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Hampshire’s new signing Aneurin Donald gamely took up wicketkeeping duties after Tom Alsop damaged a thumb but it didn’t turn out well

ECB Reporters Network and ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2018
ScorecardAdam Lyth completed his first Specsavers County Championship century since last June during the morning session of a rain affected third day against Hampshire at Emerald Headingley, helped in no small part by an emergency appearance behind the stumps by Aneurin Donald which did not go all that well.Opener Lyth reached 100 for the 23rd time in his first-class career as Yorkshire strengthened their grip on this penultimate round clash against Hampshire who nevertheless had cause for relief when their Division One safety was mathematically confirmed by Worcestershire’s defeat at Essex.Craig White, Hampshire’s coach, said: “The last few years we’ve been coming into the last game of the season in a massive relegation battle. With one game left, knowing we’re safe is quite a relief actually. But we haven’t been at our best in this game compared to the last couple where we were very good.”Lyth all but killed Hampshire’s prospects of a successful final-day chase when he advanced from 60 overnight to 134 not out. Yorkshire, leading by 27 on first innings, stretched their lead to 314 with five wickets remaining before rain arrived during the lunch break and washed out the remainder of the day.If Yorkshire force victory on the final day, they will also confirm their Division One status. A draw would leave them needing a maximum of just two points from next week’s final round clash with Worcestershire at New Road, so they would be satisfied with that outcome as well.Lyth has endured a largely frustrating season, with only two half-centuries prior to this. He completed a fifth-wicket stand of 133 inside 42 overs with Jonny Tattersall, who added 43.Both men were dropped during the 33 overs bowled – Lyth twice – on a disaster-strewn emergency session with the gloves by substitute fielder Donald who dropped two catches and contributed to the missing off another one.Donald took the gloves following a left thumb injury suffered by regular keeper Tom Alsop. Alsop went for a scan with Hampshire fearing a fracture and ligament damage and he has already been ruled out of their final Championship match next week against Lancashire at the Ageas BowlDonald, diving to his right, impaired first slip Ian Holland when Tattersall, on 16, got an edge off Kyle Abbott as he tried to leave alone. Lyth was then dropped twice, both times by Donald off Liam Dawson’s left-arm spin.The first came when he was on 80 – Dawson’s first ball of the morning. The second came when he was on 94. And next ball, there was a convincing appeal for caught behind turned down by umpire Graham Lloyd.Dawson took the only wicket to fall during the morning, Tattersall caught at short fine-leg sweeping as the score fell to 265 for five in the 73rd over.

With ODI cricket returning to Hambantota for the first time since 2015, the nature of the pitch for the third ODI between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe remains a mystery

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jul-2017

Match Facts

July 6, 2017
Start time: 0945 local (0415GMT)Tendai Chatara’s discipline has earned him four of Zimbabwe’s eight wickets in the series so far•AFP

Big Picture

One comfortable pursuit of 317 for Zimbabwe, one crushing home victory set up by Sri Lanka’s spinners – not much about this series has been predictable, and the teams are now about to venture into more uncertainty. In the past two years, the ground at Hambantota has probably hosted more elephants than cricket matches, and no one is quite sure how the pitch will play after such a long hiatus. Will it tend to be on the faster, bouncier side, as it had been between 2011 and 2015? Or will it – as the hosts might prefer – take a little extra turn now?

Mumba replaces injured W Masakadza

Zimbabwe left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza has been ruled out of the series due to an ankle injury, and has been replaced by seamer Carl Mumba. Masakadza’s last ODI appearance for Zimbabwe was in 2015, and having made a return to the squad, he did not get a game against Sri Lanka. Mumba’s sole ODI match so far came against Sri Lanka in November last year.

There is also often a powerful crosswind to contend with, at the venue, which tends to favour the more adaptable side. In the past, batsmen who have chosen to base their innings around hitting with the wind have prospered in Hambantota: not only do their strokes carry further, the balls they hit into the air have also been notoriously difficult to catch. Sri Lanka, who have dropped no fewer than six chances across the first two games, may be especially vulnerable if the breeze picks up. Bowlers have also had highly contrasting experiences with the wind: it has helped boost the natural swing of some, and put others off their game completely.Whatever the conditions, appropriate use of the sweep shot is likely to have come up in Zimbabwe’s team discussions over the past 48 hours. They had lived by the stroke in the first game, then died by it in the second. They may aim to be more selective in their deployment of the stroke in Hambantota.

Form guide

Sri Lanka WLLWL (completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe LWWLL

In the spotlight

All through the Champions Trophy campaign there was wonderment in Sri Lanka as to why Lakshan Sandakan was not in the XI. Now that he has taken 4 for 52 upon his return, the head scratching has only intensified. For now, Sandakan is not a bowler who offers a lot of control, and perhaps on the less spin-friendly tracks in England, the selectors and team management felt he may become a liability. However, if any bowler has appeared as if he may correct Sri Lanka’s inability to take wickets through the middle overs, it has been Sandakan. The selectors might do well to now provide him with a secure place in the side, in order to determine if he can in fact fulfill that wicket-taking role, in the longer term.A longer run in the ODI side can help determine if Lakshan Sandakan’s potential, seen in his 4 for 52, can be fulfilled•AFP

Though batsmen’s handling of spin has dominated the series narrative so far, it is the skillful seam bowling of Tendai Chatara that has brought Zimbabwe half of their eight wickets in the series so far. There is no booming swing or searing pace for Chatara, but so far in the series, there has been a discipline to his bowling, and even on an unresponsive Galle pitch, he was one of the only quicks to glean some movement off the seam. If he can quickly modify his bowling to suit Hambantota’s unique conditions, Zimbabwe could again make an early breakthrough, as they have in each of the first two games.

Team news

Spinner Amila Aponso and seam-bowling allrounder Lahiru Madushanka have been dropped from the squad for the last three ODIs, and in their place are seamer Lahiru Kumara and batsman Chamara Kapugedera (Suranga Lakmal was originally slated to be in the squad until he took ill). Unless the flu that has been making its way around the Sri Lanka side incapacitates another player on Thursday, the hosts may not wish to make a change to their winning XI, however.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Upul Tharanga, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Wanidu Hasaranga, 8 Dushmantha Chameera, 9 Lakshan Sandakan,10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Nuwan PradeepDespite the loss, Zimbabwe have a fairly settled outfit, and they may stick with the same XI. If any place is under scrutiny, it may be that of seamer Donald Tiripano. Chris Mpofu could potentially replace him.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Solomon Mire, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Sean Williams, 5 Sikander Raza, 6 Ryan Burl, 7 Peter Moor (wk), 8 Malcolm Waller, 9 Graeme Cremer (capt.), 10 Tendai Chatara, 11 Chris Mpofu/Donald Tiripano

Pitch and conditions

Forecasts for this part of the country are notoriously unreliable, but the weather is expected to be dry and hot, with temperatures in the low thirties. How the pitch will play is anyone’s guess.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have won seven and lost six of their 17 matches at Hambantota.
• 2017 is Chatara’s most successful ODI year so far, having taken 15 wickets in nine matches at 24.46.
• In addition to having become the third bowler to take a hat-trick on ODI debut, on Sunday, Wanidu Hasaranga became the first Sri Lanka spinner to claim a hat-trick in the format.

Quotes

“Assessing the conditions a little bit better is crucial. When the wicket is flatter like in the first game, you can play all your shots freely and chase down a huge score like that. In the second game it was probably not a wicket where you can go for your shots regularly. We need to do bit of work on that – assess conditions and stick to our plans.””Nuwan Pradeep has been our best bowler in the last three years in Test and ODI cricket, but for some reason he doesn’t pick up many wickets. He has improved his fielding too. He is one of the hardest working cricketers in the side.”

Former India captain Anil Kumble has been appointed coach of the national side for one year, the BCCI announced on Thursday. His first assignment will be India’s four-Test tour of the West Indies

Nagraj Gollapudi in Dharamsala23-Jun-20162:17

‘My approach will always be players-first’ – Kumble

Former India captain Anil Kumble has been appointed coach of the national side for one year, the BCCI announced on Thursday. His first assignment will be India’s four-Test tour of the West Indies.The question of who would take over as India coach has been a talking point since Ravi Shastri’s tenure as team director ended after the World T20. Some of the uncertainty was addressed when Anurag Thakur, after his appointment as BCCI president, said the vacancy would be filled before the Tests in the Caribbean.The BCCI put out an advertisement for a new coach in the first week of June and received 57 applications, including Kumble’s. However, it appears he was not among the 21 names shortlisted by the BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke’s office. The Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, assigned to pick India’s next coach asked for Kumble’s name to be included, at which point he became an instant favourite.The committee interviewed Kumble and a handful of other candidates in Kolkata on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, they made their recommendations to the BCCI. Thakur, along with Shirke, made the final call.”The CAC recommended a few names to the BCCI. After discussions with various stakeholders, we have taken the final call that for next one year Anil Kumble will be the head coach.” Thakur said at a media briefing in Dharamsala. He added the support staff would be appointed after consulting with Kumble.Kumble applying for the job was a surprise to many in the BCCI, considering he has not coached a cricket team before. The BCCI had preferred their candidates to have had that experience, but his pedigree as a player and two stints as mentor in the IPL worked in Kumble’s favour.The BCCI offered Kumble a one-year term to help him acclimatise to the job better and to give themselves the cushion to reassess if needed.”As for the one-year period, Kumble is now transforming himself from being a great on the cricketing field to probably becoming a great coach that we expect him to be. That transition has to be smooth. This is professional appointment. All professional appointments try to cover all bases. Therefore that is the reason we want to be able to be in a position to review our options should there be any need. I am confident that we will not have that need to address that need. That is the exact reason behind the one-year appointment.”A senior official privy to the selection process said a long-term contract was not a viable option considering the lengthy interval between now and the next World Cup in 2019. But he felt Kumble was in “the driver’s seat” to prove his credentials.”We have 13 Tests at home and then there is the Champions Trophy next year,” the insider said. “He is now in the driver’s seat. We have given him the keys and he has to now prove himself.”Kumble’s lack of experience is made up for by his standing as a player and captain in an 18-year-long international career. He finished as India’s highest wicket-taker in Tests, and the third-highest overall, with 619 wickets, including a best of 10 for 74 against Pakistan in Delhi in 1999.After being appointed Test captain in November 2007, he led India in 14 matches, winning three, losing five and drawing six, until his retirement a year later. Among his notable victories as captain was the Perth Test in January 2008, which was played after the controversial Sydney Test where, among other issues, India faced allegations of racism from the Australia side.Kumble is the first Indian to be appointed full-time India coach since Kapil Dev resigned in September 2000.According to Shirke, there were four overseas candidates who had made the shortlist of 21, including Tom Moody and Andy Moles, who, it is understood, were among those interviewed by the in Kolkata.”It’s not about Indian or foreign coach,” Thakur said. “There was no such limitation that we have to look for only Indian coach. We wanted the best for Indian team. We deserve the best. We have Anil Kumble with us. He has been a match-winner for India.”There has been speculation that the delay in choosing India’s head coach – the appointment was expected on Wednesday, but a subsequent BCCI press release said some “finer points” needed to be discussed – was the result of the Cricket Advisory Committee being unable to contact India’s Test captain Virat Kohli for his inputs.Without confirming as much, Thakur said that various “stakeholders” had been consulted.”The CAC looked into all applications. They have shortlisted few names which were suggested to the BCCI. When the names came to us we discussed with other stakeholders in the board, in the team and then you finally take a call on the various experiences [of the candidates]. All of the shortlisted names worked with various teams, in IPL, in various cricket boards, as well as the state units. So you take feedback not only from one sector, you take feedback from all stakeholders. We have taken little more time, but we wanted to be more transparent and wanted to pick the best.”Kumble has also served in administrative roles since his retirement. He was elected president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association in November 2010, served as chairman of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore and also headed the BCCI’s technical committee from 2012 to 2015.

Fast bowler Rubel Hossain has replaced Shahadat Hossain in Bangladesh’s squad for the only Test against India, beginning on June 10

Mohammad Isam03-Jun-20151:00

Isam: Bangladesh have a very settled squad

Fast bowler Rubel Hossain has replaced the injured Shahadat Hossain for the only Test against India, beginning on June 10 in Fatullah. As this was the only change in Bangladesh’s 14-man squad, questions lingered on the batsman-heavy combination.Rubel was ruled out of the second Test against Pakistan last month with a Grade 1 left-side strain after he felt discomfort while bowling in the first Test. His replacement at the time, Shahadat, twisted his right knee after bowling just two balls in the second Test, which ruled him out for six months. Rubel was passed fit last week along with Tamim Iqbal (knee), Shakib Al Hasan (shin bone), Mushfiqur Rahim (finger) and Shafiul Islam (hand).

Bangladesh Test squad

Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Shuvagata Hom, Taijul Islam, Mohammad Shahid, Rubel Hossain, Jubair Hossain, Litton Das, Abul Hasan

Mushfiqur, too remains a wicketkeeping doubt though chief selector Faruque Ahmed said they are hopeful he will be fit in time for the India Test. He also said that they selected 14 players for the first Test instead of 13, at the behest of the BCB’s cricket operations committee.
“We have seven days before the first Test,” Faruque said. “I won’t say that Mushfiqur won’t play but it was important to keep a back-up. We prefer having a second wicketkeeper-batsman. Litton [Das] was in the squad for the Pakistan series.”The cricket operations committee asked us to take 14 players. We planned to take 13 but there is no domestic cricket at the moment, so it was thought that one boy can stay with the team.”The more pressing matter was the continued selection of Shuvagata Hom, who batted at No 8 and bowled harmless off-spin against Zimbabwe and in both Tests against Pakistan. There is still doubt about his role in the team, because he has mainly earned his keep as a batsman in the domestic arena but has been handy as a bowler during the 2014-15 season.Faruque said that Shuvagata is being considered as the second-best offspinner in the country behind Sohag Gazi, who, they feel, still needs time to get attuned to his new action after he was allowed to bowl last February.”We haven’t been able to achieve a desired bowling attack in Test cricket. We don’t have many options when it comes to offspinners. We had Sohag Gazi who got banned for his bowling action. He has batted and bowled well in domestic cricket but we want to pick him only when he is used to his new bowling action.”Shuvagata is our second-best offspinner. He got nine wickets in the last BCL match so he is our favoured choice among the offspinners,” Faruque said. “It is important to have variety in the bowling attack. We have left-arm spinners in the team so we kept an offspinner. It is not necessary that he will play but it becomes easier to pick him in the XI if he is in the squad.”Regarding legspinner Jubair Hossain, Faruque said that he was picked after being recommended by captain Mushfiqur and coach Chandika Hathurusingha. He added that he was not aware of reports that the captain and coach went to BCB president Nazmul Hassan to push for Jubair.”We select the team after discussing with the team management. The coach and captain had made a strong recommendation about him. They have a plan with him. We have included him as a result. I don’t know if they [captain and coach] went to him [BCB president] or not. We had a meeting three-four days before the team was announced.”Faruque admitted that their strength lay in their batting, although they picked seven batsmen instead of eight in the likely XI to play against India, and that their current bowling attack may not yet be well-equipped to take 10 wickets in Tests.”I feel that the bowling attack we have in Test cricket, it won’t be realistic to say that we have the ability to take 10 wickets. We are improving, but our main strength is batting. We should pick a team which can’t lose at home. We will discuss this thought process with the team management. I think playing seven batsmen is good enough. Mushfiqur and Shakib are allrounders.”

Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor showed refreshing patience and application to wear down the Sri Lanka bowlers for the better part of three sessions to set a solid platform for a big score

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran25-Nov-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKane Williamson was five short of his third Test century before rain arrived•Associated Press

In an otherwise one-sided tour, New Zealand finally took ownership of an entire day. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor showed refreshing patience and application to wear down the Sri Lanka bowlers for the better part of three sessions to set a solid platform for a big score. All talk of a bouncy pitch and seaming conditions were put to rest as the bowlers struggled to create chances, with both batsmen adding an unbeaten 209.One of the main reasons for New Zealand’s slump in Test form was the inability of their batsmen to occupy the crease and build partnerships. New Zealand have only five century stands this year, the highest being 124 between Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum against Zimbabwe in Napier, until Taylor and Williamson overtook it, against a far superior bowling attack in foreign conditions.Taylor, himself struggling for consistency, had spoken about taking an aggressive approach to help his side compete better. However, unlike his blistering century in the Bangalore Test, Taylor was more watchful and with Williamson focused on wearing down the bowlers. New Zealand were more watchful from the second session, offered no chances and that was largely because their defence was more watertight. Both progressed at similar pace, and while Taylor brought up his eighth Test century, Williamson was five short of his third century before rain forced an early finish.The pair came together at 14 for 2 and it was an opportunity for New Zealand to put to practice all talk of showing better application with the bat. Taylor survived a few nervy moments, edging a drive wide of the slips on 14 and getting a thick inside edge off a square drive that went for four. A controlled upper cut over the slips got him going and it helped that Williamson got a measure of the conditions early and looked to be positive.While Taylor looked edgy at the start, Williamson didn’t. He began with a neat punch off Nuwan Kulasekara past the covers and once spin was introduced in the 15th over, he used his feet well. Rangana Herath posed questions straightaway when he got one to turn and grip from middle stump and nearly shave the off stump, one that had Williamson foxed. There weren’t too many such unplayable deliveries as the day wore on. Williamson didn’t let that trouble him as he charged Herath and lofted over mid-on and followed it up with a neat extra-cover drive.Taylor reached his fifty in the first over after lunch with a glance to fine leg off Shaminda Eranga and Williamson approached his milestone with two boundaries off the same bowler. Sri Lanka bowled 14 consecutive overs of spin, with no success. Suraj Randiv operated with a slip and a backward short leg and managed turn and bounce but the batsmen managed to smother the turn. He even bowled to a 6-3 on-side field from round the wicket, with a deep backward square leg for the sweep but the batsmen didn’t oblige. At one point, Herath had a short extra cover and a silly mid-off, but none of those field sets induced false strokes.Only five boundaries were scored in the second session, as the pair focused on rotating the strike, with the field getting more defensive. Kulasekara, who was brought back into the attack after a long spell of spin, couldn’t get the old ball to swing. An edged boundary to third man took Taylor into the 90s, but he wasn’t in any hurry to reach his century, ensuring New Zealand went to tea unbeaten.Taylor reached his century with a clip to deep square leg off Eranga and carried on with some pleasing drives off the fast bowlers. There was reverse swing after tea, but the batsmen negated it well. Williamson, who showed a lot of patience against the spinners, punched Herath against the turn to find the boundary that took him to the 90s.The only time Sri Lanka tasted success was in the first half an hour. Guptill, already struggling for runs, managed a thick outside edge to Angelo Mathews at slip to give the hosts a breakthrough in the first over.McCullum went forward to defend close to the pads but unfortunately, the umpire failed to spot a thick inside edge and sent him on his way. A peeved McCullum didn’t hold back his glare at the umpire as he walked off at 14 for 2 in the fourth over. From then on, it was all New Zealand.

Yusuf Pathan, the India allrounder, has said it is unfair to label him as a ‘one-day specialist’ given his performance on the first-class circuit

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2011Yusuf Pathan, the India allrounder, has said it is unfair to label him as a ‘one-day specialist’ given his performance on the first-class circuit, where he’s averaged 41.38 from 46 games. Yusuf is representing India Red in the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, and aiming for a comeback into the national side after missing out on the ODI series in England and the first two ODIs against the same opposition for the home series starting this week. His exclusion followed an ordinary World Cup with the bat and a poor time in the West Indies, where he averaged 10.5 from four ODI innings.”I can play at any position. If the team management wants me to bat up the order, I am ready for it,” Yusuf told the . “Whenever I spent time in the middle, I have made it count. Last year, I scored a match-winning hundred against New Zealand and then scored another hundred against South Africa. Besides, I have also scored big hundreds in Ranji and Duleep Trophy over the years. I enjoy batting for long periods.”Yusuf, who usually bats in the lower-middle order for India, played what he described as the “best innings of my career” when he smashed 210 in 190 balls for West Zone against South Zone in the Duleep Trophy in February last year, helping his team chase a record-breaking 536. He’s been preferred in the shorter versions for his big hitting, but Yusuf insisted his game is also suited for the five-day format. “The T20 craze has started only now, but I have been playing first-class cricket for a decade. I would also like to play Test matches. It’s unfair to label me as one-day specialist.”There is more to my batting than just hitting. You can’t succeed at the international level if you have limited strokes. I can play all round the wicket. If you analyse my hundreds, you will see I have scored runs on both sides of the wicket. I like to play aggressively and that’s the way I have played cricket all my life and I will continue to do so.”Due to India’s powerful batting line-up, with several of the big names batting in the top order, Yusuf said it was difficult not to adopt a risk-free approach when he came in to bat. “More often than not, one of the top-order batsmen scores big. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh love to bat long.”When I go in to bat, I normally get five to eight overs in which I have to score as many runs as possible. You can’t do that without taking risks. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes not. It can go either way. But I always try to give it my best shot. I won’t be making hundreds everyday, but if my quick 30s or 40s can make a difference, I will be a happy man.”

VVS Laxman has reached Bangalore after a brief halt in his hometown of Hyderabad, but didn’t train with the team two days before the Bangalore Test.

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2010VVS Laxman, the hero of India’s gripping first Test win in Mohali, has reached Bangalore after a brief halt in his hometown of Hyderabad, but didn’t train with the team two days before the Bangalore Test. The rest of the team had a long nets session at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.Laxman had to fight back spasms in that match-winning 73, and is still recovering from the injury. He came in to bat at No. 10 in the first innings, and didn’t play any further part in the game until the end of day four. During the course of the game, he had to take three painkiller injections and tablets during every break on the final day.Laxman has been advised rest for his injured back, but a team source said he is feeling much better now. There is no word yet on whether he will play the second Test. In case he is ruled out, Saurashtra batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is likely to make his Test debut.India are, not for the first time this season, struggling with injuries in this series. Ishant Sharma and Gautam Gambhir have already been ruled out of the second Test. Both of them were unavailable at various points of time in Mohali. Australia are battling injury worries of their own: Doug Bollinger pulled out with an abdominal strain on the last afternoon in Mohali, and is yet to resume training.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced their 15-man squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup, which takes place in New Zealand from January 15-30, 2010

Cricinfo staff15-Dec-2009The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced their 15-man squad for the ICC Under-19 World Cup, which takes place in New Zealand from January 15-30, 2010. Talented batsman Azeem Ghumman, who lead the side to the final of a tri-series in Sri Lanka involving the hosts and Bangladesh recently, will continue to captain.The bi-annual tournament involves 16 teams with Pakistan facing West Indies, Papua New Guinea and Bangladesh in the group stages. Pakistan’s first match in the group stages will be against West Indies on January 15, followed by Papua New Guinea on January 18 and Bangladesh on January 20. The top two teams in each group will progress to the quarter-finals.The squad will leave for New Zealand on December 30. Prior to that it will assemble for a training camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore from December 16-27 under the supervision of coach Ijaz Ahmed.Pakistan’s best result at the U-19 World Cup was in 2003 when they defeated West Indies to win the tournament and then in 2006 when they trumped India in a thrilling final.Squad: Azeem Ghumman (capt), Babar Azam, Ahsan Ali, Ahmed Shahzad, Rameez Aziz, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Waqas, Hammad Azam, Sarmad Bhatti, Anop Ravi, Raza Hassan, Usman Qadir, Shahzaib Ahmed, Kaleem Sana, Fayyaz Butt.

Alex Telles has played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United and Al-Nassr, making him well placed to determine whether CR7 is “annoying”.

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• All-time great demands the best
• Drags team-mates along with him
• Considered to be a 'born leader'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Brazilian full-back was joined at Old Trafford by Ronaldo in 2021, having been in England for a little under a year at that point, and has subsequently been reunited with the Portuguese in Saudi Arabia after making his own move to the Middle East in 2023.

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  WHAT TELLES SAID ABOUT RONALDO

  Telles has told when asked if Ronaldo can be “annoying when the team isn’t winning”, with the 39-year-old famed for demanding the best of himself and those around him: “He is a born captain and leader, everyone knows his way of dealing with football, due to his professionalism… And the good thing about that is that he is a positive leader, always pushing the team for the positive, he never lets the team throw in the towel. We use that as an example, he is very influential in our team, for us he is an asset.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Telles jumped at the chance to join Ronaldo in Riyadh, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner convincing him to make a switch from the Premier League to Saudi Pro League. The 31-year-old left-back added: “Cristiano Ronaldo was a very important part of my coming here. We exchanged messages beforehand. My agent was involved. But obviously, when it comes to the legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the greatness he has clearly made it easier for me to come. We talked a lot. He told me what the club was like and that he was looking forward to me coming. I’m happy to have a player and human being like him (alongside me), with all his dedication for me to come here. So all this effort I make for myself is also for him, for Al-Nassr and for all the players who are here.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

  Ronaldo sat out Al-Nassr’s latest fixture through suspension, after being punished for his response to “Messi” taunts from the crowd, but he should be back – with 34 goals to his name this season – for the first leg of an AFC Champions League quarter-final clash with Al-Ain on Monday.

A concussion sustained on the training field has sidelined Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.

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Odegaard missed three games for ArsenalSuffered from concussion during trainingExpected back after international breakGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Odegaard has been forced onto the sidelines due to fears he suffered a concussion in training after being hit in the face with a ball, according to the The Norway international subsequently missed the games against Newcastle. Sevilla and Burnley due to concussion protocol. Odegaard is also set to miss Norway's Euro 2024 qualifiers over the international break, although his absence has been put down to a hip injury.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Arsenal will be eager to have their captain back in action as soon as possible, and it is hoped he will return after the international break. During the two-week break, Thomas Partey, Ben White, Cedric Soares, Gabriel Jesus, and Emile Smith Rowe are among a number of other players with injuries that Arteta will be hoping can recuperate in time for the Brentford clash.

DID YOU KNOW?

Gabriel Jesus hasn't played for Arsenal since October 24 owing to a hamstring injury, but the Brazilian football federation has exercised its right to assess his condition. Brazil will examine Jesus directly, despite the Gunners' desire for him to recuperate in London during the international window, according to

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ODEGAARD?

Odegaard will likely be back in action when the Gunners take on Brentford on November 25 as they look to keep pace with Manchester City and Liverpool.