Pandurang Salgaoncar, who was suspended from his role of curator by the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) in October, has also been handed a suspension by the ICC for “failing to report an approach to engage in corrupt conduct”. The issue had emerged ahead of the second ODI between India and New Zealand on October 25, following a sting operation by India Today TV; footage showed the curator telling undercover reporters that the pitch will be full of runs.However, the ICC said, no evidence had been found of Salgaoncar “actually having been engaged in corruption.”Alex Marshall, the ICC’s general manager, anti-corruption, said: “We have carried out an extensive investigation based on the allegations made by India Today and the material they shared with us. I am satisfied that Mr Salgaonkar has no case to answer on the broad allegations of corruption made by India Today.”However, as he is bound by the ICC Anti-Corruption Code as a participant of the sport, he has been charged with breaching section 2.4.4 of the Code for his failure to report an approach to engage in corrupt conduct. Mr Salgaonkar has accepted that he has committed the offence and has received a six-month suspension.”The ICC’s suspension will be backdated to October 25, 2017 – the day he was suspended by the MCA – meaning he can return to work on April 24, 2018.India Today TV had said its reporters shot the video with Salgaoncar over two days (October 23 and 24) leading up to the New Zealand ODI, alleging corrupt activity on his part. In the video, Salgaoncar is seen telling the reporters: “It [the pitch] is very good. It will garner 337 runs. And 337 will be chaseable.” New Zealand made 230 in the match, and India chased down the target four overs to spare on a slowing track.

Leeds United could be set to make a late move in this summer's transfer window for an attacking reinforcement in the form of Brandon Thomas-Asante.

Is Thomas-Asante replacing Sinisterra?

It has been a turbulent summer for the Whites following their disappointing 2022/23 campaign which saw them slip out of the Premier League.

Following Daniel Farke's arrival, the Yorkshire side have seen a number of players head for the exit doors at Elland Road. Some of these exits have consisted of players who featured heavily in last season's campaign in the top flight.

However, there has not been a huge influx of money from those exits with only Tyler Adams' £25m move to Bournemouth generating any significant funds, and they now look set to lose Luis Sinisterra to the Cherries as well on an initial loan deal.

And even with hours remaining in the window, there remain questions marks as to whether another exciting winger, Wilfried Gnonto, could still leave the club. He has been heavily linked with a potential return to the Premier League with Everton believed to be a club seriously interested in the Italian youngster.

Perhaps as a result of the possible exits of both Sinisterra and Gnonto, there have been some suggestions that Leeds could make a move for West Bromwich Albion's Thomas-Asante.

Indeed, according to the Daily Mail, the Whites have enquired about the possibility of signing the 24-year-old, who has also received interest from Stoke City. It is believed the Albion have already rejected a £2m approach from the Potters.

How good is Brandon Thomas-Asante?

The 24-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent years which has seen him move from Ebbsfleet, to Salford and then to the Baggies.

Having made 33 appearances for the Albion in the Championship last season – 20 of those coming in the starting XI – the £20k-per-week Englishman was able to provide a return of seven league goals (via Transfermarkt).

The Whites have already lost last season's top scorer in Rodrigo after he left for Qatar earlier in the summer, but have provided Farke with some reinforcement with the arrival of Joel Piroe in recent weeks.

However, their start to life back in the Championship has certainly not been a straightforward one with just five points on the board from their opening four games. And even in their only win of the campaign, it did not come without some serious threat from the opposition after narrowly taking the points in a 4-3 win over Ipswich Town.

But in Thomas-Asante, the Yorkshire side could be bringing in a player who has been hailed as a "poacher" in front of goal by journalist Lewis Cox and is capable of playing right across the front three, so could slot in perfectly alongside Piroe instead of Sinisterra.

And the same journalist has heavily praised the Englishman's journey to the Championship after he scored a winning goal in the early stages of last season:

“Unbelievable finale and unbelievable story. Some noise in this place when that went in. Could hardly have dreamed it better last night – from the fourth tier to instant Hawthorns goal hero.”

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Após a conquista de uma importante vitória diante do Athletico-PR, fora de casa, o Corinthians se reapresentou, na manhã desta quinta-feira, no CT Joaquim Grava, e deu início à preparação para mais um desafio válido pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. Neste domingo, às 16h, na Neo Química Arena, o Timão recebe o Flamengo pela 17ª rodada da competição, com retornos importantes.

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Os atletas que jogaram por mais de 45 minutos ontem, em Curitiba, realizaram um trabalho regenerativo com a equipe de fisioterapia. Os demais atletas foram a campo para uma atividade com o técnico Vagner Mancini.

O comandante corintiano preparou um treinamento técnico em campo reduzido. A novidade do dia foi o retorno do meio-campista, e aniversariante do dia, Victor Cantillo, completando 27 anos, que estava com a seleção da Colômbia nas Eliminatórias para a Copa do Mundo de 2022. O meia Otero, que estava convocado para a seleção venezuelana, é aguardado nos próximos dias. Quem retorna ao time também é Cássio, que cumpriu suspensão na quarta.

Já o zagueiro Raul Gustavo está em recuperação de uma lesão leve no tornozelo e treinou no gramado sob a supervisão dos fisioterapeutas. Jô, que sentiu a panturrilha esquerda diante do Athletico-PR, ainda será avaliado e é dúvida para domingo. Já Ramiro e Bruno Méndez, suspensos, são desfalques certos para enfrentar o Flamengo. Além deles, continuará com a ausência de Danilo Avelar, que passou por cirurgia no joelho e só voltará a jogar em 2021.

Na tarde desta sexta-feira, o Corinthians dará sequência à preparação para a partida diante do Flamengo. Com a vitória sobre o Athletico, o Timão chegou a 18 pontos e pulou para a 14ª posição, saindo da zona de rebaixamento.

Chelsea's best player so far this season hasn't been Raheem Sterling or Thiago Silva, according to Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson.

The Arsenal icon has instead been left in awe by Enzo Fernandez's spectacular performances for the Blues, believing that he has been the best performer under new manager Mauricio Pochettino so far.

After incredible displays during Argentina’s World Cup success, the 22-year-old earned his £107m move from Benfica to Chelsea in January.

Although, since moving to Chelsea he has only won four Premier League games.

What did Paul Merson say about Enzo Fernandez?

Despite the west Londoners' embarrassing 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, which has left them 12th in the table, on only four points, Merson was still full of praise for the Argentine midfielder.

He said:

“Mauricio Pochettino will get it right because he’s a good manager, but it’s going to be hard. If they get in the top four then they will be pulling up trees.

“Enzo Fernandez is different class – a cut above the rest.

“There’s not enough guile in the team. You haven’t got players that will put the ball through the eye of a needle.

“They can’t break teams down. It’s like watching Subbuteo football – there’s no movement. Unless Fernandez finds that killer pass, no one else will.

"With Nicolas Jackson and Raheem Sterling’s pace, and Fernandez’s vision, they will cause havoc – like they did at West Ham in the first half.

“But what happened in the second half? West Ham sat deeper because they scored, and Chelsea could still be playing now and they wouldn’t have scored."

Is Merson right about Fernandez?

Despite Chelsea struggling for form since Fernandez joined the club, it is hard to disagree with the former centre-back's evaluation of the World Cup winner.

During the 2022 World Cup, four-time Champions League winner Lionel Messi was full of praise for Fernandez.

He said:

"I'm not surprised by Enzo

"I know him and I see him train every day. He deserves [the acclaim] because he's a spectacular player."

After joining last season, Chelsea’s new no.8 ranked as the fourth top performer of the 2022/23 season on Sofascore, with an average rating of 7.17, only behind Thiago Silva (7.26), N’Golo Kante (7.26) and Reece James (7.19).

However, after taking half a season to settle in at his new club, Fernandez has come into his own and now easily ranks as Chelsea’s top performer this season, with an average rating of 7.83, which is 0.23 higher than second-place Raheem Sterling and ahead of Silva (7.33), too.

His stats, per FBref, also back up his outstanding performances, in the last year he has ranked in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe for progressive passes, long passes completed, and passes into the final third, all per 90, highlighting just how crucial he has been in getting his side up the pitch.

Fernandez also ranks in the top 3% of European midfielders for touches, carries, passes blocked, passes completed and passes attempted per 90, proving he can help his side on the attack, control possession in the midfield and help the defence.

This shows that the midfield dynamo is certainly his side's most important player, and has proven himself to be even better than Chelsea's established Premier League players, such as Sterling, Silva and James.

تلقى منتخب إنجلترا دفعة قوية قبل بداية مشواره في منافسات بطولة كأس أمم أوروبا، يورو 2024 المرتقبة.

وتبدأ منافسات كأس أمم أوروبا، يوم الجمعة المقبل، والتي تستضيفها ألمانيا.

وذكرت صحيفة “ذا صن” الإنجليزية أن منتخب إنجلترا تدرب لأول مرة منذ وصوله إلى ألمانيا، استعدادًا لبدء مشواره في البطولة.

ووصل منتخب إنجلترا، إلى ألمانيا، مساء أمس لبدء مساعيهم للحصول على الكأس الأوروبي.

وأجرى منتخب إنجلترا جلسته التدريبية الأولى في ملعب “إرنست آبي سبورتفيلد” في جينا بعد ظهر يوم الثلاثاء.

وحصل المدرب جاريث ساوثجيت على دفعة قوية بمشاركة الفريق بأكمله في الجلسة التدريبية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. واين روني: غياب لاعب منتخب إنجلترا عن يورو 2024 “خسارة كبيرة”

وكان ساوثجيت يشعر بحالة من القلق تجاه لياقة خمسة لاعبين قبل مباراتهم الافتتاحية ضد صربيا يوم الأحد المقبل.

وذكرت ذكرت صحيفة “تليجراف”، أن فيل فودين، بوكايو ساكا، جون ستونز، لوك شاو وجود بيلينجهام كانوا جميعهم مصابين.

وأوضحت أنه يتعين على منتخب إنجلترا فحص جميع اللاعبين المذكورين قبل مواجهتهم المرتقبة.

ولكن “ذا صن” أكدت أن اللاعبين الخمسة شاركوا بشكل طبيعي في الجلسة التدريبية اليوم، مما يمثل دفعة إيجابية لـ ساوثجيت.

Manchester United are in the midst of a catastrophic start to the season at Old Trafford and things could get worse before they get better, according to Sky Germany journalist Florian Schmidt-Sommerfeld.

What's the latest news involving Manchester United?

On Wednesday evening, Manchester United were defeated 4-3 away to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and flattered to deceive in the encounter despite mounting a late fightback, as per BBC Sport.

Red Devils' goalkeeper Andre Onana made a mistake that led to Leroy Sane giving his side the lead in the tie and took the unusual step of bravely fronting up to the media to apologise for his error, stating to TNT Sports: "It's difficult to lose this way because in the beginning we started very good. After my mistake we lost control of the game. It's a difficult situation for us, for me especially because I'm the one who let the team down. Because of me we didn't win but we just have to move on. This is the life of the goalkeeper."

Manchester United have now lost three consecutive matches under Erik Ten Hag and pressure is mounting on his side to improve results amid a backdrop of negative sentiment off the field at Old Trafford. England international Jadon Sancho has hit the headlines recently due to his public spat with the Dutchman, which has yet to lead to a resolution that will see him return to first-team action.

Further fall-out has resulted from his absence, with Sancho seen playing the video game EA Sports 24 as his teammates were preparing to face off against Bayern Munich. Next up for Manchester United is an away clash against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday night as they aim to recover from their recent slump in form to rise up the Premier League table.

What has Florian Schmidt-Sommerfeld said about Manchester United?

Writing for Sky Germany, via Sport Witness, Schmidt-Sommerfeld has aired some of his thoughts on the current situation at Manchester United and harbours anxiety that things at Old Trafford could "quickly" get even worse if they do not improve results on the pitch.

The Sky reporter has ripped into United boss Ten Hag, labelling him a "shambles" and indicating that his side's start to life in 2023/24 is not just down to misfortune with injuries. The journalist did however state he doesn't know "what the medical department actually does" given the mounting list of players in the treatment room.

In conversation with beIN SPORTS via The Daily Mail, ex-Liverpool player Jason McAteer has claimed that Manchester United have lost their fear factor and he has also questioned their identity as a side.

Ripping into several first-team players, McAteer stated: "They don't have the players who want to put the hard yards in when its get tough. Fernandes, is he going to roll his sleeves up as a captain? No. Antony, Rashford, Martial? (Martial) They can't even get him fit and he doesn't even want to play."

Looking ahead, it remains to be seen if Manchester United can rediscover the resilience that they showed last term or whether their recent stagnation is more than just a minor cause for concern.

Celtic have got off to the start you'd expect from a side aiming for a third consecutive Scottish Premiership title, remaining unbeaten and sitting top of the league once more. Their victory in the first Old Firm derby of the season against Rangers before the international break established their dominance once more, and they have since picked up where they left off.

Brendan Rodgers hasn't missed a beat in the Scottish Premiership, as he looks to make it a second stint to remember at Celtic Park. The additions that he made during the summer transfer window will certainly help his pursuit of success, too, with one particular arrival earning plenty of praise from journalist Dean Jones.

What has Dean Jones said?

In total, Celtic spent a reported €22m (£19m) on reinforcements during the summer, welcoming ten fresh faces, from Nat Phillips to Luis Palma. So far, that spending looks set to pay off, with the Scottish giants already four points clear of Rangers at the top of the league.

One particular signing has impressed many around Celtic Park, however, and that's Thiago Holm. The 20-year-old arrived for a reported €3m (£2m) from Norwegian side Valerenga, and has been the subject of praise from Jones ever since.

Jones told GiveMeSport: "It feels like this could be a big opportunity for him. He's got massive potential. I think one of the things that Celtic are crying out for at the moment is players with confidence. So, I think this moment would have come at a good time, not just for him but for Rodgers.

"Rodgers seems in no doubt about the player’s ability, and he'll want him to be a big part of his team going forward. But I'm sure that one of his big reservations is in terms of consistency and ability to maintain standards across the duration of an entire game. So, this is part of the process, a stepping stone. Getting his first Norway cap is a brilliant sign, and I think Celtic are onto a good thing with him.”

With that said, it will be interesting to see whether the youngster will get an opportunity from the start for Celtic in the coming weeks, as he looks to make his full debut in the Scottish Premiership.

How has Thiago Holm performed this season?

So far this season, Holm has made four appearances for Rodgers' side, making just one start, which unfortunately came in Celtic's shock Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Kilmarnock.

Still so young, the sky is the limit for the Norwegian, who will only get better with even more opportunities to impress. The fact that he recently earned his first Norway cap suggests that Holm is a player ready to burst into life, and potentially become an important member of the squad for both club and country.

If Celtic can get the best out of him, then he could go down as one of the deals of the summer transfer window in Scotland, considering the small fee that they paid and the potential that the young midfielder has.

Tony Ura, the Papua New Guinea opener, hit 151 off 142 balls. The rest of his team managed 74 among them

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2018ICC/Getty

Tony Ura made 151, PNG made 235; Ura made 64.25% of his team’s runs, the fourth-highest percentage of runs scored by one player in a completed innings in ODI cricket. That wasn’t enough, though. Despite a late wobble, Ireland got home with four wickets and five balls to spare. Their chase was built around a century from captain William Porterfield and a half-century from Ed Joyce.The win means Ireland’s bid to qualify for World Cup 2019 is off to the start they would have wanted: they have won two of two games and sit at the top of their group at this early stage.Ireland chose to bowl and carved up PNG from one end, reducing them to 116 for 7. At the other end, though, Ura, the opener, remained firm. He narrowly missed out on carrying his bat, out off the third ball of the 50th over, for 151. His runs came at quite a clip too, his 142-ball knock including 10 fours and all of six sixes.Ireland, on the back of Porterfield and Joyce’s innings, were cruising at 184 for 2 in the 38th over. But strikes in successive overs from Mahuru Dai and Assad Vala gave PNG a glimmer. Their hopes would have swelled again with another double-strike in the 44th and 45th overs, which also accounted for Porterfield.That brought the equation from 24 needed off 42 with six wickets in hand to 20 needed off 30 with four in hand. But Gary Wilson and George Dockrell kept their heads and knocked off the runs steadily, in singles and twos. That is, till the final over, when Wilson knocked off the three needed with a first-ball boundary off Alei Nao. That consigned PNG to their second loss in as many games in the tournament.

The second day of England’s two days with the pink ball in Hamilton did not go that well for the batsmen. England lost 14 wickets in the day and were still unable to match the New Zealand XI total

Andrew McGlashan at Seddon Park15-Mar-2018The second day of England’s two days with the pink ball in Hamilton did not go that well for the batsmen. England lost 14 wickets in the day and were still unable to match the New Zealand XI total. Only Liam Livingstone really impressed, although Alastair Cook looked in decent order. Here are a few talking points from the day.Stoneman’s bad dayMark Stoneman has had more productive days with the bat. There wasn’t much he could do about his first dismissal, an excellent delivery from Seth Rance which bounced and angled across him, jagging from around leg stump. But in his second innings of the day he will regret the shot selection, trying to pull a ball from outside off and lobbing a catch to mid-on. Stoneman has already spoken about the pressure he’ll be under this series, he’ll hope for a decent score against red ball in the next two days, although there is no other opener in the squad.The Vince paradoxEdging behind the wicket has become as much of a trademark for James Vince as the cover drive. One followed the other in the space of two balls here, although there was a variance on the theme. He played a perfect cover drive off Rance then next ball tried to leave the delivery and gave a catch to Tom Blundell. In his second chance at the crease he played solidly for his 31 – producing one of the shots of the day when he drove Nathan Smith through the covers off the back foot – only to miss a big full toss from Rance inside the final half hour to be lbw. It could well have been swinging down the leg side.Driving without due care and attentionTim Southee and Trent Boult won’t have minded how England’s middle went about things. Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali were all dismissed by expansive drives – Cook had also dragged one into his stumps – and there was a concerning looseness about the strokeplay, even given all the caveats around this match. At one point in the morning session, wickets were falling at such a rate that Ben Stokes was dispatched to fetch Moeen from the nets. With the pink ball at Eden Park there is likely to be periods where some circumspection is called for. In Southee and Boult there are two fine exponents of swing in the opposition.Livingstone a lone successAt the start of these practice days, Liam Livingstone was considered the least likely of this squad – aside from reserve keeper Ben Foakes – to have a chance of playing in Auckland. He was the spare batsman, having replaced Gary Ballance in one of the token changes after the Ashes. But he was head and shoulders above most of the other batting until Joe Root’s late half-century. He struck the ball cleanly and confidently, picking the right the delivery to attack and, though he played aggressively, did not offer a chance until the wild flat-footed drive early in the night session, 12 short of three figures. Occasionally he flexed his left ankle, the one he injured in the Caribbean last month, which is still causing a little discomfort.Injury updateIt was confirmed that Ben Stokes had received an injection in his back earlier this week. He was said to be responding well, but would not bowl on Friday in England’s red-ball fielding stint, although it was hoped he would be able to bat on Saturday. Whether he fields remains to be seen – he could just be in the squad, rather than the XI. There appears to be an increasing possibility that Stokes will be considered as a batsman only for the first Test. Chris Woakes (hamstring), Craig Overton (quad) and Mason Crane (back) are expected to be able to take full part in the second two days.

Leeds United endured quite the summer of ups and downs, with the transfer window resulting in a number of key departures, as well as impressive incomings. Daniel Farke was forced to say goodbye to the likes of Luis Sinisterra, and Tyler Adams, but was at least boosted by the arrival of Joel Piroe, who has hit the ground running at Elland Road.

When it comes to results so far this season, having played five Championship games, the Yorkshire club have looked like a side still trying to recover after their departures, with just two wins to their name, including one in their latest outing against Millwall, in which they impressed to comfortably win 3-0.

Off the pitch, meanwhile, it seems as though the Whites are still trying to get organised, too, which could yet see one particular star offered a new deal and wage increase in an attempt to secure his future at the club, according to reports.

What's the latest Leeds United news?

In an ideal world, Leeds would have kept hold of every single one of their star players during the summer transfer window, but such is the ruthless nature of the transfer window, that turned out to be anything but the case.

One player that the Yorkshire club did manage to keep a hold of, however, is Wilfried Gnonto, who was denied a move in the summer, even after reportedly handing in a transfer request, and refusing to play.

Since the window has slammed shut, the Italian winger has been an important part of Farke's plans, too, and, with that, Leeds are still keen to keep hold of him when January comes around.

According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Leeds are set to offer Gnonto a new deal before January, which will include a wage increase. As things stand, the winger's current deal is worth a reported £20k per-week, and is set to expire in 2027.

How has Wilfried Gnonto performed this season?

So far this season, like the rest of the Leeds squad, Gnonto has been inconsistent, but has still shown some impressive glimpses. Having started four games, the teenager has one goal to his name, which came in his side's first win of the season against Ipswich. As the campaign goes on, and he potentially seeks to attract future suitors, there's no doubting that Gnonto will hope to have a hand in more goals.

At his best, the winger has earned plenty of praise, including from Gary Neville, who said, via The Daily Mail, last season: "To see someone so mature, so young is very unusual in that position. Sometimes you see potential and talent but watching him so closely, his understanding of where to be, his choice of pass, when to run with it, his awareness of teammates, really good honestly."

It's no surprise, given his talent, that Leeds are doing everything they can to keep hold of Gnonto. They successfully did just that in the summer, and now they'll be asked to repeat that achievement in January. The winger is certainly one to keep an eye on.