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Claiming his first five-for in Australia since 2015, Peter Siddle also stated a case for his bowling partner James Pattinson’s inclusion

Daniel Brettig in Melbourne 29-Mar-2019Peter Siddle followed his joint destruction of New South Wales – alongside James Pattinson on day two of the Sheffield Shield final – by beseeching the watching chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns to pick both Victorians for this year’s Ashes. He added the reminder that 18 years without a series win in England prove that a different approach to the bowling attack is required.Seaming and swinging the Dukes ball just enough to beat the bat, Siddle provided the ideal counterpoint to Pattinson’s pace and fire as the Blues were obliterated for 121 in reply to the home side’s 289. While his haul of 5 for 28 was Siddle’s first of five wickets or more in Australia since 2015, it was the distinct resemblance of a grey day and mottled pitch to English climes that would have been of interest to Hohns.On day one, the former Australia coach Darren Lehmann had conceded in commentary that it was his mistake as a selector not to trust Siddle to be part of the Australian bowling attack until the 2015 Ashes series had been decided. It’s a decision that Siddle clearly has not forgotten, urging the selectors to choose bowlers fit for the purpose of moving the Dukes ball around to confound England later this year.”It was bittersweet after I got picked and took the most wickets in that last Test on a wicket that probably was the least suited [to] me over the whole series,” Siddle said of the 2015 Oval Test. “I haven’t worried too much about it after playing that Test match and doing what I did. That was enough to knock it on the head and show them what I could’ve done if I had been picked earlier so, so be it. And like Boof [Lehmann] did say, everyone makes mistakes, I make mistakes when I’m out there playing as well, I’ve made mistakes in games that have been crucial. That’s just a part of life, I don’t hold any grudges like that, it’s just part of the game.”It’s something I’ve spoken a lot about over the last couple of years, you go back to results we’ve had and the experience of the bowling attack we’ve had, at times, probably haven’t been the right choices. That’s something that I hope we do manage. I’ve had to play in them and when I first went over there I wasn’t super experienced, did okay but we didn’t win. It’s just about learning from what we’ve done in the past and picking accordingly.

“Over in England bowling together, it’s not as silly as it sounds to say that we’d be a good pair to have bowling together over there later in the year.”Peter Siddle on why he and James Pattinson could fit into Australia’s Ashes plans

“There’s enough players around Australian cricket that have good experience over there. Not to say they’re definitely going to play, but obviously myself because I want to be on that tour, but look at Patto. I know he hasn’t played a lot of Test cricket of late, but he’s been successful when he’s played Test cricket there, and he had that amazing year for Notts two years ago where he destroyed Division One [Two]. So you’ve got to pick players who are readymade to play in those conditions, because they are a lot different to what people expect when they do select normally.”The chemistry between Siddle and Pattinson, both products of the Dandenong club in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, was palpable as they found pads, edges and stumps on the second afternoon, undoing the work of the NSW bowlers Trent Copeland, Sean Abbott and Harry Conway to restrict the Victorians.Siddle’s first over, swerving one ball down the leg side for four byes, was not exactly promising, but he soon locked onto his task to pin Daniel Hughes lbw from round the wicket and set the scene. Pattinson was perhaps fortunate to have Nick Larkin ruled lbw not offering a shot to a ball that may have missed off stump, but there was no conjecture about his scorching deliveries through Jason Sangha and Peter Nevill. Kurtis Patterson, perhaps the Blues’ best chance of a batting riposte, was very nearly lbw shouldering arms to Patterson, before he fell having glanced a Chris Tremain delivery through to a diving Seb Gotch.”We both enjoy playing together and bowling together. I think that shows out on the field and we have a lot of fun. The success we have spurs us both on,” Siddle said. “The way we went about it today and the success we had bowling together, more so what we did in Drummoyne the other week when we took them apart up there, we have fun. I think the pressure we build whether it’s me building pressure, or him scaring them with the pace or swing and me dotting them up at the other end, whatever it might be, we complement each other very well.”We did well here and in other games, but over in England bowling together, it’s not as silly as it sounds to say that we’d be a good pair to have bowling together over there later in the year. There’s still a lot of stuff to be done before then but I think it’s shown over the times in the last couple of games where we’ve bowled together that we’ve taken a lot of wickets one or the other and built a lot of pressure. It speaks for itself in the last three games.”Following back injuries in 2016, it had appeared that Siddle’s time around the Australian Test team was at an end, but prolific displays for Essex in the first division of the county championship last year vaulted him back into the squad for the UAE, with a clear eye towards the Ashes this year. Both Siddle and Pattinson have contracts for county cricket this year, and Siddle agreed he would have a point to prove should he get the chance against England in 2019.Getty Images”I think so, I talk a lot about how I bowl over there so if I do get picked there’s probably going to be a lot more pressure on me because I’ve spoken a lot about the conditions over there, how they suit me and it’s just going about your business,” Siddle said. “The last couple of years that’s where I’ve probably been better than I probably was when I was younger. [Then] I tried hard, thought too much about the future, looking ahead to other games or staying fit to make sure I get through the series and stuff like that rather than worrying about the game at hand.”Especially the last two years that’s been my sole focus whether I play for Dandenong, state cricket, Big Bash or over in England, just worrying about that game and making every game count. JL [Justin Langer] sent me that message in England last year when I was over there taking a few wickets and he just said ‘Yeah, make every game count’. You’ve just got to stay fit and enjoy the moment because it ends sooner than you think.”The chats we’ve had because I’m playing Division One [for Essex] in theory the sides I’m going to be playing are going to be a lot stronger than the Australia A side. You never really get strong sides in any tour matches or Australia A matches, so the way discussions have been I’ll stay with Essex and play. Could be similar to Patto was well, Patto’s Division One [for Nottinghamshire] and that’s just a bonus for Australia as well. It means we can play more players rather than rock up Australia A with 16 and only play 12, you can actually play if it is all 16 or you might have 20 players all playing at one time in England, with an Australia A game going on.”There was time before bad light brought an early close for Sean Abbott to find a way past the Test opener Marcus Harris, whose first-innings century had set the game up for Siddle and Pattinson to strike.

Manchester United could delay cutting permanent ties with Mason Greenwood as talks begin over another season out on loan with Getafe.

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Greenwood loan talks underwayPermanent transfer the priorityMan Utd could extend his contractWHAT HAPPENED?

As Greenwood nears the end of a season on loan at Getafe, has reported that conversations about the forward heading back to the Spanish club for a second year are underway. Getafe are unlikely to sign Greenwood on a permanent deal, and United, while preferring to sell, are expected to consider another loan if they are unable to secure an "acceptable fee". The likes of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Juventus have all been linked.

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Failure to sell Greenwood this summer could result in United triggering an option in his contract to extend it by another 12 months until 2026, thereby stopping the possibility of losing the 22-year-old as a free agent next year. But the fierce backlash the club faced amid their initial plan to reintegrate him last year makes it unlikely Greenwood will ever play for United again, despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe not fully shutting the door.

DID YOU KNOW?

Greenwood has managed 16 goals and assists in 32 appearances across all competitions for Getafe this season – including eight goals in La Liga.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MASON GREENWOOD?

Despite his impressive displays at Getafe, the accusations of assault, attempted rape, and controlling and coercive behaviour that were levied at Greenwood before the case was dropped may prevent some teams from attempting to sign him. His future is very much still up in the air.

The ex-Barcelona star was at his very best on Saturday to help his team earn a come-from-behind win.

When Lionel Messi is on the field, you can basically spot Inter Miami a multiple-goal lead. That's the power of the Argentine; as long as he's playing, goals are essentially guaranteed.

Saturday's clash with the New England Revolution was another reminder of that fact. Messi scored two goals and assisted another in the 4-1 win, taking his total to 16 goals and assists in just seven MLS matches. It also marked the fifth consecutive match that Messi contributed to at least two goals. Benjamin Cremaschi and Luis Suarez joined him on the scoresheet, but, make no mistake, this was all about Messi again.

On Saturday, Miami conceded first, after an early mishap from Drake Callender allowed Tomas Chancalay a first-minute finish, putting Miami up against it immediately.

Making matters worse? Messi was without several key running mates. Inter Miami's injury crisis has left this team shorthanded, with stars like Jordi Alba and Diego Gomez out. Suarez, meanwhile, was left on the bench until the second half to avoid the Revolution's turf field, leaving Miami without their superstar striker for much of the match.

With Messi out there, does it even matter who is or isn't with him? He's a one-man attack and a one-man goalscoring machine. On Saturday, he issued yet another reminder of a lesson that many have already learned: you can't stop Inter Miami; you can only hope to contain them.

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Gillette Stadium…

Watch Inter Miami with the MLS Season PassStream nowUSA Today Sports Goalkeeper & Defense

Drake Callender (4/10):

What was he thinking on that opening-minute goal? His defenders had it handled, and Callender's decision to come out for no real reason could have cost his team points on a different day.

Franco Negri (6/10):

A decent game on the left. He's no Jordi Alba in the attack, but who is? Defensively, did just fine.

Nicolas Freire (5/10):

His giveaway led to the early goal, but you can't really fault him for Callender's decision. Still, a centerback can't afford to misplace passes in their own half.

Tomas Aviles (6/10):

His passing was good and did some decent work defensively. No complaints.

Marcelo Weigandt (6/10):

Tends to get forward, but never really knows what to do once that happens. Solid, but not really spectacular in any way.

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David Ruiz (7/10):

Passing was good and did the dirty work defensively that he'll have to do in this midfield trio. Exactly the type of game they need from him in this team.

Sergio Busquets (8/10):

Busquets to Messi… where have we seen that before? Just so good technically and mentally, Busquets continues to elevate the Miami midfield.

Julian Gressel (6/10):

Not his most creative game, but not a bad one, either. Only one chance created, which is a slow day for him.

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Robert Taylor (8/10):

He's been out recently due to injury, but this match showed how important he is to this team. His assist on Messi's first was fantastic and, even aside from that, the Finnish star was great all night long.

Leo Campana (6/10):

Didn't really convince in this big chance, although he too is coming back from injury. It's not like he's going to replace Suarez, but Campana was a bit too quiet overall.

Lionel Messi (9/10):

What else can you say at this point? The two goals were wildly similar, showing just how much smarter Messi is than everyone else on the field. The assist, too, was sublime. You just can't stop him.

Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Luis Suarez (8/10):

A risky move to bring him on early in the second half, but he got his goal to make sure that it was worth it.

Benjamin Cremaschi (8/10):

A massive goal for a young player just returning from injury. Cremaschi is back, and the Miami midfield is much better for it.

Matias Rojas (7/10):

Talk about a good first impression! Rojas' effort directly opened the door for Cremaschi's goal. Can't ask for more than that off the bench.

Tata Martino (7/10):

Took a few risks with his XI, but everything paid off. Any time you can cruise to a road win in MLS, you did something right!

BCCI asked to work out fresh and appropriate sanction for the former fast bowler, ‘preferably’ within three months

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Mar-20192:01

‘Life ban lifted feels like a lifeline for me’ – Sreesanth

In what has come as a relief to former India fast bowler Sreesanth, the Supreme Court has “set aside” the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI for his alleged role in the 2013 IPL corruption and spot-fixing scandal. The apex court of the country has asked the BCCI to “reconsider” and “revisit” the length of any fresh ban, “preferably” within three months.Under the BCCI’s new constitution (registered in August 2018), all the duties earlier discharged by the disciplinary committee, made up of BCCI officials, will be performed by the ombudsman going forward. Therefore, Sreesanth’s fate will now be decided by Justice (retd) DK Jain, recently appointed for the job.Welcoming the court judgement, Sreesanth said he was positive about returning to the game. “The Supreme Court has given me a lifeline and it has helped me restore my dignity,” he said after the court delivered the verdict on Friday. “It’s a great opportunity for me to get back on the field.”The case dates back to 2013, when the BCCI disciplinary committee had penalised several players including Sreesanth on the basis of an internal probe conducted by Ravi Sawani, then head of the board’s anti-corruption unit. Along with Sreesanth, then with Rajasthan Royals, two of his team-mates – Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila – also received life bans for their alleged role in the spot-fixing scandal.The BCCI action followed the arrest of Sreesanth and the others by Delhi Police for alleged promises made to bookmakers during the 2013 IPL. The charges against Sreesanth pertained to the match against Kings XI Punjab, played on May 9.’It’s a great opportunity for me to get back on the field’ – Sreesanth•PTI In the Friday judgment, the court was told that in “exchange” for the sum of INR 10 lakh, Sreesanth had “agreed to concede 14 or more runs in the second over” of his spell. And in order to “confirm the fix”, he was “required to place a hand towel in his visible pocket while ensuring there was no such towel during the first over”.That information was extracted from a taped conversation between Jiju Janardhan, Sreesanth’s close friend and team-mate at an Ernakulam club, and alleged bookie Chandresh Patel by Delhi Police on May 6, 2013, three days before the match.Sawani, a former joint director of India’s Central Bureau of Investigation, had prepared two reports – a preliminary one (based on the taped conversations mentioned above), and a supplementary one, which was prepared after questioning Sreesanth in person and taking a written undertaking from the player.Based on Sawani’s findings, the BCCI disciplinary panel, comprising then president N Srinivasan along with the two vice-presidents, Arun Jaitley and Niranjan Shah, held Sreesanth guilty of “match-fixing and non-reporting of offences” under the BCCI’ anti-corruption code.The Supreme Court was hearing the matter because earlier this year, Sreesanth had challenged last August’s order of the division bench of the Kerala High Court, which had negated a judgment issued by the same court asking the board to lift the ban. The two-judge division bench had ruled that the BCCI ban could not be overturned or reduced.Sreesanth’s lawyer Salman Khurshid, a former Indian minister of external affairs, plead his case in the latest instance, and said that the BCCI had not followed the laws of natural justice while determining the sanction, and pointed out that a life ban was “excessive and maximum”. Khurshid argued that Sreesanth should have been penalised with a five-year ban at the most for not reporting the approach made by bookies, an offence under the BCCI’s code of conduct.In its judgement, the court concluded that BCCI had “not violated” any principles of natural justice while determining the sanction. However, the court did point out an anomaly in the BCCI verdict, that the disciplinary committee did not “advert to the aggravating and mitigating factors” as listed under its code.”Without considering the relevant provisions of Anti-Corruption Code, the disciplinary committee has imposed a lifetime ban on the appellant [Sreesanth] which sanction cannot be held to be in accordance with the Anti-Corruption Code itself,” the court said in the 73-page judgement. “When range of ineligibility which is minimum five years, maximum life time ban is provided for, the discretion to which, either minimum or maximum or in between has to be exercised on relevant facts and circumstances.”The court also said that Sreesanth had conducted himself with dignity by not immediately challenging the original ban. Keeping that in mind, the court said the BCCI ought to review its original sanction on the player.”The order dated 13.09.2013 of the disciplinary committee only to the extent of imposing sanction of lifetime ban is set aside. The disciplinary committee of the BCCI may reconsider the quantum of punishment/sanction which may be imposed on the appellant as per Article 6 of the Anti-Corruption Code. The appellant may be given one opportunity to have his say on the question of quantum of punishment/sanction.”

Ruben Amorim will reportedly not succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool with West Ham also set to miss out on the Sporting CP boss.

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Amorim no longer in frame for Liverpool & West Ham jobsCould potentially stay on at SportingLiverpool have De Zerbi on their shortlistWHAT HAPPENED?

According to Portuguese outlet, Amorim won't be joining either of the Premier League clubs as he seems poised to remain at Sporting beyond the current season. Both Liverpool and West Ham had expressed interest in Amorim to solve their managerial crisis. While Klopp is set to depart Anfield at the end of the season, there are lingering doubts over David Moyes' future at West Ham after an underwhelming season.

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Amorim's recent trip to London, where he reportedly held talks with West Ham, did not lead to positive outcomes. Whereas, reports that talks between Amroim and Liverpool have stalled "since last week". It is also alleged that the Hammersoffered him a more lucrative financial package than Liverpool but the manager is "keeping his options open" and could even settle for a club outside England if he chooses to leave Sporting.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sporting Lisbon, under Amorim's leadership, have enjoyed a successful season, as they currently sit seven points clear at the top of the Portuguese top flight. Additionally, the club is in contention for the Taca de Portugal, with a final match against Porto scheduled for May 26th.

getty imagesWHAT NEXT?

With Amorim likely to stay at Sporting Lisbon, both Liverpool and West Ham may need to explore alternative options for managerial appointments. Among the potential candidates for the Reds is Brighton head coach Roberto De Zerbi and Feyenoord manager Arne Slot. Meanwhile, former Roma head coach Jose Mourinho sparked speculation about his potential return to the English Premier League when he made a surprise appearance at Craven Cottage to watch Liverpool defeat Fulham.

For the first time in the series, New Zealand managed to dig in for long enough through their first century stand of this one-sided contest to be able to think of transferring the pressure back on India, but India smothered that uprising to seal an emphat

The Report by Sidharth Monga28-Jan-2019For the first time in the series, New Zealand managed to dig in for long enough through their first century stand of this one-sided contest to be able to think of transferring the pressure back on India. The visitors, however, smothered that uprising to seal an emphatic 3-0 series win against a full-strength New Zealand, who have the best win-loss ratio at home since the last World Cup.It was more of the delightful domination from India’s bowlers to reduce the hosts to 59 for 3; Ross Taylor and Tom Latham then added 119 for the fourth wicket but when it came to cashing in, India were too good once again, keeping the pressure up in the field and then breaking through with wickets for the returning Hardik Pandya and the rampant Mohammed Shami.New Zealand lost their last seven wickets for 65 runs to end up with just 243, which proved to be below par by about 25. The slow nature of the pitch meant you could trouble batsmen if you banged the hard length. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had to take a few unusual risks to make sure the bowlers didn’t settle into a rhythm and their fifties did enough to make sure the middle order was not stretched.Through the series, New Zealand have been grappling with questions rarely asked in bat-dominated ODI cricket these days. Once again the top order didn’t have answers. Colin Munro, after a brief attempt at curbing his natural game in the second ODI, threw his hands at everything; two balls after being dropped, he edged Shami to first slip again. Martin Guptill did much the same, and once again New Zealand had failed to deny the two new balls a wicket each. Once again, Yuzvendra Chahal was introduced with new batsmen under pressure, once again he delivered with an early wicket.The early wicket for Chahal this time also announced the return of Pandya, who took a spectacular flying catch at short midwicket to send back Kane Williamson. Taylor and Latham then had to be at their best to make sure they didn’t lose the series then and there. Taylor was understandably slow to begin with, but Latham brought industriousness with his manipulation of spin. He was better at the sweep this time than in the previous game, and both gradually began to increase the scoring rate.With Pandya back, India didn’t have to rely on Kedar Jadhav early – he had bowled ahead of Kuldeep Yadav in the two previous games – and by the time Jadhav came on to bowl his three overs this time, New Zealand were in a better position to attack him. New Zealand were 113 for 3 in 27 overs when Jadhav came on. In the next 10, New Zealand scored 63 without taking too many risks. Taylor had gone from 15 off 40 to 71 off 90. Latham was one short of a fifty. They had taken 85 off the wristspinners’ 16 overs for just the one wicket. This was the ideal scenario now; they were hoping for at least 100 off the last 13, and if things went well, even a score of 290 could not be ruled out.Latham then tried to take six off Chahal over deep midwicket but under-hit the ball. A moment of indiscretion had put New Zealand right back under pressure. Pandya now jumped in. He had bowled seven overs for 26 runs until then, and with the catch earlier this was already a satisfactory return to action. The real blows came now. A slower bouncer handcuffed Henry Nicholls, and Mitchell Santner edged another slower ball outside off. Just like that New Zealand were 198 for 6 with everything now relying on Taylor.Taylor threatened to switch gears in the company of Doug Bracewell, who scored a fifty in the last match, but Shami was quick to quell this mini resurgence. He stopped the partnership at 24, once again hitting the in-between length to catch Taylor playing the cut to a ball not short enough. The rest folded swiftly with New Zealand failing to bat out their 50 overs in all three innings this series.It wasn’t as straightforward a chase as the eventual seven-over margin suggests. Shikhar Dhawan’s flying cameo of 28 off 27 at the top of the chase helped. Just as the slow pitch began to play its trick, Rohit and Kohli had the luxury of taking their time to get themselves in. Both of them had to take risks to eliminate the threat of Santner. In Santner’s second over, just after having been beaten on the outside edge, Rohit stepped out and launched him over long-off for a six. He had been 24 off 40 before that. In the 20th over, even Kohli played across the line and against the turn. He had been 19 off 35, and this was the only boundary since that Rohit six six overs ago.The two batsmen, arguably already all-time greats in the format, knew this was the key contest, and they not only needed to deny Santner but also needed to not let him build too much pressure on them. Immediately after that, Kohli got stuck into Ish Sodhi, and the game had been broken open. By the time Rohit tried to hit Santner off his length again, to be out stumped for only the second time in this format, India had seen off Lockie Ferguson’s short-ball attack and needed just 92 in 127 balls.A slower ball from Boult resulted in a rare Kohli dismissal between 50 and 100 but India were well on their way. Dinesh Karthik and Ambati Rayudu saw India through to the win, which sealed the most comprehensive home series defeat for New Zealand in six years.

Recent allegations will be in the mind of the tourists in Australia, says former Sri Lankan batsman

Andrew McGlashan in Brisbane23-Jan-2019Russel Arnold believes that trust will “take a beating” in the Sri Lankan game following the raft of corruption allegations in recent times, to the extent that even team-mates may not feel able to trust each other.There is currently an ICC amnesty in place for anyone to come forward with further information. This, after charges against three former players, including Sanath Jayasuriya and Nuwan Zoysa, under the anti-corruption code.Arnold, the former Sri Lanka batsman who is part of the commentary team for the upcoming two-Test series against Australia, said that though the current players will do all they can to shut out the distractions, there must be some lingering doubts.”Anything around will certainly worry players, they are all human, even we are feeling a little nervy about what we are hearing, with the allegations we still don’t know exactly where things are,” he said.”But trust does take a beating, you tend to wonder what the hell is going on. I would be surprised if none of this is in the back of their mind, whether they can trust their team-mate, whether they can trust anyone’s instructions or gameplans, it has to worry them.”ALSO READ: Sanath Jayasuriya states his ‘integrity and transparency’ in wake of ACU chargesWhen Dinesh Chandimal, the Sri Lanka Test captain, was asked about the impact of the corruption investigations, he said, “I don’t have any comments on that.”The ICC initially launched investigations in late 2017 following allegations made by former seamer Pramodya Wickramasinghe, which led to current players, including Chandimal and Upul Tharanga, writing a letter to the Sri Lanka board asking for the “baseless allegations” to be addressed.Since then, the most significant charges laid have been those against Jayasuriya for actions during his second stint as chairman of selectors relating to a one-day series against Zimbabwe in 2017.Earlier this week, the head of the ICC’s anti-corruption unit, Alex Marshall, urged more people to come forward if they had information.”I am encouraged by the number of people that have come forward and the new information we’re receiving as a result. This intelligence is assisting our ongoing and wide-ranging investigations in Sri Lanka as well us enabling us to continue to develop a comprehensive picture of the situation there,” he said.”I would urge any more players or participants who have any information concerning corrupt conduct to come forward over the next week and share it with us in the strictest of confidence without any fear of repercussions.”Sri Lanka sports minister Harin Fernando recently met with Marshall, and though he believed the problems stemmed more from the administrators than the players, he acknowledged that the issue was widespread.”Sri Lanka is being ranked one of the top countries for cricket corruption,” Fernando told . “They told me that the problem was not limited to bookies, but even the local game’s links with the underworld.”Fernando also alleged in a recent interview with , that there had been attempts to even bribe him to influence team selection, and that he had promptly reported that information to Marshall and the ACU. An investigation is understood to be under way about that incident as well.(With inputs from Andrew Fidel Fernando)

Manchester United fans were fuming on social media after Darren Watkins Jr, aka IShowSpeed, was offered a contract at Old Trafford.

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IShowSpeed signed a Man Utd contractThe YouTuber has been a lifelong United fanClub supporters not happy with the latest anticWHAT HAPPENED?

On April 18, Speed posted a video on his YouTube channel documenting his visit to Old Trafford to sign a contract with Manchester United. In the video, the club's Chief Executive, Omar Berrada, appeared alongside Speed, adding an air of authenticity to the signing process. A die-hard fan of Manchester United, he has long supported the club, with his interest peaking during the tenure of his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, who rejoined the team in 2021. Hailing from Ohio, Speed has made multiple trips to the UK to attend matches, showcasing his unwavering dedication to the Red Devils.

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Watkins himself admitted to being blindsided by the contract offer, expressing his disbelief and excitement during the signing process.

He started the video saying: "Alright, boys I just got this call from Man United. They told me to pull up to the office, I am super confused, I am like, 'What's going on?' I just got a call from Man United and it sounded like a manager, some business person."

The surreal moment unfolded as Berrada welcomed him to Old Trafford and presented him with the paperwork to formalise the agreement.

Berrada said: "Welcome to Old Trafford, Speed. You have to sign there, this is your first contract."

Speed's astonishment was palpable as he kept saying: "Oh my God, no way, bro. No way! It's up there with the top three (best moments of my life). The first one would have to be, obviously meeting Cristiano Ronaldo. The second will probably be me getting RKO'd (by Randy Orton) and the third one is probably this one. I have been dreaming of this, this actually means a lot to me. Me getting signed to Man United, who would have thought this would happen?"

Following the contract signing, Watkins took viewers on a tour of Old Trafford, providing glimpses of the iconic stadium.

WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

While Speed's contract offer may have been intended as a lighthearted gesture, it has rubbed fans the wrong way.

United super fan @eternallymoi wrote on X: "@ManUtd FIRE EVERYONE responsible for this decision."

Another supporter,@Start_WithG, added: "Perfect Antony replacement."

And user @MLewboi wrote: "Biggest game of the season in 3 days and this is what we're doing."

Whereas @madgamer0029 wrote: "I no longer recognise my club! I thought this clownery and Branding shenanigans would stop under INEOS."
Meanwhile, @The_ButcherManc wrote: "FFS! Here we go again! More attention to SM and shirt sales than on the infrastructure and the team. What happened to Ashworth and Wilcox? When are they coming in? #MUFC #MUFC_FAMILY"

WATCH THE CLIP

Jurgen Klopp had an awkward conversation with a journalist after Jordan Henderson's uncomfortable interview.

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Klopp confronted a journalistWas unhappy with Henderson's interview in MarchLiverpool take on Atalanta in Europa LeagueWHAT HAPPENED?

Ex-Liverpool captain Henderson, who is currently playing for Ajax, was put on the spot during a post-game interview after the Dutch giants' 2-2 draw against Fortuna Sittard back in March, and was asked if he had turned in his "worst performance" for the club since his arrival. Klopp, who watched that interview, was left unimpressed with how his former player was grilled on live television.

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During the pre-match press conference ahead of the Reds' Europa League clash against Atalanta, the German manager confronted a journalist and shared an awkward conversation regarding Henderson's uncomfortable interview, asking if it was him, or a colleague, who asked his former player the tough questions.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Klopp started the conversation by throwing a question towards the media personnel as he asked, "You are not the one who interviewed Jordan Henderson, are you?" To which the reporter replied, "No."

The manager then continued, "Good. That was your colleague? Your friend? That was uncomfortable, eh? What a horrible interview that was."

The reporter then threw a counter-question as he asked, "You didn’t like it?" To which Klopp replied, "Do you know anybody who liked it?"

The reporter then said, "I spoke to him and he said ‘I regret the interview, I was a bit too hard’ and he also said it on television."

Klopp concluded the conversation by saying, "Did he? Wow, ok. I can take that apology on behalf of Hendo."

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

After facing the Serie A side in the Europa League quarter-final on Thursday, the Merseyside club will be back in action in the Premier League on Sunday as they host Crystal Palace at Anfield.

New Zealand’s bowling coach was pleased with the efforts of the left-arm quick, who took three important wickets on day four at Hagley Oval

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch29-Dec-2018Pitches in New Zealand tend to flatten out after a roaring start, but even though opposition teams struggle to get wickets in the second innings, New Zealand’s own quicks are generally capable of bowling their team to victory. Why? Because they hunt as a pack, according to their bowling coach Shane Jurgensen.There was evidence of that teamwork as they removed four Sri Lanka batsmen on day four – three of those wickets falling to Neil Wagner. The performance left New Zealand four further wickets from victory, with day five to play. In fact they may only need three wickets, if the injured Angelo Mathews does not bat again.”It’s awesome, because I think the bowlers actually bounce off each other,” Jurgensen said after play. “They all get on with each other – they’re really good mates. You’ve got the two left-handers in Neil and Trent Boult, and then you’ve got Tim Southee and Colin de Grandhomme, when there’s a bit more on offer in terms of seam and swing. You’ve got those four guys – two lefties and two righties. Neil’s ability to bowl those bouncers, it just adds another string in the bow for the group.”One of the big things with our bowling is we want to bowl in partnerships and put pressure on from both ends. I think that’s what we did in the first innings and that’s we needed all our bowlers to do in the second.”Having arrived in New Zealand only six days before this series started, following their three Tests in the UAE, New Zealand’s bowlers have also had to contend with a huge workload, having earlier spent six months without any international cricket on their schedule. Boult – New Zealand’s quickest bowler – has played in all five of those Tests, and Tim Southee has played four.”Trent is really fit,” Jurgensen said. “I think that’s what I’ve been really impressed with our bowling group – it’s our fifth test in six-and-a-half or seven weeks, and it’s a testament to their fitness during the winter, how hard they’ve worked, to still keep trucking in. Neil just provides that extra punch that we need, particularly at the back end of the game, and you saw another example of that today. He’s been doing it for a while now for us.”Perhaps the best on-field battle of day five was Wagner v Dinesh Chandimal. In the past, teams have targeted Chandimal with the short ball, on account of his reputation for being an impulsive hooker. Aware of this potential weakness, New Zealand and Wagner bowled a lot of bouncers at Chandimal, without much success for the first two sessions, with Chandimal routinely ducking or swaying out of the way.It was Wagner who eventually got his wicket. Early in the third session, Chandimal could not get out of the way of a delivery headed toward his throat, and ended up fending at it with his gloves, sending an easy catch to short leg. Wagner was ecstatic at having taken that wicket, letting out an almighty scream.”I was a good battle between them,” Jurgensen said. “Dinesh batted very well, he applied himself fantastically. His hook shot is certainly something that we’ve targeted. But one of the things that I was mentioning in the dressing room is that I don’t think he’s playing the pull or hook shot today, so maybe we need to change our fields slightly to suit that. Eventually Neil got him.”