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If there is a home venue Sri Lanka would prefer not to head to after a loss, it would be the P Sara Oval in Colombo. On each of the last three occasions Sri Lanka have played here, they have lost. And unlike those times, they trail Pakistan 0-1 now

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando and Umar Farooq24-Jun-2015Match factsJune 25-29, 2015
Start time 1000 local (0430 GMT)The prospect of Wahab Riaz hurling balls at helmets on the most reliable result pitch in South Asia is thrilling for all but the hosts’ batsmen•Ishara S.Kodikara/AFP/Getty ImagesBig PictureIf there is a home venue Sri Lanka would prefer not to head to after a loss, it would be the P Sara Oval in Colombo. There is typically extra bounce on the surface, and a little help for seamers. On each of the last three occasions Sri Lanka have played here, they have lost. The only difference is that in those series, they had arrived with a 1-0 lead, secured in Galle.Sri Lanka’s Galle tormentor Yasir Shah may not be a menace until later in the match, but the prospect of Wahab Riaz hurling balls at helmets on the most reliable result pitch in South Asia is thrilling for all but the hosts’ batsmen. Suranga Lakmal may generate seam and carry here for Sri Lanka too, but the variety of Pakistan’s attack gives them an edge. In mitigation, Sri Lanka possess the most successful batsman at P Sara: Kumar Sangakkara has 821 runs here, at an average of 54.73.For so long Pakistan had outgunned Sri Lanka only in the bowling, but at present, the batting orders seem almost even. Pakistan are famously brittle – maybe less so in the past year – but since Mahela Jayawardene’s retirement, Sri Lanka have been soft too. Sarfraz Ahmed’s sublime form in the lower-middle order will have Pakistan in good spirits, while Angelo Mathews’ descent from the peaks he scaled in 2014 might concern Sri Lanka. In Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, Sri Lanka have two outstanding players of pace who have hurt Pakistan in combination before. Their challenge will be to rediscover that capacity despite the myriad disappointments of 2015 so far.Aside from possibly playing an extra seamer in place of Zulfiqar Babar if the pitch calls for a pace-heavy attack, Pakistan are simply seeking more of the same. At times it has seemed inconceivable they could produce two similar performances on the trot. Under their winning-est Test captain however, they are skirting consistency.Form guide(last five matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka: LLLWW
Pakistan: WWDLDIn the spotlightDimuth Karunaratne, who swishes his bat like a rapier in the first innings, has built up a small store of second-innings scores to suggest he is a more substantial batsman than his record so far suggests. Paired with Kaushal Silva’s dour defence, Karunaratne is expected to keep the scoreboard moving. Yet his best innings at the top level have come when he is attempting to save a Test. His coaches will no doubt have noted this. Maybe he will continue to trade in a little flair for a few more runs.Junaid Khan was the only weak link Pakistan had in Galle. He might have bowled some good overs in patches but overall looked ineffective. Since his rehabilitation from injury after the World Cup, he has reduced his pace and struggled to generate seam movement. He may or may not be dropped for the second Test but is surely under immense pressure to contribute. “We still have confidence in him. We will see if there is any need of a change but it will mainly be based on a tactical move,” Misbah-ul-Haq said.Teams newsDhammika Prasad suffered a blow to his right thumb in training, which puts him in doubt for the match. Lakmal appears to have adequately recovered from a groin strain, however. Dilruwan Perera, who needed nine stitches after ripping the webbing of his left hand, will not be considered for this match, which presents an opportunity for either spinner Tharindu Kaushal or seamer Dushmantha Chameera, depending on how pace-heavy the attack needs to be. Kithuruwan Vithanage’s hold on the No. 7 spot is also shaky.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Kaushal Silva, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Lahiru Thirimanne, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 7 Kusal Perera, 8 Dhammika Prasad/Nuwan Pradeep, 9 Tharindu Kaushal, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Suranga LakmalThe only bad news for Pakistan is that middle-order batsman Haris Sohail will proceed back to Lahore after having injured his patella tendon during a fielding drill in Galle. The rest of the squad looked fit.Pakistan (probable) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shahzad, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt.), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Yasir Shah, 10 Zulfiqar Babar, 11 Junaid Khan/Imran KhanPitch and conditionsA day out from the Test, the pitch appeared to have a smidgen of live grass, which suggests the seamers will enjoy it as usual. There is rain forecast for most afternoons, but the past few Colombo days have been bright and sunny.Stats and trivia The P Sara Oval is the most reliable result venue in South Asia over the past 20 years. Each of the last eight Tests at the venue led to results, and only one of the past 12 matches has ended in a draw Mohammad Hafeez needs 80 to reach 3000 career runs This is most likely Kumar Sangakkara’s last Test against his favourite top-eight opponent. He averages 77.75 against Pakistan

Leverkusen have developed a reputation as the perfect stepping stone, selling many of their talented youngsters to the big clubs around Europe

If you're an up and coming talent looking for a career springboard, then Bayer Leverkusen isn't the worst choice.

This is evident by the Werkself's transfer record, with numerous young players earning a big-money move after impressing at Leverkusen.

Leverkusen may not win title after title, but as a regular in the Champions League, the club offers its players the opportunity to test themselves regularly on Europe's biggest stage.

There have been several players who have managed to attract the attention of some of the finest clubs in the world with their performances for Leverkusen, helping the Bundesliga side fill their coffers.

Six of the top seven sales by Leverkusen were no older than 23 when they left the club and with players like Hakan Calhanoglu, Heung-Min Son and Kai Havertz, there have certainly been some high-profile names who came through the ranks at Bayer.

Leverkusen most expensive sales by season

Season

Biggest Sale

Transfer Fee

Total Sales

2022/23

Lucas Alario

€6m

€8.5m

2021/22

Leon Bailey

€32m

€43.1m

2020/21

Kai Havertz

€80m

€91m

2019/20

Julian Brandt

€25m

€33.5m

2018/19

Bernd Leno

€25m

€45m

2017/18

Hakan Calhanoglu

€23.3m

€91.1m

2016/17

Christoph Kramer

€15m

€23.7m

2015/16

Heung-Min Son

€30m

€63.3m

2014/15

Emre Can

€12m

€18.4m

2013/14

Andre Schürrle

€22m

€35.6m

2012/13

Renato Augusto

€6.7m

€14.7m

2011/12

Arturo Vidal

€12.5m

€16.1m

2010/11

Patrick Helmes

€5m

€6.6m

2009/10

Theofanis Gekas

€0.6m

€1.6m

2008/09

Paul Freier

€1.1m

€4m

2007/08

Juan

€6m

€7.4m

2006/07

Dimitar Berbatov

€15.7m

€17.6m

2005/06

Emanuel Pogatetz

€2.7m

€5.8m

2004/05

Lucio

€12m

€15.8m

2003/04

Sebastian Schoof

€0.05m

€0.05m

2002/03

Ze Roberto

€9.5m

€16m

2001/02

Robert Kovac

€7.5m

€9.2m

2000/01

Emerson

€18m

€24.6m

Total

€592.5m (Approximately)

Bayer Leverkusen top 10 most expensive salesGetty Images10Emerson | €18 million | Roma | 2000

Emerson's sale to AS Roma in 2000 was Bayer Leverkusen's record sale for almost 13 years.

The club had only paid Gremio €3.5 million for the Brazilian midfielder three years earlier and it constituted a really good return on the investment.

Emerson had a great career, playing for the likes of Roma, Juventus, Milan and Real Madrid, among others, and won the Italian and Spanish league titles.

AdvertisementGetty Images9Benjamin Henrichs | €20 million | Monaco | 2018

Benjamin Henrichs came through the Leverkusen youth sides and went on to fetch the club a tidy sum when he left for Monaco in 2018 after three years in the first team.

After two years, he returned to the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, initially on loan.

Leipzig then made the move permanent for €15 million in 2021.

Getty Images8Kevin Kampl | €20 million | RB Leipzig | 2017

Kampl was yet another ex-Leverkusen star who ended up at RB Leipzig.

The midfielder was also a product of the Leverkusen academy, but left the club for the first time in 2010 in search of first-team opportunities.

He worked his way up through lower-league clubs and represented RB Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund, before he returned to Leverkusen in 2015.

Two years later, however, he went to RB Leipzig for €20 million and Bayer made a healthy profit of €9m on his sale.

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Getty Images7Andre Schurrle | €22 million | Chelsea | 2013

Schurrle is widely known as the player who assisted Mario Gotze's title-winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final.

The former Germany winger honed his skills at Leverkusen, having joined the club in 2011 from Mainz.

He stayed at Leverkusen for two years, scoring a total of 18 goals and collected 13 assists.

English giants Chelsea came calling soon, but he didn't succeed in England.

Surprisingly, Schurrle retired at the age of 29.

Defending champions Mumbai Indians are likely to miss out on the services of their strike bowler Lasith Malinga in IPL 2016 due to a knee injury

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-20161:09

O’Brien: Mumbai would have made plans given Malinga’s injury struggles

Lasith Malinga, the Mumbai Indians pacer, is unlikely to feature in this year’s IPL due to a knee injury, Ricky Ponting, the head coach, said at the team’s inaugural press conference on Thursday. Despite the nature of Malinga’s injury, the team has decided to wait for the first five matches before deciding if they need to seek a replacement.’Impressed with Pollard’s fitness’

Kieron Pollard, who pulled out of the World T20 due to “lack of sufficient progress in his rehabilitative work” following a knee injury at the Ram Slam T20 in November 2015, has been deemed fit ahead of Mumbai Indians’ IPL opener against Rising Pune Supergiants on Saturday.
“He took part in our full training session on Wednesday, and will train today,” Ponting said. “Everyone knows about his knee injury. The physio and trainer are impressed with the amount of work he has put in and how fit he is at the moment.”

Malinga, the highest wicket-taker in IPL history, is the only player missing from Mumbai’s squad which has assembled gradually over the past week in Mumbai for a preparatory camp. “I believe he will be joining us after the first couple of games to have his fitness assessed,” Ponting said. “Right now it’s unlikely he will take part in the first half of the tournament anyway.”Ponting conceded while Malinga’s absence was a blow, the team management wasn’t fretting over it as the back-up bowlers were “more than capable” of stepping up in his absence.Tim Southee, the New Zealand pacer, and Marchant de Lange, the South Africa pacer, were couple of names Ponting suggested as potential replacements.”If we need a replacement, it will be have to be named ahead of the fifth game. At this stage you have to say it is unlikely (Malinga playing).””Malinga at his best has been one of the great performers in world cricket, both with new and old ball. He will be missed, but we have to think about who the best replacement will be. Will it be Marchant de Lange, will it be Tim Southee? Will we go in with three overseas batsmen? So there are headaches we have, which is a nice thing. If Malinga is ruled out, we have more than adequate replacement to fill his boots.”Since last November, Malinga has been trying to recover from the bone bruise in his left knee. Although he was the captain in the Asia Cup, Malinga played just one match, the solitary win for Sri Lanka where the fast bowler finished as Man-of-the-Match. Malinga then decided to stand down as the captain for the World Twenty20. Although he travelled to India for the tournament, a recurrence of the injury ahead of Sri Lanka’s opening game against Afghanistan ruled him out.He returned home immediately to start his rehab before the IPL.

Chelsea have been handed a potentially huge boost for their Carabao Cup final date against Liverpool, with Reece James back on grass.

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James nursing hamstring problemSidelined since DecemberBut hints at return to actionGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The England defender has been sidelined since December with a hamstring injury, and has made just nine appearances all season in what has been another injury-hit campaign. But as Chelsea gear up for a final against Liverpool on February 25, James appears to be nearing a return to action. The Blues full-back hinted as much with an Instagram post on Thursday.

AdvertisementWHAT JAMES POSTEDIG: reeceGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea have suffered something of an injury crisis this term, with significant absentees ranging from summer signings Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia to England full-back senior figure Ben Chilwell. But James' long-term absence has been a cause for concern at Stamford Bridge given the recurring nature of said hamstring issue – the 24-year-old missed a significant portion of last season with both hamstring and knee problems.

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WHAT NEXT?

Mauricio Pochettino and Chelsea fans will hope James' return isn't another false dawn, as any further setbacks would sadly raise questions over his long-term future in the game. The Blues can, at least, take some solace in having a worthy back-up in Malo Gasto at the club, with the Frenchman proving to be one of the unsung heroes of Chelsea's lavish spending under Todd Boehly.

Lea Schuller made the difference as Germany secured a place at the Olympic women's football tournament in a 2-0 win over the Netherlands on Wednesday.

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Germany secure Olympic qualificationBeat the Netherlands 2-0 to do soHalf-time sub Schuller the game-changer GettyTELL ME MORE

Chances were at a premium in what was far from a classic encounter, but it was Germany who regularly came closest in this Women's Nations League third-place play-off, with the winner to secure a place at the Olympics. Chelsea star Sjoeke Nusken thought she'd given the visitors the lead in Heerenveen midway through the first half, only to see her well-hit effort bounce off the inside of the post and back out, while Alexandra Popp's header would've certainly broken the deadlock just before the break had she directed it anywhere other than right at Daphne van Domselaar.

Then Germany made a change at the break that paid dividends. Those came almost immediately, too, but for the offside flag to deny half-time sub Lea Schuller a quick goal. The Bayern Munich striker made Germany much more dangerous going forward as they peppered Van Domselaar's goal, both her and Nusken bringing the best out of the Aston Villa shot-stopper. However, she had no chance with Klara Buhl's emphatic finish just past the hour and Lena Oberdorf deserves a lot of credit for the way she kept the ball alive in the box, too.

Lineth Beerensteyn constantly looked like the Netherlands' best bet at getting on the scoresheet with her quick runs in behind but the most notable look at goal she got was just before Germany's opener, a driving run ending with a shot that was easy for Merle Frohms to hold. Instead, Schuller made sure of the result with a deserved goal 12 minutes from time, Van Domselaar only able to watch as her header nestled in the corner to seal third-place in the Nations League for Germany and, with it, a spot at the Olympic women's football tournament this summer.

AdvertisementDID YOU KNOW?

This was always going to be a difficult ask for the Netherlands. The Dutch lost a key player in January when Jill Roord suffered a devastating ACL injury while with her club, Manchester City, and two more were absent on Wednesday after the Arsenal duo of Vivianne Miedema and Victoria Pelova returned to London for reasons that are thus far unspecified.

The 2017 European champions have made impressive progress under Andries Jonker but qualifying for this summer's Olympics just proved to be too much of an ask at this moment.

GettyTHE MVP

Who else but Schuller? Germany lacked a focal point until her introduction, with Popp so often dropping deep to defend and then needing to get all the way back up the pitch to be there for the attack. Schuller's presence meant that there was always someone keeping the Dutch defence busy, though, and she was lively in her play, too, as Germany created chances aplenty to win the game.

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GettyTHE BIG LOSER

Van Domselaar deserved a clean sheet for her performance on Wednesday, really. The Aston Villa star made some truly fantastic saves, most notably to deny Nusken just after the break and then, a few minutes later, to get a glove on the ball as Schuller raced into the box. But with the Netherlands struggling to get out and unable to stifle Germany's second half performance, it was inevitable that she was beaten.

Sussex have soared to the top of Division One after completing an innings victory over Somerset in less than five sessions at Horsham

23-May-2013
ScorecardSteve Magoffin had Marcus Trescothick caught behind to begin another Somerset collapse•Getty ImagesSussex have soared to the top of Division One after completing an innings victory over Somerset in less than five sessions at Horsham. Steve Magoffin again tormented Somerset, as they were dismissed for 108 – having made 76 in a disastrous first innings on Wednesday – to hand Sussex their third win in five games, with the match completed at 2.35pm on the second day.Australian quick Magoffin, who had destroyed Somerset with 8 for 20 on the first day, added four more victims to finish with career-best match figures of 12 for 31, the best by a Sussex bowler since Mushtaq Ahmed led them to a third Championship title in five years in 2007.Somerset’s day had started well when Alfonso Thomas had Magoffin (23) caught at mid-on in the first over but only after he had helped Sussex to 300 to secure a third batting bonus point. Somerset began their second innings without too many alarms and openers Marcus Trescothick and Arul Suppiah had reached 27 when Trescothick was caught behind for 13 aiming an airy drive at Magoffin.It triggered another spectacular collapse as Somerset subsided from 27 for 1 to 63 for 6 before lunch and even when Magoffin came out of the attack there was little respite. James Anyon worked up a lively pace and picked up three wickets as Alviro Petersen got a leading edge to point, Suppiah drove loosely to mid-on and James Hildreth was leg-before playing across the line for the fifth duck by a Somerset player in the match.Alex Barrow fell in similar circumstances and Peter Trego was superbly caught down the leg side by the diving Ben Brown behind the stumps to give Chris Jordan two wickets as Sussex’s seamers maintained their stranglehold.Jos Buttler attacked briefly after lunch, hitting Monty Panesar’s first over for 16 including a straight six before he was athletically caught by the diving Matt Machan at backward square leg off a reverse sweep for 29, Somerset’s highest score of the game. But the game ended as it had begun with Magoffin proving virtually unplayable.The Queenslander wrapped up the innings with the wickets of Jack Leach, taken low down at slip by Jordan, before Brown dived in front of Jordan to take another excellent catch and remove Jamie Overton. His match figures were the best by a Sussex bowler since Mushtaq took 13 for 225 against Worcestershire in 2007 when Sussex won to clinch the Championship title.

Ajantha Mendis will play no part in the Test series against Australia, having been ruled out of the final match in Colombo because of a back complaint

Daniel Brettig in Pallekele12-Sep-2011Ajantha Mendis will play no part in the Test series against Australia, having been ruled out of the final match in Colombo because of a back complaint, Sri Lanka’s captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan, has said. However, left-arm spinner Rangana Herath is on course to recover from a knock to his spinning finger and play at the SSC Ground.Viewed by Australia as one of their chief threats entering the series, Mendis has been afflicted by back trouble since late in the ODI series and they flared up again on the first morning of the Pallekele Test, ruling him out of the match after he had been selected. The news is a blow for Sri Lanka, who need to find another way to pose questions for the visiting batsmen after Australia carved out a strong total in the second Test to place the hosts under severe pressure in their second innings.”Mendis is out of the next Test, he has to rest for another week or another one and a half weeks to rest, without any bowling,” Dilshan said. “I think Rangana now is getting back to [fitness], his finger is much better, I think he can start bowling tomorrow and see if he is okay for the next match.”While Sri Lanka had very little chance of victory from the moment they were bowled out for a measly 174 on the first day, Dilshan cited a stronger second innings as evidence that the series could still be turned around. Ever the aggressor, Dilshan said he had discussed with his team the possibility of scoring runs quickly on the final day and then sending Australia in for 40 or 50 overs. Such an optimistic scenario was not looking likely when the rain descended finally, as Sri Lanka led by only 80 with four wickets in hand.”Definitely this is a very good batting performance,” Dilshan said. “After three innings we batted from first Test to now, this is a very good performance for all the batsmen to get their confidence and we are carried forward by it to the last Test. This is a good sign for us as a batting group.”We didn’t bat well in the first innings of this match, but we can’t control the weather. This is the same problem these past few years with the rain and we didn’t get the result. But I’m really happy we fight back and come back really strong. We had a chat last night that we might bat first session today and then give 40 to 50 overs to the Australian side and try something to do, but unfortunately we can’t control this rain.”The SSC pitch is famed for its friendliness to batsmen, and the trio of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera have been particularly prolific at the ground. Samaraweera’s place is thought to be under some threat after a difficult first two Tests, and even his second innings 43 was a streaky display, including a dropped catch on nought.”Normally the SSC wicket is a really good batting track and a flat wicket,” Dilshan said. “I don’t know what has happened there the last few days, it is raining in Colombo, we have to go there tomorrow and discuss with the curator what the wicket is like. Normally it is a flat wicket with help for the batsmen.”The match will mark 100 Tests for Sangakkara, and Dilshan observed that a win and a drawn series would be a fitting result to honour the universally respected batsman and former captain. “To play 100 matches is not easy, especially Test cricket,” Dilshan said. “If we can give him a win in his 100th match I think it would be a good gift for Sangakkara.”A 1-1 series result would also keep Sri Lanka in fourth place in the ICC rankings, above Australia.

Pakistan began their tour of Ireland, and Misbah-ul-Haq’s new phase as ODI captain, on a high, beating the hosts by seven wickets after Junaid Khan had helped skittle them out for 96

The Bulletin by Gerard Siggins28-May-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Junaid Khan bowled a match-winning spell•AFPIreland’s first game since their World Cup heroics proved a disappointment for the 2000 spectators that turned up to see the first of the two-ODI series against Pakistan, who won by seven wickets with more than eight overs to spare. A typically steely grey, showery Belfast day, prevented play from commencing until 2pm. And with conditions helpful to the seamers, Junaid Khan ripped the Ireland middle order apart with four wickets in five overs. A 38-over game was the original plan – and a 36-over one after a short break – but Ireland conspired to reduce it further when they were bowled out in exactly 20 overs.The total of 96 was pitiful – Ireland’s lowest since the 2007 World Cup Super Eights – especially after Paul Stirling had thrilled the home fans with a startling innings of 39 off just 22 balls. Stirling, 20, who also plays for Middlesex, had finished off his World Cup with a match-winning 100 off 71 balls against Netherlands, and was on a similar trajectory here as he helped himself to seven fours and a six.His opening partner was Ed Joyce, who switched places in the order with William Porterfield. Joyce had been keen to move up during the World Cup, but coach Phil Simmons resisted changing an established opening pair. But Porterfield was soon replacing Joyce, dismissed by Tanvir Ahmed.Stirling took a liking to Tanvir, who bowled too short. His next over went for 19, including an enormous six over mid-on. Stirling took 12 off Umar Gul’s next over, and clipped Junaid’s first ball to the boundary when he came on to bowl the sixth over. Four balls later he was gone, skying the ball to cover where Mohammed Hafeez sprinted 20 yards, and dived full length. From 44 for 1, Ireland steadily lost wickets as Junaid made good use of the seaming conditions.Alex Cusack, promoted to No.4 in the absence of the injured Niall O’Brien, was bowled in the last over of the Powerplay, which yielded 49 runs and three wickets. Porterfield followed for 4, caught behind trying to fend off a rising ball from Gul. Kevin O’Brien, having exchanged his dyed pink hair for his natural orange, gave his fans a small taste of his World Cup pyrotechnics. But, on 15, he tried to cart Junaid through the covers and saw his stumps demolished.Soon enough, Ireland were floundering at 66 for 6. Gary Wilson, who replaced Niall O’Brien behind the stumps, briefly showed his World Cup batting form before the rain returned. After a 20-minute break the innings was recalculated as 36 overs. But there was little chance as many overs would be required; the Ireland batsmen failed to cope with a disciplined attack in tricky conditions. Saeed Ajmal claimed 3 for 7 off his three overs, including Trent Johnston and Boyd Rankin off successive balls. Younis Khan, who had taken two wickets in his previous 221 ODIs, induced John Mooney to carve to cover and a three-figure score proved beyond Ireland.Rankin and Johnston bowled nine overs before the interval, which were negotiated safely by Taufeeq Umar and Mohammed Hafeez. Hafeez’s six into the trees at square leg off Rankin gave the large Pakistani contingent more to sing about. The openers continued steadily towards their target after tea, and had made it to 73 when Stirling took a sharp catch at slip off Cusack.Cusack’s gentle medium-pace fetched him three wickets but Ireland had too little on the board, and the end came with 8.3 overs to spare.”We’ve let a lot of people down today”, Porterfield admitted. “We played too many poor shots on that wicket, nobody got their head down to forge a partnership. It wasn’t a gung-ho situation, but too many of the batsmen made poor decisions.”Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was happy with the result, his first success in his new phase as ODI captain, achieved in conditions vastly different to those they experienced four days earlier on the other side of the North Atlantic. It was some measure of revenge for the only previous ODI meeting between the sides, the famous Ireland victory at Sabina Park in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup. A small group of Pakistan fans chanted “No more Ijaz Butt” during the presentation ceremony. The Man-of-the-Match award was deservedly picked up by Junaid.

James Anderson wants to play in the IPL and has spoken out at the limited opportunities for English players in the competition.

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2011James Anderson, the England pace bowler, wants to play in the Indian Premier League and has voiced his concerns about the limited opportunities for English players in the competition.Anderson is currently the No. 2 bowler in the Test rankings but was overlooked in last year’s IPL auction. He believes giving England’s players the chance to play in the IPL would help their chances of defending their World Twenty20 title next year.”I would like to play in the IPL,” Anderson told the. “I got back into England’s Twenty20 squad at the back end of the summer because of an injury to Stuart Broad, but I would like to get back into the side on a regular basis. I see the IPL as a way of showing I can play Twenty20 cricket and that’s why I want to go out there.”The 2012 IPL season gets underway on April 5 with the county season set to begin a day later. However, a major issue for Anderson – and other England players – is that the closing stages of the IPL overlap the first two Tests of the summer against West Indies.”The availability is obviously an issue and it is quite frustrating for us,” he said. “We want to keep our position as world champions in Twenty20 cricket. The more Twenty20 cricket we play the better. This summer we only played three matches, how are we supposed to keep improving as a Twenty20 side when we only play three games?”England players who have been involved with the IPL include Eoin Morgan, who played for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011, Kevin Pietersen, who became the most expensive cricketer in the world in 2009 when he was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for $1.55million, and Ravi Bopara.England will play four T20s next summer, one against the West Indies and three against South Africa. The World Twenty20 takes place in Sri Lanka from September 18 to October 7.

England allrounder Tim Bresnan will fly back to the UAE after on Sunday after passing a fitness tests in the UK. Bresnan will play the one-day warm-up match against England Lions in Abu Dhabi on February 10 as match practice ahead of the one-day series th

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2012England allrounder Tim Bresnan will fly back to the UAE after on Sunday after passing a fitness tests in the UK. Bresnan will play the one-day warm-up match against England Lions in Abu Dhabi on February 10 as match practice ahead of the one-day series that begins three days later.Bresnan, 26, underwent surgery for an elbow injury in early December, but suffered discomfort when bowling in the nets at the start of England’s tour of the UAE. It was decided to send him home before the Test series against Pakistan began. He underwent a fitness test at Headingley on Thursday.The squad is scheduled to be named towards the end of the third Test between England and Pakistan currently taking place in Dubai. England are scheduled to play four ODIs and three T20Is in the UAE.Bresnan last played in England’s T20 win over India in Calcutta. He has been on the winning side in all 10 Tests he has played.