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Former batsman Basit Ali has been named chief of Pakistan’s junior national selection committee and will head a four-member panel

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2014Former batsman Basit Ali has been named chief of Pakistan’s junior national selection committee and will head a four-member panel, the PCB has announced.The committee also includes former Test cricketers Ali Naqvi and Farrukh Zaman, and Ali Zia, general manager (cricket development) at the National Cricket Academy. Basit and Zaman had earlier served as junior selectors in 2008.Compared to Javed Miandad in his early years, Basit played 19 Tests in a two-year span between 1993 and 1995, while his 50-match ODI career stretched until 1996.Naqvi, a right-hand batsman, scored a Test century on debut against South Africa in October 1997 but played the last of his five Tests just a few months later in March 1998. Zaman, a left-arm spinner, played just one Test in 1976. Zia, who bowled medium-pace and legspin, has extensive first-class experience – having played 165 first-class games and 62 one-dayers between 1974 and 1993.

Only one player from outside Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund makes the top 20, but who are the best options for your Ultimate Team this year?

Getty20Leon Goretzka – Bayern Munich – CM – 84The now 24-year-old Goretzka rather burst onto the FUT scene back in 2018 with a slew of special cards, and he hasn't looked back since. Another slight upgrade this season sees one of the most balanced midfielders in the game get even better. With only six in-game stats below 75, standing at 6'2" with a 4* weak foot, expect Goretzka to be in every other team you face this year.AdvertisementGetty Images19Kingsley Coman – Bayern Munich – LM – 84Another of the young players expected to lead Bayern into a bright future, wing wizard Coman's slight upgrade this year suggests he's on the right track. Plenty will be annoyed to see his skill moves drop down to 4* but with pace to burn and excellent dribbling stats, he's still going to be dangerous.Getty18Jadon Sancho – Borussia Dortmund – RM – 84The saviour of English football started last season as a silver card, but he's now going to be one of the most dangerous widemen in the game. Plenty of pace, incredible dribbling stats, 5* skill moves and a 4* weak foot, plus he was born in the year 2000 so the existential crisis he'll trigger in older opponents will give you a psychological edge. ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty17Julian Brandt – Borussia Dortmund – CAM – 84This is a very nicely well-rounded card. An upgrade after last year's Team of the Season and a switch infield from the wing means Brandt feels like a brand new player, and he looks like a perfect attacking fulcrum. Lanky, with 4* skill moves and weak foot and good creative and attacking stats across the board, he looks an excellent option behind your strikers.

CIES Observatory have ranked the most valuable players in the game but who sits at the top of the list?

So who exactly is the most valuable player in world football?

We know the player who went for the most was Neymar when Paris Saint-Germain forked over €222 million (£200m/$263m) to sign him from Barcelona in the summer of 2017, but that was over a year ago – is he even the most valuable player on his own team today?

CIES Observatory has aimed to answer that question as they ranked the transfer value of all the footballers in the top leagues by an algorithm that accounts for a variety of factors, including age, production, current league and contract.

The list has 27 players who are valued at over €100 million, while the top two manage to crack the €200m threshold.

Here are the top 25 from that list. Who is the most valuable player in the game? Read on to find out:

Getty Images25Lorenzo Insigne | Napoli | €104.7 millionAdvertisement24Alisson Becker | Liverpool | €105.6 millionGetty23Luis Suarez | Barcelona | €109.3 millionENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty22Jadon Sancho | Borussia Dortmund | €112.6 million

A hip injury has ruled out batsman Ambati Rayudu from Baroda’s opening Ranji Trophy game against Bengal, which will begin in Baroda on Sunday

Amol Karhadkar in Vadodara06-Dec-2014A hip injury has ruled out batsman Ambati Rayudu from Baroda’s opening Ranji Trophy game against Bengal, which will begin in Vadodara on Sunday. Rayudu suffered the injury during the Deodhar Trophy in Mumbai last week.Tushar Arothe, the Baroda coach, said Rayudu was checked by the NCA physios who ruled him out for 10-12 days. Arothe stated that Rayudu was expected to fit and available for Baroda for their next game against Jammu & Kashmir, from December 21. Krunal Pandya, who is yet to play a first-class game, has replaced Rayudu in the squad.Rayudu has been the leader of Baroda’s batting unit since he joined the state as a professional in 2010-11. His consistent performances for his adopted home were pivotal in his India call-up last year. He has scored 1770 runs at 55.31 in 25 matches for Baroda, including a double hundred in his first season when Baroda made it to the Ranji final. Since then, Baroda have made it to the knockouts just once, losing to Mumbai in quarter-final in 2012-13.Harbhajan out with fever

Harbhajan Singh will miss Punjab’s season opener against Haryana. Mandeep Singh will lead the side in his absence. Haryana will be led by Sunny Singh, instead of Amit Mishra but the legspinner is likely to play

Baroda will also be without left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt, one of their key bowlers. Bhatt had fractured a finger on his bowling hand during the build-up to the season and is still regaining fitness. Bhatt is a part of the squad but is unlikely to feature in the playing XI, which could give Swapnil Singh a chance at a first-class comeback after three years.The injuries mean that Yusuf Pathan and Munaf Patel, the senior pros for Baroda, will have to shoulder the additional responsibility. The duo will also have to step in with regard to player management, helping Baroda’s new captain, Aditya Waghmode.Bengal have been boosted by the return of skipper Laxmi Shukla for their season-opener. Shukla was appointed the captain of East Zone for the Deodhar Trophy but opted out of the tournament due to an ankle injury he suffered during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. “I would have been able to play the Deodhar Trophy but keeping in mind the long Ranji season ahead, I preferred to rest rather than aggravate the ankle injury,” Shukla said.With Manoj Tiwary and Ashok Dinda in form, Bengal would be looking to start the season on a strong note. Tiwary has scored successive fifty-plus scores in his last five one-day outings, including two centuries. Dinda, who finished as the highest wicket-taker for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy last year, took 4 for 33 in the Deodhar Trophy final against West Zone and was also named in the list of 30 probables for the World Cup.

These are two teams whose recent fortunes could hardly have been more contrasting

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan21-Mar-2014Match FactsMarch 22, Chittagong
Start time 1930 local (1330GMT)Michael Lumb has been in good hitting form from the West Indies•Getty ImagesThe Big PictureThese are two teams whose recent fortunes could hardly have been more contrasting: New Zealand had a home season where their game has been reinvigorated – capped by victories over India in both Tests and ODIs – while England lurched from disaster to disaster in Australia and have barely started the recovery process despite a small improvement in the West Indies.New Zealand are usually fancied to at least reach the knockout stages of global events; England are rarely fancied to stay too long. That is pretty much the status quo this time.This is a match between sides that play a similar brand of cricket. Neither side possess the unorthodox spin which is tipped to be eye-catching over the next couple of weeks, instead relying on more traditional bowling resources such as finger spin, brisk pace bowling and medium-pace cutters.However, where the balance is tipped in New Zealand’s favours is the batting power and the form of those individuals. Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Luke Ronchi and the latest star, Corey Anderson, provide destructive capabilities.England’s batting has provided the odd flash of encouragement – notably from Michael Lumb and Jos Buttler – but there has been precious little consistency with how they have built recent innings. Eoin Morgan appears short of form, and questions remain over the severity of his knee problem (the captain, Stuart Broad, also has his own knee worries), while the absence of you-know-who continues to hang like a dark cloud.Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
England WLLLL
New ZealandWWLWWWatch out for…Michael Lumb has looked in as good form as any of England’s top order in the last couple of weeks. He blitzed a career-best 63 in the third T20 against West Indies and struck the ball cleanly in the warm-up match against India. As with all England’s batsmen he is more comfortable with pace on the ball and off the pitch, so if the Chittagong surface retains its characteristics from the opening round it will suit him.Brendon McCullum has had a career-defining few months, leading his side to victories over India and scoring New Zealand’s first Test triple-hundred. And now he is back in the format that helped cement his global fame when he struck 158 in the first ever IPL match. He is far and away the leading run-scorer in T20 internationals and he could play a floating role in New Zealand’s order depending on the match situation. England have felt the force of his blade a few times before.Team newsStuart Broad, who appears to have overcome his knee injury for now, spoke about consistency of selection, which means that Ian Bell is likely to continue sitting on the bench having not played since being flown to the West Indies. With the seamers being in the game more at this venue, England will be tempted to go for the extra quick ahead of the second frontline spinner in Stephen Parry. Chris Jordan, the likely man to benefit, also brings some power to the lower order.England (possible) 1 Michael Lumb, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Stuart Broad (capt), 10 James Tredwell, 11 Jade DernbachKane Williamson will provide the top-order anchor around the big hitters and his offspin will also come in very handy. Anton Devcich, the allrounder who bowls left-arm spin, could keep Ronnie Hira out of the starting XI. New Zealand have a strong hand of pace options; Trent Boult will find it hard to earn a spot.New Zealand (possible) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Kane Williamson, 3 Brendon McCullum (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Corey Anderson, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 Anton Devcich, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Mitchell McClenaghanPitch and conditionsThe pitch was a little grassy on the eve of the match with skiddy bounce rather than turn expected which would certainly please England. Broad thought it would go through for the quicks. Dew could be a problem for the evening game; England trained with wet balls to prepare for such an eventually.Stats and trivia Brendon McCullum needs 41 runs to reach 2000 in T20Is – he is already 624 ahead of the man in second place: Mahela Jayawardene Since January 2013, England have won just four out 13 T20 fixtures – only one Full Member, Bangladesh, has won fewer. However, England have a strong head-to-head record against New Zealand with seven wins against three defeats.Quotes”I think these conditions might suit us a little bit more than Dhaka and as players we need to make sure we make use them.”
“It’s much better for us. He is obviously a world-class player and there is a demand for him around the world as well. “

A round-up of the day’s play from Group C Ranji Trophy matches played on December 1, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Robin Bist scored 51 on the final day•Sivaraman KittaThe match between Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur ended in a draw, with Uttar Pradesh consolidating their position on the points table at third place. Rajasthan began the day with the openers having put on 15 overnight. Within three overs the first wicket went down when Siddharth Saraf was caught behind off the bowling of RP Singh.Vineet Saxena and Ashok Menaria enjoyed a brief stand of 38 before Imtiaz Ahmed had Saxena bowled. Menaria went on to hit 40 before he too suffered the same fate. Robin Bist, Rajesh Bishnoi and Chetan Bist hung around long enough to register fifties and force the draw.Rajasthan finished the final day with 253 for 6, with Chetan Bist not out on 61. Imtiaz had best figures of 3 for 58.
ScorecardIt took exactly 19.5 overs for Bengal to wrap up the Services first innings for 304 and ensure three points by virtue of 127-run first innings lead from their fifth round group B encounter played at the Airforce ground in Palam today. Saurasish Lahiri was the most successful bowler for Bengal with 3 for 69, while Ashoke Dinda took 3 for 97. They both should be credited for slogging it out on a 22-yard track which is probably one of the flattest this season.Read the full report here.
ScorecardBy the end of the opening session on the third day, the result, or rather the lack of one, seemed a foregone conclusion. Neither side had the bowling to force an outright win, so it was down to a shootout for first-innings points between two strong batting line-ups. Saurashtra salvaged three points in a stalemate at the MA Chidambaram Stadium while the hosts, Tamil Nadu, had to live with just one point despite putting on 565. That only 14 wickets fell across four days with neither team taking all ten wickets in an innings, showed the imbalance between bat and ball.Read the full report here.

Virender Sehwag has no plans to end his career in the near future, and wants to play for “another two-three years” before considering retirement

Gaurav Kalra07-Dec-20147:43

‘Achieved all I want, now just enjoying my cricket’ – Sehwag

Virender Sehwag has no plans to end his career in the near future, although he last played for India nearly two years ago. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Sehwag revealed he was keen to play for “another two-three years” before considering retirement. The 36-year old said he was still “enjoying playing the game” and will have no regrets if the opportunity to play international cricket doesn’t come again.”As a cricketer, everybody has a dream to play for your country,” Sehwag said. “When I took up cricket seriously, I wanted to play for India. When my dream was achieved, I thought what next? Then a fellow cricketer told me, ‘playing for India is easy, playing for 10-15 years is difficult’. Then I changed my dream to play 100 Test matches. I achieved that as well. Now there is nothing to achieve, so I am just enjoying things.”Speaking before the World Cup probables – from which he was omitted – were announced, Sehwag was asked if he would be fine if the selectors don’t consider him for a national recall. He shrugged and cheekily said, “Yes, whose loss?”You should be happy in your life. Cricketers are worried about their milestones, worried that they should score 5000-10,000 Test runs but I am not fussy. I played 100 Tests and I am still playing the game, that’s what I want to do.”If I retire today or after two years, does it make any difference? Not in my life. Does it make a difference if I score 8000 or 10,000 runs in Test cricket? Not in anybody’s life. Even if I make 10,000 runs, who will be happy? Only me, maybe, because people don’t care about 8000 or 10,000 or 15,000 runs. It is about individual satisfaction.”Virender Sehwag: “Now there is nothing to achieve, so I am just enjoying things.”•ESPNcricinfo LtdSince being axed from the team after the second Test of Australia’s tour to India in 2013 in Hyderabad, Sehwag hasn’t made a compelling case for a comeback. In 12 first-class matches since, he has made 425 runs at an average of 25 with one century. Since his previous ODI in January 2013, he has scored 228 runs in 11 List A matches at 20.72 with two half-centuries.”My approach is the same. Yes, I am not able to give the kind of performances that I used to,” Sehwag said. “If you look at my first-class stats, if I score runs I score them quickly, if I get out, I get out quickly. I have never tried to change my game. In some matches, I told myself to give some time, scored just five runs in 36 balls on green wickets in Delhi where it is difficult to score. It happens. When you are growing older, you have the experience and that can help you score but it’s not possible to get a hundred every time you go out there.”While Sehwag will be batting in the middle order for Delhi this season, he says he would have no problems opening if asked to. “Last season I batted everywhere – opening, one down, two down and three down,” he said. “It doesn’t matter to me where I am batting. If the selectors ask me to open the batting, I will do that. When I started playing for India, I was a middle-order batsman, the team management asked me to open the batting and I did that. If somebody asks me to, I will, I have done it in the past. I open for Kings XI (Punjab).”While admitting that he “missed” being part of the India dressing room, Sehwag said he prays and hopes the team “wins whatever match they are playing in.””I fight with my sons when they say, ‘Dad you are not playing, (so) the Indian team should not win’. The priority is that the country should win, it doesn’t matter who is playing. I miss the dressing room but at least somebody else is playing and contributing to the team, winning matches. I am happy about that.”Having been on three previous tours to Australia, Sehwag said that India’s young batting line-up will need to be “given time” before they start delivering results. “I think we have a very good bunch of players, we have to give them time. On my first tours of England, South Africa and Australia, I managed to score a hundred but in the other innings I didn’t score runs. If you look at the old days also when players came in, they failed in 15 innings but they still played 100 Test matches.”

Tim Bresnan took 4 for 41 on his first outing since elbow surgery but Phil Mustard’s breezy 70 prevented Yorkshire taking full control

David Hopps at Chester-le-Street24-Apr-2013
ScorecardTim Bresnan celebrates the first of his four wickets on his first-class return from injury•Getty ImagesThe anticipation of an Ashes series can exhaust you before it has even begun. It is ten weeks before the first ball is bowled at Trent Bridge and already it is discussed on a daily basis. For Tim Bresnan, though, the attempt to force himself into Ashes contention really did start here. It has to be said it started rather well.After a second elbow operation in the close season, Bresnan’s opening first-class match of the season carried special significance. He spent much of his last year with England below par and needs to prove in the weeks ahead that injury will not reduce his impact for good; that – in his own words – he can bowl with beans again.Durham, as vulnerable as any batting side in the top division, were an appealing prospect so early in the season. As if to quicken Bresnan’s anticipation further, Australia had just named their Ashes squad. The announcement seems rather premature but presumably these days they have to allow several weeks to plan their way through Border Control.Bresnan sniffed the wind, muscled his way into the crease and, with his first Championship delivery of the season, sent Keaton Jennings’ off stump flying. It was some comeback and, as he leapt high into the air, some celebration. Figures of 4 for 47 as Durham’s first innings came to rest at 237 represented an impressive start. At the end of it all, the only possible conclusion was that he was in the category of ‘has beans’ rather than ‘has-beens’.”I had full beans,” he agreed. “No pain, decent rhythm. It felt good. That’s as close to 100 per cent as I’m probably going to get. I’m ready for England – I’ve just got to get my name on the sheet. It’s always nice conditions to bowl up here. There was a bit in the wicket and we were quite surprised when they batted.”Jennings is a 20-year-old South African, but his mother was born just up the road in Sunderland and in these parts that makes him local. His father is Ray Jennings, a former South Africa coach with a reputation as a bit of a stickler. If Keaton does not break his run of failures soon, Dad could be on the phone and it might not be pretty.Will Smith’s wicket was borne of desperation. Smith had added 86 with Dale Benkenstein and Bresnan felt he had suffered enough playing and missing for one day. He decided to bowl a bouncer and see what happened; Smith obligingly hooked it to Ryan Sidebottom at long leg. The wickets came in a rush, five within 10 overs with Bresnan removing Ben Stokes and Paul Collingwood for ducks.Not that it was an entirely satisfying day for Yorkshire. When the first day closed with Graham Onions’ successful lbw appeal, and the dismissal of Yorkshire’s captain Andrew Gale, Durham had three down for 57. A running mix-up had also cost Yorkshire the wicket of Phil Jaques as Onions, with one stump to aim at, threw down the wicket off his own bowling.When Durham were 112 for 7, Yorkshire had reason to expect something better, but while Bresnan, Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Patterson went for two runs an over, Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid disappeared for more than six. Durham’s last three wickets added 125, with Phil Mustard hitting about him with a hearty glow before he was last out for 70. He clumped Bresnan over mid-on to bring up 200, he clumped Patterson in similar fashion for his fifty; he likes a clump more than most.Yorkshire will picture their seam attack without Bresnan in midsummer and feel a little queasy. Plunkett can most kindly be regarded as a work in progress. He can bowl a killer ball, as he underlined when he had Scott Borthwick lbw with the first ball of his second spell, but his return to his old Chester-le-Street stamping ground was not a happy one. His ten overs leaked 67 runs and Mustard at one stage took three boundaries from four balls. The triumphant homecoming will have to wait.

Brazilian side Botafogo have signed Inter Miami midfielder Gregore as the Herons race to meet the MLS roster compliancy deadline.

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Inter Miami in race to be MLS roster compliant

Herons transfer Gregore to Botafogo

Brazilian had hefty salaryWHAT HAPPENED?

After a report from The Athletic surfaced earlier this week, sharing that the Herons are currently in a race to meet MLS roster compliancy after over-spending this offseason, they made their first outgoing splash of 2024. The Brazilian returns home and Inter Miami are gearing towards being on-track for Tuesday's deadline.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

MLS roster regulations for the 2023 campaign can be found here, but simply put, the Herons needed to offload a major salary on their team to meet compliancy with the league rules. Gregore made a hefty sum via his contract with Miami in 2023, earning $961, 250 across the campaign. With his outgoing transfer, it's assumed Miami are on-track to meet MLS roster regulations. However, the league has not yet announced the numerical statistics to which each team must abide by in 2024.

As a result, Gregore's outgoing transfer may not be enough. The likes of Jean Mota, Robert Taylor, Coco Jean and Deandre Yedlin are all rumored to be available on the transfer market. However, the club expected to part ways with Coco Jean regardless of their status – with a potential contract termination even on the table.

DID YOU KNOW?

Gregore made 67 appearances for Miami after signing for the club in 2021.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

The Herons first regular game of the season will be against Real Salt Lake on February 21. The match will open up the 2024 MLS campaign for the league, with Lionel Messi and co. looking to start off their campaign with three points.

Kieron Pollard has been rested from the West Indies ODI squad for the three-match series against India, starting November 21, due to an injury

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2013Kieron Pollard, the West Indies allrounder, has been rested from the ODI squad for the series in India because of an injury. Kemar Roach has also been ruled out of the series, which starts on November 21, with a shoulder injury.West Indies recalled Kieran Powell, Veerasammy Permaul and Narsingh Deonarine, after they had not been chosen for the tri-series against India and Sri Lanka and the home series against Pakistan earlier this year. Powell, Permaul and Deonarine last played for West Indies in the ODIs against Zimbabwe and were not a part of the squad for the Champions Trophy.The trio had been part of the West Indies A squad that recently toured India, playing first-class and List A games against the India A side. Deonarine was second highest run-getter for West Indies A in the first-class matches – 276 runs in three games at an average of 46 – and scored a fifty in the only List A game he played on the tour. Permaul also had a good outing for West Indies A, finishing with ten wickets in two first-class games.The other notable inclusions in the squad were fast bowler Ravi Rampaul and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin. Rampaul had suffered an ankle injury in the tri-series against India and Sri Lanka and was also sidelined for the home series against Pakistan. He returned to competitive cricket for Trinidad & Tobago in the Champions League T20. Ramdin, who has played just seven ODI games this year, had been dropped frequently due to indifferent form. His last ODI fifty was against India in December 2011.West Indies’ ODI form has been poor of late, with only seven wins in 20 matches this year. Their record away from home is worse, with five losses in as many games in 2013. Their last ODI series win was against Zimbabwe in February this year. In the previous series between India and West Indies, in India, the visitors lost 4-1.Squad: Dwayne Bravo (capt), Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Narsingh Deonarine, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Veerasammy Permaul, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons