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PSG have become famous for their Champions League collapses, and everything seems to be pointing the wrong way entering this year's last 16.

A similar scene unfolds every year.

A retooled PSG side gears up for a Champions League run. Players are added. A manager is hired. New formations are established, adapted and perfected against the mediocrity of Ligue 1. And then, PSG are eliminated, usually in heartbreaking fashion.

This Champions League plight is more than a curse at this point. By now, it's a routine, a familiar cycle that always comes to the same inevitable end.

And it all seems geared to go wrong once again.

This is probably the best, most complete PSG squad in years. They have a more pragmatic manager who has, at times, drawn the best out of a star-filled squad.

But as PSG prepare to face Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last-16 knockout tie on Tuesday, the warning signs are adding up. From injuries and fatigue to arguments and poor fortune, here's why it could all go wrong again…

(C)Getty ImagesMbappe's Injury

Even though Mbappe made a surprise return to training on Monday morning, his fitness should still be a massive concern for PSG. The star winger injured his hamstring on February 1, with an expected recovery time of three weeks. That he is back within 11 days is good news for manager Christophe Galtier, but also brings concern that he's been rushed.

And what kind of role will Mbappe play? It certainly seems hasty to let him start, but Galtier insisted that Mbappe isn't in the squad just to fill out numbers. A second-half introduction seems likely, but will it be worth risking their star player with a second leg coming up? And with Ligue 1 far from locked up, Galtier has a choice on his hands. An aggravation of his star player's current injury would be an absolute nightmare.

AdvertisementGettyCampos' Rant

There is allegedly trouble in the PSG camp. Sporting director Luis Campos watched the squad he assembled suffer an embarrassing loss against Monaco on Saturday, and reportedly tried to intervene. According to , Neymar, Marquinhos and Campos got into a spat following the defeat, with Campos criticising the team for a lack of effort.

Campos typically doesn't have much influence over such matters, and the fact that the sporting director is trying to meddle in day-to-day affairs with players is an alarm bell for greater dysfunction.

Getty ImagesNeymar's Antics

What to do about Neymar? At his best, the Brazilian is unplayable, and one of the best footballers on the planet. On bad days, he's a liability. This is not to say that PSG should bench Neymar, nor that he is no longer one of the world's best. And he always seems to perform in the big games.

But personal issues seem to be impacting the team's performance at the moment. He and Mbappe have dealt with well-documented tension between them, while Neymar also reportedly had a go at Vitinha and Hugo Ekitike during the loss to Monaco on the weekend.

"It happened, a little discussion, we didn't agree," the Brazilian said in a press conference about the Monaco incident. "It happens to us every day, but I love them all, it's like with my girlfriend. Football is not just love, not just friendship. There is respect but it happens to have discussions. We are not used to losing, when there are defeats, of course it disturbs us. It is part of the process to improve."

Added head coach Galtier: "When there is frustration, it has to come out. I have been leading this way for years. You have to listen to them but they also have to listen to me. There is frustration that breeds anger. We talked, I listened to them, I hope they listened to me too."

There are two sides to every story, and Neymar has tried to paint himself as a player simply raising the level of those around him with a competitive streak. But this isn't his first internal clash. He might need to pick his battles better.

At an unstable moment for the club, stars are supposed to be leaders and maintain calm. Another drama is the opposite of what PSG wanted entering the Bayern Munich showdown.

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(C)Getty imagesZiyech's transfer failure

Hakim Ziyech was never going to be the saviour of PSG's season. The winger is a fine player with a sumptuous left foot, and a hero of the Moroccan national team. But he is not the answer to all of PSG's problems.

Still, he seemed primed to be an important piece. The drop off from PSG's usual front three to Carlos Soler and Hugo Ekitike is massive. Ziyech, at the very least, should have softened the fall. But a transfer from Chelsea fell through at the last minute, with the London club failing to sort the correct paperwork before the deadline.

It left PSG without a clear option off the bench, someone who could have perhaps given Messi or Neymar a rest in the weeks leading up to the Bayern tie – or even start the contest until Mbappe is ready to enter the game.

Essex have furtrher strengthened their pace bowling resources by signing the Western Australian fast bowler Matt Dixon on a dual passport basis

David Hopps11-Mar-2016Essex have completed their commitment to strengthening their pace bowling resources by signing the Western Australian fast bowler Matt Dixon on a two-year deal.Dixon, 23, holds a British passport and will be available across all three formats, subject to ECB registration approval.He is the second pace bowler with dual nationality to be snapped up by Essex this close season. They have also signed New Zealand A fast bowler Matthew Quinn on a three-year deal as Chris Silverwood, Essex’s new head coach, has concentrated on stiffening their fast-bowling ranks.Only one county will be promoted from Division Two this season, ahead of a reduced eight-team Division One in 2017, but Essex have been active enough in rejuvenating their squad to suggest that they can be one of the chief contenders.Dixon first received county suitors in 2010 after a spell in the Durham leagues, and Essex have finally tempted him to England to reinvigorate a career that has recently developed quietly since appearances for Australia at Under-17 and Under-19 level.But he did play in Perth Scorchers final group match in the Big Bash League, taking the wickets of Luke Wright and Kevin Pietersen in a return of 3 for 32.Silverwood said: “Matt is a talented young man who bowls at a really good pace. You need a number of seamers in a squad to be able to compete on all three fronts – as we plan to.”Since the accession of Ronnie Irani to the cricket chairmanship, Essex, regarded in the past decade as one-day specialists, have stressed that they intend to make a more concerted effort to returning to Division One of the Championship.A right-arm fast bowler, Dixon will add extra depth to a bowling attack that has also seen the arrival of Quinn, the former Sussex spinner Ashar Zaidi and – for the NatWest T20 Blast only – the combination of New Zealander Adam Milne and Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz.Essex have had quite an overhaul this winter. The departure to Hampshire of Reece Topley, who has forced his way into England’s limited-overs sides, was a blow, former skipper Mark Pettini has moved to Leicestershire and the gamble on Monty Panesar was finally accepted to be a failure as he was released.Dixon made his List A debut for Western Australia against Victoria in October 2010, at 18, removing Brad Hodge with his fifth ball. He was the third youngest player to represent Western Australia at senior level. A first-class debut followed against New South Wales in March 2011.From the outset, Western Australia were aware of rival interest not only from county cricket but also from Australian Rules football where he was a powerful colts footballer for Subiaco.

At the end of an absorbing opening day at Chelmsford, a late burst with the ball by Jesse Ryder ensured that Essex claimed the honours

ECB/PA12-Jul-2015
ScorecardJesse Ryder added another three wickets to his collection for Essex•Getty ImagesAt the end of an absorbing opening day at Chelmsford, a late burst with the ball by Jesse Ryder ensured that Essex claimed the honours. The home side had been dismissed for 279 having won the toss but an incisive spell from the New Zealander left Glamorgan on 40 for 3.Several batsmen were dismissed after they had settled in and seemed set for more rewarding times. Six got beyond 20 but only Jaik Mickleburgh managed to post a half-century.Ravi Bopara was one of those to promise a decent score only to fall short. He is still struggling to make an impact at Championship level for Essex this season. He contributed only 30 of a total of 279 and has now topped 50 just once in 11 Championship innings this season.Although Bopara scored a century when the Australians visited Chelmsford just over a week ago, he has not reached three figures in the Championship since his 147 against Gloucestershire 12 months and 12 matches ago. On this occasion, his hopes of a substantial score were ended by paceman Graham Wagg when he was yorked.Mickleburgh scored exactly 50, containing nine boundaries from 86 deliveries, before he was caught behind by Mark Wallace, Wagg again being the successful bowler. The ball swung sufficiently to pose problems for most of the day and Australian fast bowler Michael Hogan took advantage to help himself to four wickets. They came at a cost of only 36 in 19.3 overs, a performance that emphasised his control and took his total of victims for the season to 36 in the competition.Amongst his latest victims was Ryan ten Doeschate, who was just two runs short of his half-century when he was trapped leg before wicket by a ball that swung into him.It was tailenders Graham Napier and David Masters who provided the most entertaining batting of the day. Napier, with his typically forthright approach, smashed two sixes among his seven boundaries before holing out on the long-off boundary. His 43 came from just 27 deliveries whilst Masters struck four fours and a six while making 28 from 20 balls before Hogan held onto a fine one-handed return catch to claim his final wicket.Glamorgan, one of only two counties who are unbeaten in the Championship this summer – the other is Yorkshire – lost three wickets in the final hour of play as Jesse Ryder put them firmly on the back foot by capturing all three.He started by having Will Bragg caught behind in his first over and followed that up by removing 18 year-old Aneurin Donald for 14 and nightwatchman Andrew Salter, both lbw.

Fawad Ahmed faces a battle to be included in Australia’s Test team after coach and selector Darren Lehmann declared there were enough part-time options in the side to leave out a second spin bowler

Daniel Brettig in Roseau03-Jun-2015Fawad Ahmed faces a battle to be included in Australia’s Test team for the remaining six matches of their dual tour to the West Indies and England after the coach and selector Darren Lehmann declared there were enough part-time options in the side to leave out a second spin bowler.Given its history of extravagant spin, Dominica had been considered Fawad’s best opportunity for a call-up, but Lehmann stated that the use of Michael Clarke, Steven Smith and the left-arm spin of the debutant Adam Voges constituted more than enough slow bowling to support Nathan Lyon. If that was the case in Dominica, then Fawad may spend most of the next four months carrying the drinks.Lehmann also stated the team’s preference for a three-man pace attack in order to “go pretty hard at” their opposition. Given Australia’s success in battering England with pace Down Under in 2013-14, it seems highly unlikely that twin spin will be employed during the Ashes series, slow pitches or not.”We know it spins here traditionally but at the end of the day we thought the three quick options were the best way to go considering we’ve got Smith, Clarke and Voges who can all bowl left-arm spin or wrist spin,” Lehmann said. “So with Lyon we think that gives us enough spin options and with the three quicks it lets us go pretty hard at them.”The practice wickets have played pretty well, they’ve taken spin but also had a little bit of carry. We think the option with Smith, Clarke and Voges doing the bowling covers that. It was a really tough decision. Time will tell but we’re really comfortable with that side. Fawad might get his opportunity next Test.”Fawad had arrived in Dominica thinking he was more than likely to win Australia’s 442nd baggy green cap, and was the subject of enormous media coverage. However his chances faded with each passing day, and by match eve he cut a disappointed figure as he bowled in the pace net with Lehmann while Voges and Lyon served as the prime spin tandem.Intriguingly, the captain Michael Clarke had appeared to be in favour of Fawad’s inclusion, writing extensively about Fawad in his Australian newspaper column. Clarke also spoke at some length about their growing relationship and thought the legspinner shared some traits in common with no less a master of the art than Shane Warne.”I’ve known Fuzz for a while now,” Clarke had said. “We spent a bit of time together even before he was playing for Australia. He came and bowled to us regularly when we were in Melbourne. I’ve got to know him over the last couple of years. I said in my column today that one of his greatest strengths is his consistency. For a wrist spin bowler to be able to be so consistent is a great strength to have.”Fawad is experienced. He knows his strengths, He knows his weaknesses. We speak daily about field settings in different conditions all around the world. I’m confident if he gets an opportunity that he will be able to have success, and we’ll be able to work together to get the appropriate fields to take wickets.”Clarke, though, is not a selector, and Lehmann’s desire to hunt the West Indian batsmen with pace was vindicated on the series’ opening day. Fawad could only look on from the boundary, and wonder whether his chance had gone.

Chelsea are reportedly eyeing £35m-rated Santiago Gimenez as an alternative to Victor Osimhen, in case the Napoli striker proves too expensive.

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Osimhen is Chelsea's top target.Gimenez considered if Osimhen's pursuit stallsChelsea also evaluate winger Assane DiaoWHAT HAPPENED?

According to the Blues remain firm in their pursuit of the Napoli hitman, with the Nigerian also hinting that he remains open to exploring other options. However, they are well aware that Napoli views him as strictly indispensable and will not sell him cheaply as he is contractually bound to the reigning Serie A champions until 2025. This has forced them to look for other alternatives with Gimenez topping their wishlist.

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The Feyenoord striker has been in incredible form and has scored 15 goals in an equal number of matches across all competitions. Chelsea's recruitment staff admires his potential contribution but he also has a contract with the Dutch outfit until 2027 which means that the Blues might need to cough up over £35m plus add-ons for the goalscorer. There is strong interest from other European elites which include bothReal Madrid and Barcelona along with a host of Serie A clubs including Juventus, AC Milan and Inter.

DID YOU KNOW?

Chelsea are also keeping an eye on Assane Diao, a versatile winger from Real Betis, who has been a revelation under Manuel Pellegrini. The Blues view him as someone who could add depth to their right wing which is currently occupied by Noni Madueke. However, Betis, who are currently placed in the seventh spot, are not keen to let him leave in January as they are fighting for a European berth for the 2024-25 campaign.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Chelsea are navigating the transfer market with a laser-sharp focus on their pursuit of promising talents, which aligns with the club's new-found philosophy under the ownership of Todd Boehly. The interest in Gimenez and Diao is another step in that direction.

New Zealand are not used to arriving in England to any sort of a fanfare but the phalanx of TV cameras that greeted Ross Taylor’s diplomatic platitudes told another story

Andrew Miller05-May-2015Sometimes it’s easier to let your opponents’ deeds form the words. New Zealand are not used to arriving in England to any sort of a fanfare, and the fact that they pitched up at Lord’s on Monday without the services of five of their IPL-committed star names, suggests that the welcoming committee should have been more low-key than ever. But the phalanx of TV cameras that greeted Ross Taylor’s diplomatic platitudes told another story.After their extraordinary run to the World Cup final, New Zealand are hot property at the moment, and on the evidence of England’s struggles to assert themselves in Barbados this week, they have every chance of catching their hosts cold when the first Test gets underway at Lord’s on May 21. Not that you’ll catch Taylor tempting fate like that. New Zealand tend to cling to their underdog status like a security blanket, and though plenty of people will doubtless state the quality of his team on his behalf, he’s quite happy to play all such enquiries straight back to the bowler, thank you very much.”Any time you play England in their own conditions it’s going to be tough and obviously they’ll have even more motivation coming off a loss against West Indies,” Taylor said. “We know we’ll have to be at our best to compete against them here.”Guptill out with side strain

Martin Guptill has been ruled out of New Zealand’s first warm-up match against Somerset with a side strain he picked up playing for Derbyshire but the tourists remain hopeful he will be fit for the second fixture against Worcestershire.

Guptill is in line for a Test recall, as Tom Latham’s opener partner, following his prolific World Cup and continued impressive form for Derbyshire which included a first-class best of 227 against Gloucestershire. His previous Test appearance was against England, at Headingley, in 2013.

“We are hopeful that we will be able get Martin ready to play at Worcester but we will see how he recovers,” said New Zealand physio James Montgomery. “With good treatment and a reduced workload, the goal is to get him back on the park for some game time so he is available for selection for the first Test at Lord’s on May 21.”

A convenient trip to Disneyland meant that Taylor was spared any close examination of England’s struggles in the Caribbean – all the better for offering no comment. But the fairytale journey that he and his team-mates have been on back home means that many of his countryman will never now want for such magic in their lives. Who needs fireworks exploding over Cinderella’s castle when you’ve watched Brendon McCullum and Tim Southee in full cry at the Cake Tin?”I guess you can take a little bit of confidence from that,” Taylor said, a model of understatement. “I’m sure Tim Southee will take a lot of confidence into the first Test, but it is a totally different format and a different England side with players who weren’t playing in that game. They are world-class players and will put us under pressure.”Taylor was half-right, or maybe a quarter at best. Southee may have had a white ball in his hands on that never-to-be-forgotten night in Wellington but New Zealand, to all intents and purposes, brought a Test match attitude to their extraordinary and frenzied new-ball assault. The fate of three of the likely Lord’s combatants highlights that point. Ian Bell was greeted with three slips to dare him to play his cover-drives – he stayed too leg-side and lost his off stump; Moeen Ali was suckered by Southee’s bouncer-yorker one-two; Gary Ballance had four slips and a short cover tracking his every movement, and toe-ended a drive to the latter.And then, on top of all that, came Brendon McCullum, claymore swinging as he hurtled in from the Highlands to rout the remnants of England’s innings with 77 from 25 balls. And if those numbers seemed skewed by the one-sided nature of what had gone before, let no one pretend that this couldn’t happen in a Test match.From Virender Sehwag to Tamim Iqbal, via the Ashes-crushing onslaughts of David Warner last winter, England have encountered plenty of Test openers in recent years who have translated their one-day insouciance to the main stage. It’s all part of the evolution of the game – something that England, to judge by their dogma-saturated offerings of the past 18 months, view with the open-mindedness of a Bible-belt creationist.It’s no longer quite so convenient to view the two formats in isolation from one another and if Taylor’s relaxation was an indication of the serenity that New Zealand’s recent deeds have generated, then England’s angst is surely no less indicative.Ross Taylor played down his team’s chances but the reality is that England are at their most vulnerable since 1999•Getty Images”We had a great six or seven weeks back home but it’s probably time to move on now and get onto a different format,” Taylor said. “It was an amazing experience and one that the guys there will never forget. But I think it’s good to go to another country. England’s always a great place to tour, and we’ve had some success over here, but it’s always tough to play England in their own conditions and we are expecting nothing less.” As if to prove the point, over on the Lord’s main square, Middlesex were in the process of tumbling to 37 for 7 on an apparently blameless pitch – all the more reason for Taylor to stick to his underdog script.The New Zealand advance party have two warm-up contests at Taunton and Worcester in which to hone their techniques for the English early season, and Taylor for one was eager to use the time to get a head start.”It doesn’t happen that often, the way that tours are structured these days, but it is totally different with the Duke ball swinging around in the spring. But we’ve got some youngsters here, soaking up the atmosphere, and it’ll be very enjoyable to come here and play.”And then, come May 21, it’ll be all about the team that adjusts to the schedule best. Two years ago, New Zealand arrived in the UK with some expectations after holding England to a 0-0 draw on home soil, but that performance came at the very earliest stirrings of their current golden form. This time, their hosts as vulnerable as they can ever have been since the summer of 1999, when Nasser Hussain’s men were dumped to the bottom of the Test rankings following a 2-1 home defeat.Doubtless it would help their cause if their crack team could be assembled sooner rather than later, but Taylor was both phlegmatic about the circumstances and confident that they’ve got the wherewithal to hit the ground running. After all, he pointed out, New Zealand were comfortable victors in similar circumstances last year, when they arrived in the Caribbean, of all places, to dispatch West Indies by 186 runs in the first Test.”It’s not ideal, but that’s the landscape we live in,” Taylor said. “We won the first Test in West Indies after the guys came back with a few days to go. They went straight into the team and were very successful.”

Arsenal have rejected an offer for goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale from another Premier League team, according to a report.

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Premier League team made Ramsdale offerGunners rejected bid to sign goalkeeperEngland international now second choiceWHAT HAPPENED?

A team from the bottom half of the Premier League have made an approach for the England international, according to , but the Gunners have turned it down. The London team have no intention of letting Ramsdale go despite his status as second choice behind David Raya.

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Arsenal have no intention of letting Ramsdale leave in the January transfer window, according to the report, while the 25-year-old wants his next move to be one that takes his career forward. He has, however, admitted that he is "suffering and hurting" since losing his place in the first-team to Raya, suggesting he may want to leave north London soon if there is no route back to being Mikel Artea's first choice.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ramsdale was back in the Arsenal starting XI for their 1-0 win against Brentford on Saturday – his first start in a Premier League match since early-September. The shot stopper made a blunder that gave Brentford an opportunity, though they failed to score from it. He was given the nod to play against the Bees because Raya was ineligible given he is on loan at Arsenal from Thomas Frank's team.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RAMSDALE?

Ramsdale may be back on the bench on Wednesday when Arteta's side face Sevilla in the Champions League, with Raya available again. The Englishman may push for a move away from the Emirates Stadium before long to ensure he gets more playing time.

Goal takes a look at 10 Arsenal stars who never hit the same heights after leaving the Gunners.

When Kieran Gibbs left Arsenal for West Brom after spending over 11 seasons at the club, he remarked that he would learn how to improve defensively at his new team. Arsene Wenger was asked about those comments shortly after and made an apt statement which has rung true of several players after they departed north London for pastures new.

“Once someone takes the decision to leave I wish them well and focus on my squad, but just look at the performances of the players who left us and then come back to me about it,” he said in 2017.

Goal takes a look at 10 Arsenal stars who never hit the same heights after leaving the Gunners.

Getty ImagesEmmanuel Petit

Petit joined Arsenal from Monaco in 1997 after working with Wenger when the Frenchman was manager of the Ligue 1 side. The magnificent partnership between Petit and Patrick Vieira saw him make 85 appearances in three years before deciding to join Barcelona in the summer of 2000.

However, an injury-plagued spell coupled with poor performances saw him eventually return to the Premier League with Chelsea. Three seasons later, Petit retired from professional football.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAlex Song

Arsenal's search for a defensive midfielder was eventually narrowed down to Cameroonian star Song. He initially struggled at the heart of the Gunners midfield before being sent on loan to Charlton where he honed his defensive qualities.

In the 2011/12 season he formed an exquisite partnership with Robin van Persie when he recorded 13 assists. 

At the end of the season he joined Barcelona but struggled to get past Sergio Busquets in the team. 

Following two disappointing campaigns with Barcelona he had mixed spells at West Ham and Russian side Rubin Kazan. He now plays for FC Sion in the Swiss Super League.

Getty ImagesPatrick Vieira

Vieira won three Premier League trophies and four FA Cup titles during his nine-year stay at Arsenal, captaining the club through the 49-game unbeaten season and making over 400 appearances for the Gunners.

He left for Juventus in July 2005 after Wenger accepted that he would need to let the Frenchman go in order for Cesc Fabregas to become the new mainstay of Arsenal's midfield.

Interestingly, Vieira returned to Highbury a year later when Juventus faced Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and was culpable for one of Arsenal's goals after Robert Pires tackled him and helped set up Fabregas to score.

Spells at Inter and Manchester City followed but Vieira's quality began to diminish towards the latter stages of his career.

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Getty ImagesAlexander Hleb

An exciting pass master with the ability to create something out of nothing, Hleb was part of an impressive Arsenal team which almost won the Premier League in the 2007/08 season.

When Barcelona came calling the Belarusian couldn't say no – but it was a decision that he came to regret as he failed to impress at Camp Nou.

“At some point, I realised, ‘Oh God! I’m leaving Arsenal!’ When Arsene said that it was a matter of hours, I felt devastated. It was really hard for me to accept. He even texted me as I was fishing. ‘Alex, I won’t let you go, we need you here’. I cried when I read it.”

Hleb has since admitted that he regrets ever leaving Arsenal. Three loan spells with Stuttgart, Birmingham and Wolfsburg later, he is now back in his homeland playing for BATE Borisov.

A proposal may be presented to the working committee for Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) treasurer Biswarup Dey to be appointed as executive assistant to the board president Jagmohan Dalmiya

Amol Karhadkar06-Mar-2015AGM challenge delayed

The Sharad Pawar faction’s decision to challenge the AGM chairman Shivlal Yadav’s ruling that allowed Samarjit Gaekwad to represent the Baroda Cricket Association at the AGM has been delayed due to holidays for the festival of Holi.
Initially, the Mumbai Cricket Association, whose vice-president Ravi Savant lost to TC Mathew in the election for one of five vice-president’s posts, was planning to move Bombay High Court over Yadav’s ruling. However, the MCA headed by Pawar has also been considering the option of going directly to the Supreme Court, which is closed this week for Holi.
It is understood a decision on whether to file a petition in the High Court or Supreme Court will be made over the weekend and a petition will be filed early next week.
Rakesh Parikh, a BCA vice-president from the Pawar group, claimed the BCA managing committee had authorised him to represent the association at the AGM. However, Gaekwad, a Srinivasan supporter, exercised his right as the BCA president and claimed he was the legitimate representative. Yadav chose Gaekwad, which helped the Srinivasan group win four of the five posts.

A proposal may be presented to the BCCI’s working committee for Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) treasurer Biswarup Dey to be appointed as executive assistant to the newly elected board president Jagmohan Dalmiya. The BCCI is also likely to persist with Ranjib Biswal as the chairman of the IPL governing council because a little over a month remains for the tournament’s eighth season to begin. Anil Kumble is set to continue as the technical committee chairman.Dey is considered to be a supporter of N Srinivasan, the ICC chairman whose nine-year stint as a BCCI official ended on Monday when the board elected its new set of office-bearers in Chennai. According to a CAB insider, since Dalmiya’s health is a concern, Dey may undertake the presidential work on Dalmiya’s behalf.BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, however, said he was not aware of the proposal. “I haven’t received any request or communication in this regard,” Thakur told ESPNcricinfo.During Srinivasan’s three-year term as BCCI president, Mayank Parikh worked as his assistant from the board’s headquarters in Mumbai. While Parikh had to overlook and report on matters related to the BCCI president’s office, Dey may be awarded rights to sign documents on Dalmiya’s behalf. The proposal is likely to be presented to the working committee at its next meeting.Biswal and Kumble, also considered to be Srinivasan supporters, are likely to continue in their IPL and technical committee roles until the next BCCI AGM. On Monday, after finalising the working committee composition, the working committee authorised Dalmiya and Thakur to finalise the special and technical committees.Dalmiya is understood to have wanted that Kumble be replaced by Sourav Ganguly as the technical committee head. However, the other office-bearers made him realise the importance of keeping officials in important posts with barely seven months to go for the next AGM. It is understood that Dalmiya and Thakur will discuss the issue next week and give the committees a final touch. A working committee meeting will then be convened to ratify the composition of all the BCCI committees.

As countdowns for the World Cup go, neither England nor India can claim to have started in the best shape

Preview by David Hopps26-Aug-2014Match factsAugust 27, 2014
Start time 10.30am local (0930 GMT)The role of Alastair Cook in the one-day side continues to provoke much debate•Getty ImagesBig PictureAs countdowns for the World Cup go, neither England nor India can claim to have started in the best shape. While the rain tippled down in Bristol, washing out the first of five contests, there was enough aggravation off the field to occupy both sides.It will not matter how gloomy the weather gets, Duncan Fletcher will be reluctant to remove his shades as he contends with a reshuffle which has seen Ravi Shastri imposed as team director with, it seems, a brief to assess Fletcher’s performance ahead of the World Cup. MS Dhoni’s assertion that Fletcher will definitely coach India in that World Cup is not universally shared, and with Joe Dawes and Trevor Penney on gardening leave, confusion abounds.England have their own issues. Their squad for the ODI series was more conservative than many expected, influenced perhaps by the 3-1 Test series victory against India which removed their appetite for change. They seem determination to plan for the challenge ahead in Australia and New Zealand with the same captain, Alastair Cook, not known for rapid scoring at the top of the order, and a phalanx of fast bowlers to utilise the two white balls.That has brought cries of protest from Graeme Swann, a celebrated England player of recent vintage, and Michael Vaughan, a former captain who is treading the path of another former Yorkshire and England batsman, Geoffrey Boycott, in his appetite for straight talking. Both chimed that Cook should have stood down in favour of younger batsmen with a greater capacity for power hitting.England’s ODI summer has become increasingly dogged by bad weather. The Bristol washout meant that the first ODI of the latter part of the summer was washed out for the third successive year. Headingley and Cardiff have also suffered.Form guide (last five completed matches, most recent first)England LLWLW
India WWWLL
Players to watchAlex Hales has three centuries in his last three appearances for Nottinghamshire, to go with a century for England Lions against Sri Lanka A earlier this month. He has played 32 T20 internationals and is the only Englishman to make a hundred in the shortest format, and his rich domestic form will finally persuade England’s selectors to abandon their doubts about his technique against the short ball.Ajinkya Rahane has earned his place in the Test side with solid contributions in South Africa, New Zealand and England. ODIs have been a different story so far. He had one double-digit score in six innings in South Africa and New Zealand, although he made runs in Bangladesh after that. Runs in England could seal a middle-order spot at the World Cup. On the previous tour to England, in 2011, he was opening the batting.Team newsHales will make his delayed one-day debut as Cook’s opening partner with Ian Bell dropping down to No. 3. The main doubt is whether England will field Gary Ballance or Joe Root at No 4, ahead of Eoin Morgan and either Ben Stokes or Moeen Ali, one of whom seems bound to play in the absence of Ravi Bopara. The unsettled weather makes an emphasis on seam likely.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Ian Bell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Moeen Ali/Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 James Anderson, 11 Harry GurneyShikhar Dhawan has the chance to put a miserable Test series behind him as he opens with Rohit Sharma. Suresh Raina was out of the ODI squad for a while, but returned as captain for the short tour to Bangladesh. He is expected to bat No. 5. India do not have Varun Aaron’s pace for the ODIs, but Umesh Yadav is a capable replacement on that front.India (probable) 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Umesh YadavPitch and conditionsCardiff can provide grouchy batting surfaces when the weather is unsettled and the forecast, while not as terminal as Bristol, is none too optimistic. The Met Office predicts a dry and bright start with sunny spells, but winds will strengthen as the day progresses and rain is anticipated by early evening. Disruption to the second innings cannot be discounted.Stats and trivia Cardiff has been well favoured since its elevation to an international venue, staging an Ashes Test, due to hold another in 2015, and selected as a joint host of last summer’s Champions Trophy. India won the Champions Trophy in England last summer, but even allowing for that their record outside Asia and the West Indies is unimpressive with eight wins and 13 defeats since the last World Cup. The distance between Bristol and Cardiff is only 44 miles over the Severn Bridge (24 miles as the crow flies), which has led some to question the need for Bristol to have become England’s tenth international ground.When the teams met on this ground in 2011, Virat Kohli hit a century but his thunder was stolen by Jonny Bairstow’s debut innings of 41 off 21 balls which secured England a D/L victory.Quotes”He is paid to give his opinions, and he is entitled to give those. We know as a side where we are at. We are comfy, ready to go and we are really looking forward to this series.”
Joe Root was not taking too much notice of Swann’s comments