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The England coach said he had not been involved in any planning for the on-field verbals and does not believe they send a good image to the next generation

George Dobell in Adelaide03-Dec-2017England coach Trevor Bayliss has admitted he is not comfortable with the sledging that has characterised the early days of the current Ashes series and feels stump microphones should be “turned down” in an attempt to avoid negatively influencing the next generation of cricketers.After Australia flustered Jonny Bairstow in Brisbane with talk of him head-butting Cameron Bancroft, England have hit back in Adelaide with the umpires stepping in between James Anderson and Steven Smith at one point on the first day and Stuart Broad roaring in the face of Peter Handscomb after dismissing him in the opening over on the second day.But Bayliss, previously close to many of the Australia players as coach of New South Wales and Sydney Sixers, categorically denied he was involved in any plans to sledge the Australia players”Personally, from my point of view, I’m probably not [comfortable with the sledging],” Bayliss said. “And it’s certainly not something I’m involved in planning.”But it’s just the way the game is these days. I’d like to see the stump microphones turned down. I don’t think they are necessarily a great thing for young kids watching at home. I don’t think anyone has to listen to what is being said. But it’s grown men playing a very competitive sport and sometimes those emotions boil over.”It’s just red blooded young males competing against each other. Most of the time it’s fairly light hearted. Sometimes there’s a lot more made of it in the press than what happens in the field.”Meanwhile, Bayliss said Joe Root would make the same decision over bowling first if he won the toss again. Accepting that England had “bowled a little short” on the first morning, Bayliss felt they had subsequently adjusted well.”He wouldn’t do anything different,” Bayliss said. “It’s well documented that one of our challenges is taking wickets on flatter wickets. So Joe wanted to give our guys the best opportunity to take 20 wickets. It didn’t work out, although I thought we bowled pretty well.”Look, it wasn’t an easy decision. It wasn’t taken lightly. But for us to win games, you want to take 20 wickets. Joe thought if we bowled first on a fresh wicket it would provide our best opportunity. We bowled pretty well and didn’t get the results we thought we deserved.”And, while Bayliss accepted that Australia’s attack had more pace, he felt England still had the weapons to make inroads on surfaces such as the one in Adelaide.”It’s well documented they’ve got three guys who are quicker than ours,” he said. “But it doesn’t mean they’re impossible to play. You’ve still got to be able to move the ball.”Certainly on that wicket, the bowlers we’ve got are more than capable of taking wickets and creating chance. The bowlers we’ve got are the bowlers we’ve got. There is no point wishing someone could come along with a click of the fingers.”

حُسمت هوية الأندية المتأهلة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم المقبل، 2024/25، قبل جولة من النهاية.

وتنتهي منافسات الموسم الحالي من الدوري الإنجليزي، 2023/24، مساء يوم الأحد المقبل.

وتحددت الأندية الأربعة المتأهلة إلى منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم المقبل، والتي ستكون في هيئة جديدة بمشاركة 36 فريقًا بدلًا من 32.

وفشل توتنهام في التأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا بعدما تعرض للهزيمة الثلاثاء أمام مانشستر سيتي بهدفين دون رد، في مباراة مؤجلة من الجولة الرابعة والثلاثين.

هذه الهزيمة تعني إنهاء أستون فيلا للموسم في المركز الرابع، ومن ثم حجز البطاقة الأخيرة المؤهلة إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا. الفرق المتأهلة من الدوري الإنجليزي إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا 2024/25

المركز الأول: مانشستر سيتي (حتى الآن).

المركز الثاني: آرسنال (حتى الآن).

المركز الثالث: ليفربول.

المركز الرابع: أستون فيلا.

Chelsea are starting a new chapter at Stamford Bridge with many mainstays departing this summer and a new manager in Mauricio Pochettino hopeful to lead the West London club to a comeback when they return to action next weekend.

The Blues will open their Premier League campaign with a challenging fixture against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge next Sunday and the former Tottenham Hotspur boss will be hoping to make a great first impression in front of an unsettled home support who experienced an unforgivable drop in the high expectations held last season.

Three different managers tried to repair the ongoing issues during the last campaign with neither Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter or club legend Frank Lampard able to stop the rot that ultimately led to a 12th place finish in the top-flight and failure to secure European football.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

With less than a month left before the transfer window closes until the turn of the year, the coming days and weeks are crucial to ensure Pochettino has enough depth and quality all over the pitch to replace departures, improve key positions and bring Chelsea back to life over the 38-game campaign.

Who are Chelsea's transfer targets?

Now that Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Robert Sanchez from Brighton and Hove Albion, the main focus is looking set on adding depth in midfield following a number of high-profile departures.

N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Denis Zakaria have all moved on this summer, and it is reported that Pochettino has drawn up a shortlist of midfield targets that include the likes of Leeds United's Tyler Adams, Ajax star Edson Alvarez and Brighton's Moises Caicedo.

However, due to a difficult season for newcomer Raheem Sterling, Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise is a player who has been named as a potential target for Chelsea this week, as the club intend to improve the creativity in the final third and goal contributions delivered to compete more comfortably with their top six rivals.

It is believed that Palace are commanding a £35m transfer fee for their star forward this summer.

Will Chelsea sign Michael Olise?

After signing for Chelsea in a £50m deal last summer, Sterling joined the fold in West London with high expectations attached to him following his outstanding success at Manchester City.

However, it hasn't been the fairytale switch for the England winger who managed to only find the back of the net six times and delivered three assists over 28 Premier League appearances last season, an inconsistent output that contributed to the team's struggles to take all three points from their opponents.

As a result, the signing of Olise could present an opportunity to add depth to the attacking third, with the Crystal Palace star versatile in his positioning and to potentially secure the services of an upgrade on Sterling.

Over 37 Premier League appearances last season, the 21-year-old – hailed a "special talent" by his former manager Patrick Vieira – scored two goals, registered a whopping 11 assists and created 11 big chances, as well as averaging 1.5 successful dribbles, 1.9 key passes and 5.4 duels won per game, as per SofaScore.

When comparing Olise's output to Sterling's last season, the France U21 talent comfortably outperformed his position competitor in a number of key attributes including shot-creating actions per 90 (4.68 v 3.23), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.43 v 0.19) and aerial duels won (30.9% v 27.8%), as per FBref.

As well as completing more progressive passes (4.35 v 3.39), successful take-ons (1.77 v 1.54), tackles won (1.90 v 0.93) and interceptions (0.85 v 0.07) per 90 minutes played, demonstrating that the all-action winger is a much better ball-winner than Sterling, something that could be incredibly valuable to Chelsea.

With that being said, if Pochettino can seal a deal for Olise this summer it would be a major coup for the manager and would provide the team with a fresh perspective in the final third that could massively pay off in the long-term future of the club.

The 2023/24 Scottish Premiership season kicks off this weekend as Celtic host Ross County at Parkhead and a number of new faces could be on display to the home crowd.

Who have Celtic signed so far this summer?

Manager Brendan Rodgers has been backed by the board as the club have snapped up five fresh additions to the squad.

Winger Marco Tilio and Norwegian midfielder Odin Thiago Holn were his first two signings of the summer transfer window, after he came in to replace Ange Postecoglou in the dugout.

Since then, South Korean duo Hyeok-kyu Kwon and Hyun-jun Yang have both arrived on permanent deals, whilst the newest member of the team is Polish central defender Maik Nawrocki, who has been brought in from Legia Warsaw.

There could be further signings before the deadline passes, though, and one player who has been linked with a switch to Paradise is Gwangju winger Ji-sung Eom.

How many goals has Ji-sung Eom scored this season?

The 21-year-old ace has produced two goals and two assists in nine K League 1 starts for his club in 2023 and his form over the last 18 months suggests that the potential is there for him to come in as an upgrade on Sead Haksabanovic.

Celtic's Montenegro international struggled to make a significant impact on the pitch during his debut campaign in Scotland after Postecoglou signed him from Rubin Kazan in 2022.

The 24-year-old produced five goals and two assists across 26 Scottish Premiership outings, which is an average of one direct contribution every 3.71 league matches.

The attacker also left a bit to be desired on the physical side of the game as the former West Ham United man lost 60% of his individual duels. Opposition players were able to get the better of him too often and that is a cause for concern moving forward if he is unable to improve on that whilst also rarely contributing at the top end of the pitch.

Eom, on the other hand, enjoyed a fantastic 2022 campaign with Gwangju and his performances suggest that he could offer far more than Haksabanovic for the Hoops.

The South Korea U22 international was rewarded for his form by being named the K League 2 Young Player of the Season, whilst he was also included in the division's Team of the Year.

He chipped in with nine goals – a return only two current Celtic players beat last term – and one assist in 28 league appearances, which is an average of one goal involvement every 2.8 outings.

The 5 foot 7 youngster, who was once described as "underrated" by scout Ali Can Kutlu, also held his own out of possession, in spite of his age, as he won 50% of his battles and came out on top in 5.4 per game, as per Sofascore, compared to Haksabanovic's 1.9.

Therefore, Eom could provide more strength off the ball whilst also being able to produce goal contributions more frequently from a wide position, which is why the Hoops target could be an upgrade on the ex-Hammers prodigy for Rodgers.

Former South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Nic Pothas has been appointed Sri Lanka’s interim coach days after Graham Ford quit the job, following the team’s group-stage exit at the Champions Trophy this month. Pothas, who has served as Sri Lanka’s fielding coach since August last year, will oversee the team until the end of the India tour, SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said.Pothas’ role as interim coach will begin at home with the five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe, which starts on June 30, followed by one Test. Before taking over as Sri Lanka’s fielding coach, Pothas was the academy director at Leicestershire County and has also served as the director of cricket at Guernsey.Pothas played three ODIs for South Africa in 2000 but did not manage to find a regular spot in the team, with Mark Boucher holding the incumbent post. A long-time Hampshire player, Pothas scored over 11,000 runs and effected 659 dismissals in 218 first-class games.”We have a strategic plan to engage the next coach and Nic Pothas is also a good contender for it,” Sumathipala said. “There are professional coaches who are currently engaged and shown a lot of interest and we are confident we will have one at the end of the Indian tour. We will not have to look too far to find somebody who will be competent to take this team till the 2019 World Cup.”Sumathipala also said that there were also Sri Lanka Cricket coaches who have shown interest in the job but added, “we will have to first discuss with our cricket committee and our support team the plan and structure – what kind of coach that we are looking at. When we looked at Dav Whatmore he was a developing coach, he could develop an ordinary team to a world-class side. There are coaches very good at looking after professional advanced ongoing teams. We have to make an assessment on the situation and deploy the right person with the right spirit.”

Manchester City have shown "interest" in signing Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga, who could now be available for less than his €40m (£34m) release clause, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Are Man City signing a midfielder?

Transfer insider Dean Jones believes Man City are weighing up another move for a midfielder, having already agreed a deal to sign Mateo Kovacic for an initial £25m, however, he does not believe it is a priority position for Pep Guardiola, saying:

"They obviously looked at Jude Bellingham and then pulled away from that. Looked at Declan Rice, pulled away from that. So we know there's a temptation there to go for another type of midfielder and an extra body in there.

"At the moment, I'm told it's not a priority. Yes, they've dipped their toes in the water on both of those, thought about going for it, and then not done it.

"But, it's still considered that an extra midfielder for this summer would be a luxury."

However, the Sky Blues are still regularly being linked with a number of potential targets, including Atlanta United attacking midfielder Thiago Almada, and Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong, although a move for the latter player is currently deemed unlikely.

In the same report, Jones details that Veiga is probably more of a likely acquisition for the Citizens, and Romano has now claimed he could be available for less than initially expected, saying City have shown an interest in the player alongside their attempts to sign RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol, with those at the Etihad set to hold fresh talks over a move for the defender.

“I’m told clubs feel they can make a deal work with bids below the player’s €40m release clause now. For now there doesn’t appear to be a clear preference from the player but really many clubs have looked into it including big names in the Premier League.

“Chelsea are one of them, and there’s also been interest from Man City (who are now focused on Josko Gvardiol), and also Liverpool showed an interest a few weeks ago but are now focused on different players.”

Who is Gabri Veiga?

Former Celta Vigo boss Carlos Carvalhal is responsible for turning the 21-year-old into a deep-lying midfielder, having previously played at number 10, and the Portuguese coach has lauded the way he has adapted to the role, telling Sky Sports: "He accepted that challenge very well. He was absolutely amazing."

The Spaniard scored 11 goals for Celta Vigo last season, the second-highest amount of any player, with Carvalhal praising his clinical nature, saying: "He finishes goals very easily because he was a striker."

Man City were unable to keep hold of Ilkay Gundogan this summer, despite submitting a proposal to keep the German, who scored 11 goals for Guardiola's side last season, playing a vital role en-route to a famous treble.

While Guardiola has since bolstered his midfield options by signing Kovacic from Chelsea, the manager could do with bringing in a goal-scoring midfielder, and Veiga has proven that he would be capable of taking on that responsibility.

As such, it would not be a surprise if City make a move for the Celta Vigo star at some point this summer, and it is good news that he could be available for less than his release clause.

تلقى المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، تشافي هيرنانديز، أخبارًا سارة في التدريبات الجماعية قبل مباراة لاس بالماس في الدوري الإسباني.

ويلتقي برشلونة ولاس بالماس يوم، السبت المقبل، في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” على ملعب “مونتجويك” بقيادة الحكم، بوسكيتس فيرير.

وعاد بيدري لاعب وسط الفريق الأول لكرة القدم للتدريبات على العشب ولكن ليس مع زملاءه وهو ما يلمح لاقتراب عودته للمباريات، بحسب صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. لاجازيتا توضح قرار كفاراتسخيليا النهائي بشأن اهتمام برشلونة

هناك رضاء عن حالة بيدري في الوقت الحالي حيث اقترب من التعافي تمامًا من إصابته في العضلة المستقيمة من فخذه الأيمن والتي تعرض لها في مباراة أتلتيك بلباو في “سان ماميس”.

هذه الإصابة ليست الأولى التي يعاني منها بيدري في الموسم الحالي، حيث تغيب عن 23 مباراة مع برشلونة بسبب إصابات مختلفة.

أمام لاس بالماس، لن يتواجد بيدري ولكن ربما يظهر في الجولات القادمة لبطولة الدوري الإسباني بجانب كل من فرينكي دي يونج، جافي وأليخاندرو بالدي.

مع وجود شكوك حول مشاركة رونالد أراوخو وأندريس كريستنسن، في حين أن جواو كانسيلو وفيران توريس سيعودان للقائمة النهائية.

The ECB is looking into the possibility of using artificial pitches in its proposed new T20 competition

George Dobell17-Feb-2017The ECB is looking into the possibility of using artificial pitches in its proposed new T20 competition.Keen to ensure the best-possible surfaces (for batsmen, anyway) for a competition seen as vital in attracting a new audience to the game, the ECB recently held a meeting with county groundsmen where the idea was discussed. ESPNcricinfo understands that Chris Wood, the ECB’s Pitch Consultant, has been charged with researching how to introduce such surfaces ahead of the launch of the competition in 2020.There are significant pros and cons to the use of such pitches. While it would likely result in a certain homogenisation of conditions and provide even less opportunity for bowlers to extract anything from surfaces, it would also enable grounds to provide the centre-wicket pitches required by broadcasters multiple times without concerns about deterioration. Artificial surfaces might also be considered to provide uniformity of conditions for both teams, which a turf surface will not always offer.Drop-in surfaces have also been considered but are not thought to be cost effective or provide quite the same uniformity of performance.While long-term lovers of cricket may have reservations about artificial surfaces, the ECB’s mantra over the new competition is that it is not designed to appeal to those already watching the game: it is designed to appeal to the vast potential audience that is currently immune to its charms. The ECB feels that providing such good-paced surfaces will help create the high-scoring, boundary-filled cricket it believes will attract that new audience. It might also minimise delays after poor weather.To that end, Wood is looking into the best options and cost implications of laying such pitches close to the middle of squares in all first-class grounds.It is a move that will do nothing to address the increasing imbalance between bat and ball and might rob the game of the sort of low-scoring thrillers that made the 1983 World Cup final, the 2015 World Cup match between New Zealand and Australia and the 2003 World Cup match between Australia and England – among many others – so memorable. But subtlety appears to be one the likely victims of the T20 revolution.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani will reportedly be happy to welcome Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back to Manchester United if his takeover bid is successful.

What's the latest on Sheikh Jassim's Man United takeover bid?

After months and months of negotiations, the Qatari banker looks as though he could beat Ineos billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe in the race to buy the Premier League club.

Former player Rio Ferdinand even recently filmed himself singing "Hallelujah" in delight after hearing Sheikh Jassim's bid looks to be successful.

However, those claims are yet to be confirmed and so we don't know with any great certainty just yet who the Glazers will be selling to.

Man United fans will have differing opinions on who they want to take over, but a fresh nugget of information could help sway a few in one direction or the other.

Indeed, as per a report in The Mirror, Sheikh Jassim – who is negotiating a period of exclusivity with the Glazers to complete a 100% takeover of United – wants to bring back club legends if he gets the deal done.

It's said that a number of players who used to play under Sir Alex Ferguson are on the prospective owner's "shortlist" and it is highlighted that Solskjaer is among those who could yet return.

Why was Solskjaer sacked at Man United?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked by Manchester United in 2021 after an embarrassing 4-1 defeat away at Watford having failed to win any trophies during his time in charge.

With that in mind, it remains unclear how happy fans would be to see him back at Old Trafford. Of course, with Erik ten Hag in charge, there's no suggestion that the Norwegian would be offered the chance to come back as head coach any time soon.

Incidentally, while speaking at an event last month, Solskjaer even spoke about the possibility of one day returning to his former club.

He said (via The Mirror): "I’ve got another job in me, if it’s the right chance and exciting enough.

"There are so many clubs, but I’m not going to work just for the sake of working. It has to be something special, a new culture, or a club that really excites me. Or maybe they will want me back at the club [United] in some capacity, who knows?"

If Sheikh Jassim can complete a takeover, this situation with Solskjaer certainly looks like something to keep an eye on over the coming months.

Taskin Ahmed is set to return following clearance of his bowling action as Bangladesh take on new-look Afghanistan in the first of three ODIs in Mirpur

The Preview by Mohammad Isam in Mirpur24-Sep-2016Match factsSeptember 25, 2016
Start time 1430 local (0830GMT)1:34

Taskin last played at an international at the World T20 earlier this year

Big PictureBangladesh and Afghanistan head into the first of three ODIs in Mirpur with different objectives. Afghanistan,playing in their first-ever bilateral series against Bangladesh, will be eager to extend their good form across formats in 2016 – they have won 14 out of 23 matches this year. With a young squad that has a number of senior players making way, they would want to more than just compete.Bangladesh haven’t played international cricket since the World T20 in March-April. Their last ODI came more than 10 months ago. Considering they did so well in ODIs in 2015 – they qualified for the World Cup quarter-finals apart from series wins at home against Pakistan, India, South Africa and Zimbabwe – the forced rest is seen as a setback within the cricketing circles at home.Their landmark maiden series wins against three big sides may have brought about hope of playing more regularly, but opportunities have been far and few. Even their last ‘A’ tour came about more than a year ago, in India. Therefore, this series is important to identify their combinations ahead of the bigger challenge against England at home.For starters, they will welcome the return of fast bowler Taskin Ahmed, whose bowling action has been cleared by the ICC.With not much international exposure, the other players have largely been busy with domestic competitions like the Dhaka Premier League, where the likes of Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, Mashrafe Mortaza and Tamim Iqbal performed well. They have also tried to replicate top-level scenarios in several practice matches, but shedding rust is a major worry for the team management, which has also been revamped with the addition of former West Indies captain Courtney Walsh (bowling coach) and former Sri Lanka batsman Thilan Samaraweera (batting consultant).Afghanistan have left out the experienced Noor Ali Zadran, Javed Ahmadi, Hamid Hassan and Shapoor Zadran. Youngsters who showed glimpses of their ability in their three-week camp in India have been picked, and they impressed in the practice match against BCB XI. The onus, therefore, is on Asghar Stanikzai, the captain, and Mohammad Nabi would have to guide youngsters likes Rashid Khan and Karim Janat, fresh off the Afghanistan U19s.The contest promises to be intriguing, weather permitting.Form guideBangladesh WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan LWLWWIn the spotlightSince his match-winning scores in the ODI series against South Africa last year, Soumya Sarkar has averaged just 17.82 in 49 matches in all competitive cricket, including the Asia Cup T20, World T20 and domestic competitions.Mohammad Shahzad has earned the reputation of being a crowd-puller with his exuberance, both with his celebrations and with the bat. He showed his capability at the World T20 in India earlier this year, and will once again be relied on to get the side off to pulsating starts.Teams newsBangladesh will have to choose between Imrul Kayes and Mosaddek Hossain to shore up the top order, which means Nasir Hossain may have to make way. Shafiul Islam, returning to the side after nearly two years on the fringes, could play ahead of Rubel Hossain.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Imrul Kayes/Mosadek Hossain, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Shafiul Islam, 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Taskin AhmedAfghanistan will make at least three changes from their last ODI, as Javed Ahmadi, Gulbadin Naib and Yamin Ahmadzai aren’t in the squad. Nawroz Mangal could open with Mohammad Shahzad while Hashmatullah Shahidi, who struck a half-century against BCB XI on Friday, could be slotted into the middle order. Either one of Fareed Ahmed or the uncapped Karim Janat may open the bowling with Dawlat Zadran.Afghanistan (probable) 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Nawroz Mangal, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 5 Asghar Stanikzai (capt), 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Najibullah Zadran, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mirwais Ashraf, 10 Dawlat Zadran, 11 Karim JanatPitch and conditionsThe surface at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium was mostly under cover due to the heavy rain in Dhaka. The ball has tended to move around a little more than usual under lights at this time of the year, which means chasing could be tricky. But the captain who wins the toss may have a difficult decision to make, considering rain could make an appearance in the second-half, which could bring Duckworth-Lewis calculations into the picture.Stats and trivia Shakib is two wickets away from becoming Bangladesh’s highest ODI wicket-taker, taking over from Abdur Razzak who has taken 207 wickets.This is Bangladesh’s first bilateral ODI series against an Associate Nation at home since 2008 when they played against Ireland in a three-match ODI series.Quotes”We have got the ammunition so let’s see if they can surprise the Bangladesh batsmen”
“We have upset many good teams on the world stage. We take them very seriously”