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An IPL team, led by the COO, will be in UAE next week to inspect the three venues

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2020The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that it has received official clearance from the BCCI to host IPL 2020. The development comes a day after the BCCI had got permission from the Indian government to host the league in the UAE.”We feel extremely privileged to host what could be considered the pinnacle-event of our favourite sport. The magnitude of being in a position to bring the IPL to the vast cricket-loving global community, during current events which have greatly impacted our daily lives, is one we take with extreme importance,” Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan,  the chairman of the UAE board, said in a statement.ALSO READ: BCCI gets government go-ahead to conduct tournament in the UAEESPNcricinfo understands that an IPL team, led by its chief operating officer Hemang Amin, will be in the UAE next week to conduct an inspection of the venues as well as finalise the standard operating procedures for all stakeholders.Although the IPL has sent franchises a set of draft SOPs recently, the final version will also need to be approved by the UAE government.The IPL will be played between September 19 and November 10, with 60 matches at three venues: Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. Although the tournament schedule has not yet been finalised, the eight teams are already planning their travel to the UAE.This, however, isn’t the first time that the UAE is hosting the IPL. The first 20 games of the 2014 edition were held in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah because of India’s general elections.

India-based Deepak Agarwal admits to “tampering” ACU probe

Nagraj Gollapudi29-Apr-2020

Shakib Al Hasan is serving a ban for failing to report Deepak Agarwal’s approaches•Getty Images

Deepak Agarwal, the corruptor involved in Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan getting banned last year for failing to report approaches, has now himself received a two-year ban form the ICC’s anti-corruption unit for breaching its code.Agarwal, an Indian businessman, will not be allowed to be involved in any form of cricket worldwide – both domestic as well as international – until April 27, 2022, of which the last six months are suspended.The ICC said in a media release that Agarwal had accepted the solitary charge framed by the anti-corruption unit for “obstructing or delaying” an investigation including “concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence of or may lead to the discovery of evidence of corrupt conduct” under the ACU code.ALSO READ: ‘Do we work in this or I wait til the IPL’ – Agarwal’s conversations with ShakibIncidentally Agarwal, who is understood to be 34 years old and lives in Indian capital Delhi, had been on the ACU list of corruptors for some time, and was charged as a “participant” under its code. That was because in November 2018 Agarwal became one of the owners at the Sindhis franchise in the T10 Cricket League.Three days after he joined T10 League as an owner, the ACU sat down Agarwal on November 26 to investigate an alleged approach he had made to another “participant” in the past. That approach was not related to the T10 League. At this meeting, the ICC said Agarwal “surrendered” his mobile phone by “consent”.A month later, between December 22-25, 2018, the ACU found Agarwal was “engaged” in WhatsApp conversations with an unnamed person the ICC has called Mr X, who was facing several allegations the ACU was investigating. It is understood that Agarwal had used Mr X to get access to people including players to corrupt them and get information from them.On this occasion the ICC said both Agarwal and Mr X had been “in conversation” for “over the course of the previous year. “These WhatsApp conversations between Mr X and Mr Agarwal related to what Mr Agarwal had told the ACU in his interviews,” the ICC said. “In these conversations Mr Agarwal effectively instructed Mr X as to what to say to the ACU over certain matters to ensure that they both told the same story (a story which on occasions was not true) and consequently misled or obstructed the ACU’s investigation.”Mr X also sought clarification from Mr Agarwal over the interview process and what Mr Agarwal had told the ACU on certain matters. In effect, Mr Agarwal and Mr X contrived together to mislead the ACU investigation and not to tell the truth in their answers. 7.”ALSO READ: Just what was Shakib thinking?The ICC also said that Mr X was “instructed” by Agarwal to delete all the messages they had exchanged and his number during the course of the investigation. “In other words, Mr Agarwal instructed Mr X to conceal and/or destroy information which might be relevant to the ACU’s investigations. Mr Agarwal also instructed Mr X to lie to the ACU about when he had last spoken to Mr Agarwal, as they had had conversations during a time where Mr Agarwal had explicitly been told by the ACU not to engage with Mr X.”The ICC said that Agarwal “effectively admitted” to the breach during the investigations, saying both him and Mr X had “connived to mislead and/or obstruct” the ACU investigation.On December 22, 2019 the ICC formally charged Agarwal, who accepted that charge in writing on April 27. The ICC said that although under the code Agarwal could have been charged for the maximum penalty of up to 5 years, it had taken into account some mitigating factors. These included Agarwal “promptly” agreeing to the charge and importantly agreeing to “substantial assistance” he would provide to the ACU with its various other investigations.”There were a number of examples of Mr Agarwal obstructing and delaying our investigations and it was not just a one off occurrence,” Alex Marshall, ICC’s general manager, integrity, said in the release. “However, he made a prompt admission of his breach of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code and continues to provide substantial assistance to the ACU in relation to several investigations involving other participants. This cooperation is reflected in his sanction.”

Everton have conducted some questionable business in the transfer market in recent years, signing multiple players who have failed to make any impact at the club.

Allan joined the Toffees from Napoli for £21m before struggling to prove any sort of worth for his hefty fee, before departing the club for a minimal fee just a few years after his move to Merseyside.

The club spent more than £60m on new additions during the 2019/20 season, with players such as Ben Godfrey also joining the club for a fee in the region of £25m – with the defender now a regular, in an unnatural right-back role.

However, the club also purchased another talent who had huge expectations upon his move to Goodison Park but has looked a shadow of his former self in recent months and has been struggling to make an impact in the final third under boss Sean Dyche.

Abdoulaye Doucoure's stats during his time at Everton

Midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure arrived at Goodison back in the summer of 2020, with the club signing him from Watford on a £20m deal after the Hornets suffered relegation back to the Championship.

He's been a consistent figure for the club under numerous managers, as the Toffees have frequently battled against relegation since his move to Goodison.

The Malian featured 29 times in the Premier League during his first season on Merseyside, as he helped the club achieve a tenth-place finish under experienced boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Despite not being known for his goalscoring ability, he's often contributed with some crucial goals for the club since his big-money move, including the decisive goal on the final day of 2022/23, where he fired home against Bournemouth to secure the club's Premier League status for another season.

Dyche's arrival in January 2023 has allowed the 31-year-old to operate in a more advanced role, as the number ten behind the striker – a decision that would allow the Malian to add a different dimension to the Toffees' forward line.

He's scored 11 goals over the last two campaigns, including six during 2023/24 – but he's failed to find the back of the net in any of his last 14 matches dating back to early December.

How much Abdoulaye Doucoure earns at Everton

According to Spotrac, midfielder Doucoure earns a whopping £130k-per-week, a figure that makes him the club's highest-paid player, ahead of striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and talented youngster Jarrad Branthwaite – who rake in £100k-per-week and £15k-per-week, respectively.

Abdoulaye Doucoure

£130k-p/w

Jordan Pickford

£125k-p/w

Andre Gomes

£112k-p/w

James Tarkowski

£100k-p/w

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

£100k-p/w

Jarrad Branthwaite

£15k-p/w

His weekly wage sees him pocket £6.7m a year at Goodison, with Doucoure taking home £26.8m in wages alone upon the conclusion of the current season – a staggering amount.

The Malian has undoubtedly been a success during his time at the club, but given his attacking role, his recent goalscoring form has been a concern, with the 31-year-old looking like a shadow of his former self – Liverpool Echo's Chris Beesley writing that he is 'still labouring to recapture his early season form', following the recent draw with Luton Town.

However, with his big-money contract expiring at the end of next season, this summer could be the last chance the club have to recoup some of his £20m fee before he's allowed to enter pre-contract talks with sides outside the Premier League.

Everton could find new Calvert-Lewin partner in exciting academy star

This 17-year-old prospect could have a fruitful future ahead at Everton.

ByAngus Sinclair May 7, 2024

As the end of the season and decision time regarding a permanent new manager looms, Sunderland have reportedly identified a former Premier League boss as their top target.

Sunderland manager latest

The Black Cats should be the first to admit that replacing Tony Mowbray with Michael Beale was the wrong call. The former Rangers boss came in with Sunderland gunning for the play-offs but left with their promotion hopes in tatters. Since appointing Mike Dodds on an interim basis, Sunderland have been left waiting for a frustrating campaign to reach its end in the Championship.

Games

12

Wins

4

Draws

2

Losses

6

In search of a new permanent boss, names such as Steve Cooper and even former manager Roy Keane have been mentioned, albeit without either coming close to taking the role.

Cooper, having been out of a job since being sacked by Nottingham Forest, knows all about Championship promotion and is certainly a solid option for the Black Cats. Keane, meanwhile, would be quite the wildcard, given that his last managerial position came at Ipswich Town in 2011.

So, instead, those at the Stadium of Light look set to look elsewhere. According to reliable journalist Alan Nixon on Patreon, Sunderland have made Paul Heckingbottom their top target to succeed Dodds this summer. The former Sheffield United boss previously spoke to the Black Cats about their vacancy before Beale took the role and could now finally get his chance to step into the dugout on Wearside.

Sunderland must now ditch this struggling dud who earns more than Ekwah

This Sunderland man could find himself out of Mike Dodds’ starting XIs going forward.

ByKelan Sarson Mar 31, 2024

Nixon claims that as long as Heckingbottom is happy to work with the current set-up, Sunderland's current way of doing things and some of their current staff, then he will be their top target. A manager who reportedly ticks all of Sunderland's boxes, Heckingbottom may well find himself back in the technical area this summer.

"Fantastic" Heckingbottom can revive Sunderland's play-off ambitions

After a season that has turned out to be one to forget in the Championship, Sunderland can turn to Heckingbottom to revive their play-off ambitions next season. The former Blades boss knows what it takes to earn promotion after all, having finished second in England's second tier whilst at Sheffield United in the last campaign. Ultimately, the Premier League proved a step too far, but that doesn't take away from his achievements.

Heckingbottom earned plenty of praise for his work at Sheffield United too, with goalkeeper Wes Foderingham saying back in 2022:

"He deserves a lot of credit. We were low on confidence and the season looked over.

"He’s come in and he’s changed the mentality in the group. Everyone has worked harder and showed a bit more respect to their craft, making sure they are giving 100 per cent to this football club. Hopefully, we can keep the good form going. He (Heckingbottom) did a fantastic job last season, we know from that experience what he’s about and he knows what we’re about as well."

Now, the 46-year-old will hope to be handed the chance to have similar success at Sunderland, utilising his 3-5-2 system in the process.

The fastest fifties in IPL history, featuring some of the world’s mightiest hitters

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-20251:12

Chawla: Very little margin for error against Shepherd

Yashasvi Jaiswal (13 balls) Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2023

Yashasvi Jaiswal, 21, ripped up the IPL record books, slamming the league’s fastest half-century, off 13 balls. He made a two-paced pitch look like a belter to reignite their IPL campaign. Surprisingly, KKR captain Nitish Rana gave himself the new ball and the move backfired, with Jaiswal hitting 26 runs off the opening over. The other Rana – Harshit – wasn’t spared either as Jaiswal chopped the fast bowler behind point and flat-batted him down the ground for fours. Jaiswal also laid into Shardul Thakur and brought up his half-century inside three overs. Jaiswal threatened to convert it into a hundred, but the target wasn’t big enough. Eventually, Royals hunted down 150 with nine wickets and almost seven overs to spare.

Romario Shepherd (14 balls) Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2025

At the start of the 19th over, RCB were 159 for 5, having slumped alarmingly following quick fifties from openers Jacob Bethell and Virat Kohli. They had scored just 45 in their previous seven overs, for the loss of four wickets, but proceeded to score an astonishing 54 off their last two overs, setting a new IPL record for most runs across the 19th and 20th overs. Romario Shepherd faced all but one of the last 12 legal balls and hammered six sixes and two fours off Khaleel Ahmed and Matheesha Pathirana, en route to an unbeaten 53 off just 14 balls.BCCI

Pat Cummins (14 balls), Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians, IPL 2022

Chasing 162, KKR slipped to 83 for 4 in 12 overs on a challenging Pune pitch. Pat Cummins, though, came in at No.6 and hoicked the second ball he faced for six. In the next over, Cummins took Jasprit Bumrah for a six and a four to raise KKR’s hopes. He then smashed Daniel Sams for 6,4,6,6, 2 (nb), 4,6 to zoom to 56 off 15 balls and seal victory for his side.BCCI

KL Rahul (14 balls), Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2018

For nearly four seasons, the record for the fastest fifty in the IPL stood at 15 balls, before KL Rahul went berserk with a flurry of boundaries on his debut for Kings XI Punjab. A fortunate top-edged six off Trent Boult kicked things off, before he unveiled an array of exquisite cover drives and pulls off Mohammad Shami’s first over. At 27 off nine balls, the fastest fifty seemed some way away, until he smashed Amit Mishra’s undisciplined first over for 24 runs to eclipse the previous mark by a single ball. He soon got out trying to whip Boult through the legside, only to be caught at short third man off the leading edge. By then, though, he had taken his place at the very top of a list of the IPL’s elite hitters.BCCI

Sunil Narine (15 balls), Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2017

After their destructive opener Chris Lynn injured his shoulder early in the 2017 season, Kolkata Knight Riders experimented with Sunil Narine as a pinch-hitting opener. He got them off to some quick starts and showed enough ability to retain his position as an opener when Lynn returned. Chasing 159 in Bengaluru, Lynn and Narine decided they wanted to try and finish the game inside 10 overs. Both went ballistic, but it was Narine who raced Lynn to a 50. He went after fellow Trinidadian Samuel Badree, hitting him for three sixes in a row, before smashing three fours in a row off S Aravind. When he lofted seamer S Aravind into the stands beyond long-on, Narine equalled the record for the fastest half-century in the IPL.Yusuf Pathan struck the fastest IPL fifty•BCCI

Yusuf Pathan (15 balls), Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2014

Yusuf Pathan’s innings came in his side’s final league game, in which they had to chase 161 in 15.2 overs to get two shots at qualifying for the final. After being dropped twice early on in his innings, Yusuf made the most of it, mowing Dale Steyn for 26 runs in an over, ensuring Knight Riders closed out the chase in just 14.2 overs.Associated Press

Nicholas Pooran (15 balls), Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2023

Chasing a mammoth 213 against Royal Challengers, Pooran came in with Super Giants still needing 114 from 56 balls. From 10 off five deliveries at one stage, Pooran ended with a 19-ball 62; seven of those deliveries were dispatched for six, while four went for fours. He reached his half-century off just 15 deliveries, mercilessly going after every bowler. By the time he was dismissed, Super Giants needed just 24 off 18, and would end up edging a one-wicket win.Associated Press

Jake Fraser-McGurk (15 balls), Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2024

Jake Fraser-McGurk made a mark early in his maiden IPL season, smashing a 15-ball fifty in just his third match, although in a losing cause. Chasing a mammoth 267 against SRH, Fraser-McGurk tried to do his bit at No. 3. After starting with two dot balls, he struck four fours in the next six balls before smashing three sixes against Washington Sundar. He handed the same treatment to Mayank Markande as well, to reach the half-century off 15 balls, and eventually finished on 65 off 18, an innings studded with seven sixes and five fours.AFP/Getty Images

Jake Fraser-McGurk (15 balls), Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians, IPL 2024

Fraser-McGurk matched his feat seven days later, against MI, and this time batting first to haul his team to 257. Opening the batting in a day game, Fraser-McGurk started took on Mark Wood off the first ball of the game. After carting Wood around the park in a 19-run over, Fraser-McGurk also struck a six and four off Jasprit Bumrah in the second over, which went for 18. He brought up his fifty by dispatching Piyush Chawla over long-on for six, followed by a four, before tearing into Hardik Pandya in a 20-run over full of boundaries down the ground. He eventually fell for a stunning 84 off 27, holing out off Chawla, after setting things up nicely for the middle order.

On Tuesday, Stoinis muscled LSG to an elusive home win with a takedown of Mumbai’s fast bowlers

Deivarayan Muthu17-May-20232:52

Moody explains how Stoinis outsmarted Mumbai Indians

The Ekana Stadium didn’t roll out the black-soil turner for the final league game in Lucknow this IPL, but the red-soil one was just as difficult for all batters – except Marcus Stoinis.He was the only one to strike at over 170 on that track, his expertly-paced unbeaten 89 off 47 balls being the difference on Tuesday. Like most other batters on the day, Stoinis had started slowly, scoring 35 off his first 29 balls, but cranked up to top gear to smash 54 off his last 18.This was Stoinis’ best IPL score. This is already Stoinis’ best IPL season in terms of both runs (368) and strike rate (151.44). Before this game, a large chunk of Stoinis’ runs had come away from Lucknow on better batting tracks. Lucknow Super Giants might have been tempted to bump him up to the top, where he has been successful for Melbourne Stars in the BBL, once they decided to bench Kyle Mayers for their last home fixture. Instead, LSG promoted Deepak Hooda to open with Quinton de Kock and backed Stoinis’ muscle in the middle order.ESPNcricinfo LtdStoinis channelled all of that power in the 18th over, bowled by Chris Jordan. He went 6, 4, 4, 6, 4. The first ball was a 144kph length ball on the stumps that disappeared beyond the bigger long-on boundary. It brought up Stoinis’ half-century and had LSG’s mentor Gautam Gambhir on his feet, applauding the landmark. Jordan then took pace off the ball, but Stoinis still picked away him for fours on either side of the wicket. Then Jordan marginally missed the yorker and bowled a low full toss. It was still a hard-to-hit delivery, but Stoinis extended his arms and launched another six over the long-on fence. Jordan was left scratching his head in utter disbelief.Related

• Marcus Stoinis brings the muscle in Lucknow's thrilling victory

• Mohsin Khan: 'I had given up hope of playing cricket at one point'

But this sequence wasn’t particularly special because Stoinis always dominates Jordan in T20 cricket. Overall, Stoinis has taken Jordan for 151 runs off just 61 balls at a strike rate of almost 250 without being dismissed in T20s. However, the one-handed sixes off both Jason Behrendorff and Akash Madhwal in the 19th and 20th overs were truly remarkable.Both Behrendorff and Stoinis play for Western Australia in domestic cricket. The left-armer knows that Stoinis relishes pace on the ball, so he denied him pace and pushed a dipping yorker away from his swinging range. Stoinis got beaten by the change-up, and his bottom hand flew off the bat on impact, but he still manufactured enough power and elevation with one hand to clear long-off. Madhwal then just missed his middle-stump yorker on the final ball of the innings, but Stoinis created swinging room and enough power with just one hand again to clear long-off.2:31

Bishop: The way Stoinis paced his innings was superb

The yorker is arguably the bowler’s best delivery in T20 cricket, but Stoinis’ swing is so powerful that he can hit sixes off that length with just one hand on a used pitch. Kieron Pollard, who used to do this often on the field, was helplessly watching all the carnage unfold from Mumbai’s dugout.Tom Moody, the former Australia allrounder and an analyst at ESPNcricinfo, tried to make sense of Stoinis’ one-handed bombs.”It’s been done with the pace of the delivery, so therefore he gives his bottom hand away, but still the velocity of the swing coming down through the arc and he just extends the swing through with the top hand in control of the striking of the ball,” Moody said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time:Out. “It takes strength, it takes balance and control because you still have to have your head in a strong position. If you throw your head back from that position, the ball is going nowhere. It’s a case of he’s been done [in] there, but he just extends that top hand through the ball to make sure he gets maximum contact.”That ability to hold his shape and use his reach has also helped him get on top of spinners this IPL. It was on display against Mumbai Indians again, with punchy sixes off Hrithik Shokeen and Piyush Chawla soon after the powerplay. With LSG currently third, this skill could also prove useful in spin-friendly Chennai for the playoffs. Throw in the pace dominance, and Stoinis has proved to be a man for all surfaces this season.

They will be hoping to get at least Axar back, whose batting will allow them to play a more attacking spinner in Kuldeep

Sidharth Monga11-Feb-2021With the first Test of the series being India’s second home defeat in more than eight years, it had to be a rare event. While England played excellent cricket from the moment they won the toss, they needed some good fortune to go their way too. One hundred and sixty-six Tests have been played since the start of 2017. There have been results in 146 of those. Only five times has a team made fewer errors with the bat than India’s 102 in Chennai to lose a Test. To lose 19 wickets to just 102 uncontrolled responses is terrible luck – Cheteshwar Pujara got out in the first innings despite being in full control of the shot – especially when England’s first innings alone took 136 not-in-control responses to end.Given the toss, the conditions and England’s resolute batting, India had to work harder for their wickets. It’s the opposite of what happened in Australia when it was the visitors who enjoyed some luck in the last three Tests when the ball was in play.Events in the final innings of the last two Tests in Australia and also in the recent game between Bangladesh and West Indies in Chattogram might have had some impact on England’s lack of declaration and fans’ expectations, but the Test was – as most of them are – won and lost in the first two innings. Not only did India’s first innings feature three unlucky wickets and some sensational catching, but the surge in the effectiveness of bowling was also huge.Related

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England enjoyed at least a bonus day of batting before the ball started to misbehave at all, which is not how the other Tests in the aforementioned list played out. Four out of the five Tests mentioned earlier were typically low-scoring affairs, the fifth was between India and Afghanistan.The penalty for batting errors went up considerably day three onwards in Chennai. The first innings took 13.6 false responses for a wicket to fall, the next three took 6.8, 5.7 and 4.1 respectively. Interestingly, the frequency of false responses didn’t really follow a linear pattern: there was one false response every 10.7 balls in the first innings, and every 9.4, 4.9 and 8.5 balls in the subsequent ones. Arguably, England were batting for a declaration in the third innings and played a few shots too many, which might be reflecting in poor control percentage on the fourth day; or perhaps India saw something in how England tackled the misbehaving ball on day four, which gives them confidence for the rest of the series.This points to two factors other than dumb luck. England could afford to bowl more attacking lengths because they had the runs on the board and a more responsive pitch to bowl on. While the economy rate went up, the errors were likelier to bring them wickets. Also, on more difficult pitches, you pay more for your errors. And this pitch got really difficult after the first two days. This was perhaps the kind of pitch that MS Dhoni used to rail against because it made the toss crucial, especially when Anil Kumble had retired and he had just Harbhajan Singh as the settled spinner.Washington Sundar might have to sit out despite his batting hand in the last Test if India play both Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav•BCCIThis is not to say that this is the first time a team has enjoyed good luck in Test cricket. India did so in Australia. England did so when they were in India last time, winning three tosses and having to induce fewer false responses for a wicket, but this time they backed it up with the big runs to make any slice of luck became significant.This time around, England are more determined to grind India out if they get to bat first, which shows in their squad composition. India are missing a key bowler: with a complete and relentless attack in the past, India could contain teams to 450-500 instead of the 578 England got here. Also, India are towards the end of a long season, which began with the IPL and carried into the gruelling tour of Australia. In the absence of Ravindra Jadeja, the fitness of the other bowlers will continue to be tested should England win the toss on a similar pitch again.Good examples of how India negated the toss disadvantage by restricting the opposition to 400-450 include the Mohali Test against Australia in 2013, the Mumbai and Chennai Tests against England in 2016, and the Ranchi Test against Australia in 2017. They will be hoping they get at least Axar Patel back, whose batting will allow them to play a more attacking spinner in Kuldeep Yadav. That might mean Washington Sundar might have to sit out despite his batting hand in the last Test, but when playing a spinner at No. 7, you are looking more at his bowling than batting.Virat Kohli’s press conference after the first Test betrayed a hint of annoyance at questions looking for any larger issue with the team. Kohli himself made just nine mistakes when he batted, and was out two times. The team knows they were in a tough situation, the kind they have made look easy in the past.Should they lose the toss again and find the pitch to be similar – the latter is less likely to happen – India will ask for better control from their bowlers and a little bit more luck when they bat in the first innings. For the first time in four years, India have been properly challenged at home. The next three Tests will make for fascinating cricket.

Game 5 of the World Series featured a pitching performance for the ages.

It just wasn’t authored by the player most would have expected it from.

Blue Jays rookie starter Trey Yesavage dominated the defending champion Dodgers, spearheading a 6–1 victory that brought Toronto one win away from its first championship since 1993. He struck out 12 batters and gave up just one run on three hits over seven innings, breaking the record for most strikeouts by a rookie in World Series history previously set by Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1949.

He outdueled Los Angeles ace Blake Snell, who gave up five runs on six hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings.

The Blue Jays ambushed Snell, with Davis Schneider driving the game’s first pitch over the left field wall for a lead-off homer. Two pitches later, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did the same, blasting the eighth home run of his historic postseason.

That start to the game took the air out of Dodger Stadium, and Yesavage made sure it never returned. As the series heads back to Toronto, here are four takeaways from Game 5.

Dave Roberts is out of lineup options

Their dominant pitching and sweep of the Brewers masked it, but the Dodgers bats haven’t been clicking for some time now. Los Angeles managed only 15 runs across four games in the NLCS, and has scored just 18 in the Fall Classic. And no matter what tweaks Roberts makes, it hasn’t seemed to make a difference.

For Wednesday’s game, Roberts tried to shake things up by moving Mookie Betts from second to the No. 3 hole, and shifting Will Smith up to No. 2. And after resisting for the entire playoffs, he finally decided to bench center fielder Andy Pages, who was 4-for-50 during the postseason with zero walks. None of it mattered.

Too many key Dodgers bats are slumping at the wrong time. Betts is 3-for-23 this series, and has just one extra-base hit in his last 52 plate appearances. Tommy Edman is 3-for-21. Since his home run in Game 2, Max Muncy is 1-for-13 with five strikeouts. Roberts can reshuffle things all he wants to, but with the Dodgers’ backs against the wall, none of it is likely to wake the lineup out of its prolonged, ill-timed slumber.

Trey Yesavage rises to the occasion

Of course, Yesavage was the main reason why the Dodgers’ offense struggled on Wednesday. With the way he threw the ball, few lineups would have put up much of a fight against him.

For the second time in this series, the rookie outpitched the two-time Cy Young Award winner. Yesavage, who made his big-league debut on Sept. 15, was simply brilliant. He struck out every Dodgers hitter at least once, and two of the three hits he gave up didn’t leave the infield. He struck out five consecutive hitters at one point, and after giving up a solo homer to Kiké Hernández in the bottom of the third, retired 13 of the last 16 batters he faced.

Of the 104 pitches Yesavage threw on the night, Dodgers hitters swung at 52 of them. They whiffed 23 times, marking the most swings-and-misses in a World Series game since tracking began in 2008.

It was a breathtaking performance, particularly considering the 22-year-old had made just three major league appearances before manager John Schneider opted to include him in his playoff rotation. Yesavage hasn’t flinched on the big stage yet, and his latest gem has the Blue Jays on the precipice of an upset title few predicted before this series began.

Dodgers’ bullpen will be their undoing

More and more, Game 3 is looking like the exception rather than the rule. In the 18-inning Dodgers win, their bullpen fired 13 1/3 innings and gave up just one run. Excluding that game, the group has allowed nine earned runs in 8 1/3 frames.

On Wednesday, Snell exited the game with runners on first and second and two outs, with the deficit still a manageable 3–1. Edgardo Henriquez came in and immediately allowed both inherited runners to score—one on a wild pitch and one on a single. He faced three hitters and retired none of them.

This appears to be another area where, no matter where Roberts turns, he finds himself with few attractive options (Monday’s Game 3 aside). With Yoshinobu Yamamoto set to take the mound in a do-or-die Game 6 Friday, it would surprise no one if he once again goes the distance and saves Roberts from having to choose from a series of bad options.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is your World Series MVP so far

Yesavage might have something to say about this after his historic performance, but Guerrero remains the greatest force of nature in this series. He’s reached base in every game, reached base multiple times in four out of five games and has run his Fall Classic slash line to .363/.500/.636. No Dodgers pitcher has made him look uncomfortable.

With star outfielder George Springer missing the previous two games and Bo Bichette still dealing with a knee injury, Toronto was down two of its biggest stars. Guerrero stepped up in their absences and then some, and, if the Blue Jays can scrape across one more win, he’ll have some hardware to show for it.

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A KPMG, empresa contratada para auxiliar o Corinthians na renegociação de dívidas, alegou calote e moveu uma ação na justiça para cobrar R$ 1,5 milhão do clube paulista.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

A dívida foi confessada por Duílio Monteiro Alves, ex-mandatário do Corinthians, em documento firmado no dia 30 de dezembro, antepenúltimo de sua gestão. À época, Duílio assegurou à empresa que o montante seria depositado até o dia 20 de janeiro, em uma única parcela, o que não se confirmou. 

O acordo com a KPMG foi assinado em maio de 2021, no primeiro ano de gestão do agora ex-presidente. Na ocasião, o Corinthians vinha de um aumento exponencial em sua dívida, que beirava R$ 1 bilhão segundo o balanço financeiro da época.

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O objetivo da parceria entre as partes era trabalhar na renegociação das dívidas do clube, além de auxiliar na captação de novos recursos para complementar a renda. No entanto, a défice financeiro do clube cresceu drasticamente desde então e hoje ultrapassa o valor de R$ 2 bilhões. 

Ao assumir a presidência do Corinthians, em janeiro de 2024, Augusto Melo encerrou o contrato com a empresa de consultoria e contratou a Ernst & Young para assumir a função.

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CorinthiansFutebol Nacional

أصدر نادي برشلونة بيانًا بشأن أزمة دخول الجماهير لملعب كامب نو قبل لقاء ديبورتيفو ألافيس، المقرر إقامتها عقب دقائق ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

ويستضيف فريق برشلونة نظيره ديبورتيفو ألافيس، مساء اليوم السبت، وذلك في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

مباراة برشلونة وألافيس تأتي ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإسباني موسم 2025/2026 على ملعب “كامب نو”.

ويحتل برشلونة في الوقت الحالي، المركز الثاني في جدول الدوري الإسباني برصيد 31 نقطة، على بعُد نقطة واحدة من ريال مدريد المتصدر في حين أن ألافيس يمتلك 15 نقطة ويحتل المركز الرابع عشر.

وواجه جمهور برشلونة أزمة في دخول ملعب اللقاء بسبب وجود مشكلة في استلام التذاكر من التطبيق الخاص بها.

اقرأ أيضًا | بديل ليفاندوفسكي.. عامل إضافي قد يقرب برشلونة من ضم نجم الدوري الألماني

وأصدر برشلونة بيانًا جاء على النحو التالي: “كانت هناك مشكلة في تنزيل بعض التذاكر من تطبيق الأعضاء، تم حل المشكلة الآن بإرسال ملف PDF جديد مع تذاكر جميع الأعضاء الذين لديهم تذاكر لمباراة اليوم ضد ألافيس”.

وأتم البيان: “هذا يضمن إمكانية وصول الجميع إلى مدرجات كامب نو على Spotify دون أي مشاكل”.

وفقًا لصحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” تم فتح ست نوافذ لتزويد الجمهور بتذاكر ورقية بصيغة PDF بعد تحديد رقم عضويتهم وجهاز تحديد أماكن التذاكر، طوابير الانتظار طويلة جدًا بسبب استمرار المشكلة، الأعضاء الذين وصلوا إلى ملعب كامب نو قبل المباراة بساعة ولم يتمكنوا من الوصول إلى مقاعدهم، ينتظرون منذ حوالي 40 دقيقة.

S’ha produït una incidència en la descàrrega d’algunes entrades a l’aplicació de socis. El problema ja ha quedat resolt amb l’enviament, a tots els socis i sòcies amb localitat per al partit d’avui davant l’Alabès, d’un nou PDF amb les seves entrades. Així, garantim que tothom… — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_cat) November 29, 2025