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Loftus-Cheek injured in Chelsea friendly vs. Revs

Published in Soccer
Wednesday, 15 May 2019 20:23

Ruben Loftus-Cheek suffered a serious injury to overshadow Chelsea's 3-0 win over New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts in a friendly branded the "Final Whistle on Hate."

In front of the watching Roman Abramovich, Loftus-Cheek had to be helped from the field by Chelsea medical staff in the 68th minute after appearing to have his heel trodden on by a Revolution player, leaving him unable to put any weight on his left leg.

With only 13 days until Chelsea face Arsenal in the Europa League final, Loftus-Cheek's injury leaves his participation in significant doubt and adds to the concerns of head coach Maurizio Sarri, who is already sweating on the fitness of N'Golo Kante (hamstring) ahead of the match.

- When is the 2019 Europa League final?
- EXCLUSIVE: Loftus-Cheek wants to grow into a Chelsea leader

Sarri admitted last weekend that Chelsea's trip to the United States was problematic for his Europa League final preparations, and the match against the Revolution was also played on a sub-standard pitch at Gillette Stadium.

Abramovich, who has not been seen at Stamford Bridge since having an application to renew his visa rejected by the UK government last year, witnessed goals from Ross Barkley and Olivier Giroud in a comprehensive Blues victory that never looked in doubt.

The match raised more than $4 million for projects aimed at tackling anti-Semitism around the world, with Abramovich and Revolution owner Robert Kraft each personally donating $1 million to the cause.

Sarri picked a strong starting XI that included the likes of Eden Hazard, Jorginho and David Luiz, with the Brazilian wearing armband while regular captain Cesar Azpilicueta was given a rest for the first half.

The gulf in class between Chelsea and the Revolution -- who sit bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference and sacked manager Brad Friedel last week -- was immediately clear, and it took less than three minutes for Barkley to pounce on a poor attempted clearance in the penalty area and whip a shot inside the post.

Former U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena -- newly appointed as the Revolution's new manager and sporting director after Friedel's firing -- watched from one of the stadium's suites.

Pedro Rodriguez was Chelsea's most threatening player on the right flank, with Eden Hazard reluctant to shoot from the left despite frequently exciting the crowd of 27,329 at Gillette Stadium with his skill.

Chelsea's lead doubled in the 29th minute after good work from Hazard and Pedro in transition, culminating in an overlapping Davide Zappacosta crossing for Giroud to head in from close range.

Gonzalo Higuain replaced Giroud as one of five substitutions at half-time and almost found a Chelsea third in the 54th minute, when his fierce shot was superbly tipped onto the crossbar by Brad Knighton after a Zachary Herivaux mistake presented the ball to the Argentine in the box.

A third goal did eventually arrive eight minutes later, as Higuain hammered Willian's low corner goalwards and the ball took a kind deflection off the unwitting Barkley before nestling in the far corner.

The final minutes were marred by concern over Loftus-Cheek's injury, but Chelsea academy prospects Conor Gallagher, Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah were brought on by Sarri as his team coasted to the final whistle.

Chelsea fly back to London on Thursday and will enjoy two days off before beginning preparations at Cobham for the Europa League final, when Sarri will be hoping for good news about Kante and Loftus-Cheek.

Atlanta post MLS-record 5th straight shutout win

Published in Soccer
Wednesday, 15 May 2019 23:20

Josef Martinez scored his fifth goal of the season and his second from the penalty spot, and Atlanta United set an MLS record with a 1-0 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday night, their fifth win in a row via shutout.

Three days after scoring his first goal of the season, Pity Martinez earned the penalty at BC Place as Atlanta (6-3-2, 20 points) built upon the league's longest active win streak. The Philadelphia Union have won three in a row.

The victory pushes United up to third in the Eastern Conference standings, level on points with the Montreal Impact and ahead of them on goal difference. And it puts Atlanta alone in MLS history in terms of consecutive shutout victories. Previously, eight teams had won four in a row without conceding, but never five.

Maxime Crepeau made five saves for Vancouver (3-6-3, 12 points), which was outshot 17-7 overall and 6-2 in terms of efforts on target. Vancouver saw its win streak snapped at two games. The Whitecaps were second best for most of the evening despite having four days off following their previous game -- also at home -- against Atlanta's two.

Pity Martinez earned the penalty in the 27th minute when he won a loose ball on the right side of the penalty area, turned his body toward the goal line and absorbed Lass' challenge from behind.

After the Whitecaps protested to referee Baldomero Toledo, Josef Martinez stepped up to take it two minutes later, approaching it quickly and hammering his finish above Crepeau's dive and inside the right post.

Atlanta would've doubled its lead without Crepeau's exceptional string of three saves in the 59th minute.

First, the 25-year-old smothered Hector Villalba's breakaway effort. Josef Martinez kept the play alive and found Eric Remedi, who saw his shot denied again by Crepeau, and the 'keeper somehow scrambled to his feet just in time to thwart Pity Martinez's rebound header as well.

For an encore, Crepeau denied Josef Martinez's 67th-minute header with a flailing left-legged stop. And then he intervened with his feet well outside his box to keep Julian Gressel from adding on an insurance tally in the 90th minute.

Welcome to summer transfer window -- open on May 16 for the Premier League and a bit later in Europe. We are grading the most notable signings below from the top clubs across Europe, so come back throughout the month for updates as deals are completed.

The most recent grades and write-ups are at the top, and the first grade goes back to July 1 when the moves from the offseason are officially complete. Each day is in order of highest price.

If you don't see a grade for a deal that has been completed, check back later.

JULY 1

LUCAS HERNANDEZ, €80m
Atletico Madrid grade: C+
Bayern Munich grade: A

It's been quite a 12 months for Lucas -- first a World Cup winners' medal with France and now he's become one of the most expensive defenders of all time. The 23-year-old still has plenty of time to grow and his ability to play either left-back or centre-back means Bayern have plenty of options.

In landing Lucas alongside international teammate Benjamin Pavard (see below), the German side have secured their defence for the next decade. A great move, albeit an expensive one.

Atletico will gladly take the cash and use it to reinforce their side, but with Diego Godin already departing, one wonders if they will leave themselves open to defensive issues. He only signed a contract extension in June, so the club will be regretting the choice to keep his buyout clause so relatively low.

FRENKIE DE JONG, €75m
Ajax grade: B+
Barcelona grade: A

If Dortmund have found plenty of success buying cheap and selling big, Ajax are the blueprint to follow. The academy system brings through players at a young age, gives them first-team football and turns them into superstars. Frenkie de Jong has only made just over 50 appearances for Ajax but the 21-year-old holding midfielder cost Barcelona €75m -- money that Ajax will use to put back into the club and find the next player for the production line.

Announcing the deal in January was smart as the speculation was starting to impact player and club, so Ajax deserve props for that. But one wonders if they could have bagged even more money if they had waited for the summer when Man City, PSG and Real Madrid might have come in for him. Still, €75m is a fine amount and they got to keep him for the rest of the season to keep their Eredivisie title chase intact.

For Barcelona, De Jong is the natural heir to Sergio Busquets. He will learn a lot in the next couple of years playing with Busquets and teammates, while his style is perfect for how Barca play.

CHRISTIAN PULISIC, €64m
Dortmund grade: B
Chelsea grade: A+

When Chelsea announced they had signed U.S. international Christian Pulisic on Jan. 2 and would be loaning him back to Dortmund for the rest of the 2018-19 season, they stole a march on their rivals. The much-coveted 20-year-old had been tracked by every top club in the world, but Chelsea moved quickly to tie him down and it's a signing that safeguards the club's future as much as it improves their current squad.

Pulisic's combination of guile, creativity and skill make him one of the standout prospects in the world so for the Blues to land him for only €64m is a real coup.

Yes, Dortmund could have held out for more, they could have started a bidding war, but with only 18 months remaining on his contract, the German club knew they would be playing with fire. It's another star player sold, but as long as they keep unearthing gems like Jadon Sancho then they'll be fine.

RODRYGO, €54m
Santos grade: A+
Real Madrid grade: B

Having already spent €45m on young Brazilian attacker Vinicius Jr. back in 2017, Real Madrid agreed another monster deal in the summer of 2018 for a highly-rated 18-year-old who had been linked with Barcelona.

Rodrygo certainly has the talent to succeed and, if you believe his teammate Vinicius, can be "a great, like Neymar or [Kylian] Mbappe." Real would probably settle for the forward having the same impact as Vinicius did though, after the winger made a real impression at the Bernabeu in the second half of 2018-19 season with his skill and speed.

At €54m, Real have gambled on youth but it's a gamble that could pay off. There was no chance a talent like Rodrygo was going to stay in Brazil and Santos, as they have done many times before, got the best deal they possibly could. Let's just hope there's no succession of court cases in a few years' time about who was owed what.

EDER MILITAO, €50m
FC Porto grade: A+
Real Madrid grade: C

At first glance, Real Madrid spending €50m on a 21-year-old centre-back might be deemed good business. A good defender is hard to find, after all. But then you consider that Porto signed Eder Militao for €7m just last summer and that Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane are two of the best centre-backs in world football, with Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Odriozola occupying the right-back slot, so he won't be playing regularly any time soon.

In signing a six-year deal, there's no doubt that Eder has plenty of room to grow. But Real have wasted a young talent before by keeping him on the bench, and it feels like this one is doomed to fail.

From Porto's perspective, a €43m profit inside eight months is incredible business. After a lucrative run in this season's Champions League, they can reinvest and move on quickly.

BENJAMIN PAVARD, €35m
Stuttgart grade: B
Bayern grade: B+

Bayern have been a bit of a mess this season, but Benjamin Pavard's performances for France in winning the World Cup this summer suggest that he can help them fix their issues. The 22-year-old can play at right-back or centre-back, so that versatility will be key for Bayern, while his release clause of €35m won't break the bank either.

If we're being completely honest, he's not the world-class addition that Bayern would shout from the rooftops but he's a solid addition with room to grow and he should play a big role in the next few years.

Clearly outgrowing Stuttgart, there was nothing much they could do to stop him leaving either, so it's a decent deal for them too.

RAUL JIMINEZ, £30m
Benfica: C
Wolves grade: A

You have to hand it to Raul Jiminez, struggling since he left Liga MX in 2014, the Mexico international striker made the best of his loan move to Wolves and earned himself a permanent deal, which the club were only too happy to break their transfer record to make happen.

A year of failure at Atletico Madrid and three seasons at Benfica in which he failed to get into double figures in the goals department has not daunted him. At 27, the chance to play at the top wasn't going to come around again and his form this season at Wolves has been nothing short of sensational. Only promoted last season, Wolves are looking like a class act.

Benfica initially landed him from Atletico for just under €10m, bought out his rights for another €12m and can count a healthy profit from their endeavours. They will only wonder how they weren't able to get the best out of him as Wolves clearly have.

AARON RAMSEY, Free
Arsenal: F
Juventus grade: A

It's actually quite hard to see how Arsenal could have made a worse job of this deal. First up they offer Aaron Ramsey a new deal, then they pull it out from underneath him and say he can leave on a free. So he does.

Evidently it's all down to the position he would have played under Unai Emery, but the fact of the matter is that the Gunners are letting one of Europe's top midfielders, coming into the peak of his powers at 28 years old, depart for nothing. And with only a reported £40m to spend on reinforcements for the whole squad, there's no guarantee they will be able to replace him adequately.

Juventus did what they always seem to do and signed a quality player for nothing, so it's an A for them. It's only not an A+ because they had to make him a very lucrative wage offer to get him to sign. Gab Marcotti explains why that was a reckless move.

The Premier League transfer window is open. You can click here to review all the latest transfers and keep up to date with all the latest gossip below.

Transfer window grades | When does the window open in Europe?

TOP STORY: United target Dembele as Lukaku replacement?

Manchester United are eyeing Lyon striker Moussa Dembele as a potential replacement for Romelu Lukaku this summer, according to The Sun.

The 22-year-old has scored 14 goals in Ligue 1 this season, warranting himself a price tag of around £40 million, according to the report. In a summer in which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is expected to heavily overhaul his ageing squad, Dembele could come in for Lukaku, who has been linked with moves away from the club to Inter Milan and PSG after a less-than-stellar year at Old Trafford.

United are expected to adopt a different approach in the transfer market ahead of the 2019-20 season, by buying young players to develop rather than marquee signings, and Dembele would fit that category.

LIVE BLOG

08.25 BST: Cadena Cope report that Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has called Atletico Madrid in the hope of convincing Rodrigo to join the Premier League champions this summer.

City are reportedly very interested in signing the 22-year-old defensive midfielder and are prepared to pay his €70m buyout clause. Guardiola is a fan of Rodrigo, who has similar qualities to Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets.

Asked about Rodrigo's future, Atletico president Enrique Cerezo told Cadena Cope radio: "Right now, Rodrigo is an Atletico player but if tomorrow an offer arrives and he wants to leave.."

08.00 BST: Gianluigi Buffon, 41, has revealed that Paris Saint-Germain have offered him a new contract that will take him into his 25th year as a professional.

The goalkeeper told Sky Italia: "The club have offered me a renewal and this really delights and gratifies me. We'll meet in the coming days to have a look within this project and understand if we both feel it is right to carry on."

The 2006 World Cup winner has made 23 appearances for PSG this season as the club retained the Ligue 1 title but once again fell short in Europe, losing to Manchester United in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

PAPER TALK (by Stephen Wright)

Saints and Magpies targeting Bolasie

Yannick Bolasie is on the shortlist for Southampton and Newcastle United, as the two Premier League clubs prepare to take the winger away from Everton, while Crystal Palace would consider a season-long loan deal. The Sun reports.

Bolasie signed for Everton from Crystal Palace for £25m in 2016, but the Frenchman's time at Goodison Park has left a lot to be desired, with Marco Silva sending him out on loan spells to Aston Villa as well as RSC Anderlecht in 2018-19.

Should Everton sell him, they will not get a great return on their investment, as he is currently worth around £7m. Elsewhere in Europe, Turkish sides Besiktas and Galatasaray are also keeping tabs on Bolasie.

Madrid to offload 14 players

Real Madrid have been frequently linked with signing a number of players in recent weeks, including Eden Hazard and Paul Pogba, but the size of their squad is not infinite, and Zinedine Zidane intends to make way for new signings by offloading as many as 14 of his current outfit, Marca understands.

Those who are expected to make way include fringe players such as Keylor Navas, Sergio Reguilon, Jesus Vallejo, Theo Fernandez, Dani Ceballos, Martin Odegaard, Marcos Llorente, Oscar Rodriguez, Borja Mayoral, and Raul de Tomas, as well as heavy hitters Mateo Kovacic and Gareth Bale.

Such an overhaul indicates a busy summer ahead at Santiago Bernabeu, with plenty of Europe's biggest names in football continuing to be linked with big-money moves to Madrid.

Tap-ins

- Crystal Palace full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Patrick van Aanholt may both be on their way to Manchester United this summer, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to strengthen his defence for next season, The Sun understands. Put together, the pair would cost United around £50m.

- Alexis Sanchez's departure from Manchester United is looking more and more likely, as The Independent reports that meetings have been held with Juventus. Inter Milan are also interested, but neither are keen on his current wage demands, which have been causing some complications.

Yorkshire 210 and 166 for 3 (Ballance 57*, Lyth 44) lead Kent 296 (Robinson 103, Crawley 81) by 80 runs

Gary Ballance posted Yorkshire's first half-century of the game to keep his side in contention against a Kent side buoyed by a second County Championship century of the season by rookie keeper-batsman Ollie Robinson.

Having conceded a first innings deficit of 86 runs, Yorkshire closed on 166 for 3 after 46 overs of their second innings to lead by 80 runs going into the third day of this finely poised Division One game in Canterbury.

Ballance, who won the last of his 23 Test caps in July 2017, went in at the close unbeaten with 57 and having added 27 with fourth-wicket partner Jack Leaning, who was not out 11.

After dismissing Kent for 296, Yorkshire started their second innings shortly before tea but soon lost Harry Brook, caught behind when prodding outside off at one from Fred Klaassen.

Left-handed pairing Adam Lyth and Ballance took their total through to 82 before Lyth, well set on 44, nibbled at a Mitch Claydon leg-cutter to be caught at the wicket.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore became the final casualty of the day when he attempted to force off the back foot against Daniel Bell-Drummond to be held in the gully.

Kent, who had earlier resumed on their overnight score of 130 for 4, only had themselves to blame for missing out on a third batting bonus point by only four runs.

Robinson and Zak Crawley batted on for half an hour without alarm to extend their partnership's value to 86 before Crawley fell for 81 to Steven Patterson's fourth ball of the day. In aiming to work a length ball to mid-wicket, the willowy right-hander found a leading edge to loop a comfortable return catch to the bowler.

Robinson, Kent's 20-year-old understudy keeper, drove nicely all morning to his first 50 at Canterbury from 103 balls with six fours and with only three scoring leg-side shots.

After a sticky start, Alex Blake cover drove Patterson for four to raise Kent's 200 and a batting bonus point, then the left-hander's backward cut through point against Dom Bess also went to the ropes to level the scores.

With his score on 22, Blake took a hefty blow on the head after ducking into a Duanne Olivier bouncer but continued after treatment and replacing his helmet. He swayed out of the way nicely when Olivier followed up with another bumper.

Olivier maintained his aggression and was unlucky not to remove Robinson on 71 when an edged glance flew behind to Jon Tattersall, only for the Yorkshire gloveman to spill the chance.

Robinson and Blake added 50 before Blake, having been dropped at short leg the previous delivery, edged to slip to give Kohler-Cadmore the fourth of his six out-field catches - equalling the Yorkshire record set by Ellis Robinson against Leicestershire at Bradford in 1938.

With Kent's Robinson edging toward three figures, Harry Podmore miscued to mid-on to gift Bess a wicket, then Matt Milnes nicked off against Olivier.

Robinson finally reached his 177-ball ton with a scampered single to mid-off, but holed out soon after enabling Yorkshire to polish off the home tail.

Warwickshire 184 for 7 (Sibley 95, Abbott 4-43) trail Hampshire 354 (Alsop 150, Patel 6-94) by 170 runs

A searing post-tea burst from Kyle Abbott put Hampshire in command against Warwickshire on the second day of their County Championship clash at Edgbaston.

After Hampshire were lifted to a solid 354 by Tom Alsop's classy, career-best 150 off 317 balls, including 23 fours, the home side's reply advanced smoothly enough to 135 for three before Abbott's blast of three wickets for four runs in eight balls.

Suddenly, the follow-on figure of 204 was far from a formality for Warwickshire and they still have work to do to reach it, having closed the second day on 184 for 7.

Against a rampant and raucous Hampshire side, the injury-ravaged Bears were left leaning heavily on Dominic Sibley. The former Surrey opener, who has scored centuries in each of his previous five first-class matches, went into stumps five short of another.

In the morning session, Hampshire added 63 to their overnight 291 for 6. They advanced to 327 without further loss before Jeetan Patel took the last four wickets in 33 balls.

The Bears' captain finished with 6 for 94, his 35th first-class haul of five-or-more wickets, after Gareth Berg fired back a fierce return catch, Alsop skied to mid-off, Abbott played on and former Warwickshire player Keith Barker edged behind.

In reply, Warwickshire lost three wickets in the afternoon session. Will Rhodes edged an excellent ball from Abbot to second slip where Joe Weatherley took a smart catch before debutant Rob Yates' maiden first-class innings was ended by a ripper from Liam Dawson. Having opened his first-class account with a sumptuous cover-driven four off Abbott, Yates offered no stroke to Dawson's second delivery only to see it turn in a long way to strike off-stump.

Sibley and Adam Hose began to retrench but, having added 40, were separated in the last over before tea when Fidel Edwards speared a yorker through Hose's defence.

Liam Banks settled alongside Sibley to add 47 in 17 overs but then came Abbott's purple patch - a textbook example of aggressive, straight fast-bowling. He bowled Banks through the gate then removed Alex Thomson, who offered no shot, and Tim Ambrose lbw with successive balls.

That left Warwickshire still 59 short of the follow on figure with four wickets left. Sibley and Craig Miles added 26 but Edwards, brought back fresh just before the close, had the latter caught at short leg.

Sana Mir and Nida Dar trample South Africa women

Published in Cricket
Wednesday, 15 May 2019 08:08

Pakistan women 120 for 3 (Dar 53, Maroof 53*) beat South Africa women 119 for 7 (Tryon 43, Mir 3-14, Dar 2-30) by seven wickets

Captain Bismah Maroof and Nida Dar both struck fifties as Pakistan stormed to a seven-wicket win over South Africa in the first T20I in Pretoria. After Sana Mir's 3 for 14 helped restrict the hosts to 119 for 7, Maroof and Dar shared an 89-run third-wicket stand to guide Pakistan's chase. Dar fell moments before the result was sealed but she scooped up the Player of the Match award for her part in helping Pakistan to a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, Maroof remaining unbeaten on 53.

Pakistan lost Javeria Rauf in the first over of their chase but Maroof walked in at No. 3 and calmed any early jitters with a brace of boundaries in the third over, the second via a particularly sweet pull to the square leg boundary. Maroof and Umaima Sohail ticked through the Powerplay at close to a run a ball, with Sohail spanking six off a Marizanne Kapp full toss before she was dismissed by medium pacer Tumi Sekhukhune.

But Maroof found an able partner in Dar, who laced the second legitimate delivery she faced to the cover boundary and continued in cruise control as South Africa struggled to break through. Having seen off the hosts' vaunted pace attack, Maroof and Dar set to work on the spinners, with Maroof sweeping Sune Luus' first ball to the backward square leg boundary and Dar swiping two more fours in the legspinner's next over.

Maroof was first into the forties, but Dar accelerated past her to reach fifty first with a swatted six over extra cover. Having got to the brink of victory, Pakistan made slightly heavy weather of the final push, with Dar bowled for 53 having a swipe at Klaas with just two runs needed. Iram Javed played out the wicket maiden and, after Maroof handed her the strike at the start of the 18th over, tapped away four dot balls before a quick single sealed the result.

Dar had also played a crucial part with the ball, her 2 for 30 complementing Mir's efforts as Pakistan's two leading wicket-takers in this format shared five wickets to hinder South Africa's efforts. Mir struck twice in the very first over, trapping Lizelle Lee in front of her stumps and then finding Tazmin Brits' outside edge.

They also lost Kapp inside the Powerplay, and when Mignon du Preez chipped a catch to mid off and Luus was bowled by Mir for 10, the innings was in danger of meandering completely off course at 49 for 5 in the 13th over. A 54-run stand between Chloe Tryon and Shabnim Ismail repaired some of the damage, but South Africa had plenty of ground to make up after their top-order failures and their eventual total was easily bettered by Dar and Maroof.

Zimbabwe cricketer Brendan Taylor's wife was mugged outside their home in Harare earlier this week, with Taylor tweeting about the incident and urging residents of the city to remain vigilant amid reports of increased crime.

"Just had an alarming situation outside my house," Taylor wrote. "I was waiting for my wife's return in my driveway. I started hearing her screaming about 100m from my gate, she was getting mugged by 4 armed men. I ran outside and they sped away in red Honda Fit."

Local media has reported an increase in crime in the country since the intensification of load-shedding in Harare this week, with criminals apparently taking advantage of the power failures in the capital city's suburbs.

"Fortunately she only lost her handbag and it could of [sic] been a lot worse," Taylor posted on Twitter. "People are getting desperate, be vigilant when entering your property and try keep off the roads after dark. With all this load shedding we're easy targets."

Avondale Police station, which is the station closest to Taylor's house, has also taken to social media to urge residents of the area to be on high alert.

"We note with concern the crime activity in our area in the last 8 weeks," read a message on the station's social media page. "Unregistered vehicles continue to expose our community to crime and we now are appealing to all our Avondale residents and Security Structures, Neighbourhood Watches, Whatsapp Media Platforms to be on high alert for any suspicious individuals or vehicles."

Shakib Al Hasan retires hurt with suspected side strain

Published in Cricket
Wednesday, 15 May 2019 11:13

Shakib Al Hasan retired hurt during the course of Bangladesh's chase in the final league fixture against Ireland after hurting his left side.

The injury, suspected to be a side strain, took him off the field after he had faced 51 balls for his half-century. The incident occurred at the end of the 36th over of Bangladesh's chase. Only an over earlier, he was holding his left side in pain. Physio Thihan Chandramohan spent several minutes trying to relieve him of the pain, before Shakib decided to continue batting.

Then as he resumed, he felt the pain as he pulled a short ball off Joshua Little. However, he decided to retire hurt in the next over. The gravity of his injury isn't yet ascertained and it is likely that the Bangladesh Cricket Board will throw light after receiving an update from the physio.

The decision was a wise one, considering Bangladesh are in their final stretches of preparation for the World Cup. As such, Shakib has dealt with multiple finger injuries in recent times, the one last September nearly derailing his career as the finger contracted an infection.

Shakib then broke his finger during the BPL final in February, which forced him to miss the New Zealand tour.

Bangladesh are already through to the tri-series final against West Indies on May 17.

Source: Jets ship Lee to Chiefs after GM shake-up

Published in Breaking News
Wednesday, 15 May 2019 19:15

It didn't take long for New York Jets interim general manager Adam Gase to make his first trade.

The team on Wednesday night agreed to send linebacker Darron Lee to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2020 sixth-round pick, a league source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Gase inherited personnel power earlier Wednesday, when general manager Mike Maccagnan was fired after four seasons. Gase, hired in January as the coach, will serve as the interim GM until a new one is hired.

Maccagnan picked Lee in the first round of the 2016 draft. His days were numbered as soon as the Jets signed middle linebacker C.J. Mosley to a record-setting contract in free agency. They tried to trade Lee during the NFL draft last month, then declined to exercise his fifth-year option.

Lee was the 20th overall pick in the 2016 draft. It was a curious choice, because at 6-foot-1 and 232 pounds, he seemed small to play inside linebacker in the 3-4 defense. The coaching staff downplayed the size factor, saying he fit the growing trend of fast linebackers who could play in space against spread offenses.

The former Ohio State standout struggled in his first two seasons, especially against the run, but he showed signs of improvement in 2018. He made three interceptions -- the first three of his career -- including one returned for a touchdown.

Lee felt he had played well enough to earn Pro Bowl consideration, but his season came to an abrupt end after the 12th game when he received a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. He has yet to comment publicly on the matter.

play
1:17

Jets CEO on firing GM: 'Never a good time' for this decision

Jets CEO Christopher Johnson expresses how tough of a decision it was to fire GM Mike Maccagnan on Wednesday.

Due to the suspension, Lee's 2019 base salary of $1.84 million is no longer fully guaranteed, because by rule the guarantee was voided. The Jets had no intention of exercising his fifth-year option for 2020, which would have been an estimated $10 million.

In the Jets' way of thinking, Lee became expendable when they signed Mosley to a five-year, $85 million contract in free agency. Mosley will replace Avery Williamson, who will slide over to Lee's former spot -- the weak-inside linebacker position.

Williamson's $8 million salary is guaranteed, and there was no chance that the Jets would eat that much money.

In three seasons, Lee started 36 of 40 games, compiling four sacks, two forced fumbles and no fumble recoveries.

Lee became the first of Maccagnan's first-round picks to be jettisoned from the roster. The other four -- defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, quarterback Sam Darnold, safety Jamal Adams and defensive end Leonard Williams -- were all top-six picks.

In Kansas City, Lee should get the chance for playing time.

The Chiefs, with one of the NFL's worst defensive teams last season, have undergone a dramatic overhaul on that side of the ball. Among the changes is to a 4-3 defensive system.

At least one of the starting linebacker spots is up for grabs after the Chiefs traded one of last year's starters in Dee Ford and released another in Justin Houston. Anthony Hitchens, a free-agent addition last year, and Damien Wilson, who signed this year, figure to be two of the starters. The third spot is up for grabs, and that's where Lee could get a look.

The Chiefs also have Reggie Ragland, who started 15 games last season, and Dorian O'Daniel, a third-round pick last season.

ESPN's Adam Teicher contributed to this report.

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2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Sources: LeBron deal below max, aids Lakers' cap

Sources: LeBron deal below max, aids Lakers' cap

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFor the first time in more than a decade, LeBron James will play on...

LeBron: Bronny's selection was 'dream come true'

LeBron: Bronny's selection was 'dream come true'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLAS VEGAS -- LeBron James said Saturday that it was a "dream come t...

Baseball

Ohtani snaps slump with rare hitting feat in win

Ohtani snaps slump with rare hitting feat in win

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- Any thoughts about Shohei Ohtani entering a prolonge...

Darvish on restricted list due to family matter

Darvish on restricted list due to family matter

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSAN DIEGO -- San Diego Padres right-hander Yu Darvish has been plac...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

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