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The reigning Ligue 1 champions are still on course for an 11th title but all is not well at the Parc des Princes…

Last Saturday, the PSG ultras issued a letter to club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. They asked to meet with him, expressed their displeasure with the club's "flashy" signings and dubbed PSG's project "a sports policy without real direction".

There is, perhaps, good reason for their anger. PSG have stagnated as a club this year. They lost in the last 16 of the Champions League and were knocked out of the Coup de France by arch-rivals Marseille.

And although they are partaking in the customary walking of Ligue 1, their campaign hasn't been as smooth as it should be.

As the international break ends, everything should be rather simple in Paris. Indeed, for all of this year's madness, the club simply has to see out the season without concern of extra competitions or further hurdles to negotiate.

But look beyond that, and PSG are in a state of chaos. The project is lacking in direction, Lionel Messi could leave, Kylian Mbappe has no real reason to stay, and the manager's future is on a knife edge.

In other words: the ultras have a point.

GOAL takes a look at the plethora of problems facing PSG as the season winds to a close…

(C)Getty ImagesWhat to do with Galtier?

Galtier's first year at the helm in Paris has been marked by failure. In losing to Bayern in the Champions League, Galtier has already fallen short of his first major task as manager. He didn't do himself any favours by getting knocked out of the French Cup, either.

Everything seems pretty routine from here, though. PSG are seven points clear in Ligue 1, and no matter how dismal some of their football has been of late, they should have enough star power to get across the line.

But is that enough? PSG will not sack Galtier before season's end, but it does appear that his days are numbered in Paris. Still, PSG's top target, Thomas Tuchel, is now off the market after being snapped up Bayern Munich last week. That move leaves PSG with few attractive alternatives.

And with a summer of change ahead, there might be an argument for keeping Galtier in, perhaps with another chance to oversee a fresh squad — should it come.

So, Galtier essentially has 10 matches to prove that he deserves to stick around.

AdvertisementGettyWill Messi extend?

Here's the big one. PSG will likely do enough on the pitch to squeak over the line. They will lift the league trophy. There will be smiles in the dressing room, and happiness for winning yet another prize.

But then reality will set in. The question of Messi's future will overshadow whatever PSG achieve this season. The Argentine is out of contract this summer and doesn't appear to be in any rush to assure the club that he plans to stay beyond June.

He reportedly expressed interest in staying, but nothing concrete has been established. And with every week that passes, it seems more likely that the World Cup winner could walk.

PSG's ultras have made it clear that they'd like to see the back of him, while Barcelona have made it clear that they'd be willing to make room for him. Or at least try to, anyway.

If the Blaugrana can indeed balance the books, then Messi would be welcomed like a returning hero at Camp Nou.

GettyCan the project change?

Every season, PSG seem to make all the right noises about tweaking their project. Last summer, for example, they brought in Vintinha, Nuno Mendes and Renato Sanches – a trio of signings that suggested the Parisians were trying to embrace a more balanced approach to squad-building.

But once the games start, they fall into the same patterns. PSG rely on star power, and view the cast of supporting players as disposable, shuffling objects around the place to make room for their real stars. It's a broken process at this point, a predictable cycle of failure.

But it can, rather easily, be changed. PSG have a near-unlimited budget, the appeal of playing in the French capital, and a passionate fan base – especially when the right signings are made. Once again, the club find themselves needing to shift direction.

But are they willing to? It would perhaps be the right move to let Messi walk, try to offload Neymar, and bring in the likes of Randal Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram to rejuvenate the side.

Let's see if they pivot in that direction, though. They have a few months to figure out where they will go next.

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Getty ImagesWill Neymar ever get back to his best?

Neymar is a world-class footballer who still has an immense amount to give at the top level. The Brazilian was half-fit for the majority of the season and tallied 24 goal contributions in 20 league appearances. In all likelihood, a fit Neymar could still produce some eye-catching numbers.

But his ankles are steadily breaking down, something that cannot be easily fixed. The surgery he is currently recovering from will, of course, help, but it's clear by the sheer number of injuries he's sustained over the past six seasons that the 30-year-old has a persistent problem.

PSG, then, need to decide if Neymar is worth keeping. The right manager could allow the Brazilian to flourish. But they need to decide if he's reliable and durable enough to continue affording the freedom of the pitch, given his total lack of defensive effort.

Angelo Mathews has admitted he was not mentally prepared to take over as Twenty20 captain after Lasith Malinga resigned because of fitness problems

Nagraj Gollapudi in Mumbai09-Mar-2016Angelo Mathews has admitted he was not mentally prepared to take over as Twenty20 captain after Lasith Malinga resigned because of fitness problems. Mathews said he could not refuse the leadership once Sri Lanka Cricket offered it to him.”I was not,” Mathews said in Mumbai, when asked if he was immediately open to taking up SLC’s offer. “But I have the experience of captaining for quite a few years now so it is a challenge. The selectors and Lasith have been planning for this tournament for a quite a long time so they worked together. And now it is a whole different situation, so I have to do the best and get the best out of the team which I have.”Though Mathews is Sri Lanka’s Test and ODI captain, Malinga was appointed as Twenty20 captain after Sri Lanka won the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh. Of Sri Lanka’s 14 T20Is since, though, Malinga has played only six because of injuries. He played only one match this year – the Asia Cup opener – in which he was Man of the Match for taking 4 for 26 against UAE.Sri Lanka hopeful about Malinga

A serious question hangs over the availability of Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka’s most experienced T20 bowler, for the first game of their campaign in India. Sri Lanka play a qualifier from the first round in Kolkata on March 17 but their captain Angelo Mathews said he could only hope Malinga would be fit.
Before that game, Sri Lanka have two warm-up games on March 10 and 14 – New Zealand in Mumbai and Pakistan in Kolkata – but Malinga won’t play those fixtures.
“We are hoping Lasith would be fit for the first game,” Mathews said. “As of now he won’t be playing the practice games. We want him to rest and recover because we know the quality he has in him – he can train a couple of days and walk straight into a match. So we are hoping that he’ll get a couple of net sessions before the first game. That is only a hope. We don’t really know what the doctors and physios (have on) the current situation.”
Malinga did not travel to India with the Sri Lanka squad, remaining at home to focus on his rehab. He has had an injured left knee for a while now and returned to competitive cricket after a three-month layoff only to play one match in the recent Asia Cup. Subsequently he stepped down as Sri Lanka’s Twenty20 captain because he could not guarantee being fit for the entire WT20.
“It is unfortunate that Malinga is not fit as yet so he had to take that call. But he is a very vital, very important person in our team so we kept him in the squad hoping that he will be able to play the first game.”

Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal have been stand-in captains in Malinga’s absence and even now Mathews said he had accepted the captaincy only for the World Twenty20. “I don’t really know what the thinking is after this. I was told to lead the team in the World Cup and how can I say no,” Mathews said. “I can’t let the team down and the country down. I will take this as a positive because I know they trusted me. I will try my best to do whatever possible to get to the top with the team that I have. They have given me the team that I wanted and now it is the matter of going out there and expressing ourselves.”Sri Lanka enter this tournament as rank outsiders. Having twice finished as runners-up, Sri Lanka won their maiden World T20 title in 2014, but the slide has been swift since then: they have won just four T20Is and lost 10. In 2016, Sri Lanka have lost seven out of nine matches.Mathews said he felt like Sri Lanka had “not competed” at all during the disastrous Asia Cup campaign, but he was not too concerned by it. “Not going in as favourites, it is doing a favour for us. We have admitted that we haven’t played good cricket in the Asia Cup. But the morale … well, the moale in the team is quite good. We can’t say that we are all depressed and we are mourning about the Asia Cup. It is done and dusted. It is a new series. It is a fresh start for us. So we are hoping that we’ll click. We are starting our campaign from tomorrow and hopefully we can go right till the end.”Mathews wanted his players to play with freedom and express themselves. “If you look from the outside, no one will give us a chance and that’s a good thing because we can go out there and express ourselves and play with a lot of freedom. That is what I expect from the team. We want to take one game at a time, play with a lot of freedom because if we do play with a lot of freedom I am sure we are going to beat most of the teams. That is all I want from the team, they very well know what I expect.”

Australia’s assistant coach Craig McDermott has opted not to renew his contract, which expires in May 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2016Australia’s assistant coach Craig McDermott has opted not to renew his contract, which expires in May 2016. Instead, he will focus on his cricket academy, which has centres throughout Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. This means that the World T20 in India, starting on March 8, will be McDermott’s last assignment with Australia.”Looking ahead I’ve decided that the time is right to really focus on my academy business which is continuing to grow, as well as pursuing some other business opportunities I have away from the game,” McDermott explained. “And if time permits, I’ll also look at some coaching consultancy work in various competitions around the world.”I will certainly miss the Australian team, and wish the players and coaches every success in the future.”McDermott’s exit follows that of batting coach Michael Di Venuto, who recently joined Surrey as their new head coach. McDermott’s first stint with Australia began in May 2011, when he replaced Troy Cooley as Australia’s bowling coach, following their 3-1 Ashes defeat at home. Citing heavy workload and packed schedules, however, McDermott stepped down from the post after 12 months. He was later roped in for the same role on the eve of the home Ashes in 2013-14, which Australia swept 5-0.Later, in May 2014, he signed a two-year deal as the assistant coach in a role that increased his remit to cover major tours across formats. McDermott was instrumental in the ascent of Australia’s pace battery, including Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and James Pattinson.McDermott, who guided the bowling attack to Ashes glory, a Test series win in South Africa and a World Cup title, hoped that he would sign off by helping Australia clinch their maiden World T20 title.”I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time working for Cricket Australia, starting at what was then the Centre of Excellence many years ago, then working with the Australian men’s team,” McDermott said.”It’s been a thrill to have been able to help the players reach their potential, and to see them achieve such feats as the 5-0 Ashes win at home, defeating South Africa in South Africa and winning last year’s World Cup. I’d love nothing more than to finish this stint with victory in the World T20 in India.”Australia coach Darren Lehmann paid tribute to his right-hand man McDermott. “Craig has made a fantastic contribution to the success of the Australian team,” Lehmann said.”Our bowlers have benefited enormously from his experience and insight and they are all better cricketers thanks to his coaching and hard work. In particular he has played a key role in developing our young group of fast bowlers including Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson, Pat Cummins and Nathan Coulter-Nile. While he leaves big shoes to fill, we respect his decision to spend more time working with his academy which he has a great passion for. We wish him the best of luck and thank him for his contribution to the Australian team.”

Michael Vaughan believes it is time to replace Moeen Ali with Adil Rashid in the England Test side and for Gary Ballance and Ian Bell to swap the places in the batting order as England prepare for the start of the Investec Ashes

George Dobell30-Jun-20151:00

‘England should throw Rashid in for something different’ – Vaughan

Michael Vaughan believes it is time to replace Moeen Ali with Adil Rashid in the England Test side and for Gary Ballance and Ian Bell to swap the places in the batting order as England prepare for the start of the Investec Ashes.Vaughan, England captain when they won the 2005 Ashes, feels that Rashid’s legspin can help England cut through Australia’s tail and fears Moeen is not bowling with the confidence required to withstand the likely assault he will face. While Vaughan accepted that Australia would also target Rashid, he feels he is bowling with such confidence following the ODI series against New Zealand that he can come through such a challenge.”I certainly would have Rashid in the squad and I’d be looking to play him,” Vaughan said. “I just think it would be something that Australia wouldn’t expect. I think they’re expecting to face Moeen. “If England can surprise them and play just a little bit above the level they did against New Zealand, I think it will surprise Australia.”I just look at Rashid the other day flicking them out at Durham. If he does well in the four-day game at Durham as well, I’d just throw him straight in as a young chap who’s confident. He is on the crest of that one-day wave, so I’d just play him.”With the way that he bowls and the way England have really struggled to get rid of tails, it is something different that England might surprise Australia with.”Moeen Ali is the incumbent spinner in England’s Test side•Getty ImagesVaughan admitted that Rashid is not the finished article, though. He cautioned against too much expectation in him and suggested that Alastair Cook, as captain, would have to find a way to assist him, in first innings especially.”I wouldn’t expect him to whip through the Smiths and Clarkes in the first innings,” Vaughan said. “Any top-order player will probably attack him. And in the first innings, on good pitches, you would have to manage him very well. But with careful management and careful field settings he certainly can play a big part.”Vaughan suggested Moeen can still perform an important role for England in the future. “I think Moeen is terrific, I really do,” Vaughan said. “I think he’s going to have years and years with the England side. But he has had a difficult time of it of late. He has not quite been as consistent and he has not been having the long spells as he has not been taking wickets.”When you go into an Ashes series you have to be so confident in your own ability and you have to be on top of that confidence level to compete. I just don’t know if he’s got the confidence level. He’s not bowling enough overs for me to suggest that he’s bowling with that fizz like he did last year.”He bowled great against India. But you don’t pick someone for what was happening last year. And if they go one-nil down it’s going be a long series.”Vaughan believes Bell would benefit from the demonstration of confidence a promotion to No. 3 in the batting order would provide. Bell currently bats at No. 4, with Vaughan suggesting he could swap places with Ballance.”The way Ballance played against New Zealand was a concern but he’s tough,” Vaughan said. “He got good balls, but his feet weren’t moving as well as he can. So I’d make the change. I’d put Gary at No. 4 and Bell at No. 3. I just think that every now and again Bell needs a prod and a poke. He should gain a lot of confidence by someone telling him he’s No. 3.”That could knock Gary’s confidence, but I just think he’s better suited at four. I look at the whole order and you can have left hand, right hand down the order. At the moment, we have three lefties at the top of the order. If you have three of one suit in any position of the order, you can get used to captaining against it.”Hardys of Australia are proud sponsors of England cricket. Show your support this summer with #HardysENG or #HardysAUS to win prizes

A Manchester United fan has gone viral for noting down 11 Marcus Rashford mistakes in his "absolutely embarrassing" display against Newcastle.

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Rashford dismal against NewcastleWas toothless in attack and sluggish defensivelyWas taken off around the hour markWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international continued his rather lacklustre and inconsistent form on Saturday against the Magpies. Rashford hardly had an impact in attack as he was given little room to manoeuvre by Tino Livramento on the right wing and was also guilty of not tracking back on several occasions. One fan, @SimonUTD11 on X (formerly Twitter), took it upon himself to document just how poor the United forward's performance had been.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Rashford showed hardly any improvement after the break. To make matters more complicated, Anthony Gordon scored the opener for Newcastle which forced Erik ten Hag to look towards his bench. The Dutchman brought on Rasmus Hojlund to replace Anthony Martial, while a visibly frustrated Rashford was substituted for Antony.

WHAT THEY SAID

Rashford has found the net just twice in 18 appearances this term, which highlights his poor return in front of goal. He was an anonymous figure for United on the pitch on Saturday evening, leaving United Stand presenter @bethTmufc to brand the forward's display as "absolutely embarrassing", highlighting specifically his "lack of effort".

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

Rashford has failed to keep up with his 2022-23 form when he ended up scoring 30 goals. His dismal performances prompted Darren Bent to pick Arsenal's Kai Havertz rather than him in his team, whereas Tim Sherwood asserted that the forward shouldn't start for England at the upcoming Euros if he keeps firing blanks. However, he will hope to turn around his fortunes soon and find the net against Chelsea on Wednesday night at Old Trafford.

Pakistan lost three early wickets in their second innings but it mattered little as they extended their first-innings lead of 354 to 446 by tea on the third day in Mirpur

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando08-May-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:25

Isam: Bangladesh need to survive the next two days

Pakistan declined the follow-on after Wahab Riaz had helped bust open the Bangladesh tail in the first session, but continued to hurtle the match ahead nevertheless, as Misbah-ul-Haq mauled 82 from 72 balls to set up a second declaration, and Yasir Shah’s legspin proved menacing on a wearing Mirpur deck. Yasir bowled Imrul Kayes through the gate in the closing overs of the day to leave Bangladesh 487 runs behind, with nine wickets in hand and two full days to bat.Bangladesh’s dire position in the game was brightened briefly in the morning by a Shakib Al Hasan onslaught, and early in the second innings by an encouraging spell from Mohammad Shahid. Shakib cracked an unbeaten 89 from 91 balls – with most of those runs coming in what would become the last-wicket stand. Shahid had both Pakistan openers nicking off either side of lunch, in an earnest, probing spell.Misbah, in his thrilling, but rarely-seen explosive avatar cudgelled all comers after tea, flitting down the pitch to launch spinners into the stands, hacking and cutting at the pace of Mohammad Shahid, and on occasion, getting low to slog balls over cow corner or reverse sweep to beat the spread field. A 21-run Taijul Islam over, in which he hit two fours and two sixes was the highlight of the day. He hit nine fours and three sixes in all to propel Pakistan to 195 for 6. The declaration came at his demise to the offspin of Mahmudullah.Pakistan’s second innings, spread over 41.1 overs, was also pushed along by Azhar Ali, who hit 25, and Younis Khan, who contributed 39 from 51 balls, in the process surpassing Vivian Richards’ Test run tally of 8,540. Sarfraz Ahmed also made a quickfire 18 after the Bangladesh spinners had wheedled out a few middle-order scalps. Pakistan ended up setting a near-impossible 550 for victory, but the visitors were largely after recovery time for their bowlers, rather than a mammoth lead, from their second dig.Wahab’s hostile first spell brought him two early wickets in the morning, after Bangladesh had resumed on 107 for 5. Consistently quicker than 140kph, Wahab continued to aim at the batsmen’s chest and chin. He almost had Shakib with his fourth ball of the day, when the batsman arched to edge a bouncer at his nose towards gully. Asad Shafiq came forward and held the ball for a moment during his airborne dive, but let it out of his grasp when his elbow struck the ground.It was a length ball amid the barrage that brought him his first wicket, when Sarkar poked the last ball of his second over to short cover. A return to a shorter length brought him another scalp, first ball of next over. Shavagata Hom could only prod at a lifter outside off stump, which presented a simple chance to gully, off the shoulder of the bat.Shakib became the third batsman in the match to be reprieved by a no-ball, when on 23, he was bowled, but Wahab was deemed to have overstepped. The batsman then waged a lone battle alongside the tail, forging a 63-run stand with Shahid, to which Shahid’s contribution was just one.Shakib prospered largely square of the wicket, slinking back often in his crease to carve the ball through point or bash it through midwicket. Yasir was particularly hard-hit by Shakib’s aggression, disappearing for 14 in one over, which included fours either side of the pitch and another wallop over cow corner. Misbah-ul-Haq returned Wahab to the bowling crease in search of a quick end to the salvo, but through a mix of fortune and panache, Shakib flayed him as well, even occasionally sending Wahab’s bouncers to the fence, usually off the middle of the bat.Shakib hit three successive fours off Wahab with about 30 minutes to go till lunch, but his failure to secure a single off that over proved the end of Bangladesh. Shahid had been defending admirably for 19 balls, but then lobbed a catch to silly point of Yasir. Pakistan had bowled fewer than 48 overs, and had not used Junaid Khan or Imran Khan in the morning session, yet Misbah refused to enforce the follow on, with so much time left in the game. The pitch was clearly wearing too, and he perhaps wished to let his spinners loose when the conditions suited them better. Pakistan had also spent plenty of time in the field last week in Khulna.Tamim Iqbal was hampered by an injury he had sustained in the field, but despite his lack of speed between the wickets, he remained in excellent touch at the crease. His cover-driving was particularly sweet, and though a draw seems much likelier for Bangladesh than victory, he struck six fours in his 32 from 42 balls, and went to stumps alongside Mominul Haque who was similarly positive.The last wicket of the day emphasised the challenge that lay ahead of the hosts, however. Yasir had ripped the ball hard throughout the Test, but was now getting spitting turn off the surface, in addition to drift in the air. He raised an lbw appeal off Imrul Kayes at the end of the tenth over, and delivered perhaps the ball of the match so far to dismiss him with his next delivery. Whizzing one into the rough outside Imrul’s off stump, Yasir got the ball to dip and rip past the inside edge of the batsman’s drive and into middle stump.

Argentina superstar Lionel Messi has been warned by Roberto Carlos to watch out for Brazil ahead of 2024 Copa America.

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Argentina favourites to defend the continental crownBrazil are struggling under DinizCarlos believes Vinicius and Co can bounce back in Copa AmericaWHAT HAPPENED?

The five-time world champions are going through a lean patch of form. After bowing out of the 2022 World Cup in the quarter-finals to Croatia, Tite was shown the door and was replaced by Ramon Menezes. However, the revolving chair continued to be in motion and Fernando Diniz was brought in as the new interim manager. But the change in personnel did not help in reviving their fortunes as they stand sixth in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table having won just two of their first six matches. They are on a three-match losing streak, including a 1-0 defeat to Argentina in their latest outing in November, which has led many to suggest that Messi and Co could retain the title that they won in 2021.

AdvertisementWHAT CARLOS SAID ABOUT BRAZIL

However, Carlos is not ready to write off Brazil and has warned the Albiceleste to not make the mistake of taking them lightly in the 2024 Copa America.

Speaking to he said: "Never underestimate the Brazilian national team, I speak from experience. We’ve got a new manager now and we just need to give him some time to work. We have great players and a good manager, I’m sure Copa America will be competitive and very exciting."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Brazil have been linked with Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti and there is a possibility that the Italian could be in the dugout during the Copa America. However, they might miss Neymar who is currently nursing an ACL injury and is not expected to be match-fit for the continental tournament.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BRAZIL?

In the absence of Neymar, Brazil will be looking forward to the likes of Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Gabriel Jesus to step up their game. The former two are key figures in the Real Madrid dressing room, whereas, Jesus is gradually rediscovering his best form under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal after coming off a lengthy injury layoff. If the trio gets going and Ancelotti indeed accepts the offer from Brazil's football federation, then the Selecao could potentially hope to turn things around and recapture the Copa America title from their arch-rivals next summer.

UEFA's premier club competition has been the stage for some of the greatest players of all time, but who has played there most?

In order to make over 100 Champions League appearances, you need something special about you.

A relatively small number of footballers have managed to achieve the feat, with only the most talented and physically capable doing so.

So which players have made the most Champions League appearances? Goal takes a look at the most enduring stars in the history of the competition.

Getty1Clarence Seedorf | 125 appearances

Clarence Seedorf won the Champions League with three different clubs: Ajax (1995), Real Madrid (1998) and AC Milan (2003, 2007).

The legendary Netherlands midfielder made his competition debut as a substitute for Ajax in a 2-0 victory against Milan on September 14, 1994 and his last-ever appearance was a 3-1 defeat to Barcelona on April 3, 2012.

AdvertisementGetty Images2Thomas Muller | 126 appearances

Thomas Muller scored on his Champions League debut, when he came on as a second-half substitute for Bastian Schweinsteiger in Bayern Munich's 7-1 demolition of Sporting on March 10, 2009. Since then, he has made over 120 appearances and lifted the trophy twice.

The Germany legend has featured for Bayern Munich in 14 consecutive Champions League seasons and counting.

Getty Images3Sergio Ramos | 129 appearances

When Real Madrid were the dominant force in the Champions League between 2014 and 2018, Sergio Ramos was the beating heart of their efforts. His first taste of the competition came in a 3-0 defeat to Lyon in 2005, but Ramos has gone on to win four Champions League titles, surpassing a century of appearances in the process.

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Getty4Andres Iniesta | 130 appearances

Like his Barcelona partner-in-crime Xavi, Andres Iniesta made all of his 130 Champions League appearances for a single club. The four-time winner made his first appearance in the competition during the 2002-03 season before pulling the curtain down in 2017-18.

Discipline and pride will be the key to West Indies’ revival, according to their new head coach, Phil Simmons

George Dobell in Antigua12-Apr-2015Discipline and pride will be the key to West Indies’ revival, according to their new head coach, Phil Simmons.Simmons is facing a tough baptism in his new role. Having only joined up with the side a week ago, he admits he knows few of the players intimately and has had little time to prepare ahead of the Test series against England beginning in Antigua on Monday.But he feels he has the support of the West Indies Cricket Board and is confident that, given hard work, he can help the team rise from their position as No. 8 rated Test team to a place in the top three.Simmons urges more series for Ireland

Ireland will soon be playing against West Indies, if Phil Simmons’ wishes count for anything.
Simmons, who has just returned to the Caribbean as coach of West Indies after eight years in a similar role with Ireland, remains committed to helping the Associate nation develop and promises to “do everything he can” to ensure the fixtures against Full Member opposition that Ireland have been craving to sustain their development.
Simmons suggested that part of the severance agreement brokered between the West Indies Cricket Board and Cricket Ireland would involve such fixtures taking place “soon.”
“I’m sure that was spoken about in the negotiations about me leaving,” he said from Antigua as he looked forward to his first Test in charge of West Indies starting on Monday.
“I’m sure that will happen soon. I will always push for that. I’d have no problem with that at all. I’ll do everything I can to keep things going there.
“All the Full Members need to back them.”

He did warn that progress will take time, though.”It’s been well documented that we’re not in a good place as far as cricket is concerned,” Simmons admitted. “We need to get back in that good place.”It’s been frustrating [to witness West Indies’ decline]. It would be for anyone who has represented West Indies. It’s been disappointing to see the way we’ve played.”I know we’re not in the best of places right now”But it’s something special to coach your own country. And once we get to that level of doing everything professionally I think the talent will come through.”A lack of talent is, in Simmons’ view, the least of West Indies’ problems. He remains convinced that the region continues to produce hugely naturally talented cricketers but that there is a failure to develop them.”Talent has never been the problem,” he said. “There’s always been talent coming through. It’s what we do with that talent between 18 or 19 and 24 or 25. We’ve got to address that. That doesn’t mean the national team; it means the teams below that.”And that’s where discipline and pride come in. Simmons intends to instil a new work ethic within all levels of West Indies cricket and to ensure the players know they are representing the hopes of people throughout the region and beyond.”It’s a lot about discipline,” Simmons said. “Whatever you do – bowl, bat or field – discipline comes through.”And pride comes into it. Life is about pride. Anything you do, you have to do it with pride and do it to the best of your ability.”At our best we represented five-million people but we enjoyed what we did on the field. We knew we represented the Caribbean people and people from afar but we made sure we enjoyed it.”My coaching philosophy is: practise hard; play easy. We have to be doing things a lot harder in practice. And that will make things easier when we get on the field.”Guys have to be given a benchmark every time. If I’m 19 and I can do A, B and C, by the time I’m 22, I should be able to do D, E and F to be an international cricketer and get to the top three in the world, which is where you should want to be.”We have to get the team to understand more of what professionalism means. Once we get to that level of doing everything professionally I think the talent will come through.”Among those talented players are the uncapped Bajans, Carlos Brathwaite, a seamer, and Shai Hope, a wicketkeeper-batsman who recently made a double-century in domestic cricket. Simmons is impressed by both.”I think young Hope is technically sound,” Simmons said. “To score a double-hundred at any level, you have to be technically sound. He showed in the practice game that he can bat for a longer period of time. That’s a big thing with young cricketers now; some of them just want to go out and play shots. But he showed he had the temperament.”Braithwaite just bowled like a Test bowler in the practice game. His line and lengths troubled the batsmen.”Progress may take time, though, and Simmons urged supporters not to judge his success too early or simply on the first few results.”It’s about getting a system in place and making sure it works properly,” he said. “So it’s not about winning a Test series v England or Australia.”I was eight years at Ireland and I don’t think everything was finished. It’s about putting a system in place so that, five or 10 years from now we’re back where we want to be.”And that we stay there. The system must last. It has to keep going no matter who comes after me.”

A three-wicket burst from Lonwabo Tsotsobe at the death helped Lions win their first Momentum Cup game, against Warriors in Potchefstroom, by 20 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2014
ScorecardA three-wicket burst from Lonwabo Tsotsobe at the death helped Lions win their first Momentum Cup game, against Warriors in Potchefstroom, by 20 runs. Tsotsobe derailed a threatening Warriors chase and finished with 5 for 44, only his second List A five-wicket haul in 130 games.Half-centuries from JJ Smuts and Colin Ingram had set up Warriors and they progressed to 195 for 2 in the 37th over before the slide began. Ryan Bailey and Somila Seyibokwe fell in successive overs, and Smuts followed soon too, but after Christiaan Jonker hit Aaron Phangiso for two sixes, Warriors needed 52 off 42 balls with five wickets in hand.Tsotsobe then knocked over Jonker and Andrew Birch in the 44th over and Sisanda Magala in the 46th to lift Lions. At the end of Tsotsobe’s spell, Warriors needed 39 off 24 balls and they were eventually dismissed for 271.Lions’ total of 291 for5 was set up by a collective batting performance. Quinton de Kock scored a brisk half-century at the top and Thami Tsolekile finished the innings with 51 off 36 balls. In the middle, Neil McKenzie contributed 73 while the others chipped in with handy cameos. All seven Lions batsmen made double-figure scores.