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Everything you need to know about the group that includes five-time champions Brazil

Brazil secured their place in the next round and first place with two narrow wins against Serbia and Switzerland but suffered a shock defeat to Cameroon on the last day.

Apart from their defeat to Brazil, Switzerland were otherwise solid and defeated Cameroon and Serbia to clinch 2nd place.

Cameroon will be heartbroken to be eliminated from the tournament despite their efforts but will be proud to go back as the first African team to beat Brazil at the World Cup.

Serbia showed a lot of heart and grit in their matches but had nothing to show for it apart from a point from their draw against Cameroon.

Group G fixtures and results

Date

KO time (local time)

Fixture

Venue

November 24

13:00

Switzerland 1-0 Cameroon

Al Janoub Stadium

November 24

22:00

Brazil 2-0 Serbia

Lusail Iconic Stadium

November 28

13:00

Cameroon 3-3 Serbia

Al Janoub Stadium

November 28

19:00

Brazil 1-0 Switzerland

Stadium 974

December 2

22:00

Serbia 2-3 Switzerland

Stadium 974

December 2

22:00

Cameroon 1-0 Brazil

Lusail Iconic Stadium

AdvertisementGroup G table

Position

Country

Played

W

D

L

GD

Points

1

Brazil

3

2

0

1

+2

6

2

Switzerland

3

2

0

1

1

6

3

Cameroon

3

1

1

1

0

4

4

Serbia

3

0

1

2

-3

1

Group G squads

Brazil squad

Position Name

GoalkeepersAlisson, Ederson, WevertonDefendersThiago Silva, Marquinhos, Bremer, Eder Militao, Dani Alves, Danilo, Sandro, Alex TellesMidfieldersCasemiro, Fred, Fabinho, Lucas Paqueta, Bruno Guimaraes, Everton RibeiroAttackersNeymar, Richarlison, Gabriel Jesus, Vinicius Junior, Gabriel Martinelli, Antony, Raphinha, Rodrygo, Pedro

Switzerland squad

Position Name

GoalkeepersSommer, Kobel, Kohn, OmlinDefendersRodriguez, Schar, Akanji, Elvedi, Widmer, ComertMidfieldersShaqiri, Xhaka, Freuler, Zakaria, Sow, Steffen, Frei, Aebischer, Jashari, Fernandes, RiederAttackersSeferovic, Embolo, Vargas, Okafor, Fassnacht

Serbia squad

Position Name

GoalkeepersDmitrovic, Rajkovic, Milinkovic-SavicDefendersMitrovic, Mladenovic, Pavlovic, Veljkovic, Erakovic, Babic, MilenkovicMidfieldersGudelj, Kostic, Maksimovic, Milinkovic-Savic, Lukic, Zivkovic, Racic, Ilic, Lazovic, GrujicAttackersMitrovic, Jovic, Vlahovic, Radonjic, Duricic, Tadic

Cameroon squad

Position Name

GoalkeepersOnana, Epassy, NgapandouetnbuDefendersNkoulou, Ebosse, Tolo, Mbaizo, Fai, Castelletto, Wooh, OngueneMidfieldersOndoa, Gouet, Kunde, Hongla, Zambo Anguissa, NtchamAttackersNkoudou, Aboubakar, Mbeumo, Nsame, Toko Ekambi, Ngamaleu, Choupo-Moting, Bassogog, MarouENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Kick-off times in UK, USA & India

Qatar time

UK

USA (ET)

India

13:00

11:00

06:00

15:30

16:00

14:00

09:00

18:30

18:00

16:00

11:00

20:30

19:00

17:00

12:00

21:30

22:00

20:00

15:00

00:30

American rapper Kanye West was in attendance at the Champions League game between Inter and Atletico Madrid at San Siro on Tuesday.

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Kanye West attended Inter's Champions League clashWas accompanied by his wife Bianca Censori and met Jaden SmithInter beat Atletico Madrid 1-0WHAT HAPPENED?

West attended the game in Italy alongside his wife Bianca Censori, and also posed for photos with American artist and actor Jaden Smith. The rapper turned up at the stadium in unusual attire as he appeared to be covered head to toe. He wore a black jacket hooded up and a black mask to cover his entire face.

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The 46-year-old recently released his new album named 'Vultures 1' in collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign, who was also in attendance in Milan. West also involved a section of Inter fans from the club's Curva Nord ultras group in some of his songs, including 'Carnival'. They even received song credit in the album.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR INTER?

Simone Inzaghi's side edged out Atletico Madrid 1-0 courtesy of Marko Arnautovic's strike in the first leg of their round of 16 clash on Tuesday. Inter will next face Lecce in a Serie A clash on Sunday as they bid to extend their lead at the top of the table.

Ex-Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has heaped praise on Warren Zaire-Emery after he became one of the youngest players to receive a France call up

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Compared with Kylian Mbappe Received first France call up this weekYoungest player to receive national team nod since 1914GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

France manager Didier Deschamps added Zaire-Emery to his Les Bleus squad for this international break, just a month after the teenager was named captain of the nation's Under-21 side. The midfielder, 17, has started 10 of 11 Ligue 1 fixtures this season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT WENGER SAID

In an interview with , the former Arsenal boss compared Zaire-Emery to Mbappe: "We’re speaking of a boy gifted with super talent. He has blossomed exceptionally early. That’s why he’s been called up by Didier. When, at 17, your manager at club level chooses you as one of the first names on the team sheet, that implies that you exude something that is unstoppable. To some extent, he makes me think of Kylian Mbappé in the sense that people are already unanimous on him, at an age where, in general, everyone says: ‘he’s talented, yes, but let’s see’."

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Wenger also admitted that he sees some of France's best midfielders in Zaire-Emery: "He has a bit of Paul Pogba’s power, but some common qualities with N’Golo Kanté in his aptitude to win back the ball. Zaïre-Emery is a bit of a mix of the two, a combination of the two 2018 World Champions, with his ability to win the duels without committing fouls and then breaking forward and showing his great vision of the play… He has a bit of Patrick too. A box-to-box midfielder as the English say."

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Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Zaire-Emery is the youngest player to be called up to the Les Bleus setup since Maurice Gastiger, who earned a nod in 1914. The youngest to ever appear for the team, though, is Eduardo Camavinga, who made his first showing at 17 years, nine months and 29 days. Zaire-Emery could better that if he plays in either of Les Bleus' fixtures this week.

The MCG’s 20,000 square metres of turf will be replaced in October in its biggest resurfacing since the overhaul undertaken after the 2004 AFL season in preparation for the 2006 Commonwealth Games

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2014The MCG’s 20,000 square metres of turf will be replaced in October in its biggest resurfacing since the overhaul undertaken after the 2004 AFL season in preparation for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.Beginning two days after the AFL grand final on September 27, the work will be completed in the month-long window between the AFL and cricket seasons. Around 150 truckloads of turf will reportedly be shipped out and brought in as the venue prepares to host the 2015 World Cup final in March.MCC arenas operations manager Tony Gordon said the replacement was necessary considering the ground was a “high-use” venue. “The life span of any natural turf sports surface is not infinite and, while our artificial lighting system has significantly reduced the need for turf replacement, the MCG is a high-use venue,” Gordon was quoted as saying by . “Strategic turf replacement is crucial to ensuring our playing surface is among the best in the world.”Ten portable cricket pitches will also be installed during the resurfacing, to be completed in time for the first Sheffield Shield fixture of the season between Victoria and New South Wales beginning on October 31.

In the fifth episode of Contenders, a special ten-part buildup to the 2015 World Cup, Rahul Dravid and Graeme Smith discuss co-hosts New Zealand’s chances

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jan-2015From being perennial dark horses, New Zealand are being described as among the favourites for the upcoming World Cup. The co-hosts have been playing some attractive cricket in recent times and appear to have depth in both their batting and bowling departments going into the tournament. In this episode of CONTENDERS, former South Africa captain Graeme Smith and former India captain Rahul Dravid reflect on New Zealand’s chances of winning their first World Cup.What they said about…New Zealand’s chances
Smith: I think they play well in their own conditions. Very, very small grounds and can be difficult to adapt to. But I think that when you look at this side, they’ve built up a really nice one.
Dravid: I think they’ve got a really, really good pace attack. That’s why you look at them and you think these guys are one of the serious contenders.Home advantage
Smith: I think New Zealand are certainly a team to look out for in this tournament. A very exciting team and I think a team that other teams will say, “Jeez, I don’t really want to come up against them in a knockout game.”
Dravid: It’s a much smaller country, sure they’ll expect their team to do well but you’re not going to talk about winning straightaway. I think the pressure is going to be less on the New Zealand players.Brendon McCullum as captain
Smith: I think he’s doing a great job, he’s brought a new dynamic into that side, a little bit of steeliness and creativity and his own batting seems to have gone up a notch since he’s got the captaincy.
Dravid: Under pressure when you need someone to make that key tactical change, that key intervention that can actually turn the game, you’d back him to do it because he’s been in that position before, he’s been someone who has experienced it all.Kane Williamson’s emergence
Smith: His game has gone to a new level and I think he’s provided a stability that New Zealand have always lacked.
Dravid: He’s really creative, he’s got some really good shots. Because he can score quickly without actually looking like he’s taking risks, he’s actually a good classical batsman who is able to find the gaps, hit good cricketing shots, he’s got good consistency as well.Tim Southee as leader of the attack
Smith: I think he swings the new ball and bowls very well at the death. His economy rate is high but we keep referring to those small boundaries in New Zealand.
Dravid: Good control of the yorker under pressure. I think that’s one of the things about Tim Southee. That’s a critical ball to be able to bowl at the back end and we all know that that’s the obvious thing but it’s an extremely hard ball to execute under pressure.Daniel Vettori’s importance
Smith: He’s a difficult guy to rotate the strike so he almost squeezes you and squeezes you into making mistakes. Been a great performer certainly in the short format for a long period of time, had his injuries but I think he’s key for this tournament.
Dravid: Whether he can stay fit through the tournament and how they’ll have to nurse him through the tournament will be interesting to see but there is no doubt that he brings quality and he brings experience to the table, which you cannot buy at a supermarket.

Much of their threat – explosive hitters throughout the batting-order and solid bowling resources – come from their overseas players

Alagappan Muthu08-Apr-20164:51

‘Gujarat seem to have most bases covered’

Big Picture”Hehehehe,” comes an amused voice. It belongs to Dale Steyn and he becomes the epicentre of a crowd of people. There are cries of “please, please, selfie, selfie!” They couldn’t let him go just yet. “One minute, wait please.” Eventually, it is just noise, and a lot of jostling. The policemen can barely maintain a perimeter, but Steyn doesn’t mind. The video ends with him grinning from ear to ear. Both he, and the Indian Premier League, have finally arrived in Rajkot.Gujarat Lions squad

Suresh Raina (capt), Ravindra Jadeja, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, James Faulkner, Dale Steyn, Aaron Finch, Dwayne Smith, Amit Mishra, Praveen Kumar, Pravin Tambe, Dinesh Karthik, Dhawal Kulkarni, Eklavya Dwivedi, Andrew Tye, Ishan Kishan, Shadab Jakati, Jaydev Shah, Pradeep Sangwan, Akshdeep Nath, Paras Dogra, Umang Sharma, Shivil Kaushik, Sarabjit Ladda.

Fans in Rajkot have only seen six international matches in a decade. They can now expect almost as many IPL matches, featuring some of the best cricketers in the world, in a single season. Fostering cricket in smaller centres has been one of the tournament’s aims since its inception – hosting matches in Dharamsala, Raipur, and the fan-park venture last year are fine examples – and after eight years, with Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals suspended, there is a franchise based in one of these smaller centres.It is unclear if Gujarat Lions will persist when Super Kings and Royals’ suspensions lapse. But the team that the owners Intex – a Delhi-based electronics company – has cultivated from a player draft in December and the full auction in February does seem formidable, if a little dependent on overseas talent.Brendon McCullum, two-time world champion Dwayne Bravo, and James Faulkner will not be fazed by responsibility though. Tagging along are the uncapped Indians, most of whom hail from Uttar Pradesh, the state that captain Suresh Raina is from. Local boy Ravindra Jadeja should help in rounding up good crowds as much as he would in knocking off oppositions.Lions have ticked most boxes necessary to be a good T20 team. They have explosive batsmen, and they can disperse them through the order. Some of them – like Raina and Bravo – can anchor or attack. All-round options are aplenty – Bravo, along with Faulkner, is a high-quality, end-overs bowler as well.Burning questions”No matter how much love you get in this new family, how can you let go of all the love you received over the last eight years from the Chennai family? The city had become a second home to all of us,” Raina told . Coping with a new team and new roles, not to mention fronting up against old friends, might feel strange. Lions have had a couple of days to practice and gel, but will that be enough ahead of a two-month tournament?How will they handle the 12 uncapped Indians in the squad? Some of them like Pravin Tambe and Shadab Jakati have IPL experience, Ishan Kishan led India in the Under-19 World Cup in February, Paras Dogra’s contract with the Himachal Pradesh Ranji Trophy probably has a line that says “hit double-centuries, or else”. Others like chinaman Shivil Kaushik, Akshdeep Nath (a former U-19 WC winner) and Umang Sharma (over 1000 runs in the 2015-16 season) are still finding themselves in the Indian domestic circuit.Barring Steyn – who may not find a place among the four overseas players allowed in an XI – Lions are made up of medium-pacers, who may become cannon fodder if the Rajkot pitch reverts to its old, road-like tendencies.The go-to menLions seem to be obsessed with failsafes. McCullum is one of the fiercest openers, but if he goes kaput, out comes the highest run-getter in IPL history, Raina. That combination would also be working overtime on captaincy matters. Then there is Bravo to keep things tight in the middle and end overs but if he can’t, Faulkner’s around for back-up. Those two could probably invent a new slower ball by the time this season ends. And finally Jadeja, who owned any team that set foot in Rajkot in the Ranji Trophy and won his place back in the Indian team.Bargain buyShivil Kaushik will be paid INR 10 lakh for two months’ work. While that may be a lot of money for a 20-year-old, it is near negligible for an IPL franchise. Lions may well get a lot of bang for their buck considering Kaushik is a chinaman in the mould of South Africa’s Paul Adams. He took five wickets in seven matches at the Karnataka Premier League, which was his first taste of competitive cricket, and his coach at Hubli Tigers, Anutosh Poll, said, “He’s a back-of-the-hand bowler. He himself confesses that he doesn’t know which one will turn which way.”AvailabilityNo known injuries at this time.CoachesHead coach – Brad Hodge, bowling coach – Heath Streak, Performance coach – Monty DesaiQuotes”We’ve already started being diplomatic with each other while discussing IPL. I’ve been looking at ways to ask him about his team’s preparations, he’s been doing the same. At dinner tables, at the nets, during practice, both of us are asking each other a lot of things but not revealing anything to each other.”

The attacking midfielder totaled 31 goal contributions during the regular season, and could yet be a future option for Gregg Berhalter

There is no doubting who the biggest star is in MLS anymore. Lionel Messi will wear that crown for as long as he calls Inter Miami his home, drawing in massive crowds wherever he goes. He may not have been able to lift his new team into playoff contention in 2023, but as the postseason rumbles on without him, the league remains abuzz from it's first brush with 'Messi-mania'.

As well as the biggest name, Messi is almost certainly the best player in MLS right now. But despite his quite ridiculous nomination given how little he played in the league due to his injury problems, he will not be taking home the MLS MVP award for 2023. That prize is Acosta's.

Lucho Acosta has spent the past season spearheading FC Cincinnati's best-ever regular season, as they were crowned Supporters' Shield winners while also earning a place in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, where they were beaten by Messi and Miami.

Acosta tallied 17 goals and 14 assists across all regular season competitions, and as a result, was handed the MVP honors. Actively in the process of acquiring his United States citizenship, the 29-year-old is also looking to earn eligibility to represent the U.S. men's national team, and potentially play a role in the 2026 World Cup on American soil.

What the diminutive Acosta lacks in size, he makes up for in skill, intelligence and awareness across the entire pitch. If Gregg Berhalter has the opportunity to add Acosta to his ranks, it automatically raises the standards of the USMNT.

From a failed move to Paris Saint-Germain to turmoil with D.C. United, and now MVP with FC Cincy, Acosta has adapted and continued to excel in MLS. Now, he's finally being recognized for his brilliance.

Getty ImagesWhere it all began

Acosta could barely have gotten a better footballing education as he worked his way through the youth ranks at Boca Juniors; the Argentine giants known as the club of the late, great Diego Maradona.

At just 21, Acosta made the move to the United States, joining D.C. United on loan in 2016 from his beloved Boca. He made an instant impact, with three goals and eight assists in his first season, and United turned his initial loan deal into a permanent one during his first year with the club.

Two years on, Acosta was regarded as one of the best players in MLS, and his lore only grew after D.C. added legendary Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney to their ranks. The duo even scored what might be the most famous goal in league history, while Rooney dubbed Acosta as "one of the best I've played with" during his time in the capital.

However, after a collapsed transfer to PSG, Acosta left United in 2020 on a free transfer, joining Liga MX side Atlas, but returned to MLSwith Cincinnati in 2021 as a Designated Player. Now, two years on, the Argentine has turned Cincy from cellar dwellers to MLS Cup challengers.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesParisian dreams up in smoke

In January 2019, Acosta was the darling of MLS. Flourishing alongside Rooney, he asserted himself as one of the brightest up-and-coming players in the league. Meanwhile, with Miguel Almiron having completed a $27m move from Atlanta United to Newcastle of the Premier League months prior, all eyes were on MLS for who the 'next Almiron' would be.

PSG certainly felt that Acosta fit the bill, and they pursued him like hawk late in the MLS transfer window. Per The Athletic, then-GM of D.C. United, Dave Kasper, traveled with Acosta to Paris to meet with the French giants through an 'unnamed intermediary' – but that's when the deal began to collapse.

The intermediary appeared to give false information to both parties ahead of time, and the two sides couldn't come to an agreement regarding a fee for Acosta, who United valued at $13-15m, while PSG's offer was $9.1m.

Whether Acosta would have made the grade at such an established European powerhouse is anyone's guess, but PSG's interest highlights the level of talent we are talking about here.

Getty ImagesA captain & a champion

When FC Cincinnati joined MLS as an expansion franchise in 2019, they were genuinely awful. There's no point in holding back or trying to frame it in a polite manner. They were awful, and it wasn't just one year of it; it was three-straight seasons where they finished as the worst team in MLS, managing just 14 league wins in that stretch.

Their fortunes changed in the summer of year three, though. Acosta arrived, and they built a squad around a player who had previously shown so much potential in MLS, but left due to the club refusing to build around him and provide the talent needed for him to truly succeed. Cincy didn't make that mistake.

Come 2022, Acosta's first full season with the Orange and Blue, he was named captain, and they qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Progress.

This time around, however, has been the stuff of dreams. Cincy went seven games unbeaten to start the season, and only suffered one loss through their first 22 matches in all competitions. Acosta kept scoring, assisting and leading them to glory, and the Argentine even earned the captains' honors for MLS in their 2023 All-Star game against Arsenal in July.

The 2023 regular-season campaign from Cincinnati has gone down in league history as one the best-ever, only second to the 2021 run by the New England Revolution. Acosta was named on the ballot for 2023 MVP, and is now the first-ever winner of the award for the Orange and Blue. He almost single-handedly turned the franchise around, and is now being touted as an individual who could do that on the national stage – only not with Argentina.

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Getty ImagesBerhalter's next dual-national?

The 2026 World Cup is still over two years away, but the USMNT's planning for the tournament – which America will co-host – began the minute team crashed out of the 2022 edition in the last 16.

One aspect of that planning, that admittedly began before Qatar last winter, has been the convincing of dual-nationals to commit to joining Berhalter's squad. Berhalter has been part-coach, part-recruiter over the past few years, and has secured the services of enough players to make his roster one of the world's most talented.

Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Yunus Musah, Antonee Robinson, Malik Tillman, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jesus Ferreira are just some of the high-profile names to have committed themselves to the U.S. cause in recent times, while the successful pursuit of Folarin Balogun earlier in 2023 left fans abuzz with anticipation as he rejected England's advances. Recent dual-national call-ups Kristoffer Lund, Kevin Paredes and Lennard Maloney could yet become reliable members of the squad in the build-up to 2026, too.

Next on Berhalter's radar is Acosta, who earlier this year started his American citizenship process with a dream of playing for the USMNT. In June, Acosta told that he would "obviously" accept a call-up to the squad if it arrived. The Argentine midfielder added: "It’s one reason I started (the citizenship) process."

Securing Acosta's services would offer the USMNT a veteran presence in their incredibly youthful attack, while allowing them to have an alternative to Gio Reyna at the No.10 position. Reyna's injury history is a cause for concern, and there is no clear back-up for the Borussia Dortmund youngster in the current U.S. squad. Acosta ticks every box that the USMNT need.

Barcelona are hoping to keep Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix at Camp Nou, but permanent transfers for the pair will cost around €105 million (£92m/$113m).

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Portuguese pair joined in summer of 2023Due to spend the season at Camp NouPermanent deals will be sought in 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The reigning La Liga champions put loan agreements in place for the Portugal internationals during the summer window. Versatile defender Cancelo arrived from Premier League giants Manchester City, while Felix made a “dream” move from domestic rivals Atletico Madrid.

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Felix has only netted once in his last 10 games, while questions have been asked of Cancelo as Barca continue to leak goals, but sporting director Deco says the club want to keep both men on board – despite their reported fees coming in at €25m (£22m/$27m) and €80m (£70m/$86m) respectively. Deco has told : “We are still in November, it is early. But of course we are already thinking about it. We see how the season is going. There is no doubt that we want to have them next season, because they are good for the squad. We are happy with their performance. How? We’ll see, these are discussions for later.”

WHAT THEY SAID

While looking ahead to next summer, Deco has claimed that no business will be done in January – with Vitor Roque set to be the only arrival if his agreed switch from Athletico Paranaense is pushed through ahead of schedule. Deco added to : “When the squad was drawn up, it was intended for the entire year. And that idea has not changed nor will it change regardless of fair play. I don’t think we can make any move in January regardless of what happens with Roque.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Barca have faced criticism this season after struggling for consistency in La Liga and Champions League competition, but head coach Xavi retains the full support of the club’s board and the expectation is that a star-studded squad will be reinforced at some point in 2024 – despite much-publicised financial struggles being endured in Catalunya.

Samuel Badree struck 3 for 12 to restrict Sri Lanka to 122 for 9 and an Andre Fletcher half-century thereafter sealed a seven-wicket victory for West Indies

The Report by Alagappan Muthu20-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:46

Jayawardene: Controlled West Indies deserved win

Samuel Badree sticks out in this West Indies team. He has a neat little side parting. He does not have rippling muscles. He celebrates a wicket almost out of courtesy. And all of his wickets tonight in Bangalore came as a result of his inviting the batsmen to make a mistake. Sri Lanka rsvp-ed like crazy. Badree’s 3 for 12 laid the foundation to a comfortable victory over the defending champions.Much of Badree’s success comes from his accuracy. So it was almost surprising to see him bowl one wide at the new batsman Lahiru Thirimanne, until Thirimanne sliced it straight to point. Chamara Kapugedera raced down the pitch too early and Badree had him stumped. Three balls later, Milinda Siriwardana nicked a googly to slip. Those were the wickets to his name. In the fifth over, Badree strung three dot balls on the trot to lead Dinesh Chandimal into running himself out.Badree finished his spell in the 10th over and Sri Lanka were 49 for 5 with very little hope of recovery. They only barely avoided getting bowled out, and their 122 for 9 was expertly run down by a man playing his first T20I in three months – Andre Fletcher. He stepped in for an injured Chris Gayle to open the innings, struck an unbeaten 84 off 64 balls and was out in the middle when the winning run was scored.West Indies may be tussling with their board, their Test team’s reputation may be in the doldrums but the shortest format always brings the best out of them. Fletcher, for example, had a T20I average of 19 before today. But he had improved his reputation via the Caribbean Premier League. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the 2015 edition, behind only his mentor Gayle.”Confidence on the field looks high,” tweeted former West Indian captain Brian Lara as the current captain Darren Sammy broke into jigs while his men celebrated each wicket with gusto. The high-fives could have poked someone’s eye out.But Angelo Mathews’ inexperienced team were at the opposite end of the spectrum. They were worried about far too many things, the reputation of a big-hitting West Indian line-up, for example.Chandimal hit straight to cover and ran because he was off put by the 11 dots he consumed. Thirimanne was facing his first ball of spin and he committed to a loft without realising Badree had tossed it too far wide to be timed properly. Kapugedera was promoted to pinch hit and came back with 6 off 10 balls.All that chaos was exploited by Badree, who read a set of nervous batsmen perfectly. Siriwardana was another Sri Lanka batsman itching to hit the ball, but Badree kept feeding him wrong ‘uns that kept turning past the bat and after two hard-handed pokes that missed the ball, the third fell into the lap of the Gayle at first slip. Badree later dedicated his performance to his two daughters, who “I haven’t seen for the better part of two months.”Thisara Perera would have hoped his 40 off 29 balls rescued Sri Lanka, but his fluency only went on to demonstrate how the rest of the line-up simply did not stand up when they needed to.Most would have expected turning pitches in the subcontinent, but perhaps the format – Twenty20s – and the showpiece event of said format – may have tempted people into hoping for batting-friendly surfaces. The M Chinnaswamy crowd has seen many a batathon through eight seasons of the IPL, but on Sunday, they had to contend themselves to a low-scoring match on a pitch that gave the spinners a lot of assistance. Not quite to the levels of Nagpur, though. It was just enough to keep the contest even and exciting.Jeffrey Vandersay, who arrived in the country only on the eve of the match, bowled a fine spell to finish with 1 for 11 off his four overs. For a 26-year old, he coped under the glare of the World T20 excellently and for a young wristspinner, his control was excellent. Rangana Herath was tidy and Siriwardana took his two wickets by deceiving Marlon Samuels and Denesh Ramdin in flight.But as well as the spinners bowled, Sri Lanka had too little on the board and they hurt themselves with a couple of dropped chances. Opener Johnson Charles was given a life when Kapugedera failed to hold on to a dolly at deep midwicket and Andre Russell was shelled by Nuwan Kulasekara in the 18th over.There were other things that went against Sri Lanka too. Their in-form batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan was adjudged lbw by umpire Johan Cloete when the ball seemed to be heading down leg. Siriwardana then fell on the wrong side of an lbw shout with umpire Aleem Dar. And the third umpire Simon Fry might well have let Fletcher off when he was on 71 after a catch behind the stumps was reviewed. The ball was dying on Chandimal even as he dived forward to try and get his gloves underneath. Multiple camera angles, lots of zooming in and several slow-motion replays only seemed to confuse the issue. The on-field call was out, but Fry overruled it.Gayle, who strained his left hamstring while fielding, had been ready to come out to bat at that time, but he was kept to loitering around in his full gear as West Indies cantered to victory without him to further establish their standing as a T20 powerhouse.

Michael Clarke will make his BBL debut as captain of the Melbourne Stars next summer after signing with the team for the next two years

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Apr-20153:22

Michael Clarke targets BBL title for Stars

Michael Clarke will make his BBL debut as captain of the Melbourne Stars next summer after signing with the team for the next two years. Clarke has not played a Twenty20 match since the 2012 IPL and has never played a domestic T20 game in Australia, in large part because of his international commitments over December-January.However, his decision to retire from ODI cricket at the end of the World Cup last month should mean space is cleared in his schedule from next season. Clarke, who grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney, has previously been part of the Sydney Thunder squad but he said he was now looking forward to helping the Melbourne Stars in the search for their first title.”I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to have success in the Test format and in the most recent one-day World Cup,” Clarke said. “There’s a goal I haven’t achieved yet and that’s trying to help a team win the BBL and I look forward over the challenge over the next couple of years trying to help the Melbourne Stars.”I’m really confident. We have a fantastic team and have done for a few years now. I’m hopeful I can help contribute and bring a title to the Melbourne Stars.”Clarke will succeed Cameron White as captain of the Stars – White has switched to cross-town rivals Melbourne Renegades – and David Hussey will lead the Stars when Clarke is unavailable. Clarke has played only 46 Twenty20 matches since his debut in the format more than a decade ago, and he retired from T20 internationals in 2011.His record in the shortest format pales in comparison to his work in 50-over and first-class cricket: he averages 21.05 a strike-rate of 108.22 with one half-century. He said he was keen to improve his record in the T20 game.”I don’t think it’s a point to prove … obviously I would have liked to have scored more runs than I have,” he said. “My leadership’s had success in the Twenty20 format. [Runs are] a goal for me and I look forward to that challenge.”Clarke’s move will make him a team-mate of Kevin Pietersen, who was second on the BBL run tally last season with 293 runs for the Stars. Pietersen has returned to cricket in England this month, scoring 170 for Surrey in a three-day game in Oxford, and Clarke said he would not be surprised to come up against Pietersen during this year’s Ashes.”He’s certainly showing enough runs,” Clarke said. “He’s made it clear he wants to play … at the moment from the Australian perspective I’m happy he’s not playing because he’s a wonderful player.”