The pair played key roles in Oman to help USA march into WCL Division Two

Peter Della Penna21-Nov-2018The Barbados-contracted pair of Aaron Jones and Hayden Walsh has come in for special praise from USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake for their roles in helping the side earn promotion to WCL Division Two. The allround abilities of Walsh combined with the batting of Jones played a pivotal role in USA ending WCL Division Three on Monday with a 4-1 record, good enough to be promoted along with undefeated tournament champion Oman.”I can’t tell how happy I am about those two guys,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo after USA finished runners-up at WCL Division Three in Oman. “They’re great players, they know how to behave inside a team and they fit straight into our culture. So I think that those two guys are the best thing that could happen to USA Cricket moving forward actually.”Jones and Walsh finished first and third for the team in scoring on tour with 200 runs and 167 runs respectively, regularly rescuing USA from perilous positions. Their best tag-team effort came against Denmark when they came together at 87 for 5 and produced a 131-run stand, a USA record for the sixth wicket.Jones came into the squad as an injury replacement for Sunny Sohal during the Super50 Cup, while Walsh hadn’t yet made his debut coming into WCL Division Three. Dassanayake revealed Walsh was initially picked as a legspinner, but a century during an intrasquad trial match at a USA training camp in North Carolina on the eve of the tournament convinced Dassanayake of his batting abilities.”When we looked at him the first time, we all thought he was a good legspinner but we were not sure about his batting, even though he came and said that he can bat,” he said. “But we had a few training sessions in Barbados and match scenarios basically playing a 50-over game on a full field using local players. Every scenario we played, he was scoring runs.”Dassanayake also hit back at criticism leveled at team management before the tournament for picking the pair in USA’s 14-man squad for Oman despite their non-participation in this year’s USA Cricket Combines. The caretaker administration run by the ICC Americas had communicated to stakeholders that anyone wishing to compete for a spot in USA’s Division Three squad had to attend a combine trial.That meant former West Indies batsman Xavier Marshall, who had made his USA debut in January, was axed after he skipped the last two days of the New York trial to play club cricket instead.New Zealand-based US passport holder David Wakefield also paid his own plane tickets to Florida to be evaluated, something that was not mandated of Jones nor Walsh. This was a source of unhappiness amongst players who attended the combines and felt it equated to double-standards.”Even though critics was there to criticise certain things about our performance and selections, we as a group had that confidence from the beginning which way we are moving and the players were confident and these results were not a surprise for our group,” Dassanayake said. “I’m not happy that we didn’t become number one but it’s part of the game. Oman played better cricket on that day against us but I still believe that USA is a better team and we are looking forward to move forward.”

For the South African quick, the increased scrutiny on player behaviour is just a sign of the game becoming “more professional”

Liam Brickhill02-Nov-2018At the end of a tumultuous week since the release of the cultural review, Australia’s focus will finally return to the cricket with the first ODI against South Africa in Perth, but amid the fallout from the Newlands ball-tampering scandal and all that has happened since, player behaviour will be under increased scrutiny come Sunday. For visiting quick Dale Steyn, that’s just a sign of the times as the game becomes “more professional”.”When I first started going to the IPL, in the beginning we didn’t even have a fitness trainer,” he said after South Africa’s training session in Perth. “Now it’s very professional. You get an email that tells you exactly what you’ve got to eat, tells you exactly what time the bus is. We’ve got to grow up with the times, that’s just how it is, and behaviour is one of those things that has become very much part of the game. There’s strict rules. KG [Kagiso Rabada] has faced harsh criticism and some trouble even within our side.”

Every time you play against Australia, you still feel like that culture from years back is going to be hard to crack

While Mitchell Starc said the team will be ignoring the boardroom drama, soul-searching about how Australia choose to play their cricket and their reputation in the game has been another talking point from the cultural review. An ultra-aggressive, win-at-all-costs attitude is increasingly out of place in a changing sporting landscape.”It’s going to be interesting to see which direction they go,” Steyn said. “Every time you play against Australia, you still feel like that culture from years back is going to be hard to crack. They’re in your face, an aggressive team, and people want that but you talk about this line – who knows where it is – but there’s rules and you’ve got to play along those rules.”This is the country that produced the Merv Hughes staredown and ‘mental disintegration’, where, as an opposition no. 11, you’d better be ready for a broken f***ing arm. Or rather, it was. For Australia, for everyone, the times they are a-changin’.”I watched this interview with Merv the other day … jeepers, that guy was a maniac wasn’t he,” Steyn joked. “We’re in a different generation. Times have changed. We all have to move with the times. If you’re going to live in the past, and do what you did in the past, in the current times you’re going to bear the consequences for that. That’s just how it is.”Dale Steyn clutches his right shoulder•Getty ImagesWith their former captain and vice-captain both still in the brig for their involvement in the ball-tampering scandal, Australia are still bearing the consequences for bad decisions made in March. Steyn wouldn’t be drawn into an opinion on whether Steven Smith and David Warner’s bans should be lifted early, but suggested that Australia still present stiff competition in their absence.”I’m not the headmaster here,” Steyn said. “I don’t make the rules and what the punishment is. But we all make mistakes and how each country deals with it is their issue.”Those two [Smith and Warner] are always going to test you. You want to be playing against the best. But I can guarantee you when you’re running in at Chris Lynn and he’s eyeing out deep midwicket, and Aaron Finch who’s been scoring runs lately especially for Surrey, it doesn’t matter. You’ve just got to take on who is at the other end, regardless of the name. When we walk out to the middle, it’s on.

The last time I walked off here I didn’t realise how bad my shoulder was. When I went in to see the doctor for the MRI he asked if I fell off a ladder or motorbikeSteyn on the injury he suffered in Perth in 2016

“We didn’t come here to lose,” Steyn added. “Any time South Africa plays against Australia it is always a good spectacle, both teams are highly competitive and do everything that they can to win. I don’t think that will change come Sunday.Steyn said he was excited to be back in Perth after a shoulder injury in the first Test in 2016 cut his tour short. This is likely to be his last international series in Australia, which makes him all the more motivated to put in a strong performance.”It is weird to be back here,” he said. “The last time I walked off here I didn’t realise how bad my shoulder was. When I went in to see the doctor for the MRI he asked if I fell off a ladder or motorbike, I didn’t realise it was actually that bad. Eight months of physiotherapy and non-stop rehab got me back, and I’m excited to be back here.”We haven’t played massively competitive cricket for a while. We played against Zimbabwe recently and I bowled in the high 140’s (kph) and hit 150 which I was quite pleased about,” he said. “If any bowler hits 150 he is going to tell you about it. I was happy with that, I got through those games and four months of county cricket with limited issues.”South Africa are coming off a comprehensive 3-0 series win against Zimbabwe, and Steyn said he expects an evenly contested series, despite the contrasting form the squads take into the series.”Both teams are coming off a little bit of a step back, Australia haven’t had the greatest tour in the UAE and they are trying to re-build themselves. We haven’t played much competitive cricket for a long time. I think it will be evenly matched.”

Jurgen Klopp has confirmed Stefan Bajcetic is set to return to first-team training after an injury-ravaged season.

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• Klopp confirms Bajcetic is set for return to training
• 19-year-old has been absent with a complex injury
• He has made just two appearances all season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ahead of his side's clash with Sheffield United, Klopp has confirmed Bajcetic is set to rejoin his team-mates on the grass next week. The 19-year-old midfielder has made just two appearances this campaign due to complications caused by growing pains.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bajcetic was a shining light in a disappointing season last year for the Reds, making 19 appearances in total after breaking through after the World Cup. He has since become the forgotten man on Merseyside, but his return is a big boost for both Klopp and his successor in the Anfield dugout when he steps aside in the summer.

• WHAT KLOPP SAID

  Discussing Liverpool's injury list in a press conference, Klopp said: "We forgot Stefan Bajcetic. Yes he didn't play for a long time but he trains fully with the Under-21s this week.

  "That means we will take him in [senior] training next week and then we will see. So another one coming, that's super important."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BAJCETIC AND LIVERPOOL?

  It remains to be seen if Bajcetic will feature in the run-in, given Liverpool are locked in a title race, but he is likely to continue his injury return with the Under-23 side in the coming weeks, as well as training with the first team.

Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi has revealed he's learned a lot about NFL after making the move to the United States.

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Messi embracing new life in MiamiLearning about American footballAlso reveals his other sporting passionsWHAT HAPPENED?

Messi is known throughout the world for being one of the greatest players ever to grace soccer, but he has revealed he does take an interest in other sports. The World Cup winner says his move to the United States has led to a new interest in American football and he has other listed his other favorite sports away from his own profession.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementWHAT MESSI SAID

He told the about his favorite sports: "Tennis, padel, basketball, and American football. I'm learning a lot about American football, getting to know it better, and loving it."

Inter Miami CFTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi's presence at Inter Miami has already drawn plenty of celebrities and stars from the worlds of tennis and American football to the MLS side. Tennis stars Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa have been gifted Messi shirts after taking in a visit to the club, while NFL players Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase were spotting wearing FC Cincinnati shirts when Messi arrived for a game with Inter Miami last season. Messi's arrival in the U.S. has prompted more than 1 million people tune in to watch Miami games, numbers only NFL and college football can compete with.

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Messi is currently out injured and missed Argentina's fixtures with Costa Rica and El Salvador over the international break. He is expected to return for Inter Miami's Champions Cup clash against Monterrey on April 3.

Taijul Islam about to send one down•AFP

Day three brings another pitch invasion

The BCB has asked law enforcement officers to be “more alert” after a second person invaded the pitch on day three of the Sylhet Test. On the first day, a 13-year-old boy had run onto the field from the eastern galleries.
“We are looking to beef up the security,” the BCB’s chief security officer Hossain Imam told reporters. “There are 20 security personnel from the BCB, who are in charge of overall supervision.
“The security in the galleries and whether someone is breaching it and running into the ground, it is the responsibility of the law enforcement agencies. I think they have to be more alert during their duty.”
After the second pitch invasion, some of the policemen posted around the boundary boards stood facing the stands rather than the field of play.

Having been set 321 to win, Bangladesh were unscathed in the last 10.1 overs of the third day against Zimbabwe in Sylhet. Liton Das and Imrul Kayes took out 26 from that target before bad light caused play to be called off 35 minutes before the scheduled end at 5:00 pm local time.Imrul and Liton were largely safe at the crease, with only the odd play and miss. They remained unbeaten on 12 and 14 respectively. The offspinner Sikandar Raza produced a close call when he struck Liton’s front pad in what turned out to be the last ball of the day. But a review showed it would have spun too much to miss the right-hander’s leg-stump.Bangladesh were brought back into the game by their spinners, chiefly, Taijul Islam, who took 5 for 62, to finish 11 for 170 in the match, his first 10-for. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 181 in the second innings with Mehidy Hasan and Nazmul Islam also providing support with three and two wickets each.Taijul first removed Brendon Taylor, whose four boundaries added energy to Zimbabwe’s innings in the morning, after Mehidy broke Brian Chari’s off stump in the first session.In the second session, Mehidy trapped Hamilton Masakadza lbw trying a reverse sweep, and soon afterwards, Taijul got three wickets in the space of 11 balls. Sean Williams, Peter Moor and Sikandar Raza fell in quick succession, after which Wellington Masakadza and Regis Chakabva stretched out their seventh-wicket stand by 19.1 overs.Masakadza fell in the first over after tea before Nazmul Islam got the wickets of Chakabva and Brandon Mavuta in the same over. Taijul rounded off the Zimbabwe innings with his fifth, taking the wicket of Tendai Chatara.

Former England captain Andrew Strauss to spend more time with family while his wife Ruth undergoes treatment for cancer

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2018Andrew Strauss has stepped down as director of England cricket after three-and-a-half years in the role, in order to spend more time with his family while his wife Ruth undergoes treatment for cancer.Strauss, who handed over many of his day-to-day duties to Andy Flower during the 2018 home summer, will take on a more flexible role with the ECB, and will play a part in assisting Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, in recruiting a full-time successor ahead of England’s tour of the Caribbean in the New Year.It means, however, that he will not now be at the helm as England enter a defining year in 2019, when they host the World Cup for the first time in 20 years, then take on Australia in a home Ashes campaign.”After three-and-a-half incredible years with the ECB, I have taken the difficult decision to step down from my role as Director of England Cricket,” said Strauss.”Next year is potentially the most important the game has had in this country, with the World Cup on home soil and a home Ashes series, and we have an incredible opportunity to do something special. It is vital that the Director of Cricket can give consistent guidance and support to England Cricket through this period.”Strauss’s appointment in May 2015 came in the wake of England’s disastrous showing at that year’s World Cup, and he endured a gruelling first few weeks in the job, including terminating Peter Moores’ second spell as England coach, as well as drawing a line under any prospect of Kevin Pietersen earning an international recall.On his watch, England have taken significant strides towards becoming a genuine force in white-ball cricket – following his appointment of Trevor Bayliss as head coach in 2015, England reached the final of the World T20 the following year and go into next summer’s World Cup as favourites.The Test team’s fortunes have plateaued in the same period, although Strauss’s appointment of Ed Smith as the new national selector has seen the beginnings of a revival in the long-form game. This summer’s 4-1 series win over India atoned in part for a disappointing display during the Ashes, a tour that was at times overshadowed by the circus that surrounded the squad in the wake of Ben Stokes’ arrest in Bristol last September.Dawid Malan chats with England director of cricket Andrew Strauss•Getty Images

Strauss had intended to remain on the tour throughout the series, but chose to fly home in the wake of England’s defeat in the second Test at Adelaide after hearing the news of his wife’s diagnosis.”Taking time out this summer to support my wife and kids, as Ruth goes through treatment for cancer, has given me the chance to fully consider what’s right for England and what’s needed at home,” he said. “The role in cricket requires total focus and commitment to deliver the best results, yet right now I need far more flexibility than could ever be possible in my position in order to support my family.”I will not be leaving the game completely – initially helping Tom to shape the role for my successor, then supporting a range of other ECB projects – but it’s important to see someone else in place for a crucial summer in 2019.Harrison responded to the decision on behalf of the ECB. “We’re very sad to see Andrew step down from the role and we all wish him and his family the very best,” he said. “He deserves huge respect for the way he has managed his role, fully supported Ruth and their boys and calmly considered this decision. And it’s hard to overestimate his contribution since joining us in May 2015.”He is an exceptional talent and it is easy to see how he has made a success of each step in his career – moving from dressing room, to captaincy, to commentary, to a key role in the governing body – and all the while being the most popular of colleagues.”Andrew has brought enormous credibility, measured thinking, strong leadership and exceptional insight and we have been extremely fortunate to have worked so closely with him for the last three and a half years. He has improved the ways we work and set the direction for the men’s Test, one-day and T20 teams.”

The Football Association has defended the new England kit after a backlash over Nike changing the colour of the St George's Cross.

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New Nike shirt released this weekBacklash over changing colour of St George's CrossFA defends the decision and stands firmWHAT HAPPENED?

Nike switched the traditional red cross on the collar of England's Euro 2024 shirt to a navy, light blue, and purple flag. While the Football Association say it was meant as a tribute to the 1966 World Cup winning team, and the sportswear giant described it as a "playful update" – a row has erupted over it being 'woke'. Despite the backlash, the FA has stood firm over the jersey.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THE FA SAID

A FA spokesperson said: "The new England 2024 Home kit has a number of design elements which were meant as a tribute to the 1966 World Cup winning team. The coloured trim on the cuffs is inspired by the training gear worn by England's 1966 heroes, and the same colours also feature on the design on the back of the collar.

"It is not the first time that different coloured St George's cross-inspired designs have been used on England shirts. We are very proud of the red and white St George's cross – the England flag. We understand what it means to our fans, and how it unites and inspires, and it will be displayed prominently at Wembley tomorrow – as it always is – when England play Brazil."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The debate over this topic has been fuelled by the likes of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said the flag should not have been changed, and Reform UK MP Lee Anderson, who denounced the move as "virtue signaling woke nonsense."
"When it comes to our national flags, we shouldn't mess with them because they're a source of pride, identity, who we are, and they're perfect as they are," said Sunak.

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Getty WHAT NEXT?

Many football fans have demanded the original flag be reinstated and an online petition has collected thousands of signatures, meaning this story may continue to rumble on. On the pitch, England host Brazil on Saturday, followed by Belgium on Tuesday in two friendly matches.

Cole Palmer slammed "poor" Chelsea after the Blues were forced to share the spoils with 10-man Burnley despite the England star's brace.

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• Chelsea held to a 2-2 draw
• Palmer scored both goals
• Warns his team-mates they must improve

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite playing with a man advantage for more than half of the game due to Lorenz Assignon's red card, Chelsea failed to capitalize and were held to a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Palmer put in an impressive shift by netting two goals against the Clarets but was furious with his team-mates and didn't mince his words in expressing his disappointment after the match.

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  WHAT PALMER SAID

  Speaking to after the match, Palmer said: "It’s poor, it can’t happen. Especially when they go down to ten men. The changing room is really down. When we went down to ten men, we were 1-0 up and just got too comfortable. Same story, we kill ourselves every week. It’s got to improve from us as players.

  "We had many chances and then that time we defended soppy. It’s very disappointing. On a personal level, it’s good to score two, but if you don’t get the three points they count for nothing. I think it’s our consistency all around the pitch, being alive and not switching off like we did today. We seriously have to do some consistency if we want to do something."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The draw against relegation-threatened Burnley epitomized Chelsea's struggles duringr Pochettino's reign, sinking the Blues to a new low. Burnley, displaying resilience and determination, twice came from behind with 10 men, courtesy of goals from Josh Cullen and Dara O'Shea, to snatch a vital point in their battle against relegation.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After the draw, Chelsea find themselves languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table with 40 points from 28 matches. The result intensified the pressure on Pochettino, with disgruntled fans voicing their discontent by booing the players at Stamford Bridge at the final whistle. The Blues return to action in a prestige clash with Manchester United on Thursday.

Rangana Herath, the most-successful left-arm bowler in Test history, will retire after the first Test in Galle, having told the selectors that he is reluctant to play through an entire three-Test series.Galle is a sentimental venue for Herath – not only did he make his Test debut there in 1999, he also needs only one more wicket to join Muttiah Muralitharan in having taken 100 wickets at the ground. It was at this venue that Herath also reignited his career at the age of 31, taking five wickets in a Test against Pakistan in 2009, after having been suddenly called up to the Test side while he was playing league cricket in England.Herath, 40, has not played a complete three-Test series since January 2017, having since left two India series early due to injury, before playing no more than one of the three Tests in West Indies in June this year. Herath has had to manage knee injuries for several years now; the strain of carrying Sri Lanka’s spin attack since the retirement of Muralitharan is understood to have caught up to him.His retirement will leave a substantial hole in the Sri Lanka side, with offspinner Dilruwan Perera likeliest to replace him as leader of the spin attack, for the remainder of the England series at least. Sri Lanka also have three other spinners in the squad: all-sorts offspinner Akila Dananjaya, left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan, and left-arm orthodox bowler Malinda Pushpakumara. Of the remaining spinners only Dilruwan has played more than 10 Tests, however.A beloved figure across the island, Herath’s retirement will also bring to an end one of the most remarkable careers in modern cricket. Not only is he the 10th most successful Test bowler in history with 430 wickets, all but 36 of those dismissals came after he had turned 31, with Herath having struggled to maintain a place in the Test side in the first decade of his career. No bowler has also taken as many as his 230 wickets after turning 35. If he takes five wickets in his final Test, he could move up to seventh on the all-time list, passing Richard Hadlee (431 wickets), Stuart Broad (433) and Kapil Dev (434).Herath is also the last active Test cricketer to have made his debut in the 1990s.The Galle Test begins on November 6.

Sri Lanka came to life during their 219-run DLS thrashing of England in the fifth ODI and Thisara Perera suggested his T20 side would be on the attack again

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Oct-2018Fresh from piling on 366 against England in the final one-dayer, Sri Lanka are hopeful the tables they turned on Tuesday will remain upended, that the boots will stay switched, and that their batsmen will continue their plunder in the T20 on Saturday. Sure, victory in the fifth ODI came in a dead rubber against a substantially weakened England side, but its emphatic nature – the 219-run DLS win was Sri Lanka’s biggest this decade – has injected fresh energy into what had been an ailing limited-overs side.In particular, Sri Lanka may seek to target England’s key bowlers. In the fifth ODI they succeeded in taking more runs off legspinner Adil Rashid than they previously had in the series. Sri Lanka’s new T20 captain Thisara Perera said an aggressive approach against Rashid could pay dividends again.”If you take the last game, whatever we wanted to do against Rashid worked, I thought,” he said. “We wanted to be positive against him. When we have that mindset we can put a bowler under pressure. So we urged the batters to go out and play positively. But we also kept an eye on the variations to expect from each bowler.”The batsmen who began Tuesday’s onslaught were Niroshan Dickwella, who has had a good limited-overs leg of this tour, and Sadeera Samarawickrama, who made his maiden international fifty. The pair put on Sri Lanka’s first century opening stand since July 2017, and may have the opportunity to provide more early-overs fireworks. Because Kusal Perera remains sidelined with a quad strain, Samarawickrama has been brought into the squad, and will likely open the innings again.”We gave them the last couple of games hoping to get a good start, because we have to give players opportunities often,” Thisara said. “I thought they grabbed it by both hands. We have just a few games before the World Cup and we hope to settle on a side, rather than allowing new players to come in and find places.”On a personal note, Thisara believes the T20 captaincy came back to him on account of his much improved batting and bowling form in 2018. He had been T20 limited-overs captain for a stint in late 2017, before being replaced by Angelo Mathews in the role, but now takes the job back from Mathews. Having had three poor years between 2015 and 2017, Thisara has made an emphatic recovery this year, and averaging 37.66 and striking at 176 with the bat, even if his bowling in the shortest format hasn’t been as good as it has been in ODis.”Captaincy was not something that I expected,” he said. “I was keen on representing the country, and captaincy came to me as I became senior. I was taken out as captain this year, but when I started performing again I was entrusted with leadership again. If I can perform as a player and continue to lead the side I will be happy with that.”