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Mohamed Salah was spotted back in training at Liverpool with a huge smile on his face on Tuesday, having already recovered from his AFCON injury.

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Salah left AFCON early due to injuryHas made swift recoveryLiverpool star in line to return vs BrentfordWHAT HAPPENED?

Salah has not played for Liverpool since New Year's Day, having suffered a serious hamstring injury in the AFCON group stages with Egypt that forced him to return to Anfield early for treatment. The 31-year-old was initially expected to be out for a significant period, but has recovered ahead of schedule, and looked to be in great spirits when stepping out onto the training turf at Melwood on Tuesday morning.

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Salah limped off just before half-time during Egypt's 2-2 draw with Ghana on January 18, and was subsequently ruled out of action for a month after being evaluated by medical staff. Egypt exited the AFCON at the round of 16 stage in Salah's absence, ending any hope of a potential final return for the attacker, who was instead able to focus all his energy into completing a rehabilitation programme at Liverpool's training base.

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Salah started participating in light drills again at the start of the month, but wasn't fit enough to make his return for Liverpool's 3-1 win over Burnley at the weekend. Jurgen Klopp's men are now preparing for a must-win trip to Brentford on February 17, and with Salah now properly back with the first-team, he could put himself into contention for minutes at the Gtech Community Stadium.

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Liverpool will need to pick up all three points at Brentford to maintain their two point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League standings. Salah's presence could give the Reds a vital edge heading into the business end of the season, as the Egyptian is still the club's top scorer for 2023-24 with 18 goals to his name across all competitions, despite being absent for their last eight matches.

Glamorgan batsman Will Bragg scored his second hundred of the summer to ensure honours remained fairly even at the mid-point of their Championship clash with Kent in Canterbury

Press Association11-May-2015
ScorecardWill Bragg hit his second hundred of the season to keep Glamorgan in touch•Getty ImagesGlamorgan batsman Will Bragg scored his second hundred of the summer to ensure honours remained fairly even at the mid-point of their Championship clash with Kent in Canterbury.Bragg, fresh from a career-best 120 against Leicestershire in the first round of this season’s Division Two games, hit a dozen boundaries in his 208-ball innings as Glamorgan posted 281 all out in response to Kent’s season’s best first-innings total of 357.The left-hander from Newport took advantage of a let-off with his score on 16 to reach the fourth hundred of his career and cut Kent’s first-innings advantage to a mere 76 runs.With his side in trouble on 54 for 3, Wagg was fortunate to see Matt Coles, stationed at second slip, drop a comfortable catch off the bowling of Calum Haggett and went on to bat late into the last session on an easing pitch.Kent looked set for a considerable first innings lead as they claimed three wickets in the 90-minute stint through to lunch. Rookie Ivan Thomas set the tone by trapping James Kettleborough leg before with an offcutter, then Coles ripped out the off stump of Jacques Rudolph and, when bowling around the wicket, had left-hander Colin Ingram snaffled at second slip.Glamorgan counter attacked in the middle session but, although the run rate increased, wickets still fell at regular intervals. Chris Cooke cutting at Darren Stevens picked out Joe Denly at cover point then Mark Wallace was caught behind down the leg side when attempting to glance against Thomas.Graham Wagg prodded forward in defence at a Stevens’ awayswinger to edge low to James Tredwell at slip and, with their score on 170 for 6 at tea, Glamorgan still had concerns over reaching their 208-run follow-on figure.Tredwell pocketed another catch in the cordon after tea to account for Craig Meschede and give Haggett a deserved scalp on his comeback appearance, but Bragg ensured that batting again would not be Glamorgan’s fate. He moved to 99 by steering one from Coles to third man then punched a single to extra cover to raise three figures having spent a shade under four hours at the crease.Bragg’s vigil ended when Thomas returned to bowl him around his legs for 104, then Stevens plucked out Michael Hogan’s middle stump. Stevens, Thomas and Coles all finished with three wickets apiece and Kent batted out the final over of the day, scoring a single to extend their lead to 77.At the start of day two, Glamorgan required barely half an hour to take Kent’s two remaining first-innings scalps, with Hogan bagging a season’s best 5 for 71. A cameo 25 from Coles eased Kent past 350 for a fourth batting bonus point.

Sohag Gazi has highlighted Bangladesh’s self-belief after they defended 247 in Mirpur

Mohammad Isam01-Nov-2013Sohag Gazi, the Man of the Match in Bangladesh’s 40-run win over New Zealand on Thursday, has highlighted the team’s self-belief after they defended 247 in Mirpur.After New Zealand had slipped to 45 for 3 in their chase, Ross Taylor and Corey Anderson added 61 before the latter guided the ball towards slip, only to see wicketkeepr Mushfiqur Rahim dive across to his left and grab the half-chance. Gazi attributed his wicket to the patience that Bangladesh had developed as a result of their new-found confidence.”The turning point was when we broke that partnership,” Gazi said. “We didn’t give up, thinking that a stand like that is inevitable. We tried to build on dot balls, and made them commit a mistake.”We could win today because we believed that it was possible to defend 247. The coach [Shane Jurgensen] and captain [Mushfiqur] told us before we went out on to the field that everything is possible today. We had to give 100% to make it possible.”Before the 61-run stand, Bangladesh had grabbed the initiative early on in the New Zealand innings. Mashrafe Mortaza quickly removed Hamish Rutherford, before Gazi made way for Rubel Hossain after bowling one over. Gazi came back in the ninth over, and shortly afterwards, caught Anton Devcich’s simple offering off his own bowling. Abdur Razzak worked on that opening by dismissing Grant Elliott.”I am accustomed to bowl with the new ball,” Gazi said. “That is how I started my career and I remember Saqlain [Mushtaq] telling me at the time that all spinners are hammered but I should bowl to my strength. I do the same with the new ball, and I hardly have any trouble.”The Bangladesh spinners got less turn than is expected from typical sub-continental tracks, as the pitches on this tour have been generally slow, and offer low bounce. New Zealand have often said that it was a challenge to bat on these surfaces, but Gazi believes that the Bangladesh spinners did well despite the conditions, rather than because of it.”If we took home advantage, the ball would have turned miles. We could have taken it in the Test series, but as you have seen, it didn’t help us.”We have to play on any wicket we are asked to do so, whether it is a turning wicket or a flat one. The toss is a matter of luck, because we have to be prepared for any kind of situation.”Gazi was adjudged Man of the Match for picking up three scalps, as well as scoring a vital 26 when Bangladesh had lost quick wickets and slipped to 173 for 6.”The team needed me to score today, and because I could do something substantial, I was chosen the best in the match,” he said. “I think this team has players who will do their respective jobs very well. Rubel did well in the last game. Nobody relies on one person. We have to go ahead like this, so that someone or the other stands up when needed.”

MS Dhoni has said that the two Twenty20 internationals against Australia will not be used as glorified nets for the bigger triangular ODI series that follows

Sidharth Monga in Sydney31-Jan-2012Twenty20 internationals often go through an identity crisis. They are neither World Twenty20, nor leagues like IPL and BBL where every game takes you towards a larger goal. On international tours, Twenty20s – often one or two in number – run the risk of being seen as just exhibition games.Not for India this time. MS Dhoni has said that the two Twenty20 internationals against Australia will not be used as glorified nets for the bigger triangular ODI series that follows. He said the presence of youngsters will make the team more energetic on the field.These might be India’s last two Twenty20 internationals before they split up to play for their respective IPL teams and go into September’s World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, an event where they have been knocked out in the first round in their last two attempts.”We don’t get to play too many T20 international games,” Dhoni said. “Usually it’s one match on a tour. It’s good we have two games. We’ll try to make the most out of it. We’ll look to play the XI best suited for that particular occasion, not thinking about the ODIs.”The first occasion for India will be at Sydney’s Stadium Australia, a multi-purpose venue originally built for the Olympics. India have no clue what to expect from the ground. They practised there yesterday, but could only do fielding drills because the practice pitches – in a corner, almost under the roof – were damp. Today India, like Australia, shifted base to the more traditional SCG. Dhoni said that shouldn’t be much of a handicap because Australia too haven’t played much at the venue.”I don’t think there are many who have played there,” Dhoni said. “It remains quite the same for the home team as well as the touring team. That’s something pretty even. Of course we would like to spend a bit of time there. We had to shift the practice session because the wickets were damp there, and we weren’t able to practise. We will see exactly how it is. The outfield will be important. It is not a cricket ground, which means the sand content is more. Hopefully it goes out well.”Dhoni, though, is looking forward to what the fresh faces will bring to the team. “Our one-day side looks very different from our Test side,” Dhoni said. “The new boys who have come in are a lot more noisy, which really helps lift the dressing-room atmosphere. They love to pull each other’s leg, which means it gets more and more lively. I don’t think it’s very difficult [to stay positive despite a disastrous tour so far].” He likened the difference they brought to shifting from Kishore Kumar to Sean Paul.When asked who he would rather work with, the Bollywood legend of the old or the new-age Jamaican rapper, Dhoni picked the middle path. “I am someone who keeps adjusting. That’s one good thing. A mix of everything is good. From classical to rap music. Good to have these boys around.”However, Dhoni spoke of the importance of having young legs in the side. “We have really improved as a fielding side, especially in the ODIs where we have seen a mix of players who are experienced and the youngsters coming in. So on an average out of four fielders three of them can really stop the batsmen from taking a quick single. And the opportunity of getting a batsman run out is very critical in an ODI or a T20.”When it’s needed at the slog overs, they can field at the boundary without much hassle. It really helps me in the sense that I don’t have to be too worried about placing the right fielders at the right position. They do it amongst themselves. They are very good. They know where they need to be at the right time. It helps me think on the right things, where I can put emphasis.”Dhoni said it wasn’t going to be easy to forget how the first half of the tour has gone down. “It’s not easy,” he said. “We play with a lot of emotion. Indians are known to be emotional people. But it’s not something we haven’t done in the past. We have been able to do this. In England when we went into the ODIs I felt the boys performed really well apart from the rain that affected our bowling performance because of the wet ball. Apart from that the fight was good over there. Not really worried. Hopefully it will go our way.”

Virat Kohli has said India have been playing good cricket from the one-day series in England and were confident ahead of the ODI in Hyderabad

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Oct-2011India’s 126-run win against England in Hyderabad was a dramatic turnaround after they had been battered by the same opposition all summer, but Virat Kohli said they had been playing good cricket from the one-day series in England. Rather than any drastic change in approach, Kohli said it was the fact that the team had continued to stay positive through the 0-3 loss in the ODIs in England that allowed them to win the game.”I think we played really well in the ODIs in England,” Kohli said. “It was just a matter of crossing the line which we couldn’t do there. Unfortunately, a few times we had rain and Duckworth/Lewis coming in at the wrong time, though we can’t really blame that. We fought hard through that series and kept our heads high; and that probably made the difference in this first game here.”India were also helped by home conditions in Hyderabad and Kohli said the spinners would be the key through the series. The second ODI, on Monday, is at Kohli’s home ground – the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, where the pitch had been quite inconsistent during the IPL in April-May.”This pitch has always been on the slower side and there isn’t much bounce,” Kohli said. “Apparently it’s improved from before. You might not see too much bounce but it should be better than before.”In Hyderabad, it was slow and it spun, and the spinners did well. That’s our strength and we would like to exploit it as much as we can. The spinners know the conditions in India really well; it’s about them expressing their skills and if they get it right it’s very difficult to tackle them on Indian wickets.”England lost six wickets to the spinners in Hyderabad, and though they had more than a week in India to prepare for the series, Jade Dernbach says they are still adjusting to conditions. “Conditions here are very different from what we experience back home,” he said. “We have just got to adapt; we can’t use the different pitches as an excuse. We know what to expect and have had good preparation for ten days.”The pitch does play a part in how quickly I bowl, and how much pace I take off the ball for the slower ones. If the pitch is very slow, then obviously you get a lot more pace taken off if you bowl a slower ball, so it gives the batsman a bit more time to see it. Those are the things you have to adapt to in terms of deciding what variations to use, and you also have to consider boundary sizes and other things.”After the first one-dayer, MS Dhoni had said that while the pitches would help the spinners, the possibility of dew could play a big role in the series, as that would affect the spinners’ ability to grip the ball. “There will be some dew here in the winter,” Kohli said. “The team batting second will also have an advantage as the wicket will settle down. This is my home ground but I have played just two games here this year so I’ll have to see what happens in the match tomorrow.”England’s coach Andy Flower admitted his side had been out-fielded by India in the first ODI, something he said did not happen often. India have a young squad for the one-day series with several senior players missing, and Kohli said there had been a concerted effort to raise the standard of fielding.”We have started to warm-up for practice sessions with fielding now. It’s a daily routine though it’s left up to the individuals how much time they want to spend on fielding practice. Whenever you have time before nets or after practice, you go and put some time in on fielding.”All of us are trying to improve as a fielding unit because it makes a huge difference if you can save 10-15 runs in the first ten overs. It sends the opposition a message and from then on they are wary of taking you on for an extra run. It’s enjoyable fielding at home because you have 60,000 people backing you. If you are feeling a bit off one day the crowd lifts you. You can’t really teach someone to enjoy fielding as it comes from within.”

Phil Jaques has said he has no regrets over his decision to have surgery on his back in 2008, a move that effectively ended his international career

Brydon Coverdale01-Feb-2012Phil Jaques has said he has no regrets over his decision to have surgery on his back in 2008, a move that effectively ended his international career. However, Jaques said it was “very disappointing” that his injury prevented him from playing any more than 11 matches in a Test career that brought him three centuries, including one in his final innings.At 32, Jaques has realised his opportunities with New South Wales would continue to dwindle with the rise of young batsmen like Nic Maddinson and Kurtis Patterson. And the potential shrinking of the Cricket Australia contract list could have meant Jaques was no certainty to win another state contract, with the possibility of several fringe Australian players returning to the state list.A two-year deal with Yorkshire was on the table and Jaques, who holds a British passport, chose the security and signed as a local player. It was a decision that will mean the end of his Australian career when this summer finishes, but Jaques will leave the Australian scene pleased with his achievements for New South Wales and in the baggy green.He became a permanent member of the Test side when Justin Langer retired, but carried a serious back injury through his entire international career. It became so severe in late 2008 that he had surgery that kept him out for nearly a year, and he never played for Australia again, stuck on 11 Tests with an average of 47.47.”I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to play more Test cricket at the time,” Jaques told ESPNcricinfo. “It was very disappointing. Ten months out of any career, anyone would be disappointed. But I’m pretty happy and proud of the things I achieved in the game.”I won a few Pura Cups, one-day comps, played for Australia, toured overseas, scored a couple of hundreds – I can’t complain about my career. I was probably just unfortunate I played in the era when I did, when we had guys like Hayden and Langer who did so well.”In the end, Jaques had no choice but to have an operation, such was the seriousness of his injury. His time out of the game allowed Simon Katich to consolidate his place as Test opener, before Phillip Hughes and Shane Watson also moved in at the top of the order. It was hard for Jaques to let his opportunity go, but cricket was secondary in his decision.”I just couldn’t get out of bed, I couldn’t stay in bed, I couldn’t walk around, I couldn’t sit. There was just nothing that I could do that made it comfortable,” he said. “It was starting to affect my sleeping and you can’t live without sleep. It was becoming a real issue and it was something I worked really hard at trying to fix and trying to manage, and I stayed in there for as long as I could. I probably had the back injury the whole time I played for Australia.”I played with it for two or three years, on really high doses of anti-inflammatories, which weren’t good for me. I made the decision to get it operated on based on my health. It got to the point where the drugs didn’t help me anyway. It was about getting my life back ahead of actually playing cricket. It was life first, cricket second. I’ve been blessed that it’s all gone really well and I’ve got my life back first and foremost. Cricket is a bonus.”Unfortunately for Jaques, he hasn’t hit the same batting peaks since his surgery, at least, not consistently enough to attract the attention of Australia’s selectors. He said it took him some time after the operation to get back into the swing of top-flight cricket, particularly learning what he physically could and could not do, but he is confident he has plenty to offer Yorkshire.”I’m feeling really good at the crease again,” he said. “I got a few hundreds last year in the Shield, I got back-to-back hundreds in a game, which I’d never done in my whole career. I hit 170 in a one-day game. So I can still play, it was just a matter of being able to work out what I could and couldn’t do with my training and modify it accordingly.Now the challenge for Jaques, the son of a Yorkshire-born father and a Lancastrian mother, is to find consistency in all three formats in the county game. Technically he could still qualify to play for England, but he knows his Test days are over.”I’m done with international cricket,” Jaques said. “I’m just focused on Yorkshire and playing some good cricket there, playing all three forms of the game hopefully and enjoying my cricket. I want to help them get back up into the first division where they belong.”

Steve Harmison took three wickets on his Yorkshire debut as the visitors fought back late in the day at Chesterfield

Nigel Gardner at Chesterfield18-Jul-2012
ScorecardPhil Jaques made 61 for Yorkshire but no other batsman reached fifty•PA PhotosAlthough this has been a summer most will want to forget, it has been a decent one for Derbyshire and their followers. The sun has been obscured by rain clouds but this “unfashionable” county have basked in the warm glow of County Championship success.It has been 13 seasons since Derbyshire sat down at domestic cricket’s top table but they showed why they went into this contest with a 25 point lead in Division Two. Until that is, Yorkshire and Steve Harmison came roaring back in the final sessionHarmison had endured another chastening day on his second appearance for Yorkshire who had collapsed in startling fashion on a pitch that is a decent one to bat. Harmison swung the bat breezily to help his new team-mates to a batting point but when he ran in from the Lake End with the ball in his hand, the radar was clearly not functioning.His fourth ball was a wide and there was one more before his opening over ended. There was another in his next as the ball shot away down to the leg side to the boundary and when Jaques took him out of the firing line, he had bowled five wides and two no balls in three overs which cost 27. The fact that Derbyshire’s bowlers did not concede a wide or a no ball between them made it even worse.But how quickly the tide of fortune can turn in this game and he responded in the best possible fashion when Phil Jaques brought him back in the 27th over. It proved an inspired piece of captaincy as he took 3 for 0 in 11 balls although it has to be said, Derbyshire gave Harmison generous assistance.First Jon Clare was tempted into a rash drive at a ball he should have left alone and then in his next over, Wes Durston chased one he should have ignored and edged to second slip. It was hardly vintage stuff but after all his recent problems, Harmison will not mind how the wickets come.As Yorkshire opener Joe Root said: “They might not have been the most pleasing-on-the-eye balls that got the wickets but the pace he was bowling at obviously put a lot of doubt in the batsmen’s minds. You could see they weren’t comfortable so you’ve got to give him a bit of credit.”At least his third victim was the result of a decent bouncer which former Yorkshire batsman David Wainwright helped on its way into the hands of Moin Ashraf who did well to take the catch and stay inside the ropes.By the time stumps were drawn at 7pm, 17 wickets had fallen but rather than convene a pitch panel, the ECB should summon a batting inspector to delve into what unfolded on the opening day of this top of the table clash.Yorkshire’s position after lunch matched the unusual sight of blue skies over picturesque Queen’s Park as Jaques and former Derbyshire batsman Gary Ballance proceeded in untroubled fashion and appeared to be setting the visitors up for a score of around 350. But all that changed in the 40th over as Mark Turner tore in from the Lake End to instigate a startling collapse that saw the visitors crash from 175 for 3 to 219 all out on the stroke of tea.Turner took the first three of those seven wickets to fall to fully justify the decision to give him his first Championship appearance of the season in place of a batsman, Chesney Hughes, who was originally down on the scorecard to play.Yorkshire appeared to be in even more trouble as Derbyshire replied by moving to 43 without loss but then they also hit the self-destruct button to leave the visitors holding a slight advantage at the end of a remarkable day.

The PCB has sought advice from the Queen’s Counsel in England, with regards to getting Mohammad Amir’s five-year ban reduced

Umar Farooq21-Sep-2013The PCB has sought advice from the Queen’s Counsel in England, with regards to getting Mohammad Amir’s five-year ban reduced. The interim PCB chairman, Najam Sethi, is intent on having Amir back in domestic cricket as soon as possible.ESPNcricinfo understands that the ICC has no clause in their procedure to reduce Amir’s ban, but the PCB want to seek legal opinion – an attempt to find a way for the cricketer to return to competitive cricket ahead of schedule. The PCB want to ensure Amir is completely ready to make a comeback as soon as his ban ends, instead of beginning training only after it ends and further delaying his return. It was understood that a reduction was not possible as a five-year penalty is the minimum sentence under the ICC code.The PCB, during this year’s annual conference, had already requested the ICC to consider a few concessions, especially with regard to Amir using the board’s facilities for training. There is a five-member ICC sub-committee, which was set up in July to review the anti-corruption code, looking into relaxing certain conditions of the five-year ban imposed on Amir. The sub-committee is yet to meet, but the most stringent stipulations of the ban will remain . The Pakistan board was looking to get permission from the ICC for Amir to train and play club cricket, rather than first-class or List A cricket. This is just one of the recommendations the sub-committee will look into, but there is no guarantee the committee will reach any consensus to offer relief.Any recommendation, if made, is only likely to be granted in the final six to eight months of his ban. The current recommendations ensure that he is not allowed to train alongside his former, national team-mates.

Aaron Ramsdale expressed his gratitude to Arsenal supporters after he made a rare start in the Gunners' dramatic win over Brentford on Saturday.

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Ramsdale covers for ineligible RayaOvercomes nervy first halfThanks fans for supportGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The goalkeeper made his first league start since September as he covered for David Raya, who was ineligible to play against parent club Brentford. Ramsdale overcame a difficult first-half, in which he made a pair of nervous errors before settling down for a calmer second period. After his side grabbed a win courtesy of Kai Havertz's 89th-minute header, Ramsdale shared his delight with Arsenal fans and thanked them for their backing.

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"A feeling I never take for granted," Ramsdale posted on Instagram. "Love being part of this club. Fans were next level last night looking out for me. Thank you"

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Ramsdale's reappearance due to Raya's enforced absence inevitably sparked more debate around the goalkeeping situation at Arsenal. Although Mikel Arteta had discussed rotating between the pair, it appears that Raya has won the starting role for the foreseeable future. It remains to be seen if Ramsdale may seek a solution away from the Emirates in January but as yesterday proved, he remains a popular figure among the Arsenal support as they made clear yesterday.

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With Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup it will be back to the bench for Ramsdale, with the 25-year-old left eagerly waiting for another opportunity to get back in action in front of those adoring fans again.

As a weapon to defeat Australia, poetry does not spring immediately to mind. But that is what the ECB hopes will fill England with strength after the publication of a poem to mark the arrival of the Investec Ashes series.

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-2013As a weapon to defeat Australia, poetry does not spring immediately to mind. But that is what the ECB hopes will fill England with strength after the publication of a poem to mark the arrival of the Investec Ashes series.We would like to know what you think of it.Cricket has inspired a fair deal of poetry over the years. There is nothing more rose-tinted in the canon than Vitai Lampada by Sir Henry Newbolt in 1892 with his exhortation to ‘Play up ! play up ! and play the game!’#RISE has something for everyone.Lord’s will delight in the attention given to the honours board, no player can resist imagining himself with a set jaw and white knuckles and, as for the obsessive scorers among you, there is even a mention of dot balls. In an age of Twenty20, an homage to the dot ball is soothingly traditional.The poem will take pride of place on the Trent Bridge programme when the Ashes begins on July 10.We think it has a bit of Jerusalem about it, although even that is not entirely a good thing as Jerusalem tends to be removed from hymn books these days. But they will still be bashing it out in Nottingham on July 10 no doubt as England seek to fill Australia with trepidation#RISEHistory will soon be made,
Upon the board,
Their honours engraved.
Nerves on edge, muscles tighten.
Jaws are set, knuckles whiten.
A dot ball passes, atmosphere heightens.
Those left standing: gods among titans.
They’ll deliver the fight, session by session.
The nation’s pride their only obsession.
For one. For all.
The bat.
The ball.
Old scores. New clashes.
Together we’ll Rise
For The Urn.
The Ashes.