Only 12.4 overs were possible on a stop-start day in Bristol’s County Ground

The Report by Shamya Dasgupta26-May-2019
Match abandonedUnlike the Bangladesh v Pakistan game in Cardiff – where the captains couldn’t even go out for the toss – there was a bit of action in Bristol. Just about.West Indies, after opting to field, got to bowl a total of 12.4 overs – in spells of 8.2, 1.1 and 3.1 – at Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock, in which South Africa scored 95 runs, before the stop-start encounter was called off, everyone having had enough of watching the rain.It was South Africa’s last warm-up fixture before their tournament opener on May 30 against hosts England at The Oval in London, and they would certainly have wanted a proper hit out. Amla, who had scored a 61-ball 65 in their earlier game against Sri Lanka, looked good again, scoring 51 in 46 balls, while de Kock, who didn’t get a bat in that 87-run win, also hit his stride, scoring a 30-ball 37.Rain was always in the air, and while Jason Holder opted to bowl first to “make good use” of the conditions, Amla was the one to actually cash in early on, a flick to midwicket and a cut past point earning him two boundaries in the first over bowled by Holder.Sheldon Cottrell looked impressive with the new ball initially, bowling with pace, and getting some balls up to around the throat, till the batsmen had his measure in the sixth over. The first reared from a back of a length to rap de Kock’s gloves, but Amla leaned into a drive beautifully on the third ball, and de Kock sent the last two balls of the over for fours down the ground and over the slips.The team fifty came up in 7.1 overs, and Amla and de Kock looked good to go on and give South Africa a super platform when, after two balls in the ninth over, the players had to rush off the ground. Point of concern – Shannon Gabriel, who bowled those two deliveries, looked like he had suffered a strain of some sort, and didn’t come back to complete the over after the break. Andre Russell did, instead, and after three more balls from Holder, we were off again.The rain was such that there was always a chance of play resuming, and after a long wait, the two teams took guard again for a 31-overs-a-side playoff. Perhaps seeing the writing in the clouds, Amla and de Kock really opened up. Between them, they hit five fours and a six – Amla ramping Oshane Thomas over third man – in the 19 balls of play possible, before they went off again, this time for good.From South Africa’ point of view, the form of the two openers was a big positive, while West Indies mainly took back negatives – their bowlers lacked discipline, and the fielding looked a bit worse for wear at times. Holder agreed after the game that West Indies needed to be tidier with the ball. “We have to make some slight adjustments in terms of our length as we were probably a little bit too short,” he said. “We offered a bit of width at times as well. In these conditions, where the ball doesn’t do as much, I just think we need to be as accurate as we possibly can in terms of line and length. Then we can try and create some problems there. I think if we can stack up some dot balls and stack up some pressure overs together, more often than not you get the wickets you want.”While South Africa now go straight into the main tournament, West Indies have another workout slotted against New Zealand on Tuesday, May 28, to try and iron out the creases.

The Spanish champions enjoyed a magnificent first half but completely fell apart as Alexander Sorloth blasted in four goals for the hosts

Alexander Sorloth had Real Madrid stunned as the striker scored four times to seal a 4-4 draw for Villarreal on Sunday. La Liga champions Madrid looked like they were strolling to victory as they sat 4-1 up at half-time, with Arda Guler, Lucas Vazquez and Brahim Diaz all looking awesome for Carlo Ancelotti's team.

Even with the likes of Jude Belingham, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Toni Kroos on the bench, Madrid still had enough firepower to potentially sink the Yellow Submarine at home. Sorloth, however, refused to let his team go down without a fight, as he was a constant pain in Los Blancos' side, opening his account for the day when a fantastic cross from Yerson Mosquera found him and he sent a powerful header into the net to make it 2-1. He then struck again early in the second half, followed by a third goal after 52 minutes to make it 4-3. Four minutes later, a quality counter-attack from Villarreal ended with him blasting beyond Andriy Lunin again. The Norwegian forward now looks set to end the campaign with La Liga's top scorer prize.

It was a bizarre capitulation from Madrid, but the game settled down afterwards. While there were plenty of worrying signs in that second-half burst – Dani Ceballos' collapse and Eder Militao's terrible defending – there were plenty of positives to take for the Spanish champions. Guler's stock just keeps on rising as he maintained his awesome form with two goals, and he has now scored in three consecutive matches with six goals from his last seven appearances, bringing an excellent finish to a season that started with injury heartache for the winger. Joselu and Vazquez – who also got two assists – also found the net while Brahim Diaz set up two goals in a bright display.

GOAL rates Madrid's players from Estadio de la Ceramica…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Andriy Lunin (5/10):

Pulled off a couple of saves but saw four goals fly by him as Sorloth went on a rampage.

Lucas Vazquez (8/10):

A strong attacking display as he got two assists and a goal of his own.

Eder Militao (5/10):

Did not look good against the strong presence of Sorloth and was replaced on the hour mark.

Antonio Rudiger (5/10):

Looked fine in the first half but was flustered amid the burst of goals in the second. Put Sorloth off to stop him from heading in a late winner, though.

Fran Garcia (5/10):

Gave the ball away too much and his tackling was poor.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Federico Valverde (6/10):

A fairly quiet performance despite seeing a lot of the ball, but his passing was good and he showed a bit of fight.

Dani Ceballos (5/10):

Flopped in the box as he gave away possession, allowing Villarreal to score.

Luka Modric (6/10):

Sound with his passing as always to offer support to the Madrid attackers.

Getty ImagesAttack

Arda Guler (8/10):

Had a bright start and delivered a good finish to break the deadlock. Then made it look so simple when he added a second.

Joselu (7/10):

A quality header to keep Madrid in the driving seat but he was quiet beyond that.

Brahim Diaz (8/10):

Ended up with two assists, having fed Guler for the first before flicking onto Vazquez for the third.

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Eduardo Camavinga (6/10):

Booked shortly after he came on and fought to win the ball in midfield.

Nacho (6/10):

Helped settle Madrid down a bit after their wild start to the second half.

Rodrygo (6/10):

Tried his best to get on the ball and have a run at the defence.

Mario Martin (N/A):

On for the last 10 minutes.

Carlo Ancelotti (6/10):

Rested a lot of key players and got some excellent performances out of his attackers, but seeing them fold for a large spell in the second half will cause some concerns ahead of the Champions League final.

MatériaMais Notícias

Mesmo com um clássico contra o Corinthians pela estreia no Campeonato Paulista na noite desta quarta-feira (3), o Palmeiras treinou durante a manhã na Academia de Futebol visando somente o confronto contra o Grêmio, pela final da Copa do Brasil, marcado para domingo (7).

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>>Veja o ranking dos maiores campeões da Copa do Brasil

Esta postura do Verdão se deve ao fato de que o clube requisitou à Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF) o adiamento do Dérbi, com o argumento de que vive uma maratona de jogos e seria bom para a Federação se o representante do estado na decisão da competição nacional tivesse uma semana para se preparar. O pedido não foi aceito e, com isso, o Alviverde não terá em campo, pelo Paulistão, atletas titulares, dado que estes, em sua maioria, ainda não estão inscritos no torneio e têm como foco a final contra o Grêmio do próximo domingo (7).

No treinamento, contando com os titulares que iniciaram a partida de ida da final no último domingo (28), e com jovens das categorias de base, o treinador Abel Ferreira propôs atividades em campo reduzido e, posteriormente, ensaiou jogadas específicas, balanços, transições, quebras de linhas, entre outros. Por fim, alguns atletas aprimoraram, ainda, cruzamentos e finalizações.

O zagueiro Kuscevic, recuperando-se de uma mialgia no quadril, cumpriu cronograma na parte interna do Centro do Excelência e, também, no gramado com profissionais do Núcleo de Saúde e Performance.

O Palmeiras entra em campo pela Copa do Brasil no próximo domingo, às 18h (horário de Brasília), contra o Grêmio, no Allianz Parque. Para conquistar a taça, necessita de apenas um empate, dado que saiu vitorioso (por 1 a 0) no confronto de ida, disputado em Porto Alegre.

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Tottenham Hotspur's squad has been riddled with injury and suspension issues throughout the 2023/24 campaign and one of their key depth options has now been linked with a move away from the club.

Saudi Pro League interest in Spurs defender

Ange Postecoglou has needed to call upon Emerson Royal in several positions so far this season to cover for various players, but he is now attracting interest from Saudi Arabia. According to Premier League Brasil, Al-Nassr have made the Brazilian full-back a target this month and sent over a proposal of €25m (£21.5m) to sign him from the North London club – and Daniel Levy has made his mind up.

It states that Tottenham have turned it down as Levy has decided that it was not enough to tempt him into cashing in on the 25-year-old battler. The report adds that the Saudi Pro League side will soon raise their offer for the defender but they do not state exactly how much the second bid will be worth.

However, the article suggests that Al-Nassr should 'up the ante' and fire in an offer of €35m (£30m), which would make Emerson the joint-fifth most expensive sale in the club's history if a deal went through at that price.

Gareth Bale

£87m

Real Madrid

Harry Kane

£82m

Bayern Munich

Kyle Walker

£45m

Manchester City

Dimitar Berbatov

£33m

Manchester United

Luka Modric

£30m

Real Madrid

It remains to be seen how much it would take for Spurs to cash in on the versatile defender as Premier League Brasil also reveal that the club are not interested in negotiating at this time – they do not want to lose him midway through a season with so many gaps emerging in the squad. They add that Al-Nassr will have to offer a 'high sum' in order to convince Levy and Postecoglou to part ways with the former Barcelona full-back.

Emerson's versatility is a life saver for Ange

The Brazil international's versatility has been extremely useful for the Australian head coach in the Premier League so far this season, as he has been needed to cover for the likes of Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, and Destiny Udogie at times. Emerson has featured six times as a centre-back, five times as a left-back, and played three matches in his natural role on the right of the back four.

The £40k-per-week ace, who was hailed by Postecoglou as being one of the "best trainers" and having an "unbelievable" work ethic, has been a solid defensive option for Spurs.

Tackles (2.75)

Top 18%

Interceptions (1.61)

Top 13%

Blocks (1.49)

Top 15%

Clearances (4.70)

Top 1%

Aerial duels won (1.38)

Top 18%

As you can see in the table above, Emerson ranks highly amongst his positional peers in a number of key defensive metrics, albeit his appearances at centre-back have helped to boost his output when it comes to clearances and aerial duels contested.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

His quality and versatility as a depth option for Postecoglou should indeed force Levy to reject any and all bids until the end of the January transfer window, potentially cashing in this summer when finding a replacement will be easier.

Leeds United are keen to to strengthen their promotion credentials and have now initiated contact over a potential incoming this month, according to a report.

Leeds' January transfer plans

Following a commendable showing in the first half of the Championship campaign, Leeds will now turn their attention towards the transfer window as Daniel Farke looks to add further quality to his squad at Elland Road following a little blip in form prior to the win over Birmingham.

Incomings and outgoings will be expected over the course of this month and there will be a palpable sense of excitement from supporters, who will be keen to see the German coach add strength in depth to a roster that has been stretched by injury concerns this campaign.

Leeds could sign a dream Rutter partner in January who Bielsa once wanted

Leeds United could strike gold in the upcoming transfer window signing this excellent star.

By
Kelan Sarson

Dec 31, 2023

Bournemouth winger David Brooks has been linked with a loan move to the Whites and Cherries manager Andoni Iraola refused to rule out a departure for the Wales international in a recent interview, cited by The Bournemouth Daily Echo, stating: "It is not about one individual situation. It’s a matter sometimes of what they think. David the other day came on and played very good minutes. Some players probably are not getting the minutes they want.They have to discuss with the club and take the best possible option for everyone."

Departures will also pave the way for new arrivals and duo Wilfried Gnonto and Charlie Cresswell could seek a new challenge elsewhere after reports indicated that interest in their services from elsewhere is growing, with both said to be open to leaving Elland Road.

A left-back is on the radar for Farke as he begins to get his ducks in a row in the market, with that position one the club are desperate to strengthen in having been linked to a whole host of players.

Leeds United make contact for Josh Doig

According to reports in Italy, via MOT Leeds News, Leeds have held talks with Hellas Verona defender Josh Doig's intermediaries as the Scot looks to move elsewhere in the January transfer window.

Five similar players to Josh Doig (FBRef)
Player	Club
Pasquale Mazzocchi	Salernitana
Pablo Maffeo	Mallorca
Raoul Bellanova	Torino
Rico Henry	Brentford
Jerome Roussillon	Union Berlin

The outlet claim that Serie A pair Torino and Monza are looking at securing the 21-year-old this month; meanwhile, Rangers are also keen on offering him a return to Scotland after nearly two years in mainland Europe.

Heralded as a player with "incredible potential" by Gabriele Cioffi back in 2022, the Scotland Under-21 international has joined a growing cluster of countrymen who have moved to Italy to continue their development, and he has made 34 appearances in total for his current employers, registering two goals and four assists (Doig statistics – Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, he could now be on the move and could address Leeds' need for reinforcements on the left-hand side of their backline, which has been compromised at times this campaign due to injury concerns involving Junior Firpo, Sam Byram and Stuart Dallas.

تحدث محمود بنتايج، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك عن انضمامه لصفوف القلعة البيضاء وطموحاته في الموسم الجديد.

وقال بنتايج، في تصريحات عبر قناة الزمالك: “المفاوضات لم تأخذ وقتا طويلا، الزمالك فريق كبير جدًا ومعروف في إفريقيا ولم أتردد في الموافقة على العرض”.

طالع..قائمة الزمالك لمباراة الشرطة الكيني في الكونفدرالية.. موقف الصفقات الجديدة

وتابع: “دونجا أكثر لاعب ساعدني لكي أدخل في أجواء الفريق وشيكابالا وعمر جابر، أعرف جميع لاعبي الزمالك من خلال متابعتي لدوري أبطال إفريقيا والكونفدرالية”.

وواصل: “مواجهة السوبر الإفريقي ستكون مباراة كبيرة وهامة، وأريد أن أحصد أول لقب مع نادي الزمالك”.

وأضاف بنتايج: “جمهور الزمالك مع الفريق في السراء والضراء وأريد أن أقول لهم أن هدفنا حصد البطولات مع أجل إسعادهم”.

وأكمل: “ضربة البداية ستكون مهمة في بطولة الكونفدرالية، والمستويات أصبحت متقاربة بين أغلب الأندية في قارة إفريقية”.

وأتم: “جوميز أكثر من مجرد مدير فني وعلاقته طيبة بكل اللاعبين ورائعة داخل الملعب وخارجه، وهو قريب من اللاعبين، وسأقدم أقصى شيء عندي لفريق الزمالك”.

With the arrival of the new year, Tottenham Hotspur will be desperate to kick on and push for a place in the top four after an impressive 3-1 win over Bournemouth yesterday. Ange Postecoglou has the perfect opportunity to boost his side's chances as the January transfer window is now officially open, and it looks like the first signing is edging closer, as Spurs have agreed personal terms with centre-back Radu Dragusin.

Tottenham seeking new midfielder

According to reports, Ange Postecoglou wants Spurs to sign a new midfielder in January, alongside a striker and the obvious requirement at centre-back. Tottenham currently have a whole range of options in the middle of midfield, with the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Oliver Skipp, Pape Matar Sarr, Yves Bissouma and Giovani Lo Celso, but two of those will depart for AFCON this week and Hojbjerg could yet leave the club.

Spurs could sign dream Dragusin alternative in move for £35m colossus

The Lilywhites are reportedly interested in a deal for the impressive Serie A defender.

ByDan Emery Jan 1, 2024

Of the remaining players, only really Lo Celso and Bentancur offer anything going forward, so it makes sense for the north London club to move for a creative midfielder to boost their ranks. One thing that is for certain is that beyond the African Cup of Nations, Sarr will still have his place at the club, regardless of any signings in the meantime, as he's set to sign a new six-year deal at Tottenham.

However, there may be a new man in front of him as Spurs have reportedly been in talks to sign Conor Gallagher from Chelsea.

Conor Gallagher transfer update

According to Ben Jacobs' update on his official X account, Tottenham are not in formal talks yet over Chelsea's Gallagher, despite the above link suggesting talks are underway.

He stated: "Reiterating my understanding from this morning. Hearing Spurs and Chelsea are not in formal talks yet over Conor Gallagher despite reports in Italy."

Conor Gallagher's Premier League statistics – 2023/24 (Sofascore)

Key passes per game

1.3

Balls recovered per game

6.8

Big chances created

6

Touches per game

73.7

Assists

4

Goals

0

Appearances

19

Conor Gallagher made a name for himself whilst on loan at Crystal Palace back in the 2021-2022 season, scoring eight goals and laying on five assists in more of a free roam role (Transfermarkt). However, he hasn't quite been as effective since returning to Stamford Bridge, with just three goals and five assists in 68 appearances.

For someone who is only 23, Gallagher has already received high praise from a whole host of managers though, including Thomas Tuchel, who described his development at Palace as "extraordinary and outstanding".

With Sarr and Bissouma often being deployed as sitting midfielders in Ange's midfield, Spurs could be the perfect side for Gallagher to really spread his wings again and operate in a free roam role, much like Lo Celso has been doing in recent games. It's clear to see from his stats even this season that the creative spark is still there, with four assists, six big chances created and 1.3 key passes per game in a Chelsea side that has the inconsistent Nicolas Jackson operating up front on a regular basis.

Just imagine what the Englishman can do with the likes of James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski on the end of his creativity.

Legspinner Shadab Khan was left tense and frustrated after learning that he was suffering from hepatitis, two days after being picked for the Pakistan squads for the tour of England and the World Cup.A blood test had revealed Shadab was suffering from hepatitis, and was subsequently replaced by Yasir Shah in the squad for the England series, while the PCB arranged an appointment with a London-based gastroenterology and hepatology specialist. While Shadab recovered from the viral infection over the last month, his health was still a concern, with his chances of playing the World Cup at risk. But now he has been declared fit and is set to join the squad after the England series.”When you suddenly get to know that you have a viral [infection] in your blood, naturally I got frustrated but my team-mates and friends have been very supportive,” Shadab said. “I have a strong belief that whatever happens, happens for a reason and for good. I was tensed up on the first day but then I told my friends that whatever happened was in the past. If anything good is to happen, it will happen. So I asked them to avoid talking to me about it.”Shadab was given a two-week course of medication and was prescribed complete rest. He was declared fit after undergoing another round of blood tests in Lahore earlier this week and is set to leave for England soon.”I was always hopeful because the viral infection was found at its initial stage,” Shadab said. “With two weeks of medication, it’s out of my blood. Now I am heading to the World Cup. We [Pakistan] have been going there [to England] regularly over the last three years so it isn’t really difficult to acclimatise. All I have to do is to get in my rhythm otherwise I am mentally prepared for the challenge.”Shadab has been Pakistan’s key strike bowler in the middle overs for the last two years, and his return is a boost for the side. His replacement, Yasir, hasn’t made an impact as Pakistan have struggled with their bowling in the ongoing ODI series against England. Yasir’s ODI form has been a far cry from the quality that has marked him out as an elite Test bowler, and he was left out of the third ODI against England on Tuesday after conceding 60 runs in seven overs during the second ODI in Southampton last week.Pakistan have taken only seven England wickets in the last two ODIs, after the first match was washed out. The hosts scored 373 in the second ODI and on Tuesday, chased down 359 with 31 balls and six wickets to spare. Shadab who has a knack of picking wickets in the middle overs, believes the Pakistan bowlers are not in rhythm.”Nowadays you have to take wickets because cricket has become very fast and even 350 isn’t a par score,” Shadab said, reflecting on Pakistan’s performance in England so far. “Yes we have been struggling with the ball in the middle overs, but the way the batting is performing is a good sign. No doubt we lost the games but we put up a good fight and played competitive cricket, which gives a lot of boost to the team. Pakistan, anyway, still have the ability to win the remaining games.”I have already played in a competitive tournament, in the 2017 Champions Trophy, which we won. Victory indeed has its own taste. Even though we lost a few games, I know how to adapt in a big tournament. Our team has 100% skills to do well in the World Cup. Yes, they are struggling but so are the other teams in many ways. They are playing good cricket overall. Yes, the bowlers are not doing well, they are actually not in the rhythm required but once they start clicking, we will start winning the games. Overall, when you are missing four key players [Shadab, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik] it becomes increasingly tough. But there is a difference between pressure for a series and the World Cup, so I am optimistic about our chances there and we will try to win the World Cup.”

The PCB’s first-ever board of governors meeting in Quetta had to be adjourned after five members walked out, demanding, among other things, the removal of managing director Wasim Khan

Danyal Rasool17-Apr-2019

Ehsan Mani, chairman of the PCB, and Sarfraz Ahmed at a press conference•PCB

A schism within the PCB Board of Governors erupted in Quetta today, leading to five BoG members demanding the removal of PCB Managing Director Wasim Khan, and walking out of the meeting, forcing its adjournment. The 53rd meeting of the PCB BoG, notable for being the first to be held in Quetta, was attended by eight of its ten members.Fve of them – Shahraiz Rokri from Lahore, Noman Butt from Sialkot, Shah Dost from Quetta, Kabir Khan from Fata and KRL’s Ayaz Butt – presented a resolution not initially on the agenda of the meeting. It listed six demands they wanted the BoG to adopt, most notably the appointment of Wasim to be declared null and void, terming the position unconstitutional. The resolution also called for the rejection of any move to abolish departments and regions in domestic cricket, and the setting up of a domestic cricket restructuring committee within the next 10 days, comprising all four members of the four regions.A PCB statement said, “The meeting was then adjourned for a brief period pursuant to five members attempting to table a resolution, which was not part of the agenda. The PCB Chairman had proposed any business other than the agenda could be considered under Any Other Items at the end of the meeting. However, the Khan Research Laboratory (KRL) and the four regional representatives refused to return to complete the meeting.”PCB chairman Ehsan Mani, who, along with Asad Ali Khan and Ex-Officio Akbar Durrani, was the only remaining BoG member present, declared himself “hugely disappointed”, warning that Pakistan cricket must not “get derailed by personal agendas”.”I was looking forward to an interactive, productive and constructive discussion, which was aimed at taking Pakistan cricket forward. Yesterday, we called on the honourable Chief Minister of Balochistan and engaged in fruitful and enlightening discussions to promote cricket in Balochistan. It is, therefore, particularly disappointing that the representative from Balochistan also refused to return for the BoG meeting.”Leicestershire chief executive Wasim Khan•PA Photos

The abandonment of the meeting poses a potential broader problem for the PCB. One of the items on the agenda was the approval of audited accounts for 2017-18 to be sent to the ICC, which form the basis of the ICC releasing Pakistan’s share of revenue for the year. That, ESPNcricinfo understands, amounts to USD 5 million, and with the failure to approve the release of audited accounts, that funding could be delayed. The threat of a delay isn’t acute for now though if divisions linger on, it could become pressing. At least part of that money would be spent on regional cricket associations, some of whom walked out of the meeting.Board officials expressed frustration at the demand to oust Wasim, whose arrival was seen as something of a coup for the board, particularly since he had been asked by the ECB to apply for a similar position.In October, the BoG approved the creation of the position of managing director, aimed at separating the positions of chief executive and chairman. Under the current PCB set-up, the chairman is also its chief executive, which was seen as a conflict of interest. However, a separate position for chief executive requires a constitutional amendment, and on that basis, the BoG approved the search for a managing director, who would assume the role of chief executive once the position was created. It was then the PCB began shortlisting candidates for the position, finally settling on Wasim.

The saga has an unmistakeable realpolitik whiff. The current prime minister and patron of the board Imran Khan has been vocal about his intentions to downgrade and, if possible, completely eliminate departments in domestic cricket. It was notable that a guarantee against that was the first item on the proposals the five dissenting members moved. Just three weeks ago, Imran Khan had given short shrift to a new model the PCB proposed that still aimed to retain departments in domestic cricket, insisting they had no role in the game.Mani and Imran Khan are scheduled to meet later this week to discuss issues related to the infrastructure development of the Pindi cricket stadium, which is owned by the province of Punjab rather than the PCB. With the ground being looked at as a potential venue for the next edition of the PSL, its dereliction was a cause for urgent concern. However, with half the BoG membership rejecting the patron’s explicit demands with respect to departmental involvement in the domestic game, it seems hard to believe that will not be a key item of discussion when the pair meet.

Arsenal defender Lotte Wubben-Moy has been ruled out of England's upcoming double header against France after sustaining an injury.

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• Defender missed end of season with injury
• Withdraws from England squad for France games
• May be back for qualifying matches in July

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The centre-back was absent from the Gunners' final four Women's Super League games of the season after suffering a foot injury. The 25-year-old has since been left out of the Lionesses squad for the Women's Euro 2025 qualifying matches against France.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The loss of Wubben-Moy is a big blow for Sarina Wiegman's team. She was voted Arsenal Women's Player of the Season for the 2023-24 campaign, receiving a massive 41 per cent of the fans' vote. With the Lionesses sitting second in Group A3 in qualifying, with France two points ahead, they will hope to have her back later in the summer.

• WHAT THE LIONESSES SAID

  "Lotte Wubben-Moy will not participate in the forthcoming UEFA EURO qualifying fixtures against France because of a foot injury," a statement from the England camp read. "Wubben-Moy will undertake a period of recuperation and is expected to join back with the Lionesses squad in the preparation phase for the July window against Republic of Ireland and Sweden."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  England will face France at St James' Park on May 31 as they look to overtake Les Bleus at the top of their group. The following Tuesday, they will travel to Saint-Etienne to complete the double header.