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Bangladesh and Afghanistan will play their first-ever bilateral ODI series in September, the Afghanistan Cricket Board and BCB confirmed on Sunday

Mohammad Isam28-Aug-2016Bangladesh and Afghanistan will play their first-ever bilateral ODI series in September, the Afghanistan Cricket Board and BCB confirmed on Sunday. The two sides will play the three-match series on September 25, 28 and October 1 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.Afghanistan’s only other experience playing against a Full Member side in bilateral ODI series is against Zimbabwe, with whom they have played three series so far.In two previous 50-over encounters with Bangladesh, Afghanistan have won one and lost one; they beat Bangladesh in the Asia Cup 2014 but lost in the 2015 World Cup.ACB chairman Nasimullah Danish said that Afghanistan are trying to get more games with Full Members, and Bangladesh is just the start. “We are looking forward [to] entertaining cricket,” he said. “We are in close discussion with ICC Full Members. It’s always good for our team development to test ourselves in different conditions, and there’s no better place than Bangladesh to do that.”

Journalist Alan Galindo has slammed Celtic winger Jota for his "quiet afternoon" as the Bhoys failed to win in their most recent game.

What's the latest on Celtc vs St Mirren?

Ange Postecoglou and co required a late equaliser to ensure they kept their unbeaten domestic home run alive, extending it to 51 games in a row with a draw against St Mirren on Saturday.

Indeed, Celtic fell behind after only four minutes as Curtis Main opened the scoring before Kyogo Furuhashi slammed the ball home to make it 1-1 ten minutes later.

Main, however, put the away team a goal ahead before half time and it took until the 81st minute before Callum McGregor rescued a point with a late equaliser.

As you can see from the result, the Bhoys clearly weren't at their best on the day and it sounds as though one man in particular failed to make much of a positive impact.

Indeed, as noted by Galindo in the player ratings for Glasgow Live, Jota delivered an underwhelming 6/10 display and had a: "Quiet afternoon by his standards."

What award has Jota won for Celtic?

While there have certainly been more damning criticisms fired at Celtic players in the past, this sub-par display of Jota's catches the eye because he is usually so good.

Against St Mirren, the SofaScore stats show just how poor he was as he gave the ball away with real regularity, losing possession 26 times – which was more than any other player on the pitch.

He also failed to have a single shot on target, with three attempted; was successful with just two of nine attempted crosses; and was dribbled past as well.

This is hardly what we've come to expect from the £17k-p/w Celtic winger who was recently awarded the PFA Scotland goal of the season award for his superb chip against Rangers in that 4-0 Old Firm victory last September.

After the game, manager Postecoglou certainly didn't seem to happy with the overall standards shown by his side on the day.

Indeed, he told the press (via BBC Sport): "It was a tough game. St Mirren worked hard as they have all year and that's why they are what they are.

"We've gone off it a little bit the last couple of weeks, particularly the defensive side of the game, and when you do that, it's very hard then for us to play the football we want to.

Pakistan A swept to a remarkable eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka A in Worcester, riding on the back of belligerent half-centuries from captain Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel to mow down a target of 148 in 19.1 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2016
ScorecardPakistan A captain Babar Azam led his side’s final-day victory charge•Getty ImagesPakistan A swept to a remarkable eight-wicket win over Sri Lanka A in Worcester, riding on the back of belligerent half-centuries from captain Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel to mow down a target of 148 in 19.1 overs, with time running out on the final day.With a maximum of 23 overs to chase down the target, Pakistan went for the win right from the outset. They were reduced to 37 for 2 in the fifth over as Sharjeel Khan and Mohammad Nawaz both fell to new-ball bowler Vishwa Fernando in the quest for quick runs. But Azam (66 not out) and Shakeel (51 not out) then combined for an unbeaten partnership of 111 off 86 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes between them to complete a thrilling chase.Pakistan’s task could have been easier but for Sri Lanka’s stubborn tenth-wicket partnership in the second innings. Half-centuries from opener Dhananjaya de Silva (88) and captain Ashan Priyanjan (66) had taken them to 309 for 9, before Minod Bhanuka, who scored an unbeaten 54, and Asitha Fernando combined for a 49-run stand that kept Pakistan’s bowlers at bay for 7.3 overs. When Fernando, who contributed just 2, finally perished to give right-arm medium pacer Hasan Ali his fourth wicket of the innings and seventh of the match, Sri Lanka were all out for 358 to set up the pulsating climax.Pakistan’s stranglehold of the match, however, had been established in the first innings. After Sri Lanka opted to bat, Mir Hamza (4 for 62) and Hasan (3 for 70) inflicted the bulk of the damage to bowl the side out for 250, with only Roshen Silva (57) and Udara Jayasundera (53) registering fifties. Pakistan responded by piling on 461 for 8 before declaring. Most of their batsman made solid contributions, with Shakeel top-scoring with 86.Battling a first-innings deficit of 211, Sri Lanka never really managed to claw back. Coming into the final day two down for 83 and still 128 behind, any hopes Sri Lanka may have had of saving the match came crashing down, thanks to a spirited effort from Pakistan.

Incoming Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is set to target a goalkeeper in the summer transfer window, with both Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy failing to impress, according to journalist Miguel Delaney.

What's going on with Chelsea's goalkeepers?

Mendy started the season as the number-one pick under Thomas Tuchel but was dropped for Kepa under Graham Potter.

The Spaniard initially started well, but hasn't covered himself in glory in Chelsea's recent dismal run, and was dropped in favour of Mendy as Frank Lampard's side drew to Nottingham Forest.

Mendy made a glaring error for Forest's first goal in his return to action, and this has seemingly convinced Pochettino that he needs a new option between the posts.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Delaney claimed that a new goalkeeper is one of Pochettino's priorities as he aims to rebuild the Chelsea squad.

(4:57) "I think the squad will be drastically reduced, but from what I'm told, to further hone in on what Pochettino wants for the first XI, they're looking at another goalkeeper, which might seem surprising to people given they spent £100m in the last few years on goalkeepers, but I suppose it's all about what you need right now," he stated.

"A centre forward which is also where [Romelu] Lukaku's future is interesting, and a number six to kind of pin the team together, so it's three positions they're looking at."

Who could Pochettino target?

One obvious option for Chelsea could be David Raya from Brentford. The Spaniard is in the final year of his contract, and looks set to depart for what could be a bargain fee as he currently has no intention of extending his deal.

One of Kepa or Mendy will likely leave, and a reliable number one option would be ideal for Pochettino. Andre Onana of Inter has also been linked, and given his experience in the Champions League, the 27-year-old could be a desirable option as a proven goalkeeper.

Chelsea spent close to £100m combined on Kepa and Mendy, which included a then-record fee on Kepa to recruit him from Athletic Bilbao, and they would be keen to avoid another costly error when targeting players in such a crucial position.

They did sign young goalkeeping prospect Gabriel Slonina last summer, but it will likely be some time before the teenager is considered a serious contender for a first-team role.

James Foster’s late heroics carried Essex to a barely credible tie in a rain-affected Royal London Cup match.

ECB Reporters Network12-Jun-2016
ScorecardJames Foster’s late hitting kept Essex afloat (file photo)•Getty ImagesJames Foster’s late heroics carried Essex to a barely credible tie in a rain-affected Royal London Cup match.Essex had looked dead and buried when the ninth wicket fell with four overs remaining and 38 runs required. They still required 26 off the last two and 16 off the last, but with Foster seeing the ball like a football they clawed their way to a share of a thrilling contest.Wicketkeeper Alex Barrow gave Essex hope when he let past four byes from the first ball of the final over. Foster hit a four off the second ball and, after two dot balls, thumped a massive six over cow corner from the fifth ball. Then Foster and Matt Quinn scampered a bye to the wicketkeeper off the last ball as the rain returned.Foster finished with an unbeaten 75 off 50 balls, including eight fours and three sixes. He scored all the runs in a last-wicket stand of 37.Under Duckworth-Lewis calculations, Essex had been set a target of 177 – two runs less than Somerset had posted – in a match reduced first to 47 overs and then to 29 because of the weather.It initially looked as if Somerset’s Adam Hose was going to be the match-winner. The 23-year-old, who has yet to make a first-class appearance for Somerset, hit 77 off 83 balls, with 10 fours, to beat his previous List A best by 31 runs.Hose shared a third-wicket stand of 141 in exactly 20 overs with his captain Jim Allenby after Essex put the visitors in.When Essex batted, the heart was ripped out of their batting by a hostile opening spell by Tim Groenewald, who took three for 30, aided by Lewis Gregory, who snapped up two wickets in two balls and finished with four for 23.Just three overs were possible in the morning before rain stopped play, the fielders departing straight after David Masters claimed the prized scalp of Johannes Myburgh, caught at wide mid-off low down by Ravi Bopara for 7.When they resumed nearly three hours later, Peter Trego lasted just five balls on his 35th birthday before he got a massive edge to Masters and was caught at third man by Graham Napier.Hose and Allenby steadied the Somerset ship and then accelerated mid-innings. Hose grew in confidence the longer he batted and went past his previous highest List A score of 46 with a cut for four off Ryan ten Doeschate. He reached his half-century from 62 balls with a push through midwicket off Matt Quinn.Soon after, Allenby reached a 40-ball fifty when a single into the offside off ten Doeschate also brought up the century partnership in 15.4 overs. Later, he chipped Napier over Dan Lawrence’s head on the midwicket boundary for six as Somerset piled on the runs.Allenby fell on 68 when Bopara ran round at cow corner to take the catch sprawling on the ground 10 yards inside the boundary. The captain had batted, in all, for 52 balls and hit five fours and two sixes. Hose departed five runs later when he clipped Napier to Nick Browne at deep midwicket.James Hildreth had almost perished the ball before when Quinn dropped him at long-on. But Napier claimed a second wicket in the over when he bowled Hildreth before Bopara had Lewis Gregory chasing a wide delivery to be caught behind.Somerset lost six wickets while adding 22 late runs with Bopara mopping up with two in the final over for personal figures of 3 for 49. Jesse Ryder took a fine running catch on the midwicket boundary to dismiss Jamie Overton and substitute fielder Callum Taylor accounted for the other Overton, Craig, off a skier.Essex’s reply got off to a terrible start when Browne scooped the ball straight back into Groenewald’s hands in the first over.The South African then claimed wickets in each of his next two overs, having Ryder caught at second slip by Allenby and Tom Westley spooning a catch to Jamie Overton at mid-on.In the next over Lewis Gregory gained lbw decisions against Lawrence and ten Doeschate in successive balls to reduce Essex to 36 for 5.Bopara and Ashar Zaidi doubled the score in eight overs without ever being in control, before Zaidi was caught behind at the second attempt by Alex Barrow. Bopara didn’t last much longer, holing out tamely to Gregory at mid-on for 19.Foster, however, served notice of his fighting spirit when he lofted Jamie Overton over midwicket for successive sixes before reaching a 33-ball fifty. Napier had helped Foster put on 48 for the eighth wicket in 5.3 overs before misjudging a ball from Gregory to Craig Overton at mid-on.Masters gave Gregory his fourth wicket by squirting a catch to silly mid-on, but it did nothing to dampen Foster’s late pyrotechnics.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have made some memorable deals over the years, known for recruiting strongly from Portugal thanks to the influence of Nuno Santos and Jorge Mendes.

The Midlands club have hits and misses in terms of transfers, from the success of Ruben Neves to the misjudgement of Pedro Goncalves, Wolves have seen many come and go.

In a season that at one point threatened relegation, being bottom of the table when Julen Lopetegui took over from the dismissed Bruno Lage in November, the Spaniard has turned things around for the club who are safely set for another season in the top division.

With lots to improve on comes a lot of reflection, and when summarising players that have departed and who they have been replaced with at the club, one name flags as one that got away; Rafa Mir.

Why did Wolves sell Rafa Mir?

When Wolves signed 20-year-old forward Rafa Mir from Valencia in 2018 to be reunited with former coach Nuno Santo, it was a transfer that brought excitement with the youngster being an established goal scorer for Valencia B.

The forward was also linked with Real Madrid at the time, but made the decision to join Nuno in a venture to England while the Midlands side were still in the Championship.

It never worked out for the Spaniard, who endeavoured on three loan spells during his three-year stay at the club before returning to La Liga, signing for Sevilla in the summer of 2021 for £14m.

In three years, the forward made four appearances for Wolves but never seemed to be one to break through, with loan spells back in Spain being the best situation for the youngster at the time.

How is Rafa Mir playing now?

In his two seasons at Sevilla, Mir has found the net 19 times in all competitions and has established himself as a strong outlet for goals in La Liga.

Praised by Celta Vigo president Carlos Mourino as being a “magnificent player”, the 25-year-old could’ve been a strong inclusion to Wolves’ squad, considering the club's difficulty scoring goals this season.

The Midlands outfit are the Premier League’s lowest scorers this season, netting just 30 goals in 35 games in what has been a wake-up call to Lopetegui to recruit a forward in the summer.

The former Wolves man has performed better over the past year than both the club's current forwards, Diego Costa and Raul Jimenez, not just through goals but the threat he provides to an attack.

The forward ranks in the top 8% of strikers in Europe’s top five leagues for total shots per 90 minutes, averaging 3.66. In comparison, Costa averages 2.13, while Jimenez records an abysmal 1.99.

The same applies for how many non-penalty goals the forward is expected to score per 90, with Mir averaging 0.43 xG and Costa and Jimenez both scoring under 0.3 in the same bracket – as per FBref.

Like Goncalves’ rise to form since leaving Wolves, the club have to find worthy replacements for talent lost. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but not for those at Molineux, who could’ve had Mir leading their line had things worked out better previously.

Josh Cobb and Adam Rossington eased Northamptonshire back to the top of the NatWest T20 Blast North Group with a six-wicket waltz over Leicestershire at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2016
ScorecardJosh Cobb’s half-century sank his former team-mates•PA PhotosJosh Cobb and Adam Rossington eased Northamptonshire back to the top of the NatWest T20 Blast North Group with a six-wicket waltz over Leicestershire at Wantage Road.Chasing just 150 after Mark Pettini’s 56 for the visitors, Cobb and Rossington knocked off the bulk of the chase with a partnership of 89 for the second wicket in 9.4 overs. Northants cruised home with three overs to spare and now, with 11 points on the board, just two more wins from their final seven matches should be enough for a quarter-final place – a home tie is very much in their sights.Rossington arrived in superb touch after a career-best 138 not out in the County Championship during the week and here made his third T20 fifty and second for Northants in 29 balls with nine fours. His timing was exceptional with some clean striking down the ground and also showed a clever touch with two late cut fours – the second of which during a over from Jigar Naik that went for 12 to leave only 57 needed from the final 10 overs.Cobb has relished the number three role and was again in excellent touch. He began by cutting Rob Taylor for his first boundary and he lifted another over midwicket. Kevin O’Brien was introduced and his first ball was heaved over mid-on. His third half-century in four inning was raised in 40 balls with four fours and a six. He chipped Cameron Delport to extra-cover for 57 when two were needed to win.Northants didn’t need a contribution from Richard Levi, in his first game back after a shoulder injury. He took 12 from the opening over – two leg side flicks and a straight drive – but edged Clint McKay to third man. His failure mattered not. There was time for Ben Duckett to lift Mark Cosgrove down the ground and wide of midwicket for boundaries as he and Cobb took their side home.Leicestershire’s total was well below par. Their 149 for 5 was built around a partnership of 74 in 8.1 overs for the third wicket between Pettini and O’Brien. They recovered the innings after the early loss of Mark Cosgrove for 2 and Cameron Delport for 6 – both bowled by Richard Gleeson, whose opening two overs conceded only seven runs.But Pettini clipped the first ball of Azharullah’s spell for six over midwicket – an over that yielded 17 runs and injected momentum into the innings. Petting swung Azharullah to long leg and deftly cut Steven Crook for four en route to a half-century in 31 balls with six fours and a six.Cobb ended the stand with the second ball of his spell – O’Brien chipping him into the hands of Graeme White at long-on – and three overs later Pettini also fell, trying to paddle sweep White and being plumb lbw for 56. It left Leicestershire 111 for 4 with five overs remaining.Paul Horton, playing his first T20 of the season, was left to try and provide the late-innings power and he twice classically drove through extra-cover for four. But facing the first ball of the final over, was struck in the ribs by a Gleeson beamer and retired hurt for 29. Only six runs came from the final over.

Chelsea are still reportedly interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar this summer, in what could be an audacious swoop.

Is Neymar leaving PSG this summer?

The 31-year-old is one of the most celebrated footballers of his generation, enjoying great success at both club and international level down the years. He is Brazil's all-time record goalscorer, netting 77 times for his country, and he has also won one Champions League title and six league crowns in his career, during spells at Barcelona and PSG.

It could be that Neymar leaves his current club at the end of the season, however, with supporters recently gathering outside his house to call for his exit. His current deal expires in 2025, and with the Ligue 1 giants potentially look to change their approach and bring in younger talent moving forward, it could be that the Brazilian leaves, along with the likes of Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti.

Chelsea are one of the clubs who have been linked with an eye-catching swoop for the £606,000-a-week attacker, and now a fresh update emerged regarding his future.

Could Chelsea seal audacious Neymar swoop?

According to UOL journalist Bruno Andrade [via Sport Witness], Neymar is willing to leave PSG this summer, having initially not wanted to move on. A move to the Premier League seems to be the most likely outcome, with Chelsea potentially the front-runners to acquire his services.

It doesn't look as though the forward will be a target for Newcastle United, further clearing the Blues' path, although Manchester United are providing competition.

While Neymar is an outrageously talented footballer – one who has been called a "genius" by Brazil legend Roberto Carlos in the past – there does feel like a lot of risk behind Chelsea signing him at this point in his career. Firstly, his price tag and wages will likely be eye-watering, while the fact that he is now 31 means that the Blues wouldn't be signing him at the absolute peak of his powers.

Whether he would have the work ethic and desire to be a success under Pochettino remains to be seen, and while he flourished with him in charge at PSG, the Premier League is a very different challenge. Chelsea need to be signing players who are willing to fight for the cause week in, week out, and they arguably wouldn't be getting that with Neymar, considering he has averaged just 0.1 clearances and 0.2 interceptions per game in Ligue 1 this season.

West Indies have made an unpromising start to their preparations for the tri-series with Australia and South Africa, as they were beaten twice in the space of three days by Barbados Select in a pair of practice matches

Daniel Brettig28-May-2016West Indies have made an unpromising start to their preparations for the tri-series against Australia and South Africa, as they were beaten twice in the space of three days by a Barbados Select XI in a pair of practice matches.Thrashed by 50 runs in a day-night encounter at the Kensington Oval on Wednesday, West Indies lost again by four wickets in Cave Hill on Friday. These were the first fixtures for the team since their World T20 victory in India, with the squad comprising of some T20 players mixed with younger names.While the main priority for the team was to gain match practice in a variety of conditions ahead of the tri-series, the fact that they were unable to defeat a side composed of some players with limited international experience and Barbados’ fringe players does not bode well for harder assignments ahead.In the first match, half-centuries from Shai Hope and Omar Phillips led the way for Barbados Select in compiling a tally of 290 for 8 from 50 overs. Offspinner Hayden Walsh (3 for 17) and seamers Kevin Stoute (2 for 28), Tarik Shorey (2 for 33) and Dario Seale (2 for 50) then rounded West Indies up for 250 in 47.1 overs.Conditions were lower and slower in Cave Hill, and West Indies scrapped their way to 200 for 9 from 45 overs after choosing to bat. No player was able to make a half-century, while medium-pacer Kyle Mayers scooped 4 for 47.In reply, Barbados Select cruised to the target with seven overs to spare, helped by 49 from Aaron Jones and 48 from Hope. West Indies’ opening match of the tournament is against South Africa in Guyana on June 3.

Chelsea need to find a way to get Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of the club following his terrible display away at his former club, Craig Burley has claimed.

How did Aubameyang play against Arsenal?

The striker made a surprise start as he returned to the Emirates for the first time since he left in 2022, and was completely anonymous before being substituted at half-time.

He made just nine touches of the ball as per SofaScore, and four of these were from kick-off as Arsenal found themselves 3-0 up and cruising at the break.

The 33-year-old failed to make any sort of impact, winning no duels, and failing to complete a single dribble, and Chelsea fell to their sixth defeat in a row under Frank Lampard.

Speaking on ESPN FC, former Chelsea star Burley claimed that Aubameyang's selection will have annoyed other players, and that the club need to part ways with him as soon as they can.

"He should not wear a Chelsea shirt again, he should not even be allowed at the training ground" he stated.

"I don't know how long he's got left in his contract, is it this year or is it next year? I don't know. Whatever it is, do a deal and get him out.

"It's not the service up to him. I watched him, his attempts at shutting the ball down, he walked around for 45 minutes. It was embarrassing, as was Sterling, as was the midfield and the defending.

"Quite frankly, if I'm on the bench and watching Aubameyang in his current guise, and he's been a good player but he's not now. He's milked it, he doesn't care, he's a liability and that showed again.

"If I'm on the bench and I'm not playing because of him, what's that telling me, because I'm thinking about a different sport. That's embarrassing."

What should Chelsea do with Aubameyang?

With one goal in 15 Premier League appearances for the club, Aubameyang's signing has been nothing short of a disaster.

It is clear that the club need to part ways with him, and given that there have been links with Barcelona, they will hope that there is enough interest in the attacker so they can make a sale, rather than having to terminate his contract.

Chelsea have nothing left to play for this season, and there is simply no benefit to having Aubameyang in the team now. Younger players such as Mykhailo Mudryk and David Datro Fofana should be given opportunities to impress ahead of next season, and they may have watched on with confusion as Aubameyang failed to contribute as he was handed a start ahead of them.