Relembre os caminhos de Palmeiras e Santos até a decisão da Libertadores

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Palmeiras e Santos farão a final da Copa Libertadores 2020/21 no Maracanã no dia 30 de janeiro, às 17h (de Brasília) e as duas equipes chegam a decisão após vencerem nas semifinais fortes clubes argentinos, o River Plate e o Boca Juniors, respectivamente.

> Confira a tabela do Brasileirão e as chances de cada time ser campeão

Para chegar a tão desejada final, a equipe alviverde e o Peixe tiveram que passar por um longo caminho, que começou em março de 2020 e termina quase um ano depois, por conta de todas as complicações impostas pela pandemia da Covid-19. Relembre a trajetória dos dois clubes até a final.

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Com campanha quase perfeita, Palmeiras sobrou na maior parte do torneio

Ainda sob o comando de Vanderlei Luxemburgo, o Palmeiras iniciou a disputa da Libertadores contra o Tigre da Argentina, fora de casa, e venceu por 2 a 0 com um dos gols sendo marcado por um dos artilheiros do time na Copa, Luiz Adriano, além do amplo domínio mostrado pelos palestrinos na partida. No segundo jogo, contra o Guarani, o time mais uma vez se mostrou dominante e contou com atuação espetacular de Luiz Adriano, que guardou logo três gols e garantiu a vitória por 3 a 1 sobre os paraguaios.

A pausa por conta da pandemia da Covid-19

Após ser paralisada no dia 10 de março, a Libertadores só foi voltar em setembro de 2020 e o Palmeiras seguiu vencendo no torneio, ganhando por 2 a 1 do Bolívar na altitude da Bolívia, o que afetou o estilo de jogo e fez o Palmeiras sofrer para confirmar a vitória longe de casa. Na segunda partida diante do Guarani, um empate sem gols no Paraguai e quando recebeu o Bolívar no Allianz Parque, aplicou uma goleada de 5 a 0, com direito ao primeiro gol de Rony na competição.

Para fechar a fase de grupos, mais uma goleada por 5 a 0, dessa vez contra o Tigre, em ótimo jogo de Rony e companhia, fechando a primeira fase com a melhor campanha da competição.

O novo comando do técnicoportuguês

O Palmeiras havia demitido Vanderlei Luxemburgo por conta de resultados negativos e contratou o português Abel Ferreira, que mudou o estilo de jogo do time e o deixou mais ofensivo, agradando a torcida com uma equipe que busca mias o gol do que antes.

Nas oitavas de final, visitou o Delfin no primeiro jogo e venceu com facilidades, 3 a 1 para os alviverdes, entretanto o melhor estava guardado para a volta e mais um placar de 5 a 0, agora com destaque para Gabriel Verón, mostrando as várias opções presentes no elenco palmeirense.

As quartas de final ficaram marcadas pelo primeiro jogo, onde o Palmeiras teve dois jogadores expulsos e quase perdeu no último minuto do tempo regulamentar, mas ficou no 1 a 1. Na volta, uma vitória tranquila no Allianz Parque por 3 a 0 em mais uma atuação excelente de Scarpa e Rony.

O grande desafio seria contra temido River Plate nas semifinais, pois se alegava que o Palmeiras não tinha enfrentado ninguém a altura até essa fase, porém no primeiro jogo na Argentina, o que se viu foi um show palmeirense e um placar de 3 a 0, com Luiz Adriano e Rony se mostrando fundamentais. Na volta, um susto que poderia ser evitado. O River Abriu 2 a 0 no placar e seguiu criando chances em busca do empate no placar agregado, porém não foi o bastante para furar a defesa mandante.

Com a derrota, o Palmeiras perdeu a chance de ser campeão invicto da Libertadores.

Santos, de renegado a chances de título

A vida do Santos na Libertadores não começou de forma fácil por conta de todas as questões extracampo e o time era cotado para cair logo nas fases iniciais do torneio, porém com placares magros contra o Defensa y Justicia e Delfin, por 2 a 1 e 1 a 0, respectivamente, o Santos começava bem a sua caminhada com Jesualdo Ferreira.

A pausa na pandemia e o renascimento interno

Após a volta do futebol brasileiro, o Santos não somou bons resultados e demitiu o português Jesualdo Ferreira, contratando em seu lugar Cuca, que tinha o trabalho de chegar longe sem poder fazer contratações no mercado.

O primeiro jogo da Libertadores sob o novo técnico foi um 0 a 0 contra o Olimpia na Vila Belmiro, porém a equipe mostrou uma enorme melhora de rendimento. Na partida seguinte, vitória sobre o Delfin por 2 a 1 e o primeiro gol de Marinho na competição.

A perda de Sánchez e a reformulação no meio campo

Contra o Olimpia, o Santos venceu por 3 a 2 em jogo sofrido e ainda contou com a péssima notícia da lesão de Carlos Sánchez, que ficaria machucado pelo restante da temporada. Para fechar a fase de grupos, uma vitória por 2 a 1 sobre o Defensa y Justicia para assegurar a segunda melhor campanha da fase.

No primeiro jogo das oitavas de final, uma vitória sobre a LDU de 2 a 1 e na volta uma derrota por 1 a 0 em casa, mas que era o bastante para a classificação por conta do gol fora.

Nas quartas, um encontro com outro brasileiro, o Grêmio, e na ida, um jogo tenso e com muitas emoções, com os mandantes dominando a partida, mas o Santos apostando nos contra-ataques para matar o jogo. O placar final terminou 1 a 1 e com tudo em aberto para a volta. Na Vila Belmiro, o Santos não tomou conhecimento do adversário e fez logo 4 a 1, com a ausência de Soteldo, que estava contaminado com a Covid-19, mas que viu Marinho e Kaio Jorge acabarem com o jogo.

4% é muito!

Na semifinal contra o Boca Juniors, com todo o favoritismo sendo apontado para os estrangeiros, um jogo de ida tenso e amarrado no meio de campo e com polêmica em pênalti não marcado em Marinho. Entretanto na volta, mais um show da dupla Marinho e Soteldo, que infernizaram a zaga argentina e levaram o Santos a sua quinta final de Libertadores na história.

Bruno Guimaraes left fuming after what’s happened at Newcastle this week

One "superb" Newcastle United star has been left fuming by something that has happened at the club this week, and it could even lead to his exit at some point in the near future.

Newcastle out of Champions League

It is common knowledge that Eddie Howe's side are experiencing a stuttering 2023/24 season, with a combination of form, injuries and fatigue all seemingly working against them. On Wednesday evening, Newcastle were sent crashing out of the Champions League, and Europe in general, as AC Milan won 2-1 at St James' Park.

It was the latest disappointing outing by the Magpies, but there is still so much to play for, with a top-four finish in the Premier League far from out of the question, especially without European distractions now. The domestic cups also offer a chance of silverware, with an EFL Cup quarter-final clash away to Chelsea arriving next Tuesday.

Newcastle's form needs to improve, though, in order to show their current heroes that this project is still heading in the right direction, but a worrying update has emerged regarding one such figure.

Newcastle star Bruno furious

According to Football Transfers, Bruno Guimaraes is 'furious' about Newcastle's Champions League exit. The report adds that Barcelona could also sell Robert Lewandowski to fund a move to sign the midfielder in 2024, adding to Newcastle's potential problems next year.

Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

"Barcelona may sell Robert Lewandowski to sign Bruno Guimaraes in the summer, FootballTransfers is told. The Newcastle midfielder – who is furious with the club’s exit from the Champions League, sources have informed us – signed a five-year contract extension in October. As revealed, his release clause is a fixed £100million and it is accessible to any club, including those in the Premier League.

"The Brazil international’s ambition is playing in the Champions League and if Newcastle miss out on the competition this season, it’s thought that he could be open to offers from Spain in the summer, as much as he loves playing for Magpies and under Eddie Howe."

The idea of losing Bruno isn't worth thinking about for Newcastle supporters, considering the impact that the Brazilian has made during his time at the club, which is now approaching two years. Magpies legend Alan Shearer has hailed him as "superb", which speaks volumes.

His arrival immediately seemed to help Howe's side find a new gear, with the 26-year-old not only a technically gifted footballer with box-to-box quality, but also a fierce competitor with a fire in his belly.

Appearances

15

Goals

1

Assists

1

Pass completion rate

86.9%

Tackles per game

2.3

Bruno is someone with big ambitions, however, and he may want to be playing Champions League football throughout his career, so the importance of Newcastle securing another top-four finish cannot be downplayed, with failure to potentially proving fatal.

It does feel as though Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal will likely have the first three places taken come May, but that fourth place does feel up for grabs, and Howe's men must do all they can get it, or force possibly going backwards and losing talents such as Bruno.

رسميًا | برشلونة يعلن رحيل تياجو ألكانتارا ويكشف عن بديله

أعلن نادي برشلونة الإسباني رحيل تياجو ألكانتارا عن الجهاز المعاون للمدير الفني هانز فليك، في بيان رسمي.

وأفاد برشلونة في بيانه بأن أرناو بلانكو دخل في مكان تياجو ألكانتارا، في طاقم عمل فليك.

وسيكون لبلانكو، نفس المهام التي يقوم بها تياجو ألكانتارا، وقد سبق وعمل في برشلونة لمدة 11 عامًا مع فريق الناشئين.

برشلونة سبق وأعلن انضمام ألكانتارا لجهاز فليك في تدريب الفريق 17 يوليو الماضي، أي قبل أقل من شهر من إقالته.

اقرأ أيضًا | من سريره في المستشفى.. أول تعليق من والد لامين يامال بعد تعرضه لمحاولة اغتيال

وتولى فليك تدريب برشلونة خلفًا لتشافي هيرنانديز والذي تمت إقالته من منصبه كمدير فني للفريق.

وبدأت منافسات الدوري الإسباني لموسم 2024-2025 أمس الخميس، بمواجهتين بين أتلتيك بلباو وخيتافي، وأخرى بين جيرونا وريال بيتيس، وانتهى كلاهما بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لمثله.

ويفتتح برشلونة مشواره غدًا السبت في الجولة الأولى للدوري الإسباني بمواجهة أمام فالنسيا.

Kylian Mbappe left behind by PSG team bus after Champions League defeat against Borussia Dortmund in Germany

Kylian Mbappe was reportedly left behind by the Paris Saint-Germain team bus after their Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund in Germany.

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Mbappe drew blank in PSG's defeat to BVBFrench star left behind at Signal Iduna ParkRejoined his teammates at the airportWHAT HAPPENED?

The first leg of the semifinal clash saw PSG falter against Dortmund, with Niclas Fullkrug's first-half goal securing a vital win for the German side. Despite the Parisians' concerted efforts in the second half, they failed to break through Dortmund's resilient defence, leaving Mbappe and his teammates frustrated on the pitch.

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Following the match, Mbappe found himself stranded at the Signal Iduna Park with the rest of his teammates leaving for the airport. According to the forward appeared for a random drug test which delayed his departure from the stadium. However, he later got reunited with his teammates at the airport for the return journey to Paris.

DID YOU KNOW?

Mbappe got several opportunities against Dortmund but was denied by the post which added to his disappointment. However, his manager remains upbeat that his troops can turn around the tie with the decisive leg set to be played in Paris next week.

"In the last two rounds, they had the home game as their second game, whereas it was the other way round for us," he said. "Now it's a different and new scenario, we'll have the crowd on our side in the second leg. I would have liked to create the chances we have created, but you have to be effective to score. We'll see what version we show in Paris."

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

With tensions running high and the pressure mounting, PSG's ability to bounce back from adversity will be put to test next Tuesday by a resurgent Dortmund team who knocked out Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals. Enrique has the full week to prepare his men for the clash as they have no domestic commitments over the weekend.

Leeds and 49ers interested in signing “unbelievable” full-back for Farke

Leeds United are showing some promising form in the Championship and now look ready to open their transfer chequebook in January after identifying a talented young target, according to a new report.

Leeds United cast eye to festive period…

Much goes on during the festive period in football, with a congested fixture period usually on the cards for those concerned, alongside the reality of the January transfer window drawing ever closer to opening for business. Leeds are no different in this sense and will have to factor both of these upcoming events into consideration in the next few weeks as Daniel Farke continues to do a sterling job at Elland Road.

So far, the Whites have given a good account of themselves all told, claiming 31 points from their opening 16 fixtures in the English second-tier ahead of their trip to face Rotherham United on Friday evening. Nevertheless, Farke doesn't believe that his side will feel added pressure to cut the gap on Ipswich Town to five points at the AESSEAL Stadium, as journalist Phil Hay described his response to the notion, stating on social media platform X:

"Farke doesn't think the chance to put pressure on Leicester/Ipswich with an early game is significant. Says that in his view, the last five or six games of the season are where you get scenarios where you have to hold your nerve. #lufc."

Casting an eye to the January transfer window, Leeds are keen on Cape Town Spurs striker Luke Baartman; however, they will face competition from other English clubs and Scottish Premiership champions Celtic to sign the 17-year-old. Now, a fresh report has emerged detailing that Farke has a promising young defender on his radar as the Yorkshire outfit start to make inroads concerning their New Year transfer plans.

Leeds United want Sam Curtis

According to 90min, Leeds, and by extension the 49ers Enterprises, appear to be in the market for a new full-back and have identified St Patrick's Athletic youngster Sam Curtis as a target.

Sam Curtis stats at St Patrick's Athletic in 2023 – (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

39

Goals

3

Assists

3

Nevertheless, competition to sign the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international is vast and Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough, Hull City and Celtic are all keen to swoop for the right-back, who is expected to leave his homeland in the Irish off-season.

Leeds United manager Daniel Farke.

Tom Grivosti, who is a teammate of Curtis in Dublin, afforded the 17-year-old high praise earlier this year in an interview, as he stated when asked about his abilities:

"For a young kid I’ve never seen anything like it. He’s unbelievable. Even in his general play he is getting better all the time."

In years gone by, Leeds have had a number of Irish players who have gone on to feature for the club, including the likes of Gary Kelly, Robbie Keane, Ian Harte and Aidy White, among others. Now, the Whites could be set to once again tap into the Emerald Isle's talent pool in a move that could potentially secure a star of the future at Elland Road, with the club not afraid to hand youngsters first-team opportunities, as seen with Archie Gray this season.

£150,000-per-week star eyeing move to Arsenal with January exit certain

One club's £150,000-per-week player is apparently eyeing a potential move to Arsenal, and it's been reported that he's certain to leave in January.

Edu's hunt for new midfielder

Thomas Partey's ever-present injury problems have been a thorn Mikel Arteta's side so far this season, and with a few other central midfield options set to leave for free next summer, now could be the time for sporting director Edu to bring in some cover. Both Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny could leave upon the expiry of their contracts at the end of this Premier League season, which would leave Arteta with just Declan Rice as the star defensive midfielder if Partey leaves as well.

"He's gone" – TalkSport pundit thinks £100m star may actually join Arsenal

There’s a consensus he’s on the way out.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 23, 2023

The Ghanaian, alongside his fitness issues, has also been tipped to quit Arsenal by various sections of the press. As a result, there have been persistent rumours that the north Londoners are eyeing up new midfield reinforcements this January. According to reports, Arteta is a big fan of Douglas Luiz, who is currently starring at Aston Villa under Unai Emery.

However, the Brazilian's signing is seen as a "very difficult" deal to get done by reliable journalists like Fabrizio Romano. Commenting on their links to former Wolves star Ruben Neves recently, Romano said (via CaughtOffside):

“I think that’s why there are these links, but at the moment there are no negotiations, and in fact the dream target for Arsenal in midfield is Douglas Luiz. It’s a complicated deal, though…he’s Arsenal’s dream target – they see him as a perfect midfielder with a big future, but unless they are able to come in with a very big package of money, it’s going to be very difficult for them to get this deal done.”

Aston Villa midfielderDouglas Luiz.

Therefore, it may be wise for Arteta and Edu to look at alternative options for January. One player who could be much more attainable is Man City midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

Phillips eyeing potential Arsenal move

The England international is a regular under Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate but can barely get a look-in from City manager Pep Guardiola at club level. Phillips is stuck far behind in the pecking order, and hopes of him competing with Rodri for a starting place are waning with each passing week.

conor-gallagher-kalvin-phillips-newcastle-opinion

Signed from Leeds in the summer of 2022, it's a match which just hasn't worked out, but City's loss could be Arsenal's gain. According to Tutto Juve, Phillips is certain to leave Eastlands in the winter window, and Arsenal are one of the player's "favourite destinations" alongside Newcastle.

Serie A heavyweights are believed to be in the frame too, but the Gunners and Eddie Howe have a firm advantage given the 27-year-old's desire to remain in England.

On a reported £150,000-per-week pay packet (spotrac), both Phillips and Rice have complemented each other excellently for England. The pair could well do so for Arsenal at club level if Edu decides the former Leeds star is worth the punt.

Phillips was a star at Elland Road before his switch to City, with former midfielder Andrew Hughes calling him a "very special" player (The Athletic).

Tripura slump to 35 all out, Abhinav rises above Chennai turner

All the major talking points from the first day of the ninth round of the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy

Deivarayan Muthu07-Jan-2019

Abhinav Mukund celebrates his hundred•Sivaraman Kitta

Choudhary razes Tripura for 35Rajasthan’s left-arm quick Aniket Choudhary scooped up his seventh five-wicket haul of the season to skittle Tripura out for 35, their lowest total in first-class cricket, at the Maharaja Bir Bikram college stadium in Agartala. Tripura’s previous lowest total was 42 against Bengal at the Polytechnic institute ground in Agartala in January 1996. Twenty-three years later, they crashed to a new low, getting bowled out in 18.4 overs. It exemplified the gulf between the two sides: Rajasthan are already through to the knockouts with six wins in eight completed matches while Tripura are second from bottom with a solitary win so far.After opting to bat, Tripura lost both their openers Kaushal Acharjee and Joydeep Banik to Choudhary in the second over. The early wobble then turned into a full-blown collapse, with only No. 9 Neelambuj Vats reaching double-figures. To add to Tripura’s woes, their captain Smit Patel retired hurt on 2.While Choudhary came away with 5 for 11, Tanvir Ul-Haq took 3 for 1 and extended his first-class tally to 99 wickets. Choudhary and Tanvir weren’t done yet. They both made thirties with the bat to hand Rajasthan a 183-run first-innings lead. Tripura saw off one over in their second innings and closed out the day at 4 for 0.Wickets tumble in Vadodara and DelhiWhile 22 wickets tumbled at the Moti Bagh Stadium in Vadodara, 19 fell at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi. Seventeen out of the 22 wickets in the Baroda-Karnataka game went to the spinners.After choosing to bat, Karnataka were dismissed for 112 in the morning session, with only captain Manish Pandey (43) and wicketkeeper-batsman BR Sharath (30) passing 15. Left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt and offspinner Soaeb Tai picked up five wickets between them.Karnataka’s spinners – left-arm spinners J Suchith and teenage debutant Shubhang Hegde and legspinner Shreyas Gopal – thrived too, sharing nine wickets, but Baroda pulled ahead thanks to fifties from Vishnu Solanki and former captain Deepak Hooda.Hegde, who had bowled at the India nets in the lead-up to the India-Australia Test in Bengaluru in 2017, claimed four wickets but wound up conceding 74 runs in his 17 overs.Facing a 111-run deficit, Karnataka lost opener R Samarth and nightwatchman Hegde for ducks to end the day 13 for 2 in their second innings. Bhatt, who took the new ball with Krunal Pandya, collected both the wickets to stretch his match haul to five.Spinners, particularly left-arm spinners, also ruled the roost in the Maharashtra-Railways clash in Delhi. Railways left-arm spinner Avinash Yadav, who took the new ball after Mahrashtra opted to bat, carved up the top and middle order to bowl out the visitors for 70 in just 23.2 overs. It was Maharashtra’s fourth-lowest total in first-class cricket – and their lowest in 40 years.Satyajeet Bachhav, who top-scored for Maharashtra with 15, played a bigger role with his left-arm spin, picking up a career-best 7 for 73 to keep Railways to 184 for 9 at stumps.Bhargav Bhatt appeals•Sivaraman Kitta

Shubman Gill zooms to 1000A year after becoming the fastest to 1000 runs in Youth ODIs and winning the Under-19 World Cup, Shubman Gill passed 1000 runs in first-class cricket in his 15th innings. His unbeaten 36 off 57 balls took Punjab to 47 for 2 in their must-win game against Bengal in Kolkata.Bengal were earlier bowled out for 187, with left-arm spinner Vinay Choudhary claiming a career-best 6 for 62.Abhinav rises above Chennai turnerThe clash between Tamil Nadu and Delhi at the Chepauk was an inconsequential one, with neither side in contention for the knockouts, but Abhinav Mukund rose above a turning track with his 29th first-class hundred. A ripping offbreak from Shivam Sharma started around leg stump and screamed away past his outside edge and off stump in the morning and quite a few balls kept low on a first-day pitch, but Abhinav brushed those incidents off and gifted himself back-to-back centuries, a day after his 29th birthday. He had struck 128 against Himachal Pradesh in the previous round to surpass S Sharath and become Tamil Nadu’s top scorer in the Ranji Trophy.Here he put on 155 for the third wicket with his captain B Indrajith to blunt the Delhi attack. While Indrajith was dismissed for 86 by Vikas Mishra, Abhinav was unbeaten on 104 at stumps.Click here for a full list of Ranji scorecards

Injured Martin Guptill out of India T20Is

Allrounder James Neesham has been drafted in as his replacement

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2019New Zealand opener Martin Guptill, who had missed the fifth ODI against India in Wellington, has also been sidelined from the upcoming three-match T20I series, which begins at the same venue on Wednesday.Seam-bowling allrounder James Neesham, who had been initially left out of the T20I squad, has now been drafted in as Guptill’s replacement.Guptill reportedly sustained the injury while throwing a ball during fielding practice on the eve of the Wellington ODI. He will return home to Auckland and rest ahead of three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, which begins on February 13 in Napier.”Unfortunately Martin hasn’t recovered in time for this T20 series – which is very condensed with three games over five days,” coach Gary Stead said. “It’s a shame as he’s obviously a big part of our white-ball sides, but we’ve got to look at the big picture and ensure he gets the injury right.”Neesham marked his return to international cricket after a gap with an unbeaten 47 off 13 balls, including five sixes in a Thisara Perera over, in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in January. He, however, sustained a hamstring strain soon after and missed the one-off T20I against Sri Lanka. However, after proving his fitness in the domestic Super Smash T20 tournament, he returned for the final two ODIs against India. He was particularly impressive in the fifth ODI at Westpac Stadium, where he took 1 for 33 and made 44 off 32 balls before being run-out by MS Dhoni.”It’s great to have Jimmy coming into the side after some encouraging ODI performances,” Stead noted.Henry Nicholls isn’t part of the T20I squad, which means either Kane Williamson or wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert will open with Colin Munro. In the absence of both Guptill and Nicholls, New Zealand will have their fourth different opening combination in four limited-overs games.Squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1 and 2), James Neesham, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wk), Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner (game 3)

Shreyas Iyer ruled out, Yuvraj Singh to play in final Ranji round

Mumbai drop Tare, Iyer misses outOut of contention for a knockouts berth, Mumbai have left out experienced wicketkeeper and former captain Aditya Tare from their squad of 15 for their final league fixture against Chhattisgarh. Eknath Kerkar, the 25-year old who struck an unbeaten half-century on first-class debut against Baroda, is likely to slot into the XI as his replacement.ESPNcricinfo understands that Tare has been dropped, even though he is the fourth-highest run-getter for Mumbai this season. His 370 runs in 14 innings, which include three half-centuries and a hundred, have come at 33.63. He has a highest of 15 in his last six innings, however.Tare isn’t the only big name missing. Shreyas Iyer too is set to miss out, after complaining of a stiff back. Iyer, who led Mumbai to the Vijay Hazare Trophy title in October, had recently spoken out about fatigue when he featured in a Ranji fixture less than 24 hours after returning from an India A tour of New Zealand.Mumbai will, however, have Dhawal Kulkarni back after he had been left out for the previous game against Vidarbha. Kulkarni’s exclusion caused some confusion in the Mumbai camp. The bowler declared himself fit following a three-week rehabilitation for an ankle injury, but the selectors clarified that playing three fast bowlers – Shardul Thakur and Tushar Deshpande being the other two – with a history of injuries “may have been a huge risk”. Kulkarni has so far featured in three matches this season, picking up eight wickets with a best of 3 for 71.Teenager Jaiswal likely to debutIndia Under-19 batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal has returned to Mumbai’s senior squad and could be handed a debut. The 17-year old Jaiswal scored an unbeaten double-century in a drawn fixture against Andhra in the CK Nayudu Trophy (Under-23 four-dayers) in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. The left-hand opener scored a 280-ball 241 in the second innings, and forged a partnership with Armaan Jaffer, who made 147. Armaan, incidentally, was part of Mumbai’s Ranji plans this season, but has been out of favour after scoring only 11 runs in four innings.Yuvraj Singh to feature for PunjabYuvraj Singh will be playing in Punjab’s final league match against Bengal in Kolkata. Yuvraj has played four out of the seven Ranji matches Punjab have taken part in, and this will be his fifth. This is a crucial match for both Punjab and Bengal, with both teams needing a win, ideally with a bonus point, to cement their positions in the top five of the combined Groups A and B. Punjab have 20 points, while Bengal have 22. Yuvraj, meanwhile, believes that the man to keep an eye on is Shubman Gill, the 19-year-old opener. “He is a young guy whose batting I like to watch,” Yuvraj said. “He is very exciting. He should serve India for a long time but that will also depend on how well he is looked after.”Out of knockouts race, Tamil Nadu punt on youthTamil Nadu will be without Dinesh Karthik for their final league game at home against Delhi as he’s part of India’s ODI squad for the series in Australia and New Zealand. Karthik is just one game away from equalling S Venkataraghavan’s record for most first-class games for Tamil Nadu.They have included Pradosh Ranjan Paul, the teenage batsman, who is likely to debut along with spinner S Mohan Prasath. Pradosh, who represents the Grand Slam Cricket Club in TNCA’s first-division league, was born in Bhubaneswar, and now lives in the industrial town of Tirupur. Since being spotted at an age-group camp, he now trains in Chennai and was part of the side’s pre-season preparatory camp. This is his maiden call-up.

Dravid wants Rathour on coaching staff but it may lead to conflict of interest

The head coach wants to expand the coaching staff of the India A and Under-19 teams, but BCCI secretary says hiring Rathour may lead to conflict of interest

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Feb-2019

IDI via Getty Images

In a bid to expand the coaching staff of India A and Under-19 teams, head coach Rahul Dravid has requested the BCCI to bring former India opener Vikram Rathour and ex-India and Haryana wicketkeeper Vijay Yadav on board. Dravid believes that, with the busy schedule ahead, expanding the support staff would help him not just share the workload but also develop coaches for the future.However, Rathour’s name has sparked a controversy in the media and a note of dissent from acting BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary, who believes it will be a conflict of interest – Rathour is the brother-in-law of former India offspinner Aashish Kapoor, the chairman of India’s junior selection committee.On January 30, Dravid wrote to Saba Karim, BCCI’s general manager (cricket operations), saying he wanted extra personnel on the coaching staff to assist him in looking after the two teams. Both men had met earlier in January to chalk out a pathway for qualified Indian coaches who could be given work experience at the India A and Under-19 levels. Dravid suggested to Karim that Rathour could join as early as February 13, when India A start their second unofficial Test against England Lions in Mysore.”With regards to our discussion and plans for short- and medium-terms for India A and Under-19 teams in the pathways programme I do feel that with the upcoming amount of cricket for both these teams it would be beneficial to bring in more support/coaching staff into the system,” Dravid said In the e-mail, accessed by ESPNcricinfo. “It will help us when tours are happening etc.”Keeping the medium-term programme in mind I would recommend that we bring in Vikram Rathour, who has been a former international player, selector and a qualified coach, into our development programme so that he can work with us and assist us as and when required. My suggestion is that we could start with the second India A Test at Mysore and onto the India U-19 series against South Africa. This will also help us in developing of our coaches which should be an important part of our process. “Dravid told Karim that upcoming Indian coaches could be hired on a part-time basis to help them understand the dynamics of the coaching requirements at the Under-19 and India A levels. During their meeting, Dravid pointed out that he, along with Paras Mhambrey and Abhay Sharma (assistant coaches for India A), would be increasingly focusing on preparations for the Under-19 World Cup next year, and hence it was imperative to expand the coaching staff. As part of those preparations, the BCCI is conducting a quadrangular series comprising two youth teams from India, along with South Africa and Afghanistan. That series, to be played in March, would follow the two unofficial Youth Tests between India and South Africa starting February 20.Fotocorp

Subsequently, in another e-mail, Dravid told Karim that Yadav should be roped in from the quadrangular series in March. Yadav had already served as the fielding coach of the India Under-19 team in previous Emerging Asia Cup tournaments.”In addition to Vikram Rathour I would also say we bring in Vijay Yadav to be a part of the coaching staff during the Quadrangular Under-19 series next month. He has been part of the NCA and also Under-19 and India A teams in the recent past.”Karim, along with BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, agreed to bringing Rathour and Yadav on board subject to the approval of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), the supervisory authority of the BCCI until fresh elections are conducted. Karim also checked with Rathour for his willingness while asking him to disclose any conflict of interest. Rathour is understood to have agreed on Monday, while admitting he was related to Kapoor.Under the BCCI constitution, the ethics officer is the authority to adjudicate on conflict issues. However, with no ethics officer in place, the CoA will have to decide on Dravid’s recommendations. Vinod Rai, the CoA chairman, said that he would consult his colleague Diana Edulji before taking a final decision. “The appointment has not been done,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “No approval has been given.”Choudhary, on the other hand, questioned the “process” in hiring Rathour and whether the position he would be appointed to had been advertised. “What exactly was the process that was followed?” Choudhary wrote in an email to the CoA, Johri, Karim and the two other BCCI office-bearers. “Knowing Rahul [Dravid], I am certain that even if he would have recommended a name, he would not have said that processes must not be followed to engage the services of Vikram.”I also see that the matter of conflict of interest has been raised in the media and I am surprised that this was not known to the person making the decision since the crux of the conflict has been in the public domain at least for the last two-and-a-half years.”Rai said the reason the job was not advertised was because it was “only part-time and not a full-time appointment so that a process was required.” As for the perceived conflict issue, Rai said he had received Rathour’s reply via Karim on Monday.

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