The upcoming women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa will have an all-woman line-up of match officials, in what will be a landmark first in the game.On Friday, the ICC announced the panel of three match referees and ten umpires, featuring officials from seven countries. The match referees are GS Lakshmi (India), Shandre Fritz (South Africa) and Michell Pereira (Sri Lanka). The on-field and TV umpires will be Sue Redfern (England), Eloise Sheridan (Australia), Claire Polosak (Australia), Jacqueline Williams (West Indies), Kim Cotton (new Zealand), Lauren Agenbag (South Africa), Anna Harris (England), Vrinda Rathi (India), N Janani (India) and Nimali Perera (Sri Lanka).Harris and Cotton will officiate the tournament opener between South Africa and Sri Lanka in Cape Town on February 10.Selecting this panel was part of the governing body’s “strategic ambition of advancing the involvement and visibility of women in cricket,” an ICC statement said.Related

• Who, when, where – All you need to know about the 2023 Women's T20 World Cup

• Gunaratne and Kanchana earn recalls in Sri Lanka's T20 World Cup squad

• Polosak becomes first woman to officiate in a men's Test

• Anna Harris is flying the flag for women umpires

The panel will also have the most number of women umpires and match referees in a global ICC tournament, four more than the nine who are at the ongoing women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup.”Women’s cricket has been growing rapidly in recent years and as part of that, we have been building the pathways to ensure more women have the opportunity to officiate at the highest level,” Wasim Khan, ICC’s general manager of cricket, said. “This announcement is a reflection of our intent in this space and just the start of our journey where men and women enjoy the same opportunities across our sport.”We are committed to continuing to support our female match officials and provide opportunities to showcase their talents on the global stage. I wish them all the best for the tournament.”The eighth edition of the women’s T20 World Cup begins with hosts South Africa facing Sri Lanka on February 10. Defending champions Australia are in Group A with Bangladesh, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Arica. Group B has England, India, Ireland, Pakistan and West Indies. The top two teams from each group will move into the semi-finals.The matches will be played in Cape Town, Gqeberha and Paarl with the final scheduled for February 26 at Newlands.

“He has put his name up in lights” – Malan also lauds seamer Graham Hume, who grabbed four wickets in the first ODI

Mohammad Isam19-Mar-2023Ireland coach Heinrich Malan wants his side to continue playing with the aggressive mentality that they have shown over the past few months. This, despite their 183-run loss against Bangladesh in the first ODI in Sylhet, where they slipped to 76 for 5 – and eventually 155 all out – despite being 60 without loss in the 12th over in pursuit of 339.”The captain said that we are focusing on the way we play,” Malan said. “Of course, it is about results. We understand international cricket is about winning and losing, but it is the way we go about our business. I think if you look at the last 12 months, the way we have tried to play has got us into opportunities to beat some of the bigger sides. We beat England in the [T20] World Cup.”We look at this series as one of those opportunities as well: to come here in different conditions against a team that just beat the world champions, and show what we [have] got in the bank.”Ireland have achieved mixed results across both limited-overs formats since 2022, having won an away ODI series against West Indies and a home T20I series against Afghanistan, and drawn an ODI series in Zimbabwe and T20I series against South Africa in England along the way. They also came close to beating New Zealand and India several times during their home season last year – margins of defeat included four runs, one wicket, three wickets and one run.Malan said Ireland will still keep fighting their own way, even with Bangladesh having been quite dominant at home since 2015. He even found the funny side of how the Sylhet weather became slightly Irish overnight; there has been non-stop rain in the region, with the temperature also falling. But Malan also acknowledged that this would work to the Bangladesh pace attack’s advantage.”It is a lot more our sort of conditions, isn’t it? Hopefully, it keeps raining and hopefully it [the ball] keeps moving around,” he said. “Look, let’s not look beyond the fact that Bangladesh has three quality seamers too. They highlighted last night that they have become a very good all-round side.Graham Hume took a career-best 4 for 60, including the wickets of Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim•AFP/Getty Images”It is not just about playing spin anymore. They have an accomplished seam attack. If it is a little overcast and rainy, it will be a little more comfortable for us. We have to play on what’s in front of you; we are looking forward to the challenge in Bangladesh.”Malan said his team was working on identifying areas they did well in in the first ODI and rectifying areas they didn’t.”It is not the result that we are obviously after. I think it was a nice little opportunity for us to get a feel for the conditions,” he said. “They were better than what we anticipated. It was a nice surface. It wasn’t as effected as we thought it would be. It is something that we identified and something we will rectify tomorrow.”We are trying to find ways to get wickets in the middle overs of white-ball matches. We picked up some wickets in the powerplay, [but] they built a nice partnership through the middle and allowed them to get a foundation to have a successful death period. We are taking that into account. Looking at tomorrow, we have to come up with one or two creative ways to get some quality players in the opposition under pressure.”Malan praised how right-arm seamer Graham Hume bowled, taking a career-best 4 for 60 in what was only his fifth ODI. Although slightly expensive, Hume dismissed the dangerous-looking Shakib Al Hasan and Towhid Hridoy, as well as Mushfiqur Rahim.

“He is always an option as a bowler. He trains diligently and does everything in the nets. I guess it comes down to the match-ups”Heinrich Malan on not using the left-arm spin of George Dockrell in the first ODI

“We know what we will get from Hume. He is a very consistent performer,” Malan said. “He has been around for a long time. It has been a great addition to our bowling stocks. He has got a lot of opportunities over the last year with a few injuries. It is exciting that we are building a pace-bowling stock. He has put his name up in lights now through his performance. Hopefully he can keep doing that for us.”Malan also said that they could use the left-arm spin of George Dockrell, who although he didn’t bowl a single over in the first game, is someone who keeps working on his bowling despite changing track as an international cricketer.”Over the last couple of years, he [has] transformed himself into a quality batter after coming into the side as a bowler,” Malan said. “He is always an option as a bowler. He trains diligently and does everything in the nets. I guess it comes down to the match-ups. We were trying to create some match-ups with the lefties yesterday, hence you saw couple of overs from [Harry] Tector as well.”

From the intricate engravings to materials used, the inspiration behind the design, and who made the trophy for the new tournament.

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The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be like none other in its revamped format for the second time in the 25 years of the tournament's history, along with a trophy that has its own significance both in terms of value and design aspects.

It will be the first 32-team Club World Cup that will be staged in the United States from June 14 and subsequently held once every four years in line with every ensuing World Cup tournament.

An exact replica of the official Club World Cup trophy with special engravings of their victory will be handed out to the winners, but what is more interesting is that the new trophy could stay the same for generations to come. GOAL has more…

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  WHAT IT IS MADE OF

  The coveted trophy boasts a 24-carat gold-plated finish and laser-engraved inscriptions on both sides, showcasing football’s rich history. These include a world map and the names of all 211 FIFA member associations and the six confederations.

  The key that is to be used to unlock the moving features of the trophy, which then transforms from a plate-like structure to a spherical one, is also gold-plated.

  Speaking about the new trophy, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: "Innovative, inclusive, groundbreaking and truly global, the new 32-team FIFA Club World Cup deserves a trophy that represents all of this. It is both prestigious and timeless – a golden trophy that is a symbol of the future and inspired by the past.

  "The team who lift this trophy will hold the world of club football in their hands. To the players who win it, history belongs to you! Let’s take it to the world and celebrate it as we look forward to the start of a new era for football when the one and only FIFA club world champions lift the FIFA Club World Cup Trophy in New York New Jersey on 13 July 2025."

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  DESIGN FEATURES

  The coveted FIFA Club World Cup trophy can transform from a shield into a multifaceted and orbital structure, adding an eye-catching dimension to it, with the golden trophy’s central disc showcasing various icons that capture football’s traditions, including symbols of stadiums and equipment and a world map.

  Among the inspirations behind the design of the new trophy, the Voyager Golden Records carried on NASA's Voyager deep-space missions in the 1970s, the periodic table, maps of pioneering journeys and astronomy stand out. The trophy has trademarked astronomical symbols showing the positions of planets at the time FIFA was founded more than 120 years ago, and of the 2025 Club World Cup's opening match in Miami.

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  ENGRAVINGS IN 13 LANGUAGES

  Apart from the images of stadiums and equipment that capture football’s traditions on the central disk, there are 13 different languages and Braille engraved on the trophy, exhibiting the inclusive spirit of the global game and ensuring that the tournament’s legacy is accessible to diverse audiences around the world.

  Interestingly, signifying an ageless aspect, the new FIFA Club World Cup trophy has space to laser-engrave the emblems of the winning clubs for 24 editions of the tournament – as good as to say for the 96 years.

  An inspiring message also features on the new design, which reads: "To those who hold this trophy, history belongs to you! You are witness to a moment in time that represents the pinnacle of club football, bestowed upon few but celebrated by many."

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  WHO MADE IT

  The new Club World Cup trophy was designed by FIFA and created in collaboration with Tiffany & Co. – the American luxury jewellers who have crafted championship trophies and awards for various sports, including the FedExCup Trophy and THE PLAYERS Championship Trophy in golf and the Vince Lombardi Trophy in the NFL.

  The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has also collaborated with Tiffany & Co. to redesign their championship trophy and MVP awards.

  As such, the comment from Tiffany & Co CEO Anthony Ledru: "With a legacy dating back 160 years, Tiffany & Co. has crafted some of the most iconic championship trophies in history, setting the standard for craft and design. The FIFA Club World Cup trophy is the next chapter in our long history of creating the world’s most revered symbols of athletic achievement."

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is said to be worried Ruben Amorim will walk away from his Manchester United rebuild after sending out 'mixed messages'.

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Ratcliffe concerned about Amorim's futureReady to back manager this summerNeeds assurances of commitmentFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per , Ratcliffe is ready to give Amorim his support this summer as he looks to fund United's revival, but the INEOS chief is said to be concerned about the Portuguese's commitment. Amorim has already said that his United team would perhaps be better off losing the Europa League final this week, as they prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao, because he does not believe his squad is currently cut out for the Champions League.

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Amorim has also claimed that he may step aside, although before their clash with Chelsea, he said he would not quit, and Ratcliffe is concerned about his mixed-messages, and wants to be sure that he will see out the remaining two years of his contract. United, though, sit 16th and have failed to win back-to-back games in the league under Amorim, in what has been a remarkably awful campaign.

DID YOU KNOW?

United need to win the Europa League for financial reasons but also to wash away the memories of what has been a truly chaotic campaign. They are said to have interest in Wolves striker Matheus Cunha and Ipswich Town's Liam Delap, while also targeting a goalkeeper and a defender.

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United play Spurs in Bilbao on Wednesday. Tottenham are 17th in the Premier League, and have arguably endured an even worse season than United.

Pujara falls before close to give Durham hope, but hosts in control needing 59 to win

Alan Gardner08-Apr-2023

Sussex’s youthful promise has been damned by the cricket gods on more than one occasion in recent years, and their supporters will sleep uneasily on a requirement of 59 with five wickets still standing. They seemed to have a precious victory all but secure at 166 for 3 with six overs left in the day, only for Durham to pluck out two set batters – including the totemic figure of Cheteshwar Pujara – as the shadows lengthened in Hove.Pujara had averred on the second evening, after his 115 had kept Sussex within touching distance on first innings, that his side were confident of chasing down “anywhere close to 350”. As it was, Durham’s tumble through the trapdoor marked Tricky Third Innings saw the visiting side dismissed for 189 inside two sessions, allowing Sussex to work their way steadily towards a target of 230 as the seagulls swooped and contrails criss-crossed a milky blue sky.It would have been too cute for them to gallivant to victory inside three days, having spent much of the first half of the match under the cosh, but Tom Haines provided the platform with 64 from 69 balls at the top of the order and Pujara seemed once again to be batting with the certainty of a tractor beam. But after Matthew Kuhnemann trapped Tom Clark lbw playing across the line to end a half-century stand, Pujara’s miscued pull picked out Michael Jones at short midwicket to spark jubilation among the men from Durham. Pujara looked so disappointed with himself that he might well have cursed.Haines and Ali Orr had begun the chase in confident fashion, Matt Potts taken for three fours in his second over as the openers chalked 30 off the requirement. Orr then swiped the first ball delivered by Brydon Carse straight to fine leg, before Haines and Alsop settled the innings with a partnership of 77. Alsop was dismissed attempting to reverse-sweep Kuhnemann – Potts doing well to hold a sprawling catch as he dived behind the wicketkeeper – and the persevering Carse then bounced out Haines to increase the Sussex jitters.Paul Farbrace, Sussex’s head coach, had spoken at the start of the season about the importance of breaking games down “session-by-session, hour-by-hour”, as a means of teaching an inexperienced side how to win four-day contests. Their greater resilience was evidenced by the way Sussex twice fought back into this match – bowling Durham out for 376 after they had been 213 for 1 (from 41 overs), and then making sure they posted 300 themselves from a position of 91 for 4.Although Durham took a 41-run lead on first innings, they appeared uncertain whether to stick or twist. Gone was the front-foot commitment of the side that blazed out of the traps on the first afternoon and they were quickly in trouble, losing five wickets before the lunch break as Henry Crocombe’s burst helped Sussex to retake the initiative.Had Durham’s top order fallen to a series of attacking shots then at least they would have been sticking to the blueprint. But by and large their dismissals were of the tentative variety, and it was only a measured first half-century since moving north for Ollie Robinson and some long-levered biffing from Carse that gave them something to bowl at.Sussex added just three runs to their overnight total but lingering cloud cover gave the bowlers some encouragement and they applied themselves much better than on day one. Jones was the first to depart, feathering an edge on the angle from left-armer Sean Hunt. Crocombe then struck with his third and seventh balls: Lees, driving away from his body, nicked behind before Ben McKinney’s tame prod resulted in a third catch at the wicket for Oli Carter.Durham were 42 for 3, but the position only got worse. Fynn Hudson-Prentice, who only came into the game on the third morning as a concussion substitute for George Garton, found a lovely curving line from the Cromwell Road End to induce a thick outside-edge as David Bedingham threw his hands, and Crocombe snaffled a third in the following over, Graham Clark fiddling through to Carter to make the score 63 for 5.Underpinning the bowling effort was Australian allrounder Nathan McAndrew, whose five-for in the first innings prevented Durham from taking too many liberties. Sussex’s attack in recent years has looked greener than the MP for Brighton Pavilion and here they fielded two 21-year-olds, in Hunt and Crocombe, alongside 22-year-old spinner Jack Carson. The introduction of Hudson-Prentice (27) for Garton (25) only pushed the average age up by a few months.But it was McAndrew, a relative veteran at 29, who bashed out first principles for Sussex with an opening spell of 6-3-7-0, and he returned after lunch to claim the sixth wicket, Jonathan Bushnell trapped lbw to the delight of Farbrace, stood at deep square leg by the entrance to the Sussex Cricket Museum. “Don’t move, you’re lucky there,” was the sage advice offered by a steward.Whether Farbrace moved or not, Durham mounted a recovery of sorts as Robinson and Carse hustled a partnership for the seventh wicket worth 71. Hudson-Prentice found the breakthrough, though Robinson was visibly aghast after opening the face to steer a low catch to Clark at gully. The last three wickets fell in short order to Hudson-Prentice and Crocombe, both bowlers recording their best innings figures for Sussex.

The fourth edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) will take place from July 31 to August 22 this year, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed. If it goes ahead as planned, this will be the first LPL season held in its originally scheduled July-August window.Similar to last year, the five-team tournament will take place at three venues, likely to be Hambantota, Colombo and Kandy, with each squad comprising a maximum of 20 players – 14 local and six overseas players. The Jaffna Kings have won all three editions of the tournament so far.”We have decided to hold the tournament during July and August this year, as conducting the tournament during this period gives us the best possible opportunity to attract top international talent and also suits well with Sri Lanka’s international cricket calendar,” LPL tournament director Samantha Dodanwela said.However, the Major League Cricket tournament in the USA is set to run from July 13 to 30, and the Hundred in England is scheduled between August 1 and 27, and both those tournaments could impact overseas player availability in the LPL.All three previous editions of the LPL had been postponed to November-December, having initially been slated for a July-August window. The inaugural edition in 2020 was impacted by strict Covid-19 restrictions in Sri Lanka at the time; in 2021, an increase in coronavirus cases combined with an unavailability of foreign stars due to scheduling clashes with other franchise leagues saw the tournament pushed to the end of the year; while last year, Sri Lanka was in the midst of a full blown economic crisis.

A La Liga club president has joked he will bring Cristiano Ronaldo back from Saudi Arabia "in his arms" amid speculation over the striker's future.

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• Ronaldo appears to confirm Al-Nassr exit
• Speculation over his next move
• Club president vows to "bring him back in his arms"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ronaldo shocked the footballing world when he appeared to suggest that his chapter with Al-Nassr was "over" following the end of the Saudi Pro League season. While rumours swirl over where the 40-year-old will go next, Rayo Vallecano president Raul Martin Presa has quipped that he wants him at his La Liga side next season.

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  WHAT PRESA SAID

  He told Radio Marca: "If Cristiano Ronaldo comes within reach, I'll go to Saudi Arabia and bring him back in my arms."

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  Ronaldo wants to keep playing until he reaches 1,000 goals, something he is just over 60 shy of. Speculation is rife about where he heads to next, but it would be a huge surprise if the Real Madrid legend returned to La Liga. Even though Vallecano have qualified for next season's Europa Conference League, it seems unlikely the Portugal international will head their way.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  All eyes will be on where the former Juventus and Manchester United ace, who is set to become a free agent, will head to next ahead of the 2025-26 season. Ronaldo may even feature at the Club World Cup next month, with Chelsea, Botafogo and Flamengo all reportedly considering a short-term deal for the veteran frontman.

Cesc Fabregas has reportedly agreed to join RB Leipzig after talks with Jurgen Klopp but Como are unlikely to let their manager leave.

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Fabregas ready to join RB LeipzigComo boss held talks with KloppItalian side unlikely to let their coach leaveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After a successful 2024-25 campaign with Como, where he helped the Italian side finish 10th in Serie A, Fabregas has been in demand, attracting interest from several top European sides. One such club is Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, who are in search of a new head coach.

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According to in Germany, Fabregas has reportedly given his verbal consent to join the German side this summer after holding talks with Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer, Jurgen Klopp. However, it is unlikely that the Spaniard will be managing the Saxons next season as Como have rejected every offer that has come their way for Fabregas.

DID YOU KNOW?

Fabregas was earlier linked with a move to Bayer Leverkusen to replace Xabi Alonso, but the former Bundesliga champions later appointed ex-Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag as their new head coach.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CESC FABREGAS?

Fabregas is likely to return to Barcelona this summer, as Como could be invited to take part in the Joan Gamper Trophy during the pre-season.

Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat Titans fast bowler distances himself from the post, says his account had been hacked into

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jun-2023Yash Dayal, the Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat Titans fast bowler, has distanced himself* from a social-media post containing an Islamophobic cartoon, saying both that post and a subsequent apology “weren’t done by me”.The original Instagram post was removed, but not before screenshots were shared and debated widely on social-media. Not long after, the handle posted: “Guy’s [sic] apologies for the story it was just posted by mistake plz don’t spread hate … I have respect for each & every community n society”.He later said in a statement, “There were two stories posted on my Insta handle today – both of which weren’t done by me. I have reported the matter to authorities as I believe my account is being accessed by someone else and used for posting. I am trying to regain full control of my Instagram account. I respect all communities and the picture shared today does not reveal my true beliefs.”Dayal, 26, has been playing representative cricket since 2018, when he made his senior debut for Uttar Pradesh, but became a household name for not-very-happy reasons on April 9 this year when, in a game in Ahmedabad, Kolkata Knight Riders’ Rinku Singh hit him for five consecutive sixes off the last five balls of the match to chase down an improbable target.He didn’t turn out for Titans for over a month after that, but played two more games as Titans made the tournament final, which they lost to Chennai Super Kings. Dayal had a forgettable season overall, picking up two wickets from five matches at an economy rate of 11.78.Bought by Titans before IPL 2022, Dayal played nine games in the team’s run to the title in what was their debut season, picking up 11 wickets and maintaining an economy rate of 9.25.

Under his ownership, Sultans went on to become the most consistent franchise in the league

Danyal Rasool06-Jul-2023

Multan Sultans owner Alamgir Tareen has died in Lahore by suicide at the age of 63. Alamgir, who bought the Sultans franchise in 2018, was found dead at his home in Lahore on Thursday morning. Police said a hand-written note had been found on the site, and news of his passing was confirmed by the franchise.”It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of our beloved team owner, Alamgir Khan Tareen,” a Multan Sultans statement said on Twitter. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Tareen’s family. We request you all to kindly respect his family’s privacy. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”Lahore Qalandars, who won the title this year against Tareen’s Sultans, also issued a statement of condolence.”Lahore Qalandars management is shocked and saddened to hear about the death of Mr. Alamgir Tareen,” the statement read. “This loss leaves a significant void within the cricket community. We offer our heartfelt support to his family and Multan Sultans to navigate this challenging time. May the departed soul rest in peace, and may their loved ones find strength and solace in the memories shared and the legacy left behind.”Alamgir acquired the Sultans franchise in 2018 along with his nephew Ali Khan Tareen, the son of influential Pakistani businessman and politician Jahangir Tareen. The Tareen family has long had roots in the South Punjab region that Multan is the capital of.He was an influential businessman in South Punjab in his own right, and operated a large water purification plant in Pakistan. The Sultans website described him as a “sports enthusiast who wanted to work towards establishing a solid platform for aspiring sportsmen and women and to provide them with the best possible resources to further develop their skills.”Alamgir, who went to university in the US, was influenced by the data-heavy strategies used by American franchises across several sports, and was pivotal in adapting that to the Sultans in the Pakistan Super League. Under his ownership, Sultans went on to become the most consistent franchise in the league, reaching each of the last three finals and winning the title in 2021. That year, he bought out Ali Tareen’s share, taking full, sole ownership of the franchise.If you or someone you know has thoughts of suicide or self-harm, know that there is help available. Please visit Umang Pakistan