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Ryan Sidebottom, the left-arm pace bowler, has announced he will retire after the 2017 English season to bring an end a 20-year career

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2017Ryan Sidebottom, the former England left-arm pace bowler, has announced he will retire after the 2017 English season to bring an end a 20-year career.Sidebottom, 39, will bring the curtain down after the Specsavers County Championship season where he will attempt to win a sixth title having previously won twice with Nottinghamshire (2005 and 2010) and three times with Yorkshire (2001, 2014 and 2015).”There’s a tear in my eye whenever I think about not playing professional cricket again – a game that’s given me so much over the years,” he said. “But it’s the right time and I want to go out on a high, rather than fade away as that’s just not the sort of guy I am.”His international career, which spanned 22 Tests, 25 ODIs, and 18 T20Is, came to an end in 2010. He made his England debut in 2001, against Pakistan at Lord’s, but it was not until a surprising recall in 2007 that he became a regular in the side. He played a key role in England’s World T20 title in 2010.Having won the Championship with Nottinghamshire in 2010, he returned to Yorkshire and became a pivotal figure in the powerful four-day team which developed under Jason Gillespie after they were promoted back to Division One in 2012.In their back-to-back title-winning seasons of 2014 and 2015, Sidebottom claimed 89 Championship wickets and added a further 31 in 2016 – from nine appearances – when Yorkshire just fell short of a hat-trick of titles.”I’ve always tried to play with a smile on my face and give 110% because I absolutely love this sport,” he said. “It’s been an honour to represent my home county, Yorkshire, play for my country and help make history at Nottinghamshire. I couldn’t have asked for better team-mates and they’ve helped me become the cricketer I am today.”Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire’s director of cricket, said: “He’s been a fantastic servant to Yorkshire, Notts and England over the years. Twenty years as a fast bowler is a remarkable achievement. He can be very proud of what he has achieved in cricket, an unprecedented level of success – it has been a fantastic career and he will be going out at the top.”My thanks go to him for everything he’s done for Yorkshire cricket and since he came back to us we’ve had some excellent success and he’s been a major part of it.”

Australia’s makeshift XI are seeking a win in the Adelaide dead rubber, while Sri Lanka are hoping to remain unbeaten over the hosts in T20s down under

The Preview by Daniel Brettig21-Feb-2017Match factsFebruary 22, 2017
Start time 1920 local (0850 GMT)Big question: How will captain Aaron Finch keep Asela Gunaratne in check?•Getty ImagesBig PictureAdelaide Oval concludes Australia’s home international season the day after the drop-in pitches have been removed from the MCG, and the night before the Test team starts a series in India. These two events say much about how football has encroached upon the traditional Australian season, and also about why the international schedule is in serious need of greater context and better organisation. If there was anything particularly vital about this series, it was the opportunity for numerous players to make a play for contracts in the IPL, given the auction’s timing between games two and three. Logically, the outstanding performer Asela Gunaratne was picked up, while the beanpole Australian fast man Billy Stanlake was also chosen. Ben Dunk, Michael Klinger and Niroshan Dickwella were among the less fortunate.Having won both games from the final ball – albeit rather more dramatically in Geelong than in Melbourne – Sri Lanka will be eager to finish well. Equally, Australia’s makeshift assembly of players will not want to leave their time with the all-star coaching staff of Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting and Jason Gillespie without winning a match. A little like the Australian team that toured India in 1979 immediately before the reintegration of World Series players, many in this group will have very little certainty about when they may next get an opportunity to play for their country, if ever again. That should provide significant motivation even as Adelaide’s ground staff look towards their own schedule for digging up the pitch, and the Test team ponder playing cricket of a very different kind in India.Form guideAustralia: LLWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: WWWWL
In the spotlightEntering this series, Travis Head took on greater responsibility as one of few regular Australian players in the squad. However after two matches he does not have much to show for it, having made a start in Melbourne and faced a mere four balls at Kardinia Oval. In Adelaide he has done many a great deed for the Adelaide Strikers and the Redbacks, and will be out for something more substantial this time around with Australia – he of course made a fine hundred against Pakistan in a January ODI at the ground. “I play well at Adelaide Oval,” he said, “so if I get the opportunity again and if the batters set a platform and give me an opportunity late in the innings, or if I have to come in early, I’m happy with any situation and hopefully I can do a job for the side.”Having been the difference in both matches so far, Asela Gunaratne has something of a target on his back for game three. Most of Australia’s team talk will be spent trying to find a chink in his armour, while spectators and television viewers will have enormous anticipation of what he may do next. His new owners at Mumbai Indians will also be having a close look at their IPL auction investment.Travis Head is looking for a big score on his home ground•Getty ImagesTeam newsAdam Zampa can expect to be considered for a recall in Adelaide.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 Michael Klinger, 3 Ben Dunk, 4 Travis Head, 5 Moises Henriques, 6 Ashton Turner, 7 Tim Paine (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Andrew Tye.Having won the series, Sri Lanka may shuffle their options in the dead rubber., given Niroshan Dickwella received a two-match suspension for showing dissent.Sri Lanka (possible) 1 Dilshan Munaweera, 2 Upul Tharanga (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Asela Gunaratne, 5 Milinda Siriwardana, 6 Chamara Kapugedera, 7 Seekkugge Prasanna, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Vikum Sanjaya.Pitch and conditionsAdelaide Oval’s drop-in pitch is likely to be batsman-friendly while offering a little bit of nibble for pace and spin alike, due to an even coverage of grass. The forecast is for fine, warm weather.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka’s first T20 international at Adelaide Oval Australia are still chasing their first victory over Sri Lanka in a T20 match down underQuotes”We don’t need to do too much differently. It’s the small moments in the games. We didn’t finish as well with the bat as we would have liked on Sunday and with the ball, we had great plans but credit to Sri Lanka, they batted well. We’ve got to free the mind and play a positive brand of cricket and hopefully the tide can turn.”

Heart of Midlothian released Michael Smith, Gary Mackay-Steven and Ross Stewart from the club following the expiration of their contract at the end of last season and considering the latter two made nine appearances between them during 2022/23, they won't be particularly missed in terms of value to the squad.

Smith, on the other hand, will be a tough one to get over, especially with the right-back turning into a club stalwart of sorts since arriving from Peterborough United back in 2017.

The 34-year-old made over 200 appearances for the Tynecastle outfit during those six years and his departure leaves a big void to fill on the right side of the defence. The only senior right-sided full-back is Nathaniel Atkinson and Naismith will be aiming to bring in an heir to the Northern Irishman sooner rather than later.

With this in mind, the 36-year-old is currently targeting a move for Japanese youngster Riku Handa this summer, with the 21-year-old seemingly keen on a move to Europe, despite only joining his current side, Gamba Osaka, in January.

Could Hearts sign Riku Handa this summer?

Given Smith's departure, any potential move will have to be a priority for Naismith, even if it is just a loan move.

He was recently called up to the Japanese national side for their Kirin Cup, yet didn’t make an appearance, however, it surely won’t be long before he makes his mark on the senior international stage for Japan.

Across 17 appearances in the J1 League in 2023, Handa grabbed an assist and averaged 0.9 key passes per game while creating three big chances, showcasing his ability to push forward as often as possible and these statistics are actually an improvement on the numbers Smith generated last term.

Indeed, for context, the former Hearts gem failed to register any assists and made 0.8 key passes per game along with creating two big chances, not much of a difference but Handa played 11 fewer matches.

The Japanese starlet even won more total duels (4.5 to three), made more tackles (2.3 to 1.6) and more interceptions per game (1.8 to 0.8) than Smith last season, underlining that he was just as effective defensively as he was bombing up and down the wing with ease.

With the Europa Conference League qualifiers taking place at the start of August, Naismith doesn’t have long to assemble a squad which he hopes can improve on their 4th-place finish in the Premiership last season.

By making a move for the £558k-rated Handa, they will be getting an exciting young talent who can shine at both ends of the pitch and the 5 foot 9 gem could become an ideal heir to Smith in the Hearts backline.

Fast bowler Duanne Olivier has been released from South Africa’s Test squad ahead of the third Test against New Zealand, which starts on March 25 in Hamilton

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2017Fast bowler Duanne Olivier has been released from South Africa’s Test squad ahead of the third Test against New Zealand, which starts on March 25 in Hamilton. The move left South Africa with only Wayne Parnell as back-up to the quicks – Kagiso Rabada, Vernon Philander, and Morne Morkel. Chris Morris had been released from the squad midway through the second Test in Wellington.South Africa’s spin department, however, has been bolstered by the addition of offspinner Dane Piedt, who joined the squad last weekend.Olivier, 24, made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Johannesburg in January this year, claiming match figures of 5 for 57 in South Africa’s innings victory. Olivier will now have to wait until at least July, when South Africa tour England, to add to his maiden Test cap.

Manchester United are confident that they will be able to give Erik ten Hag a new striker this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones via GIVEMESPORT.

Indeed, signing a striker is something that Ten Hag has been demanding at Old Trafford.

What is the latest Manchester United striker transfer news?

Sadly for Ten Hag, the Red Devils seem to have failed in their attempt to bring in Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane, but Dean Jones looks to have put any lingering fears around Manchester to bed as the expectation around the Red Devils is that a new striker will be brought in before the window slams shut.

However, Kane isn't the only striker linked with a move to Old Trafford, as another name that has been linked with a move to Old Trafford is Rasmus Hojlund, with Romano reporting via caughtoffside that United have made direct contact with Atalanta, but a transfer fee of €70m (£62m) could make the deal complicated.

Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos has also been linked with a move to the club, with the Portuguese sides president Rui Costa believing that Ten Hag and United may well be willing to pay the release clause in the 22-year-old's contract.

What has Dean Jones said about the matter?

Jones has said that United remain confident that they will bring in a No.9 this summer and are not worrying yet.

The journalist told GIVEMESPORT: "From United's point of view, they're like, 'We're only two weeks into the transfer window.' They're not looking at this as a major problem. They've got two months to fix this issue, and they are confident that they will be able to sign a striker for Ten Hag by the time the window's up."

Which striker should Man United bring in?

The Red Devils are reportedly operating on a tight budget due to FFP restrictions according to reports, and having signed Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, United will have to be shrewd on the market to find their future number nine.

Any Kane deal looks dead in the water, especially with the reports that Bayern Munich are interested and willing to pay upwards of £85m to secure the forward's signature.

Another deal that looks like it won't amount to anything is the Ramos deal, with Benfica seemingly only willing to part ways with the 27-goal forward should his €120m (£103m) release clause be activated. The Portuguese club rejected an offer of €60m (£51.5m) from an unnamed club earlier in the window.

Danish forward Hojlund is an interesting option, having drawn comparisons to Manchester City forward Erling Haaland due to their similar looks and potency in front of goal. The 20-year-old scored 19 goals and registered two assists in 43 games for club and country last campaign, and his statistical profile is comparable to some of the best strikers in the world such as Robert Lewandowski and Romelu Lukaku according to FBref.

The youngster has plenty of room to grow, and Ten Hag could mould him into the perfect number nine for his United side.

Andrew Gale has admitted he was “disappointed” by the ECB decision to rest Jonny Bairstow from Yorkshire’s opening rounds of Championship action

George Dobell at Edgbaston17-Apr-2017Andrew Gale has admitted he was “disappointed” by the ECB decision to rest Jonny Bairstow from Yorkshire’s opening rounds of Championship action.Gale, Yorkshire’s new head coach, accepted the absence of Joe Root due to his heavy workload in international cricket. But Bairstow, who has hardly played since the conclusion of England’s Test tour to India in mid-December, has also been rested despite having been made available for the IPL.When Bairstow was not picked-up in the IPL auction, Yorkshire might have presumed he would be available for them. But, despite having played just three days of cricket this year (a warm-up game and an ODI in India, and a warm-up game in St Kitts), Bairstow has instead been rested from the opening two matches of the Championship season, appearing instead as an analyst on Sky’s IPL coverage.That has left Yorkshire, who wrapped up a crushing win over Warwickshire at Edgbaston on Monday after losing their opening game, confused and disappointed.”I can see why someone like Rooty would want a rest given the amount of cricket he’s played,” Gale said. “But Jonny has played one one-day international since Christmas. I think he’s played three days of cricket.”For me, he should have been available right from the first game of the season. He had enough time off from the end of the West Indies trip. I felt he should have been available.”It’s not the first time that Yorkshire, and Gale in particular, have expressed their discontent with decisions made by the England management. At the end of last season, with the Championship title at stake, Gale was frustrated by Adil Rashid’s decision to miss the final match of the season (Rashid claimed that a family member was ill), while the club also requested the release of players from the England touring squad in the Caribbean at the start of the 2015 season. That squad contained several Yorkshire players who were deemed surplus to requirements from the Test side.Both Root and Bairstow will be available for Yorkshire’s next Championship game which starts on Friday. Liam Plunkett, who has a calf strain, is not thought likely to be fit to return.Gale’s concerns have been eased somewhat by the emergence of Ben Coad, who had played just one Championship match before this season, but is currently the leading wicket-taker in the country with 18 from the first two matches, including his maiden five- and ten-wicket hauls.Only winning a place in the side due to the absence of several first-choice bowlers (Plunkett, Jack Brooks, Ryan Sidebottom and, for the opening match, David Willey and Rashid), he has again demonstrated the depth of the Yorkshire squad and the success of their youth development.”When you have fine seamers injured you are a little worried,” Gale agreed. “But it creates opportunities and Coady has grabbed the bull by the horns and put his name in the hat for the rest of the year. I’m sure the lads will looking over their shoulders thinking how they will get back in the team.”He’s surprised himself. He’s always had the talent and done well in the second team but to come in and take 18 wickets, I didn’t expect him to lead the attack.”We pride ourselves on bringing through homegrown players with the time and money we put into the academy. We don’t want to be signing guys from around the country or abroad. We want to back our home-grown players. We will always give them the chance first and then the academy lads can see a path into the first team and that gives them hope.”This is part and parcel of being part of Yorkshire. We’ve always wanted to bring our homegrown players through, but if we do that, they are going to get picked for England. We want our players to play for England, but when they’re available we want them to play for us as well.”

The summer transfer window officially opened for business last month but Celtic have been relatively quiet both in terms of sales and signings.

Australian international Marco Tilio and Norwegian midfielder Odin Thiago Holm are the only new arrivals ahead of the 2023/24 campaign so far, whilst Jota has been the only significant departure after his move to Al Ittihad for a reported fee of £25m.

Brendan Rodgers replaced Ange Postecoglou in the dugout after the 57-year-old head coach opted to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

The Northern Irishman is in his second stint at Parkhead and will be hoping to replicate the success of his first spell at the club, in which he won seven trophies in less than three years.

Rodgers also oversaw a number of excellent signings in Glasgow and one of his best was the £9m capture of 20-year-old striker Odsonne Edouard.

The French centre-forward scored 27 goals in 68 appearances under the ex-Leicester manager and the Hoops were eventually able to sell him to Crystal Palace in 2021 for a fee that could rise to £18.5m.

Celtic could now land Rodgers his next Edouard by signing Benie Traore. According to Alan Nixon's Patreon (25/06/2023), the Scottish giants are one of the sides chasing the £5m-rated centre-forward this summer.

Is Benie Traore good?

The exciting forward is yet to prove himself in Scotland but his form for Hacken in Sweden suggests that the potential is there for him to be an outstanding player for the Hoops.

At the age of 20, Traore would arrive at the same age that Edouard did and could, therefore, be a player Rodgers works with to develop over time, which could lead to the club making a profit on him further down the line in the same way that they did with the French starlet.

The Hacken marksman has plundered an exceptional 12 goals in 14 Allsvenskan appearances in 2023, which is already more than every Celtic player other than Kyogo Furuhashi (27) managed in the Scottish Premiership last season.

Traore's average Sofascore rating of 7.27 would also place him third in the Hoops squad in terms of their average ratings for the 2022/23 campaign, with only Matt O'Riley (7.30) and Jota (7.45) ahead of him.

These statistics suggest that the potential is there for the prolific youngster to be an outstanding performer for Rodgers, both with his ability to score goals on a regular basis and his average performance level.

The Ivorian marksman has also showcased his creativity in the Swedish top flight with 1.4 key passes per game for his side, whilst only three Celtic players managed more per match than him last term.

Traore, who was once hailed as a "jewel" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the quality to be an excellent scorer and creator from a number nine position, which is exactly what Edouard was for Rodgers.

During the now-Palace ace's final season with the Northern Irish tactician, the 25-year-old gem racked up 22 goals and 11 assists in 27 league outings, which illustrates the immense impact he had in the final third.

Celtic could now find the manager his next talent of the same calibre by securing Traore's services before the deadline, based on his incredible form for Hacken this year.

Dougie Brown, the former England and Scotland allrounder, has been named coach of UAE

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2017Dougie Brown, the former England and Scotland allrounder, has been named coach of UAE. He will begin working with the team full-time on June 1, leading up to a limited-overs tour of the Netherlands in mid-July.Earlier this year, Brown had worked with UAE over a three-month spell as interim coach. UAE had been without a full-time coach since former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed resigned from the post in April 2016.Brown, who played 25 ODIs and two T20Is in an international career spanning a decade from 1997 to 2007, had also previously overseen Netherlands, during the Desert T20 tournament in the UAE in January. Before that, he had worked as English county Warwickshire’s director of cricket, and the club won the domestic one-day cup during his time in charge.Waleed Bukhatir, a member of the Emirates Cricket Board Member and UAE’s chief selector said: “Dougie’s influence with and impact on the players has been evident through their recent form and commitment, and we look forward to watching them continue this upward curve under his guidance.”Brown said he hoped to build on the strides he made during his three-month stint with the team. “We have had an outstanding three months and I continue to be impressed with both individual and team performances,” he said. “I relish the opportunity to further develop the team culture and reinforce our style of play.”

Liverpool are believed to be eyeing a summer move for Manchester City and England midfielder Kalvin Phillips, according to an important update from reliable journalist James Pearce.

How old is Kalvin Phillips?

The former Leeds United hero, who is now 27 years of age, moved to the Etihad last summer. Phillips' first season as a City player proved to be an extremely frustrating one on a personal level, however, even though he was part of a team that won the treble in impressive fashion. He was limited to only two Premier League starts in the whole campaign, with a mixture of injuries and adjusting to his new club both proving to be problematic.

It remains to be seen if Pep Guardiola will retain the Englishman's services beyond the summer transfer window, but if he is allowed to leave, he surely won't be without suitors.

Liverpool are in the market for more midfield signings, with Fabinho and Jordan Henderson both looking highly likely to depart for Saudi Arabia in the coming days, and it looks as though the City man could be on their radar.

Could Liverpool sign Kalvin Phillips?

Taking to Twitter, Pearce named Phillips as one of a number of possible Liverpool midfield signings to replace Fabinho, as the Reds eye up further reinforcements:

'In terms of replacing Fabinho, Moises Caicedo is not viewed as a serious option with the Brighton midfielder expected to join Chelsea. Romeo Lavia, Sofyan Amrabat, Ryan Gravenberch and Kalvin Phillips are among those under consideration."

Phillips has enjoyed an impressive rise in recent years, becoming a regular for England at Euro 2020 and even being hailed as "superb" by Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi, who spoke of his admiration for both the City ace and Declan Rice.

While he is undoubtedly a good player while international experience – he enjoyed a 92.6% pass completion rate in the Premier League last season – there are clear negatives working against him joining Liverpool this summer.

At 27, he wouldn't represent a younger option whose best years are definitely ahead of him, while his recent injury problems would also make him a risky purchase, at a time when the Reds have constantly been hampered by fitness issues for various midfielders, whether it be Thiago, Curtis Jones or Naby Keita, to name just a few.

Phillips, on £150,000-a-week and shares the same agency as Ibrahima Konate, also may not come on the cheap, considering his current deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2028, and he could bring with him an English premium, so there are ultimately too many things working against Liverpool signing him. Whether City would even want to sell to one of their biggest Premier League rivals is also a potential drawback.

Jurgen Klopp needs to be eyeing younger alternatives, with some of those mentioned in Pearce' update making more sense, especially 19-year-old Romeo Lavia, who shone so much for Southampton last season – he averaged 2.1 tackles per match in the league in 2022/23 – and may well be seen as a much longer-term addition by the Reds.

It’s not often we see British players make the move to Real Madrid, but when they do, the La Liga giants are rarely left disappointed.Whether it be Laurie Cunningham – the first Englishman to play for Los Blancos – or Gareth Bale, the Welshman who won it all at the Santiago Bernabeu, several British exports have written their names into the legendary Madrid history books.Now, it is Jude Bellingham who is hopefully destined to replicate Cunningham and Bale, rather than Michael Owen and Jonathan Woodgate at one of Spain’s greatest-ever clubs.Joining for a reported £88.5m, the midfielder arrives with plenty of pressure to perform, but, as proved during his Borussia Dortmund days, Bellingham isn’t one to capitulate.This was the case during his Madrid debut, too. As Carlo Ancelotti’s side squared off against AC Milan in a pre-season friendly, Bellingham left many impressed with his debut display – as seen in the footage below.

Did Jude Bellingham play well on debut against AC Milan?

Starting in midfield alongside Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga, Bellingham helped Real Madrid defeat Milan in a back-and-forth five-goal thriller.

The Spaniards initially found themselves two goals behind thanks to efforts from Fikayo Tomori and Luka Romero. Showing plenty of resilience, however, two Valverde goals in the space of two second-half minutes saw Madrid level things up in dramatic fashion.

With the game on a knife’s edge, Vinicius Junior found the winning goal in the 84th minute.

In a frantic affair, Bellingham remained composed, dictating play and controlling the tempo, at times, as you can see from the highlights of his impressive performance.

Up next in pre-season, Madrid square off against Manchester United, where they will hope to see their new midfielder thrive once more, especially up against some of his England teammates.

Who are the six English players to play for Real Madrid?

As previously touched on, Bellingham has plenty of footsteps to follow as an Englishman featuring for Real Madrid. In making the move, the former Birmingham City youngster became the sixth English player to play for Los Blancos.

He follows Cunningham – the first Englishman to make the move – as well as Steve McManaman, David Beckham, Owen, and Woodgate, in total.

Many in Spain will be hoping to see him replicate the legacies left by the likes of McManaman, Beckham, and Cunningham, rather than that of Owen and Woodgate, however, who both endured spells to forget in Spain.

After staring for Dortmund, though, it would be quite a turnaround if Bellingham failed to live up to expectations at the Bernabeu in the forthcoming campaign.

If his debut is anything to go by, too, Madrid have nothing to worry about.

Ahead of the La Liga season, Ancelotti will be hoping to see his side transform into title winners once more, even without Karim Benzema, who made the move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad this summer.

With the likes of Bellingham, Camavinga, and Vinicius, though, Madrid may not miss the goals that Benzema provided. There’s also still a long way to go in the summer window, on top of that, for the title contenders to strengthen even more.

Fans were hugely impressed too. Here are some of the best reactions…