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Plays of the Day from the second ODI between India and Sri Lanka, in Ahmedabad

Andrew Fidel Fernando06-Nov-2014The long stop
Kumar Sangakkara has been in mediocre keeping form this series, and having dropped both centurions in the first ODI, Sangakkara almost managed to gift Ajinkya Rahane his second reprieve in two matches, when he parried a chest-high catch over his head. Mahela Jayawardene at slip was wise to Sangakkara’s indiscretion, though, and in a flash had reacted to the fumble, dived to his left and snatched the ball one-handed, to complete the take.The reprieve
Shikhar Dhawan was one of the batsmen who had had a let-off from Sangakkara in the first match, and on the same score of 10, he was reprieved once again, this time via the umpire’s largess. Lahiru Gamage got a length ball moving across Dhawan, and though the ball collected a thick edge en route to the keeper, Sri Lanka’s raucous appeals were turned down. Dhawan had even glanced back to see if Sangakkara had pouched this one, and would go on to hit 69 more runs.The fluffed copycat
Dhammika Prasad was facing when Ishant Sharma ran in to deliver a free-hit ball in the 50th over, and though Prasad had been expecting a yorker, Ishant sent down a bouncer instead, causing enough surprise for the ball to pass through to the keeper unhindered. When he overstepped himself in the 35th over of India’s innings, Prasad attempted the same ploy. Ambati Rayudu, however, was not even mildly startled. He sat back, expecting Prasad’s bouncer, and slammed him over the cow corner fence to reap maximum benefit from the free hit.The familiar dismissal
Kumar Sangakkara is often well primed to handle some of the best bowling in the world, but he sometimes seems at his most vulnerable when bowlers deliver dross. Having seen out a tough opening period, Sangakkara looked set to cash in on his toil by the middle overs, but Umesh Yadav sent down one of his worst balls of the match, and even with the field up during the batting Powerplay, Sangakkara could not help but slam the thigh-high full toss straight to long-on.

From Edward Schofield, United Kingdom

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
Plenty to like about the ChampionshipThe thought of the County Championship conjures up a wonderfully quintessential English image in one’s mind. Instantly visions of warm yellow sunbeams being cast across a perfectly manicured green outfield and the wizened faces of the onlookers conjure a sense of homeliness and relaxation and the very notion of summer.That feeling of seemingly endless balmy days spent whiling away hours as the play unfolds in front of you brings a glint to the eye and a glow to the soul, almost in that beautifully wistful way when thoughts of pleasant past and glorious present collide.Certainly this is how it feels to lovers of the game, those who almost revel in being classed as sporting outcasts due to their love of this supposedly quaint pursuit by those who simply don’t understand. There’s none of the corporate hoo-ha of the international game, none of the flight-by-night culture, where big earners and big spenders use the day to flex their financial muscles in a status symbol culture hoping to woo fellow prospectors – this is the format for the purists.Whether this is a good or bad thing is up for debate but one thing is for certain county cricket has a special place in the hearts of many. The continual discussion about the worth and place of the four-day game at county level rages on but the fact that it rages on suggests that it does have worth and it does have a place, it’s when the talking stops that greater concern arises.That is not to say there aren’t questions to be answered, the Morgan report has thrown up some controversial issues and it is key that while cricket doesn’t lose its soul, it moves with the times. The nature of the County Championship is that it is likely to be associated with the older generation of fan, the majority of play takes place during the working week, that this is the case is oddly seen by some as a negative, age plays no part in the value of a spectator.Perhaps the demographic of those attending leads to the misconception that the appeal of the Championship is waning, it should not be forgotten that just because people are not able to attend doesn’t mean they are not following the state of the match from afar. That domestic cricket can attract followers on a cold Monday morning in April is impressive in itself, it should also be remembered that the aggregate Championship attendance last season was 70,000 higher than in 2005, an impressive increase.As with all sports, the County Championship does have a responsibility to ensure it has a sustainable future; maintaining interest, renewal of followers and continued relevance are all important. The last of these is naturally tied in with the future of Test cricket and that is another lengthy debate for another time.The other two go hand in hand and there is reason to be positive. Rarely have I felt such anticipation in the build-up to the commencement of the county season, possibly it concerns the excellent season that we are following on from, Lancashire dramatically snatching their first outright title since 1934 on the final day at Taunton, all of course broadcast on Sky. Any television coverage is naturally a major boon to the sport and provides exposure to a version of the game that is often more accessible, with local teams and grounds, and certainly more cost-effective to potential new patrons than the International format. Furthermore there appears more written and discussed on the Championship with the advent of live blogs and ball-by-ball updates on the internet. That major sites such as ESPNcricinfo and The Guardian choose to devote live blogs to coverage is wonderful news for fans and administrators alike.In terms of improving attendances, I would urge all of those in power to do their utmost to encourage people to get into the habit of attending live cricket. Good value is essential of course, ticket deals and tie-ins would be a good development, perhaps offering free tickets with Internationals and T20 purchases as well as free or nominal entry fee after the tea interval. One area that is possibly an untapped market is the student population, many grounds are situated in University heartland and this is a great opportunity to recruit new followers. There is certainly a market there, I was fortunate enough to take in Worcestershire vs Warwickshire at New Road last season on a bank holiday Friday in front of an almost full house in glorious sunshine and it was the epitome of all that the County Championship stands for and a great advert for domestic cricket.Naturally, at the centre of it all is the competition itself and although we may no longer have the privilege of watching the superstar teams like Somerset in the eighties or always have the benefit of overseas heroes staying throughout the season, we certainly are treated to some high quality cricket, played at great intensity. Any fan would have their appetite whetted at the thought of Somerset arriving at the Riverside and seeing Trescothick, Kieswetter and Co taking on Durham’s army of pace bowlers. Cricket doesn’t come much better than Onions, Plunkett and Harmison roaring in at batsmen of that class. Moreover, despite the now sporadic nature of the international players, the County Championship will still see players of the ilk of Katich, Prince, Sarwan, North and Philander at points this year, which is hugely exciting.The County Championship really does have a lot to offer, it represents a beautiful element of sporting culture that has been around for a great many years and has provided a huge amount of pleasure to its followers, it also is an example of the English at play in summer at their very best. Most crucially of course it gives all cricket fans an opportunity to take in the sport they love played by sportsmen of the highest calibre in an array of fantastic venues, old and new. So, let’s hope for a long, warm summer and another hugely enjoyable County Championship season to go with it.

Rahul Sharma’s astonishing success in the IPL has come on the back of an equally stirring recovery from a potentially career-threatening illness

Abhishek Purohit18-May-2011Sachin Tendulkar, Chris Gayle, Adam Gilchrist and Paul Valthaty have scored hundreds in the IPL this year. They also share common ground in a rather unusual place: they have all fallen to Pune Warriors legspinner Rahul Sharma. The tall 24-year old from Jalandhar has been the most impressive Indian domestic bowler this IPL, and one of the few bright spots for Pune in an otherwise disappointing campaign. Rahul has picked up 16 wickets in 12 games, at an economy rate of 5.33, making him the third highest wicket-taker in the tournament as on May 18. That figure seems even more remarkable when compared to other Indian legspinners, particularly the two most prominent: Amit Mishra has gone at 7.07 an over, Piyush Chawla has leaked 7.71.Rahul’s performances against Mumbai Indians, 2 for 7 and 1 for 14, prompted even Tendulkar to compliment him. Not bad for someone who, after being diagnosed with a facial nerve disorder a season ago, had to use eye-drops after every delivery to give himself a chance of spotting the next one in the field.Rahul had signed up with Deccan Chargers for IPL 2010 and was looking forward to making his debut under a man he credits for playing a major role in his rise – Adam Gilchrist. Six days before the tournament began though, Rahul developed severe pain on the right side of his face, his vision became hazy and his doctor declared that he could not play as he had Bell’s Palsy.”I was devastated as I desperately wanted to play,” Rahul told ESPNcricinfo. “But I was weak after taking medication for my condition.” Rahul’s desperation was understandable. After having remained on the fringes of the Punjab team since making his first-class debut in 2006, he had enjoyed a breakthrough 2009-10 domestic season.An extended run with the Ranji side hadn’t produced anything noteworthy apart from a six-wicket haul against Railways, but he topped the bowling averages for Punjab in the Vijay Hazare one-day tournament that followed, taking 13 wickets at an average of 16.38 and an economy rate of 4.12.His illness was causing practical problems before the IPL though. With dodgy vision in one eye, batting was one of them. Even allowing for the fact that he would not be required to perform much with the bat, there was no way he could be sharp while fielding, which is one area where passengers are rudely exposed in the shortest format.That is where Gilchrist came in, and the former Deccan captain’s unwavering support left a lasting mark of gratitude on Rahul. “Gilchrist said I had to push myself to play, no matter what.” A compromise was worked out. Rahul fielded in the 30-yard circle, armed with eye-drops and a towel. “I could not even close my right eye; it was so bad that it used to remain open throughout. So I used to put eye-drops after every ball. I also carried a towel, and used to wipe my eye whenever it started to water too much.”How did an Australian invest so much faith in a little-known young Indian bowler in spite of the potentially career-threatening illness? Rahul said it was due to the sort of commitment Gilchrist has. “He has been the most supportive,” Rahul said. “He is a very dedicated person and talks a lot to his team-mates. Due to my outgoing nature, I used to interact a lot with the Deccan overseas players and got along very well with them. In fact, Andrew Symonds even used to jokingly imitate the twitching of my eye.”A year of treatment has led to a lot of improvement. “It’s just that now my eye closes a bit while bowling, that is all.” That hasn’t prevented him from troubling batsmen with the bounce and zip that he generates using his tall frame. His most expensive four-over spell this season has gone for just 29 runs. Even Lasith Malinga hasn’t been that miserly.The story doesn’t end there. Not one of Rahul’s 16 victims has been a bowler; more often than not, he has dismissed the opposition’s key batsmen, including Kumar Sangakkara twice. The mode of his dismissals is revealing of the restricting fuller line he bowls. Almost all the batsmen have gone either bowled, stumped, leg-before, caught behind or caught at long-off and long-on.

“I could not even close my right eye; it was so bad that it used to remain open throughout. So I used to put eye-drops after every ball. I also carried a towel, and used to wipe my eye whenever it started to water too much.”Rahul Sharma

Rahul says he has always believed in making batsmen play. “There is no point in bowling wide outside off stump, especially in the shorter formats where you are likely to get hit. My strength is bounce, I concentrate on that. I don’t bowl the googly very frequently, but try to use it against a new batsman.”The subtle turn and quicker pace for a legspinner have inevitably brought comparisons with Anil Kumble, and Rahul does not forget to pick his brains whenever he runs in to him. “I treat him as my guru. He has helped me a lot. I have spoken to him whenever I have been in Bangalore.”Rahul started playing as a medium-pacer, and that probably explains the unorthodox action. He turned to legspin during his Under-14 days. He has found it difficult to become a regular in the Punjab Ranji team, though he has been successful in domestic one-dayers for two seasons now. “When I made my debut, Punjab had a lot of good spinners and I also got injured thereafter. Also, because of the ICL, there was a lot of churn and many new players were given chances.”Bhupinder Singh snr and Devender Arora, his coaches, have stood by him. “Whatever I am today, it is due to my parents, Bhupinder sir, Arora sir, and Gilchrist.” It was Bhupinder who pushed for his selection with Deccan.With Gilchrist moving over to Kings XI Punjab, Rahul could have had an opportunity to turn out for his home IPL franchise, but he had already opted for Pune, led by his Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh. “Yuvraj spent some time with the Punjab Ranji team last season, and that is when he got to know me. He has supported me a lot this season. I had eagerly wanted to bowl and he has given me a chance right from the first game. He is very helpful and keeps talking to me throughout, whether on the field or off it.”Having battled against an illness that threatened to take his livelihood away from him, Rahul does not think too much about weighty matters like India selection. He does hope to get a job with the Sahara group. ” (My job is to perform).” Meanwhile, he’ll continue to fight everything that comes in his way.

It was like a home from home for Iain O’Brien at Old Trafford. Instead of windy Wellington it was gale-force Manchester he had to contend with as he ran in from the Stretford End

Andrew McGlashan at Old Trafford25-May-2008

It was like a home from home for Iain O’Brien at Old Trafford. Instead of windy Wellington it was gale-force Manchester he had to contend with as he ran in from the Stretford End. Not that he was complaining, after being given a chance in place of Tim Southee, as his three first-innings wickets provided the perfect supporting act to Daniel Vettori’s five-wicket haul.He also remained bullish about New Zealand’s chances of taking a series lead at Old Trafford despite their batting collapse on the third afternoon. They lost 7 for 29, to leave England needing 294 for victory, after seemingly moving themselves into an impregnable position during the morning by earning a massive advantage of 179.However, O’Brien insists that the force remains with New Zealand after 16 wickets fell in 94 overs on Sunday. He also has history in his favour with the highest run chase on this ground being England’s 231 for 3 to beat West Indies in 2004. “We need to wrap nine up tomorrow, I certainly think we are in front,” he said. “We are pretty confident. We bowled very well this morning. It was a bit loose this afternoon and evening, but we’ll get back to what we did in the morning session and come back out on top.”Vettori will grab New Zealand’s headlines for his latest display of outstanding left-arm spin. However, O’Brien played a crucial role running into a howling gale, something he is used to having played much of his cricket in Wellington. He removed both England’s openers on the second evening before adding Ian Bell on the third day. “It’s as good as I’ve ever bowled,” he said, and he has no issues about being given the tough role.”That’s my job, that’s what I’ve learnt to do bowling at Wellington for seven or eight years,” he said. “It’s one of the windier grounds you will come across and this has been similar. It might have blown a litter harder today than it does at the Basin. It’s what I’ve cut my teeth on, and I certainly enjoy it because no one else wants to do it.”O’Brien was also involved in one of the more curious incidents of the day’s play. Barely anyone appealed apart from the bowler when Kevin Pietersen got an inside edge into his leg that ballooned up for a catch. “I was pretty certain and Jeets [Jeetan Patel] was at cover and he thought it was pretty good as well,” he said. “No one else went up and I thought maybe I’m hearing things. I got the word from the dressing room at the end of the over that he got a chunk on it, but if no one else is going to go up it’s pretty hard for the umpire to raise his finger.”He may be able to smile about that now, but there’s no doubt New Zealand will be roaring appeals for everything on the fourth day. England need 218 to steal the match from under their noses, but O’Brien doesn’t think that will happen.”It would have been nice to have more. Our initial target was anything over 300 so we are pretty happy being around that in front going into their second innings. It’s going to be a heck of chase, if they get it well done. I personally think we will come out all right.”

Paris Saint-Germain are keen on signing in-form striker Serhou Guirassy from Borussia Dortmund this summer, but they may face an uphill battle.

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• Guirassy tipped to make move to one of Europe's elite teams
• His fine goal-scoring form has attracted interest from PSG
• Exit clause conditions could prove to be an obstacle

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report from , Paris Saint-Germain have set their sights on signing a prolific No.9 this summer and have turned their attention towards Borussia Dortmund's Guirassy, who has scored 33 goals in 44 games in all competitions. However, Les Parisiens will face a major hurdle related to the Guinea international's release clause.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Guirassy joined Dortmund from Stuttgart last summer, after he scored 28 goals in as many games in the league to help them qualify for the Champions League. There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the 29-year-old's potential departure this summer, with Premier League teams especially showcasing interest in the forward. BVB managing director Lars Ricken recently spoke about all the rumours related to Guirassy, but seemed to shoot down all the speculation, stating: "Serhou really wanted to join us. And not just to leave after a year!"

• DID YOU KNOW?

  While PSG have always shown themselves to be big spenders in the transfer market, their pursuit of Guirassy will not come without its own obstacles. Indeed, the Dortmund star has a €70 million release clause in his contract, but it can only be exercised by seven teams, namely – Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool. This likely means that PSG might have to pay more than the fee included in his exit clause.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SERHOU GUIRASSY?

  After languishing in mid-table positions for most of the season, Die Schwarzgelben find themselves firmly in contention to seal a spot in next season's Champions League. BVB are currently in fifth place with 54 points, one point below fourth-placed Freiburg and three behind third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt. Guirassy, who has 20 goals in the league this season, will once again be expected to help his side win their final league game against Holstein Kehl on Saturday, May 17.

استطاع منتخب مصر، تسجيل الهدف الأول أمام إثيوبيا، خلال المباراة الجارية حاليًا ضمن منافسات تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع إثيوبيا، على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي، في خضم مواجهات الجولة السابعة من تصفيات كأس العالم.

وأحرز محمد صلاح هدف منتخب مصر الأول في الدقيقة 41 من ركلة جزاء بعد إعاقة محمود حسن تريزيجيه.

طالع أيضاً.. تشكيل منتخب مصر أمام إثيوبيا في تصفيات كأس العالم.. صلاح ومرموش يقودان الهجوم

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولى من تصفيات كأس العالم، رفقة بوركينا فاسو وإثيوبيا وجيبوتي وسيراليون وغينيا بيساو.

ويحتل المنتخب المصري صدارة ترتيب المجموعة الأولى في تصفيات إفريقيا لكأس العالم برصيد 16 نقطة، بينما تتواجد إثيوبيا بالمركز الخامس، ولديها 6 نقاط. هدف محمد صلاح في مباراة مصر وإثيوبيا

محمد صلاح يفتتح التسجيل للمنتخب المصري من ركلة جزاء ⚽

مصر 1 × 0 إثيوبيا#تصفيات_أفريقيا_لكأس_العالم 2026#مصر_إثيوبيا | #SSC pic.twitter.com/ksnWKNKZMN — SSC (@ssc_sports) September 5, 2025

Till the 19th over of the chase, the highest Rajasthan Royals let the asking rate rise to in a 202 chase was 10.88, which was at the end of the first over. And yet, Sunrisers Hyderabad won by one run. Pat Cummins bowled a superb 19th over followed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar successfully defending 12 in the final over despite the over-rate penalty giving them one fewer boundary rider.Even until the last ball, RR remained the favourites, needing two to win, but Rovman Powell missed a calf-high full toss to be out lbw. It was Bhuvneshwar who got their defence to a great start, removing Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson in the first over, but Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag made the chase look easy with their fifties. When Jaiswal fell, they needed 67 off 39; when Parag left, they needed 43 off 25. Shimron Hetmyer and Powell looked like cruising it, and then two hits went straight to the fielders, and Cummins swooped in.This was SRH’s fifth score of 200 or more this IPL, but they took the scenic route to get there after choosing to bat. By all accounts, it was a decision informed by their ordinary chasing record and not the conditions. They found themselves having to start off on a sluggish track, which got better as the evening wore off. In fact they themselves scored 153 in their last 12 overs. For the 18 overs of the RR chase, it seemed those first eight overs had cost SRH the game, who now sit among the top four on the points table.

RR spot on with the new ball

Two left-hand batters as openers was the ideal match-up for RR. Trent Boult is anyway a new-ball ace, but now they could bowl R Ashwin too. Boult was denied a wicket first ball as Parag dropped Travis Head at backward point, but the two combined to bowl four overs for just 25 runs. After CSK had shut the SRH openers down with a sweeper on the off side in the powerplay, Boult went the other way, placing two men deep on the leg side and denying them any room. Ashwin was particularly unlucky he didn’t have a wicket as he kept beating the bat.Avesh Khan and Sandeep Sharma reaped the harvest as they got Abhishek Sharma and Anmolpreet Singh with the first ball each of them bowled, resulting in the slowest powerplay for SRH this year: 37 runs.

Head leads, Reddy follows

After the first time-out, SRH seemed to have decided the pitch had improved. The intent changed visibly. Yuzvendra Chahal was at the receiving end of it as Head pulled and drove him for sixes. He went from 27 off 27 to get to his fifty in 37 balls. Nitish Kumar Reddy followed suit, converting his 5 off 10 into a 30-ball fifty. Even he was ruthless against Chahal, resulting in the second-worst analysis for a spinner in the IPL and also Chahal’s second-worst figures in all T20 cricket: 4-0-62-0.

Reddy, Klaasen close things off

Nitish Kumar Reddy mixed the orthodox with the unorthodox in an unbeaten 76 off 42•BCCI

Head again hit a bit of a rut after reaching his fifty, which ended with him playing on while trying to ramp a wide yorker. Not before he was reprieved again, this time by the third umpire when his bat was clearly in the air when the wicket was broken.However, the real damage to RR came from Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen. Reddy ruined Ashwin’s neat figures by taking two sixes off his final over. Then Klaasen got stuck into Chahal in the 17th over. The RR bowlers were on point with their plans and execution, and it took improvisation and exceptional hitting from Klaasen to take SRH past 200.

Vintage Bhuvneshwar

Bhuvneshwar got the new ball moving, drawing the outside edge from Buttler first ball and going past Samson’s inside edge in the same over. These were his 45th and 46th wickets in the first over in T20 cricket, now only one behind Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 47 and level on joint-top at the IPL with 27.

What seemed the perfect chase

Bhuvneshwar found swing in the second over too, but it met the broad swinging bat of Parag, who hit him for two fours and a six. This was nonchalant, disdainful hitting. Jaiswal was more respectful but just as powerful. His shot at the start of the fourth over went straight into Cummins’ midriff at mid-off, but the SRH captain dropped it. Then Cummins brought himself on to be hit for two fours and monstrous six over long leg. In the next over, Abhishek Sharma dropped Parag at extra cover. It speaks to the consistency in their hitting that the highest the asking rate hovered around 10.

The chaos

Like Head, Jaiswal played on a low full toss as he tried to ramp it. Parag pulled the momentum back by hitting a six two balls later. Small things happened in the 16th over that look huge in hindsight. Parag hit a full toss from Cummins straight to short fine leg. Then he got too close to a half-volley, and holed out to long-on. SRH had a wicket and a rare over without a boundary.Powell, though, settled RR’s nerves with 15 off the 17th, bowled by Marco Jansen. Hetmyer started the 18th with a huge six. Two dot balls later, he mis-hit a full toss and the game was refusing to die. Dhruv Jurel nailed a leg-side half-volley from Cummins straight down the throat of deep square leg following which Cummins bowled three straight dots at Powell, who hit the last ball for six to tilt the balance again.After Ashwin handed over the strike to Powell, he used the fielding penalty to take a boundary through the vacant fine-leg region. Poor throws from the outfield allowed Powell take three couples. One more, and it would be over. Perhaps Powell was expecting something close to a yorker because Bhuvneshwar had been nailing them. The full toss took him by surprise, handing RR their first defeat this IPL while chasing.

MatériaMais Notícias

Carlos Miguel Aidar, que presidiu o São Paulo até outubro de 2015, revisitou polêmicas da época e falou sobre a crise financeira que o clube atravessa.

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Veja a tabela da Copa do Brasil

Pela primeira vez desde sua renúncia, o ex-mandatário trouxe estes assuntos à tona em entrevista para a ‘ESPN’. Sua renúncia aconteceu após polêmicas envolvendo escândalos de corrupção.

Aidar teve dois mandatos no clube: um entre 1984 e 1988, e este mais recente, que durou de abril de 2014 a outubro de 2015.

Sobre sua eleição, afirmou que considerou ‘desleal’ as atitudes que a sua oposição tomou. Na época, sucedeu o comando de Juvenal Juvêncio. Segundo as suas palavras, o pedido de renúncia foi influenciado por uma reunião informal. Aidar ainda disparou que ‘sua saída não resolveu nada no São Paulo e que continuaram fazendo o diabo’.

-Fui eleito sozinho com uma tremenda de uma oposição, terrível, me marcando deslealmente durante o ano de 2014, fazendo acusações infundadas, com inquérito no Ministério Público, processo penal. Tive que sair do meu escritório [de advocacia], porque era uma mídia negativa. Foi um desastre financeiramente para mim, uma fase muito difícil para reerguer – contou.

-Política ferveu, e essa política foi extremamente nociva para o São Paulo. Já foi do Juvenal para mim, ficou depois que eu saí. Numa reunião informal, me foi sugerido que eu renunciasse. Claro, na minha cabeça, acima de tudo era o São Paulo, não o meu mandato. Já tinha títulos, não estava preocupado em me manter no poder. Renunciei, mas mudou alguma coisa? Mudou nada, continuaram fazendo o diabo – completou.

O ex-dirigente afirmou que começou a criar opositores por ‘encerrar’ supostos programas de benefícios para membros do Conselho Deliberativo – que eram vistos na gestão anterior.

-Conselheiro comprou jogador, e a gente ia vivendo com esse aperto. Não tinha mais como dar as benesses que a última gestão do Juvenal deu: ingressos, viagens, compras, carros, caminhão, motorista, segurança. Acabei com isso, e eles acabaram comigo – disse Aidar.

Em julho deste ano, o ex-presidente do São Paulo foi absolvido na justiça das denúncias feitas – que envolviam escândalos de fraudes e lavagem de dinheiro.

Sobre a crise financeira que o Tricolor paulista atravessa, de acordo com as falas do ex-presidente, na sua época, as dívidas do clube já existiam, mas giravam em torno dos R$ 300 milhões. Conforme os balanços mais recentes, esta está estimada em R$ 700 milhões.

-Quando assumi, São Paulo devia alguma coisa em torno de R$ 300 milhões. Não era salário de jogador, mas sim fornecedor, banco, uma série de coisas. Quando deixei, deixei [a dívida total] com R$ 280 milhões. A dívida hoje está beirando R$ 600 milhões pelo que eu sei – disse.

Sobre a situação atual do São Paulo como um todo,Carlos Miguel Aidar disparou contra uma série de atitudes que a gestão do clube ainda toma como referência. Para ele, muito envolve ‘salários absurdos’, ‘jogadores desnecessários’ e a ‘necessidade de uma gestão de choque’.

-Salários absurdos, contratações descabidas, jogadores que não servem. Não é da noite para o dia, tem que haver um fechamento dos registros, das torneiras, todo mundo tem que entender que o São Paulo vai passar um período esquecendo título, mas fala isso para o torcedor. Quem vai ter coragem de falar ‘volta daqui 5 anos porque eu vou pagar conta’? Palmeiras fez, Flamengo fez. Tem que mudar, criar uma meritocracia. A gestão é por mérito, não por acertos políticos, isso não existe – disse.

-Teria que ser feita uma gestão de choque, quase que uma intervenção, ou um grande pacto tricolor. Quando eu assumi em 1984, o São Paulo vinha endividado, vinha de dificuldades financeiras. Em dezembro de 1984, eu entrei no desespero porque não tinha dinheiro para pagar o 13º dos jogadores. Chamei algumas pessoas importantes do clube na minha casa, mostrei o quadro para eles e falei: ‘Vou fazer isso, ou vocês me dão suporte ou o São Paulo não tem solução’. O que eu fiz? Investi loucamente na base, desisti de inúmeros jogadores. Abril de 1988, quando entreguei o São Paulo, tinha dinheiro em caixa, não tinha um centavo de dívida. É isso que precisa ser feito agora – completou.

Procurado pela reportagem do LANCE!, o São Paulo afirmou não ter um posicionamento a respeito das falas do ex-presidenteCarlos Miguel Aidar.

In what could be his second-last appearance in front of the global media at this tournament, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi put the onus on his board and the ICC to prioritise ODIs going forward. Afghanistan, currently placed sixth on eight points, will need to beat South Africa by a huge margin in their last league game on Friday in Ahmedabad and also hope Pakistan lose to England, to progress to the semi-finals”Fifty-over cricket is also important,” Shahidi said in Ahmedabad. “Right now, there are too many leagues, too much T20 cricket and I think 50-overs and Test cricket is more important. If we have those games, we will definitely improve more. We are expecting our cricket board and ICC to give us more matches for our improvement.”Despite his expectation, the discontinuance of the World Cup Super League means that Afghanistan are no longer guaranteed a series against the so-called bigger teams and the most recent version of the FTP shows a calendar that has become leaner. While they played 29 ODIs including series against West Indies, Sri Lanka and Pakistan between the end of the last World Cup and the start of this one (bear in mind that two-and-a-half of those years were severely affected by Covid-19 disruptions), they are scheduled to play 33 in the next cycle, but only six against teams in the top eight and none against Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa or Pakistan. Shahidi is hopeful that will change. “We have a cricket board and management and we are hoping they take a lot of series with other teams. There will be 50-over cricket. I am expecting that.”Related

• Mature Afghanistan leave with immense pride after statement World Cup campaign

• Afghanistan look to finish strong against South Africa

• 'Strange things happen in life' – de Kock is done with ODIs, or is he?

Whatever happens, Afghanistan can look forward to at least some ODI cricket in the not-too-distant future. They cannot finish lower than sixth at this World Cup, which guarantees them a spot at the Champions Trophy in 2025 and an opportunity to play against the other top seven teams in the format.South Africa, their last group-stage opponents at this World Cup and fellow Champions Trophy qualifiers, also have questions over the relevance of the 50-over format, not least because they are due to co-host the next ODI World Cup in 2027 and have earmarked that tournament as theirs to win. They understand that in the four years between this tournament and the next, more T20 leagues, offering more money that Cricket South Africa (CSA) can match, are likely to crop up and players will inevitably be drawn to those at the expense of international cricket.A ready-made example is Quinton de Kock, who is retired from Test and farewells ODIs at this tournament, but has also opted for a gig with Melbourne Renegades for the Big Bash League and out of South Africa’s home series against India. In previous circumstances that would have made him ineligible for the T20 World Cup but CSA has changed their selection policy and now will keep the door for internationals open to players who don’t play in bilaterals. “We are not coming with a fixed mindset. We are very open to the new world. The management of marquee players is going to be important,” Enoch Nkwe, South Africa’s director of cricket said in Ahmedabad.Nkwe hopes that this “new model,” as he called it, will encourage many of the current squad members to continue making themselves available for World Cups, particularly in 2027. “We are hoping the majority of the marquee players will be available for 2027. It’s an opportunity to end their career at home, with the opportunity that we are going to win it,” Nkwe said. “The marquee players are most of the players that are playing in the leagues. David Miller, Quinny [de Kock], Rassie [van der Dussen], Temba [Bavuma] – most of them are in their 30s but when I engage with them, they are so hungry for silverware for South Africa. We are going to have to be realistic and take it a year at a time. Post World Cup I would like to engage with them in terms of the future.”De Kock has already suggested it would be difficult to convince him to come out of retirement, and Nkwe is hopeful that he can be persuaded otherwise in future. “We will give him the space that he needs. I am hoping he will have a sabbatical and then have a rethink. He is excited. He loves playing for the country. I have seen his energy. And I am hoping a couple of months down the line we can have a different conversation.”The main drawcard, according to Nkwe, lies in the format itself because even though there are ICC events every year, “This (the ODI World Cup) is the main one,” he said. “They want this one.”And by the sounds of it, so do Afghanistan.

Fenerbahce have denied Allan Saint-Maximin's claims that they tried "tried to dope him" and have threatened legal action against the winger.

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Saint-Maximin claims Fenerbahce tried to "dope him"Turkish team furiously denies allegationsThreaten legal action against wingerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 28-year-old spent last season on loan at Fenerbahce from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli and said in an interview this month that the Turkish team "tried to dope me". Moreover, when he was sick, he alleges they gave him a treatment that's "considered a doping product". Now, Jose Mourinho's outfit have said they will "exercise their legal rights against these misleading statements" from the Frenchman.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT FENERBAHCE SAID

Fenerbahce said in response: "By distorting the facts regarding the medical treatment he received following a health issue, the player has attempted to mislead the public and damage the reputation of our club. As Fenerbahçe Sports Club, we hereby inform the public that we will exercise all our legal rights against these misleading statements and any attempt to undermine our institutional reputation."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Saint-Maximin's allegations are very serious, with doping scandals in other sports, such as cycling, rocking teams to the core. These comments could damage the reputation of Fenerbahce, and that is why they appear to be ready to sue the former Newcastle United star.

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

Saint-Maximin, who scored four goals and bagged five assists in 31 games at Fenerbahce last season, could be the victim of a lawsuit over his remarks. It also remains to be seen if he will face other ramifications for his comments.