04-09-2020

FriDAY, SEPTEMBEr 4, 2020
9
'Difficult' for Messi to stay
at Barca, Jorge Messi says
Bangladesh will leave the country for a three-match Test series in Sri Lanka on September 23 and
before that they will have a short practice camp in Dhaka.
Photo: BCB
Head coach Domingo to
arrive Bangladesh Sept 6
SportS DeSk:
Jorge Messi, father and agent of
Lionel Messi, said on Wednesday he
thinks it will be "difficult" for his son to
stay at Barcelona, reports BSS.
Messi senior landed in Barcelona on
Wednesday ahead of talks with the
club's president Josep Maria Bartomeu
about the striker's intention to leave
this summer.
Messi senior flew in from the
Argentine city of rosario, landing at the
private terminal in Barcelona's el prat
airport on Wednesday morning.
Asked by reporters about the
possibility of Messi staying, Jorge
Messi said: "Difficult". He was then
asked how he sees his son's future at
Barca, to which he replied: "Difficult,
difficult".
When the prospect of joining
Manchester City was put to him, he
said: "there's nothing yet." It was
suggested he had spoken already to
City coach pep Guardiola. "I didn't talk
to pep," Jorge Messi said. "Not to
anyone."
Jorge Messi will be hoping to unblock
the stand-off between Barca and his
son, which threatens to descend into an
expensive and bitter legal battle if a
resolution cannot be found.
However, media reports late
Wednesday said talks had ended with
no agreement.
"the first meeting between Bartomeu
and Jorge Messi ends without
agreement," said Catalan sports
newspaper Mundo Deportivo in its
online edition.
Marca added: "Barca does not
negotiate the exit of 'Leo'."
other Spanish sports media claimed
the discussions will continue and
another meeting could take place.
the 33-year-old Messi boycotted
Barcelona's first pre-season training
session on Monday, as he tries to force
his way out of the club he joined as a 13-
year-old.
Messi also failed to attend a
coronavirus test at Barcelona's training
ground on Sunday.
Yet Barcelona insist their captain will
only depart if his 700-million-euro
($833 million) release clause is
activated, a stance that has been backed
up by La Liga, who say that release
clause still applies.
But Messi and his lawyers argue he is
allowed to go for free this summer
according to another clause in his
contract, which they claim was
triggered on August 25 when a burofax
stating Messi's intention to leave
arrived at Camp Nou.
If Messi joins another club but loses
in court, he could be liable to pay the
700 million euros Barcelona are owed.
Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City
are the firm favourites to sign Messi,
not least because of his previous
success with City coach pep Guardiola.
Inter Milan, Juventus and paris Saint-
Germain are also interested.
SportS DeSk:
National cricket team headcoach
russell Domingo is all set to arrive in
Bangladesh on September 6 after his
flight was delayed for two days, reports
BSS.
Fielding coach ryan kook and
trainer Nick Lee will also reach
Bangladesh alongside Domingo.
Bowling coach ottis Gibson is
scheduled to be in the country tonight
while physio Julian Calfato has already
reached Dhaka.
Spin bowling Coach Daniel Vettori
and newly appointed batting
consultant Craig McMillan will join the
Bangladesh team in Sri Lanka.
"Domingo was scheduled to be in
Dhaka on September 2 but due to the
delay of flight, he will reach the country
on September 6," said Bangladesh
Cricket Board (BCB) Cricket
operations Chairman Akram khan.
"they had done a corona test when
they were scheduled to fly on
September 2. Now since the flight has
been delayed, they would have to
undergo a corona test again."
"Vettori and McMillan will join the
side in Sri Lanka," Akram said, adding
that former batting coach Neil
Mckenzie had talked to McMillan and
gave him ideas about the Bangladesh
batsmen.
"Mckenzie shared his experience
about Bangladeshi batsmen with
McMillan. Hopefully, McMillan now
will find it easier to deal with the
batsmen."
Bangladesh will leave the country for
a three-match test series in Sri Lanka
on September 23 and before that they
will have a short practice camp in
Dhaka. they will start their main
practice camp in Sri Lanka, Akram
England face Australia in three Twenty20s in Southampton starting on Friday.
informed.
He also said that the itinerary of the
series is yet to be finalized but there is
possibility that the first two test
matches will be held in kandy while
the third and final test will be hosted
by Sri Lanka's capital city Colombo.
"they (Sri Lanka) have given a
tentative itinerary but it is not final.
According to that schedule, the third
test will be held in Colombo while the
first two test matches will be hosted by
kandy," he remarked.
Akram said a total of 38 players now
have been training to keep them
prepared for the Sri Lanka tour.
"A total of 38 players have been
training at different places at this
moment. In the first phase, the squad
will be trimmed to 28 and later 22.
there is a possibility that we will
announce a 22-member squad for the
Sri Lanka tour," he added.
England renew Australia rivalry
in Covid-hit season finale
SportS DeSk:
one of england's most extraordinary
seasons will end with them facing archrivals
Australia as both sides try to strike
a balance between playing their strongest
limited-overs teams and keeping an eye
on the future, reports BSS.
the coronavirus pandemic threatened
to wipe out england's entire home
season yet they are now set to complete
all 18 scheduled men's internationals,
albeit the fixtures have been played
behind closed doors.
they face Australia in three twenty20s
in Southampton starting on Friday
before taking on their oldest foes in a
further three one-day internationals in
Manchester later this month.
the twenty20s should have served as
preparation for october's t20 World
Cup in Australia but the Covid-19
outbreak means the next edition of the
global showpiece will take place in India
in 2021.
that does give both teams time to finetune
their line-ups but equally they may
want to give their strongest XIs as much
as time as they can in their middle.
Australia are currently the world's topranked
t20 side, with much of thir
success built on a top order featuring
captain Aaron Finch, David Warner and
Steve Smith.
So even though the likes of Marcus
Stoinis and Marnus Labuschagne have
been in the runs during Australia's
warm-up matches in england, they are
unlikely to displace the three premier
batsmen.
"We've had a pretty settled t20 side
over the last 12 months or so and all we
can ask for is that guys bang so hard they
are putting pressure on the guys in
there," said Australia coach Justin
Langer, who can also call upon Glenn
Maxwell in the middle-order after he
took a break to deal with mental health
issues.
england beat Australia in the semifinals
on the way to winning last year's
50-over World Cup and white-ball
captain eoin Morgan believes
consistency of selection is important if
they are to replicate that triumph in the
t20 equivalent.
"I don't think we can have a scenario
where we can play the majority of our
games with a half-strength team and
then expect to go into a World Cup as
contenders when guys don't know their
roles or haven't been familiarised with
them," he said. - 'Dangerous' -
Photo: AP
The 33-year-old Messi boycotted Barcelona's first pre-season training session on Monday, as he tries to
force his way out of the club he joined as a 13-year-old.
Photo: AP
Warriors qualify
for semis after
Hetmyer heroics
SportS DeSk:
Shimron Hetmyer's
quickfire knock stood out on
yet another sluggish pitch in
trinidad, the innings helping
Guyana Amazon Warriors
beat St Lucia Zouks by seven
wickets and qualify for the
semifinals at the Caribbean
premier League 2020, reports
Ap.
Warriors were 58/2 after
nine overs chasing a modest
110, having just lost a well-set
Chandrapaul Hemraj (26 off
25) to Mohammad Nabi,
when Hetmyer laid into
Chemar Holder's first over
and picked 24 runs off it. He
hit two sixes and three fours,
attacking the short balls
earlier in the over and full
deliveries later on.
that over from paul turned
the run-chase around, and it
was an easy sailing for the
Warriors in the end. they won
with 37 balls to spare.
Hetmyer was there right until
the end, guiding his team
home with 56 not out off 36
balls. It helped that the
Warriors had gotten off to a
decent start at 38/1 in the
powerplay overs, losing only
an out of sorts Brandon king
in the third over.
earlier, on a surface Danny
Morrison described as "the
best surface we have played
on this CpL," Zouks got put in
to bat and didn't have the best
of starts in the powerplay,
losing three wickets while
enduring back-to-back
maidens from Naveen-ul-Haq
and Imran tahir.
A small 31-run stand
flourished for the fourth
wicket between kavem Hodge
and Najibullah, but both got
out in the space of four balls.
tahir broke through with the
wicket of Najibullah and
finished with figures of 4-1-
10-1 as early as the 14th over
of the innings.
Neymar one of three
PSG stars to test
positive for Covid-19
SportS DeSk:
Neymar was one of three
paris Saint-Germain stars
to have contracted the
coronavirus, a well-placed
source told AFp on
Wednesday, after the
Champions League
runners-up announced
several positive tests,
reports BSS.
"three paris Saint-
Germain players have
confirmed positive Sars
CoV2 tests and are subject
to the appropriate health
protocol," pSG said in a
statement.
"All of the players and
coaching staff will
continue to undergo tests
in the coming days."
When contacted by AFp,
the club declined to
confirm the identity of the
players in question.
But the source replied
"Yes" when asked if
Neymar was one of those
to test positive, along with
teammates Angel Di Maria
and Leandro paredes, as
had earlier been reported
by French sports daily
L'equipe.
the cases would appear
to be linked to a holiday
trip to the Spanish
Mediterranean island of
Ibiza that several pSG
players took following the
Champions League final
defeat by Bayern Munich.
the news is a setback to
the French champions'
preparations for the
scheduled start of their
Ligue 1 campaign next
week, with a game away at
Lens set for September 10
but possibly now at risk of
being postponed.
pSG had already said on
Monday that two
unnamed players had
reported back with
coronavirus symptoms
following a holiday.
L'equipe reported the
players in question at the
time were Argentinian duo
Di Maria and paredes.
those two, and Neymar,
were among several
players who travelled to
Ibiza following the
Champions League final,
mixing with friends and
family after spending the
previous weeks isolated in
a secure sanitary "bubble"
with teammates in
portugal.
Neymar later posted a
picture on Instagram
showing him and his son
grinning, with the caption:
"thank you for your
messages. We're all fine!"
Brazilian media reports
said the striker's nineyear-old
son and 55-yearold
father, who were along
for the trip to Ibiza, had
also tested positive for the
virus.
that trip was after the
controversial decision was
taken to postpone the
game at newly-promoted
Lens, initially scheduled
for last Saturday, in order
to give the pSG squad a
break following their
Champions League "Final
eight" exertions.
pSG, France's richest
club, have played five
competitive games in the
last six months.
Mauro Icardi, Ander
Herrera, keylor Navas and
Marquinhos were also in
Ibiza, and the latter's wife
revealed on Instagram
that the Brazilian defender
had been placed in
isolation while awaiting
the results of his own test
for Covid-19.
After playing Lens on
September 10, pSG are
then due to entertain bitter
rivals Marseille three days
later.
In the meantime, various
members of coach thomas
tuchel's squad are set to
play for their countries in
the UeFA Nations League,
with kylian Mbappe and
presnel kimpembe in
France's squad for a game
against Croatia just 48
hours before their club's
scheduled return to action.
But their South
American stars including
Neymar are not involved
in international action.
Strict French league
rules stipulate that
collective team training
sessions must be cancelled
if a club has at least four
positive tests over an
eight-day period, with
match postponements
possible.
the cases raise questions
about why the French
league decided to
postpone pSG's match in
Lens, only for so many of
their players to travel
abroad on holiday during a
pandemic.
the last French season
was ended early, with 10
rounds of matches left
unplayed, because of the
health crisis, and the start
of the new French season
has already been
impacted.