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All of Europe's richest clubs want to sign the England midfielder, but his development would be better served by another season at Signal Iduna Park

So, now we know. Liverpool are out of the running to sign Jude Bellingham this summer, which is a shame both for the club and the player. Because a move to Merseyside made so much sense.

Liverpool are in dire need of a new Steven Gerrard, while Anfield would have provided Bellingham with the perfect platform to prove himself as a truly generational talent.

He wouldn't have just been a guaranteed starter, he would have been the foundation on which Jurgen Klopp constructed his next great Liverpool team.

Unfortunately, this season's dramatic dip in form, which will likely result in the Reds missing out on Champions League football and financing next season, has put paid to any hope the German coach had of landing Bellingham.

After all, Dortmund are, quite understandably, seeking around €150 million (£132m/$165m) for their most prized possession and Liverpool are no state-sponsored club. They simply do not have the resources to sign the most-coveted teenager in world football overhaul their squad.

Bellingham, of course, still has plenty of potential destinations to choose from, but are any of them really as attractive as Anfield?

GettyManchester City

Manchester City are obviously one of the leading contenders to sign Bellingham and the prospect of working with Pep Guardiola would appeal to the England youngster.

Crucially, unlike Liverpool, money is no object to the club's Abu Dhabi-based owners. Meeting both Dortmund's asking price and Bellingham's wage demands would not be an issue.

But City's wealth is not without its downside, certainly from a player's perspective. The reigning Premier League champions can afford to make mistakes in the transfer market. If an expensive signing doesn't work out, they can just make another one.

They are in the rather enviable position of being able to pay £42m ($53m) for a promising young English midfielder and leave him on the bench for almost the entire season. Now, people may argue with some justification that Bellingham is a far better player than Kalvin Phillips – and a very different one too – but the former Leeds United star's struggles at the Etihad this season underline just how difficult it is to break into this City side.

Pep will obviously have a plan for Bellingham, but he doesn't exactly look like a perfect fit from a tactical perspective. City don't have another player like the 19-year-old, which is good in one way, but potentially problematic in another.

Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva could both leave this summer, but Bellingham hardly represents a like-for-like replacement for either player.

He is far more direct and actually more akin to Kevin De Bruyne but, again, it's difficult to see Bellingham playing instead of the Belgian or even with him, unless he makes some modifications to his game. Just look at how the ridiculously talented Phil Foden is in and out of the City starting line-up this season.

Bellingham would obviously learn a lot playing under Guardiola, and alongside some of the most intelligent footballers in the game today, but, at his age, he needs to play, and he needs to grow. It's not as if Phillips is doing either right now…

AdvertisementGetty ImagesReal Madrid

As it stands, Madrid don't appear to have quite enough money in the bank to bring Bellingham to Santiago Bernabeu this summer, not that a lack of cash has ever stopped them before. Real usually find a way to get what they want.

A player's desire to move to Madrid often helps too. It remains the dream destination for most footballers, representing the most successful side in the history of the European Cup is still considered by many to be the pinnacle of their profession. Bellingham would be no different in that regard.

Again, though, there are some red flags. Madrid have signed two young midfielders of enormous potential during the last summer two transfer windows, in Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga.

The former was once again on the bench against Chelsea on Wednesday night, while the latter played at left-back.

Both were obviously bought with the future in mind. Despite some compelling evidence to the contrary, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos cannot continue forever.

But, again, Bellingham might have to spend more time on the bench than he'd like if he were to join Madrid at this particular moment in time.

After all, another midfielder really isn't really Real's priority right now, which is telling in itself.

GettyManchester United

In recently urging Bellingham to stay at Dortmund, club legend Stefan Effenberg pointed out in his column for that there are "no guarantees elsewhere – [Jadon] Sancho is the best example of this."

It was a valid point. Sancho appeared perfectly primed to become a superstar at Manchester United in 2021 after three stellar seasons at Signal Iduna Park.

Sadly, the winger has endured a tough time at Old Trafford, with the mental strain of playing in one of the most pressurised environments in world football having taken a heavy toll on Sancho, who is only now starting to look like something resembling his old self.

Sancho certainly wasn't helped by the constant turmoil at United, and while things have improved around the first team following the appointment of the excellent Erik ten Hag as coach, the ongoing unrest at boardroom level is hugely concerning.

Indeed, it was hoped that the Glazer family, who are reviled by many supporters, would sell the club before the end of the season, but that process could now drag on into the summer, meaning less time for the new owners to prepare for next season.

For that reason alone, United appear unlikely to sign Bellingham. They're not presently in a position to commit to such a massive deal, while Bellingham would be well advised to steer clear while the ownership issue at Old Trafford remains unresolved.

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Getty ImagesChelsea

If United's interest should be treated with caution, any offer from Chelsea must be immediately dismissed. The new owners at Stamford Bridge are making the previous administration look like models of restraint, having already sacked two managers since taking charge last summer and spent more than £500m ($625m) on players.

Seriously, it's The Muppet Show, an ever-expanding cast of comical characters that appear to exist only for our amusement.

It obviously makes no sense for Chelsea to bid for Bellingham, given they're already in danger of breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations because of their historic spending spree, but that doesn't mean they won't.

Todd Boehly & Co. clearly want to sign as many talented young players as possible. However, it would be hugely surprising if Bellingham had any interest in joining a club operating in a total state of flux.

They won't be playing in the Champions League next season, while it's not yet known who their next manager will be – or whether he'll be sacked six games into the new campaign.

Bellingham must avoid Chelsea at all costs.

Gio Reyna might be American soccer's most talented player, and he's ready to prove it in Qatar.

From memorable goals to otherworldly dribbles, Reyna is the kind of player who instantly catches your attention when he is on the field, regardless of the opposition.

And so, with the attention of scouts rarely wavering, the U.S. men's national team star was always destined for the top levels of the game – as long as he stayed healthy.

But keeping on the field has been a struggle for the attacker over the past couple of years, as serious injuries have hampered his development.

With the World Cup looming, though, Reyna is back contributing to Borussia Dortmund, and his return couldn't come at a better time for the USMNT.

Here's a look at his journey to this point, and the reasons why national team head coach Gregg Berhalter is so happy to have him.

Getty ImagesSon of a legend

Playing for the U.S. is in Reyna's blood.

His father, Claudio, is a USMNT icon, having earned 112 caps throughout his illustrious career. His mother, Danielle Egan, was a member of the U.S. women's national team, earning six caps of her own.

Reyna was actually born in Sunderland while his dad played overseas, but he still felt destined to be a member of the Stars and Stripes like his parents.

AdvertisementNYCFCAcademy roots

With his father in charge at NYCFC, Reyna joined the club's academy in 2015.

He spent four years with NYCFC, emerging as the brightest youngster in their setup before heading to Borussia Dortmund.

The club's pipeline didn't end with Reyna, though, as his former teammate and good friend, Joe Scally, ended up earning a move to Borussia Monchengladbach.

(C)Getty ImagesDortmund bound

Reyna followed in the footsteps of Christian Pulisic by moving to Borussia Dortmund.

Pulisic, of course, used the Bundesliga club as a jumping off point for an eventual transfer to Chelsea.

Just 16 years old, Reyna was able to move abroad due to a Portuguese passport earned through his paternal grandmother's ties to the country.

He joined up with the club's Under-19s, but he wasn't outside of the senior team for long.

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Getty ImagesFirst-team breakthrough

Reyna made his Bundesliga debut in January 2020, coming on as a substitute against Augsburg.

As a result, he became the youngest American to play in Germany's top flight, beating the mark previously held by Pulisic.

He scored his first goal against Werder Bremen a few weeks later.

GOAL looks at how various talents from the continent performed in their club’s engagements just after the international break

Getty.Review of Africans in Europe

Whereas Kelechi Iheanacho helped Leicester City pick up a point at Old Trafford against Manchester United, his counterpart Alex Iwobi’s lack of concentration denied Everton a point against West Ham.

AdvertisementGettyToo Good: Kelechi Iheanacho

The Nigerian was on the scoresheet as Leicester City drew 1-1 against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Iheanacho scored the first goal of the game in the 63rd minute before it was cancelled out by Fred's strike three minutes later.

This was his 36th Premier League goal, with only four other Nigerian players managing more (Yakubu 95, Nwankwo Kanu 54, Efan Ekoku 52, and Shola Ameobi 43).

GettyToo Bad: Edouard Mendy

Mendy was in goal as Chelsea suffered a 4-1 defeat to Brentford at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have now conceded four or more goals in the Premier League at home to a newly-promoted side for just the second time – also 2-5 against West Brom in April 2021 – both occasions under Thomas Tuchel.

It was also the second time that Chelsea have lost by three or more goals in a Premier League London derby at Stamford Bridge, after a 0-3 defeat to Arsenal in April 1997.

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Getty ImagesToo Good: Sebastien Haller

The Ivorian forward was involved as Ajax defeated Groningen 3-1 to maintain a four-point gap at the top of the Eredivisie table.

However, Haller was substituted in the 71st minute for Adjei Brobbey as his side won by a comfortable margin.

The Pakistan Women’s team have a chance of making it to their first-ever semi-final in the Women’s World T20 and captain Sana Mir is unafraid of the challenge of playing a formidable England side on Sunday

Shashank Kishore in Delhi24-Mar-20161:42

‘I can’t ask for more from the girls’ – Sana Mir

Sana Mir received a thunderous applause as she walked in to the post-match press conference after her side beat Bangladesh Women in Delhi. She first allowed Sidra Ameen, who crafted a match-winning unbeaten 53, to soak in the applause and take her seat, before she followed. The big grin on Mir’s face told you a story of a captain, who in her last assignment at the helm, was close to achieving an important milestone in Pakistan women’s cricket history. The nine-wicket win over Bangladesh keeps Pakistan Women in contention for a place in the semi-finals of the World T20.Ameen, however, seemed more overawed facing questions, than she did while batting at the crease, especially unfurling those fierce cut shots to raze down a potentially tricky target of 114. “My captain has backed me, she showed faith in me,” she said, before breaking into a sheepish smile. “Momentum” and “confidence” were the buzzwords, her excitement clearly knowing no bounds, after her first half-century in international cricket.Until the 2012 Women’s World T20, Pakistan hadn’t won a single match in the tournament. Four years later, there scales have turned, and how. With wins over India and Bangladesh, their confidence and net run-rate, too, has taken received a massive fillip. Previous Pakistan teams would have looked at an upcoming clash against England Women as another step towards improving against a top side, but not this team.”We are not afraid of any team,” Mir declared authoritatively. “We have shown how much we have improved as a side. Cricket is played out on the field and not on paper. So we don’t believe they are favourites. The way we have played as a team in this tournament, I would say we have an equal chance. A lot of people would have written us off, but it doesn’t matter who we are playing. That is the positive attitude we will take into the next game.”Mir wasn’t being over-confident. The brutal honesty has stemmed from the performance of her bowling group that has adapted itself superbly. Anam Amin, the left-arm spinner may have well won her third successive Player-of-the-Match award for a haul of 2 for 12, had it not been for the ease with which Ameen began a potentially tricky chase on a pitch that slowed down as the evening progressed.”Our bowling has been outstanding throughout the tournament, credit to Anam Amin and Asmavia Iqbal,” Mir said. “To restrict West Indies to a little over 100 and India to below that was a special effort. That has injected tremendous confidence. Also, our openers didn’t start well in the first game, but there has been remarkable improvement in the next two games. The momentum is with us going into the game against England. We could have had a better result in one game (they lost to West Indies by four runs), but can’t ask for more from the girls.”Mir did not miss another opportunity to acknowledge the support of a festive Holi crowd. The official attendance was pegged at 1026. “” [Pakistan will win] chants were ringing loud as their flag fluttered. “It is wonderful to be in a country where people are chanting for you, it’s welcoming,” Mir said. We are enjoying the support. Hopefully we can continue to impress them with the way we play.”And what about the reception from back home? “Oh, the kind of support we have got from back home this time, I don’t think we’ve ever got that,” she smiled. “The kind of messages we have received from back home has been extremely encouraging. We just want to continue this going forward. The girls are enjoying this. But our prayers are with the men’s team as well. I hope they also give the fans reasons to smile.”

Basant Regmi’s returns of 3 for 40 and Sharad Vesawkar’s unbeaten 99-ball 50 helped Nepal seal a five-wicket win over Namibia in the ICC World Cricket League Championship fixture in Kirtipur

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Apr-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Sharad Vesawkar’s patient knock helped Nepal overcome a low chase•Peter Della PennaLeft-arm spinner Basant Regmi’s 3 for 40 and Sharad Vesawkar’s unbeaten 99-ball 50 helped Nepal beat Namibia by five wickets in the ICC World Cricket League Championship fixture in Kirtipur.Namibia’s top five failed to build on their starts after Stephan Baard, the captain, opted to bat. Baard fell in the third over after hitting four fours in his 18, while his opening partner, Zane Green fell soon after, in the seventh over. Pikky Ya France and Gerhard Erasmus gave Namibia some solidity, but Regmi’s quick strikes in the middle overs triggered a collapse; they lost three wickets for seven runs to wobble at 109 for 6.Sarel Burger made a 77-ball 38 from No. 8 to help Namibia cross 150. Although Regmi came back in the end overs to remove Burger, a lower-order cameo from JJ Smit – 26 off 22 balls – helped Namibia post 195 for 9 in 50 overs.Nepal’s openers fell in successive overs after a 42-run opening stand, but Paras Khadka, the captain, drove the chase forward by hitting two fours and a six in his 21. Sarel Burger induced some panic by dismissing Khadka and Raju Rijal to leave Nepal at 90 for 4. When Rajesh Pulami was dismissed, Nepal needed 82 with five wickets in hand. But Namibia were denied by the Vesawkar-Binod Bhandari’s unbeaten 84-run stand that saw them home with 17 balls to spare.

Chennai could lose out on hosting matches of next year’s World Twenty, to be staged in India, if the issue of its three locked stands remains unresolved

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Jun-2015Chennai could lose out on hosting matches of next year’s World Twenty20, to be staged in India, if the issue of its three locked stands remains unresolved. That was one of the important points of discussion during a meeting in Mumbai on Sunday between the ICC and BCCI officials, who are also yet to agree on the total number of venues for the tournament. While the ICC has recommended five venues, the BCCI is in favour of eight. A final decision is likely to be taken at the ICC Board meeting in Barbados in the last week of June.Although no venues were shortlisted, it is understood that the ICC team was specifically concerned about MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai. Keeping in mind that the three stands (I, J, K) that have been locked during the matches in Chepauk in the last three years, the ICC made it clear that matches could not be played in front of empty stands. The BCCI itself is wary of the venue as ESPNcricinfo has learned that Chepauk does not feature in its shortlist of eight venues. Although the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association is trying hard to get the requisite approvals to throw open the three stands, officials have conceded that Chepauk is likely to miss out.The three stands, which were opened in 2011, were locked and sealed by the Chennai corporation during the 2012 and 2013 editions of the IPL. With the issue unresolved, in the 2014 IPL, Chennai Super Kings played all their home matches in Ranchi. This IPL, too, the three stands remained shut and was one of the main reasons behind the play-off match involving Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore being shifted to Ranchi in May.At the meeting, the BCCI was represented by an eight-man team lead by secretary Anuraj Thakur along with Sundar Raman, Ratnakar Shetty, MV Sridhar, RP Shah, Amrit Mathur and Hemang Amin. The ICC team comprised Campbell Jamieson, Chris Tetley and Dhiraj Malhotra.The BCCI informed that the main reason for insisting on eight venues was the volume of matches involved. A total of 35 matches will be played between March 11 and April 3, 2016 to be contested by 16 teams. The BCCI reasoned that if they stuck to five grounds, each venue would end up hosting seven matches per venue which would only make it difficult to fill up the stadium.An official privy to the discussions said the ICC was happy with the reasons. The twin concerns the ICC had was tackling cost and travel. It is understood the BCCI has given an undertaking to take care of the travel of the teams. The official said the ICC team would now report back to the board to discuss the costs.

Zimbabwe Cricket has confirmed the upcoming tour to Pakistan against the advice of the country’s Sports and Recreation Commission

Firdose Moonda17-May-20154:18

Raja: Need to applaud Zimbabwe Cricket’s effort

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has confirmed the upcoming tour to Pakistan against the advice of the country’s Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC). The board’s final decision comes after three days of debate, which began on Thursday when ZC issued a press release suspending the tour and 20 minutes later sent an email retracting it. In the interim, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had told journalists that ZC had been in contact with it and had reassured that the tour would take place as scheduled.The ICC, meanwhile, has decided not to appoint its match officials for the series after receiving a report from its security consultant. It had already made provision for the PCB to use its own umpires and match referees in such a case.ESPNcricinfo understands that Zimbabwe’s players were made to sign indemnity forms after their country’s foreign affairs ministry advised that a visit to Pakistan would not be safe. As a result, the SRC would not give permission for the tour to take place unless the players were going of their own accord, as the forms now state.Aleem Dar, Tiffin among officials for series

With the ICC refusing to send its own officials for the tour, the Pakistan Cricket Board released its list of match officials for the two T20 internationals and three ODIs. The list includes Aleem Dar, who is a part of the ICC’s Elite Panel, will officiate in the first ODI, while Zimbabwe umpire Russell Tiffin will be an on-field umpire for all three ODIs. The other officiating umpires are Ahsan Raza, Shozab Raza, Ahmed Shahab and Khalid Mahmood. Azhar Khan has been named match referee for all games.
Ahsan Raza was injured during the terror attacks on the Sri Lanka team in 2009, and had to undergo surgery to repair a collapsed lung and a damaged liver.

Several players were hesitant to make the trip, with a few even considering pulling out, but concerns over the impact that would have on the future of their careers forced them to change their minds. All 16 squad members, which includes six returnees and one new cap, have agreed to travel to Pakistan for the two T20 and three ODI series which begins on May 22.The visit makes Zimbabwe the first Test-playing nation to tour Pakistan since 2009, when an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus resulted in the suspension of international cricket from Pakistan. Afghanistan and Kenya have both toured Pakistan in that time, without incident.Zimbabwe have been promised VIP security which includes armed guards, an armed vehicle escort and helicopter monitoring of their travel in Lahore, the only city they will visit. An advance delegation of ZC officials visited Pakistan in the first week of May for a thorough explanation of the measures that had been put in place to protect the players and were satisfied with what they were shown.Despite that, the international player body FICA said their security report revealed that the risks of touring Pakistan were “unmanageable.”The series will be Zimbabwe’s first post the 2015 World Cup and first without Brendan Taylor in seven years.

England captain Eoin Morgan laid the blame for his team’s nine-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka squarely at the feet of the side’s performance in the field

George Dobell in Wellington01-Mar-20152:26

‘A harder loss to take’ – Morgan

There was a telling moment in Lahiru Thirimanne’s post-match press conference. Asked by a mischievous journalist whether Afghanistan’s bowling attack was better than England’s, Thirimanne paused to think before answering.The pause in itself spoke volumes. The fact that he had to weigh-up the relative strengths of a side that has been an Associate member of the ICC for less than two years, against the nation that invented the game. The fact he had to weigh-up the strengths of a side containing players who learned the game in refugee camps, against a nation whose players are millionaires. A side which has been playing ODIs for less than six years, against a side whose board has decided that opportunities for such sides in future World Cups should be limited. His pause damned England as eloquently as his bat just had.Eventually, with a cheeky smile, Thirimanne replied.”To be honest, that day Afghanistan bowled really well,” he said. “But there was a little bit for them in the wicket. Today it was easy for me, to be honest.”It is hard to refute the suggestion. While Afghanistan reduced Sri Lanka to 51 for 4 in their tight clash a week or so ago, England were able to take just one wicket as Sri Lanka chased down a total of 310 with dispiriting ease. While Afghanistan had an attack offering variety – a left-arm seamer, complementing a right-arm swing bowler, a right-arm pace bowler and a leg-spinner to name but four – England had a six-arm attack offering four fast-medium seamers and two spinners.True, the conditions were more demanding for England’s bowlers. But to see them thrashed around Wellington by the Sri Lanka batsmen was to see an inadequate attack exposed in ruthless fashion.And the England captain, Eoin Morgan, was in no mood to disagree. Insisting that England had, despite a mid-inning lull that brought 28 runs in 10 overs, scored about “25 above par” on this surface, he laid the blame for this defeat squarely at the feet of his side’s performance in the field.”We bowled a lot of bad balls,” Morgan said. “Over the next couple of days we’ll get the stats back and the proof will be in that, but my feeling is we bowled a lot of bad balls. When we bowl one bad ball, every couple of overs – or every over – you’re going to be punished.”England also missed several chances in the field. The most important saw an edge from Thirimanne put down at slip by Joe Root and Jos Buttler – Buttler initially went for the catch, but then left it to Root – when the batsman had scored just two.It left Morgan suggesting that England needed to perform the “simple things” well.”We created a couple of chances which went down, which is always disappointing because it hasn’t been happening in training,” he said. “But if we’re to improve going forward, we have to take wickets early and take our chances. They are very simple things. It’s not out of our reach or a million miles away. It’s simple things moving forward. I keep banging on about them because we haven’t done them so far in this World Cup stint.”It’s not a big deal getting players up for the game. It’s a World Cup. Everybody is like a kid at Christmas. They want to play, they want to win. It’s just continuing to reproduce the simple things consistently.”At present, one of the most “simple things” in this World Cup appears to be beating England.

Sabbir Rahman’s whirlwind 123 and a survival act by the tail-enders gave BCB XI a one-wicket win over the Pakistanis in Fatullah

Mohammad Isam15-Apr-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Sabbir Rahman struck seven fours and eight sixes in his 99-ball 123•AFPWhat should have been Pakistan’s opportunity for match practice turned into a Sabbir Rahman exhibition. His whirlwind 123 and a survival act by the tail-enders gave BCB XI a one-wicket win in Fatullah.The home side needed ten runs when Sohag Gazi, after making 36 off 38 balls, departed in the 47th over, leaving Taijul Islam and Mohammad Shahid to bring them victory. Taijul somehow negotiated the next over bowled by Wahab Riaz, before inside-edging one through fine leg off Junaid Khan in the 49th over. He took a single, and after a dot ball, Shahid’s edge brought them the winning runs.Junaid finished with four wickets but that was one of the few positives Pakistan took out of a game that was dominated by Sabbir’s 99-ball blast.The visitors began their defense of 268 with two early wickets. Both openers, Tamim Iqbal and Rony Talukdar, fell within the first six overs, with the score on nine. Litton Das was next to go after adding 36 runs for the third wicket with Sabbir who added another 36 with the BCB XI captain Mominul Haque.From 81 for four in the 19th over, Sabbir went into counter-attacking mode as he and Imrul Kayes added 124 runs for the fifth wicket. Sabbir struck seven fours and eight sixes in his innings and by the time he was out, BCB XI were in prime position for a final assault on the target.Sabbir started his six-hitting spree with a slog-sweep off Pakistan captain Azhar Ali. He played a similar shot against the legspinner Yasir Shah two overs later and then hammered Saad Nasim for his third six over long-on. He repeated the dose against Shah, also over long-on. Rahat Ali was dumped over wide-ish long-on twice in two overs before Sabbir swept Saeed Ajmal over square-leg for his seventh six. Junaid was launched over long-on with a forehand hit.Sabbir survived a chance off Riaz’s bowling, when Mohammad Rizwan put him on eight in the tenth over, while deputising for Sarfraz Ahmed behind the stumps.Imrul’s wicket in the 38th over broke the partnership. He had made 36 off 56 balls. Sabbir and Shuvagata Hom followed soon after, and a promising chase seemed on its way to derailment. But Sohag Gazi made 36 off 28 balls with four boundaries and a six, and added 31 runs for the ninth wicket with Shahid, who later scored the winning runs. Shahid also enjoyed a stroke of luck, when Saeed Ajmal dropped him off Rahat Ali in the 42nd over.Having chosen to bat, the visitors posted 268 for nine. In his first innings as the new ODI captain, Azhar made 27 off 49 balls, with three fours, before he was out in the 15th over. His opening partner Mohammad Hafeez remained until the 28th over, hitting four sixes and nine fours in a 79-ball 85. Fawad Alam struck an unbeaten 67 off 58 balls with nine fours but the likes of Haris Sohail and the uncapped Rizwan hardly made an impact with 23 and 18 respectively.For BCB XI, Shuvagata picked up three wickets with his part-time off-breaks while there was one wicket each for Shahid, Muktar Ali, Jubair Hossain, Taijul and Sohag.

A rapid 87 off 62 balls and two wickets from Mukhtar Ahmed set up Pakistan A’s 118-run win against Kenya at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore which took their series lead to 4-0 in the five-match series

Umar Farooq19-Dec-2014
ScorecardFile photo: Saeed Ajmal took one wicket on his return to competitive cricket•Associated PressA rapid 87 off 62 balls and two wickets from Mukhtar Ahmed set up Pakistan A’s 118-run win against Kenya at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore which took their series lead to 4-0 in the five-match series.The morning began with dense fog around the stadium leading to a three-hour delay after which Kenya opted to bowl and the match was reduced to 28-overs-a-side from 45. Pakistan openers Iftikhar Ahmed and Mukhtar provided a solid start with a stand of 145 runs. The scoring rate at the end of the 10th over was 6.80, but it was paced up quickly with Kenya conceding 98 runs in next 10 overs.Pakistan A lost two quick wickets during that period as Iftikhar fell soon after completing his fifty, going for a pull only to be caught at midwicket, followed by Umar Siddiq, who fell for a first-ball duck. A stunning running catch by Gurdeep Singh dismissed Mukhtar, who struck 11 fours and two sixes. A late surge from Zohaib Ahmed (25 off 21) Mohammad Rizwan helped the hosts put up a daunting total of 224 for 5.Kenya were shaky in their reply as they lost their first wicket in the first over itself. They never looked strong enough to intimidate the hosts, despite some resistance shown by Morris Ouma (21) and Nelson Odhiambo (22), and never came close to the asking rate. Wickets fell at regular intervals and Kenya were dismissed for 106 runs with a ball to spare.Saeed Ajmal, who has been suspended from bowling in international cricket, played for Pakistan A. He spent three months in remedial work on his illegal action and ended up with two spells of three overs each, conceded 23 runs for one wicket. He was playing his first competitive game in the last four months after he was suspended. He went wicketless in his first spell and struck in his second spell whenEmmanuel Bundi flicked a length ball to be caught at square leg.Ajmal returned with a significant improvement in his action, stride and follow through. His arm looked stiffer and straighter while watching with the naked eye. He wasn’t mixing up the deliveries as he was just bowling his conventional offspin with a slower stride.”I am very happy and feeling comfortable coming back after a long time,” Ajmal said after the match. “I have done a lot and I’m doing whatever I can do to get things right. I worked so hard and gave my 100%, now I am hoping to get myself cleared.”This was my first match after a long time and I have plenty of domestic games ahead of me to eventually regain my confidence, and I will come hard with my same old spirit and flow.”There was no pressure at all playing against Kenya. In fact I never took pressure ever as I am preparing and improving myself for bigger targets like the World Cup, so I am focusing that.”