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Kevin O’Brien, the big hitting Ireland batsman, will join his brother Niall at Leicestershire for the NatWest T20 Blast this season.

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2015Kevin O’Brien, the big hitting Ireland batsman, will join his brother Niall at Leicestershire for the NatWest T20 Blast this season. Leicestershire have strong pedigree in the competition and the experienced O’Brien will attempt to bring success back to the beleaguered county.O’Brien, best known for his pink-haired raid against England at the 2011 World Cup, has somewhat failed to live up to that billing in county cricket. He blazed 119 from just 52 balls for Gloucestershire in 2011 but in stints with Nottinghamshire, Somerset and Surrey has only managed one half-century in 24 matches.His bowling is more of an asset with 68 wickets at an average of 22.94 and an economy of 7.45 runs per over.O’Brien, who will be available for nine of the 14 group stage matches, becomes the latest in a number of new signings for Leicestershire under a new regime of head coach Andrew McDonald and chief executive Wasim Khan. Mark Cosgrove, a British passport holder, is the club’s new captain and Grant Elliot, who starred in the World Cup for New Zealand, has agreed a deal for 10 T20s. Clint McKay has also signed a season-long deal.”Kevin adds further international experience to a line-up that includes his brother Niall, Grant Elliott, Mark Cosgrove, Clint McKay,” Leicestershire chief executive Wasim Khan said. “We look forward to seeing him in action at Grace Road.”Leicestershire get their T20 Blast campaign underway away to Lancashire on May 15.

Full text of BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur’s letter in response to claims of his being in contact with an alleged bookie

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2015Dear Mr Srinivasan,The BCCI has received intimation from the ICC ostensibly under your direction that I should keep away from one Mr Karan Gilhotra who is a ‘suspected bookie.’ The intimation further states that the information is unverified. I have earlier been the joint secretary of the BCCI under your president-ship and I am now secretary, BCCI. I only wish that you had shared the list of ‘unverified suspected bookies’ with me and other colleagues so that we could identify such persons and keep away from them. I have known this person who has been active in the political and cricketing activities in Punjab and adjacent states. I had no knowledge or any clue about his ‘activities as a suspected bookie.’It is curious that intimation about my having known this ‘suspected bookie’ was brought to the ICC notice by your friend Mr Neeraj Gundhe. Mr Neeraj Gunde incidentally is circulating to the media in Delhi the details of documents against your critics in the BCCI. He operates on your behalf. A procured complaint and an ICC advisory based on ‘unverified information’ was issued at your behest on the eve of the BCCI working committee meeting. It was intended to be a counter offensive on your behalf, since you have not reconciled with my election as secretary, BCCI. I would request at least now share with me or other colleagues in BCCI the list of suspected bookies in India, so that we may keep away from them. You may also share this information with your family members, whose involvement in betting has been proved.Since the ICC advisory to me had been made in public, I would be making this letter to you public.With regards,Yours sincerely,Anurag Thakur

Nicole Bolton, Jess Jonassen and Kristen Beams will all be in line for potential Test debuts after they were chosen in Australia’s squad to contest the Women’s Ashes in England this year

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2015Nicole Bolton, Jess Jonassen and Kristen Beams will all be in line for potential Test debuts after they were chosen in Australia’s squad to contest the Women’s Ashes in England this year.The Ashes will be contested over one Test, three ODIs and three Twenty20s. The same 14-player group has been picked for the Test and ODIs, but for the T20s Delissa Kimmince will come in for Bolton.”The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars have some of the world’s leading players in women’s cricket, but the success of the playing group is due to the strong depth of talent and all players consistently contributing,” selection chair Julie Savage said.”Three players – Nicole Bolton, Kristen Beams and Jess Jonassen – selected in the Test squad are in line to make their Test debut. Jess Jonassen will give the team a versatile all-round option having developed from a successful short-form bowler to a match-winning all-rounder with her consistent ability to clear the fence when batting.”Nicole Bolton produced a memorable ODI debut in the last Ashes series in January 2014, bringing up a century at the MCG, and has followed this with a number of big scores, proving she can bat for a very long time with great concentration.”Kristen Beams has come into the group as a mature player having dealt with a previous shoulder injury to produce wonderful results domestically. She is a leg-spin bowler who can be a wicket-taking weapon in a Test match.”Holly Ferling returns to the national line-up after missing the last international summer with a back injury. She’s been training very well at the Bupa National Cricket Centre in Brisbane and will spearhead our pace attack with Ellyse Perry.”Delissa Kimmince comes into our T20 squad as an athletic and explosive all-round player. She will be tricky to bowl to because she has the ability to play innovative shots coupled with traditional stroke play.”England hold the Ashes after winning in Australia in 2013-14.

Derbyshire fast bowler Mark Footitt has been included in a group of 14 England players who will travel to Spain for a pre-Ashes training camp from June 27

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-20151:32

England show faith with Moeen for pre-Ashes camp

Derbyshire left-arm quick Mark Footitt, has been included in a group of 14 England players who will travel to Spain for a pre-Ashes training camp from June 27. The aim of the camp will be for the players to get acquainted with their new coach Trevor Bayliss.Allrounder Chris Jordan and legspinner Adil Rashid were the most striking omissions from the training squad released by the ECB on Thursday.Footitt, 29, was the leading wicket-taker in England’s county set-up last season, claiming 106 wickets in all competitions, the most by a Derbyshire bowler for almost half a century.He had an opportunity to bowl at England’s Test captain Alastair Cook in this week’s LV= Championship match between Essex and Derbyshire, with the selector and former England seam bowler Angus Fraser in attendance. He did not have a particularly successful match, and some observers felt he was unsettled by Chelmsford’s undulating run-ups, but he clearly did enough to warrant a further look.He told the Derbyshire website: “It’s nice to receive this level of recognition for the hard work over the last 18 months. It’s a great opportunity for me to show the England coaching staff first-hand what I am about and I hope I can impress and stake my claim for a place in the final Ashes squad. It would be an honour to get a chance to represent my country in the Ashes.”England’s Ashes squad will be announced a few days after the players return from the camp, which is being undertaken in preference to the players finding white-ball form in the Championship.Footitt made his first-class debut in 2005 and has played 65 matches, only latterly coming under serious examination by England with Derbyshire’s elite performance director Graeme Welch lobbying fervently on his behalf. He has 230 first-class wickets at an average of 26 but his graph is heading in the right direction and he answers England’s hankering for a left-arm option.He is Derbyshire’s top wicket-taker this season – and sixth overall – with 32 scalps at 24 apiece in division two of the County Championship.England’s director of cricket Andrew Strauss explained the reasons for the pre-Ashes camp, which seems to be less physically demanding than the sort of outdoor regimes preferred by a recent director of cricket Andy Flower.”With Trevor Bayliss arriving in the country next Thursday, Trevor, Alastair and I felt it important that both players and management likely to be involved in the early stages of the Investec Ashes have chance to meet him and fully understand his approach prior to meeting up for the start of the Test series,” Strauss said. “With that in mind, we have arranged a preparation camp in Spain. This will involve a combination of physical and fielding sessions and planning meetings in an informal environment in order to provide the best possible lead up to the first Test in Cardiff.”Training squad Alastair Cook, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Mark Footitt, Adam Lyth, Liam Plunkett, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Mark Wood

Toby Lester was not the most famous left-arm bowler on show, not with Ryan Sidebottom’s 11 for 76 leading Yorkshire to victory and messrs Starc and Johnson on hand for Australia but Lancashire valued his debut all the same

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford08-Jul-2015
ScorecardNick Browne stood firm as Essex’s middle order collapsed•Getty ImagesToby Lester was not the most famous left-arm new-ball bowler playing first-class cricket in England on Wednesday afternoon. At Cardiff the Mitchells, Starc and Johnson, were firing the opening shots in an Ashes battle which will be waged for six weeks; at Edgbaston Ryan Sidebottom was collecting match figures of 11-76 as Yorkshire took another stride towards retaining the County Championship.By contrast, unless you were a cricket fan from Blackpool or followed Second XI games closely, you may not have been too sure who Lester was until Monday morning. It was then that he was named in Lancashire’s side to play Essex at Emirates Old Trafford. And by the third evening of the game both Jaik Mickleburgh and Liam Dawson were acquainted with him. For he had castled them both with his swing to give Lancashire a strong sniff of victory in a Division Two game which had been cursed by rain for its first seven sessions.By close of play that sniff had been encouraged by, what for Lancashire followers, had been the delicious aroma of collapse after James Faulkner, a cricketer as well known in Brisbane as Bispham, had removed three key members of Essex’s middle order as the visitors displayed all the carelessness Lancashire’s batsmen had most diligently eschewed.Ravi Bopara edged a flat-footed slash to wicketkeeper Alex Davies; Jesse Ryder’s irresponsible cut found only the safe hands of Arron Lilley at backward point; and Ryan ten Doeschate was lbw on the back foot to his second ball when Faulkner brought one back off the seam. None of the trio reached double figures.Ten Doeschate’s wicket left Essex perilously placed on 81 for five with over 22 overs left in what was a remarkable day’s cricket, and had it not been for the good sense of James Foster and opener Nick Browne, whose unbroken sixth-wicket stand was worth 58 by close of play Essex would have been in very deep trouble indeed. Browne ended the day unbeaten on 78 and he and Foster will be key men again on the final morning, especially since the pitch is offering assistance to Lilley’s off-spin.Even on the third evening, though, it still seems more likely that the game will end in a draw but the outcome is nothing like as certain as it appeared when Lancashire declared on 402 for 8 in mid-afternoon. Croft’s players can go into the last day very encouraged by the way in which they have approached a match which will be remembered, in part, for its grey skies and frequent showers.”Manchester on a rainy day,” wrote RC Robertson-Glasgow, “is the nearest thing I know to an academic speech on Free Trade.” Perhaps so, but Croft’s batsmen never let the gloom infect their approach to matters. Instead, they played with resolution and enterprise, no one more so than the skipper himself, who reached his second century of the championship season off 210 balls and added 144 with Faulkner, who put a tricky few days behind him to concentrate on his cricket skills.Reece Topley accounted for Croft, Faukner and Jordan Clark during a penetrative spell with the second new ball early in the afternoon session but the skipper’s 122 and the all-rounder’s 68 had changed the temper of the contest. Lancashire’s dominance was reinforced when Lilley’s breezy 40 off 31 balls helped the home side to their fifth bonus point and Croft beckoned his men off the field as soon as it was reached.

Chris Hartley guided Queensland to a handy first innings lead over Tasmania as the Bulls put themselves in a strong position to claim outright points on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at the Gabba

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2016
ScorecardChris Hartley’s patient 68 guided Queensland to a 74-run lead•Getty ImagesChris Hartley guided Queensland to a handy first innings lead over Tasmania before claiming his 500th catch as the Bulls put themselves in a strong position to claim outright points on the final day of the Sheffield Shield match at the Gabba.Hartley’s unbeaten 68 helped lift the hosts to an advantage of 74. It was a margin that grew in significance as the Queensland bowlers put in an even and persistent display to work their way steadily through Tasmania’s batting.No visiting batsman was able to pass 40, even though no fewer than six made it into double figures – the exception being George Bailey, who followed up his first innings duck with five to complete a poor match.Hartley accepted catches from the bowling of Jack Wildermuth, Charlie Hemphrey and Mark Steketee to reach his milestone, and will hope to celebrate it with the added sweetness of outright points on the final day. His opposite number Tom Triffitt, unbeaten on 39, is charged with leading Tasmania’s rearguard.

Mashrafe Mortaza has urged his players to isolate themselves from the emotional outpouring back home following their heart wrenching loss to India, and instead focus on the positives that a win against New Zealand would bring

Arun Venugopal in Kolkata25-Mar-2016Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has urged his players to isolate themselves from the emotional outpouring back home following their heart-wrenching loss to India, and instead focus on the positives that a win against New Zealand would bring.While Bangladesh fans were shocked by the one-run defeat that knocked their team out of the competition, there has been no shortage of sympathy and support for the players – like the reactions to Mushfiqur Rahim’s apology on Facebook would tell you. Mashrafe admitted it wasn’t easy to recover quickly from such an enervating experience, but said there was no point in clinging on to it either.”The boys have had 48 hours to think about it. Nobody broke down but everyone was upset. I think [now] you have to play hard,” Mashrafe told reporters on the eve of Bangladesh’s last group stage match against New Zealand. “At the moment, you can’t just think about [what] others [are thinking or feeling]. We have to think we have one match left to play. But we should think positively that we have one match left and if we get a chance to win, we will grab it.”All Bangladeshis are passionate about cricket and it [the loss to India] is disappointing. The way we lost you just can’t describe [it]. There’s no words [left] for any player [to say]. Even if we say sorry, it’s not good enough.”We needed two from three balls and we should have won it easily. We have to accept the criticism. Whatever people say, we don’t have anything to say. It’s acceptable.”Mushfiqur’s premature celebration after bringing down the target to two off three balls against India is an image that will haunt him and his team for a long time. Bangladesh’s excitable nature on the field has at times been held against them, but Mashrafe couldn’t make up his mind on whether it worked for or against his team. “Yes, you are right [about Bangladesh being an emotional team]. [But] emotion is something that is difficult to change. It can help sometimes, I feel, and it’s been working for us. But it’s very difficult to say [whether remaining calm like MS Dhoni would work for us]. It varies from person to person, so I don’t know what to answer.”But he wasn’t nearly as unsure about disputing the line of thought that Bangladesh had a patchy record in Twenty20 cricket, and said they were a much improved side across formats over the last two years. “We have prepared a good team. We have reached a stage in the last one-two years,” Mashrafe said. “We reached the quarter-final in the [2015] ODI World Cup. We made it to the final of the Asia Cup. There is still inexperience but it is an almost settled team now. Even in this World T20 we ran teams like Australia and India really close. So there are a lot of positives. Hopefully we will be a different team in the next World Cup.”With many careers winding down at the end of the World T20, there were predictably questions about Mashrafe’s own future. He, however, dead-batted them saying he would think about it only after getting back to Bangladesh.

Royal Challengers Bangalore, will need to sort out their bowling woes if they are to avoid the familiar storyline of underperforming heavyweights

The Preview by Sirish Raghavan01-May-2016Match factsMonday, May 2, 2016
Start time: 2000 local (1430 GMT)Big PictureConsidering the hype and big-ticket players in their roster, Royal Challengers Bangalore may be thought of as IPL’s elite. However, unlike other teams fitting that description – Kolkata Knight Riders, their opponents on Monday, for example – Virat Kohli and his men have yet to lay a hand on the trophy.With four losses in six matches this year, Royal Challengers are in danger of underperforming again. An unconvincing cast of fast bowlers who have leaked too many runs is the biggest concern.Only Shane Watson has managed to keep his economy rate below nine. The spinners, led by Tabraiz Shamsi, have only done well in patches. That has put immense pressure on their batting line-up to deliver match after match.A well-rounded bowling attack along with the form of Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa at the top of the order has been the driving force for Kolkata Knight Riders. However, the dramatic collapse against Delhi Daredevils on Saturday, when they lost 6 for 52 in five overs should serve as a wake-up call for the middle and lower order.Form guideRoyal Challengers Bangalore LLWLL (last five matches, most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders LLWWWIn the spotlightKL Rahul has scored swashbuckling fifties in Royal Challengers’ last two matches. Though they came in losing causes, Rahul has reduced Royal Challengers’ dependence on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. His work behind the stumps too has been impressive for someone who isn’t a regular wicketkeeper.Umesh Yadav has been Knight Riders’ unheralded hero with the ball. He has nine wickets in six matches, at an average of 14.88 so far this season. Early strikes from him could set the stage for the Knight Riders spinners to strut their stuff.Team newsAs Royal Challengers return to the batsman-friendly M Chinnaswamy Stadium, it is almost inconceivable that they would keep Chris Gayle out of the XI. Kane Richardson will likely make way. Sachin Baby or Kedar Jadhav may have to sit out for an Indian pacer to balance the bowling attack.Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable): 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Chris Gayle, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Shane Watson, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Sachin Baby/Kedar Jadhav, 7 Parvez Rasool, 8 Varun Aaron, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 S Aravind/Abu Nechim.Knight Riders may want to replace chinaman bowler Brad Hogg, who had disappointing returns in Delhi, with Shakib Al Hasan to boost their batting. They might also mull bringing Colin Munro in for Jason Holder.Kolkata Knight Riders (probable): 1 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 2 Robin Uthappa (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Jason Holder/Colin Munro, 8 R Sathish, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Sunil NarinePitch and conditionsThe Chinnaswamy deck has yielded match aggregates of 409 and 383 runs this season and it is expected to be another run-fest on Monday. On the weather front, though, there is a possibility of thunderstorms in the evening.Stats and trivia Four of Knight Riders’ frontline bowlers (besides the injured John Hastings) have economy rates less than eight this season. None of Royal Challengers’ bowlers can make that claim Gayle has scored 469 runs in nine innings – at an average of 67 and a strike-rate of 160 – against Knight Riders in the IPL Gayle, Kohli and Watson have strike-rates less than 90 against Sunil Narine in T20s.

Goal takes a look at the brightest prospects coming through the ranks of the Premier League leaders

FIFA.com/GettyPhil Foden

The brightest prospect in the City academy and already a member of Pep Guardiola’s senior squad at just 17. Blessed with excellent technique, skills and an eye for a pass, he already has three senior appearances under his belt. Guardiola recently praised his willingness to attack – even as his older team-mates shirked responsibility. Was named the best player at the U17 World Cup after scoring twice in the final against Spain to help England win their first title at that age-group. Has three senior City starts to his name.

Getty ImagesBrahim Diaz

Only slightly behind Foden in the pecking order and another first-team squad member at 18 years old. Brahim is another No.10 but has been deployed out wide by Guardiola this season. Very quick off the mark, a good dribbler, and has improved almost with every outing this season, usually off the bench. Signed from Malaga despite Barcelona’s attempts to lure him, Guardiola showed the youngster around the Catalan club’s historic Camp Nou stadium while he was their coach.

Getty ImagesLukas Nmecha

Close to the first-team picture, especially as City contended with injuries in January, Nmecha is unlikely to get a permanent promotion just yet. A tall, powerful striker who joined the club as a nine-year-old, he scored the winning penalty for City’s first team in the Carabao Cup shoot-out against Leicester City in December. His younger brother, Felix, is also on the books and both played together, and scored shoot-out penalties, in the recent UEFA Youth League quarter-final victory against Liverpool.

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Manchester CityNabil Touaizi Signed from Valencia for €300,000 compensation at the start of 2017, Touaizi is rated as one of the hottest prospects in the City academy. The 17-year-old forward scored more than 70 goals in two years at Valencia and although all City youth teams play against older age-groups, Blues coaches had no qualms about involving the then 16-year-old in last season's U19 UEFA Youth League campaign. Eligible to play for Spain and Morocco, Touaizi is both tall and fast, able to hold the ball up as a target man.

Goal takes a look at 10 Arsenal stars who never hit the same heights after leaving the Gunners.

When Kieran Gibbs left Arsenal for West Brom after spending over 11 seasons at the club, he remarked that he would learn how to improve defensively at his new team. Arsene Wenger was asked about those comments shortly after and made an apt statement which has rung true of several players after they departed north London for pastures new.

“Once someone takes the decision to leave I wish them well and focus on my squad, but just look at the performances of the players who left us and then come back to me about it,” he said in 2017.

Goal takes a look at 10 Arsenal stars who never hit the same heights after leaving the Gunners.

Getty ImagesEmmanuel Petit

Petit joined Arsenal from Monaco in 1997 after working with Wenger when the Frenchman was manager of the Ligue 1 side. The magnificent partnership between Petit and Patrick Vieira saw him make 85 appearances in three years before deciding to join Barcelona in the summer of 2000.

However, an injury-plagued spell coupled with poor performances saw him eventually return to the Premier League with Chelsea. Three seasons later, Petit retired from professional football.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAlex Song

Arsenal's search for a defensive midfielder was eventually narrowed down to Cameroonian star Song. He initially struggled at the heart of the Gunners midfield before being sent on loan to Charlton where he honed his defensive qualities.

In the 2011/12 season he formed an exquisite partnership with Robin van Persie when he recorded 13 assists. 

At the end of the season he joined Barcelona but struggled to get past Sergio Busquets in the team. 

Following two disappointing campaigns with Barcelona he had mixed spells at West Ham and Russian side Rubin Kazan. He now plays for FC Sion in the Swiss Super League.

Getty ImagesPatrick Vieira

Vieira won three Premier League trophies and four FA Cup titles during his nine-year stay at Arsenal, captaining the club through the 49-game unbeaten season and making over 400 appearances for the Gunners.

He left for Juventus in July 2005 after Wenger accepted that he would need to let the Frenchman go in order for Cesc Fabregas to become the new mainstay of Arsenal's midfield.

Interestingly, Vieira returned to Highbury a year later when Juventus faced Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and was culpable for one of Arsenal's goals after Robert Pires tackled him and helped set up Fabregas to score.

Spells at Inter and Manchester City followed but Vieira's quality began to diminish towards the latter stages of his career.

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Getty ImagesAlexander Hleb

An exciting pass master with the ability to create something out of nothing, Hleb was part of an impressive Arsenal team which almost won the Premier League in the 2007/08 season.

When Barcelona came calling the Belarusian couldn't say no – but it was a decision that he came to regret as he failed to impress at Camp Nou.

“At some point, I realised, ‘Oh God! I’m leaving Arsenal!’ When Arsene said that it was a matter of hours, I felt devastated. It was really hard for me to accept. He even texted me as I was fishing. ‘Alex, I won’t let you go, we need you here’. I cried when I read it.”

Hleb has since admitted that he regrets ever leaving Arsenal. Three loan spells with Stuttgart, Birmingham and Wolfsburg later, he is now back in his homeland playing for BATE Borisov.