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The opening batsman said “there will definitely be some words exchanged” come the start of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2017David Warner won’t have any qualms about engaging with England players in the middle during the Ashes, believing his verbal sparring performed a key role in the 2013-14 whitewash.No sooner had he returned from the limited-overs tour of India, Warner was thinking of the opening day at the Gabba as he talked of the need to find “hatred” of England in the heat of the Ashes tussle.Warner, lauded in recent years for a more mature approach to his game, wasn’t afraid of having a few words four years ago which included saying England had “scared eyes” during the Brisbane Test as they were dismantled by Mitchell Johnson although later admitted he had gone “too far” when he labelled Jonathan Trott’s second-innings dismissal as “poor and weak.””As soon as you step on that line it’s war,” Warner said on . “You try and get into a battle as quick as you can. I try and look in the opposition’s eye and try and work out ‘how can I dislike this player, how can I get on top of him?’ You’ve really got to find that spark in yourself to really take it to the opposition.”You have to delve and dig deep into yourself to actually get some hatred about them to actually get up when you’re out there. History is a big part in this and that is what carries us onto the ground.”Warner added, however, that he would leave the talk until he gets onto the field in Brisbane even suggesting he will take a “subtle” approach in trying to get under England’s skin.”Four years ago, during that first Test I made some statements in the media and at the time I thought it was a great thing to come out and speak what I said,” he said. “I have no regrets about that and I think that could have played a little bit of a role in the back of their minds.”At the moment I’m not going to put any vibes out there or get into a verbal stoush … but come day one when we walk out there, there will definitely be some words exchanged. But I think the subtle approach these days is how it is and how it goes.”Australia’s players have three rounds of Sheffield Shield matches to prepare for the first Test with the major question marks over their side revolving around who will bat at No. 6 and who will take the wicketkeeping gloves.England, who are set to be without Ben Stokes, depart at the end of the month and have three warm-up matches before the first Test which starts on November 23.

USMNT star, Matt Turner, was restored to the the Nottingham Forest line-up as Steve Cooper made seven changes for crunch Wolves clash.

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Cooper desperate to turn around his fortunes Rang in the changes and brought back Turner Manager reported to be on borrowed time at City groundWHAT HAPPENED?

The 29-year-old keeper was brought from the cold at the Molineux with Cooper's job on the line. Turner had lost his place to Odysseas Vlachodimos following their 3-0 defeat to Liverpool in October but the manager was forced to fall back on his trusted lieutenant after a 5-0 thrashing to Fulham at Craven Cottage in their previous match.

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Turner started the campaign as the first-choice keeper for Forest following a summer move from Arsenal and stood between the sticks for the first 10 Premier League games, before being replaced by Vlachodimos. Cooper explained that Turner was dropped as he was "10 per cent not so good" but hailed him for his "work and his commitment" in the training sessions.

DID YOU KNOW?

Turner opted for a switch to Forest from the Gunners with the hope of getting more playing minutes. But his mistake against Liverpool that saw Mohamed Salah tapping into an empty net moved him down the pecking order.

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Forest are currently going through a lean patch of form after succumbing to four successive defeats in the Premier League. It has been reported that Evangelos Marinakis, the Forest owner, is not entirely convinced with Cooper at the helm, with his side winning just one in 11 games since September, and has lined up former Real Madrid and Wolves manager Julen Lopetetegui as a potential successor. If Forest fail to turn the tide against Wolves, Cooper could head towards the door.

Alastair Cook conceded that the performance of the day had come from his sidekick and successor as captain, Joe Root

Andrew Miller at Edgbaston17-Aug-20171:40

‘Frustrating’ to watch Root bat – Cook

Alastair Cook marked the first day of day-night Test cricket in England with an unbeaten innings of 153 from 276 balls, but conceded that the performance of the day had come from his sidekick and successor as captain, Joe Root, as West Indies were put to the sword in the first Investec Test at Edgbaston.After conceding two early wickets, Cook and Root added 248 for England’s third wicket in a stand that spanned the entirety of the afternoon session, before Root missed a drive in the twilight and was bowled for 136, his second century of the summer and an innings that means he has now reached at least fifty in 11 consecutive Tests, an England record.Cook, who had been 22 not out when Root joined him at the crease, could only watch in admiration – and a tinge of professional jealousy – as his team-mate cruised to his 13th Test century from 139 balls. Cook had 22 when Root came to the crease and was on 80 when he raised three figures.”It’s fairly frustrating when you have a 30-run start on him and he beats you to a hundred by 30,” Cook said. “He makes it look quite easy, frustratingly easy in fact.”It’s incredible how he managed to score like he does. If he’s not the best English player I’ve played with, he’s right up there. His game is phenomenal, he’s churning out runs, his 11th consecutive Test with a fifty, that’s phenomenal consistency against world-class bowlers, and around the world as well.”Is he a genius? I don’t know, but he’s an unbelievable player to watch from the other end, how he moves, his rhythm … it’s a lesson to us all, isn’t it?”Cook, however, handed out a fair few lessons of his own in the course of his 31st Test century, and first since his return to the ranks against South Africa in July. With his 150 on the board already and four days remaining in the match, he recognises he has the chance to press on to a huge personal score on the ground where he made his career-best 294 against India in 2011.”I can’t be looking too far ahead,” he said. “But I’ve got an opportunity to get a big score, there’s a lot of time left in the game, but you can always nick the first ball tomorrow. It’s up to me to take the opportunity.”One man who couldn’t take his opportunity was Cook’s latest opening partner, Mark Stoneman – the 12th to step up alongside him since the retirement of Andrew Strauss. Stoneman started impressively, with two early boundaries, before falling to the ball of the day from Kemar Roach for 8.”That is what opening the batting in international cricket is about,” said Cook. “There will be good balls flowing around. Either you want it to just miss the stumps, or stand at the other end like I did and say ‘poor Rocky’. As Mike Atherton said, you’re paid to score runs, he’s paid to get you out, so one day you’re going to win, and sometimes they’ll win. I saw him score 190 against us at Guildford, so I know he’s a good player.”That range of score, and more, is now very much in Cook’s sights. “I think if you get 150 and not out at end of the day, of course you’ll enjoy it,” he said. “The jury will always be out on the pink ball until we know more about it, two or three years down the line, how it reacts in all kinds of situations. But, if you were using a red ball, under a clear blue sky and on a good wicket like Edgbaston, it would have been the same.”

West Ham United could have a new striker in their sights this summer, with Pianeta Milan, via Sport Witness, reporting that the Hammers are one of three sides to have asked about Charles De Ketelaere this summer.

What is the latest West Ham United transfer news?

The Premier League side struggled in the top flight last season, finishing in 14th, but their victory in the Europa Conference League means that they will once more be competing in Europe in the next campaign. It also means that David Moyes will need to strengthen his side this summer and ensure they can compete on all fronts – and it does appear as though there are a few players he could be lining up to bring in.

It looks as though a fresh striker is one transfer priority for the club, with the Hammers linked with several attacking targets already this window. They are keen to try and bring in Armando Broja from Chelsea, but it won't be easy for the club to snap him up, with several other teams all tailing the player too. They've also been keeping tabs on young Keisuke Goto, with the 18-year-old impressing after his displays in Japan, though he would surely be a signing for the future rather than an immediate number nine role.

Now, according to a report from Pianeta Milan, via Sport Witness, West Ham may have added yet another striker to their wanted list.

That's because the Hammers have already made contact to get information on Charles De Ketelaere at AC Milan, with the player potentially available on a deal this summer. It appears his current club could be quite happy to move him on already, despite having only added him permanently at the beginning of the 2022/23 season.

With the Belgian now available on a transfer, Moyes' team have already contacted his camp to gather information and to see if a move may be doable. However, it won't be completely straightforward for West Ham to get a deal over the line, with Crystal Palace and Everton having also been in touch over a deal.

What is Charles De Ketelaere worth?

Milan are willing to make a loss on the striker too it seems, with the forward potentially available for just 30 million Euros (or £25.7m). It's a steep fee for a player who managed just one assist and zero goals in Serie A for the Italian outfit, but he wasn't able to be a regular starter for the club which could have played a part. De Ketelaere managed only nine starts for the side and had just 12.4 lots of 90 minutes in total for the club.

Despite struggling to really find form with AC Milan and to hit the back of the net on a regular basis, the 22-year-old is still viewed as a real talent in the game though. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has previously called the striker a "special player" for example because of his abilitys upfront and the potential he has in the game.

Whilst he hasn't been able to tap into that in Italy, a switch to a team like West Ham could perhaps bring it out of the Belgian.

Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson produced a brutal display to help Delhi Daredevils mow down a target of 209 and knock Gujarat Lions out of the tournament

The Report by Varun Shetty04-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:15

Bangar: There was method to Pant and Samson’s madness

Only once had a team chased more than 209 to win an IPL match and yet Delhi Daredevils made such short work of the target that by the last five overs, the required rate was less than a run a ball. This incredible situation was the result of local boy Rishabh Pant (97 off 43) and Sanju Samson’s (61 off 31) blitzkriegs. At one stage, the two batsmen together struck four successive deliveries for sixes. In all, there were 31 hits over the boundary line – a record for this tournament – and 20 of them came off the bat of the Daredevils as they raced to their target with 15 balls to spare and forced the Gujarat Lions out of the playoffs.Earlier, impressive spells from Kagiso Rabada and Pat Cummins had turned the momentum after Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik struck rapid fifties, restricting Lions despite their having raced to 158 in their first 14 overs.Raina gets on Daredevils’ listThe Daredevils have a new tradition: they’d dropped at least one catch in each of their last two games. Today, they dropped three. Each of the reprieved batsman – Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa – had gone on to score 70 or more and Raina followed suit tonight. He was on 2 when Shreyas Iyer spilled a dolly at first slip off Rabada’s bowling. He was on 40 when Marlon Samuels couldn’t hold on to a flick aimed straight at him at midwicket. Eventually, the latest beneficiary of the Daredevils Goodwill List finished with 77 off 43 balls.Lesson learntAt the other end, Karthik had not given Daredevils the slightest chance. He struck at a quicker rate than Raina as the pair counterpunched in response to being 10 for 2 by the second over to put on the Lions’ highest partnership (133) in the IPL.It was around this time, though, that Daredevils began learning an important lesson: when the batsman gives you a chance, convert it. Rabada caught Raina short at the non-strikers with a direct hit from backward point. Next over, Karthik fell to one of the catches of the season – Corey Anderson leaping backwards with an outstretched left hand at mid-off, before executing the perfect tumble to hold on. For good measure, Pant pouched a skier to dismiss Aaron Finch in the penultimate over.A sixer here, a sixer thereAfter their successful chase in the last game, Nair revealed the plan had been to play like a young side – hit hard and have fun. And it was the youngest of them all who masterminded this chase. Pant’s first scoring shot was a six on the up over cover, a sign that dew was making its presence felt, and of a batsman enforcing home advantage.So when Raina decided that Pant’s Delhi team-mate Pradeep Sangwan would bowl the next over, he was asking for trouble. Pant welcomed Sangwan with 16 off the first three balls and the Daredevils had breached 50 inside the fifth over. James Faulkner conceding five runs to end the Powerplay would be the last instance of the Lions being in the game. The next six overs went for 90 runs; each over contained at least one six, the 11th went for three.When Samson – who hit seven sixes and no fours – was dismissed by Jadeja in the 14th over, Pant responded with a six and a four to bring the asking rate below run-a-ball. It was perhaps the perfect T20 innings. The only way it could have been better was if he had scored the three runs required to become IPL’s youngest centurion.When Pant was caught behind for 97, Raina, knowing he will not play an IPL playoff match for the first time in 10 years, still came up and hugged the young man. It seemed like the handing of a baton, the IPL’s pre-eminent batsman heralding a new hero.

Yunus Musah believes he is capable of thriving as a wing-back for AC Milan after being asked to fill an unfamiliar role with the Serie A giants.

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American made summer move to ItalyHanded first start versus VeronaFeels happy in a wider roleWHAT HAPPENED?

The 20-year-old United States international has built his reputation in the middle of the park, with his energy and ability being embraced by club and country. That skill set was put to good use at Valencia in Spain, earning Musah a €20 million (£17m/$21m) transfer to San Siro.

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He has been eased into the Milan fold, and made his first start for the Rossoneri when operating as a right wing-back in a 3-4-3 formation against Verona. Musah told of filling a wide role: “I felt really good in this position, I do have the characteristics to play on the wing. I like to play more or less anywhere, as sometimes when I am a midfielder, I tend to drift wide anyway.”

WHAT THEY SAID

Musah helped Milan to a 1-0 victory in their latest Serie A outing, and he is adjusting quickly to the demands of life in a new country and squad. He told : “I’m happy to have played lots of minutes today and also to have won the game. This is a good squad, which welcomed me with open arms right from day one. There are very good players here, and are also very grounded too, so they helped me adapt right from the start and this has helped me adapt better.”

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Musah has USMNT colleague Christian Pulisic alongside him in Italy, with the American duo hoping to help Milan piece together bids for major silverware at home and abroad in 2023-24.

Mohammad Amir has picked up a side strain that will limit his role in the ongoing third and final Test in Sydney to batting

Osman Samiuddin at the SCG06-Jan-2017Mohammad Amir has picked up a side strain that will limit his role in the ongoing third and final Test in Sydney to batting.Amir pulled an intercostal muscle on his right side during pre-match training on the fourth day of the Test and was taken for a scan. He did not appear on the field at all, putting more strain on an already thin bowling attack that was then reduced to just three specialist bowlers.That left Pakistan to open Australia’s second innings with Imran Khan and Yasir Shah, David Warner taking full toll in an explosive start. Yasir himself has been suffering from a slight hamstring strain in his left leg.Pakistan’s management believe Amir will recover in time to take part in the ODI series against Australia, which begins on January 13, but concerns about the workload on him and others such as Yasir will grow.For much of the last year, Pakistan have operated outside of the UAE with a four-man bowling attack, increasing the load on Yasir and Amir in particular. Since his return to Test cricket on July 14 last year no fast bowler has bowled as many overs in international cricket as Amir, a list otherwise dominated by spinners. The leading bowler in that time, by overs bowled, is Yasir, in Tests alone as well as across all formats.Amir injured his knee in the first Test in Brisbane earlier in the series and though it looked serious at the time, he was back on the field and bowling within an hour. In the same Test his thigh was heavily bruised after he was hit by a Mitchell Starc delivery.Earlier in the Test, coach Mickey Arthur acknowledged the workload his bowlers had to take on. “The guys are pretty tired, they really are,” Arthur said. “Amir… he keeps going you know.”Over the last six months or so we have played massive amount of cricket and he just keeps going and keeps going even though he has taken a lot of niggles, and he hasn’t shirked his responsibilities and he keeps running for us. They are not in good shape but they have kept going.”

There has been an update in Manchester United's reported interest in Chelsea playmaker, Mason Mount, with speculation growing that the Englishman could be on his way to Old Trafford…

What's the latest on Mount to Man United?

The Daily Mail reported late last week that the Red Devils were set to launch a £55m bid for the 24-year-old – who has just a year left on his existing deal at Stamford Bridge – while The Athletic's David Ornstein subsequently stated that the midfielder is "leaning towards" a move to United if he is to exit the Blues this summer.

Following on from those reports, journalist Sam Pilger has now revealed on Twitter that there is "increasing confidence" among those at the Theatre of Dreams that a deal for the one-time Derby County loanee can be done ahead of next season.

In his attached piece for Optus Sport, the transfer insider revealed that Mount – who has previously been valued at around £70m – could well be sold by the west London outfit if a new deal cannot be agreed, with Erik ten Hag said to view the 36-cap gem as a 'possible upgrade' on Christian Eriksen.

Should Man United sign Mason Mount?

United have previous for acquiring players from rivals Chelsea, having snapped up the likes of Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata from their top-flight rivals within the last decade.

In the case of Mount, the signing of the Three Lions star would evoke memories of the move for fellow midfielder, Mata, with the Spaniard having joined David Moyes and co in January 2014 on a £37.1m deal.

Much like Mount – who helped his current side to Champions League glory back in 2021 – the diminutive ace also helped the Blues to Europe's prized honour in 2012, having established himself as a leading figure in the capital after providing 90 goals and assists in just 135 games across all fronts.

After falling out of favour under Jose Mourinho amid what was a "difficult" spell – in his own words – the World Cup winner opted to make the leap to Manchester in search of improved game time and would go on to score 51 goals and provide 47 assists in 285 outings prior to his eventual exit last summer.

While a respected servant during his eight-and-a-half-year stint with United, the 35-year-old seemingly never hit the heights that he achieved at Stamford Bridge – as his return of goals and assists illustrates – having spent much of his time at the club utilised in a right-wing berth, rather than in his preferred number ten role.

The fear will be that Mount – who has been hailed as a "little genius" by talent scout Jacek Kulig – could also follow a similar path if he is to make the move this summer, with it also unclear as to which role the Portsmouth native would occupy under Ten Hag.

Despite having featured predominantly as an attacking midfielder during his time with the Blues, the presence of Bruno Fernandes in that role could well see Mount forced to be deployed elsewhere, ensuring that Ten Hag and co may not see the best of his talents.

As such, the Red Devils may well be looking at Mata 2.0 with the signing of the £80k-per-week asset…

Fast bowler Sean Abbott, captain of the National Performance Squad, has been ruled out of the ongoing Quadrangular A-team one day series after fracturing his left ankle, Cricket Australia said on Thursday

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2016Fast bowler Sean Abbott, captain of the National Performance Squad, has been ruled out of the ongoing Quadrangular A-team one day series after fracturing his left ankle, Cricket Australia said on Thursday.Abbott suffered the injury during the rain-affected match against Australia A on Tuesday. A release from the board stated that the bowler was struck on the ankle off the final ball of the match, and will undergo scans in Sydney to assess the injury. Batsman Matthew Short will captain NPS in the remaining matches of the series.”Sean was struck during Tuesday’s match and suffered some damage to the ankle bone,” Stephen Timms, a Bupa Support Team Physiothrapist, said. “Sean will undergo further scans in Sydney to assess the full extent of the damage and treatment required.”Abbott took two wickets after NPS’ first two matches in the series. Victories in both matches put NPS on top of the table, ahead of Australia A, India A and South Africa A. Their next match is against India A on August 21.

Abahani Limited’s DPL clash against Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club was called off after an on-field incident forced the umpires to walk-off citing “illness.”

Mohammad Isam12-Jun-2016The Dhaka Premier League match between Abahani Limited and Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club was called off after the umpires walked off the BKSP-3 stadium. The match was not played on the reserve day as the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, the BCB standing committee that runs the league, had not announced its decision.* The umpires had reportedly walked out citing “illness”.The incident that triggered them leaving the field occurred in the 16th over of Prime Doleshwar’s chase when Raqibul Hasan was given not out by umpire Tanvir Ahmed off a stumping appeal from left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib. The Abahani players protested and their fans began to hurl abuse at the umpires, at which point they left the field after consulting with match referee Montu Datta.Eventually, Prime Doleshwar were asked to chase a revised target according to the D/L method, but they refused saying the weather wasn’t a factor and the interruption wasn’t their fault.”Why should we go by the Duckworth/Lewis method? Our club officials are not going to abide by it today. The match didn’t stop because of us. What happened was quite unfortunate,” Prime Doleshwar coach Mizanur Rahman Babul said.Khaled Mahmud, the Abahani coach, thought it was a case of the umpires overreacting. “There was no threat or any situation created that the umpires had to leave the field,” he said. “They could have handled the situation much better. It is quite natural that [Prime] Doleshwar didn’t want to play according to the D/L method when the situation didn’t demand of such a thing.”* 0515am, June 13, 2016. The news article was updated with the information that the match was not played on the reserve day