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The Blues are in danger of breaching financial rules and could be forced into trimming their bloated squad during the next transfer window.

It seems that Chelsea's reckless spending may finally be catching up with them.

Earlier this week it was revealed that the club had made an eye-watering loss of £121 million ($149m) during the 2021-22 financial period – a deficit the current ownership has blamed on the economic sanctions imposed on the club and former owner Roman Abramovich following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In light of this news, you might have expected Todd Boehly & Co. to cut their cloth accordingly for 2022-23. They thought differently, though, splashing an obscene £600m over the past two transfer windows.

Even with some creative accounting, Chelsea will surely have to move on some players in the summer to avoid punishment from the footballing authorities.

Fortunately for them, there are plenty of candidates for the chopping block. Below, GOAL takes a look at 13 players who could be sold at the end of the season.

Getty ImagesEthan Ampadu

One of the most committed members of Chelsea's loan army, Ethan Ampadu has spent the past four seasons away from Stamford Bridge.

Starting out on loan at RB Leipzig during the 2019-20 campaign, the prestige of the teams Ampadu has been on loan at has steadily decreased since then: Sheffield United, Venezia and now Spezia.

With just one year left on his Chelsea contract, it's time for the Wales international – who has made more appearances for his country than any other single club – to find a new, permanent home.

AdvertisementGetty Images.Baba Rahman

Yes, you have read that correctly – Abdul-Rahman Baba is still under contract in west London.

The left-back joined the club all the way back in 2015 and has spent time on loan in Germany, France, Spain and Greece since.

In recent seasons he's been with Championship side Reading, where he is a regular starter when fit. He's not going to fetch much of a transfer fee, but hopefully the Royals can be convinced to finally rid Chelsea of one of their longest-serving players this summer.

AS MonacoMalang Sarr

Malang Sarr always seemed like a strange signing. After arriving in the summer of 2020, he was immediately shipped out on loan and, despite enjoying a short stint in the first team during an injury crisis, he's never really fully convinced at Chelsea.

Sarr is currently at Monaco, and it is believed that the Ligue 1 side have the option to make the switch permanent for around £10 million ($12m) this summer.

Should they not exercise that option, he should still have suitors. Several other French clubs would be interested, while Sevilla were linked in January.

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GettyTiemoue Bakayoko

Again, please do not adjust your screens, Tiemoue Bakayoko is indeed still a Chelsea player. After playing a vital role in the Monaco team that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2017, Bakayoko was one of several members of that squad to earn a big-money move elsewhere.

He flopped badly in England, though, and has since been out on loan. AC Milan have an option to make his move permanent this summer, but that is unlikely given his underwhelming performances at San Siro.

His wages will be a stumbling block for any other interested parties and Bakayoko may be content to sit out the remaining year of his contract. Chelsea, of course, will be desperate to move him on.

The French midfield maestro played his last game for Real Madrid in May 2006…

One of the greatest footballers to have ever graced the game, Zinedine Zidane played his last match in club football on May 7, 2006, for Real Madrid against Villarreal in a La Liga clash.

The match ended in a 3-3 draw with Julio Baptista scoring a brace and Zidane scoring once for the Los Merengues. Madrid finished second on the points table in that season, 12 points behind arch-rivals and champions FC Barcelona.

The French legend finished as the second-highest goalscorer for Real Madrid in that season with nine goals in 28 matches behind Brazilian Ronaldo who scored 14 goals.

Here, we take a look at the teammates who played alongside Zidane in his final match in club football and where are they now?

Getty Images1Iker Casillas – GK

The second most-capped Real Madrid player (725) after Raul Gonzalez and former club captain, Iker Casillas left the Spanish giants in 2016 and joined FC Porto. He is one of the greatest and most decorated footballers of all time in Real Madrid's history. 

The World Cup-winning Spanish captain retired from professional football in August 2020 and returned to Real Madrid in December as a deputy to the general director of the Real Madrid Foundation.

AdvertisementGetty Images2Michel Salgado – RB

Salgado joined Real Madrid in 1999 and played for 10 years at the club. He later moved to Blackburn Rovers where he ended his professional career in 2012. 

In 2016, Salgado came out of retirement to play in India's Premier Futsal Tournament. He represented Kerala-based franchise Kochi 5s as their marquee player.

Salgado served as an assistant coach in the Egyptian national team from 2018 to 2019 under head coach Javier Aguirre. In 2019, he joined the Galicia national team as their head coach alongside former Spanish international Francisco Gonzalez.

Getty Images3Sergio Ramos – CB

Sergio Ramos served Real Madrid for 15 years since 2005 and left the club at the end of the 2020/21 season. After Iker Casillas' departure from the club, Ramos became the club captain in 2015. He is the club's fourth most-capped player of all time with 671 appearances under his belt.

After ending his association with the La Liga giants, Ramos moved to PSG in 2021.

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Getty Images4Alvaro Mejia – CB

A Real Madrid youth product, Alvaro Meija made his senior professional debut for the club in 2003 and spent four seasons at the club. After leaving the La Liga giants, he played for Murcia, Almeria and Qatar Super League side Al-Shahaniya. He played in Qatar for six seasons from 2014-2020. In the 2019-20 season, Al-Shahaniya got relegated from the top division after which he left the club.

The World Cup has thrown up its share of embarrassing moments for the men between the posts. Here, Goal takes a look at some of the best, or worst!

Getty ImagesBarbosa | Brazil 1-2 Uruguay | 1950 Final

“Everywhere has its irremediable national catastrophe, something like a Hiroshima. Our catastrophe, our Hiroshima, was the defeat by Uruguay in 1950,” wrote renowned Brazilian author Nelson Rodrigues.

Playing in their own country, Brazil needed just to draw their final match of the final group stage to win the 1950 World Cup. Entertaining Uruguay, who had to win to steal the trophy from their South American rivals, the whole of Brazil were already in celebratory mood and expected nothing less than a comfortable victory at the Maracana.

Even the press took victory for granted, with O Mundo printing a picture of the squad with the words: ‘These are the world champions’. Brazil did start well and went ahead when Friaca scored on 46 minutes. But midway through the second half future Milan legend Juan Schiaffino equalised and what followed has since gone down in football history.

As it stood, Brazil were still set to be world champions for the first time until disaster struck and Urugauy scored again in the 79th minute. Alcides Ghiggia dribbled past Bigode before catching Barbosa out at his near post, the goalkeeper having anticipated a cross into the middle. Uruguay were World Cup winners, and the whole country of Brazil went into mourning over what became known as the Maracanazo (‘the Maracana blow’). 

Goalkeeper Barbosa became the main scapegoat for their country’s failings and was never forgiven up until his passing in 2000. “Under Brazilian law the maximum sentence is 30 years. But my imprisonment has been for 50,” he said before he passed away. Seven years earlier Barbosa had attempted to visit the Brazilian squad in training, only to be turned away for fear that he was a ‘jinx’.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesNery Pumpido | Argentina 0-1 Cameroon | 1990 Group Stages

The 1990 World Cup can only be described as a nightmare for Argentina's No.1 Nery Pumpido. In the tournament opener against outsiders Cameroon, the World Cup holders fell to a shock 1-0 defeat in Milan.

Francois Omam-Biyik towered above his man to head towards goal, but would not have expected his weak and central effort to go in. Pumpido somehow let the ball squirm through and under him as the Africans triumphed.

To make matters worse, in the next game against USSR, Pumpido broke his leg. His replacement Sergio Goycochea would go on to become a national hero after his miracles in penalty shootout wins over Yugoslavia and hosts Italy.

GettyRene Higuita | Colombia 1-2 Cameroon | 1990 Second Round

As eccentric goalkeepers go, Rene Higuita surely goes down as the most eccentric World Cup goalkeeper of all time. The Colombian became infamous during Italia ’90 for coming off his line and taking risks.

Higuita would sweep up miles outside his area, dribble past attackers, and regularly attempt nutmegs and flicks. During the second-round clash with Cameroon, this would prove to be his and Colombia’s downfall.

Deep into extra time, with the score still goalless, Higuita attempted to turn past the legendary Roger Milla close to the halfway line. The 38-year-old tackled him, though, and then dispatched the ball into an open net. Cameroon progressed to the next round, and Higuita was the villain.

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GettyPat Bonner | Republic of Ireland 0-2 Netherlands | 1994 Second Round

Ireland had scraped through from that tournament's ‘Group of Death’ mainly thanks to their now famous opening victory over Arrigo Sacchi’s eventual runners-up Italy.

In the second round Jack Charlton’s men faced Holland in Orlando, but two big defensive errors would cost them as the Dutch ran out 2-0 winners. For their second, goalkeeper Pat Bonner allowed a 30-yard strike from Wim Jonk to go through his hands and into the net.

Sri Lanka’s batting has been brittle, and they’re missing their finisher with the ball, but T20 wits, they hope, will be enough to put them into the semi-final as they face off against England

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Delhi25-Mar-2016Sri Lanka’s batting has been brittle, and they are missing their finisher with the ball, but T20 wits, they hope, will be enough to put them into the semi-final. First up in their Delhi double-header is England – a team they have sometimes outsmarted before.There is evidence that this England side is savvier than its predecessors. They have hired experts to advise them on spin, and are led by one of the more unorthodox England captains. But, Sri Lanka are hoping they are savvier still. Since the loss to West Indies on Sunday, Sri Lanka have spent their break training and introspecting, but also plotting, vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal said.”We have six days’ rest since the last match,” he said. “Two of those days were total rest – without training. That was for players to concentrate on their own games – to watch videos of them batting well, and to analyse where they went wrong. In those days, we also made a lot of plans about how to challenge England. There will be a few small changes. Part of the reason for those changes is also to surprise them.”If Sri Lanka have something up their sleeve, there is a chance the plan involves the recently-shortened one belonging to Sachithra Senanayake. Sri Lanka’s offspinners has been effective against England in limited-overs matches before, and Senanayake has been good against them in particular – in one-day cricket at least. He has taken 14 England scalps at an average of 14.57 in ODIs, and stands a strong chance of playing on Saturday, particularly with three left-handers in the England middle order.In any case, Sri Lanka’s plans are likely to feature spin, with Rangana Herath and legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay having bowled well in the tournament so far.”Rangana can cause damage in the next two games against England and South Africa,” Chandimal said. “We all know they are struggling against the spinners. We’ve got Vandersay, who is a surprise package, and Sachithra as well. If those bowlers do their best, we have a good chance. We all expect a lot from Rangana, but he knows how to handle those pressure situations. I think he will have a huge role in the next two games.”Sachithra Senanayake has been effective against England in limited-overs and stands a chance of playing on Saturday•AFPThe spin threat may be magnified by a Feroz Shah Kotla surface that has so far played slow, though there has not been excessive turn yet. The pitch is not exactly what the Sri Lanka side encounter at home, but still presents challenges Sri Lanka may be more comfortable facing than England.”Here, I think the pitch really helps us,” Chandimal said. “England played the first two games in the Wankhede and we all know that’s one of the best pitches India have got. In here, it’s totally different. Wickets are slow. I think we’ll have a good chance.”On the batting front, it is Sri Lanka’s middle order that concerned Chandimal the most. Angelo Mathews continues to bat at No. 5, but is in much leaner form than England are used to seeing him in. The likes of Chamara Kapugedera and Milinda Siriwardana are also yet to make a major impact in the tournament.”We’re struggling with the batting – especially the middle order. It can happen when you come to big games like this. We don’t have experienced guys in the middle. Guys are really working hard in practice. If our middle order clicks together, we’ll have a good chance anyway.”But, you can’t say every time that it’s our transition period. We’ve got some experienced guys, as well as youngsters. We have to put our hands up and perform for the side.”England had been the only side that defeated Sri Lanka during their run to the title in 2014, and yet, Chandimal felt this England side was better equipped than that one.”They’ve got some good players, I think, especially compared to the past five or six years, when I think they weren’t concerned about the T20 format. Now, they are thinking. They’ve got Root and Buttler – they are the key players. They are playing really well. We never underestimate any team. We’ll have to play our brand of cricket.”

Royal Challengers Bangalore blasted the first 200-plus score of the tournament in an emphatic 45-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium

The Report by Shashank Kishore12-Apr-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAB de Villiers hit seven fours and six sixes in his 42-ball 82•BCCIThe sleeping giant that was IPL 2016 sprung to life in a high-scoring clash. Royal Challengers Bangalore blasted the first 200-plus score of the tournament in an emphatic 45-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. In doing so, they also bucked the season’s early trend of chasing teams prevailing.AB de Villiers (82) and Virat Kohli (75) provided a visual treat courtesy a fine cocktail of finesse and brute force in a 157-run second-wicket stand, before Shane Watson announced himself by hitting three successive sixes in an over from Karn Sharma. The final flourish was lent by Sarfaraz Khan, who in his typically unorthodox fashion, paddled and reverse-paddled his way to an unbeaten 10-ball 35 as Royal Challengers finished with 227 for 4.Deflated and dejected, Sunrisers went for broke, wiping out 83 for the loss of Shikhar Dhawan in eight overs. David Warner, who returned to open after a brief flirtation in the middle order with Australia in the World T20, showed why he is one of the most feared white-ball strikers. His pyrotechnics fetched three sixes and five fours in a 21-ball half-century before he fell into Watson’s short-ball trap.The pressure of the required rate eventually got to Sunrisers and the chase went cold as the team lost Warner, Naman Ojha, Henriques and Deepak Hooda in the space of 17 deliveries, meaning they could only muster 182 for 6. Parvez Rasool was the pick of Royal Challengers’ bowlers, returning 1 for 31 in a crafty spell of offspin bowling, even as Watson and Yuzvendra Chahal, the legspiner, chipped away with two wickets.Chris Gayle’s dismissal for 1 in the second over of the match to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, when the ball brushed the thigh pad and deflected onto the leg stump, was a rare moment to cheer for a listless Sunrisers bowling attack that was further depleted when Ashish Nehra, their pace spearhead, hobbled off the field after just 2.1 overs. That resulted in a batting feast for two men in a murderous mood as Royal Challengers blasted 139 off the last 10 overs.The only semblance of respect from Kohli and de Villiers came early on when Mustafizur Rahman, making his IPL debut, troubled them with his cutters. Once the job of seeing off his initial burst – a two-over spell – was done, they let loose. Sarfaraz’s unbeaten 44-run stand off just 15 deliveries with Kedar Jadhav ensured Royal Challengers had momentum firmly by their side at the break.Shikhar Dhawan’s early wicket to Rasool was a setback for Sunrisers, but Warner’s muscle kept his team in the hunt as Kohli rang in the changes in a bid to pull things back. Adam Milne’s second spell, in which he had Moises Henriques mistime a pull to midwicket, opened the game up. Once Royal Challengers had one foot in the door, it was a simple matter of forcing it open, which they did quite easily. In the end, even Ashish Reddy’s big hitting was merely a footnote for Sunrisers in what was a forgettable outing.

Like countless summer blockbusters, Chelmsford did not quite meet expectations, but there Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara provided some good moments along the way as Essex’s batting finally stirred

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Chelmsford15-Jun-2015
ScorecardAlastair Cook was in contented form ahead of the Ashes•Getty ImagesLike countless summer blockbusters with the most hyped of trailers or that favourite food you would not normally deep fry, sometimes high expectations have to give way to an acceptance of reality. Sometimes, cheesecake is fine as it is.Indeed, there were passages on day two – three, to be exact – when we seemed on the cusp of something thrilling as Essex took an unassailable hold on the game.Alastair Cook, unbeaten overnight on 50*, took his guard as Mark Footitt, a man championed for England honours, walked out his angled approach towards what was mid-off. By now, after one over, the Chelmsford crowd had settled in – they rarely cut things fine in this part of the world – awaiting the clash of the England captain and the man who wanted to leave his mark on him, with Gus Fraser, in his guise as England selector, scoring the bout.Then there was the partnership of Ravi Bopara and Jesse Ryder: two players of equal skill but differing methods, operating outside the international scene through circumstance and choice, respectively. They came together at 230 for 3, on a pitch that was playing true, against an attack that looked there for the taking. Class was in the offing.Lastly, when Ryder strode out for the evening session, with Ryan ten Doeschate for company, with the new ball weathered, the opportunity for Essex to get out of sight, with Graham Napier to come. Fireworks, surely?And yet, while none of those scenarios quite came to pass, you would be hard-pressed to find a soul here at Chelmsford that was not enthralled by what actually took place.The locals will be pleased all the same: at least as Essex achieved their first batting points at home. Their three doubled the total number of batting points achieved here by all teams (Leicestershire achieved two, Gloucestershire one).The dynamic of Footitt’s dual with Cook shifted after his first over. After leaving four of the left-armer’s first five balls of the day, all following Footitt’s natural arc – in this instance, away from the left-hander – Cook left the sixth. However, this one held its line and just missed off-stump. Cook, upon hearing the gasps from those on the field and those off it, looked back at his off-stump and reassessed his alignment. Satisfied, he left his crease for an end of over chat with Nick Browne, who by then had moved to his half-century. Then it was business as usual.In typical Cook fashion, he judged the next 10 balls he faced from Footitt perfectly. A few more leaves and Footitt was at the stumps, which Cook picked off for a few into the leg-side. Then, in the last over of Footitt’s morning spell of five, he took him for two fours – both characteristically cut on width and length.The bowler looked a tad frustrated that he was roped into Cook’s web of patience. Not to worry – many of the world’s best have fallen for it. Throughout the day he bowled with good control but could have been more probing, particularly in a new-ball spell that saw his four overs return 0 for 12.Former New Zealand international bowler Iain O’Brien, present at Chelmsford as a commentator for BBC Radio Derby, noted that the undulating run-ups were affecting Footitt’s leap, which was long rather than high, and thus affecting his gather. Still, given he has 32 wickets already this season; he is allowed an off-day. So too, Cook, who had a third hundred in six long-form innings there for the taking before he hung back to a Wes Durston off-break that found a way through him.For the best part of 20 overs, Bopara and Ryder exchanged the strike, nodded in appreciation of each other’s boundaries and, occasionally, had a quick word about their running between the wickets. But this game-changer of a partnership was kept in check by some controlled overs from Shiv Thakor and Tony Palladino, backed up well in the field.While Ryder got off the mark with a four through cover, he would have to wait 27 balls for his next one: a cover drive off Palladino that went through Thakor at cover with such force that it must have taken some of his knee cap with it.Bopara begain to tick and went to his half-century, off 104 balls, with the sort of straight drive you would show to your friends but hide under your bed, out of your mother’s sight. Three balls later, he wafted at a short, wide ball, straight to second slip to give Wayne White his third wicket of the match.White would have his fourth after tea, when Napier found Thakor at square leg, after an enterprising 35 from 39 balls. That really was the end of any prospective charge to dusk, with Ryder (52) and ten Doeschate (20) back in the hutch. James Foster continued on, sweeping the spinners on line and the odd punch off the quicker bowlers.He finished the day on 51 not out. The pitch looks easy as pie to bat on and it might be in Essex’s best interests to declare overnight, with a lead of 301, and make use of the early morning conditions with a new ball. But then, who knows what the reality will be.

The Zimbabwe cricket team landed at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore at 1.45 am on Tuesday to become the first Full Member nation to tour Pakistan since March 2009

Umar Farooq in Lahore19-May-2015The Zimbabwe cricket team landed at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore at 1.45 am on Tuesday to become the first Full Member nation to tour Pakistan since March 2009. Zimbabwe will play two T20Is and three ODIs at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore between May 22 and 31 before departing on June 1.The visitors landed amid extensive security, with thousands of policemen deployed along the 14 kilometre route to a five-star hotel on the Mall Road, which divides the eastern and western parts of Lahore. The touring group – 16 Zimbabwe players, nine team officials and five board officials – was flanked by a large convoy of police commandos, after they had been received by two ministers from the ruling party, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz, along with the top brass of the PCB.The streets leading into Mall Road were closed off to traffic, petrol stations along the route were closed, and even the police vehicles on duty had been authenticated to guard against impersonation.”Safe and sound in Lahore … time for rest and training begins tomorrow,” allrounder Sean Williams said on Twitter.Pakistan has remained a no-go destination for major international teams since March 3, 2009, when gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus while it was en route to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the third day of the second Test. Eight people were killed during the attack – and some players were injured – at Liberty roundabout, located a kilometre and a half from the stadium.

#PAKvZIM We are in! #cricketthewinner @263Chat @ZiFMStereo @StarfmZimbabwe @ZBCNewsonline pic.twitter.com/N6WLM07yrv

— Zimbabwe Cricket (@ZimCricketv) May 19, 2015

The incident had occurred when there was political instability in the region, because the Punjab government had been dismissed and replaced by Governor’s rule in the province.Since then, the PCB has been pushing hard to convince teams to tour Pakistan, who have been forced to play their home matches primarily in the UAE. Pakistan invited West Indies A in 2013 but the WICB refused to send the team and asked PCB to host them in UAE, which did not happen.Afghanistan, who received Associate status from the ICC last year, had visited Pakistan several times but their fixtures were low profile. The PCB also had talks with Cricket Ireland last year but the tour was put on hold following terrorist attacks on Karachi airport in June.The PCB had, through the years, used diplomatic channels in a bid to win back lost confidence and there were frequent visits by the European Union delegation at the PCB headquarters. Kenya was the first country from outside the region to accept an offer to tour Pakistan and played five one-dayers last year in December against Pakistan A.However, after in-depth lobbying with Zimbabwe Cricket president Wilson Manase, PCB managed to convince them to play a short series in the country. “It’s their (Zimbabwe) trust and confidence in us which will strengthen our cricketing ties with them,” PCB’s chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed said. “We hope to change the perception of the world about Pakistan and build the confidence of other foreign teams to come here.”Zimbabwe’s arrival in Pakistan came after days of uncertainty over whether they would go ahead with the tour. In the end, Zimbabwe Cricket decided to proceed with the tour against the advice from their country’s Sports and Recreation Committee. The ICC also said it would not send its officials to stand in the games, and allowed the PCB to appoint its own officials.

If Bangladesh are to make the World Cup quarter-finals, they have to win at least two of their next three matches, but the first obstacle in their way is a Scotland side desperate to register their first victory of the tournament

The Preview by Mohammad Isam04-Mar-2015Match factsThursday, March 5
Start time 1100 local (2200 GMT)Big pictureIf Bangladesh are to make the World Cup quarter-finals, they have to win at least two of their next three matches. If they win against Scotland at the Saxton Oval, their next game against England will be a virtual play-off. But Bangladesh would be thinking that far ahead at their own peril.They are ranked No. 9 in ODIs, so Bangladesh are positioned to be dominant against lower-ranked teams. They easily defeated Afghanistan by 105 runs, a result which could have gone either way for the first 29 overs but had only one direction afterwards.Bangladesh have also never lost to Scotland, but that statistic is bit hollow when you consider the last of their three completed ODIs between the two sides was played in 2006. The last recorded Bangladesh-Scotland ODI was abandoned without a ball being bowled nearly five years ago. In fact, Scotland had the last laugh between the two sides, so to say, when they beat Bangladesh by 34 runs in a T20I in 2012, their last meeting at international level.Bangladesh have often found themselves under the extra pressure of expectation in matches against lower-ranked teams, as the threat of a potential embarrassment keeps them wary. But when fully confident, Bangladesh have dominated Associates since their own promotion in 2000.One might think that Scotland have nothing to lose, but they would consider this game as their last realistic opportunity to put points on the board as their next two games are against Sri Lanka and Australia. They lost a great opportunity in their last game when they let Afghanistan off the hook, and lost by one wicket. Scotland’s pace bowlers have been impressive, but lacking the finishing move.Form guide(last five matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh LWWWW
Scotland LLLWLIn the spotlightMushfiqur Rahim would be a handful for Scotland if he gets going, and he has done so with regularity in the recent past. If given a batting promotion, he is the most likely batsman to get Bangladesh’s first World Cup hundred.Josh Davey is Scotland’s highest wicket-taker in this World Cup with nine scalps. He has a bustling action and his pace is the sort that has often troubled Bangladesh’s top-order. He has also batted in the top-order eleven times so far.Team newsAssociates have often struggled against Bangladesh’s spin, so either of Taijul Islam or Arafat Sunny could be included. Whether Bangladesh would like to play without the security of eight batsmen remains the major question about their make-up. Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque are also under the scanner, but are likely to stay in the XI.Bangladesh (possible) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Mominul Haque/Taijul Islam, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Rubel HossainScotland captain Preston Mommsen said that all fifteen players were fit for selection. They will want to pick their quickest bowlers against Bangladesh so only Safyaan Sharif has a chance to force himself in to the line-up that played against Afghanistan.Scotland (possible) 1 Kyle Coetzer, 2 Calum MacLeod, 3 Hamish Gardiner, 4 Matt Machan, 5 Preston Mommsen (capt), 6 Richie Berrington, 7 Matthew Cross (wk), 8 Josh Davey, 9 Majid Haq, 10 Alasdair Evans, 11 Iain WardlawPitch and conditionsAlthough there was a thick cover of brown grass on the pitch, it is not something the batsmen should be worried about. It will be rolled flat on the morning of the game and the ball should skid on to the bat nicely. It has been an unusually dry February in Nelson, which has made the pitch hard and bouncier. Spinners are not likely to get any help from the pitch. The forecast is for a dry day although with increasing cloud.Stats and trivia Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mashrafe Mortaza and Majid Haq are the only survivors from the last completed ODI played between the two sides in 2006. Tamin Iqbal needs 10 runs to reach 4000 in ODIs Rubel Hossain has the best strike-rate for a Bangladesh bowler who has played a minimum of 50 ODIs.Quotes”We expect to win. When we lost [against Sri Lanka], we also lost some confidence. So this is an opportunity to win this match and go with some confidence into the game against England.”
“Ireland attacked the West Indies bowlers on this ground and we will try and represent the Associates tomorrow as best as we can.”

Lancashire retain an outside chance of a third successive victory at Wantage Road, after they took two Northamptonshire wickets before the close on the third day of their Championship match

Press Association05-May-2015
ScorecardPeter Siddle survived to make 89 as Lancashire took a valuable first-innings lead•Getty ImagesLancashire retain an outside chance of a third successive victory at Wantage Road, after they took two Northamptonshire wickets before the close on the third day of their Championship match. The Division Two leaders lead by nine runs, with the home side 42 for 2 in the second innings after Lancashire were dismissed for 436.Overnight rain saw play start two hours later than scheduled, with Lancashire resuming on 216 for 4. A swirling and unremitting gale necessitated the removal of the bails for virtually the whole day’s play; such was its power that, at one stage, the umpires had to make sure the uncovered stumps stayed in the ground.Rory Kleinveldt – who wore a beanie hat underneath his cap for extra warmth in the field – drew the short straw of bowling into the wind. But the powerful South African extracted bounce when Alex Davies chipped the catch to midwicket, after adding just four to his overnight score.Jordan Clark negotiated four balls before edging Kleinveldt behind to Adam Rossington without scoring and, after the first 15 minutes of play, Lancashire were 221 for 6 and still 164 behind.But Ashwell Prince, who was 104 not out overnight, found support from Peter Siddle, who batted sensibly while he and the 37-year-old added exactly 100 for the seventh wicket. The Australian, who had been ill 24 hours earlier, looked the picture of health at the crease, punishing anything loose from the Northamptonshire attack.Prince was also reassuring, with his off-side drives a constant source of anguish for the home seam attack, one such stroke off Steven Crook bringing up his 150 off 268 balls. Crook then induced Prince to pop up to substitute David Murphy and Alex Wakely’s side could be forgiven for relief after enduring Prince’s career-best 257 not out in last year’s innings defeat at Old Trafford.Siddle returns home after Lancashire’s next Championship game against Gloucestershire but he delivered for his employers here, reaching his 50 off 95 balls. But before visions of only a second first-class century became reality, he was lbw to Kleinveldt for 89, the fifth wicket for the South African and his first five-wicket haul in Northamptonshire colours.Trailing by 51, Northamptonshire were hampered with Richard Levi not batting due to a dislocated finger. Replacement opener Rob Newton lasted just one delivery, caught at midwicket off Kyle Jarvis. Wakely’s indeterminate waft outside off stump added more pressure when he edged Siddle for a catch behind to leave Northants wobbling on 13 for 2.Despite a brief pause for bad light, Stephen Peters and Rob Keogh saw the home side to close for no further loss. But Siddle believes his side can claim victory, despite the pitch remaining true.”It’s not too bad out there, one end is a lot worse than the other to bowl at, so it’s going to be hard work,” he said. “We’ve just got to be patient. The wicket’s not offering up much so we can just bowl in good areas and see what happens.”I didn’t expect to be out batting so soon today, but Ashwell Prince is a class player. He showed that again today. It was good fun. It was a bit windy and cold so I didn’t want to bowl. So I thought if I batted longer, it would reduce my overs.Northants Head Coach David Ripley is hopeful his side can see the final day out for the draw. “That was an important little partnership there between Stephen and Rob,” he said. “It was a difficult session where Lancashire could come and give it everything and it was important that they got through those overs unscathed. We’ve still got to have a good first hour, hour and a half to hopefully get us the draw.”

Steven Smith completed a hundred on captaincy debut, Mitchell Johnson smashed 88 off 93 balls, and even Mitchell Starc scored a half-century as Australia stormed into the lead at the Gabba

The Report by Daniel Brettig19-Dec-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:25

‘India need to make Ashwin a more potent weapon’

In the usual round of pre-series predictions, many expected Steven Smith to be a dominant batting force against India, and some were bold enough to reckon he would be captain before the four Tests were through. But none had prophesied that it would take Mitchell Johnson until the series’ eighth day to make a significant impact on events, nor that he would be doing so with the bat.Smith’s 133 was emblematic of his growth as both a batsman and leader: not since Greg Chappell against West Indies on this ground in 1975 had a first-time Australian Test captain marked the occasion with a hundred in his first innings. Johnson’s boldest of counterattacks showed how dangerous he can be as a batsman, but also that it may have been wiser for India not to antagonise him when he walked to the wicket with Australia in some trouble at 6 for 247.Their partnership of 148 in a mere 26 overs changed the course of the match, also clearing a path for Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood to prolong Australia’s first innings until after tea. The final four wickets contributed more runs than the first six, opening up a lead of 97. India were bereft of ideas for stemming the flow, and when they finally batted Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara survived some searching spells in the evening session to go to stumps at 1 for 71.A century in his first Test as captain underlined Smith’s quality as a leader, his sixth hundred in 13 matches since notching No. 1 against England at The Oval in August 2013 sustaining Australia’s innings. But Smith had needed help: the Australians were teetering when Johnson joined his captain. Indian attempts to get into the fast bowler’s head with short balls and verbals appeared only to spur Johnson into a starburst of strokes, and he looked bound for a second century until snicking Ishant Sharma behind.Ishant and Varun Aaron had bowled morning spells that were respectively precise and hostile. Ishant deceived Mitchell Marsh with a break-back after the hamstrung allrounder shouldered arms, and Aaron pinned Brad Haddin with a bouncer that delivered a catch to short leg.Steven Smith became the tenth Australian to score a Test hundred on captaincy debut•Getty ImagesAaron’s success with the short ball prompted him to step up the assault against Johnson, and he earned a warning from the umpire Ian Gould for excessive use of the bouncer. Virat Kohli also stepped in to antagonise, and these exchanges appeared the catalyst for a spiky Australian response.Johnson prospered first with the pull shot before expanding his repertoire grandly, upper cutting over the slips then driving sweetly down the ground. Smith made slightly more sedate progress towards his hundred, but reached the mark with a nifty cut behind point. At lunch the partnership was worth 104 in 83 brazen balls and the deficit a mere 57.The rate of scoring slowed somewhat in the afternoon as Dhoni applied a little more pressure, but it was a surprise when Johnson was dismissed by an Ishant delivery slanted across him – the sort of line and length India should have committed to when he first arrived. Smith departed soon after, dragging another well-pitched Ishant delivery onto the stumps, but Starc, Lyon and Hazlewood were eager for more.Nos. 9 and 10 added 56 at better than a run a ball, and after Lyon was pouched at mid-on, Hazlewood notched his first Test runs with a sturdy enough drive down the ground. Starc exhibited few of his bowling insecurities with the bat. By the time a late tea was taken he had a half-century, and had gone a long way to compensating for some indifferent spells in the first innings.Those runs also appeared to rouse Starc into a better frame of mind for bowling. He found a far more consistent line and was rewarded when an indeterminate M Vijay dragged onto the stumps when trying to leave a well-directed ball of decent pace and bounce. Shane Watson swung the ball and might easily have had a wicket in a fine late spell. Smith, oddly, did not call on Lyon’s offbreaks before the close.