The fast-bowling allrounder had missed the first Test, which West Indies lost by 318 runs, due to an ankle injury
ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2019
Keemo Paul missed the Antigua Test because of an ankle injury•AFP / Getty Images
Keemo Paul has recovered from his ankle injury and has been drafted back into the West Indies squad straightaway for the second and final Test against India in Kingston, replacing Miguel Cummins, the man who had filled in for him in Antigua.WI squad for second Test
Squad: Jason Holder (capt), Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jahmar Hamilton (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Shannon Gabriel, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach.
That was the only change to the squad for the first Test, which India won by 318 runs. Shai Hope kept wickets then, and might continue to do so with first-choice Test wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich back in Barbados continuing his rehabilitation from an ankle injury, even though back-up keeper Jahmar Hamilton is among the 13 in Jamaica.Cummins didn’t have a particularly good time of it in Antigua, conceding 69 runs in 20 wicketless overs across two innings, as India piled up 297 and 343 for 7 declared while bowling West Indies out for 222 and 100 to earn 60 World Test Championship points.While batting was West Indies’ weak link in the first Test, the bowling unit did let India off the hook somewhat after having the visitors down on the mat at 25 for 3 – Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli among the batsmen out – on the first morning. “We got the early wickets we were looking for but I thought that we tried a bit too hard, we didn’t stick to coming down the channel, we tried a bit too hard with the short-ball plan and stuff like that,” Roston Chase, the only spinner in the XI for the first Test, had said of that performance.West Indies will hope that changes in the second Test. With Cummins out and Paul in, that might be a straight swap in the XI at Sabina Park, unless the conditions call for an international debut for Rahkeem Cornwall, the 26-year-old offspinning allrounder from Antigua.
Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United future has come in for questioning at points this season, and one rather infamous manager is already keen to replace him at Old Trafford.
Man Utd's form under Ten Hag
The Red Devils recorded their first Premier League win of 2024 on Thursday evening with a dramatic 4-3 win at Wolves. Kobbie Mainoo was the hero at Molineux in stoppage time, scoring a dramatic winner after United initially surrendered a two-goal lead.
Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo.
However, things haven’t exactly gone to plan in all competitions throughout the campaign, losing early in the EFL Cup to Newcastle United and being knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage.
In the Premier League, the Red Devils are currently eight points adrift of a top four place with just 16 games remaining. There have been rumours that Sir Jim Ratcliffe was looking into replacing Ten Hag at Old Trafford with former Chelsea boss Graham Potter, with talks even held over a potential move, however, another former Blues manager is keen on the United job.
Jose Mourinho wants United return
According to The Daily Mail, Jose Mourinho is eyeing up a sensational return to Old Trafford to replace Ten Hag. It is believed that the former United boss, who recently left Roma, is keen to work with the new regime at United, meaning Ratcliffe and INEOS.
"His ambition is to return to United," a friend explained. "He feels like he has unfinished business there after how it ended last time and he had made it his mission to go back."
AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho was in charge of the Red Devils between 2016-2018 and won the Europa League during his time at Old Trafford. Since then, the Portuguese manager has been in charge of both Tottenham and Roma, leaving the latter earlier this month.
Games – 144
Games – 94
Wins – 84
Wins – 57
Draws – 31
Draws – 11
Losses – 29
Losses – 26
Trophies – 2
Trophies – 1
The 61-year-old has also come in for praise throughout his career, with Owen Hargreaves saying after Roma won the Europa Conference League in 2022: “Mourinho is almost at his best when he is the underdog like you saw initially when he was at Porto. They are not going to blow people away, that is not his style of football but he gets the job done. Football is about winning and Mourinho wins.”
Joe Cole also said: “Roma have got an outstanding manager in Jose. I had a good half an hour with him and he was in great form before this game.”
Mourinho feels he has unfinished business with United by the looks of things, and although a return appears to be unlikely, it could be one to keep an eye on if Ten Hag fails to win the FA Cup or finish in the top four of the Premier League in what would be a season to forget after his first year in charge.
UEFA have requested that only captains speak to referees at Euro 2024, meaning that Harry Kane will be charged with keeping England team-mates quiet.
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UEFA want end to abuse of officialsAny player bending rules will be bookedOnly skippers can approach refereeWHAT HAPPENED?
Domestic divisions around the world have tried for some time to put rules in place that limit the abuse aimed in the direction of match officials. Cautions are handed out for dissent, but groups of players still have a tendency to swarm around referees when contentious decisions are made.
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European football’s governing body are attempting to crack down on that ahead of their showpiece event in Germany this summer, with competing nations being made aware that only those donning the armband will be allowed to speak with on-field decision makers – with anybody else that speaks up running the risk of collecting a yellow card.
WHAT UEFA DIRECTOR SAID
UEFA's managing director of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, has said: “Being a referee in the modern game is very difficult. The official in the middle takes between 200 to 250 decisions per match – that is one every 22 seconds – in difficult and sometimes controversial situations, under huge pressure, with each of them scrutinised and re-watched from multiple different angles by fans and pundits alike. They (referees) receive a lot of information from the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), and we are ready to speak and share more details with the players and coaches to help them understand how a decision was taken. Explaining a decision with up to 22 players mobbing you is impossible for a referee. It can lead to a breakdown in communication, with the beautiful game turning very ugly very quickly.
“We ask that all teams ensure their captain is the only player who speaks to the referee. We ask the captains to ensure their team mates do not encroach upon and surround the referee, allowing direct conversations to take place in order that the decision be relayed in a timely and respectful manner. Importantly, we want only the captain from the team who wishes to discuss a decision to be able to approach the referee.”
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UEFA have pointed out that if a team’s goalkeeper happens to be their captain, then an outfield player can be nominated to speak with the match referee. Prolific Bayern Munich striker Kane will be hoping that he does not have too much to argue over the coming weeks, with England set to open their Euro 2024 campaign against Serbia on Sunday.
Manchester United have reportedly had talks with Thomas Frank and Mauricio Pochettino's respective entourages as they mull over Erik ten Hag's future.
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Ten Hag under pressure to keep Man Utd job
United approach Pochettino and Frank
Dutchman may be sacked despite FA Cup win
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Telegraph claims United manager Ten Hag is at 'serious risk' of being sacked, despite their FA Cup final win over Manchester City on Saturday. The report adds the Red Devils will conduct a thorough season review this week before Ten Hag's fate will be determined. After holding talks with the representatives of Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna, United's team have met with the camps of Brentford manager Frank and Pochettino – who left Chelsea on Tuesday.
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United's season has, somewhat, been saved by their FA Cup triumph – the second trophy of the Ten Hag era after last year's Carabao Cup success. However, they had their lowest-ever Premier League finish of eighth and suffered an ignominious Champions League group stage exit. The fact that they are still looking at alternatives to the former Ajax boss arguably shows how disappointed the club's board are with their 2023-24 campaign.
DID YOU KNOW?
Ten Hag said he "didn't know" if he would be kept on at United but insisted if he does leave he will "go somewhere else to win trophies, because that is what I do". The Dutchman also repeatedly stressed that the club's injury situation this season is a huge reason why they have underwhelmed this term.
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WHAT NEXT?
Ten Hag, whose side finished third in the Premier League last season, reportedly headed off on his holidays on Sunday and now it is just a matter of time to see whether or not he keeps his job at Old Trafford.
Michael Richarson, Alex Lees guide Durham to victory with half-centuries
ECB Reporters network28-Apr-2019
Durham batsman Michael Richardson hits out•Getty Images
Durham made it three wins in a row at home in the Royal London One-Day Cup by defeating Derbyshire by three wickets at Emirates Riverside.The hosts restricted Derbyshire to 255 for 8 from their 50 overs due to tight bowling from Ben Raine and James Weighell, who claimed two wickets apiece. Matt Critchley and Tom Lace led the way with the for the visitors, although neither batsman was able to pass fifty.Durham were measured for the majority of their run chase, despite losing an early wicket. Alex Lees made 55, scoring his third half-century in a row. Michael Richardson (72 not out) saw his side over the line, upping the ante with five sixes to secure the victory for the hosts, leaving them in a strong position in the north group after five matches.Derbyshire openers Luis Reece and Billy Godleman were prevented from scoring freely, which forced a mistake by Reece as he pulled a delivery from Weighell straight to Graham Clark. Godleman had made three centuries in a row, but his outstanding run was ended when he was caught down the legside for 23 off a delivery from Weighell.Wayne Madsen looked in prime touch, dispatching two sixes over the rope. However, the arrival of Liam Trevaskis was to end his innings, bowling the South African for 38. Alex Hughes then became the first victim of Scott Steel in List A cricket, slicing the ball straight to Brydon Carse at backward point.Leus du Plooy and Lace were able to stem the tide. The two players reached their fifty partnership from 52 balls, guiding Derbyshire past 150 in the process. Ben Raine ended their stand as du Plooy smashed an attempted pull straight to Lees for 32, leaving the visitors five down for 157.However, Lace continued his impressive knock, and having already reached his highest List A score, the 20-year-old was on course for a fifty before he edged a Salisbury delivery behind to Cameron Bancroft.Derbyshire were in need of a late surge from the lower order. Critchley provided the power, blasting three sixes in his unbeaten innings of 49 that allowed the visitors to post their highest List A total at Emirates Riverside.Clark lasted just two deliveries into Durham’s reply, slicing a ball from Sam Conners up in the air for Lace to claim with ease. Steel responded to kick-start the innings with a flurry of boundaries. He and Lees put on fifty in 55 deliveries before Steel was run out by a great throw from Conners from short fine leg to the bowler’s end for 32.Lees built his innings steadily with Bancroft before he upped the ante with three boundaries off a Reece over, bringing up the hundred for Durham and the fifty partnership with his skipper. Lees notched his third List A half-century on the bounce before giving his wicket away for 55 tamely driving a Ravi Rampaul delivery to Conners.Rampaul then claimed the major scalp of Bancroft, who edged an attempted hook behind to Harvey Hosein for 45.Richardson and Jack Burnham were able to calm the nerves for the home side, establishing a fifty partnership. Du Plooy had a huge opportunity to break the stand when Burnham skied a Critchley delivery straight to square leg, but the South African shelled the simple catch.Burnham capitalised on his second chance, blasting two huge sixes to take his team within touching distance, although he fell for 45 to Lace. There was still time for Trevaskis and Carse to be dismissed before Richardson took control to blast Durham over the line, earning their fourth win in five games in the competition.
Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal's history-makers after beating Manchester United 1-0 to keep their Premier League title hopes alive.
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Arsenal beat Man United to go top
Gunners victory brings up club record
Arteta praises team's historic achievement
WHAT HAPPENED?
Leandro Trossard's first-half strike earned Arsenal their 27th Premier League win of the season – a new club record in a 38-game league campaign. That surpassed the wins the 2003/04 Invincibles achieved and the double winners of 2001/2; something Arteta was thrilled about.
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WHAT MIKEL ARTETA SAID
After the match, he told reporters: “That’s 27 wins in the Premier League, it’s the most in the history of this football club in 130 years. That’s not progress, that’s history and that's very, very difficult to do, especially in the league that we are playing in now. So big compliment to all the players and the staff for what they've done."
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Despite Arsenal returning to the Premier League's summit and beating their points total from last season, they may yet still be pipped to the title by Manchester City, who have a game in hand and are aiming for their fourth straight league triumph. If the Gunners do come out on top, it will mark their first Premier League title since 2004.
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WHAT NEXT?
Arsenal round off their season at home to Everton next Sunday. Before then, they will be keeping an eye on how City get on at Tottenham on Tuesday night, followed by hosting West Ham at the Etihad next weekend.
Pep Guardiola wants to stay at Manchester City at least until the end of next season amid rumours of him returning to Bayern Munich.
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Guardiola won't leave Man City until 2025
Linked with a move to Bayern Munich
Bundesliga side in search of Tuchel's replacement
WHAT HAPPENED?
The City boss has achieved overwhelming success in England in the last eight years, winning every competition the club competed in. Guardiola is contracted to the club until 2025 and according to his agency, the Catalan coach wants to honour his contract.
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The former Barcelona head coach has recently been linked with a move back to Bayern Munich as the Bavarian club look to replace outgoing manager Thomas Tuchel. They have struggled to nail down a successor to the German, having been rejected by Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso and former Manchester United coach Ralf Rangnick.
WHAT HAS BEEN SAID
Speaking to , a representative of Guardiola's consulting agency Tacticgrup said: "Pep has Bayern in his heart, but he doesn't want to leave Manchester City this summer. He's very happy and has a contract until 2025. A return to Bayern is not an option."
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WHAT NEXT FOR PEP GUARDIOLA?
The 53-year-old's side will be next seen in action on Saturday as they take on Fulham at Craven Cottage in a must-win Premier League clash.
Tottenham Hotspur will surely target players who can make an instant impact on the first-team after taking some heavy fire recently, with Ange Postecoglou's excellent start to life in the Premier League blighted by injuries and suspensions.
Spurs fell by the wayside last season, collapsing and squandering the progress made under Antonio Conte's stewardship, who secured Champions League qualification in 2021/22.
An eighth-placed finish resulted in Harry Kane's sale to Bayern Munich, but Postecoglou was appointed from Celtic with the view that he would instil a positive, exciting style and rekindle the club's verve.
Spurs could avenge Richarlison blunder with move for "unbelievable" 6 ft 5 titan
Tottenham could secure a star for years to come with a move for this PL player.
ByAngus Sinclair Dec 1, 2023
Such hopes and dreams were realised emphatically over the opening months of the campaign, with the Australian picking up all the pieces and engineering a blistering start to the current campaign, winning eight and drawing two of the opening Premier League matches of the term.
Such success propelled Spurs into first place, but now enduring a three-match skid, the injury-hit London club is searching for some respite, and the January transfer window could bring the reinforcements needed to steady the ship.
While bolstering the ranks with senior signings is important, Postecoglou would be wise to continue the development of the younger segment of the squad, with Adam Wharton reportedly earmarked to do just that.
Tottenham transfer news – Adam Wharton
According to a recent report from 90min, Tottenham have entered the race to sign Blackburn Rovers midfielder Wharton after being impressed by the 19-year-old's performances in the Championship.
Liverpool Newcastle United, Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton are also suitors and have been monitoring the player's progress over the past year.
Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will hope that his side's £3m acquisition of Ashley Phillips from Rovers in the summer could sway the odds in his favour, with the respective clubs believed to be on good terms after the negotiations.
Adam Wharton's season in numbers
Rising from Blackburn's academy ranks, Wharton established himself as one of the finest young talents in the English second tier last season and made 18 league appearances last term, starting the final five fixtures in succession.
This season, he has made gains from last year and has already started 13 times in the Championship, completing 83% of his passes, averaging 1.4 key passes, 2.3 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 5.6 ball recoveries per game and succeeding with 67% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.
Touted to be a "great player" by Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson, Wharton is proving himself to be a solid option to complement his side's promotion push, with Tomasson also remarking over his meticulous approach to getting the job done in the right way.
His manager said: "He was the best player in the game. The boy he gets things right, on the ball, off the ball, and that’s great to see. I’m happy to see that development Adam has made this season. If you do the right things in training, and keep doing the right things, you will get chances.
It’s also important that a young lad shouldn’t go down and (start) doing the wrong things. Everything is possible for the boy if he does the right things.”
Should Spurs forge ahead with a deal, Wharton could prove to be another Levy masterclass in dipping down the divisions and procuring a precocious starlet, replicating the former deal to bring Dele Alli to White Hart Lane.
Dele Alli's Tottenham career
Spurs completed the £5m transfer of Alli from League One side MK Dons in February 2015, warding off fierce competition from multiple clubs for his signature.
Alli had just scored 16 goals and supplied nine assists in his final campaign in the third tier and was evidently a top-class talent, but few foresaw the instantaneous gelling he would have at the heart of Mauricio Pochettino's side's endeavours.
Season
Apps
Goals
Assists
G/A Rate
22/23
2
0
0
0.00
21/22
21
1
0
0.05
20/21
15
0
1
0.07
19/20
25
8
4
0.48
18/19
25
5
3
0.32
17/18
36
9
11
0.56
16/17
37
18
9
0.73
15/16
33
10
9
0.58
*Sourced via Transfermarkt
Jose Mourinho proclaimed that Alli could become "one of the world's best", but unfortunately he slipped and fell from grace after such a remarkable start to life on the major stage, now fighting to get back to fitness with Everton so he can make his first appearance of the season.
The 37-cap international might have faded away from prominence over the past several years but he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting youngsters to have ever burst onto the scene.
Alli had that rare, ineffable brilliance that only the select few possess, a wow factor and a seat-raising style that captivated the masses and left opposition fans fearing his wrath.
Wharton would not bring the same level of offensive panache, but he definitely boasts plenty of quality that could shoot him right up the ranks over the coming years.
Adam Wharton's potential
Spurs' midfield is somewhat threadbare at present, and given that Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr will both be absent for January and possibly part of February due to the African Cup of Nations suggests that augmenting the engine room would be a good idea for Postecoglou's side.
Rodrigo Bentancur is also out injured for ten weeks and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp are both untrusted, which opens the door for a starlet of Wharton's ilk to start making a name for himself within a squad eyeing a spot back within European competition.
Considered to be a “brilliant young prospect” by journalist Josh Bunting, Wharton would be bold to make the jump to Premier League football when he is earning his stripes in Lancashire, but for a budding star of his calibre, he need only look at the past rise of Alli after the prodigious talent made the move to London.
Wharton is more industrious – he occupies a deeper segment of the midfield – but he boasts all of the tools to flourish in the future with the Lilywhites, and Postecoglou must secure his signature to settle the equilibrium when ploughing ahead with more senior signings – moves which appear to be inevitable given the outfit's circumstances.
It took 19 balls on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test at Centurion for Steyn to achieve the landmark
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-20181:21
Steyn’s slow, bumpy road to summit Mt Pollock
Dale Steyn has become South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, after claiming his 422nd wicket in Centurion. It took just 19 balls on the day for Steyn to reach the landmark, achieved when Fakhar Zaman prodded at one outside off, edging to Dean Elgar in the slips. The 35-year-old fast bowler overtook Shaun Pollock, whose record of 421 wickets had stood for over 10 years.The crowd rose as one to give him a prolonged standing ovation, while his team-mates hoisted him on his shoulders. Pollock, the man he overtook to become South Africa’s most prolific wicket-taker, called him “an absolutely brilliant performer, an absolute champion and a true leader of the attack”.”The fact that he is the best Test fast bowler that South Africa has produced doesn’t require my endorsement, as his stats and record tell you that,” Pollock said. “He’s fully deserving of holding the record for most Test wickets and I hope that he goes on to take many more and continues winning games for the Proteas.”I have enjoyed so many attributes of Dale’s bowling through his international career. The ability to swing the ball at high speed upfront, reverse swing the ball with devastating effect, bowl with great control and within himself as well as being able to crank it up with high-speed hostile bowling on very flat surfaces have all been his hallmarks.”Speaking at the lunch break in Centurion, Steyn paid tribute to Pollock for helping him along early in his career. “Every time I’m around him it’s a learning process. Those nine Tests [we played together], and especially in white-ball cricket, just watching Polly [Pollock] bowl…” Steyn told host broadcaster SuperSport. “He was pretty much my boot sponsor for the first three or four years of my career [laughs], he was fantastic. Along with Biff [former South Africa captain Graeme Smith] and all these guys, they helped me grow up not just as a cricketer but as a human, they shaped me into who I am today. Maki [Makhaya Ntini, whom Pollock incidentally passed for the record]… I’ve got my own family but in the cricketing world you have your cricketing family.”Steyn made his comeback from a heel injury earlier this year, having battled shoulder and groin problems since 2015. He has only played seven Tests in the last two years and four months, but in an interview with ESPNcricinfo in June spoke of his intention to try to reach 100 caps. And, on Monday, he said he felt like a 23-year-old and was hoping to go on playing for a long time yet, warning he hadn’t saved himself up to take just the one more wicket.Graeme Smith, under whom Steyn made his debut in 2004, called it a “goosebump moment”, adding he was “lost for words”. In the years since, Steyn established a reputation as one of the fastest and most lethal fast bowlers in the game’s history, his record bolstered by a virtually injury-free run until three years ago. He reached 400 wickets against Bangladesh in 2015, but has since played only a handful of matches, leading to the extended wait to become South Africa’s leading wicket-taker.
Wrexham have delivered back-to-back promotions for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, but the club are already “playing catch up” in League One.
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Red Dragons climbing into third tierAmbition of Hollywood co-owners rewardedBig summer ahead in North WalesWHAT HAPPENED?
That warning has been sounded a matter of hours after the Red Dragons confirmed a top-three finish in League Two. Having claimed the National League title in record-breaking style last season, the Welsh outfit are enjoying a meteoric rise up the EFL ladder.
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They will be playing third-tier football in 2024-25 for the first time in 20 years, with a considerable investment of faith and funds being rewarded. Wrexham have come a long way in a short space of time, and that means their Hollywood co-owners need to find more answers to difficult questions in the weeks to come.
WHAT KER SAID ABOUT WREXHAM
Wrexham’s executive director, Humphrey Ker, has told of the project Reynolds and McElhenney are working through: “Above everything, we have proven again this is not a gimmick, it's not a joke, it's a serious operation. We are playing catch up on infrastructure and facilities, but we will do everything to give players and staff the standards you would expect. And then we go again.”
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Reynolds and McElhenney have made no secret of the fact that they want to guide Wrexham towards the Premier League, but the playing field will start to level out in League One and that will mean bigger challenges for head coach Phil Parkinson and a star-studded squad to overcome.