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Sri Lanka’s selectors are confident that the fast bowler will be fit enough to bowl 10 overs and field for 50 overs by the time of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2017Lasith Malinga, who last played an ODI in November 2015, has been named in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy in June. Long-standing injuries had put his availability in doubt, but Sri Lanka’s selectors have been satisfied he can be fit enough to deliver 10 overs and field for 50 by the time the tournament starts on June 1.Also in the squad are batsman Chamara Kapugedera, who has not played ODIs since January 2016, and fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep, who has been only a sporadic presence in Sri Lanka’s ODI squads over the past year. Omitted, however, are batsman Danushka Gunathilaka, allrounders Dhananjaya de Silva and Milinda Siriwardana, and quicks Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera.The team will be led by Angelo Mathews, who returns after a hamstring injury kept him out of ODI series against South Africa and Bangladesh.Malinga made his return to T20 internationals in February, following a 12-month layoff from all competitive cricket due to a knee injury. Though his form has been somewhat indifferent in the IPL, he has been largely impressive in his international matches this year, even picking up a first T20I hat-trick in his most recent game, against Bangladesh.”Malinga has got his medical clearance to bowl 10 overs, since about two weeks ago,” SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said. “We need to build him up to bowl 10 overs now. He’s playing in the IPL, which is to our advantage, because he’s in a top-class cricketing environment and he’s practising. Right now we are getting reports that he’s going into eight overs in a spell. We have to make sure he’s fit to bowl 10 by about the 10th of May.”This is the third successive ICC tournament in which Sri Lanka are sweating over Malinga’s fitness, however. He had missed last year’s World T20, from which he withdrew in the week before Sri Lanka departed for the tournament. He had also been injured in the approach to the 2015 World Cup.”Match fitness is what he’s lacking now – his physical fitness is superb,” Sumathipala said of Malinga. “We are looking for Malinga to be fit to play the practice games before the tournament – it’s very important for him to play those games.”Elsewhere on the seam-bowling front, Mathews himself is expected to be fit to bowl at the Champions Trophy – he has begun bowling in the IPL. Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Thisara Perera and Pradeep are the other seam options in the squad. Peculiarly, Sri Lanka have not picked a specialist finger spinner – legbreak bowler Seekkuge Prasanna, and left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan have been chosen instead.Upul Tharanga – who led the team in Mathews’ absence – is one of three potential openers in the squad, with Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Perera there as well. Kapugedera’s inclusion is likely thanks to good performances in the ongoing provincial one-day tournament, in which he has scored two hundreds in four innings.Among the standby players for the tournament are Gunathilaka and offspinner Dilruwan Perera – both of whom will be traveling with the squad – and Siriwardana, Kumara and seam bowler Vikum Sanjaya, who SLC said would be undergoing “continuous training” in Colombo.The Sri Lanka squad – including Malinga – is expected to assemble in Sri Lanka on around the 10th of May, before they leave to Kandy for a six-day training camp. Sumathipala said the board chose the Pallekele Stadium for the camp, in order to better replicate conditions Sri Lanka may face in England. The team leaves the island on May 18, and has two ODIs against Scotland scheduled before they are due to play further practice matches – against Australia and New Zealand.On-tour standbys: Dilruwan Perera, Dhanushka Gunathilaka; Standbys on training in Colombo: Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Kumara, Sachith Pathirana, Milinda Siriwardana, Akila Dananjaya

The Gunners spent more than £200 million last summer, but still don't have a squad strong enough to win the Premier League

Mikel Arteta and Declan Rice both said the exact same thing after Sunday's 2-1 loss at Fulham: "Not good enough." And they were right. Arsenal didn't deserve to take any points home from their trip to Craven Cottage, so dire was their display.

The real concern for the Gunners, though, is that same phrase could be applied to their squad. As it stands, Arteta's men don't look remotely good enough to challenge for this season's Premier League title.

Rice added on , "There are a lot of media who talk and say Arsenal are going to win the league this year and we are better this year, but we don’t get involved in that." Which is the right approach, really, because it wouldn't do anyone connected with the club any good to dwell on the fact that the squad is actually weaker now than it was last season – and that's a deeply depressing thought for the fans, given the club spent more than £200 million ($250m) during the summer transfer window.

Rice, to his credit, has proven an excellent acquisition. His goals alone have been worth five points to Arsenal, and that's without getting into what he adds to the midfield. Jurrien Timber was also desperately unfortunate to suffer a serious injury on his debut after impressing in pre-season, but the decision to spend £62m ($78m) on Kai Havertz remains as baffling now as it was last July. The Germany international has enjoyed something resembling a mini-revival in recent weeks, but there's still no shaking the feeling that Arsenal's ambitions would have been far better served by signing a proven goalscorer.

However, it's been made abundantly clear during the first half of the season that Arsenal aren't just short up front. Indeed, a squad that was meant to challenge for the title is alarmingly short in several key areas…

GettyGoalkeeper

Arteta can't be criticised for wanting an upgrade on Aaron Ramsdale, who is error-prone and poor with the ball at his feet, and David Raya looked like the right addition, given how impressively he'd performed at Brentford last season.

However, despite the constant support of his manager, Raya has looked very, very shaky at times this season, and been beaten by shots that never should have got past him. The Spaniard just doesn't inspire confidence and that's a major problem for a back four.

There's no suggestion that Arsenal will look to sign another goalkeeper this month, with Arteta clearly set to stick with Raya, but rather than solving a problem, the manager has unintentionally created one.

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Arsenal looked quite well-stocked in this position before the season began, given the impressive versatility of Timber, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

However, Timber might not return until March, White's form has fluctuated wildly, Kiwior is a liability at left-back, as the Fulham defeat hammered home, Tomiyasu has had his injury issues and is now off to the Asian Cup, while Zinchenko's defensive deficiencies have been repeatedly exposed.

Consequently, many supporters have questioned the wisdom of the decision to allow Kieran Tierney to leave on loan to Real Sociedad, as some still consider him the best left-back on Arsenal's books.

Whether the Scot would have made a major difference to the title tilt, we'll never know, but what's clear is that unless Arsenal dip into the transfer market – or recall Tierney – they're going to have issues on either side of the defence until Timber returns to full fitness.

Getty ImagesCentre-back

White, Tomiyasu and Kiwior can all play at centre-back, but it's honestly come as no surprise to hear rumours of Arsenal trying to signing Matthijs de Ligt, given the Dutchman has struggled to lock down a starting spot under Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel.

William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes obviously make for a solid pairing. Indeed, if the former had not missed the end of last season, Arsenal may well have held onto their lead at the top of the Premier League. As it was, the back four capitulated without Saliba, which only underlined Arsenal's fragility without the Frenchman. Another spell on the sidelines really would put paid to their title aspirations.

So, while Timber's return will ultimately give Arteta another excellent option to play alongside Saliba, they look worryingly short on quality at centre-back right now. In that sense, selling Gabriel would appear out of the question, but the Brazilian, who was heavily criticised by Ian Wright for his performance at Fulham, is prone to dropping clangers and if the incessant Saudi Arabian interest in his services materialised into a solid bid, the money made could be put towards a more reliable partner for Saliba.

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GettyCentral midfield

Rice was touted as the missing link for Arsenal, the kind of player that could propel the club to a first Premier League title since 2004. However, while the England international has made a big impact, he's not proven a game-changer because the make-up of Arteta's midfield is still not right.

Thomas Partey's injury issues obviously haven't helped, even if Arteta was using the Ghanaian as a right-back during the early stages of the season. One imagines that if Partey had stayed fit, he would have eventually been used in his preferred deep-lying, play-making role that would have offered greater protection to the back four, while at the same time allowing Rice serve as the link-man between the midfield and the attack. With that option unavailable, the latter has often been asked to do far too much from a defensive perspective, given he's often got two No.10s (Martin Odegaard and Havertz) for company in the engine room.

Of course, Partey is now poised to return to action, but doubts remain over his future as a mooted move to Saudi Arabia would allow Arsenal to at least partially fund a move for another defensive midfielder. Still, while talk of a move for Fulham's Joao Palhinha makes an awful lot of sense – the Portuguese showed Arteta exactly what he's missing in the middle of the park with a tremendous display at Craven Cottage on New Year's Eve – one wonders whether Arsenal would have sufficient money to make it happen, given it's believed that they'll have to sell before they can buy this winter.

Aston Villa have reportedly held talks over a move to sign Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson this summer.

What’s the latest Aston Villa transfer news?

Unai Emery is set to be backed by NSWE ahead of his first full season in charge with a “huge” transfer budget, and the club have already spent €33m on Villarreal defender Pau Torres.

Midfielder Youri Tielemans has also put pen to paper on Villa Park terms this summer after his Leicester City contract expired, and it looks as if attention is now on a new attacker.

Villa have reportedly had an opening €45m offer for Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby turned down, with Joao Felix another player of interest. Contact has been made for the Atletico Madrid forward, however, Villa have competition from Manchester United and Newcastle United, so it looks as if they could turn their interest to Johnson.

The Daily Mail provided an Aston Villa transfer update on Thursday regarding Johnson, claiming talks have taken place over a move for the Wales international.

Forest have already rejected a £30m offer from Brentford for the forward but are thought to be willing to sell, should a bid in the region of £40m be submitted.

Johnson has serious admirers within Villa Park and is believed to be keen on a move to the Midlands after encouraging noises emerged from the player’s camp.

How good is Brennan Johnson?

Johnson shares the same agency as Jacob Ramsey and is just 22 years of age who can play as an attacking midfielder, winger or striker. He has progressed through the youth ranks at The City Ground and appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €38m Transfermarkt valuation.

In total, Johnson has made 105 senior appearances for Forest, scoring 29 times and registering 12 assists. He enjoyed a productive first season in the Premier League last year as well, helping the Reds to safety in the top flight with 11 goal contributions in 38 games. Steve Cooper lauded Johnson as a “fantastic player” and a “great finisher” back in February after netting the winner against Leeds.

“He’s a fantastic player, we know he’s got qualities and is a great finisher. The guys didn’t get loads of service at the top end of the pitch but, sometimes you just need one moment.”

As per FBref, Johnson has been compared to the likes of Michail Antonio, Odsonne Edouard and Danny Ings over the past 12 months and ranks in the top 12% of forwards for progressive carries, top 9% for crosses and top 1% for tackles in the defensive third, showing how he could bring more than just goals to Villa Park.

Should a £40m move go through, Emery could be getting a player who may only get better in time, while also providing the Spaniard with an alternative option or potential partner to Ollie Watkins. Johnson could turn out in a wide area, behind Watkins or as another centre-forward, and by the looks of things, a move will be one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.

India captain Mithali Raj has expressed concerns about the lack of opening stands from her batsmen, after they went down against South Africa by 115 runs on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-20172:12

There’s always pressure chasing 270 – Mithali Raj

A lack of strong opening partnerships for India in the Women’s World Cup has become a worrying sign for the team. Captain Mithali Raj said after their 115-run loss in Leicester on Saturday that a strong start is something the team had been looking forward to, especially while chasing 274 against South Africa, as it makes the task easier for the rest of the batting line-up.”Yes, it’s been happening since the West Indies game that the openers have not given us the start that we expect,” Raj said after the match. “The way they (the openers) opened the World Cup campaign for us against England, we were expecting maybe one or two off games but it can’t be four in a row. So that is a worrying factor because whether you bat first or chase, it’s important your top order gives you those runs on the board. I feel that when you are chasing 270 there’s always going to be pressure but you need the opening pair to give us a start so that the batters can take from thereon. Unfortunately, today we didn’t get that.”India’s openers Punam Raut and Smriti Mandhana scored 22 and 4 respectively as their partnership was broken in the second over of the chase when Marizanne Kapp had Mandhana caught at deep square leg. Since their dominating partnership of 144 in the first match against England, India’s openers have produced stands of 0 against West Indies, 7 against Pakistan and 21 against Sri Lanka.India’s task of chasing became tougher when South Africa racked up a challenging total of 273 on the back of a blistering 65-ball 92 from opener Lizelle Lee and a steady 57 from captain Dane van Niekerk. India’s decision to bowl was questioned as Lee started hammering sixes – seven in all – against spinners Ekta Bisht and Deepti Sharma who had troubled oppositions in the last few matches. Leicester, incidentally, is the same ground where England had amassed 377 and Australia had scored a stiff 290, both batting first against Pakistan. However, it is also where South Africa had bundled West Indies for only 48.”We did ask few people here at the ground and they told us that the team that bats second has more percentage wins,” Raj explained after the match. “And our matches with South Africa in the Qualifiers as well as in the Quadrangular Series, we probably have come close to 260, we lost one game though with 10 runs, that also was around 270 target. Considering these aspects, we chose to field first.”I’ve seen the way they have batted and even though they lost a wicket in the early overs, Lee has played exceptionally well for that innings and that is what put them on the track. We did realise that her wicket was important, but I give full credit to her batting because her shots were very clean and she did play one of the best innings I have seen so far in the World Cup against us. The bowlers have done a decent job of holding them in the middle overs, we managed to pull ourselves back into the game and maybe a few shots later in the innings got them to 270.”Dane van Niekerk on Lizelle Lee: “The shots she played was ridiculous and hopefully that form can continue for us”•ICCVan Niekerk, who was named Player of the Match for her half-century and 4 for 22, dedicated her award to team-mate Lee while showering praises on her.”First of all, this goes to Lizelle Lee,” van Niekerk said. “I think she deserves it a lot more than I do. We said if we get more such trophies in the changing room, we have more better days than bad days. I think Lizelle Lee setup the game brilliantly well and I think she deserved a big hundred today. She’s been brilliant, she strikes the ball as clean as anyone in the world and she showed it today. She stuck to her guns and she found her groove and her rhythm and that’s the way she wants to bat and we back that all the way, it came off today. The shots she played was ridiculous and hopefully that form can continue for us.”Lee’s knock had powered South Africa past 125 in 20 overs before they stuttered a bit around the 150-mark. Van Niekerk’s fifty came in handy when she arrived at 160 for 4 in the 28th over and chaperoned the lower order to help them score 70 runs in the last 10 overs.”Yeah, personally [one of my better performances] I guess, especially against a team like India and the form they are in,” she said of her performance. “Coming into this game I thought they were the team to beat, and Australia, so it’s always great to contribute. I just thought of taking it deep, I know my game well enough to say that I can take it away at the back end, struggled a bit, but I stuck to my plans and today it came off.”While I was in there, we hit a bit of a slump and I said, ‘If we can get 250-plus, we have something to bowl at’. We know how good their batting is but if we stick to our lines and lengths…I spent a bit of time there so I kind of got a feel of where the good lines and lengths were and I said to the bowlers, ‘If we hit that consistently well, and we put them under pressure, hopefully it will go our way’.”The only criticism van Niekerk had for her team was for the bowlers, who dismissed India for 158 in 46 overs. She admitted she was being “harsh” on the bowlers, but only because they had taken seven Indian wickets within the first 20 overs, to set up a big win.”I will probably be a bit harsh on my bowlers but I thought we had to get them out a bit earlier, especially having them seven down for 65,” she said. “At the end of the day you don’t want it to go that long but the wicket died down so you can only do so much on a wicket like that.”We said we wanted all three facets of the game firing and we did that today, it wasn’t as clinical as I hoped it would be, but a win is a win. We came here for two points and we got it. Everyone chipped in and it was a brilliant team performance.”India, placed second with eight points, will face Australia and New Zealand in the remaining matches while South Africa, placed fourth with seven points, will take on Sri Lanka and Australia.

Victoria vaulted back into contention for the Sheffield Shield final after bowling out Western Australia for 213 on day four

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2018
ScorecardVictoria has vaulted back into contention for the Sheffield Shield final after a crushing 255-run win over Western Australia at the WACA.The Bushrangers needed just two wickets on the final morning to complete the rout but they were frustrated by Josh Inglis and Matt Kelly, who put together a 109-run partnership for the ninth wicket.Victoria opted not to bowl any of their frontline quicks on the final day leaving Daniel Christian, Cameron White and Glenn Maxwell to try and finish the job. Inglis moved within sight of his first Sheffield Shield century before he was trapped in front by Christian on 87.Kelly also fell to Christian nine balls later for his highest first-class score. Christian finished with 2 for 27. Chris Tremain was named Man of the Match for his first career 10-wicket haul.

Chelsea have had a verbal offer for Montpellier centre-forward Elye Wahi turned down, according to reliable journalist Ryan Taylor.

Is Elye Wahi leaving Montpellier?

The France U21s international, who graduated from the academy at the Stade de la Mosson, has become a regular feature of Michel Der Zakarian’s senior fold since getting promoted to the first team back in 2021 where he was handed 29 Ligue 1 starts last season, but with more exposure comes more attention.

Despite still having two years left to run on his contract, the 20-year-old firmly established himself as his club’s top-performing offensive player during the previous campaign and these impressive displays have majorly caught the eye of Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino in the Premier League.

The Blues have reportedly already agreed personal terms with the talented prospect and Fabrizio Romano delivered an exciting update on the owner's pursuit just last week, stating via his social media:

“Understand Chelsea are now advancing in talks to sign Elye Wahi — agreement getting closer, new negotiations round scheduled with Montpellier. Chelsea plan includes loan move for Wahi this season then CFC future. Chelsea want to accelerate next week as there’s competition."

Are Chelsea signing Elye Wahi?

Taking to Twitter, Taylor revealed that Chelsea have actually had their first bid rejected by Montpellier who are clearly holding out for a much higher fee for their prized asset. He wrote:

“Chelsea have seen [an] opening verbal offer for Elye Wahi worth in the region of £21.5m rejected by Montpellier. Talks continue between clubs. France U21 international also believed to be sceptical about joining Strasbourg on loan if agreement struck.”

Chelsea clearly view Wahi as more of a signing for the long-term future of the club to be wanting to send him out on loan as a result of being just 20 years of age, but looking at his outstanding numbers from 2022/23, there’s no reason why the striker couldn’t be introduced straight away, so this news is a blow for Pochettino.

The youngster posted a remarkable 25 goal contributions (19 goals and six assists) in 33 Ligue 1 appearances last season whilst recording a total of 62 shots over the course of the campaign which was higher than any other member of his squad, via FBRef, highlighting just how much he stands out from his fellow peers.

Sponsored by Adidas, Montpellier’s “jewel”, as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also has the flexibility to operate in five various positions across the pitch, including everywhere across the frontline and even two roles in the midfield, so he would add wonderful versatility to the boss’ ranks and be a great option to have available.

The Blues may feel that having already signed Villarreal's Nicolas Jackson and RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku that they don't need any more immediate attacking reinforcements, but considering what he's capable of, Wahi deserves to be given a fair chance at staking his claim in the senior fold should he end up putting pen to paper, rather than being sent straight out on loan.

Gerardo Martino has sent a message to Inter Miami fans regarding Lionel Messi ahead of the MLS 2024 season.

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Martino sends message on MessiInter Miami begin new season on February 22Messi and Suarez reunited at Inter Miami this seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

The Inter Miami manager has made it clear that he will occasionally bench star players including Lionel Messi during the new Major League Soccer season to protect against injury. Last season, the Argentine started his journey on a bright note but as the season progressed, he started facing injury problems and had to sit out several games towards end of the campaign.

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Speaking to the , the former Barcelona coach said, "We have a responsibility to make sure the fans feel well represented on the field when our big stars aren’t playing. If the fans know that for different reasons Leo won’t be there or [Busquets] won’t be there or Jordi, but we will have a very competitive team, that is an important message.

"The best players are usually on the field, but we also must make sure our team is healthy and can last an entire season. That was difficult last season, the issue of if we were selling more tickets or fewer tickets, people wanting to know who was playing. I would love for them to play every single game, but we can’t be worried about ticket sales. If they are healthy, they will play the majority of the games."

(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

In his debut season in America, the 36-year-old played in 14 matches across all competitions where he scored 11 goals and provided five assists. Ahead of the 2024 season, he has reunited with his former Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez who joined the club as a free agent.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

The Herons have started pre-season training and will begin their season on February 22 against Real Salt Lake. Before the start of the new campaign, the club are set to play a host of friendly matches including their clash against Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in the Riyadh Cup on February 1.

They added 197 for the second wicket, eclipsing the their country’s previous best stand in the Intercontinental Cup made by Mohammad Nabi and Mohammad Shahzad in 2010

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Abu Dhabi29-Nov-2017
ScorecardPeter Della PennaBack in the late 1990s during The Rock’s heyday with the WWE, he developed one of his trademark promo routines.The Rock would bring out a rival wrestler that he’d most likely be facing at an upcoming Pay Per View and then set him up with a basic inquisitive question such as “What’s your name?” or “What do you think about this?” Before the opponent could get more than a few words out, The Rock would embarrass his opposite number by cutting him off shouting, “IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK!”At the toss on Wednesday for Afghanistan’s final Intercontinental Cup encounter, UAE captain Rohan Mustafa sent Afghanistan in to bat, telling the TV commentary crew that the pitch had a tinge of green to it and he wanted to take advantage of early conditions. Though not nearly as arrogant as The Rock, when Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai was asked how he felt about losing the toss, he responded much like the People’s Champ, saying, “It doesn’t matter who wins the toss.”Such is Afghanistan’s swagger nowadays when hanging around the Associates that they are leaving behind following this match. It is justified too. Whether it is because the pitch was flat and there was little to no movement on offer for the UAE bowlers, or because Afghanistan is just so dominant in this tournament with four innings victories in a row, the toss was of little consequence to Stanikzai. Bat first, bowl first, Afghanistan will set out to seek and destroy their opponents.That’s how day one played out at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. Following the early wicket of Javed Ahmadi – suckered into hooking to long leg – Ihsanullah and Rahmat Shah batted in metronomic fashion to grind 197 for the second wicket – a record for Afghanistan in the Intercontinental Cup.The pair came together in the seventh over and were circumspect early as Amjad Javed tried to build pressure. He ended his sixth over with figures of 0 for 14 and three maidens when drinks were called after 13 overs. But after play resumed Javed’s focus wavered when he dropped short to be cut behind point. Three balls later, Javed overcorrected and Ihsanullah drove him past mid-off for the second boundary of the over. From there, a long day of toil lay ahead of Javed and the rest of the UAE bowling attack as the medium pacers posed little threat while the spinners received scant assistance on a flat pitch.There was nothing audacious about Ihsanullah’s strokeplay. The 19-year-old batsman was borderline robotic in his methods, programmed to block anything on the stumps and only drive when width was offered outside off. Rarely did he play across the line to open up scoring options on the leg side. It was simple, but effective. His innings could best be described as mature, especially for someone playing just his fourth first-class match, and just the kind of temperament needed for Afghanistan’s entry into Tests.Peter Della PennaEntering the day, Ihsanullah’s best first-class score was 63, coming last month in Hong Kong. He nearly doubled it by the time he was done. He had a willing ally in Rahmat for much of the journey to ease the load.Rahmat was more adventurous, particularly against the spinners. After taking his time to see off the rest of the new ball, Rahmat treated the 100 or so Afghanistan fans who turned out to a nifty display of footwork, regularly using his feet to come down the wicket to Ahmed Raza and Rohan Mustafa.When Ihsanullah reached his half-century off 77 balls, Rahmat was only on 20 and by the time the junior batsman reached the 90s, Rahmat was still comfortably behind him. But after Rahmat reached his own fifty off 102 balls, he sprinted down the pitch to UAE’s slow bowlers with regularity to speed up his scoring rate.In the 57th over, a shimmy down the pitch to scoop Mustafa over his head followed by a thumping cover drive took Rahmat into the 90s. He overtook Ihsanullah in the following over after another charge at Raza helped him clear mid-on for another boundary. Rahmat then clipped a couple through mid-on in the final over before tea to bring up his second first-class ton. In the process, Rahmat and Ihsanullah eclipsed their country’s previous best stand in the Intercontinental Cup. Mohammad Nabi and Mohammad Shahzad had added 178 for the fourth wicket in their epic fourth-innings chase of 494 against Canada in Sharjah in 2010.Shortly after play resumed, the stand ended three short of 200 when left-arm spinner Raza had Rahmat slicing a thick edge to Chirag Suri at point. Having watched from the stands as Rahmat and Ihsanullah ground down the UAE bowling unit, Stanikzai then backed up his “It doesn’t matter” stance by tearing into the hosts early and often through the off side, cruising to 67 not out by the end of play.At the other end, Ihsanullah continued to churn out runs through the off side until he brought up his maiden ton off 165 balls by clipping Raza off his pads for two. Though the second new ball was taken immediately, the movement on offer was as negligible as the first and Ihsanullah looked set to bat on. It took a spectacular effort from Mohammad Naveed, who plucked a one-handed grab low in his follow through to intercept a firm punch down the wicket, to dismiss Ihsanullah for 124.

Despite Manchester United's appalling results this season, Erik ten Hag is adamant that he has the support of the organisation's decision-makers.

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Ten Hag's job reportedly under threat Dutchman says he has the club's support Graham Potter linked with the club Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

After losing to Bayern Munich and Bournemouth at Old Trafford back-to-back, United were eliminated from the European competition and lost ground in the fight for the top four. This set off a disastrous week for the team. Ten Hag will take his wounded team to Liverpool on Sunday, and there are rumours that a crushing defeat might have an impact on his career. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos' impending investment at Old Trafford will bring a new power structure, and former Chelsea head coach Graham Potter is the favourite to replace Ten Hag.

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Ten Hag said when asked if he had support from the club: "I feel that. They tell me. That's fine and that is OK. I am focusing on the process, I am focusing on making this team play better and making the individuals play better."

"That is my concern and what I am focusing on. No [I can't get distracted about talk of me losing my job]. That is of no concern. Now we are inconsistent and I have to work on making a squad that is going to play for longer periods at a higher level."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

United are in poor form going into their matchup with Liverpool, having lost 12 of their previous 16 games, eliminated from the Champions League with just four points. Captain Bruno Fernandes is suspended for United, and Ten Hag has decided not to name his team's captain for the clash which the Red Devils lost 7-0 last season.

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WHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG?

The Red Devils will take on Jurgen Klopp's league leaders at Anfield on Sunday, December 17 as they will look to diminish the gap between themselves and the top four with all teams struggling to build a gap to their competitors this season.

Tamim Iqbal has said Bangladesh have to shake off any satisfaction of having been competitive in Chittagong against England in order to focus on the second Test in Mirpur

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur26-Oct-2016Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has said the team has to shake off any satisfaction of having been competitive in the Chittagong Test against England in order to focus on the second Test in Mirpur. The buzz from the 22-run defeat was still present, however, as the team trained on Wednesday.”Everyone is saying that we played well but we have discussed as a team that we cannot be so happy with so little,” Tamim said. “We won’t be able to improve if we have that mentality. I know we were competitive but we should have won the game. We can take positives from the first Test, like we competed for five days. It would have been a different story had we won the game.”I know our Test record isn’t great but we will try our best in every way to win the next game, which is a belief that is held by every cricketer who plays for Bangladesh. We will try to do our job properly from the first to last ball.”The Chittagong Test was Bangladesh’s narrowest loss in terms of runs, the previous being the 77-run defeat to West Indies in 2012. Tamim, who made 78 in the first innings, said being competitive wasn’t enough anymore; Bangladesh have won only seven out of 94 Tests.Tamim said the team was less focused on the toss, the pitch, or DRS ahead of the second Test, and more on improving the batting and bowling.”I think the less I talk about the last game, the better,” he said. “It was a good Test match, but we lost in the end. Five years from now, it will read that we lost the game. We should stick to the processes and planning that we have. We are discussing more on what we can do with bat and ball, not on the wicket or the toss.”It is not easy to return to cricket after 14 months but I think the players adapted very well. The batsmen moved from T20s to ODIs to Test cricket. We have a number of Tests in the next six months, so we want to use the rhythm from the Chittagong Test for the future.”Tamim said Bangladesh should do better in favourable conditions and batsmen should look to score more runs after they were set. “The wicket in Chittagong was in our favour but we still lost the game. We have to reduce our mistakes and bowl according to the wicket.”Batting wasn’t easy on that wicket but we had our moments. I think we should have stretched those moments a bit. If the wicket remains the same in Dhaka, the batsman should score 20-25 runs more after they are settled.”The second Test against England begins in Mirpur on October 28.