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George Worker proved as good as his name as his 96 lifted New Zealand Under-19s to 323 for 7 on the first day of the second Test against England Under-19s at Worcester, giving them hope of squaring the series after a defeat at Taunton.Worker shared useful partnerships with fellow opener Dean Robinson, together putting on 89, and then adding 111 with Kane Williamson before perishing. His 96 came from 134 deliveries of good application before he fell to the medium-fast offerings of Ian Saxelby, while Williamson made 75. Greg Morgan reached the close on 47.It was Liam Dawson whose spin helped England once again after the visitors had threatened to run away during the opening session. He grabbed the first wicket, Robinson for 29, and then picked up a further three to trouble New Zealand a touch.But overall it was the visitors’ day and they will resume on Saturday looking to build on their sturdy foundation.

Leicester City have been linked with a move for Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic as manager Brendan Rodgers looks to strengthen the club’s engine room.

What’s the story?

According to Italian publication InterLive, the Foxes are interested in acquiring the 28-year-old’s services this summer and are hoping to take advantage of the Italian outfit’s financial difficulties to secure a deal.

Inter have already been forced to sell key players such as Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi due to their off-field issues, and Leicester could be the next team to profit from their misfortune.

Jon Rudkin must swoop

Although the arrival of Boubakary Soumare from Lille has provided extra cover and competition in the middle of the park, several fringe players have been linked with an imminent exit from the King Power Stadium.

The likes of Dennis Praet, Hamza Choudhury and Nampalys Mendy have all reportedly caught the eye of potential suitors, meaning Rodgers may need an extra body to bolster his midfield options.

Brozovic has established himself as one of Inter’s top performances since his arrival on an initial loan deal back in January 2015, scoring 25 goals and providing 32 assists in 242 appearances for the Nerazzurri.

He played a pivotal part in the San Siro outfit’s first Serie A title success in 10 years last season, achieving an impressive 7.03 WhoScored rating for his 33 league outings.

Brozovic also recorded 1.6 tackles per game in 2020/21, 1.2 tackles and 1.4 key passes, placing him in the top five for each metric when compared to his teammates, highlighting his outstanding ability both with and without the ball.

The Croatia international’s eye-catching displays earlier in his career led to former Inter boss Roberto Mancini lauding the £36m-rated dynamo, saying: “If Brozovic were to continue like this, he would become one of the best”.

“We don’t want to sell him, even if faced with a great offer. He must work, but he has incredible quality,” he added (as reported by FourFourTwo).

Therefore, director of football Jon Rudkin must swoop for Brozovic if he can offload an unwanted fringe player, adding extra quality and experience to Rodgers’ promising setup.

And, in other news…Well-known journalist reveals Leicester transfer update that’ll leave fans buzzing 

MatériaMais Notícias

Após o empate do Grêmio em 1 a 1, fora de casa, com o Guaraní-PAR, pela terceira rodada da Libertadores, o Vice-Presidente de Futebol, Odorico Roman explicou o porquê do Tricolor ter ido a campo com uma formação repleta de reservas. Dos considerados titulares, só o goleiro Marcelo Grohe e o lateral Edílson jogaram. Aos olhos do dirigente, o importante é priorizar títulos.

– Eles (titulares) treinaram, vocês (imprensa) que não perceberam. Fizeram treinamento intensivo na academia do hotel. E eles estão treinados para o jogo de domingo, sim.O Grêmio prioriza ganhar títulos. Se está disputando campeonato, tem que buscar o título. Jogar com titulares aqui seria abandonar praticamente o Gauchão – comentou Roman.

O Grêmio está nas semifinais do Campeonato Gaúcho. No jogo de ida, em Porto Alegre, o Tricolor empatou em 1 a 1 com o Novo Hamburgo, que terminou a primeira fase na liderança. A volta é no próximo domingo, às 19h.

O treinador Renato Portaluppi endossou o coro puxado pelo VP e exaltou o Campeonato Gaúcho.

-O Gauchão continua importante. Estávamos vendo, talvez não tivéssemos tantos jogos assim. Vamos conversando, trocando ideia. Quem muito quer, nada tem. Você vai acabar perdendo jogadores com lesões. Os jogadores precisam estar preparados que as oportunidades aparecem. Tivemos força para buscar um resultado. É importante dar conta do recado, faz o treinador pensar duas vezes para a próxima partida. O desgaste é muito grade. Qualquer treinador que usar sempre a mesma equipe, não vai chegar a lugar algum – opinou.

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South Africa, already full of confidence after their emphatic three-day win against the Sri Lankans, have been further boosted by the news that opener Herschelle Gibbs is set to make a return in the second Test at Centurion after recovering from a back injury.Gibbs was forced out of the opening Test at Wanderers minutes before the start of play after complaining of back spasms, providing right-hander Martin van Jaarsveld with a surprise chance to press his claims for a regular place.Van Jaarsveld missed his opportunity as medium-pacer Hasantha Fernando knocked back his middle stump with a curving inswinger and South Africa will revert back to their planned top three with Graeme Smith and Gibbs opening and Gary Kirsten first down.Gibbs played a full part in training on Wednesday and passed a fitness test on Thursday. Barring another last-minute mishap he will play. "I’m not feeling any after affects and I am sure that I will be alright," said Gibbs after practice."Herschelle is obviously a fine player, he’s been playing well this season and it’s good to have him back in the fold," said Shaun Pollock. "I hope he goes out there and scores some runs."Pollock warned his players against complacency: "If you perform like we did in the last game then you are going to gain confidence, but although we have a slight psychological advantage, this is a new game and we have got to go out there and produce the goods again."South Africa may be reluctant to change a winning side, successfully gambling on a five-pronged pace attack in the opening Test, but the selectors will seriously consider the inclusion of left-arm spinner Claude Henderson on a brown, flat-looking pitch that is less well-grassed than had been expected.However, that would mean dropping Andrew Hall, who produced a good all-roundperformance in the first Test, adding valuable depth to the batting order, or Steve Elworthy, who bowled well in both innings, troubling the Sri Lankan top order."The wicket doesn’t look as grassy as normal," said Pollock. "It might wear later in the game and we will have to weigh that up."Despite a pitch that promises a fairer contest between bat and ball and thepossibility of complacency after such a commanding victory, South Africa’s fast-bowling strength makes them firm favourites to win the game and the series.The improved bowling form of Pollock only adds to the suspicion that South Africa possess the firepower to overcome a Sri Lankan top order that is struggling to come to terms with unfamiliar conditions.Coach Eric Simons was delighted with Pollock’s performance in the first game, revealing that he’d made mental and technical adjustments in an effort to reclaim his best form."He bowled quicker in the first Test than he has done for quite a while and I believe that it will get better from here on," said Simmons. "Part of the problem is that he has stopping think himself as a fast medium bowler and that has had an effect."He has to start reconditioning his thoughts and we have worked on that. It is a psychological thing, basically. But opening up his action has helped. He had become a little bit closed in his delivery and that had inhibited his rhythm."South Africa squad:Shaun Pollock (capt), Mark Boucher (vice-capt), Steve Elworthy, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Mornantau Hayward, Claude Henderson, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Neil McKenzie, Makhaya Ntini, Ashwell Prince, Graeme Smith.

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa must ruthlessly sell Kiko Casilla this summer as news emerges on his future at the club.

What’s the story?

According to Football Insider, the Spaniard has been given the green light to make his exit from Elland Road this summer, and that he has already agreed personal terms with a La Liga club on a return to his native Spain.

It’s added that Casilla is not training with the first team, and is “packing his bags ahead of a move back to his homeland”.

Time for Casilla to go

The Spaniard had been on the fringes of things for Bielsa’s side last season, with Illan Meslier firmly established as the club’s undisputed number one goalkeeper.

In fact, he only had the one Premier League outing to his name during the 2020/2021 campaign, with his appearance in a 1-0 defeat to Brighton back in mid-January being the only time Whites fans have seen him in action in the top-flight.

And, speaking after Leeds’ FA Cup loss to Crawley Town earlier this season, journalist Daniel Storey even questioned whether’s he good enough to play for the club, slamming: “I think Kiko Casilla was the other game-changer in a negative sense because I don’t think he should be playing for Leeds for non-football reasons, but he probably shouldn’t be playing for Leeds for football reasons after today.”

Leeds TV podcaster, Oscar Mario, meanwhile, simply labelled him a “complete liability”.

Given his off-the-pitch controversy, and Meslier’s emergence onto the scene as Leeds’ number one, Bielsa must surely look to offload the £40k-a-week earning Spaniard this summer.

It would be a ruthless call to get rid of someone who is the club’s number two, but given Meslier’s superb performances and his reasonably high wages, it’s a chance to get his salary off the books and ease the financial burden on Andrea Radrizzani.

Freeing up Casilla from the wage bill would give Leeds that little bit of extra flexibility when it comes to potential new signings or even contract extensions for key first-team players, but in any case, it would certainly help a lot in the short-term.

Meanwhile, Alan Nixon has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring Kean Brayn to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claim that the Sheffield United defender could be tempted by a move to Albion in the summer transfer window, as the 24-year-old is keen to link up with the new West Brom manager Valerien Ismael.

It has been reported that the Frenchman is keeping a very close eye on the situation of the £1.8m-rated centre-back ahead of a potential move this summer, with the 45-year-old looking to bring in a number of cost-friendly additions to his squad ahead of their upcoming Championship campaign.

Ismael will be buzzing

With a number of clubs believed to be interested in a move for the former England U20 international this summer, if the reports suggesting that Bryan is eager for a switch to West Brom to go through are true, it will undoubtedly leave Ismael buzzing.

Indeed, despite having featured sparingly for United since joining the club from Manchester City back in 2018, the centre-back showed glimpses of his potential towards the back end of last season.

Over his 13 Premier League appearances for Paul Heckingbottom’s side last term, Bryan helped his side keep two clean sheets, as well as making an average of one interception, 1.5 tackles, 2.7 clearances and winning 4.3 duels per game.

The £3k-per-week man also posed a threat for the Blades in an attacking capacity, scoring one goal and creating one big chance for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.3 key passes per league fixture.

These returns saw the man Chris Wilder dubbed a “talented” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.74, ranking him as the club’s 10th-best performer in the top flight of English football.

And, should the 24-year-old make a move to West Brom ahead of their campaign in the Championship, the drop in standard could provide Bryan with the perfect platform to flourish further in the heart of the defence, with his potential signing undoubtedly providing Ismael with a considerable boost to the chances of his side going on to secure promotion back to the Premier League next season.

In other news: West Brom plotting summer swoop for “special” 15 G/A bargain, Ismael would love him

يدرس جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي باريس سان جيرمان، كيليان مبابي، إقامة مؤتمر صحفي أو إصدار بيان رسمي حول مستقبله الذي لم يحسم حتى الآن.

ويقترب عقد مبابي من الانتهاء مع باريس سان جيرمان، تحديدًا في 30 يونيو المقبل، وهناك أنباء عن انتقاله إلى ريال مدريد في الموسم المقبل أو الاستمرار داخل ملعب “حديقة الأمراء”.

ويعد مبابي أحد أبرز اللاعبين في العالم بالوقت الحالي، لكنه لم يحسم مع عائلته القرار النهائي حتى الآن بحسب ما ذكرت صحيفة “لو باريزيان” الفرنسية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. باتريس بوميل عن عدم تدريبه منتخب مصر: كان الأمر شبه نهائي لكنهم اختاروا إيهاب جلال

ينتظر العالم أجمعه قرار مبابي إما البقاء لمدة عامين مع باريس سان جيرمان بحسب العرض الحالي من جانب النادي الفرنسي أو الانتقال إلى مغامرة جديدة مع ريال مدريد في الدوري الإسباني.

حتى الآن، كل تركيز مبابي هو الفوز بلقب هداف الدوري الفرنسي بعد حسم لقب البطولة، يريد مبابي ألا يفسد علاقته مع جماهير باريس سان جيرمان وهذا هو السبب في تأجيله الإعلان عن القرار.

يريد مبابي اختيار الوقت المناسب للإفصاح عن وجهته المقبلة، بحسب صحيفة “لو باريزيان” ربما يكون القرار عبر مؤتمر صحفي أو بيان رسمي بالاتفاق مع عائلته عبر شبكات التواصل الاجتماعي.

Eight members of a proposed 10-member interim committee, appointed to runthe affairs of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) earlierthis month, have formally accepted letters of appointment from SportsMinister Johnston Fernando

CricInfo24-Apr-2002Eight members of a proposed 10-member interim committee, appointed to runthe affairs of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) earlierthis month, have formally accepted letters of appointment from SportsMinister Johnston Fernando.Roshan Mahanama, former Sri Lanka Test batsman and Sri Lanka A coach untilstanding down recently, is among those to have confirmed his participationin the committee despite being reported to having a strained relationshipwith Sidath Wettimuny and Michael Tissera.But although the interim committee have now held two meetings, and wereapparently appointed in the first week of April, there has still been noofficial confirmation from the Sports Ministry or the Chief Executive’soffice that a new interim has been appointed after the previous VijayaMalalsekera led committee stood down on March 31.The two members to not accept their letters of appointment are TrevorRajaratnam and Mohan de Silva, both former BCCSL Executive Committeemembers, who have legal cases pending against the BCCSL and are believed toseeking advice before deciding whether to accept Fernando’s invitation.The interim committee is headed by Hemaka Amarasuriya and has been asked toserve until the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. A press conference with thenew members is expected to be held in early May at the BCCSL headquarters.Full 10-member committee:Hemaka Amarasuriya (chairman), Nalin Ladduwahetty, Michael Tissera, SidatWettimuny, Mohan de Silva, Lawrance Amarasena, Trevor Rajaratnam, KushilGunasekera, Triphone Mirando, Roshan Mahanama.

Sri Lankan expatriates in Sydney, Australia have organised an expatriateindoor series against Indian expatriates, called the International CharityChallenge, to raise funds for charity

Ragavan Thurasingam19-Jul-2002Sri Lankan expatriates in Sydney, Australia have organised an expatriateindoor series against Indian expatriates, called the International CharityChallenge, to raise funds for charity.Both sides are preparing for an entertaining and bruising encounter onSunday the 21st of July at Five Dock Indoor Centre at 6.30pm, in SydneyAustralia. Last year Five Dock Cricket Club toured Sri Lanka, with manyex-Sri Lankans on that team, and many on that team are involved on bothsides for this match.Like in Sri Lanka, AS Travel has helped with sponsorship for the day and theteams.This game promises everything. Many talented young players who have playedgrade cricket at a high level or are involved with club or junior cricketand play indoor cricket are looking to entertain the locals and show somesparkling sub-continental style, all for a good cause!Indoor Cricket is slightly different to the outdoor game, with teams ofeight players. Scoring is based on where you hit the ball within the court,the size of which is similar to a basketball court. You bat in pairs for acertain period and unlike outdoor if you are out, you bat on till the end ofyour pairing.Both sides looking to show off the skills of the game and looking to givesomething back to their respective communities.A raffle draw is being held, along with some lively in-house competitionsincluding a fastest bowler and an all-star sixes competition.The Sounds of Sydney’s Great DJ VILAS will ring around Five Dock IndoorCentre, to keep a lively and homely setting, by playing a variety of musicto keep the fans happy, creating a real derby feeling, and bringing greatatmosphere to the game.ALL PROCEEDS GO TO CHARITY – Orphans of Lanka & AID. Please do come andsupport.

وجه الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، تهديدًا لنادي الرجاء المغربي، قبل مباراته المرتقبة أمام الأهلي في منافسات دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وأسفرت قرعة دور ربع نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا التي أجريت في القاهرة 5 أبريل الماضي، عن مواجهة الأهلي لفريق الرجاء المغربي.

وتقام مواجهة الذهاب بين الأهلي والرجاء، في القاهرة، غداً السبت على استاد الأهلي وي السلام، وتلعب مباراة الإياب في المغرب يوم الجمعة 22 إبريل الجاري.

ووفقاً لموقع le 360 المغربي: “الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم، قرر معاقبة فريق الرجاء الرياضي، وذلك قبل مواجهة الأهلي، السبت المقبل، برسم ذهاب ربع نهائي دوري إبطال افريقيا”.

وأوضح: “كاف قرر تغريم النادي الأخضر 8000 دولار بسبب إلقاء الجماهير للشهب الاصطناعية (الشماريخ) على أرضية الملعب”.

طالع | كاف يقرر معاقبة الرجاء المغربي قبل مواجهة الأهلي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وأتم: “العقوبة المذكورة قد تتضاعف وتصل إلى حرمان الفريق المغربي من الجماهير، في حال تسجيل حالة شغب أو إلقاء شماريخ مرة أخرى في المباريات القادمة للنادي الأخضر في المباريات الإفريقية”.