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Alex McLeish has now dropped a Glasgow Rangers transfer claim involving Josh McPake.

The Lowdown: McPake free to leave Rangers

As per Football Insider, a source from Ibrox has revealed that Giovanni van Bronckhorst and co have now given the ‘green light’ for the 20-year-old to leave in the summer, as he is ‘surplus to requirements’.

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They have personally ‘told’ McPake that he can go after his loan spell at Tranmere Rovers ends this season.

The Latest: McLeish reacts to McPake latest

Speaking to Football Insider, former Light Blues manager McLeish has given his reaction to the news, claiming that Rangers should be looking to sell players like McPake who do not quite make the grade.

The 63-year-old said: “If they can generate some big money for these sorts of players they feel are not up to the required level, then why not?

“That’s good business. Chelsea have done it over a vast number of years.

“Chelsea have got these players in and later on down the line, they’ve secured big fees for them – and there are plenty of other clubs who have done the same. Why not Rangers?

“It really does take a lot to play at the Scottish Premiership level for Rangers. The demands it comes with are massive, and you can’t always get it right.

“There won’t always be players coming off the conveyor belt, but if there’s a method of raising big money for players who can’t make the grade – then it’s a no-brainer.”

The Verdict: Sell

Having been sent out on loan no fewer than five times by the Gers over the course of his fledgling career so far, it is now time for both McPake and the Ibrox club to part ways for good.

He has only managed one senior Gers appearance, which came in a Europa League qualifier in July 2019, and at 20 years of age, he needs to move on from the club once and for all in order to enjoy more regular first-team football.

It is a shame for the player, who came through the youth ranks at Rangers and was sufficiently regarded to be given a new deal just last year, but this summer feels like the perfect time to let McPake go, so long as the club can get a decent fee for him.

In other news, these were Rangers’ three worst players against RB Leipzig

The chasing pack needs England to lose all their games or one of them has to be flawless in terms of results in the final phase of the group stage

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2019Has the race for the semis been shaken up?
Not really. Though their win has brought Sri Lanka to within two points of England, they have just two wins compared to England’s four (two of Sri Lanka’s points have come from washouts). Since the first tie-breaker for teams joined on points is matches won, Sri Lanka need to go ahead of England on points. That means winning all their games or hoping England lose all of theirs. The rest of the pack are still quite far behind the top four and could be further behind once the Afghanistan v India match is over.How does the loss affect England?
England remain third on the table with eight points for the time being. But their three remaining matches are tough ones, against Australia, India and New Zealand. They need to win two of those games to guarantee a spot in the semi-finals.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhat happens if they win just one more game?
They are still fairly likely to make it through thanks to the number of wins – four – and their strong net run-rate. One more win will put them on ten points. So Sri Lanka will have to win all of their remaining games (or win two and tie one) to overtake them. Bangladesh, West Indies and Pakistan are all in the same position. They have to win all their games to reach 11 points. Even if one of the chasing pack manages to be flawless till the end of the group phase, England still have the hope that one of Australia, New Zealand or India will collapse and fail to reach 11 points.Can England get in even if they don’t win any more games?
It’s possible, but they would really need luck to go their way in terms of other results: Sri Lanka shouldn’t win more than one more game, and no one else must reach nine points. Pakistan and Bangladesh are in fairly good positions to get there, though.Where does the win leave Sri Lanka?
Their three remaining games are against South Africa, West Indies and India. Win two and they will be on ten points. They then have to hope that either England or New Zealand lose all their remaining games, or that India win just one more game, an unlikely scenario given India have five games left. The best chance for Sri Lanka is to win all of their remaining games. It still doesn’t guarantee them a place in the semi-finals as there are result permutations that would leave the current top four each on 12 points or more, but it would give them a shot.ESPNcricinfo LtdDo the rest of the chasing pack benefit in any way?
They do, but they still have a lot of work to do. The best hope for Bangladesh, Pakistan and West Indies is that England lose all their remaining games and that Sri Lanka win no more than one game. That would leave those two on eight points. Bangladesh then have to win two of their remaining games, which are against Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. Pakistan and West Indies will have to win three games each. England losing could lead to some fun scraps as West Indies and Sri Lanka still have to play each other, as do Bangladesh and Pakistan.And what about South Africa?
This result does kind of bring them back into the mix, but they are going to need other results to go their way, while also winning all of their games. They have to hope England lose all their games and Sri Lanka win no more than one. But it still doesn’t guarantee them anything. They have also got to hope no one else reaches nine points with a better net run-rate.So who outside the top four has the best chance?
Apart from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan have benefitted most. Both have good shots of making it to nine points, if not 11. Bangladesh would have to beat Afghanistan and Pakistan or India. Pakistan would have to beat either South Africa or New Zealand and then win their last two games, against Afghanistan and Bangladesh. But remember, nine points is only enough if England lose all their games from here.

South Africa are set to play 14 Tests in nine months soon, so both fast bowlers, despite being sent home from New Zealand, should not lose hope

Firdose Moonda21-Mar-2017South Africa went into this New Zealand Test series with six seamers in their squad. Less than halfway through, they released one, when Chris Morris was sent home on the second day of the Wellington Test. Two-thirds of the way in and they’ve let another go – Duanne Olivier returned to South Africa instead of traveling on to Hamilton.And now there are four.Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell remain, but that does not mean South Africa have established an exact order of preference for their quicks. It means the infant Test careers of Morris and Olivier, who have three Test caps between them, are not in danger if the pair are willing to be patient despite being dispensed with.Olivier may consider himself the unluckier of the two. Aside from an impressive debut at the Wanderers against Sri Lanka in January, he topped the first-class wicket-takers list with 52 scalps. For that reason, Olivier was thought to be in direct competition with Morkel for the third seamer’s spot at Basin Reserve but it went to Morkel despite a year-long, injury-enforced absence from the game.At the time, it was a gamble but South Africa took it after closely monitoring Morkel’s recovery and because captain Faf du Plessis is a firm believer in Test cricket being the arena for the experienced. He can’t be blamed for feeling that way. Du Plessis was witness to South Africa’s sobering summer in 2015-16, when they were without Philander and Dale Steyn, lost five of eight Tests – three in India and two at home against England – and fell from No.1. Morris was among the players they tried without much success that summer.Rabada provided some joy and has since then established himself in the South African side to such an extent that it is difficult to imagine a Test XI without him, which also means there is one less place for the likes of Morris and Olivier.However, workload is a constant concern for Rabada, especially as he is only 21. There was some discussion about resting him, with talk centering on the New Year’s Test against Sri Lanka after he appeared down on pace in the opener on Boxing Day or the upcoming Hamilton match where a spin-friendly surface may negate the need for three quicks. But even if South Africa are considering that, they have not showed their hand early by sending Rabada home and with New Zealand scrambling for morale, they shouldn’t. The longer the hosts think they will have to front up to Rabada, the better for South Africa.Duanne Olivier was impressive on debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year•Gallo ImagesRealistically though – and looking beyond this series – Rabada may not be able to play all the time. South Africa will want to save him for the important stuff and therein lies opportunity for someone else.Philander and Morkel are at their peak but they are also in their 30s and may only have a few years left. While they are fit, they are first-choice but that doesn’t mean the door is closed to anyone else. Not even to Parnell, who has not played Tests since January. He was seen bowling on the practice pitch before the Wellington Test and the signs pointed to his inclusion ahead of JP Duminy – which may yet happen in Hamilton. Parnell, being a left-armer, offers a change of angle, which South Africa may feel they need at the moment, but that does not necessarily put him ahead of Morris or Olivier. Not yet, anyway. He still needs to prove his consistency has improved before he can be trusted as long-form player.So, all things considered, there is a strong chance South Africa may end up using only half of the seamers they brought on this trip. But that doesn’t mean it is an elite club that will never accept new members. It can’t be that. They play 14 Tests in nine months from July – four in England and ten at home against Bangladesh (2), India (4) and Australia (4) and the last eight could be squeezed into 12 weeks early next year. They will need more than three quicks to carry that load.Steyn is targeting a mid-year comeback with the England series firmly in his sights but he will need to prove his fitness, as Morkel did, over a sustained period of time. Although Morkel came into the New Zealand Tests with just two List A games under his belt this year, he played practice matches on South Africa’s tour of Australia in October and November, and spent many hours in the Newlands nets, bowling to national players. That’s how du Plessis knew Morkel was ready.Whether Steyn will do the same in England remains to be seen. He may seek out a brief county stint in a bid to be match-ready. He may not manage that as soon as he would like. Whatever the case, South Africa will need other options.Morris and Olivier should know that well enough and it seems they do. Though eligible by virtue of their scant Test caps, both players have provided separate assurances that they will not consider the Kolpak route. They need to remember, now that their Test careers seem to have stalled, particularly Olivier, who is not part of the limited-overs’ plans like Morris, that the queue they are in could move very quickly.

Plays of the day from the World T20 game between South Africa and Afghanistan in Mumbai

Firdose Moonda20-Mar-2016The one-handed maximumSouth Africa dazzled with an array of boundaries in the first six overs but the most eye-catching one came when Faf du Plessis took on Mohammad Nabi. The offspinner dropped one short, du Plessis gave himself room by stepping outside leg stump, went deep into his crease, took his top hand off the handle of his bat and carved the ball over cover using just one hand.The mix-up Quinton de Kock knew Faf du Plessis had his dancing shoes on, so when du Plessis jabbed Amir Hamza into the covers, de Kock thought a quick run was on. Then de Kock saw Mohammad Nabi swooping in and realised it was too risky so he turned back. At the other end, du Plessis had already responded but soon saw it was wiser to turn back. He was late to undo his steps and Nabi’s throw came in quickly for Mohammad Shahzad to catch the South African captain short of his ground.The drop AB de Villiers had just started to threaten when he offered Afghanistan a chance. He sent a Samiullah Shenwari delivery straight back to him. Shenwari had to react quickly in his follow through and got his hands up in time but then it all became too much. He could not hold on as the ball burst through his hands and de Villiers got his 27th run. He would go on to score 37 more.The placementHis ability to hit the ball anywhere he wants had already been on display but to further emphasise the point, AB de Villiers bisected the gap between the stands in the middle of his assault on Rashid Khan. After hitting him through midwicket twice and straight down the ground, de Villiers smeared a short ball straight into the daylight that peeped through a gap in the stand at midwicket. That also brought up fifty for him, off 24 balls.The poser Mohammad Shahzad probably knows he is not model material but that did not stop him from striking a pose after a perfect lofted drive. As the Kyle Abbott delivery was sent cleanly over long-on, Shahzad held his stance: head down, bat straight, elbows high. And there he stood.The misfield Faf du Plessis had specifically asked for discipline from his attack but he may need to extend that to include his fielders. Mohammad Nabi sliced David Wiese to short third man, where Imran Tahir was stationed. Tahir failed to move quickly enough to his left and by the time he got there, the bounce had the better of him. Tahir could not even get a hand to the ball as it disappeared past his legs and onto the boundary. Wiese’s figures were already mangled, but that didn’t help.

Given the mutual dependence between Bangladesh and Shakib Al Hasan, perhaps it was only fitting that the allrounder chose to underline his return to the side with a match-winning performance in Khulna

Devashish Fuloria in 07-Nov-2014First ball after tea, as Shakib Al Hasan went down on his haunches to appeal for an lbw against Hamilton Masakadza, the crowd rose. It was further proof of the magnetism he holds over the crowd: no matter what people are up to, the moment he is in the middle, all heads turn towards him. It’s a connection only Shakib can perhaps claim to have with the Bangladeshi fans. So, in the second session, when Shakib took a break after bowling 12 consecutive overs, it was the time in the stands to sort out lunch.Khulna had turned out in large numbers in the expectation of a win. It wasn’t quite house-full attendance but being a Friday, many families were also present, along with the usual groups of boys. They were busy chatting with each other knowing that only the wickets mattered. Mothers were helping their kids lap up the boxed biryanis, some men were jostling through the crowd to avoid toppling the two or three glasses of soft drinks they were holding. Most had their faces painted or had come with headbands, but through the second session, the stands resembled the waiting room of a railway station.Jubair Hossain had struck twice before tea to remove Regis Chakabva and Craig Ervine but it merely served as a public announcement signalling the train’s approach. There was reserved jubilation, no major movement. It wasn’t quite a wicket for Shakib, it wasn’t quite the win.Hence the instant buzz when Shakib came on to bowl after tea. By that time, the water bottles had been emptied, throats had been cleared, hunger taken care of, batteries recharged. And when Shakib appealed, it was as if he was doing a pre-flight check: banging of bottles, check; roars, check; everyone on their feet, check; ready for take-off. That appeal against Masakadza was turned down, but the volume in the stands went up a few notches. Bangladesh, five wickets away from a win, were making the final push and the team was not alone.It has been a tough year for Bangladesh. Shakib might say it has been tougher on him with fewer ups and more downs. It is not hard to see the mutual dependency, with Shakib one of the most important assets in the team. Bangladesh lost ODIs, they lost Twenty20s, they lost Test matches, they lost Shakib to a suspension. There did not seem to be way out of the mire, until somehow they managed to cross the line in Mirpur.Khulna has been good to the home side and to Shakib, who could do little wrong here. A century after three years, five wickets in the first innings, two already in the second – surely he was going to get the remaining three. Masakadza was the biggest challenge but the wickets would come at the other end, it was known. If there was a way around Masakadza, Shakib had to find it. Soon enough, he found one to surprise Masakadza and pumped his fists knowing he had won it for Bangladesh. It was time to board the party train.The pitch joined in, too, it seemed, playing an amusing trick by getting a ball to sneak below Malcolm Waller’s bat in the next over from Taijul Islam. Then the Zimbabweans started making a quiet exit, Chigumbura walking after nicking one off Shakib. Taijul did not pick up a wicket in his next over and Shakib then regaled his fans by getting Natsai M’Shangwe out. It was Shakib’s tenth wicket and he was driving the train.As the crowd bounced around, the view to the pitch and the giant screen was blocked. Some officials at the boundary were visible. One of them raised his arms in celebration only to pull them down immediately. Maybe it was a missed run-out, maybe it was a dropped chance.Then, soon enough, the roar again. All that could be heard was the din when the last wicket went down. All that could be felt were the goosebumps. Shakib, man on a comeback, a century and ten wickets in the match, had turned it around for Bangladesh. Two matches, two wins, their first home series win since 2005. It could all be felt as they screamed “Bangladesh, Bangladesh” in the stands. The pitch was still hidden from view by boisterous crowds and a stuffed toy, a tiger wearing a Bangladesh flag as a cape, was being thrown up repeatedly. Remember the cat from Mirpur? It had transformed to a Super-Tiger in Khulna.

One bowler defines everything that’s wrong with Indian cricket

Andy Zaltzman25-Feb-2013India begin the Nagpur Test facing the possibility of a third consecutive home defeat ‒ an indignity they have not encountered since England won in Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai at the start of the 1976-77 series, and a prospect as ugly as a mistimed Graeme Smith cover drive.They have already lost back-to-back home Tests for the first time since South Africa swept a two-Test series in 1999-2000. The Indian selectors, who had reacted to the recent 4-0 drubbings in England and Australia by springing into action like a coiled doughnut, finally wielded something at least slightly resembling an axe, and cut Zaheer and Yuvraj from the team, plus Harbhajan from the squad.They could have justifiably chopped at least a couple more batsmen, one wicketkeeper and/or one captain, two additional bowlers, and eight or nine fielders from the line-up that failed so dismally in all departments at Eden Gardens, although this would probably have constituted surgery too radical even for the ailing patient which showed so few signs of life in last week’s Test. In the immortal words of the legendary former world-No. 1-ranked playwright and allrounder W Shakespeare (Warwickshire & England), “Breaking up is never easy, I know, but I have to go” (authorship disputed; possible missing scene from the smash-hit 1590s rom-trag ; manuscript unearthed in a recording studio in Stockholm, 1976). And breaking up a team that reached the pinnacle in both long- and short-form cricket, and which still contains some of the greatest and most influential players in Indian cricket history, is even less easy.The Indian media and public have not exactly been salivating at the legion of replacements tearing it up in the Ranji Trophy. There seems to be a particularly gloomy outlook on the bowling front. During my now-concluded two-Test trip to India, my queries about which new or recycled bowlers might successfully, or even adequately, replace the incumbents mostly met with a blank 1000-yard stare, a look of regret, wistfulness and occasional horrific flashbacks to RP Singh wobbling in to bowl at The Oval last year, seemingly selected as a one-man metaphor for the malaise in Indian cricket.India have now lost ten of their last 11 Tests against teams in the top six of the ICC rankings. England themselves had lost seven of their nine games this year against top-six sides before their Mumbai victory, so a turn in fortunes is not impossible. It would, however, be unexpected, particularly given how India’s bowlers sliced through England’s top order at Eden Gardens like a plastic picnic knife through granite-encased deep-frozen butter, and the excellence of all four prongs of the England attack which bowled with markedly superior pace, swing, hostility, spin, skill and consistency than their opponents. Advantages which fielding captains generally appreciate.Perhaps Dhoni and his team have one last hurrah left in them. Perhaps they have the first hurrah of a new era in them. The two could be one and the same. I suspect England will have too many weapons with bat and, especially, ball, and will wrap up an impressive series win that will compensate a little for having flunked their two sternest examinations of the year, and will promise much for 2013.I was struck during my visit to India by its continuing love for Test cricket, the youth of the crowd, and their generosity and enthusiasm even as their team were giving them little to cheer. Crowds have declined as television has increased, but that is not a specifically Indian problem. Whether that affection and interest for cricket’s greatest and most fascinating form endures remains uncertain.Indian cricket is a battleground, the epicentre of the fight over cricket’s future between competing and often conflicting interests that is already and inevitably affecting players’ priorities and techniques. It does not necessarily affect their desire to succeed in the five-day game. Virat Kohli, the cricketer who leads and exemplifies the new generation of Indian cricketers, appears both passionately committed to it, and aware that his status as a cricketer will in large part be defined by his performances in Tests. Five times in this series, he has left the field in an obvious fug of self-recrimination, serially let down by flawed, impatient decision-making and execution. And, in the second innings in Mumbai, by planking a full-toss to mid-off with all the finesse and competence of a DIY enthusiast nailing a smart new shelf to his forehead, instead of the wall.But his desire to succeed does not alter the facts that the varying imperatives of his annual schedule may hinder his efforts to do so, and that, financially, he does not to conquer the five-day game in the way that Dravid’s generation did. The path of his career will be fascinating to follow.Strong leaders and characters are needed in Nagpur and beyond, on and off the pitch. Dhoni has been both for India for most of his tenure as captain. He has led India in 42 Tests – more than twice the next highest total of games skippered by a wicketkeeper ‒ and in a total of 206 international matches altogether over five years, more than three times as many as second-placed Sangakkara (67), in which he has averaged 47 with the bat. It is easy to understand why he sometimes appears jaded. Is there anything left in the well?

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the day from Bangladesh’s must-win match against South Africa

Firdose Moonda in Mirpur19-Mar-2011The perfect placement
Jacques Kallis had played his way cautiously to 30, rotating the strike with Hashim Amla and managing two boundaries. Then, he rolled out a vintage stroke. Shafiul Islam bowled a regular, on-a-good-length ball and Kallis just presented his bat. He made contact that had better timing than all the clocks in the world. The ball snuck in between Faf du Plessis’ legs, evaded a diving Tamim Iqbal, escaped the exasperated Mahmadullah at mid-on too and eased it way to the boundary. Effortless.The mind-the-gap moment
Bangladesh cost themselves in the field with some sloppy work but this was the most careless. Abdur Razzak was at point when Kallis cut the ball to him, off the bowling of Shakib Al Hasan. Razzak kneeled down and should have picked it up immediately, giving away no runs in the process, but he somehow allowed the ball into the gap between his left knee and right leg. As it was teasing him, his hands couldn’t get around the ball in time and it rolled away for four.The un-noticed 50
Jacques Kallis was playing a low-key innings but he must have expected someone to clap when he reached his half-century. It wasn’t brought up in a flashy fashion – a small flick to fine leg, an ambled single. But nobody seemed to notice. As Kallis stood, bat in the air, acknowledging the crowd, there was minimal sounds beyond the constant burble. A section of the crowd must have realised what was going on and offered small applause but most didn’t seem too aware that South Africa’s greatest all-rounder had reached another milestone.The catch that stuck

After a solid display of butter fingers, Shakib Al Hasan finally gave Bangladesh their moment in the field. Jacques Kallis wanted to use the batting Powerplay to capitalise and decided to start from the get-go. He rocked on the back foot and smacked the third ball of the over back to Shakib. It wasn’t a clean catch at first, as the captain juggled it on the first attempt but held on it on the second.The tragedy
It was only the 8th over of the Bangladesh chase but at 21 for 4, the dream was crashing fast. Lonwabo Tsotsobe had exposed too many weaknesses and what lay before the fans, a raw batting line-up, was too painful for them to see. Rows of seats became empty and dozens of people were making their way to the exit. The dream was dying and they weren’t hanging around to see it splutter and struggle its way to the inevitable end.The giant catch
Graeme Smith and agile are not two concepts that marry easily, but he showed his nimble side while fielding at slip. Robin Peterson had tempted Mushfiqur Rahim to go onto his front foot and drive and the push from the Bangladeshi batsman resulted in nothing more than an edge. It flew to the right of Smith at first slip and was dipping fast but Smith lunged with his full reach and took the catch.The lowest is over
When Shakib Al Hasan gently took a single off Johan Botha on the leg side, in the 21st over, the crowd began to cheer louder than had for the entire Bangladesh innings. Not because they were applauding their captain supreme who had to be a one-man team for much of the match, with the bat and ball, but because the worst they’d seen of this World Cup would not come back to haunt them. That single was the 58th, the same amount that Bangladesh had been bowled out for against the West Indies and they still had five wickets in hand. Even though Mahmadullah was run out on that score, the same ignominy was avoided, but not by much.

Gautam Gambhir made the case for a permanent place in the Indian ODI team with a century that was intelligent and cool-headed

Nagraj Gollapudi at the Gabba05-Feb-2008
Playing under pressure is something Gautam Gambhir has become adept at © Getty Images
Gautam Gambhir has been in and out of India’s dressing room for some time now and should know what it takes to seal a permanent place. It hasn’t always revealed itself – he has not always made the most of his comeback opportunities – but on Tuesday he set aside the disappointment of missing out on a place in the Test squad with his third one-day century, against Sri Lanka at the Gabba.Gambhir had been in rich form in domestic cricket, leading Delhi to the Ranji Trophy title, with centuries in the semi-final and final. That form was in evidence today in an innings where more impressive than the runs was the manner in which they were scored.He was dropped when on 11, the disciplined Ishara Amerasinghe coaxing an edge that Kumar Sangakarra failed to hold on to, and made the most of the life. It was hard work; while Amerasinghe tested him with bounce and movement, he had to deal with the guile of Muttiah Muralitharan at the other end. Yet slowly, and surely, Gambhir found his way past both spin and pace.He negated Murali by using his feet and hitting against the spin, and rotated the strike against Amerasinghe. “I wasn’t picking him [Murali] early on but my plan was to hang in there and make sure we had a good partnership,” Gambhir said about his initial jitters. By the end of his unbroken184-run stand with Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he was reading Murali perfectly, and their personal tussle eventually read 32 runs off 30 balls – including 11 off one over.It was a vital phase for India, whose early advantage gained from a solid opening stand by Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag was swiftly negated when Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma fell in Murali’s first over. For a while it seemed India might lose their way as they did against Australia on Sunday. Gambhir, who had played around an angled one from Mitchell Johnson when on 39, decided to make amends and was helped by the presence of his captain, whose calm and sense of responsibility was the perfect foil.They also showed they knew the importance of rotating the strike, taking a total of 71 singles off one of the sharpest fielding units in world cricket. By the end of the innings Sri Lanka’s fielding was a ragged, patchy shadow of the early brilliance and much of this was down to the intelligent batting. Gambhir later noted the team had done its homework on Australian grounds, which usually present an opportunity to convert the “singles into twos”.Stealing runs and rotating the strike are old Gambhir traits, as witnessed at the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa last year where he was the tournament’s second highest run-getter. His form, capped by 75 in the final against Pakistan, displayed a suitability for the shorter versions of the game.Today, though, it didn’t matter if India were going at less than six an over. At the 30-over mark they were 115; ten overs later 162 and the last ten yielded 105 runs. It was like a perfectly worked out script, the urgency coming when most required. “At 80 for 4 we were never in a position to attack. We wanted to play safe without losing any wickets,” Gambhir said.That’s the sort of tricky position Gambhir is used to for a personal reason: he’s usually been on trial of sorts when he’s walked in to bat. “The pressure that comes from playing for India is always like facing a trial,” he said. His biggest challenge has been to deal with the conventional wisdom that he is a stand-in before the departure of Tendulkar and Ganguly.Gambhir says he is less comfortable opening than at No. 3, a point from where he can build a strong platform for a late flourish. “I have always been comfortable in this position as I have played long innings here in first-class cricket. It allows me to anchor an innings as well as attack when need be.”In 13 ODIs at No. 3 Gambhir has an average of 42.54, which is much better than the 25.87 he averages while opening. He concedes he now has the responsibility of being India’s No. 3 in ODIs but is up for it. “It’s time to take on the responsibility, stand up and deliver.”On Monday Gambhir and other youngsters had a chat with Tendulkar about the role of every player in the side. “For me as No. 3 I need to hang in there, take my time, pace the innings and stay till around the 45th over.” Tendulkar has carried that responsibility throughout his career and is still learning. For Gambhir, still in the first flush of his career, it’s not a bad lesson to learn.

Earlier, Brett Lee picked up 3 for 18 to restrict Maharajas to a sub-par total

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2023Chris Gayle’s 46-ball 57 made light work of World Giants’ chase of 137 after Brett Lee (3 for 18) bowled a game-changing penultimate over against India Maharajas on Wednesday. World Giants completed the chase with eight balls to spare to complete a routine win in Doha.Gayle was clear about his intent from the start of the innings. He smashed six boundaries in the first three overs to pile misery on Maharajas’ bowlers, and was particularly harsh on Ashok Dinda. In the sixth over, he hit him for 4, 6, 4 and 4 off consecutive deliveries.Shane Watson added to the momentum with some vintage shots in his quickfire cameo. After taking two fours off Pravin Tambe in the seventh over, he smashed stand-in India Maharajas captain Harbhajan Singh for two consecutive boundaries in the next.Tambe temporarily stalled Giants’ cruise, bowling a dream delivery to dismiss Watson as the ball beat him on the outside edge and dislodged the off bail.That dismissal, along with a few wickets as the innings progressed, forced Gayle to take a cautious approach in the chase. Having reached his half-century in 26 balls, he managed only seven in the next 20. His innings was cut short by Suresh Raina, who surprised him with a length ball that didn’t bounce much and trapped him right in front.Even though World Giants continued to lose wickets after that dismissal, cameos from Samit Patel and Morne van Wyk carried them over the line.Earlier, in the absence of their regular captain and in-form opener Gautam Gambhir, India Maharajas were desperate for a strong start. Robin Uthappa, coming off a spectacular fifty on Tuesday, did not look in control against Samit even though he had found a boundary off his second delivery. Two balls later, Samit dismissed him with an arm ball, with the batter mis-hitting it to Aaron Finch at midwicket.Raina tried to increase the scoring rate, hitting Monty Panesar for two back-to-back sixes in the eighth over. First, he picked up a back-of-a-length delivery and pulled it over deep midwicket and then stepped out to smash the next over the bowler’s head.However, Maharajas’ innings followed the pattern of solid partnerships followed by quick wickets throughout. After a 60-run stand between Raina and Manvinder Bisla, they lost Yusuf Pathan and Stuart Binny off consecutive deliveries.Irfan Pathan’s cameo of 25 off 20 balls carried them for a while but Lee’s two wickets in the 19th over restricted them to a sub-par total.

Como's president says his club have not rejected an approach from Tottenham for midfielder Nico Paz, who has been linked with a return to Real Madrid.

• Tottenham want new attacking midfielder
• James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski both injured
• Paz reportedly of interest to Spurs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Tottenham are on the lookout for a new attacking midfielder in the final week of the transfer window, with both Maddison and Kulusevski currently out with long-term injuries. They have fallen short in pursuit of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze so far this summer and Spurs are thought to have responded by making former Real Madrid youngster Paz a target.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Paz came through the youth ranks at Madrid before leaving for Cesc Fabregas' Como, where he impressed last season with six goals and eight assists in 35 Serie A games. That haul is thought to have attracted the interest of Tottenham, but club president Mirwan Suwarso has revealed some of the speculation around the saga isn't true.

• WHAT SUWARSO SAID

  “It’s not true that we rejected a proposal,” Suwarso told Corriere della Sera.

  “Nobody makes an offer knowing that we must forward it to Real Madrid, who can match it. At some point, we feared Nico Paz could return to Real Madrid. He was raised in the Real Madrid academy and dreams of playing at the Bernabeu one day.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Paz is known to be keen on a return to Madrid one day and Los Blancos will reportedly match any bid that comes in for the 20-year-old to ensure his future is at the Bernabeu. Their move for the Argentina international could come next year, with it believed Madrid have a buy-back clause worth €10 million (£8.6m/$11.6m).