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Azhar Ali, the Pakistan batsman, has been ruled out of the opening Test against England that starts on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi. Azhar suffered a toe injury during the series against Zimbabwe earlier this month and since then he has not trained.”He will not be playing in the first Test,” Intikhab Alam, the Pakistan team manager, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo. “His wound is almost dried up but he is not comfortable wearing his shoe and didn’t take part in training activities since we are here.”The news is a significant setback for Pakistan, who had been optimistic about Azhar’s recovery until today’s assessment which revealed that the pus in his infected wound had not completely healed up. As Pakistan’s ODI captain, he missed the final match of last week’s series win in Zimbabwe, but it is understood that the searing heat in the UAE has set back the recovery process.This is Azhar’s first injury setback since his Test debut against Australia at Lord’s in 2010, and with a current Test average of 44.06 in 44 matches, including nine hundreds, England’s bowlers will be grateful for his absence.He made a matchwinning 92 not out against England at The Oval in 2010 and completed the 3-0 whitewash on their last tour of the UAE with a second-innings 157 at Dubai, after Pakistan had been bowled out for 99 in their first innings.”He played very well last time at No. 3,” said James Anderson, England’s attack leader. “He was the guy to get out for them even with their experienced players after him, I thought he was the key wicket for us so he’ll be a big miss. But they have plenty of other quality players who have made big runs out here.”Azhar’s absence means that one of Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez is likely to fill the void at No.3, with Shan Masood set to retain his opener’s role following his matchwinning century against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in July.

Leeds United have been linked with a move for Ernesto Valverde as a potential managerial candidate, according to the BBC.

The Lowdown: Marsch leading contender

Marcelo Bielsa has officially left Elland Road after almost four years in charge following the club’s poor form in recent weeks.

The Whites are now just two points off safety and have conceded 60 times in 26 Premier League fixtures this season.

Reports have claimed that former RB Leipzig boss Jesse Marsch looks set to be the man who will come in for Bielsa, but it seems as if Valverde is also on Victor Orta’s radar.

The Latest: Valverde interest

As reported by the BBC, Marsch has been of interest to the Whites for a while.

However, they also claim that there are other candidates, including Valverde, who is also out of work at the moment and is known by Orta.

The Verdict: Risky

Valverde, who Lionel Messi described as ‘wonderful’, played an attacking 4-3-3 system during his last position in management at Barcelona.

Whoever comes in to replace Bielsa will have a huge task on their hands to keep Leeds in the Premier League, but at first glance, Marsch could be the safer option.

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As Phil Hay mentioned earlier this month, the American’s possession-based football and focus on a high press may well make for a smoother transition, although bringing in any new manager at this time of the season appears to be a risky call given the Whites’ precarious league position.

In other news: ‘I’m told’ – Phil Hay drops hint of possible return date for injured Leeds duo

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Last action hero: Younis Khan has scored three hundreds in his last four Tests, all in the final innings © AFP

Younis Khan lodged himself firmly between India and a series triumph on the final day of the second Test at Eden Gardens, leading his side to an unlikely, morale-boosting draw. Younis, standing in as captain for the injured Shoaib Malik, hit his 15th Test hundred and fifth against India, accepting help from a familiar face as he kept Pakistan alive to fight another day. A 136-run partnership with Mohammad Yousuf dragged them from peril to safety, both captains calling it a day at 214 for 4 with half an hour of play left.India were disappointingly lethargic, except for brief periods in the afternoon or when Anil Kumble was involved. Kumble had brought the game alive in the afternoon, with two wickets. But as the two Y’s came together with another century partnership – their ninth – even Kumble’s tenacity wasn’t to be enough.Younis especially was determined: as captain, his side had to be rescued and following low scores against his favourite opponent, here was the perfect opportunity to rectify that. He was also familiar with the situation, having faced similar ones against South Africa recently. So familiar in fact that he graced the occasion with a third hundred in four Tests, each of them in the fourth innings of a Test.It says much about his character and his batting that you can’t call the innings a dogged, dour rearguard. There was much studious defence, but he never dawdled. What runs were on offer, were gladly taken. Having arrived in the first over after lunch, he brought up his fifty in the last over before tea.After it, he seemed to speed up, pulling Zaheer Khan to bring up the fifty stand and continued in much the same manner through the session. Only Kumble posed a serious challenge, troubling him with googlies and trapping him plumb when in the 90s (Rudi Koertzen disagreed) but even he was driven and cut for pleasing boundaries. No shot better captured the innings than the reverse-sweep which brought up his hundred: defiant, unbowed and positive.Yousuf meanwhile helped himself back into some form. He was unusually quiet to begin with, recognition of the pressure of the Test and his own lack of runs. But a fluid punch through point off Munaf Patel eased him gently into the role of Younis’s second fiddle, one in which he didn’t falter. By tea, he was set and after it was rarely hassled, choosing occasionally to stroke a cover drive, but opting generally to pat balls back.

Anil Kumble snared two wickets early to raise Indian hopes © AFP

India helped them with a surprisingly inert display after tea. The inactivity was captured best by the inside edge on to Yousuf’s pad, which looped up in the air, barely a foot from two close-in fielders. Bizarrely, neither made even an attempt. Harbhajan Singh, the bowler, complained rightly, but perhaps not too much for he was flat through much of the day, mirroring Danish Kaneria’s disappointing last-day performance at Delhi. He searched constantly, for the right angle, the right line, the right length, but fruitlessly.Only Kumble it was who pushed and it was because of him India had a sniff at all. They had declared almost an hour into the morning, setting Pakistan 345 runs or 81 overs to survive. Zaheer got rid of Yasir Hameed before Kumble took over.Second ball after lunch, Kamran Akmal was bowled by a rare, fair-spinning leg-break. The situation thereafter was made for Kumble: no real chance of the opposition chasing, a fifth-day surface and nervy batsmen naturally keen to push on, trying instead to defend. The appearance of threat was there in every ball, even if the actuality of it wasn’t. Fielders encircled batsmen as a lynch mob might an unfortunate, dust flew up off the pitch, and Kumble was the centre of all focus.Even though nothing happened for nearly an hour after that breakthrough – Harbhajan as much as a cussed Salman Butt to blame – Kumble was not to be denied. Coming round the wicket, he soon trapped Butt. He then replaced Harbhajan with Munaf Patel just after mid-day drinks, who produced in his first over what seemed then to be a pivotal moment. It was touched by genius as well, a slow off-break that nevertheless turned sharply enough to go through the defences of Misbah-ul-Haq, leaving Pakistan rocking at 78 for 4.Both Patel and Kumble sniffed away, but it wasn’t to last and as tea approached Younis and Yousuf dug themselves in. There they would stay after it, despite Kumble’s best efforts.

Bengal will be boosted by the return of the in-form Sourav Ganguly © AFP

Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly will face off in the Ranji Trophy Super League final, with both Mumbai and Bengal fielding full-strength squads. Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar and Ramesh Powar have also been included in Mumbai’s 19-member squad, which has four internationals, for the five-day match starting on February 2 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.Ganguly is the lone current Indian player in the Bengal squad. The scheduling of the one-day series between India and Sri Lanka, beginning on February 8, has allowed for the senior players to participate in the Ranji final.Squads
Mumbai Amol Muzumdar (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Ramesh Powar, Sahil Kukreja, Wasim Jaffer, Hiken Shah, Rohit Sharma, Abhishek Nair, Wilkin Mota, Vinayak Samant (wk), Nilesh Kulkarni, Swapnil Hazare, Rajesh Verma, Iqbal Abdullah, Prashant Naik, Bhavin Thakkar and Kshemal WaingankarBengal Deep Dasgupta (capt), Arindam Das, Subhomoy Das, Sourav Ganguly, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Manoj Tiwary, Rohan Gavaskar, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Shiv Sagar Singh, Ranadeb Bose, Sourasish Lahiri, Amitava Chakraborty, Kamal Hassan Mondal, Sourav Sarkar and Ashok Dinda

The Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association claim it is yet to get control over the Green Park ground in Kanpur © Getty Images

Even as Chennai faces a cyclone threat ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka, doubts have emerged over the venue of the third tie with the hosts, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA), informing the Indian board that it was yet to get control over Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.Kanpur is scheduled to stage the third Test from December 18 but the failure of the municipal corporation to hand over the ground to the UPCA has thrown the match into jeopardy. “It is not correct to say we have expressed our inability to host the match. We have informed the Annual General Meeting that we have not been yet allotted the ground,” Jyoti Bajpai, the UPCA secretary, said. Bajpai’s clarification came amid speculation that the match could be shifted out of Kanpur. Asked if the board had told the UPCA about a change in venue of the match, Bajpai replied in the negative.Bajpai said normally the UPCA took charge of Green Park, which it leases from the municipal corporation, 30 days before a match. “On our behalf, we are pursuing the matter. The scoreboards and other facilities that have been in our control are in condition,” he said.In the past too, the UPCA and the local authorities have been at loggerheads with regard to the conduct of matches. The state officials have not hesitated to flex their muscles as was witnessed during the one-day international against Pakistan in April 2005 when the sale of tickets were allegedly taken over by the police.

India 185 for 0 (Sehwag 85*, Gambhir 85*) trail South Africa 510 for 9 dec (Hall 163, de Bruyn 83, Kumble 6-131) by 325 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Virender Sehwag continued his good form to pull India back into contention on the third day at Kanpur© Getty Images

Over the first two days, South Africa had ground out 459 runs from 182 overs on a pitch which was reckoned to be too slow to allow uninhibited strokeplay. Today, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir put the conditions in perspective – though the quality of the bowling attack had a large hand to play – as India scored at almost four-and-a-half runs per over to finish the third day at Kanpur on 185 without loss, with both Sehwag and Gambhir on 85 apiece. Earlier, South Africa declared their first innings on 510 for 9.For a crowd which had become used to stodgy defensive batsmanship over the first couple of days, today’s play was a refreshing change – 236 were scored from 51.4 overs, and despite no play being possible in the morning session due to fog, the spectators got their money’s worth.Of the South African bowlers, only Shaun Pollock had played a Test in India before, but even he struggled to extract any seam movement from the track. He kept the runs down early on, but in the final session both batsmen comfortably drove through the line of the ball, confident that the ball wouldn’t deviate.Makhaya Ntini was completely ineffective on a track which didn’t suit his style of bowling at all, while Robin Peterson, the only specialist spinner in the side, barely managed any turn at all. It was as different from the Australian bowling line-up as you could expect, and the Indian openers cashed in.Despite their singularly toothless attack, the South Africans did have a couple of chances to break through, but their fielders made a mess of those opportunities. When on 29, Sehwag charged down the track to Peterson and missed. Unfortunately for South Africa, so did Thami Tsolekile, their wicketkeeper, and the ball sped away for four byes. Earlier, Gambhir had been reprieved on 5, when Justin Ontong, substituting for Boeta Dippenaar, who was hit on the head by a ball during nets, failed to get his hands on a fierce cut shot.Gambhir wasn’t entirely convincing in the early part of his innings, playing and missing a few times and miscuing a couple of pull shots, but he slowly grew in confidence. He was helped by a few inviting leg-stump half-volleys by Andrew Hall just before tea, and after the break uncorked some flowing cover-drives off the seamers, and reached his maiden Test half-century by lofting Peterson over long-on for six. Throughout the innings, he comfortably outscored Sehwag, and though both ended on 85, Gambhir faced 27 fewer deliveries.Sehwag, on the other hand, was extremely choosy with his strokeplay early on. Mindful of the lack of pace in the track, he often checked his drives, and when he did execute them, he was careful enough to hold back the moment of impact just a fraction to ensure that the ball didn’t go airily. Once he gauged the pace of the track, though, the drives through the off side flowed effortlessly – orthodox ones against the seamers, and inside-out drives off Peterson. A cheeky reverse-sweep took him to his half-century, and by close of play, both him and Gambhir were in sight of their hundreds, and the follow-on target of 311 looked piddly.Earlier, South Africa showed plenty of urgency in the 8.4 overs they batted. Pollock remained unbeaten on 44, but the impetus to the innings this afternoon came from Peterson, who slammed 34 from just 24 balls. Coming to the crease after Anil Kumble trapped Tsolekile in front for his sixth wicket (467 for 8), Peterson played bold lofted shots against all three spinners. He struck three fours and a six – a superb straight hit off Harbhajan Singh – but was bowled attempting another huge hit.With the total looking imposing enough, Graeme Smith declared, but by close of play, India had already made significant inroads, and in double-quick time.

Much as Bangladesh would prefer it otherwise, the attention of the cricket world is going to be focussed on their performance against Australia for all the wrong reasons, when the first Test begins at Darwin tomorrow.Questions like “How quickly can Australia win?” and “What records will they break?” are generating the only interest in this out-of-season fixture in Australia’s far north. The world’s newest Test venue – cricket’s 89th, and only the 11th to acquire first-class status with a Test – is going to be the scene for the most searching study yet of Bangladesh’s membership into the game’s elite club.It would hence be of little comfort that the pitch for the game will be different in nature to the one on which Bangladesh beat the region’s Chief Minister’s XI last weekend. That was a low and slow pitch of sandy nature, but the portable pitch that has been dropped into the middle of the Marrara Oval has a concrete base and is made of local clay.The only possible impediment – and a remote one at that – to a dominating Australian performance will be the fact that the home players have not had the benefit of recent play in their preparation for the match. But it was only six weeks ago that they were in the West Indies, so technique and confidence should not have evaporated in that time, especially in an outfit as competitive as Australia have consistently shown themselves to be.The match is just reward for the long-serving administrators of the Northern Territory, who would never have dreamed that they would be hosting a Test match, let alone the agreed four in the next five years. NT chief executive Jim Ford said that Bangladesh’s participation in Darwin’s first Test had not precluded keen interest in the game. The locals will get a chance to be part of history by attending the match and seeing their own team in the flesh.Ford confidently expects that the audience numbers on Friday or Saturday will give the ground capacity of 13,000 a nudge. “Our administrators started out wanting to foster this part of the world as a winter haven for cricket. We have hosted pre-season camps and have had New Zealand’s team and the Academy side here, and that has helped promote awareness of us and what we have to offer. The ground is looking an absolute treat and there will be quite a carnival atmosphere,” he said.It’s the last week of school holidays, and local schoolchildren and cricket fans have been making good use of the Australian team being in town at a variety of functions that have been taking place.Having already admitted that they might struggle to focus to perform against Bangladesh, it is not hard to imagine the effort that has been going into preparation by coach John Buchanan and captain Steve Waugh. For those players who need a focus, there are some individual milestones worth keeping in mind.Adam Gilchrist is sitting on 2897 runs, at 59.12, and 183 dismissals. Matthew Hayden is set to crack the 3500 mark on 3475. Ricky Ponting, on 4787, has a chance to go past 5000 in the series, while Waugh’s accumulation of runs beyond his 10,265 will give him a shot at getting his average back over 50 and his total nearer Allan Border’s world record mark of 11,174. If he reaches three figures, Waugh will also have scored a century against every Test-playing nation.Apart from the vast reserves of experience the Australians can call on, the Bangladesh’s biggest problem will be that which has dogged their tenure in international cricket – a lack of application. With a background of poor exposure to first-class cricket, the tourists struggle to withstand the pressures of international play for long periods. It would surprise no-one if they struggle even more in Australia, playing as they will be under the shadow of being the weaker team in what is being called the biggest mismatch in Test cricket history.Teams:Australia (from): 1 Steve Waugh (capt), 2 Ricky Ponting, 3 Andy Bichel, 4 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 5 Jason Gillespie, 6 Matthew Hayden, 7 Brad Hogg, 8 Justin Langer, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Darren Lehmann, 11 Martin Love, 12 Stuart MacGill, 13 Glenn McGrathBangladesh (from): Khaled Mahmud (capt), Javed Omar, Khaled Mashud, Habibul Bashar, Mohammad Rafique, Hannan Sarker, Mohammad Ashraful, Al-Sahariar, Manjural Islam, Alok Kapali, Sanwar Hossain, Tareq Aziz, Tapash Baisya, Anwar Hossain Monir, Mashrafe MortazaUmpires: Rudi Koertzen, David Shepherd, Simon Taufel (3rd), Steve Davis (4th)Match referee: Mike Procter

Rain won the day at Newlands on Friday when no play was possible on the opening day of the season’s opening Supersport Series match between Nashua WP and Easterns.Heavy over night rain initially resulted in the start being delayed. However, rain fell throughout the day forcing the umpires to call off play shortly before 16H00 CAT on Friday afternoon. Play will start 09H30 on Saturday.In an effort to boost attendance WP Cricket is offering free entry to rugby fans attending the Bankfin rugby match between WP and Free State at Newlands on Saturday evening. Braai facilities will be available throughout the day.

ScorecardJesse Ryder scored his second Championship hundred of the season•Getty Images

It was a day for high-class operators at Chelmsford. Jesse Ryder scored a breezy hundred, Ravi Bopara made a rather more steadfast 99 but James Anderson’s four-for ensured that Lancashire remain in with a sniff of conjuring the victory required if they are to overtake Surrey and claim the Division Two title.As England’s leading Test run-scorer, Alastair Cook can probably count himself in high-class category too but he managed only 1 off seven balls before losing his duel with Anderson. Forced to watch on from the Essex balcony, it is possible some of the day’s entertainment might have been lost on him. “I didn’t get a smile at lunch,” Anderson said afterwards.Anderson sat out the last two Tests of England’s Ashes victory due to a side strain but he looked to have found his groove again here, a week before the squad flies out to the UAE.”I’ve missed playing so it’s been nice to have a couple of games for Lancashire,” he said. “It was frustrating missing maybe six weeks with injury but I think once you get a little bit older and more experienced it’s easier to come back and settle back in to four-day cricket. I’ll hopefully continue to get better rhythm and take more wickets in this game.”The last time Lancashire played here, in 2013, they bowled Essex out for 20. At 14 for 2 and then 29 for 3 after being put in on a damp September morning, there were dark murmurings that the home side would implode again. They were rescued by stands of 186 and 95 for the next two wickets, before Anderson returned with the second new ball to leave things in the balance. It is not inconceivable that a deal could be struck later on, should Surrey fail to put away Northamptonshire at The Oval.Essex may have appeared in trouble but Ryder does not seem to let too much worry him these days. After showing Anderson and Glen Chapple due deference, he tucked in against the change bowling, the bat swinging insouciantly through the line as he recorded his second Championship century of the season.Ryder has found tranquillity in Chelmsford after the turbulence that marked his earlier career. He looks like finishing short of 1000 first-class runs but the supporters do not lack for excuses to applaud his lazily destructive batting or handy seam-up bowling (he has taken another 44 wickets this season). Tom Bailey felt the brunt of his attack, conceding 37 off the 27 balls he bowled to Ryder, which included a couple of sixes swatted beyond the boundary boards.He brought up his hundred from just 115 deliveries, having also threatened the fencing at the Hayes Close End with another maximum off Luis Reece. Then, a ball after pulling Bailey dismissively over square leg, he played leadenly at a straight one to be bowled for 116, his appetite sated.Bopara looked less at ease throughout, which is perhaps to be expected after a season in which his previous top score in the Championship was 69. Anderson was peeved not to be awarded an lbw decision against him on 27 and Bopara nearly ran himself out on 78, having to dive for his crease as Bailey chased the ball into the leg side in his follow through but missed the stumps.In between times, he threaded a number of silken drives through the covers and down the ground, while Ryan ten Doeschate contributed to the flow with an aggressive 59 during a partnership of 95. He eventually spooned Anderson to mid-off and Bopara, after spending 26 balls in the 90s and five overs on 99, followed him two overs later when he got something on a rising delivery and Phil Mustard sprawled to take the catch.The fact this is now effectively a three-day match, after Tuesday’s washout, lent an old-fashioned feel to proceedings. The involvement of so many international players was also slightly retro – Lancashire’s new-ball pair had 321 England caps between them (albeit Anderson had 320 of them).Cook got off the mark with a push into the covers off Chapple but only survived one delivery from Anderson before being pinned in front. Cook once recalled that the first time he played against Anderson a decade ago “he called me everything under the sun” but he would surely have put up with the potty mouth if it had meant significant time in the middle ahead of England’s UAE tour. The next time Anderson wants a rest with England, he may have to ask his captain extra nicely.Chapple then picked up wickets 983 and 984 of his illustrious first-class career. Will he play on next season to reach the four-figure mark? It seems even he is unsure. But a demanding opening spell of 12 overs in which he had Tom Westley, Essex’s England Lions batsman, caught behind and Nick Browne, their leading scorer this season, taken at third slip, suggested he still has the skill and stamina to contribute as Lancashire attempt stay in Division One.

Halloween is upon us once more and as with all walks of life, football is unable to escape its irresistible charm. Last night saw Leeds United striker Luke Varney miss an open goal that will decorate every football howler DVD for years to come, while Arsene Wenger and his merry band of reserves gave their supporters quite the scare, before producing a remarkable comeback that marks yet another chapter in Reading’s nightmare start to the season.

The less said about the unpleasantness surrounding this evening’s fixture between Chelsea and Manchester United the better, so why don’t we focus on those unfortunate figures in football who don’t need to bother dressing up tonight.

Click on Brendan Rodgers below to unveil the 15

 

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