Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Kraigg Brathwaite became the first opener to be unbeaten in both innings of a Test, as he led West Indies to an absorbing five-wicket win over Pakistan in Sharjah – their first Test win outside the West Indies and Bangladesh since 2007. It was also West Indies’ first win in 14 Tests and their first under the captaincy of Jason Holder.Yet, resuming on 114 for 5, with 39 runs to win, overnight batsmen Brathwaite and Shane Dowrich showed no sign of letting the occasion get to them. Brathwaite opened proceedings with a crisp drive to the cover boundary off Wahab Riaz on the first ball of the day. Dowrich smacked a half-tracker from Yasir Shah to the midwicket boundary in the next over. That set the tone as the pair took just 7.5 overs to knock down the target in clinical fashion on the fifth morning.While neither batsman looked to force the pace, they were not afraid to put away bad balls either. Late cuts and drives through the off side featured prominently as the pair glided past the finish line with minimum fuss. Dowrich sealed the win, slashing a short ball from Mohammad Amir towards the third-man boundary for the sixth four of the morning.Pakistan’s bowlers were unable to create any pressure on a pitch that was still rather placid. Neither Wahab nor Amir got much swing or movement off the surface, and Yasir was ineffective and inconsistent in the two overs he bowled. The batsmen seemed to have little trouble in keeping the straight ones out and punishing anything that was too short or too wide.It was all a far cry from West Indies’ wobble the previous evening, as they slid to 67 for 5 after a rather shaky 29-run opening partnership. But Brathwaite and Dowrich scored unbeaten half-centuries, combining for a nerveless 87-run stand to steer their side to a memorable victory and finish a tough tour of the UAE on a high.

The club’s most exhaustive and extensive rebuild is on the horizon this summer, as Chelsea begins their quest to regain their status as one of Europe’s most elite sides.

The incoming Mauricio Pochettino has got a mammoth task to trim, refine and assess a horrendously bloated squad.

However, despite owning an absurd number of players, the Blues are still painfully lacking quality in some areas of the pitch and are targeting a new midfielder.

One player, who has been linked and would be a phenomenal addition to Stamford Bridge is Moises Caicedo.

What’s the latest on Moises Caicedo to Chelsea?

According to The Guardian, the 2021 Champions League winners are seeking to secure the Brighton titan to save their hugely underperforming midfield.

It is understood that the Seagulls could demand at least £80m to consider the departure of one of their prize assets.

Meanwhile, the west Londoners have already sold Jorginho, whilst Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are looking set to depart.

This has created space and solid funding to sign one of Europe’s most accomplished and promising youngsters.

Who can Moises Caicedo emulate at Chelsea?

Since the turn of the century, the centre of the park at Chelsea has been blessed with endless quality and dominance.

Michael Essien was a man who embodied this and during a nine-year spell in the capital, he forged an unbelievable reputation as a formidable midfield enforcer, renowned for his strength, athleticism, and indefatigable energy.

The Ghanian arrived in West London in 2004 for £24.4m to make the pivot Chelsea’s most expensive signing at the time. He would go on to make 256 appearances and was named the club’s Player of the Year in 2007.

A box-to-box adonis, aptly nicknamed “The Bison”, he ruthlessly combined a no-nonsense physicality with effortless technique, vision, and leadership.

Essien’s international teammate Derek Boateng has sung his praises, describing the former African footballer of the year as someone who “never lost form in his career.”

From a modern perspective, Caicedo mirrors many of the traits associated with the former professional, particularly his tough tackling and ability to protect the defence.

The 21-year-old ranks in the top 12% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for tackles and interceptions per 90, to emphasize his pivotal contribution to the backline.

For his age, the 30-cap international is a standout performer and has won possession in the midfield third the most times (142) of any U21 player this season.

South American football expert Tim Vickey has labelled the Ecuadorian sensation as a "terrific athlete who makes football look easy” and also hailed him as the “genuine article.”

If Caicedo continues on this frightening trajectory and his pathway to greatness, Essien’s achievements are not out of his grasp and his tenacity could make him a fan-favourite at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester United target Neymar is seemingly keen on a move to Old Trafford this summer, with prospective new owner Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani open to a deal.

What's the transfer gossip on Neymar to Manchester United?

Foot Mercato shared an update on United's interest in signing Neymar this summer in the last 48 hours, saying the Red Devils have the advantage when it comes to the attacker. The Brazilian appears to be on his way out of PSG with the Ligue 1 outfit open to getting his incredible €3.6m-a-month (£3m-a-month) salary off the books.

Most recently, the PSG hierarchy has been irritated by Neymar after he missed the final game of the season due to injury before appearing in Monaco to watch the Grand Prix. The Brazilian's trip was seen as a "provocation" and "seals his fate a little more."

Foot Mercato note that PSG tried to sell Neymar last summer and are looking to sell him again this year, with Manchester United, Newcastle and Chelsea named with an interest.

United, as mentioned, are said to hold the advantage, with the player, who has contacts with the Qatar brand, seduced over a move to Old Trafford and can only see himself playing in Manchester or staying with PSG.

The 31-year-old reportedly wants to continue playing in Europe for the time being after an offer of around €400m (£343m) from a Saudi Pro League side was rejected by the forward.

Is a Man Utd move to sign Neymar wise?

Labelled as "one of the best players on the planet" in the media, Neymar has already won plenty in the club game, nine major honours with PSG in fact, and a move to Manchester United could be an opportunity to grow his personal brand even more.

The Premier League appears to be a popular attraction for the top stars, although it's unclear whether or not Neymar's body is strong enough to cope with the demands of England's top flight. According to Transfermarkt, the Brazilian missed 15 games after undergoing ankle surgery on a nasty injury sustained against Lille in February.

Potential new owner Jassim is said to be keen on signing Neymar should he complete a takeover at Man United. If he was able to remain fit, Neymar is the type of player that could restore Erik ten Hag's side back to the top with 293 goals and 188 assists in his club career, and by the looks of it, a move may well be one to keep an eye on.

The BCCI has submitted an affidavit with the Supreme Court saying that 12 state associations have transferred funds received from the board between September 26 and October 1, 2016 to a term deposit

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2016

The BCCI has submitted an affidavit with the Supreme Court saying that 12 state associations have transferred funds received from the board between September 26 and October 1, 2016, to a term deposit with a bank and will not utilise those amounts without further instructions from the court. Such an undertaking fulfils one of the conditions laid down by the Supreme Court in its interim order on October 7.The associations of Andhra, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Punjab, Saurashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh were those that sent letters and supporting documents to the BCCI saying they had set aside the amounts ranging from INR 16 crore to INR 19 crore each.The BCCI’s affidavit, dated October 24, was signed by its general manager, administration and game development, Ratnakar Shetty.On October 7, the Supreme Court was told during a hearing that the BCCI had disbursed “substantial sums” to state associations before putting in place a disbursement policy, which was one of the Lodha Committee recommendations the board had to adopt by September 30.The total amount in question was INR 2500 crore, which the BCCI had received as compensation from the broadcaster on account of termination of the Champions League T20, which was discontinued in 2015.The court then directed the state associations not to use the amounts received, and told the BCCI that no further money should be given unless the state association passed a resolution to implement the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.After a subsequent hearing on October 21, the states were told they had until December 3 to provide an affidavit stating their willingness to comply with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.

Manchester United have identified Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou as their "main target" to replace David De Gea between the sticks, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

Recent reports indicating that Man United are unwilling to pay Diogo Costa's €75m (£64m) release clause, but FC Porto are unwilling to lower the price, so Erik ten Hag may be forced to move on to other goalkeeper targets.

According to talkSPORT, Everton's Jordan Pickford is at the top of the Red Devils' list, and the England goalkeeper would jump at the chance of moving to Old Trafford, as a result of his desire to play in the Champions League.

United could make a move for Pickford even if De Gea remains at the club, while they have also been linked with a move for Brentford's David Raya, who has now rejected multiple contract offers from the Bees.

While Pickford is emerging as a key target for Ten Hag, Galetti has now told GiveMeSport that bringing in the Sevilla goalkeeper will be the manager's main priority this summer.

The journalist said:“ At the moment, Manchester United remain interested in Bounou. De Gea’s situation does not leave them calm, with so many doubts about the Spanish goalkeeper who also had offers from Saudi Arabia and you’re seeing Bounou who could replace him and for this reason, he remains the main target for Man United.”

Who is Yassine Bounou?

The Morocco international, who was hailed as GOAL as an "immovable force", made a name for himself at the World Cup, with members of the media lauding him as a "hero" due to his solid performances, ranked by Sofascore as his side's fourth-best performing player in their remarkable run to the semi-final.

Hailed as "brilliant" by sports writer John McAuley, the 32-year-old has also impressed at club level, with journalist Abhishek Dey claiming he was the "best" goalkeeper in La Liga during the 2021-22 campaign.

That said, there are some indications the £15k-per-week shot-stopper, who impressed against Man United in 2020, is starting to show his age, keeping just five clean sheets in La Liga last season.

Having conceded an average of 1.71 goals per 90 over the past year, the Sevilla goalkeeper ranks in just the 16th percentile, when compared to his positional peers.

As such, Man United would be better off prioritising a move for Pickford, as the Everton goalkeeper is only 29-years-old, and he is already proven in the Premier League, having made 248 appearances in the competition.

For all the attacking talents in their ranks last season, Chelsea managed just 38 goals in 38 Premier League games – only four teams in the entire division performed worse.

Bringing in a clinical forward this summer is therefore imperative if new head coach Mauricio Pochettino is to have any chance of turning things around at Stamford Bridge.

Who is Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson?

The Evening Standard reports that Chelsea are in talks over the signing of Nicolas Jackson, who is coming off the back of a campaign in which he scored 12 goals and assisted four more in 26 LaLiga appearances for Villarreal.

Nine of those goals came in his final eight outings as Villarreal climbed into a Europa League spot, though it may have come at a cost for the Yellow Submarine as their star attacker is now wanted by numerous clubs.

The report suggests Jackson is available to purchase for £30m this summer, making him a far cheaper option than Napoli's £125m-rated Victor Osimhen, who was widely considered to be the Blues' top target.

Where would Nicolas Jackson fit in at Chelsea?

According to FBref's player comparison model, Jackson's form in LaLiga over the past year puts him in a similar bracket to superstar strikers Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski.

That is quite some company, but the statistics very much back that up. For example, with 0.68 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes across the past 12 months, Jackson is in the top 2% of all his positional peers across LaLiga.

The Senegal international averaged 0.90 goals and assists per 90 minutes last season, compared to 0.97 for Benzema at Real Madrid, but he performed better in terms of non-penalty goals per 90 – 0.97 v 0.90.

Jackson was more precise than Benzema when it came to shooting last season, too, finding the target from 56.1% of his attempts, which is an improvement on the latter's 36.4% accuracy.

Benzema did come out on top in terms of aerial duels won between the pair (51.9% v 30.2%), but Jackson's strengths lie in other departments, such as take-ons (2.08 v 1.95) and tackles won (0.62 v 0.22), showing two different sides to his game.

Still aged just 21, Jackson was labelled "extraordinary" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig for his output in 2022-23, which includes a goal conversion rate of 29%.

To put Jackson's clinical nature into some perspective, his average of 0.67 goals per 90 minutes came from an expected goals (xG) value of 0.45. At Chelsea last season, Joao Felix led the way with 0.38 goals per 90 minutes, yet this came from an xG of 0.47.

Effectively, that means Jackson requires far fewer chances to put the ball in the net, which is exactly what Chelsea require.

While he may not have the reputation of Benzema and Lewandowski, or indeed Osimhen, Jackson's performances last season suggest his current £30m valuation will only continue to rise with time. Chelsea would be wise to pounce while they can.

أعلن الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم، عن قراره بشأن اتهام جود بيلينجهام لاعب ريال مدريد بالعنصرية تجاه ماسون جرينوود لاعب خيتافي.

واتهم بيلينجهام بتوجيه لفظ “مغتصب” لجرينوود، خلال فوز ريال مدريد على خيتافي في الأول من فبراير.

واتضح ذلك من خلال مقطع فيديو تم التقاطه من كاميرات التليفزيون التي تبث المباراة، بعد تدخل في كرة مشتركة بين بيلينجهام وجرينوود.

وقدم خيتافي شكوى بشأن ذلك، وتم إدراج مقطع الفيديو في تقريرهم المقدم إلى رابطة الدوري الإسباني، وفتح الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم قضية، وأحضروا خبير قارئ الشفاه للمساعدة في التحقيق.

وبحسب صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية، قرر الاتحاد الإسباني أنه لا يوجد دليل موثوق على تلفظ بيلينجهام بتلك الكلمة تجاه جرينوود.

ولم يتضح ما إذا كان بيلينجهام قال كلمة “مغتصب” أم “قمامة”، وبالتالي يتم إغلاق القضية ولن تفرض عقوبة على لاعب ريال مدريد، وجرينوود أيضًا لم يرغب في تصعيد الأمر.

يأتي هذا القرار بعد إيقاف بيلينجهام مباراتين لتلقيه بطاقة حمراء مباشرة في مباراة ريال مدريد وفالنسيا، بسبب احتجاجه على قرار الحكم بإطلاق صافرة نهاية اللقاء وعدم احتساب هدفه. 

Newcastle United have been heavily linked with a move for Kieran Tierney this summer and now a new update has emerged on the club's pursuit of the player.

What's the latest on Newcastle's interest in Kieran Tierney?

According to iNews northern football correspondent Mark Douglas, Newcastle have laid the groundwork to sign the Arsenal defender this summer.

As per a report for the publication, Douglas claims that Aston Villa are also interested in securing the services of Tierney during the transfer window, but Newcastle remain keen to sign him alongside Leicester City attacker James Maddison.

Who would Tierney replace in the Newcastle team?

Eddie Howe boasts an impressive squad at St James' Park with the side showing incredible resilience and quality to achieve a top-four finish and qualify for the Champions League next season.

Whilst many of Newcastle's first-team talent will likely retain their roles going into next season there will be no room for sentiment when it comes to bolstering key positions and adding higher-quality players into the fold to ensure the side can compete comfortably on the domestic and European stages.

As a result, the signing of Tierney could be a great opportunity to add some great depth to the left-back role to present competition to Dan Burn and Matt Targett over next season whilst also obtaining a player who has strong Premier League and European experience.

Despite falling out of favour at the Emirates due to the arrival of Oleksandr Zinchenko, the £110k-per-week ace boasts unrivalled experience in his position with 60 appearances tallied up in the Europe League and Champions League so far, as well as 91 English top-flight appearances too.

When comparing Tierney to his positional peer Targett this season, it is clear that the Gunners man has outperformed in many attributes including goal contributions (1 v 0), tackles and interceptions won (31 v 22), percentage of dribblers tackled (75% v 37.5%) and progressive carries (25 v 3), despite averaging six minutes less per appearance.

The Scotland international has been the recipient of high praise over his impressive career so far, with legendary England full-back Ashley Cole complimenting Tierney's impact on Arsenal when fit and available selection:

"When he’s in the team, they are a different team, he’s willing to defend, he’s that kind of leader and warrior they need in this team.

"He’s got those leadership qualities which are needed along with the younger players in there. When he doesn’t play they miss him on he left."

With that being said, the signing of Tierney – who was dubbed an "upgrade" on Howe's current left-back options – at the right price would be a big coup for Newcastle to provide them with a quality left-back who can push his positional competitors next season.

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire could be set for a summer exit from Old Trafford over the coming months after a difficult 2022/23 campaign.

How much does Harry Maguire earn?

The Red Devils enjoyed a successful first campaign under Erik ten Hag – on the whole – having landed themselves a spot inside the Premier League's top three and lifted the Carabao Cup.

However, one man who will want to forget this season in a hurry is Maguire as he saw his spot in the starting XI disappear under the Dutch manager.

Indeed, Maguire made just eight starts in the Premier League this season which is a huge contrast to the 28 starts he made in the 2021/22 league campaign.

This summer will mark the fourth anniversary of Maguire's move to Old Trafford from Leicester City as his contract runs down to its final two years.

Earning a whopping £190k-per-week, the England international's spot in the United side is clearly not in the starting XI anymore and reports in Italy (via GOAL) as if Ten Hag is looking to strengthen his defence even further this summer.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has suggested both the player and the club are of the belief that this summer should be a parting of ways:

"But the feeling now on both people close to the player and people close to the club is that the best solution is to let Harry Maguire leave in the summer.

"He wants to play. He needs to play it's really important also for the Euros, and so Manchester United will have a meeting with Harry Maguire next week at the end of the season with Erik ten Hag involved."

Who wants to sign Maguire?

One clubs has emerged as a reported potential suitor for the 30-year-old centre-back ahead of the summer transfer window opening.

And that club is believed to be Tottenham Hotspur who have recently appointed their new permanent manager in Ange Postecoglou.

Indeed, according to reports, Harry Kane has actually asked the club to bring in his England teammate in the past as they look to bolster their defence.

Spurs ended the 2022/23 campaign with one of the worst defensive records in the entire Premier League having conceded a staggering 63 goals.

On the back of an underwhelming campaign for the 30-year-old, it would be interesting to see how much of the £80m price tag United would be able to salvage if he is to be sold this summer.

However, there is another interesting potential angle with United believed to have Harry Kane at the top of their summer wishlist.

Given Spurs are believed to be keen on Maguire, it will be intriguing to see if United would be willing to do business with the north London club if they are not willing to sell them Kane.

Alternatively, there may be scope to include Maguire in a potential proposal for the England captain.

Match facts

December 26-30, 2016
Start time 1030 local (2330 GMT)3:50

Samiuddin: The Misbah cure to overconfidence

Big Picture

For those who had gotten used to the shock of the new provided by consecutive day-night Tests, the arrival of Boxing Day would hark back to something far more traditional: a morning start, a red ball, a heaving crowd at the MCG and the festive atmosphere of one of cricket’s great set-piece occasions. Which of the teams would best rise to it, though?Australia’s players got the fright of their lives when a Gabba Test they had dominated seemed to be slipping away from them, momentarily, via the cultured hands of Asad Shafiq and the Pakistan tail. Mitchell Starc struck in the nick of time to secure the victory, but the physical toll it took on him, Josh Hazlewood and others was clear. In deciding to ignore the allrounder Hilton Cartwright, Australia’s selectors have presented the hosts with the chance to seal the series with an unchanged team. Doing so would finish a year of some tribulation with greater optimism than had seemed likely when South Africa were humiliating a rather different-looking team in Hobart. But, the four-bowler combination that Pakistan seemed to get used to by the end of the Gabba Test faced plenty of hard graft before that scenario could unfold.Pakistan, of course, were widely regarded as the moral victors of a match they seemed certain to lose by a vast margin. Clearly, they finished it far better than they started and enter into the second Test with a lot more confidence than they did the first. One thing that has to change, however, was the balance of the bowling attack and the way in which it was utilised. Australia lost only 15 wickets in Brisbane, and much of the time Misbah-ul-Haq seemed preoccupied with containment rather than wicket-taking. At the MCG, a ground that has been known to favour reverse-swing in the past, there has to be more accent on the positive if Pakistan were to fight their way back into the series.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

 Australia: WWLLL
Pakistan: LLLLW

In the spotlight

Though he felt the roar of a mighty MCG crowd on World Cup Final day in 2015, Mitchell Starc would experience Boxing Day from the middle for the very first time. Last summer he was injured, the summer before dropped, injured again the season before that and controversially rested in 2012 in order to preserve him for later assignments. Starc wasn’t happy about it at the time and said so; the irony this time around was that he would be entering the Test under a physical cloud – via the huge volume of overs he ploughed through at the Gabba.Proud as he was about how Pakistan fought in Brisbane after a grim start, Misbah-ul-Haq was a harried figure at the batting crease, struggling for rhythm and to cope with the extra bounce in the Gabba surface. If Pakistan were to square the series they need a more even contribution down their batting order, and as captain Misbah must take up a large chunk of that responsibility. Well as Shafiq played with the tail in Brisbane, Test matches are generally run through top-order runs made in the first innings.

Teams news

Australia resisted the temptation to include the young allrounder Cartwright as additional bowling cover for the pace trio who bowled so many overs in Brisbane, naming an unchanged side.Australia 1 Matt Renshaw, 2 David Warner, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Nic Maddinson, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Josh Hazlewood, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jackson BirdImran Khan was under serious consideration to be included for the visitors as a right-arm bowling option, in place of Rahat Ali.Pakistan (probable) 1 Sami Aslam, 2 Azhar Ali, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Yasir Shah, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Rahat Ali/Imran Khan

Pitch and conditions

David Sandurski, the MCG curator, expected the pitch to offer more to the bowlers than the 2015 surface, which was prepared with less moisture in it out of concern about the weather forecast. This year’s was far more favourable.”I think there might be a little bit more in it this year than last year, that’s for sure,” he said. “Last year we had 30mm of rain forecast day one, which made us probably err a little bit on the batsmen’s side. This year we haven’t got that rain forecast, it’s just the chance of a shower. It enables us to leave a little bit more in it.”

Stats and trivia

• Pakistan beat Australia at the MCG in 1979 and 1981, but have three losses and a draw in the four Tests they’ve played at the ground since then, most recently in 2009
• Younis Khan sat 14th on the list of the most runs made in Tests between the two countries, but a century (or more) would place him comfortably inside the top 10, moving past Mark and Steve Waugh, Michael Slater and Kim Hughes

Quotes

“We won the game. If they can take confidence out of losing … I don’t know.”