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Plays of the day for the third day of the second Test between Australia and Pakistan at the MCG

Osman Samiuddin at the MCG28-Dec-2009First impressions
First impressions last, especially on Australian crowds, and there are fewbetter ways to do it than what Umar Akmal pulled off. Pakistan’s big battinghope came here with a big reputation and he had been quietly solid towardsthe close of play yesterday. He started off cautiously this morning, but abrutal wake-up call from Peter Siddle, who pinged him square on thehelmet, brought about an audacious response. A couple of Siddle overslater, he drove and pulled him for 19 runs, including a monstroussix over long-on. Impetuosity got him soon after a fourth half-century, but theannouncement had been made.Practice makes perfect?
Pakistan’s catching has been poor in this Test, though it doesn’t seem tobe for want of trying. Intikhab Alam said they are trying to resolve theproblem at the grassroots level and they held a catching session during thetea interval on the third afternoon. Salman Butt dropped three catches ina row during practice, which clearly helped him take the one at deep square legto send back Ricky Ponting a little while later.The day of the night(watchmen)
What Australian nightwatchmen can do, Pakistan’s can do better? Maybe not.Nathan Hauritz frustrated Pakistan yesterday morning for an entiresession, having come in before the end of the first day. MohammadAamer came in to face the last ball of day two and lasted the entire firstsession this morning as well. Hauritz, of course, helped himself to anunusually free-spirited half century in that time, while Aamer did a fairlatter-day impersonation of Hanif Mohammad, grinding out ten runs in twohours. Both innings say something about the pitch though.Not the season’s greetings Hauritz wanted
Pakistan have felt Hauritz could be vulnerable to aggressivebatting and Misbah-ul-Haq wasted no time doing just that. Hauritz’s firstball on the third day was slogged mercilessly over midwicket before thefollowing delivery was smashed to the same region for four. The assaultwas all the more memorable because Pakistan looked like they’d fallenasleep for the previous ten overs, which had brought 13 runs. The captainMohammad Yousuf had set the precedent on the second day, when he came tothe crease and within three balls launched Hauritz high over his head forsix.Hussey’s review deja vu
Michael Hussey asked for a review when he was adjudged lbw toAamer and Hawkeye showed the impact in line with offstump and indicated the ball would clip the bails. The line-ball naturemeant that Billy Doctrove’s on-field decision of out remained, and therewas a distinct sense of deja vu for Hussey. In the first innings he hadalso questioned Doctrove’s lbw decision when he was out sweeping SaeedAjmal, and, on that occasion, too, Hawkeye showed the ball striking him marginally in line and probably clipping the bails. But on neither occasion was Doctrove’s decision shown to be wrong, implying the system had worked.Kiss of the day
Aamer bowled a fiery spell to a sturdy Shane Watson to liven upthe final session. He peppered him with bouncers from round the wicket,clocking over 150kmph on a couple of occasions. Still he found time toshow Watson some love, following a particularly brutal short-pitcheddelivery with a delicate air kiss in his follow-through. Much toeveryone’s disappointment, Watson didn’t return the favour, though it would’ve made for a nice PR gesture given his antics against West Indies.

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Everton have rejected an approach from Paris Saint-Germain for midfielder Idrissa Gueye, according to The Mirror, but the same source says they would have a decision to make if an offer worth £40m is tabled.

The midfielder is wanted by the French champions as they look to bolster their midfield this month, but the Toffees and manager Marco Silva ideally want to retain the player.

What’s the word?

Per the aforementioned report in The Mirror, PSG have yet to table an official bid for Gueye but are testing Everton’s resolve over the 29-year-old, who is keen on the move to the French capital.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

The Mirror cites reports from France suggesting that PSG value Gueye at £25m – L’Equipe reported on Tuesday that they had offered €25m (around £21.8m) for the 29-year-old – but Silva would prefer to keep him in this transfer window.

Everton are said to be wary of allowing him to leave, understandably so given difficulty of replacing such an integral player in January.

The club are, however, on the hunt for a striker and The Mirror report that a bid worth £40m would present them with a dilemma, particularly as they look to free up funds to boost their attack.

Money talks

Even in the ridiculously inflated transfer market in which clubs are currently operating, money inevitably talks.

PSG operate on a different financial level to Everton and have the money to extricate Gueye from Goodison Park should they so wish.

Thus, the Merseyside outfit would be wise to start making plans for his departure.

An offer of £40m would help the Toffees’ hunt for a striker and they could also have extra left over to bolster their midfield.

Gueye, meanwhile, would be swapping a mid-table Premier League side for the runaway Ligue 1 leaders, who are also still in the Champions League.

This deal, in the end, could make sense for all parties.

With recent reports suggesting that Aston Villa’s owners will provide sufficient financial backing for Steven Gerrard to do with as he sees fit to improve his squad at the Midlands club during the January transfer window, it seems as though the former Rangers boss has his eye on one player that could add some quality to his side.

According to a recent club-by-club transfer guide from the Daily Mail, Villa are interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen attacker Florian Wirtz this month.

Since joining Leverkusen’s U19 side back in the 2020 January transfer window, the 18-year-old has gone on to score two goals and provide three assists in four U19 appearances before becoming a fully-fledged member of their senior team.

In 68 senior appearances with the German club, Wirtz has managed to bag 17 times and provide 19 assists along the way, showing just how much of an attacking talent he is.

In 20 appearances across the Bundesliga and Europa League so far this season, the teenager has chipped in with eight strikes and 11 assists, which goes to show how valuable he is to Leverkusen and why it could be difficult to secure a deal for him in January.

Labelled as a player that has the “total package” in terms of his playing ability by Germany head coach Hansi Flick, Wirtz, who is currently valued at £63m according to Transfermarkt, has four senior international appearances under his belt, showing how highly thought of he is at such a young age.

Clearly a talented young player, Wirtz is also supremely versatile, with the teenager having played in a number of different midfield and attacking positions during his short career so far.

Taking all of this into account, Villa’s owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens should definitely explore the possibility of securing a deal for Wirtz this month. It’s a move, given his valuation, that would surely blow the Villa faithful away.

With reports suggesting that Villa could look to move on the likes of Trezeguet, Bertrand Traore and Anwar El Ghazi, if either of those players were to leave Villa Park either this month or during the next summer transfer window, this could pave the way for Wirtz to join Gerrard’s side and potentially make his mark in the Premier League.

In other news: Gerrard can finally axe “frustrating” £47k-p/w dud who must never play for AVFC again – opinion

This short sharp shock of an event could be much more to England’s liking, with brevity of the tournament appealing to their puzzling ability to raise their game from a standing start

Andrew Miller01-May-2010OverviewKevin Pietersen is a crucial part of England’s team – but he might be missing come the latter stages•Getty ImagesIt seemed at one stage, while the skies were thick with Icelandic volcano dust, that England might have to row to the Caribbean to take part in the World Twenty20 – and a fleet of St Lucian pedalos were believed to been put on standby for the occasion. In the end, their travel arrangements passed without a hitch, but having made it to their destination, England’s hardest task will be to remain there until the tournament’s conclusion. After all, they are, famously, the only senior nation never to have won an ICC global trophy.After 35 years of failed campaigns, England no longer regard that fact as an open wound, but when it comes to the longer-form tournaments, they generally conduct their campaigns with an undisguised air of resignation – such as occurred during the 2007 World Cup on these very shores. But this short sharp shock of an event could be much more to their liking, with brevity of the tournament appealing to England’s puzzling ability to raise their game from a standing start – as they achieved on home soil last summer with memorable wins against India and the eventual champions, Pakistan.But offering predictions in Twenty20 cricket is a mug’s game – after all, who on earth imagined that Pakistan could rise above their traumas and win that emotionally charged final against Sri Lanka in 2009? Suffice to say, England have a chance, and what a chance it would be at the start of a massive year that culminates in the Ashes and the World Cup next winter. But then, so too do all 12 teams. Even Afghanistan. All it takes is a flash of timely inspiration.Slowly improving … although “slowly” is the operative word. England were a shambles at the inaugural event in 2007, where they banked on specialists from their domestic Twenty20 Cup (some of whom hadn’t played international cricket for the best part of a decade – and it showed). In 2009, however, they came within a rain ruling of the semi-finals, but not before plumbing the depths in their defeat against the Netherlands, and since then, they’ve not lost a series in three attempts. Mind you, one of those was a washout against Australia, and another featured a record-breaking pummelling at the hands of South Africa.Naivety has been England’s downfall in previous World Twenty20s, often as a consequence of the limited opportunities their top players have had to play 20-over cricket – with the summer ODI calendar invariably clashing with the domestic schedule. That’s beginning to change now, and with five key batsmen having sampled this year’s IPL atmosphere – Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ravi Bopara, Eoin Morgan and Michael Lumb – the rhythms of the format are less likely to catch them cold.That said, the most crucial character could well be a man who missed out on an IPL contract. Confidence is a quality that can’t be taught, and Graeme Swann possesses that attribute in spades. His guile and deception with the ball might even be matched, if Collingwood is to be believed, by a spanking role in the top-order, where his penchant for hitting on the up and through the covers could well be utilized during those problematic Powerplay overs. In the opener’s berth, Craig Kieswetter’s power could provide the sort of impetus not seen in England limited-over cricket since Marcus Trescothick left the field of play.Even when he’s short of his best form, it’s hard to keep Kevin Pietersen from the limelight. An arduous tour of Bangladesh gave way to an up-and-down IPL campaign in which he finished at the top of the tournament averages, but not before he had been dropped from a highly competitive Bangalore batting line-up. His presence and combative batting will be critical to England’s fortunes at No. 3, although he might well be missing from the sharp end of the competition. His wife, Jessica, is eight months’ pregnant, and the due date is slap-bang in the middle of May.Whatever opening combination England settle upon – and at present Kieswetter and Lumb are the likely lads – it will be their 16th different pairing in 26 Twenty20 internationals since the format’s inception. Luke Wright and Ravi Bopara, who opened throughout the 2009 tournament, are the most prolific pairing to date with five appearances together.

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner admits there's "a lot" for new partial owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to do to turn the women's side into WSL contenders.

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Ratcliffe completes partial Man Utd takeoverUnited Women boss Skinner approves of moveAdmits there's 'a lot' to do at WSL outfitGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The INEOS billionaire completed a£1.25 billion partial takeover of the Red Devilsin December and that has reportedly led to an extra burst of 'energy' around the club. While Skinner, head coach of United Women, is excited by this move, he feels the Red Devils are a way off competing for the biggest trophies in the women's game.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT MARC SKINNER SAID

The United boss said: "We [he and Ratcliffe] have not managed to meet yet, I know it’s on the horizon very soon. But we have our constant kind of feed through our bosses anyway in terms of kind of how we want to go forwards, what’s going to work and there’s a lot to do. I see it as a real positive move. I think if you know me as a character, my energy is full in, I’m all in so with my energy, coupled with the fantastic movement of the Ineos investment, I think it’s a real positive moment. We have to capitalise on that, we’re going to try to do that, we’re going to put all our behaviours in place for that. It’s hopefully a springboard for everybody to find the success that everybody wants for Man Utd.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ratcliffe has spoken about returning United's men's team to its former silverware-winning glory, and knocking rivals Manchester City and Liverpool off their perch in the process, but they are a long way off from achieving that goal. And the same could, arguably, be said for the women's side. While they finished second in the WSL last term, they are 10 points behind joint-leaders Chelsea and Man City in 2023/24. If anything, they may have gone backwards.

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WHAT NEXT?

Following the international break over the past fortnight, fourth-placed United return to WSL action on Sunday when they travel to lowly West Ham – looking to bounce back from their 3-1 loss to title-chasing Arsenal last time out.

Pat Cummins is expected to join last year’s Big Bash League runners-up the Perth Scorchers, who have re-signed the veterans Simon Katich, Michael Hussey and Marcus North

Brydon Coverdale11-Jul-2012Pat Cummins is expected to join last year’s Big Bash League runners-up the Perth Scorchers, who have re-signed the veterans Simon Katich, Michael Hussey and Marcus North. Cummins was part of the Sydney Sixers squad last summer but did not play a game due to his long-term foot injury, and his participation this season will again depend on his fitness and his international duties.Stuart Clark, the general manager of the Sydney Sixers, said on Fox Sports that Cummins would not be part of the Sixers squad this season, and he is believed to be joining the Scorchers. Clark also said that Cummins, whose injury problems continued this month when he was sent home from the ODI tour of England due to a side strain, needed to be handled carefully.”We all have to be on one wavelength with Pat Cummins, because he’s a fine prospect,” Clark said on Fox Sports. “No one is ever questioning that. But the last thing he needs is you telling him to do more weights and [someone else] telling him to do more running. The poor kid is just confused. He needs one solid training programme, probably set by Cricket Australia, and then run with it.”The Scorchers have not confirmed signing Cummins, but they have retained three important batsmen on their roster for next season. North will again captain the side and will be joined by Katich, who has retired from all other cricket in Australia, while Hussey’s appearances for the side will again be dictated by his Australia commitments.”It is great to have the skipper back on board,” Lachlan Stevens, the Scorchers coach, said. “Marcus is one of the most tactically astute players in the game today, and to have him involved in the planning and strategic direction of the team was very important to us.”I’m delighted that the only time we will see Simon Katich at top level cricket this summer it will be under the Perth Scorchers banner. The strength of character and tactical awareness that he provides helped to make us such a competitive side last year. He adds massive value on and off the field and we can’t wait to see him back.”Mike Hussey represents everything that is positive about Western Australian cricket, so to have him as part of the Scorchers line-up was a big priority for us, and we are very pleased that he chose to remain in the orange this season. We may not see Mike day in, day out, but merely having him as part of our squad is a huge benefit to every member of the team.”Daniel Vettori, who will play with the Brisbane Heat, remained the only international signing in the opening stages of the contract window, but Clark confirmed the Sixers were interested in attracting Sunil Narine, the West Indies spinner. Narine was the player of the tournament in this year’s IPL and, depending on West Indies’ schedule in December and January, will be keenly sought after by the BBL sides.”We’re looking at Sunil Narine,” Clark said. “There’s just some conflicting schedule issues with the West Indies Cricket Board. Hopefully we’ll be able to get him across for at least part of the season. If we can then he’ll be a fine prospect for us moving forward. We’ve still got some contract stuff to go, but he’s one player we’re looking at.”In other signings on Wednesday, Nathan Hauritz confirmed he would remain with the Brisbane Heat, and Johan Botha was confirmed as the captain of the Adelaide Strikers.

Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has suffered a fresh injury blow with Rodrigo now ruled out for the Premier League clash against Chelsea this weekend.

What’s the story?

A statement from the club read: “Rodrigo has been suffering from bilateral heel pain for some time. The player and medical staff have deemed it necessary to reduce his activity for the time being, in order to aid his long-term recovery.”

Bielsa will be worried

If you thought things were just beginning to ease up slightly for Leeds on the injury front with the returns of Luke Ayling and Patrick Bamford last weekend, think again.

The Whites’ disastrous luck with injuries has struck again, and not only will they be without talisman Kalvin Phillips for an extended period of time, their club-record signing in Rodrigo is set to be missing for a while too.

The Spaniard has scored just twice in 15 games in all competitions this term, and what has been particularly disappointing is that he has been given a runout as the sole centre-forward in Patrick Bamford’s absence.

The former Valencia man has shown flashes of his ability, and it was a particularly impressive performance against West Ham which really caught the eye of The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “I thought Rodrigo’s false nine performance on Saturday was worth another look. Lots to admire and ponder in his positioning, movement, interplay and switches of position with Raphinha. More displays like that could spark Leeds United into life.”

With Rodrigo now out for the foreseeable future, even more of the goalscoring onus is placed on the shoulders of Bamford, who could really do with some help having just returned from injury himself.

This latest update on Rodrigo is sure to have Bielsa worried.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a Rodrigo upgrade in this star…

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has revealed what impressed him most about youngster Kobbie Mainoo's performance against Everton last weekend.

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Mainoo starts vs EvertonYoung midfielder is stand-out performerTen Hag reveals what impresses him mostWHAT HAPPENED?

The 53-year-old has waxed lyrical about Mainoo's influential performance against the Toffees, after the Red Devils secured a 3-0 win on Sunday.

The 18-year-old was on the bench for the recent 3-3 draw against Galatasaray in the Champions League, but Ten Hag's comments about his performance against Everton could hint at a return to the starting eleven to face Newcastle United this weekend.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TEN HAG SAID

Speaking ahead of the clash against the Magpies, Ten Hag commented on a possible return to the starting line-up for the young midfielder. "If he's ready or not, he showed on Sunday [vs Everton] he was ready," Ten Hag said. "We have to manage three games in six days to get the best results of all the games. We have more than 11 players, we have good options there. Sofyan [Amrabat] also showed he was playing a very good game. We have the options, you manage the load of the players and it's about freshness as well."

When asked what impressed him most about the midfielder, Ten Hag added: "His scanning. It looks like he always has time because he is scanning, he is running free, then he is scanning to see the options and then make the right decisions. He can delay, he can speed up. He makes the right decisions."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Mainoo's performance in the Premier League is only made more impressive when considering it was his first game in the starting line-up after a four-month spell on the sidelines, after suffering an ankle injury in pre-season.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MAINOO?

After a disappointing draw to Galatasaray on Wednesday, the focus will now shift to a tough clash against Eddie Howe's impressive Newcastle side on Saturday evening. The Red Devils currently sit in sixth place, just one point ahead their upcoming opponents in seventh, highlighting how important the upcoming clash will be.

Raphinha's first half goal and a solid defensive display lifted Barcelona to a uncomfortable 1-0 win over Athletic Club to go nine points clear

Athletic Club enjoyed the better of the play in the first half, forcing two strong saves out of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and rattling the bar from a Raul Garcia header. But Barcelona broke the deadlock before half-time, with Raphinha firing into the far corner from the right corner of the box.

The Blaugrana have made a habit of winning by fine margins of late, and the same happened here. They created little in the second half but defended diligently enough to grind out a result. Ter Stegen was crucial in the final minutes, breaking out a flurry of saves as the clock ran down.

Barcelona also benefitted from VAR, which ruled out a potential late equaliser from Inaki Williams after a questionable handball in the build-up.

It was all emblematic of Xavi's new Barcelona. They created less than their opponent but were simply more clinical, and dug in enough in front of their own net to win. These aren't pretty performances, but Barca now have a nine-point La Liga lead over Real Madrid with the Clasico looming next Sunday.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from San Mames…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (8/10):

Made some immense saves to help retain his side's lead, including one terrific diving stop in stoppage time. Absolutely massive to this club.

Sergi Roberto (6/10):

Struggled to deal with the pace of Nico Williams in the first half, and did little to support Raphinha.

Jules Kounde (7/10):

Effective at centre-back, exploited at right-back as Athletic Club went more direct. Far better with Ronald Araujo for support. Made a crucial block in stoppage time to help see out the win.

Andreas Christensen (7/10):

Won his headers, passed well, but was given problems by the lively Inaki Williams.

Alejandro Balde (7/10):

Was effective going forward and gave everything defensively. Showed why he's currently preferred to Jordi Alba in the XI.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Gavi (7/10):

One daring tackle with his head marked a scrappy first half showing. Got on the ball more in the second half, and Barca were far better for it.

Sergio Busquets (6/10):

Assisted Raphinha's opener with an angled pass. Was a bit loose on the ball after the break, which helped Athletic Club build some momentum

Frenkie de Jong (6/10):

An accurate passer and rarely dispossessed, but didn't create much. Is more effective in a midfield four.

GettyAttack

Raphinha (8/10):

Scored the opener on the stroke of half time, drilling a shot into the bottom corner. Was lively down the right and held on to the ball well despite a lack of attacking support.

Robert Lewandowski (6/10):

A heavy touch cost him what should have been a certain goal. Missed a clear header in the second half, and didn't retain the ball as effectively as usual. Will need to find his shooting boots before the Clasico.

Ferran Torres (5/10):

Saw an early shot saved, argued with Lewandowski quite a bit. Didn't exactly inspire confidence.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Franck Kessie (6/10):

Replaced the toiling Torres for midfield legs, didn't offer the midfield solidity that was required.

Ansu Fati (5/10):

Relieved a leggy Raphinha, failed to impact the game.

Marcos Alonso (5/10):

Watched the ball sail over his head for what should have been an Athletic Club equaliser, but saw the goal ruled out.

Angel Alarcon (N/A):

Didn't have time to make an impact.

Xavi (6/10):

An interesting one. Xavi benched Kessie and went back to a 4-3-3, which didn't quite pay off. Barca lacked creativity but the signature solid defending was on display. His side were very fortunate to see VAR rule out what would have been a late equaliser for the home team. The Blaugrana will need to be much better than this against Madrid. Still, they are nine points clear — which isn't bad at all.

The Real Madrid and Juventus centre-backs head up the list of the best defensive players on the new iteration of the game

Getty Images10. Toby Alderweireld | CB | Tottenham | Belgium

Overall rating: 85

Defending: 88
Physical: 78

AdvertisementGetty Images9. Miranda | CB | Inter | Brazil

Overall rating: 85

Defending: 88
Physical: 76

Getty Images8. Thiago Silva | CB | PSG | Brazil

Overall rating: 88

Defending: 88
Physical: 79

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Getty7. Samuel Umtiti | CB | Barcelona | France

Overall rating: 87

Defending: 88
Physical: 82