anderson’s case, the New Zealand selectors and Hesson were happy with his return to bowling duties. The recurrence of a back injury during the World T20 had kept Anderson out of tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa last year and he was picked for the ODIs against India as a specialist batsman. He played four of the five matches in India and also bowled four overs in the fifth ODI in Visakhapatnam. However, with the selectors considering him a specialist batsman in view of his long-term injury issues, Anderson missed New Zealand’s subsequent ODI series against Australia, Bangladesh and South Africa. He was considered for T20 internationals, playing the home series against Bangladesh and South Africa.The three players have replaced Dean Brownlie, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry from the squad for the home series against South Africa earlier this year. The only other change was the inclusion of offspinner Jeetan Patel in place of legspinner Ish Sodhi.New Zealand are in Group A of the Champions Trophy and will play their first match, against Australia, on June 2, with matches against England and Bangladesh on June 6 and 9 respectively. Prior to the tournament, they are scheduled to play two warm-up matches – against India on May 28 and Sri Lanka on May 30.New Zealand will play an ODI tri-series in Ireland ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy and Hesson confirmed a small group of players from that squad were likely to remain in England as cover during the tournament.

Victoria have recalled legspinner Fawad Ahmed for the Sheffield Shield final against South Australia, to be played in Alice Springs from Sunday. Ahmed has replaced fast bowler Jackson Coleman in Victoria’s 12-man squad for the decider as they aim to win the Shield title for the third consecutive summer.Ahmed has played only one match in this year’s Shield campaign, taking five wickets against Western Australia at the same ground earlier this month. However, the conditions at Traeger Park could favour slow bowling, in which case Ahmed could form a twin spin attack with Jon Holland, who is third on the wicket tally this summer with 42 Shield wickets at 21.11.The Victoria side will be captained by Cameron White in the continued absence of regular skipper Matthew Wade, who is with the Test squad in India.”It’s an amazing achievement to be involved in a third straight Sheffield Shield final, and it’s also a golden opportunity to make history as the first Victorian side to go back-to-back-to-back,” Victoria chairman of selectors Andrew Lynch said.”Everyone from the players to the coaches have worked incredibly hard to get to this point again, and we also can’t wait to take the final to Alice Springs for the first time. The squad we’ve named will thrive in the conditions at Traeger Park, and hopefully can bring home another title to Victoria.”Victoria squad Travis Dean, Marcus Harris, Rob Quiney, Aaron Finch, Cameron White (capt), Daniel Christian, Seb Gotch (wk), James Pattinson, Chris Tremain, Scott Boland, Jon Holland, Fawad Ahmed.

The BCCI will need approval from the Indian government before it can play Pakistan in a bilateral series, no matter what the nature of its agreement with the PCB

Sidharth Monga07-May-2017The BCCI will need approval from the Indian government before it can play Pakistan in a bilateral series, according secretary Amitabh Choudhary, no matter what the nature of its agreement with the PCB.The Pakistan board had sent the BCCI a notice under the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee’s terms of reference last week for not fulfilling its commitment according to an MoU, which the PCB said was signed in 2014.The BCCI, however, indicated that the MoU was in fact “just a letter” and not a formal “contract”, but said it wanted to fulfil the commitment because it was written with the intent to do so, provided the government gave the go-ahead.India and Pakistan have not played a full series – apart from two T20Is and three ODIs in 2012 – since the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, which the Indian government blamed on terrorists based out of Pakistan. Political relations between the countries remain strained as of today.”I can assure you that this is a subject where the government has to accord permission,” Choudhary said. “I must inform you that the BCCI has already written to the government in March with regard to the FTP with Pakistan. Unless we hear from them, I cannot make a comment. As far as cricket concerned, if it is a contract, both would try to honour.”When asked if the MoU could be revoked in the absence of government permission, Choudhary said: “I don’t remember the exact wordings but it is inherent. Honouring of it cannot happen without the government’s permission. In any case it was just a communication, it was just a letter from the secretary of BCCI. So it is not a formal contract as yet.”The BCCI secretary at that time was Sanjay Patel, who could not be reached for a comment.Rajeev Shukla, the IPL chairman and a former board vice-president, said that the BCCI would not want to play the series at a neutral venue though. “We have had a consistent policy that we will play on each other’s soil,” Shukla said. “Pakistan’s security situation is not such where you can have a series on their soil. Only Zimbabwe has played a series and no other countries are touring Pakistan. They are not being able to provide adequate security. First you make your venues such where you can provide fool-proof security. And for India, the security concerns are even more. How can we risk our players?”The PCB’s position, however, is that it must host the first series between Pakistan and India, as stated in the MoU. The PCB has hosted its home series largely in the UAE ever since the Sri Lankan team was attacked by gunmen in Lahore during their 2009 tour of Pakistan.When told that India had played West Indies at a neutral venue – Florida – recently, Shukla said those T20Is were a home series for India, and the BCCI had staged the games in the USA to explore a new market. “That was done on mutual consent,” he said. “We were exploring the US market. It was our series. It’s not as if we couldn’t play in West Indies and hence played in the US.”

Australia’s coach, Darren Lehmann, has declined to publicly air his views on the ongoing player pay dispute with Cricket Australia, but has emphasised the importance of the two parties getting a deal done soon

Daniel Brettig18-May-2017Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann has strong views about the fixed revenue percentage model that the players are presently battling Cricket Australia to retain in the next payment MOU. But he’s not going to air them publicly.Lehmann, a former player delegate and president of the Australian Cricketers’ Association and now a highly-paid employee of CA, sat firmly on the fence ahead of the national team’s departure for England and the ICC Champions Trophy – the last tournament to take place before the June 30 expiry of the current pay deal.Though he acknowledged that the dispute would be a distraction for the players over at least the next six weeks, he doubted the Ashes would be disrupted, saying “I wouldn’t think so, and I would hope not as a fan”. Most of all, he stressed the importance of the two parties re-opening effective, respectful communication to get a deal done.”Both parties have got to get talking, that’s what they’ve got to do,” Lehmann said the day after CA rejected the ACA’s request for independent mediation. “Once they get that they’ll get a deal done, and once that happens we’ll be right and get the game going the way it should be.”What I want to do is see both parties come to the table and get a deal done for the betterment of the game. From the grass roots right through to the elite cricketers. From a players point of view they’re sticking together, we support players and support CA. Everyone supports each other, it is just a case of getting a deal done.”Communication has been a hallmark of how Lehmann has coached Australia, and he has continued that theme during the dispute. He has discussed matters at length with the national captain Steven Smith during his IPL stint, and also indicated that he would open the floor to players to discuss matters together when they convene in England, for the start of a campaign that leads ultimately to the 2019 World Cup and Ashes double.”It is going to be a bit of a distraction there’s no doubt about that,” Lehmann said. “But at the end of the day we’re there to concentrate on the cricket, we’ve got to do the best job we possibly can so from my point of view they’ve just got to get talking, simple fact of life. They’re both adults, both will deal with it as best they can and get the outcome right for the game.”We’ll talk about it when we all meet. You have to do that, you’ve got to keep it open in communication so we know the direction everyone’s going. At the end of the day it’s about getting ready for that first game and playing well. The next three years we go to England for one dayers the following year and then we’ve got the World Cup, so it’s a pretty important tournament for us in many ways.”While pointing out that negotiations have often run close to the wire in the past, Lehmann admitted he had not seen such acrimony between the two parties since the 1997-98 dispute that ultimately led to the revenue-sharing arrangement that has existed over the past 20 years.”I was there as a player and a delegate and then president,” he said. “You have those issues, every sport has them, so it’s just about communication and getting the right outcome for both parties. That’s the key. Both sides I’m sure will get there. It traditionally goes quite late, so there’s no panic, it’s just about those two parties getting together.”

Lionel Messi will not have to travel far from home if Argentina make the Copa America final in 2024, as Miami has been awarded the final!

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2024 Copa America being held in USAFinal to be played in Miami on July 14Opening game in Atlanta on June 20WHAT HAPPENED?

It was announced Monday that the opening match of the tournament will take place on June 20 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia – home of MLS side Atlanta United. The final, meanwhile, will take place in Miami at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on July 14.

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It would be a storied homecoming for the Argentine, who crafts his trade just down the road from the Miami Dolphins stadium with Inter Miami. The Herons and the Argentine have turned South Florida into a hotbed for soccer since his July arrival to the MLS club, and now, they're set to see the city host one of the most prestigious finals in the history of world soccer.

WHAT CONMEBOL SAID

“We expect stadiums filled with the passion of the entire American continent for the inauguration and final of an unforgettable CONMEBOL Copa America,” said Alejandro Domínguez, president of CONMEBOL. “In Atlanta, the ball will start rolling and it won’t stop for a month until the final match in Miami. These are magnificent stadiums in wonderful cities. We are grateful for the valuable cooperation of the U.S. authorities and our friends from CONCACAF in the organization of this competition.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in the final of the 2021 edition of the tournament, but that's the only Copa title that Messi has in his back pocket. La Albiceleste's last tournament win was in 1993, but overall, they have won 15 times since 1921.

The uncertainty at Crystal Palace would be a "strange situation" for Christian Pulisic "to go into", claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Crystal Palace transfer news – what's the latest on Christian Pulisic?

It hasn't been a particularly exciting transfer window for Palace fans yet, with the only signing made by the club being Jefferson Lerma on a free from fellow Premier League side Bournemouth.

Worse still are the persistent rumours linking their talismanic forward Wilfried Zaha with a move away from Selhurst Park, with Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan and Marseille all interested in the 30-year-old, whose £130,000-a-week contract runs out in July.

However, in some good news for the Palace faithful, the South London club have been linked with an audacious move for out-of-favour Chelsea winger Pulisic.

According to a report from L'Equipe, Eagle Football Holdings are keen to land the American star and, with significant shares in both Palace and Lyon, could use the London location to tempt the 24-year-old south of the river.

What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Christian Pulisic to Crystal Palace?

Jones was complimentary of Palace as a club but was quick to point out that their manager situation and the uncertainty surrounding who in the squad will still be there next season makes the South London club a "strange" side to sign for at the moment.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "I mean, it's good in the sense that it's in London, they're typically a well run club, but at the moment, they haven't got a manager half the squad is set for new contracts or overhaul. Strange Situation for him to go into. I think you'd want a more settled background than that."

Would Christian Pulisic be a good signing for Crystal Palace?

Whilst the tricky winger has certainly had some struggles during his time in West London, he is still a very talented footballer.

He has, in moments, been able to show Premier League fans some of the magic that got him the move from Borussia Dortmund in the first place.

According to WhoScored, across his 24 league appearances last season, he only managed to average a match rating of 6.27, which is his worst performance out of the four seasons he has spent in England.

However, in his first season, he averaged a seriously impressive rating of 7.18, followed by 6.74 the year after and 6.67 the year after that, showing that despite the issues he has had since joining the league, there is still a quality player in there.

Some of his best performances have come for his national side, with manager Gregg Berhalter hailing him as "an unbeliveable player" for his exploits with the USMNT.

If Palace can coax the best out of Pulisic, then they would have one heck of a player on their hands.

Potential Liverpool addition Khephren Thuram can help the Reds improve immediately whilst also being a strong option for the future, presenter Terry Flewers has claimed.

What's the latest on Thuram and Liverpool?

A recent report from David Lynch has suggested that Liverpool are close to agreeing a deal for the Frenchman, to follow Alexis Mac Allister as midfield signings this summer.

The 22-year-old attracted strong transfer interest following a standout season for Nice in which he made 48 appearances across all competitions, providing ten goals and assists from central midfield.

Liverpool are searching for midfielders following the departures of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and could recruit Thuram in their bid to return to the top four next season.

Speaking on The Football Terrace, Flewers raved about the midfielder, claiming that he has the quality to improve Liverpool now and the potential to become a star in the future.

"In terms of Thuram, from my point of view, I think this guy is quality, I think this guy has such an upside," he stated.

"He has such a good ceiling, wonderful athleticism, ability for days, and he's a player that has the potential to improve Liverpool in the short term.

"He has the ceiling and the potential to become a star in this Liverpool side for years to come."

What will Thuram bring to Liverpool?

Thuram has typically played as a central midfielder, and his standout ability is his strength on the ball. He ranks very highly amongst European midfielders for ball carries and take-ons, as per FBref, highlighting his ability to retain possession and drive forward.

Alongside Mac Allister, Thuram can bring technical security and physicality to a midfield which lacked both last season.

Fabinho and Jordan Henderson both drew criticism as their ages started to show, and Thuram's youthful dynamism should provide a sharp contrast to both Liverpool stars.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will sign any other midfielders alongside Thuram and Mac Allister, but they will go into next season with a better roster of central options, and if Thuram settles well, he can become a mainstay in the Liverpool side for years to come.

His Nice teammate, former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey, referred to Thuram as "very dangerous" and praised his dribbling ability, and he could be the perfect addition to Jurgen Klopp's side as Liverpool aim to recover from their slump and return to challenging at the top of the table.

USMNT stars Yunus Musah and Christian Pulisic were greeted with a surprise Thanksgiving feast from Italian club Milan Thursday.

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• Milan surprise USMNT duo Pulisic and Musah
• Duo gifted a traditional Thanksgiving feast
• 'Taste of home' in Italy

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After leaving Thursday's training session ahead of their return to action at the weekend, the American duo were surprised by the Italian club with a traditional holiday feast. Pulisic and Musah were not able to spend the holiday with their family, so the Serie A side went out of their way to bring a taste of home for their players.

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  WHAT PULISIC SAID

  “AC Milan truly knows how to make us feel like family. I am used to spending Thanksgiving away from home and from my friends and family, but yesterday was such a special surprise to walk off the training pitch and be greeted with a Thanksgiving feast. To have a taste of home here in Milan means the world, and it's a testament to the incredible bond we share as a team. Grazie mille to the AC Milan family for making this year’s Thanksgiving day extra special. For moments like these, I'm grateful to call Milan my home away from home.”

• WHAT MUSAH SAID

  “Feeling the warmth of a Thanksgiving celebration here in Milan is something I'll always remember. AC Milan surprised us with a fantastic meal, making us feel like family. It's moments like these that create a strong bond, and I'm grateful to be part of the AC Milan family. Thanks for bringing a bit of home to us in Italy.”

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  Pulisic was ruled out of action during the November international FIFA break after picking up an injury against PSG in the Champions League in early November, with just minutes to spare in the contest. Thankfully, it turned out to be nothing serious, and he's now in contention to make his return to the pitch this weekend. Meanwhile, Musah, has been playing some of his best soccer of late for both club and country, recently being compared to ex-Rossoneri and Barcelona midfielder, Franck Kessie.

  The USMNT duo are finding life in Milan incredibly successful, with both getting regular minutes and contributing to the success of the club. In return, seeing the Italian side share the American holiday with them is a brilliant touch; the real question though, is what the spread was actually like! Turkey or ham? Mashed or sweet potatoes? Regardless, it's safe to say they were both pleasantly surprised with the meal from the Italian club.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in a move for Fulham defender, Tosin Adarabioyo, as manager Ange Postecoglou seeks to strengthen his centre-back ranks this summer.

What's the latest on Adarabioyo to Tottenham?

According to respected insider Alasdair Gold, writing on Twitter, the north Londoners are seemingly keeping tabs on the 25-year-old amid their search for a new central defender: "Understand Tosin Adarabioyo remains high on Spurs' list of potential central defender moves this summer after some extensive scouting last season."

In his attached piece for football.london, Gold went on to add that the Lilywhites are 'weighing up' a move for the 6 foot 5 sensation after monitoring his progress over an extended period of time, albeit with a raft of clubs across Europe also interested in the one-time Manchester City asset.

The piece adds that the former England youth international is being considered alongside the likes of Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven in the quest to bolster the backline, although Adarabioyo is likely to prove a cheaper option as he has just 12 months remaining on his current deal.

Should Tottenham sign Adarabioyo?

As Gold's report noted, it is Bayer Leverkusen star, Tapsoba who is Ange Postecoglou's 'main central defensive target' at present, although the signing of Adarabioyo – who made 25 Premier League appearances last season – could represent a dream alternative having already proven himself in English football.

The towering asset has seemingly been tipped for big things ever since emerging through the youth ranks at the Etihad, with City boss Pep Guardiola having said of his talents back in 2016: "He is fast, strong in the air, and has the quality to look forward behind the line for the next pass."

Also dubbed "immense" by former boss Tony Mowbray during his loan spell at Blackburn Rovers in the 2019/20 campaign Adarabioyo was particularly impressive for the Cottagers last season amid their return to the top-flight, with his 6.89 average match rating the sixth-highest among his teammates.

The Manchester native offers a real dominant presence in the heart of the defence having won 69% of his aerial duels in 2022/23, with that a far better record than what Tapsoba achieved during his 33 Bundesliga outings (56%).

While the latter man is particularly adept at playing out from the back – as he ranks in the top 5% among his European peers for progressive passes at an average of 5.76 per 90 – Adarabioyo is no slouch in that regard, having averaged only slightly lower at 4.10 per 90 across the last 365 days.

With the Fulham man clearly comfortable on the ball as well as being an imposing asset defensively, he could offer an all-round package to Postecoglou and co, hence why the £40k-per-week menace could represent a possible bargain alternative to Tapsoba this summer.

CSA has set no timeline for Dale Steyn’s return to the national team after the fast bowler suffered another delay in his recovery from a shoulder injury

Firdose Moonda16-May-2017

Cricket South Africa has set no timeline for Dale Steyn’s return to the national team after the fast bowler suffered another delay in his recovery from a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery in November.Steyn was to play two four-day matches for South Africa A in England as preparation for the Test series, but he revealed on Saturday that he was not going because he has not been able to bowl at all. He said he would target a county deal late in the English summer and try and be available for the home series against Bangladesh in September-October.CSA, though, decided not to create any further expectation on Steyn’s comeback.”Dale’s surgery was a resounding success and the bone has healed,” Mohammed Moosajee, South Africa’s team manager who is also a doctor, said at the team’s departure for England on Tuesday. “The challenge is to get the shoulder stabilised and strengthened, and that’s why there is a bit of delay with getting him on the park again.”What the medical committee has decided is that we are not going to set an artificial deadline or timeline as to when he is going to be playing. We will wait for when he is ready. We are hopeful he will be ready some time during the home series.”South Africa’s 2017-18 home summer includes ten Tests – two against Bangladesh, four against India pending confirmation, and four against Australia – as well as their new franchise T20 tournament, which will provide plenty of opportunities for Steyn.Although he is available for all formats, Steyn is likely to be more inclined to play Tests as soon as possible, especially as he is five wickets away from overtaking Shaun Pollock as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker. Steyn played only eight Tests since the start of 2015 and broke down in three of them.The only other injury concern for South Africa at the moment is Faf du Plessis, whose shoulder will be assessed when the team arrives in the UK “There is a plan in place to have him ready for the first ODI but we are not sure of the warm-up games yet,” Moosajee said.Du Plessis is one of at least seven players who are likely to play all formats on the tour of England, along with Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj and Morne Morkel. The 12-week trip is longer than any they have taken, and Moosajee said the management would seek out “creative and flexible” ways to give them down time.”Twelve weeks is unprecedented – we haven’t been on a tour that long,” Moosajee said. “Guys might come home for a week in between if time and space permits.”Du Plessis, South Africa’s Test captain, is the most likely to leave the tour at some stage. His wife, Imari, is 32 weeks pregnant with their first child, and du Plessis indicated he would like to return home for the birth. “I would like to be there for the birth of my first child so hopefully the timing works well,” he said.South Africa’s ODI captain AB de Villiers and his wife Danielle are expecting their second child but his participation in the Champions Trophy should not be affected because the baby is due later. South Africa have made a decision not to allow families to be with the players during the Champions Trophy.”It’s a really good move not to have family members for this tournament,” de Villiers said. “It’s a short tournament, only five games in total if we get to the final, so we are going to be focused on that.”