Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman says Paris Saint-Germain talk about Lionel Messi "too much" and branded Angel Di Maria's latest comments on the forward as disrespectful.

Speaking after PSG's 3-0 win over Nimes on Wednesday, Di Maria claimed there's a "big chance" his Argentina teammate Messi will make the move to Paris on a free transfer when his contract expires in the summer.

Barca host PSG in the first leg of their last 16 tie in the Champions League on Feb. 16 and Koeman feels that's a further motive for the French club to keep quiet.

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- Ratings: Griezmann, Alba, De Jong earn 9/10s in epic Granada win

"For me, [Di Maria has shown] lack of respect," Koeman said in a news conference after his Barca side beat Granada 5-3 after extra time to reach the Copa del Rey semifinal.

"It's not respectful to speak so much about someone who is still a Barca player. It's not good. It's a mistake to say something like that; it could add further spice to the Champions League game.

"It's not right. [PSG] talk about Leo too much. He plays for Barca and, in addition, we have a two-legged tie against them coming up."

Di Maria's comments follow on from PSG teammate Neymar and sporting director Leonardo in talking openly about the Ligue 1 champions' pursuit of Messi, who wanted to leave Barca last summer.

Neymar said in December he hopes to play with his former Barca teammate again next season and PSG sporting director Leonardo confirmed the club are interested in Messi earlier this month.

Messi, 33, has stated he will wait until the end of the season before deciding where his future lies. He said in an interview in December that he will not take advantage of being able to speak with other clubs.

He was involved for Barca on Wednesday as they recovered from two goals down to beat Granada in an eight-goal thriller to keep their Copa del Rey campaign alive.

An own goal from goalkeeper Aaron Escandell and a Jordi Alba header took the game to extra-time, where Antoine Griezmann and Fede Vico exchanged goals to keep the scores level going into the final 15 minutes.

A late effort from Frenkie de Jong and a second goal for Alba sealed the win in dramatic circumstances.

"It's incredible," Koeman said. "Football is incredible. I think we did well. We had chances to fix things before we eventually did. The team was outstanding.

"From 2-0 down the mentality of the team was brilliant. We didn't give up despite the bad luck -- three times off the woodwork, I don't know how many saves... We deserved to win."

Griezmann, in addition to scoring one, set up three of the goals as he continued to his excellent start to 2021.

"With Griezmann playing like this we're even more dangerous," Koeman added.

Pakistan chose to bat vs South Africa

Pakistan's Babar Azam opted to negotiate early morning moisture and potential extra bounce, choosing for his line-up to bat first in Rawalpindi. South Africa were not too unhappy with the decision, with Quinton de Kock expecting a little more for his quicks than they had in Karachi.

Despite that, South Africa included only two frontline seamers in Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, leaving out Lungi Ngidi in favour of the allrounder Wiaan Mulder. They also gave left-arm spinner George Linde another opportunity meaning that, once again, South Africa have opted for two specialist spinners. Tabraiz Shamsi, the left-arm wristspinner who suffered a back spasm before the toss in Karachi, has not been included. Their top six is the same as it was for the first Test, with de Kock expected to bat ahead of Temba Bavuma.

Pakistan named an unchanged XI as they sought a third successive Test series win at home, and a first over South Africa since 2003.

Pakistan: Abid Ali, Imran Butt, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam (capt), Fawad Alam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Yasir Shah, Nauman Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali

South Africa: Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Faf du Plessis, Quinton de Kock (capt and wk), Temba Bavuma, Wiaan Mulder, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje

Pat Cummins is as curious as everyone else in Australian cricket about whether he can be the first significant fast-bowler captain in the system for nearly 30 years, and has indicated his eagerness to lead New South Wales if granted the opportunity over the coming weeks now he's available after the postponement of the South Africa Test tour.

Not since Geoff Lawson was a successful and hugely influential captain of NSW in the early 1990s - bowing out after a narrow defeat in the 1992 Sheffield Shield final - has an outright paceman gained the opportunity, and fast-bowling captains of Australia are rarer still.

However, amid the current leadership vacuum in Australian cricket, with the Test captain Tim Paine and white-ball captain Aaron Finch both far closer to the end of their careers than the beginning, steadily more conversations are turning towards gaining leadership experience for the likes of Cummins, Alex Carey and Marnus Labuschagne. While Peter Nevill is ensconced as NSW skipper, state selection and Board discussions have already turned towards finding ways for Cummins to have the chance to lead.

"Absolutely - at the moment I haven't got too much experience at all, just a couple of warm-up games in England and other than that it's Under-16s cricket when I last captained. So for sure it's something that's going to be more on the radar," Cummins told ESPNcricinfo. "Even to increase my experience as vice-captain if I ever need to step in or help out Painey or Finchy, I think it is something I'd like to have a crack at to find out either way, whether I enjoy it, whether I'm no good at it or whether I find it manageable."

Reflecting on how his own routines would need to change as a fast-bowler captain, Cummins said that a tendency to move a gear or two down on the mental focus scale when not bowling would need to be altered, with experience the only way to determine whether this would be a "small step or a big step" for him.

"I think that would be the big one, at times, just the nature of not having to totally switch on, you take the opportunity to switch off," Cummins said. "That'd probably be the biggest change, but whether that's a dealbreaker or not, I'd have to try it first I think. Naturally you try to stay pretty involved in a game, so always thinking about the game in the background. Just taking that extra step to be a decision-maker, it might be a small step or a big step, but keen to give it a crack and see how it goes.

"Just because someone is captain doesn't mean they're not allowed to lean on other resources, and something about my teams, whether it's NSW or the Aussie team, there are lots of experienced guys there who've played a lot of cricket. Of course you've got specialised coaches in the sheds who you spend a lot of time with, so you're certainly not out there by yourself, like all leaders you've got to delegate at certain times, give certain people certain roles. I'm sure you could find a way if you have to."

Lawson spoke recently about how he felt that Cummins was more than capable of making the jump to leadership. "He's an intelligent guy, he's got a business degree during his injuries, he's had the discipline to study and use his brain not his body," Lawson told the Young Witness this week. "He's the vice-captain, if they make you the vice-captain surely that means if the captain is unavailable he's the new captain. I'm not sure why they'd bring someone else in.

"People have done it before, just not very often Australia. If you're going to do it, Cummins is the guy. He ticks the boxes except the fact he hasn't captained other cricket teams. They don't have a chance in today's environment. I have no doubt Cummo would make a super captain."

The decision not to go to South Africa has opened up a vast array of domestic cricket options for players previously set to spend a month in a Test match bubble, and Cummins did not hide his happiness at the opportunity to play with the Blues. "We've got to work through that, over the next 24 hours or so we'll get a final schedule and work it out," he said. "The intention is of course to play for NSW. I'm not sure I'll play every game, but we'll map out a bit of a plan, and still not sure whether that's Shield or one-dayers, probably a combination of both."

As for the now gaping hole in Cummins' Test schedule, where if Australia do not make a fortuitous appearance in the World Test Championship final they will play no more long-form games between now and December, he said while it was still a bit to get his head around, he had no doubt the South Africa scenario was too risky.

"It's strange isn't it, maybe an Afghanistan Test next, but that's still November or December, so you're talking 10 or 11 months way, so it's crazy," Cummins said. "At the start of this summer before the first Test I thought 'I haven't played a Test in 10 months, this is probably as fresh as I'll ever be going into a Test series, and now we've got another 10-month break.

"It's the way it is unfortunately, especially for the guys who only play Tests as their main format for Australia, it's a long layoff. Hopefully we can get a World Cup and a few other tournaments in, but it is certainly strange. We've just come off a great series versus India and we won't get another chance for another nine or 10 months to have another crack at it.

"For a lot of people it didn't seem right that if worst came to worst you had to leave some players behind over there with no certain way of getting home or things like that. They were all considerations. Us players, along with CA, were absolutely comfortable with going to South Africa if it was able to happen and all those kinds of questions were able to be answered. But unfortunately it's the middle of a pandemic and too much risk to head over there."

A full interview with Pat Cummins will run on ESPNcricinfo next week

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Officials from 23XI Racing revealed Wednesday afternoon that Ty Dillon will drive the team’s No. 23 Toyota Camry in the Busch Clash on Feb. 9.

The Athletic first reported the story before the team and Dillon confirmed the news on social media.

Root Insurance will serve as the primary sponsor of Dillon and 23XI Racing’s Clash effort.

Pumped to wheel the @root_insurance Camry in the Clash and help the @23XIRacing team get started on the right foot! Thankful for the opportunity. pic.twitter.com/d9qyZ32tQZ

— Ty Dillon (@tydillon) February 3, 2021

Dillon is eligible for the Clash by virtue of winning a stage last season in NASCAR Cup Series competition. 23XI Racing’s full-season driver, Bubba Wallace, is not Clash eligible.

Dillon topped the opening stage of the Cup race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL last fall, but found himself without a full-time ride for this season after Germain Racing exited the sport at the conclusion of 2020.

Tuesday night’s Clash will be the first race for the new Cup team co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin.

For Dillon, however, it’s the first race of a set of limited opportunities this year.

He’ll move from the Clash to the Daytona 500, attempting to qualify into The Great American Race for Gaunt Brothers Racing, and also has at least four NASCAR Xfinity Series races lined up with Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 54 Toyota Supra.

Dillon is one of 24 drivers eligible for the Busch Clash. At least three of those eligible drivers – Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth – are not schedule to compete.

The Busch Clash at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway, NASCAR’s annual non-points exhibition race which was first formed to spotlight the previous season’s pole winners, is scheduled to go green at 7 p.m. ET on Feb. 9.

Live coverage of the event can be found on FS1, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

Bangladesh's ODIs and T20s in New Zealand, which were scheduled to kick off on March 13, will now begin on March 20. A New Zealand Cricket statement said the changes in the schedule was "caused by ongoing challenges in the current Covid-19 environment and the need to allow visiting sides adequate preparation for international commitments".

"To accommodate the necessary logistics, the Bangladesh tour will now begin seven days later than initially scheduled, following a five-day training camp at Queenstown, with matches to be played at the venues first planned, but on different dates," the statement added.

The three ODIs were supposed to be played on March 13, 17 and 20, and will now be on March 20, 23 and 26, in Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington. The three T20Is - originally on March 23, 26 and 28 - follow on March 28, 30 and April 1 in Hamilton, Napier and Auckland.

The three T20s will be played a double-headers with New Zealand's women's T20I series against Australia.

"Patrons who have already purchased tickets for games on which dates or venues have been changed have been notified of the amendments and their options, including full refunds if desired," NZC said.

New Zealand has been one of the countries most successful in controlling Covid-19 numbers. The latest numbers on February 4 listed six new cases in the country as per official government figures. In Bangladesh, on February 3, the number of new cases reportedly stood at 438.

This will be Bangladesh's first visit to the country since the Christchurch terror attack in March 2019, when the team narrowly escaped the gunman who targeted two mosques in the city killing over 50 people.

TOKYO -- Yoshiro Mori, the president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee and a former prime minister, could be forced to resign after making derogatory comments about women earlier this week.

It is an additional problem as organizers and the International Olympic Committee try to pull off the postponed Games in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. They are set to open July 23.

The organizing committee said Thursday it did not have a statement but expected to have one later in the day.

Mori was reported by the daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun as saying women talk too much in meetings during an online meeting of the Japanese Olympic Committee board of directors earlier in the week. His comments have created a storm in Japan, where women are grossly underrepresented in politics and in board rooms.

In an interview with the Japanese newspaper Mainichi published Thursday, Mori, 83, apologized and suggested he could resign.

"I had no intention to disrespect women," Mainichi reported him saying. "I believe I must carry out my responsibility, but if calls for my resignation grow, I may have to resign."

He added: "It was careless of me, and I would like to apologize."

Asahi reported him saying Tuesday in an online meeting: "Women are very competitive. When one of them raises her hand, they probably think they have to say something, too. And then everyone says something."

His comment came when he was asked about the presence of few women on the board of the Japanese Olympic Committee.

"If we are going to have more women directors, someone has remarked, then meetings go on for a long time unless we restrict the comments. I'm not saying who that is," he said.

The Tokyo Olympics he leads are already swamped with problems.

About 80% of Japanese in polls say the Games should be postponed or canceled in the midst of the pandemic. They also have spoken out on rising costs that might total more than $25 billion to put on these Olympics.

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers might have missed each other in the playoffs last year, but Lakers reserve Jared Dudley, in a new book, revealed his team was primed for the "Battle for L.A." because of Paul George.

"We hear some of those guys talking about how they're the team to beat in L.A.," Dudley and co-author Carvell Wallace wrote in their 42-page book "Inside the NBA Bubble: A Championship Season under Quarantine," released this week. "It's fine if Kawhi [Leonard] says stuff like that. He's defending a championship. We don't trip if someone like Patrick Beverley is talking trash; that's how he feeds his family. We get it. We respect the hustle.

"But we think it's disrespectful for Paul George, who hasn't won, to put himself on the level of [LeBron James] and [Anthony Davis]. This motivates us."

In an interview with NBA TV during the Clippers' media day last season, George answered a reporter's question wondering if he and Leonard were the top duo in the league by saying, "I think so. When you look at two guys that play on both ends, two guys that can go and get a basket, two guys that can stop you from getting a basket, elite on both ends, I don't see how you can beat that."

The Denver Nuggets figured out a way to do it, coming back from a 3-1 deficit to bounce the Clippers from the Western Conference semifinals, thus thwarting a Lakers-Clippers showdown.

When asked about the passage in the book on Wednesday, Dudley explained that it was more about how the Lakers interpreted what George said than what the content of his message was, that got the team riled up.

"Anyone can say anything," Dudley told reporters on a videoconference after practice. "It's what we use as motivation. And sometimes, if ever you remember Michael Jordan, all the certain stuff that he used as motivation for him. It wasn't like they were wrong. It's what I view."

Dudley was asked if, as a veteran role player, he was being hypocritical in calling out an All-Star such as George, in much the same fashion George was elevating himself into a conversation that included NBA champions when he'd never even played in the Finals.

"So, giving me the right [to talk trash back]? I don't know. I don't know what gives me the right. Fourteen years, 900 games, played with over 25 Hall of Famers. Future coach, future GM, I think I put a little bit of work in where I could talk about it," Dudley said. "Doesn't mean what I say is right."

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue sounded like he would agree with the part about Dudley being wrong.

"A book? Jared Dudley?" Lue asked before the Clippers played the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

"I know I probably can't cuss on here so I won't cuss, but who cares? Just be who you are, play your game, who cares what people say, and what the outside people think. ... As far as for me, I really don't care what people say on the outside. And, you know, I hope PG doesn't either."

Dudley detailed in the book that it wasn't just George's comments that got under the Lakers' skin -- adding that a boastful Clippers billboard campaign plastered all over the city, including one strategically placed near the highway leading to the Lakers' practice facility, provided plenty of fuel, too. It was all too much talking for the Lakers' taste, he wrote.

"My comments were more about how we viewed the motivation," Dudley said Wednesday. "Paul George is a hell of a player, an MVP candidate. Doesn't mean that what he said wasn't wrong. But the difference is ... how you see how someone like LeBron and AD, them not saying anything. Them saying, 'You know what, we'll find out who the king of L.A. is on the court' last year."

The Clippers beat the Lakers 116-109 on opening night in December in what Dudley hopes to be a preview of a postseason meeting.

"I mean, the Clippers -- if you were going to ask me who we're going to play [last year], I thought we were going to play the Clippers in the Western Conference finals. I expected them to be there," he said. "I expect them to be there this year. They have the talent, they have the All-Stars, they have great coaching ... and I think this is all part of basketball.

"I think the league needs it. The league needs us to play the Clippers, the league needs us to play Brooklyn. ... We view them highly."

Just not too highly.

"We know Lakers will always be ... the Lakers will be L.A.," Dudley declared. "That's what it is. It'll always be our city. The Clippers could win 10 championships and it would still be [that way]. It's the history. It's how it is."

ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to sign veteran right-hander Felix Hernandez to a minor league contract.

Hernandez won an American League Cy Young Award, two ERA titles and made six All-Star teams over 15 seasons with the Seattle Mariners before becoming a free agent last offseason.

The 34-year-old signed a minor league deal with Atlanta and looked sharp during spring training, but he ultimately opted out of the pandemic-shortened 60-game season.

In his most recent big league action, Hernandez went 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA in 2019. He hasn't finished with an ERA under 4.00 since 2016, and his last All-Star appearance was in 2015. He has won 169 games and owns a 3.42 career ERA.

Hernandez could earn a rotation spot with the rebuilding Orioles, who have 2019 All-Star left-hander John Means locked in as a starter but not much else. They traded Alex Cobb to the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday, leaving Keegan Akin, Dean Kremer, Jorge Lopez, Wade LeBlanc, Thomas Eshelman and Bruce Zimmermann as the only returning players to start at least one game in 2020.

Baltimore also announced Wednesday it has agreed to minor league deals with infielders Seth Mejias-Brean and Malquin Canelo, right-handers Dusten Knight, Konner Wade and Spenser Watkins, and left-hander LeBlanc.

LOCKPORT, N.Y. — Neil Truesdell died at age 93 at Niagara Hospice House here on Jan.  31.

The lifelong resident of Ransomville, N.Y., drove his signature No. 20 modifeds on dirt and asphalt tracks in New York and Canada from the 1950s through the ’70s.

Truesdell was a member of the Ransomville Slowpokes car club when they built Ransomville Speedway in 1958. He served in the Merchant Marine in 1947-’48 and was a 59-year member of the Ransomville Volunteer Fire Co.

He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Joyce; son Richard and daughter Linda.

Memorial donations may be made to Niagara Hospice, 4675 Sunset Dr., Lockport, N.Y., 14094, or the Ransomville Vol. Fire Co. Ambulance Fund, P.O Box 239, Ransomville, N.Y., 14131.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Romain Grosjean was asked to explain why he wants to drive an Indy car.

“Sexiness,” he said. “I think IndyCar is a top series, top drivers, top cars, super exciting to drive.”

After nine years and 180 F-1 starts, the French driver plans to join the NTT IndyCar Series with Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware for 13 road and street course races.

Another driver yet to be named will drive that entry on the ovals.

“It’s the one I want to do,” Grosjean said of IndyCar. “I have a chance after doing 10 years in Formula One, I had the option to discover something new. There were few options on the table, but I felt like the one that I wanted to do was IndyCar.

“I got in touch with Dale (Coyne) last year, before Imola. I really felt there were a big enthusiasm on getting me onboard. It’s something that I really, really loved and felt good about,” Grosjean explained. “I looked at the options that I had. I say what I want to do is to go in IndyCar because I’ve been watching the races. The series looks super competitive.

“The car looks fun to drive. The circuits looked amazing, just the old style that I really like,” he continued. “When you look at Road America, Mid-Ohio, the street courses, Laguna Seca, they’re part of the circuits that I used to play video games on those 20 years ago. Not good to say that, but 20 years ago.

“I am super excited to discover the championship. I’ve been absolutely adoring the YouTube channel of IndyCar over the Christmas period, watching every race for the last three seasons, trying to understand what I need to learn.

“There’s lots to learn from a rolling starts to doing the pit stop to learning the car. I’m ready to tackle the challenge. I think it’s the right one.”

Grosjean’s final F-1 race was in Bahrain, when the 34-year-old was involved in a fiery crash on the first lap. Grosjean’s left hand is still badly scarred from that crash as he continues to recover.

“This is my left hand, so it’s still quite marked,” Grosjean said, holding his hand up to the Zoom camera. “It’s uglier than it is bad, I would say. It’s all working well. The left-hand ligament was pulled away. I’ve had surgery. This is going OK.

“I think the first test for us is the 22nd of February. I may not yet be 100 percent in terms of what I can do, but definitely good enough to drive very well. By the time we go to race one, I think I’m going to be ready.”

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