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R Ashwin has said he is in the “best frame of mind” and has not been thinking too much about his recent lack of wickets

Abhishek Purohit in Hamilton27-Jan-20140:00

‘Tie could be the turnaround for us’ – Ashwin

When he bowled Corey Anderson in Auckland, it was the first wicket R Ashwin had taken for close to 80 overs. The previous one had come seven weeks earlier, on December 8, when he dismissed Quinton de Kock in the second ODI against South Africa in Durban. Thereafter, he had gone wicketless in the Centurion ODI, the Johannesburg Test and in Napier and Hamilton on the current tour of New Zealand.It was not as if he was being taken apart each time he went without a wicket, but such a run can easily play on your mind. But Ashwin said he was in the “best frame of mind” and was not thinking too much about the lack of wickets. He had been dropped in favour of Ravindra Jadeja for the Durban Test after his failure to break through in Johannesburg, and said he had learned a lot from that tour.”Honestly I was not reading or looking into anything,” Ashwin said. “This is probably the best frame of mind I have been in. I have locked away a few things. I had a tour of South Africa which was quite a learning curve for me. I have decided if I am giving my best that is all I can do. I cannot go back reading articles and what people are saying about me. It does not make sense. I just locked myself out. I spoke to Dhoni about a couple of things, to the coach, had chats with a few people I trust. I thought things were going alright. It can happen, you cannot keep taking wickets or making runs all the time. The frame of mind I was in helped me perform the way I did.”Ashwin said he was feeling satisfied with the way he was bowling and had worked out how he had to go about the job away from home. “I have sorted out what length and what kind of bowling needs to be done. There are certain ways you need to construct a spell abroad. I have learnt that and put that into practice.”R Ashwin: “I had a tour of South Africa which was quite a learning curve for me”•BCCIThe new fielding restrictions have made it harder for bowlers in general. With lesser help available for spinners in overseas conditions, Ashwin said it had become difficult to look for wickets even if the batsmen were playing their shots and taking risks. “That particular thing falls out of the window with the current scenario. If there is spin and you are playing with the conditions helping you, then of course there is an opportunity to look to get a wicket but if it is stacked against you then you are fighting against something which is like a wall. You cannot box against a wall. You cannot fight against the conditions and go head on and take it on.”You definitely tend to be targeted as a spinner away from home. With the five-fielder [within the circle] rule you can only look to give a single. You cannot err on lengths. The batsman knows if you have your sweeper up you are not going to err on the shorter side so you are giving away some cues to the batsman in terms of what field you are setting, and you cannot be foolish enough to try and fool the batsman. They are going to look for boundaries. You have to be really smart and try and make sure you do what the team requires. It is easy to say wickets are not coming so I will look for wickets, but you end up giving 20-30 runs extra and you have to get it back at the end of the day.”Before the Auckland game, Dhoni had said one also had to look at what stage of the innings India were making Ashwin bowl. “I am using him in the Powerplay, in the slog after the 40th over also. You have to see all these things,” Dhoni said. “If you keep saying he is not getting wickets, then that will put pressure on him and in turn what may happen is he will be bowling the 42nd or 43rd over and look for a wicket and it may add another 6-10 runs. I am quite happy with how he has been bowling. If I try to use him upfront, he will be slightly less expensive. As of now both spinners are doing their job quite well. Looking at the conditions, I am practically judging them.”

Ireland coach Phil Simmons believes his side has made enough progress in recent years to start beating Test-playing nations on a regular basis

Ryan Bailey22-May-2013Ireland coach Phil Simmons believes his side has made enough progress in recent years to start beating Test nations on a regular basis and sees this week’s ODI series against Pakistan as the perfect opportunity to claim another scalp.Ireland will have fond memories of their triumph over Pakistan during the 2007 World Cup but Bangladesh apart, they are still awaiting victory over one of the top-ranked countries on home soil despite narrow defeats to England and Australia in the last three years. Simmons is confident his side can prepare for July’s crucial World Cup qualifiers against Netherlands by upsetting the odds against the side currently ranked sixth in the world.”It’s difficult when you play games at home as we only have a few squad-days together in which to gain momentum, but we need to show the improvements that we’ve made in recent years,” Simmons said.”Our improvement is a constant work in progress, and while Pakistan have some unbelievable talent in their ranks, we want to prove that we don’t just beat the major teams in big tournaments. We are a side in constant progress and these games are important to show how much we’ve come on since the last international team was here.”With Test status their long-term ambition, Simmons believes the ICC is keeping a close eye on his sides’ performances, which he feels brings its own pressures.”We need to play these games all the time, the more these games are played the more we can measure our progress,” Simmons said. “The ICC know what we’re capable of and it’s important we forget about sending them a message and just start winning games.”I think our performances are a little more magnified than the other Associate members, so that’s why we have to make sure we perform up to a high standard but we also need to get our priorities right.”Simmons has a full-strength squad to choose from and with several of his key players enjoying a good start to the county season, the hosts will be confident ahead of the two-game series which starts on Thursday.”It’s difficult to get the momentum when the guys are only home for a couple of days at a time but the good thing about it is all the guys are playing regularly in England so everybody should be sharp enough,” Simmons said. “It’s important that we get together ahead of the Holland games and play some good cricket in preparation and beating Pakistan would be huge going into the qualifiers.”

South Africa will play Pakistan in two Tests, five one-day internationals and two T20s in the UAE beginning October 14

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2013South Africa will play Pakistan in two Tests in the United Arab Emirates from October 14, ending their eight-month absence from the Test arena. Their last Test series was at home in February against Pakistan, as their tour to Sri Lanka in July has been adjusted to drop the Tests. The tour will also include five one-day internationals and two T20s.South Africa, who arrive in the UAE on October 5, will play a three-day practice match to prepare for the first Test in Abu Dhabi. The teams will move to Dubai for the second Test on October 23 before switching to coloured clothing in November. Sharjah will host the first and fifth ODIs while Abu Dhabi also gets two games with Dubai hosting the remaining one-dayer and both T20s.Pakistan had little success on their tour to South Africa earlier this year as the home side won all three Tests and then beat Pakistan 3-2 in the five-match ODI series. Pakistan claimed the two-match T20 series 1-0 though, by winning the second game after the first one was washed out without a ball bowled.

Jason Roy is aiming to combine his free-spirited batting with “tactical nous” as he and England seek to put behind a forgettable limited-overs series in South Africa going into the World T20

Arun Venugopal13-Mar-2016Jason Roy is aiming to combine his free-spirited batting with “tactical nous” as he and England seek to put behind recent limited-overs defeats in South Africa going into the World T20. England went down 3-2 in the ODIs – after holding a 2-0 lead – and lost both their T20 fixtures, but have started their build-up to the World T20 with a rousing six-wicket win over New Zealand. Roy’s 36-ball 55 set in motion England’s racy chase, and he hoped to replicate that touch without going for broke every time.”I have got to realise I need to give myself time, I’m not a robot,” he said. “It is [fun to go flat out] when you stay in longer than 10 balls. As well as enjoying myself and whacking it I need to give myself a chance, work hard and accumulate runs. A bit of tactical nous instead of just trying to bludgeon the ball is something I have learned a huge amount about in the last two and a half weeks. Mentally I have been getting myself ready for that back at The Oval.””The ball came on nicely,” he added of his productive start in India. “It was my first experience of playing T20 cricket at this stadium. The seamers were coming on nicely in the first few overs. The boundary being smaller one side helped.”Roy managed a meagre 96 runs from five ODI innings in South Africa and scored 15 and 9 in the T20Is but his role in the limited-overs set-up has been defined more by the impact he can provide at the top along with Alex Hales. Roy, however, admitted to being weighed down by the pressure of having to live up to such an image during the South Africa series where he felt England were “mostly poor.””It’s a nice role to have, however you can put too much pressure on yourself like I did in South Africa,” he said. “I put too much pressure on myself to go out there and whack it from ball one. I think I might have expected myself to score more runs than I did and I didn’t really reach my expectations as well as I should have.”I should have just freed myself and enjoyed myself instead of expecting to get runs. That’s what I’m doing now, just going into each game and going ball by ball. I don’t want to think about the game the night before or on the morning. I just want to have no pre-conceived ideas and not think too far ahead. My expectation was I was playing the bowlers before the game started I was doing that wrong.”We didn’t really do as well as we had hoped in South Africa. We played some poor cricket in amongst some good cricket, but mostly poor. The next couple of weeks are huge for us to turn it round. The squad’s been really gelling well together and the training has been high intensity.”Roy dismissed suggestions of insecurity over his place in the side and spoke about the futility of looking over the shoulder, saying it would only reflect poor work ethic. “If you are questioning your place, you are not working hard enough,” he said. “I just take each game as it comes and work as hard as I can in the nets. If I’m not picked, I’m not picked and there’s another player who has earned himself the right to play instead of me. I’m never kind of too worried about whether I’m going to be picked or not.”He said England would aim to sustain the intensity displayed during the New Zealand game as they play a local side, which will feature a few players from the English squad, at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday.”It doesn’t really matter who you are playing against, it is just the environment of being in the middle of the stadium and taking it in, and there are four of our guys playing against us so no doubt they will be putting a huge shift in too. We have had inter-squad games and it does get very feisty, very aggressive. You might fall out for the night but we’re all mates so it’s all good.”From an English perspective there has been a significantly warmer attitude towards the shorter formats of the game following the appointment of Andrew Strauss as the director of England cricket. That Strauss has encouraged coaches and players to partake of the experience of overseas franchise T20 leagues augurs particularly well for the likes of Roy and Hales who have built their reputation in white-ball cricket.”It’s just that in the next few years you have got a huge amount of one-day cricket and Twenty20 cricket coming up. Especially now with the World Cup, we are realising that white-ball cricket is important now. And the more experience the better, the boys getting up to the IPL, playing there and playing all over the world is only positive. There probably is a bit of a change.”My first Lions tour was to India, a lot of A tours have been played in the sub-continent, we went to Dubai, won against Pakistan. So we’ve made huge improvements and huge headway and the next couple of weeks will show just how much headway we have made.”

Aftab Ahmed

Mohammad Isam15-Jan-2013The extent to which a player can go off the radar even in the small world of Bangladesh cricket is personified by Aftab Ahmed, the batsman earmarked for greatness only five years ago but who hasn’t played international cricket since March 2010. Such has been his downturn in fortune, Aftab is merely eyeing a regular place in the Chittagong Kings side in this season’s BPL.”I have to target a place in the playing eleven, this is my first objective,” Aftab said. “If I can make it then I have a plan, which I want to execute. I was a bit shaky in the last BPL but then I thought of shrugging away the shakiness and playing with freedom. I have to do something different otherwise I have no chance of cementing my place.”Between 2004 and 2008, Aftab was one of the most feared strikers of the ball. A free-flowing strokeplayer on the off side, his ability to clear the infield was always breathtaking, though like Mohammad Ashraful he was also susceptible to poor shots. What contributed to his downfall was his lax attitude towards fitness and doing the extra bit in the nets, surprising for a player so dependent on hitting the ball sweetly, and for one of the country’s best fielders inside the circle.And, surprisingly for a cricketer of this day and age, he is candid when he agrees that it has been his lethargy that has kept him out of the limelight for such a long time. “Laziness has got the better of me,” he said. “Even though I try very hard to overcome laziness, even then I have a tough time succeeding. This is the truth, no point lying.”I feel bad sometimes. When I was an established member of the national team, I saw several players making their debut. The same players are now far ahead of me in the pecking order and I am a bit detached from everyone else. So it is normal for me to feel bad.”Aftab was part of the Dhaka Warriors team that took off from the mainstream and joined the Indian Cricket League in 2008. He returned two years later, but was not even half the player he had left as. Those close to him said that his poor work ethic earlier in his career fitted well with the relaxed attitude with which he played in the ICL, eroding his skills further.His plans now centre on domestic cricket, and he has hinted that his career is nearing the end, though he is only 27. “I have no plans as far as making it to the national team is concerned. Whether it is one or two years, I want to enjoy myself before going out from the game,” he said. “Recently, I scored two fifties in the National Cricket League so I want to bow out properly from the domestic circuit before anything else.”What Aftab will enjoy, however, will be playing for Chittagong, his hometown, and in a format he is made for, despite a poor showing in the first BPL with Dhaka Gladiators, when he made just six runs in three innings.”I only got one opportunity last time with Dhaka Gladiators and I did not make full use of it. I was shaky and thought about things too much,” Aftab said. “This hampered my progress. But this time, I am not putting any thoughts in my head. If I get one game, then so be it. I will only enjoy myself.”

David Warner has said that he likes getting involved in a sledge to spur him on at the crease, and sometimes he starts the banter to get himself going

Daniel Brettig in Cape Town04-Mar-20140:00

‘I love it when there’s banter in the middle’

Throughout their long and legendary careers, it was a common dictate of bowlers and fielders not to sledge Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. In the case of Tendulkar, the verbals seemed to have no effect. In the case of Lara, they often served to rouse him to feats of batsmanship that may not have been seen had the opposition kept their mouths shut.David Warner is still a long way from emulating either man in terms of run-making, but he too can be added to the ‘do not sledge’ ledger. Following the ball-tampering allegation he raised on Australian radio, Warner was not only fined by the ICC but warned by South Africa’s captain Graeme Smith to expect a hot reception at Newlands. His response has been definitive, twin centuries in a dominant Australian display to cap the finest series of his career thus far.David Warner: “If they are not going to talk to me when I am out there I will try to niggle them, I will try and say something when I bat.”•Getty ImagesWhile tempering some of his earlier excesses of quote-ability, Warner was frank in expressing his delight in making himself a target, then backing his ability to fight off his assailants, no matter how riled they may be. So much does Warner thrive on confrontation that he admitted to looking to start one if it was not already there.”You don’t always want to play like that but when there is a little bit of pressure on I do find another gear,” he said. “It does help me sometimes but I think the other thing is that when I get out there and they start giving me a little bit of banter I love that I am in the contest then.”If they are not going to talk to me when I am out there I will try to niggle them, I will try and say something when I bat. I’ve ventured away from that because now I have given ammo out in the media or in previous games. I love it when they come at me it is a challenge.”Sometimes I think when I do deliver something in the media I probably do say it in a way where it does get misunderstood. But I’ve been brought up to be honest, I’m always going to continue to be honest and not cross that line. I’ve got to keep working on my ability to do that, and not give you guys ammo to write things.”It will never be forgotten that Warner made his start via Twenty20, having been held out of the New South Wales Sheffield Shield team long after his talent was apparent. On the advice of Virender Sehwag and the initiative of Greg Chappell, Warner was pushed towards longer form priorities in 2011, and after periods of adaptation and indiscipline is now taking up the lofty perch Sehwag had imagined for him.”It goes back to that conversation I had with Virender Sehwag. He said to me I’d be a better Test cricketer than shorter format because all the fielders were in close,” Warner recalled. “If you’re going to take on fast bowling and the best bowling in the world you have to try and score runs and with my game I look to attack first before I’m defending and that’s the way I’ve always played my cricket and that’s how I will always play my cricket.””I do feel respected, and the other thing is they know if they miss their mark that I’m going to start going after them as well. I’ve still got to be careful and respect the bowler in the conditions that we face. With the conditions that we’ve had here, the wickets have probably been batter friendly, but I’ve known my game and trusted my game [so] I can go after the bowlers.”Asked whether he could now consider himself the world’s best opening batsman, Warner smiled, but for now allowed modesty to rule his ego. “I’ll let you answer that question,” he said. “I’m just elated that I’m in good form, I’m probably playing the best cricket I have in my career so far. It’s fantastic to feel like you know when you go out there you can take on the world’s best as I have so far. It’s an amazing feeling but it’ll be even better if we win this game.”

Opener Stephen Moore impressed with an unbeaten century as Derbyshire piled on the runs on the second day against Hampshire

Press Association21-Apr-2014
ScorecardStephen Moore helped Derbyshire respond strongly•Getty ImagesOpener Stephen Moore impressed with an unbeaten century as Derbyshire piled on the runs on the second day against Hampshire.Moore, the former Lancashire batsman, was unbeaten on 106 by stumps as the home side reached 203 for 2, trailing by 125 runs after Hampshire were bowled out for 328 in their first innings.Starting the day 231 for 5 after a weather-affected first day, the visitors lost Kyle Abbott for a duck after he was bowled out by Mark Footitt in the first over of the day but recovered thanks largely to a half-century from Joe Gatting.Sean Ervine fell five overs later – caught by Richard Johnson off Tim Groenewald – leaving Hampshire on 248 for 7 as Derbyshire continued to attack.Gatting, who began the day on 25, passed the fifty mark and continued to cause problems before he was sent packing, caught by Chesney Hughes for Wes Durston’s first wicket of the match. Footitt bowled Matt Coles lbw for 9 before Moore caught last man out Michael Bates, who managed 31, to leave Hampshire with a total of 328.In reply, Derbyshire lost opener Billy Godleman early on to leave his side 4 for 1 in the third over, but Moore began to pile on the runs, reaching his ton off 178 balls in 227 minutes. Wayne Madsen shared a 106-run second-wicket partnership with Moore before he was stumped for 36 off Liam Dawson.That brought Shivnarine Chanderpaul to the crease and, alongside Moore, he reached 35 not out as Derbyshire saw out the second day in a strong position.

Full text of the PCB’s release on the Integrity Committee Recommendation on Nadeem Ghauri and Anis Siddiqui

13-Apr-2013Pursuant to allegations that 2 Pakistani Umpires, Nadeem Ghauri and Anis Siddiqui, were willing to accept money/financial remuneration to grant favourable/dubious umpiring decisions leveled by an Indian television channel, India TV, in its expose in the first week of October 2012, the PCB had constituted an Inquiry Committee to probe in to the matter.The Inquiry Committee comprised of Mr. Ehsan Sadiq Director Vigilance and Security, Mr. Intikhab Alam, Director Game Development and Barrister Salman Naseer, Manager Legal. The Committee obtained unedited video footage from the India TV along with all relevant evidence available with the International Cricket Council (ICC). After authenticating all the adduced evidence, inclusive of an exhaustive forensic investigation with the assistance of a specialist body in Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA), the two umpires, Ghauri and Siddiqui, were asked to give a written submissions explaining their version of events, and were subsequently cross examined by the Inquiry Committee.Inquiry Committee’s Observations and Recommendations
The Committee noted that after coming to know about the exaggerated amounts to be paid to them for umpiring assignments, both umpires failed to exercise caution and sound judgment, which resulted in their entrapment in the said Sting Operation; despite their skepticism about the true credentials of the persons they were talking to and the methodology adopted by them, the two umpires remained engaged with them in prolonged and questionable conversations with regard to potential umpiring roles and dubious decision-making; the submissions made by both umpires failed to corroborate/correlate with the contents of the authenticated video footage of the said Sting Operation; and that, prima facie, there is sufficient material to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Nadeem Ghauri and Anis Siddiqui.”The Committee recommended referring the matter to “PCB’s Integrity Committee for further necessary action, and also that both Ghauri and Siddiqui not be considered for any umpiring assignment or participation in any form of cricket till the matter is pending before the Integrity Committee.”Other recommendations included, increasing of awareness programs inclusive of lectures and training workshops to be conducted by PCB to ensure that the umpires fully comprehend the parameters/guidelines of the Codes of Conduct in order to safeguard against such incidents taking place in future; adopting a proactive approach to ensure the prevention of such incidents involving umpires and any other match officials; and bringing all players, support personnel and match officials associated with PCB under a strict vigilance regime and comprehensive monitoring mechanism at the earliest.In accordance with the recommendations of the Inquiry Committee, Chairman Ch. Zaka Ashraf presided over a meeting of the Integrity Committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today at the National Cricket Academy (April 13, 2013) to examine and determine the guilt of Nadeem Ghauri and Anis Siddiqui in relation to the allegations leveled against them.The following members of the PCB Integrity Committee were in attendance:M. Zaka Ashraf, ChairmanJustice (R) Sheikh Abdul Rashid, MemberSubhan Ahmad, MemberZakir Khan, Member Intikhab Alam, MemberThe report of the Inquiry Committee was perused by the members of the Integrity Committee, relevant clips of the Skype conversations which incriminate both the umpires was viewed and the Committee personally heard both the said umpires.The matter was deliberated by the members of the Integrity Committee at length and they were of the unanimous view that substantial incriminating material was available on record suggestive of the fact that both the umpires were willing to compromise their integrity in discharge of their professional duties. The members of the Committee were thus unanimous in their view that the said two umpires cannot be cleared of the allegations leveled against them. Consequently, the Integrity Committee unanimously recommended as under:” 1. That Mr. Nadeem Ghauri being a former test cricketer and also elevated to the elite panel of umpires of ICC and PCB’s International panel (with 13 years standing) straight away agreed to extend undue favours for material gains, therefore, he cannot be cleared for consideration of appointment as an umpire/match official or in any other capacity in any form of cricket held/organized/supervised/conducted/controlled under the aegis of the PCB for a period of four years from the date of institution of Inquiry i.e. 11th October 2012. Further, during the said period he may not be considered for association/appointment with PCB in any other form or position.2. That Mr. Anis Siddiqui being only a domestic umpire with lesser experience of only 8 years did not straight away fall prey to the undue suggestions made by India TV Sting Operatives and kept on resisting their undue demands repeatedly, but finally conceded to them on their persistence. Keeping in view his limited exposure to International Cricket and Codes of Conduct, his case is of mitigating circumstances and therefore he cannot be cleared for consideration of appointment as an umpire/match official or in any other capacity in any form of cricket held/organized/supervised/conducted/controlled under the aegis of the PCB for a period of three years from the date of institution of Inquiry i.e. 11th October 2012. Further, he may not be considered for association/appointment with PCB in any other form or position.The Pakistan Cricket Board has endorsed these recommendations.Commenting on the occasion Chairman PCB Ch. M. Zaka Ashraf said, “The PCB has a zero tolerance policy for corruption or indiscipline. We are committed on creating awareness amongst our players and officials with regards to the possible pitfalls, and are determined to adopt all vigilance and security parameters, which are in line with the laid out procedures of the ICC. Today’s decision reiterates the commitment of the PCB to keep our great sport free of all corrupt practices”.

With Mbappe set to stay at Paris Saint-Germain for at least one more year, Real Madrid may have to look elsewhere

It wasn't supposed to be like this for Real Madrid; they were going to wait patiently for Kylian Mbappe to be exiled this summer, readying themselves for a last-minute bid, coaxing the France captain to the Santiago Bernabeu at a cut price. Mbappe, they assumed, would diligently wait for his long-anticipated Madrid move.

Instead, the striker has tentatively agreed to stay in Paris for at least one more year. The specifics of his deal are clouded, but it seems that the winger will make some kind of concession in order to stick around — and ensure that PSG will get an agreeable fee for him when he inevitably leaves next summer. This is a very kind thing for a player who has spent six years holding his club hostage.

Meanwhile, Madrid are left with a conundrum. Although they scored twice against Athletic Club to open their season, chances came at a premium. They were, as perhaps expected, worryingly lacking a central striking presence. It always figured that Mbappe would fill that void for the 2023-24 season. But now, Madrid are left with 33-year-old Joselu as their sole striking option — which hardly inspires confidence for a side hoping to compete for the league title.

So, Madrid might have to make a foray into the transfer market. And who to get? It's a suddenly dwindling talent pool, with some of the big names already making moves. Still, there are some options out there. GOAL takes a look at who Madrid might be able to sign with Mbappe out of the question…

(C)Getty ImagesRandal Kolo Muani (Frankfurt)

This would be an interesting acquisition on multiple levels. First of all, Randal Kolo Muani would give Madrid some much-needed versatility in attack. He is not exactly one to drop deep like a certain Karim Benzema, but he's a reliable enough link-up player and passer to serve as a focal point. Furthermore, his experience playing alongside Mbappe for France's national team has ensured he can work effectively with pacey forwards who like to get in behind — something Vinicius Jr could benefit from. Add his 15 goals in the Bundesliga last year, and you have a well-rounded forward.

The added bonus here is Kolo Muani has been one of PSG's main targets for some time now. The Parisians were expected to sign him this summer, but elected to bring in Gonaclo Ramos instead. There could still be room for him at Parc des Princes — Mbappe might insist on it — but he doesn't seem like a surefire addition anymore. The transfer market can be a petty thing, especially for Madrid. They might just take some satisfaction in stealing PSG's top target.

Advertisement(C)GettyImagesRomelu Lukaku (Inter)

Romelu Lukaku could've sorted his next club by now. Inter seemed ready to negotiate with Chelsea for the striker, but he entered personal negotiations with Juventus when he was on the verge of sealing a move to his former club — something that didn't sit well with any of the parties involved. That move has failed to materialise as of yet, with Chelsea's €50 million (£43m/$55m) asking price proving too high for the Bianconeri.

It leaves room for Madrid to swoop in. Los Blancos were briefly linked with the Belgian earlier in the summer, including him on their shortlist to replace Benzema. And with other suitors dwindling — rumours of a Tottenham switch have been quashed — there's certainly an opportunity here.

He might be something of an awkward fit, though. Lukaku isn't the playmaking forward that Madrid covet and typically functions more effectively in a two-striker system. Asking him to play with his back to goal would be an immense waste of his talent. Still, some Carlo Ancelotti magic could be worked here.

Getty ImagesDusan Vlahovic (Juventus)

Dusan Vlahovic has never quite worked out at Juventus. The Serbian sealed a €70m (£61m/$75m) move from Fiorentina back in January 2022, and has only scored 17 goals in 42 games since then. But there's clearly a player in there.

It seems strange, in that sense, to suggest that a 23-year-old needs a change of scenery to start banging them in. In this case, though, it might just be true. Vlahovic is an ideal central striker at his best, and feasts inside the box. With Vinicius and Rodyrgo either side of him creating chance after chance, he could thrive.

Price might be an issue, though. Juventus repeatedly rebuffed Chelsea in player-plus-cash talks over Lukaku, and will look to recoup a hefty chunk of their investment — if they do indeed elect to let him go at all. Their economic situation may necessitate his exit.

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GettyVictor Osimhen (Napoli)

Victor Osimhen was arguably the best striker in Europe last year, leading the line for a Napoli side that battered its way to Serie A and captured a historic Scudetto. The Nigerian striker scored 26 goals in the league and added a further five in the Champions League. Add the fact that he is still only 23 — and poised to improve — and this would be incredibly difficult to make happen.

But it would also be a dream addition. Osimhen became a more well-rounded attacking presence last season, serving as a valuable playmaker, and combining effectively with Napoli's pacy wide players. Kvara Kvaratskhelia may have grabbed the headlines, but Osimhen's five assists are nothing to be sniffed at. It all amounts to a player Madrid would love to have. Whether they can afford him, though, is an entirely different question. Consider it unlikely – especially as he is finally about to sign a new contract.

Sri Lanka have played down concerns about Angelo Mathews’ Achilles pain and said that Rangana Herath was likely to be fit for the quarter-final in Sydney on March 18

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hobart11-Mar-2015Sri Lanka have played down concerns about Angelo Mathews’ Achilles pain, and said that Rangana Herath is likely to be fit for the quarter-final in Sydney on March 18.Mathews left the field early on in Scotland’s innings in the match at Hobart, and was not seen again until the presentation. Vice-captain Lahiru Thirimanne said Mathews had not gone for a scan on Wednesday night, but suggested he may do so on Thursday. Mathews had felt the pain during his innings of 51. He did not bowl, for the first time in the tournament.”He’s strapped up at the moment, but hopefully he’ll be okay,” Thirimanne said after the match.The stitches on Herath’s spinning finger are due to be removed on Thursday, and he is expected to resume bowling in the nets on Friday. Sri Lanka have flown in offspinner Tharindu Kaushal as cover for Herath, but a replacement is unlikely to be necessary, Thirimanne said.”I think he has about an 80% chance of playing in the quarter final. I feel he will be fit,” Thirimanne said.Mathews is the sixth Sri Lanka player to fall under an injury cloud in the tournament. Seamer Dhammika Prasad, legspinning allrounder Jeevan Mendis and batsmen Dimuth Karunaratne and Dinesh Chandimal have all had to be replaced, after sustaining World Cup-ending injuries, while Herath is the other man to miss matches thanks to the cut on his finger.”We have been in Australia and New Zealand for three months now,” Thirimanne said. “We have to manage our bowlers very carefully, because it’s a very long tour. We have hopefully another three matches left. So we need to have the best combination, and we need to manage our bowlers carefully at training over the next five to six days.”