<p>Germany forward Thomas Mueller expects revenge to be a factor when his side take on Brazil for the first time since humiliating the South Americans 7-1 in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals.</p>

<p>Joachim Loew&#39;s Germany start fine-tuning preparations for their World Cup defence in Russia with high-profile friendlies against Spain in Duesseldorf on Friday and Brazil in Berlin next Tuesday.</p>

<p>Spain, the 2010 World Cup winners, have the first chance to break Germany&#39;s 21-match unbeaten run, dating back to their Euro 2016 semi-final defeat by France.</p>

<p>However, the clash four days later at Berlin&#39;s Olympic Stadium offers Brazil a rare chance to beat Germany in their own backyard and avenge the hammering in Belo Horizonte almost four years ago.</p>

<p>&quot;Of course, you can imagine that the humiliation was great after losing a semi-final of a World Cup at home,&quot; said Mueller, who scored the first goal in that game.</p>

<p>&quot;Brazil is really a football-mad country and the pressure on them was huge. However, our journey wasn&#39;t over and for us it was just a step towards the final.&quot;</p>

<p>The Spain and Brazil games are head coach Loew&#39;s last chance to assess his options before naming his World Cup squad on May 15.</p>

<p><strong>Key decisions</strong></p>

<p>&quot;Two top matches await us -- we&#39;re up against superb teams. It&#39;s fun to compete with the best,&quot; added Bayern Munich forward Mueller. &quot;We all have the mentality that we always want to win, that&#39;s why we&#39;re the elite. The competition within the squad is a means to keep up the performance level. No one can afford to relax, everyone&#39;s challenged.</p>

<p>&quot;It&#39;s not just that we have eight or 11 good players, more like 20 or 25.</p>

<p>&quot;It&#39;s a good situation for the coach to be in. But this is an opportunity to show what we can do against big opponents in big games.&quot;</p>

<p>However, big names are missing in the ranks of the four-time World Cup winners.</p>

<p>Borussia Dortmund pair Mario Goetze, who scored the winning goal in the 2014 final against Argentina, and Marco Reus were left out to focus on their club form.</p>

<p>Germany captain Manuel Neuer, who last played an international in October 2016, is still sidelined with a fractured foot he suffered in September.</p>

<p>Loew must also decide whether Sandro Wagner or Mario Gomez will go to Russia as the back-up to first-choice striker Timo Werner.</p>

<p>Likewise, Paris Saint-Germain&#39;s Kevin Trapp and Bernd Leno of Bayer Leverkusen are vying for the third goalkeeping berth behind first-choice Neuer and reserve Marc-Andre ter Stegen.</p>

<p>&quot;I am glad that I do not have to decide who will be going,&quot; Germany midfielder Sami Khedira admitted to magazine Sport Bild.</p>

<p>As the Juventus player acknowledges, there will be &quot;no free ticket&quot; to Russia for any German stars.</p>

<p>Liverpool midfielder Emre Can sat out training on Wednesday with slight back pain, while Bayern&#39;s Sebastian Rudy will join the squad late as he awaits the birth of his child.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Timings:&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p><strong>Germany vs Spain:</strong> Saturday March 24, 1,15 am IST</p>

<p><strong>Germany vs Brazil:</strong> Wednesday, March 28, 12.15 am IST</p>


Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1 the last time they met in the semifinal of the 2014 World Cup

Germany forward Thomas Mueller expects revenge to be a factor when his side take on Brazil for the first time since humiliating the South Americans 7-1 in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals. Joachim Loew's Germany start fine-tuning preparations for their World Cup defence in Russia with high-profile friendlies against Spain in Duesseldorf on Friday and Brazil in Berlin next Tuesday. Spain, the 2010 World Cup winners, have the first chance to break Germany's 21-match unbeaten run, dating back to their Euro 2016 semi-final defeat by France. However, the clash four days later at Berlin's Olympic Stadium offers Brazil a rare chance to beat Germany in their own backyard and avenge the hammering in Belo Horizonte almost four years ago. "Of course, you can imagine that the humiliation was great after losing a semi-final of a World Cup at home," said Mueller, who scored the first goal in that game. "Brazil is really a football-mad country and the pressure on them was huge. However, our journey wasn't over and for us it was just a step towards the final." The Spain and Brazil games are head coach Loew's last chance to assess his options before naming his World Cup squad on May 15. Key decisions "Two top matches await us -- we're up against superb teams. It's fun to compete with the best," added Bayern Munich forward Mueller. "We all have the mentality that we always want to win, that's why we're the elite. The competition within the squad is a means to keep up the performance level. No one can afford to relax, everyone's challenged. "It's not just that we have eight or 11 good players, more like 20 or 25. "It's a good situation for the coach to be in. But this is an opportunity to show what we can do against big opponents in big games." However, big names are missing in the ranks of the four-time World Cup winners. Borussia Dortmund pair Mario Goetze, who scored the winning goal in the 2014 final against Argentina, and Marco Reus were left out to focus on their club form. Germany captain Manuel Neuer, who last played an international in October 2016, is still sidelined with a fractured foot he suffered in September. Loew must also decide whether Sandro Wagner or Mario Gomez will go to Russia as the back-up to first-choice striker Timo Werner. Likewise, Paris Saint-Germain's Kevin Trapp and Bernd Leno of Bayer Leverkusen are vying for the third goalkeeping berth behind first-choice Neuer and reserve Marc-Andre ter Stegen. "I am glad that I do not have to decide who will be going," Germany midfielder Sami Khedira admitted to magazine Sport Bild. As the Juventus player acknowledges, there will be "no free ticket" to Russia for any German stars. Liverpool midfielder Emre Can sat out training on Wednesday with slight back pain, while Bayern's Sebastian Rudy will join the squad late as he awaits the birth of his child. Timings: Germany vs Spain: Saturday March 24, 1,15 am IST Germany vs Brazil: Wednesday, March 28, 12.15 am IST

Football World Cup friendlies: Germany to take on Spain, Brazil

<p>Argentinian football squad is gearing up for the upcoming World Cup warm-up match which is scheduled to take place on March 24 against Italy at Eastlands, Manchester.</p>

<p>Argentine star, Lionel Messi joined up with the teams mates for the training sessions.</p>

<p>The Barca striker arrived to start working with the rest of the squad on Tuesday and was present at a training session open to media in the afternoon.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="es">[SELECCI&Oacute;N MAYOR] Con la presencia de Lionel <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Messi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Messi</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Argentina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Argentina</a> realiza su entrenamiento vespertino. Pr&oacute;ximo desaf&iacute;o: <a href="https://twitter.com/azzurri?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@azzurri</a> ???????? <a href="https://t.co/ubXOpW9gxu">pic.twitter.com/ubXOpW9gxu</a></p>
&mdash; Selecci&oacute;n Argentina (@Argentina) <a href="https://twitter.com/Argentina/status/976157043131285506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Sergio Aguero, who was present at the training session but was not participating in the training session as he has been sidelined with a knee injury.</p>

<p>Few other players were also there like Nicolas Otamendi, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria, Javier Mascherano and Marcos Rojo.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgjGjkegWJ5/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">[SELECCI&Oacute;N MAYOR] &iexcl;Lleg&oacute; el capit&aacute;n! Lionel #Messi ya se encuentra en la concentraci&oacute;n argentina en Manchester.</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/afaseleccion/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Selecci&oacute;n Argentina</a> (@afaseleccion) on <time datetime="2018-03-20T14:32:06+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Mar 20, 2018 at 7:32am PDT</time></p>
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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgjvZxxgnNE/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">[SELECCI&Oacute;N MAYOR] Pas&oacute; el segundo entrenamiento del d&iacute;a. &iexcl;Mir&aacute; las mejores im&aacute;genes!</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/afaseleccion/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Selecci&oacute;n Argentina</a> (@afaseleccion) on <time datetime="2018-03-20T20:28:53+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Mar 20, 2018 at 1:28pm PDT</time></p>
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Argentine star, Lionel Messi joined up with the teams mates for the training sessions for upcoming World Cup warm-up match against Italy

Argentinian football squad is gearing up for the upcoming World Cup warm-up match which is scheduled to take place on March 24 against Italy at Eastlands, Manchester. Argentine star, Lionel Messi joined up with the teams mates for the training sessions. The Barca striker arrived to start working with the rest of the squad on Tuesday and was present at a training session open to media in the afternoon. [SELECCIÓN MAYOR] Con la presencia de Lionel #Messi, @Argentina realiza su entrenamiento vespertino. Próximo desafío: @azzurri ???????? pic.twitter.com/ubXOpW9gxu — Selección Argentina (@Argentina) March 20, 2018 × Sergio Aguero, who was present at the training session but was not participating in the training session as he has been sidelined with a knee injury. Few other players were also there like Nicolas Otamendi, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria, Javier Mascherano and Marcos Rojo. [SELECCIÓN MAYOR] ¡Llegó el capitán! Lionel #Messi ya se encuentra en la concentración argentina en Manchester. A post shared by Selección Argentina (@afaseleccion) on Mar 20, 2018 at 7:32am PDT × [SELECCIÓN MAYOR] Pasó el segundo entrenamiento del día. ¡Mirá las mejores imágenes! A post shared by Selección Argentina (@afaseleccion) on Mar 20, 2018 at 1:28pm PDT ×

Football: Argentina to play Italy before World Cup

<p>India&#39;s medal increases as Anjum Moudgil grabbed a silver medal in the Women&#39;s 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) event at the ongoing International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico.</p>

<p>On day six of the competition, Anjum shot brilliantly to finish behind China&#39;s Ruijiao Pei 455.4 to 454.2 after the 45-shot final. China&#39;s Ting Sun claimed bronze, finishing with a score of 442.2.</p>

<p>This was India&#39;s eighth medal of the competition and the first Silver after having won three Golds and four bronze medals already.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="tl">???????? CHINA!!<br />
???????? INDIA!!<br />
???????? CHINA AGAIN!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISSFWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISSFWC</a> <a href="https://t.co/53yRsRCzV6">pic.twitter.com/53yRsRCzV6</a></p>
&mdash; ISSF (@ISSF_Shooting) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISSF_Shooting/status/971896097017806848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier, India&#39;s 16-year-old shooting sensation Manu Bhaker has won the women&#39;s 10m air pistol<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/issf-world-cup-shooter-shahzar-rizvi-grabs-maiden-gold-jitu-rai-and-mehuli-ghosh-settle-for-bronze-34578">&nbsp;gold</a>&nbsp;at the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/issf-world-cup-shooter-shahzar-rizvi-grabs-maiden-gold-jitu-rai-and-mehuli-ghosh-settle-for-bronze-34578">International Shooting Sports Federation</a>&nbsp;(ISSF) shooting&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/issf-world-cup-shooter-shahzar-rizvi-grabs-maiden-gold-jitu-rai-and-mehuli-ghosh-settle-for-bronze-34578">World Cup</a>&nbsp;in Guadalajara.</p>

<p>Manu Bhaker burst into prominence by winning 9 gold medals at India&#39;s national competition in December and served a reminder of her class by qualifying for the 8 woman final with a junior world record of 572 out of 600.</p>

<p>In the Men&#39;s 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, it was heartbreak for 15-year old Anish Bhanwala, who stood third after the first precision round with a solid 294 and a real chance to make it amongst the top six finalists.</p>

<p>Beginning with a solid 99 and following up with a 97, scores of 7, 9, 10, 8, 8 in the final series of five shots pulled him down to seventh place.</p>

<p>Anish ended with 578, the same score as sixth place qualifier Zhaonan Hao of China, but with one 10 lesser than the Chinese.</p>

<p>Neeraj Kumar, the second Indian in the fray, also had a similar last series to finish with 569 and on 13th place.</p>

<p>Three finals are slated for Saturday- the Men`s 3P, the Women&#39;s 25m Pistol and Women&#39;s Skeet- while the World Cup concludes on Sunday with the Men&#39;s Skeet final.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The People&#39;s Republic of China ???????? claims the gold-bronze combo in the 3 Positions final. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISSFWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISSFWC</a> <a href="https://t.co/Im4xnLYWZA">pic.twitter.com/Im4xnLYWZA</a></p>
&mdash; ISSF (@ISSF_Shooting) <a href="https://twitter.com/ISSF_Shooting/status/971845232391106560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


India's Anjum Moudgil won a silver medal in the Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) event at the ongoing International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup

India's medal increases as Anjum Moudgil grabbed a silver medal in the Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) event at the ongoing International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico. On day six of the competition, Anjum shot brilliantly to finish behind China's Ruijiao Pei 455.4 to 454.2 after the 45-shot final. China's Ting Sun claimed bronze, finishing with a score of 442.2. This was India's eighth medal of the competition and the first Silver after having won three Golds and four bronze medals already. ???????? CHINA!! ???????? INDIA!! ???????? CHINA AGAIN!!#ISSFWC pic.twitter.com/53yRsRCzV6 — ISSF (@ISSF_Shooting) March 8, 2018 × Earlier, India's 16-year-old shooting sensation Manu Bhaker has won the women's 10m air pistol gold at the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) shooting World Cup in Guadalajara. Manu Bhaker burst into prominence by winning 9 gold medals at India's national competition in December and served a reminder of her class by qualifying for the 8 woman final with a junior world record of 572 out of 600. In the Men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, it was heartbreak for 15-year old Anish Bhanwala, who stood third after the first precision round with a solid 294 and a real chance to make it amongst the top six finalists. Beginning with a solid 99 and following up with a 97, scores of 7, 9, 10, 8, 8 in the final series of five shots pulled him down to seventh place. Anish ended with 578, the same score as sixth place qualifier Zhaonan Hao of China, but with one 10 lesser than the Chinese. Neeraj Kumar, the second Indian in the fray, also had a similar last series to finish with 569 and on 13th place. Three finals are slated for Saturday- the Men`s 3P, the Women's 25m Pistol and Women's Skeet- while the World Cup concludes on Sunday with the Men's Skeet final. The People's Republic of China ???????? claims the gold-bronze combo in the 3 Positions final. #ISSFWC pic.twitter.com/Im4xnLYWZA — ISSF (@ISSF_Shooting) March 8, 2018 ×

ISSF World Cup: Shooter Anjum Moudgil wins silver

<p>Football&#39;s law-making body on Saturday was set to approve the use of video assistant referee technology (VAR) at this summer&#39;s World Cup, overriding purists concerned about technology disrupting the game.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting in Zurich is widely expected to rubber-stamp the move already backed by FIFA&#39;s top brass, including president Gianni Infantino.&nbsp;</p>

<p>VAR can only be used when there is doubt surrounding any of four key game-changing situations: After a goal, penalty decisions, after a straight red card or in cases of mistaken identity.</p>

<p>It has already been implemented in top European leagues including the German Bundesliga and Italy&#39;s Serie A -- along with tests in multiple other leagues -- but opinion is still divided.&nbsp;</p>

<p>UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said this week that European football&#39;s governing body would not introduce VAR in next season&#39;s Champions League due to ongoing &quot;confusion&quot; surrounding its use.</p>

<p>Others have voiced concern about video assistance being used too often, slowing down the game and possibly breaking a team&#39;s momentum.&nbsp;</p>

<p>That is an issue confronting major North American sports&nbsp;like baseball and American football, where different forms of video replay have been in use for several years and where calls to shorten match length have risen. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Access to information</strong></p>

<p>But the desire to avoid ferociously disputed calls -- especially in high-profile moments -- appears to have tipped FIFA to support using VAR at this summer&#39;s World Cup in Russia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One iconic example that VAR could theoretically have prevented is Diego Maradona&#39;s &quot;Hand of God&quot; goal that saw Argentina beat England in the 1986 World Cup.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For Infantino, who will be on hand Saturday for the IFAB announcement, international football cannot allow anyone with a smart-phone having access to better information than a World Cup referee.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;In 2018 we cannot anymore afford that everyone in the stadium and everyone in front of a TV screen can see within a few minutes on his phone whether the referee has made a big mistake or not, and the only one who cannot see it is the referee&quot;, he said last month. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;So if we can help the referee then we should do it,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Representatives of the 32 teams that have qualified for the World Cup meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi this week voiced confidence that the expected VAR rollout would be a positive for the tournament.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;This is the new life. This is modern life,&quot; said Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz.</p>

<p>&quot;It is obvious that football cannot go on with its eyes closed to the modern world.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


VAR can only be used when there is doubt surrounding any of four key game-changing situations: After a goal, penalty decisions, after a straight red card or in cases of mistaken identity

Football's law-making body on Saturday was set to approve the use of video assistant referee technology (VAR) at this summer's World Cup, overriding purists concerned about technology disrupting the game. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) meeting in Zurich is widely expected to rubber-stamp the move already backed by FIFA's top brass, including president Gianni Infantino. VAR can only be used when there is doubt surrounding any of four key game-changing situations: After a goal, penalty decisions, after a straight red card or in cases of mistaken identity. It has already been implemented in top European leagues including the German Bundesliga and Italy's Serie A -- along with tests in multiple other leagues -- but opinion is still divided. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said this week that European football's governing body would not introduce VAR in next season's Champions League due to ongoing "confusion" surrounding its use. Others have voiced concern about video assistance being used too often, slowing down the game and possibly breaking a team's momentum. That is an issue confronting major North American sports like baseball and American football, where different forms of video replay have been in use for several years and where calls to shorten match length have risen. Access to information But the desire to avoid ferociously disputed calls -- especially in high-profile moments -- appears to have tipped FIFA to support using VAR at this summer's World Cup in Russia. One iconic example that VAR could theoretically have prevented is Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal that saw Argentina beat England in the 1986 World Cup. For Infantino, who will be on hand Saturday for the IFAB announcement, international football cannot allow anyone with a smart-phone having access to better information than a World Cup referee. "In 2018 we cannot anymore afford that everyone in the stadium and everyone in front of a TV screen can see within a few minutes on his phone whether the referee has made a big mistake or not, and the only one who cannot see it is the referee", he said last month. "So if we can help the referee then we should do it," he added. Representatives of the 32 teams that have qualified for the World Cup meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi this week voiced confidence that the expected VAR rollout would be a positive for the tournament. "This is the new life. This is modern life," said Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz. "It is obvious that football cannot go on with its eyes closed to the modern world."

Video Assistant Referee set for FIFA World Cup approval

<p>The Afghan National cricket team captain Asghar Stanikzai has been hospitalized in Zimbabwe for appendicitis which means he will miss the 2019 World Cup qualifying campaign. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) citing the doctors have reported that Stanikzai will undergo a surgery today.</p>

<p>The 30-year-old middle order batsman will miss the warm-up games this week as well as the tournament opener against Scotland on March 4 although officials expect him to be fit to face hosts Zimbabwe two days later.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING: Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai has been ruled out of the start of their <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketworldcup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cricketworldcup</a> qualifier campaign, requiring surgery for appendicitis <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWCQ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWCQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/SnRe9y5Fu8">https://t.co/SnRe9y5Fu8</a> <a href="https://t.co/FQBIoChNxI">pic.twitter.com/FQBIoChNxI</a></p>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/968085361346928640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Stanikzai has played 83 one-day internationals and made 1,565 runs.</p>

<p>Afghanistan is in Group B of the qualifying tournament which is being staged in Zimbabwe and will face the home country, Nepal, Hong Kong and Scotland in the first round.</p>

<p>The top three teams from the two groups will qualify for the second stage with the best two countries at the end of the event booking their places at the 2019 World Cup being held in England and Wales.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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Stanikzai was ruled out of the start of the tournament after undergoing surgery to have his appendix removed, the International Cricket Council announced

The Afghan National cricket team captain Asghar Stanikzai has been hospitalized in Zimbabwe for appendicitis which means he will miss the 2019 World Cup qualifying campaign. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) citing the doctors have reported that Stanikzai will undergo a surgery today. The 30-year-old middle order batsman will miss the warm-up games this week as well as the tournament opener against Scotland on March 4 although officials expect him to be fit to face hosts Zimbabwe two days later. BREAKING: Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai has been ruled out of the start of their @cricketworldcup qualifier campaign, requiring surgery for appendicitis #CWCQ https://t.co/SnRe9y5Fu8 pic.twitter.com/FQBIoChNxI — ICC (@ICC) February 26, 2018 × Stanikzai has played 83 one-day internationals and made 1,565 runs. Afghanistan is in Group B of the qualifying tournament which is being staged in Zimbabwe and will face the home country, Nepal, Hong Kong and Scotland in the first round. The top three teams from the two groups will qualify for the second stage with the best two countries at the end of the event booking their places at the 2019 World Cup being held in England and Wales.

Afghan skipper Asghar Stanikzai to miss start of World Cup qualifiers

<p>Suresh Raina marked his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/comeback-feels-like-playing-first-time-in-indian-jersey-raina-33243">comeback</a> in the ongoing T20 series against South&nbsp;Africa.&nbsp;Recently, India had created history, winning the six-match ODI series by 5-1 on South African soil,&nbsp;Indian team outplayed South African side in all departments,&nbsp;fielding, batting and bowling.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/comeback-feels-like-playing-first-time-in-indian-jersey-raina-33243">All eyes are on Suresh Raina</a> as he is one of the favourites when it comes toT20 format. In IPL, Raina was retained by Chennai Super Kings for an amount of 11 crores. Raina is desperate to rejoin Indian cricket team ahead&nbsp;of World Cup 2019, and his performance&nbsp;will act as a decider.&nbsp;Raina played his last international T20 match almost a year&nbsp;ago against England at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Feb 01, 2017. The veteran has since struggled to get back into the side because of both form and fitness issues.</p>

<p>In a recent interview Indian cricketer, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/comeback-feels-like-playing-first-time-in-indian-jersey-raina-33243">Suresh Raina</a> said, &quot;It is important to win a trophy first and important to go out there as a team mindset. If you see the top order, they are all batting well.</p>

<p>&quot;When you come to the middle order, MS (Dhoni) is there and Manish (Pandey) is also doing a good job,&quot; Raina told reporters ahead of the third T20I match against&nbsp;South Africa.</p>

<p>He added, &quot;So we will see where I can fit in. There are a lot of matches coming up now. Winning games is more important than being which format I am playing or not. Every&nbsp;Indian game is very important for me right now.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;It is important (to attack). Virat (Kohli) showed that faith in me. In the last two games we have dominated in the first six overs. It is very important to play well in the first six overs,&quot; Raina said.</p>

<p>India&nbsp;is currently levelled at 1-1 in the series with the decider game to be played here on Saturday.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/1st-t20-india-vs-south-africa-all-eyes-on-suresh-raina-33237">Raina</a> stressed that the team will look to go aggressive once again in the third match against the hosts to finish the tour on high.</p>

<p>&quot;We have spoken about it in the team meeting as well. When you have been doing well in every game, then you need to finish well too. That is what <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/1st-t20-india-vs-south-africa-all-eyes-on-suresh-raina-33237">Virat i</a>s all about. He never takes things easier, and on top of that you have MS and Ravi (Shastri) bhai who also give their inputs to the players,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;Virat has led the team well. We did well in Tests and won the ODI series. Dressing room is such that everyone is enjoying this success and the process is such that everyone is giving their inputs to Ravi bhai.&quot;</p>

<p>Taking about the&nbsp;2019 World Cup, he said that there is the long road the team has to cover ahead of the tournament.</p>

<p>&quot;I think it is a long road to the World Cup from here on. First, we have the tri-series in Sri Lanka, then we have the IPL, so we need to keep fresh, keep winning and doing the right processes,&quot; the occasional off-spinner said.</p>

<p>&quot;Closer to the World Cup we will be able to tell where we are going. It is important to stay in present and look to win each and every game,&quot; Raina added.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Suresh Raina said, 'We have the tri-series in Sri Lanka, then we have the IPL, so we need to keep fresh, keep winning and doing the right processes'

Suresh Raina marked his comeback in the ongoing T20 series against South Africa. Recently, India had created history, winning the six-match ODI series by 5-1 on South African soil, Indian team outplayed South African side in all departments, fielding, batting and bowling. All eyes are on Suresh Raina as he is one of the favourites when it comes toT20 format. In IPL, Raina was retained by Chennai Super Kings for an amount of 11 crores. Raina is desperate to rejoin Indian cricket team ahead of World Cup 2019, and his performance will act as a decider. Raina played his last international T20 match almost a year ago against England at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Feb 01, 2017. The veteran has since struggled to get back into the side because of both form and fitness issues. In a recent interview Indian cricketer, Suresh Raina said, "It is important to win a trophy first and important to go out there as a team mindset. If you see the top order, they are all batting well. "When you come to the middle order, MS (Dhoni) is there and Manish (Pandey) is also doing a good job," Raina told reporters ahead of the third T20I match against South Africa. He added, "So we will see where I can fit in. There are a lot of matches coming up now. Winning games is more important than being which format I am playing or not. Every Indian game is very important for me right now." "It is important (to attack). Virat (Kohli) showed that faith in me. In the last two games we have dominated in the first six overs. It is very important to play well in the first six overs," Raina said. India is currently levelled at 1-1 in the series with the decider game to be played here on Saturday. Raina stressed that the team will look to go aggressive once again in the third match against the hosts to finish the tour on high. "We have spoken about it in the team meeting as well. When you have been doing well in every game, then you need to finish well too. That is what Virat is all about. He never takes things easier, and on top of that you have MS and Ravi (Shastri) bhai who also give their inputs to the players," he said. "Virat has led the team well. We did well in Tests and won the ODI series. Dressing room is such that everyone is enjoying this success and the process is such that everyone is giving their inputs to Ravi bhai." Taking about the 2019 World Cup, he said that there is the long road the team has to cover ahead of the tournament. "I think it is a long road to the World Cup from here on. First, we have the tri-series in Sri Lanka, then we have the IPL, so we need to keep fresh, keep winning and doing the right processes," the occasional off-spinner said. "Closer to the World Cup we will be able to tell where we are going. It is important to stay in present and look to win each and every game," Raina added.

'It is a long road to the World Cup,' says Raina

<p>To set the tone of this discussion, first, let&#39;s have a look at these famous quotes.</p>

<p>&lsquo;Class is permanent and form is temporary&rsquo;; &lsquo;Improvisation and evaluation is a continual process&rdquo;.</p>

<p>MS Dhoni&rsquo;s role in Indian ODI and T-20 series has been under public scrutiny for a while now. He certainly is not the same class act for the past couple of years, what he used to be a few years back. In current ODI series, true that he played a knock of run a ball 42 at Johannesburg in 4th&nbsp;ODI but he disappointed in the 5th&nbsp;ODI at Port Elizabeth. When he came to bat in 43rd&nbsp;over, the total was 236 for five. The stage was set for Dhoni to take India past 300, but he just couldn&rsquo;t launch the attack, which has been his USP for all those years. It was palpable that one of the finest finishers of the game is waning.</p>

<p>This makes me think if the time is up for Dhoni now?</p>

<p>Nobody will disagree with the fact that MS Dhoni is the pride of India. &nbsp;He is one among the greatest Cricketers the nation has produced. His achievements might not get reflected in the numbers, records &amp; longevity (like that of Gavaskar &amp; Tendulkar) but under his captaincy, the Indian team had been raising the performance bar higher.&nbsp;I in fact, rate him parallel to Kapil Dev in terms of impact on the game as well. Kapil was the first player in his class and he inspired a whole generation to pursue pace bowling.</p>

<p>Similarly, Dhoni started a new template of cricketers in India, which earlier belonged to Australia or West Indies only - a powerful and slick hitter, razor-sharp behind the stumps, easygoing and cool on the ground, the ability of leading from the front, dominating and possessing a unique art of controlling any situation in the game.</p>

<p>In 13 years of career, he has achieved everything which he could have sought in&nbsp;wildest of his dreams. It was Dhoni who took India to T-20 World Cup, ICC World Cup and ICC Champion&rsquo;s Trophy triumph. Unresting here, he took India to the summit of ICC Test ranking and like a superman, he won the World Cup with swinging bat in the final match by sending the ball over the rope (World Cup 2011).</p>

<p>But now Dhoni is 36 &frac12; years old and we can not expect the same endurance level from him which he used to deliver five years back. The main problem with Dhoni&rsquo;s style of batting is that he depends on hand-eye coordination and it is bound to decline with age.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, as stated above, Dhoni is a class act and all we need is the resetting his role in the team. Despite the decline in his natural hitting abilities, Dhoni still has some unique selling points. He is sharp behind the stumps, he is frantic runner between the wicket and he brings plenty of experience on the table, which at times become very handy for Kohli. Moreover, God has given him a natural hawk-eye and he is normally spot-on with his decisions to go upstairs for DRS.</p>

<p>The need of the hour is to change Dhoni&rsquo;s&nbsp;&nbsp;batting order. Dhoni is no longer the best man to finish the innings at number six or seven. He, however, can still play a colossal role in mid overs, largely because of his ability to keep the scoreboard ticking by taking ones and twos. His ability to run fast between the wickets helps him in the course.</p>

<p>Sending Dhoni at four or five will also help Indian team to fix their middle order woes. Currently in the middle order, barring skipper Kohli, there is huge volatility and Dhoni can be the perfect companion to Kohli. As we saw in past, when Dhoni and Kohli bats together, they score with a rate of five-run per overs in just singles and doubles only.</p>

<p>When we unfold the pages of Dhoni&#39;s history, he played the role of Imran Khan from Pakistan who played amazingly in his last couple of years (with the bat). Like Dhoni, Imran was a hard hitter at number six/seven during his peak. In 1992 World Cup, 39 years old Imran promoted himself up the order. He spearheaded Pakistan&rsquo;s batting in the middle of the innings. In the final of 1992 World Cup, Imran came at number three when Pakistan was reeling at the scoreline of 24 for 2. Imran built the innings with a very watchful 72 runs.</p>

<p>Indian thinktank needs to a take a cue from there. We saw the first version of Dhoni that is Dhoni:1 in 2004 &ndash; a hard-hitting flamboyant batsman, who would decimate Pakistan is its own backyard and won accolade from President Musharraf.&nbsp;We have also witnessed the second version of &nbsp;Dhoni, that is Dhoni:2 - launched in Sep 2007 with T20 World Cup victory&ndash; an astute leader with a knack for winning World Cups/big tournaments and leading from the front.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Before brand Dhoni becomes history,&nbsp;the time has come to have the final version of this series - Dhoni:03, which can be equally successful as the first two versions were.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em><br />
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


MS Dhoni has needs to be rebooted to secure the position 6th in the team

To set the tone of this discussion, first, let's have a look at these famous quotes. ‘Class is permanent and form is temporary’; ‘Improvisation and evaluation is a continual process”. MS Dhoni’s role in Indian ODI and T-20 series has been under public scrutiny for a while now. He certainly is not the same class act for the past couple of years, what he used to be a few years back. In current ODI series, true that he played a knock of run a ball 42 at Johannesburg in 4th ODI but he disappointed in the 5th ODI at Port Elizabeth. When he came to bat in 43rd over, the total was 236 for five. The stage was set for Dhoni to take India past 300, but he just couldn’t launch the attack, which has been his USP for all those years. It was palpable that one of the finest finishers of the game is waning. This makes me think if the time is up for Dhoni now? Nobody will disagree with the fact that MS Dhoni is the pride of India. He is one among the greatest Cricketers the nation has produced. His achievements might not get reflected in the numbers, records & longevity (like that of Gavaskar & Tendulkar) but under his captaincy, the Indian team had been raising the performance bar higher. I in fact, rate him parallel to Kapil Dev in terms of impact on the game as well. Kapil was the first player in his class and he inspired a whole generation to pursue pace bowling. Similarly, Dhoni started a new template of cricketers in India, which earlier belonged to Australia or West Indies only - a powerful and slick hitter, razor-sharp behind the stumps, easygoing and cool on the ground, the ability of leading from the front, dominating and possessing a unique art of controlling any situation in the game. In 13 years of career, he has achieved everything which he could have sought in wildest of his dreams. It was Dhoni who took India to T-20 World Cup, ICC World Cup and ICC Champion’s Trophy triumph. Unresting here, he took India to the summit of ICC Test ranking and like a superman, he won the World Cup with swinging bat in the final match by sending the ball over the rope (World Cup 2011). But now Dhoni is 36 ½ years old and we can not expect the same endurance level from him which he used to deliver five years back. The main problem with Dhoni’s style of batting is that he depends on hand-eye coordination and it is bound to decline with age. However, as stated above, Dhoni is a class act and all we need is the resetting his role in the team. Despite the decline in his natural hitting abilities, Dhoni still has some unique selling points. He is sharp behind the stumps, he is frantic runner between the wicket and he brings plenty of experience on the table, which at times become very handy for Kohli. Moreover, God has given him a natural hawk-eye and he is normally spot-on with his decisions to go upstairs for DRS. The need of the hour is to change Dhoni’s batting order. Dhoni is no longer the best man to finish the innings at number six or seven. He, however, can still play a colossal role in mid overs, largely because of his ability to keep the scoreboard ticking by taking ones and twos. His ability to run fast between the wickets helps him in the course. Sending Dhoni at four or five will also help Indian team to fix their middle order woes. Currently in the middle order, barring skipper Kohli, there is huge volatility and Dhoni can be the perfect companion to Kohli. As we saw in past, when Dhoni and Kohli bats together, they score with a rate of five-run per overs in just singles and doubles only. When we unfold the pages of Dhoni's history, he played the role of Imran Khan from Pakistan who played amazingly in his last couple of years (with the bat). Like Dhoni, Imran was a hard hitter at number six/seven during his peak. In 1992 World Cup, 39 years old Imran promoted himself up the order. He spearheaded Pakistan’s batting in the middle of the innings. In the final of 1992 World Cup, Imran came at number three when Pakistan was reeling at the scoreline of 24 for 2. Imran built the innings with a very watchful 72 runs. Indian thinktank needs to a take a cue from there. We saw the first version of Dhoni that is Dhoni:1 in 2004 – a hard-hitting flamboyant batsman, who would decimate Pakistan is its own backyard and won accolade from President Musharraf. We have also witnessed the second version of Dhoni, that is Dhoni:2 - launched in Sep 2007 with T20 World Cup victory– an astute leader with a knack for winning World Cups/big tournaments and leading from the front. Before brand Dhoni becomes history, the time has come to have the final version of this series - Dhoni:03, which can be equally successful as the first two versions were. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Time to have new version of MS Dhoni: 'Dhoni .03'

<p>Hockey&#39;s governing body indicated Thursday that Pakistan will take part in the men&#39;s World Cup this year in India despite acute tensions between the two countries.</p>

<p>Pakistan has qualified for the World Cup to be held in the eastern Indian city of Bhubaneswar between November 18 and December 16. But fears have been raised that Pakistan could skip the 16-team event as sporting ties between the neighbours are frozen.</p>

<p>The International Hockey Federation (FIH) told AFP however that no participating nation has indicated problems that could lead to a withdrawal, or India refusing to let any nation attend.</p>

<p>&quot;We are looking forward to welcoming all 16 qualified teams. We have not received concerns from any of the participating teams nor the host about this matter,&quot; an FIH official told AFP in an email statement.</p>

<p>&quot;FIH strongly believes that hockey is an inclusive sport, aimed at celebrating diversity and promoting friendship and respect.&quot;</p>

<p>India&#39;s blind cricket team did not go to Pakistan in January for the 50-over World Cup, forcing their matches to be switched to the United Arab Emirates.</p>

<p>India and Pakistan&#39;s senior cricket teams have not played a bilateral series since 2013 because of the tense political climate. India accuses its neighbour of supporting militant activities, particularly in the disputed Kashmir region.</p>

<p>Pakistan&#39;s kabaddi, squash and wrestling teams also did not travel to India for marquee tournaments last year.</p>

<p>Pakistan, who did not qualify for the 2014 World Cup, is the most successful team in the sport&#39;s showpiece event with title wins in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994.</p>


Pakistan has qualified for the World Cup to be held in India but might there were speculations that they might skip it due to political turmoil

Hockey's governing body indicated Thursday that Pakistan will take part in the men's World Cup this year in India despite acute tensions between the two countries. Pakistan has qualified for the World Cup to be held in the eastern Indian city of Bhubaneswar between November 18 and December 16. But fears have been raised that Pakistan could skip the 16-team event as sporting ties between the neighbours are frozen. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) told AFP however that no participating nation has indicated problems that could lead to a withdrawal, or India refusing to let any nation attend. "We are looking forward to welcoming all 16 qualified teams. We have not received concerns from any of the participating teams nor the host about this matter," an FIH official told AFP in an email statement. "FIH strongly believes that hockey is an inclusive sport, aimed at celebrating diversity and promoting friendship and respect." India's blind cricket team did not go to Pakistan in January for the 50-over World Cup, forcing their matches to be switched to the United Arab Emirates. India and Pakistan's senior cricket teams have not played a bilateral series since 2013 because of the tense political climate. India accuses its neighbour of supporting militant activities, particularly in the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan's kabaddi, squash and wrestling teams also did not travel to India for marquee tournaments last year. Pakistan, who did not qualify for the 2014 World Cup, is the most successful team in the sport's showpiece event with title wins in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994.

Pakistan to play Hockey World Cup in rival India confirms FIH

<p>India&rsquo;s first ever one-day international series victory in South Africa has laid a strong platform for the country&rsquo;s hopes of a successful 2019 World Cup campaign, captain Virat Kohli said.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/india-regains-no1-spot-in-icc-odi-rankings-after-defeating-south-africa-in-5th-odi-32828">Also read:&nbsp;India regains No1 spot in ICC ODI rankings after defeating South Africa in 5th ODI</a></p>

<p>&ldquo;We are a team that always wants to think of ways we can improve and after this tour, we will look be to even stronger with the 2019 World Cup in mind,&rdquo; he said after India took a 4-1 lead in the six-match series on Tuesday.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a wonderful feeling to have created some history. The guys really got stuck in, with the bat and the ball and in the field as well,&rdquo; he added after the Port Elizabeth triumph.</p>

<p>Success in the series has lifted India above South Africa in the International Cricket Council&rsquo;s one-day rankings and they retained their number one status in tests as well despite losing 2-1 to the South Africans last month.</p>

<p>&ldquo;For now, 4-1 feels amazing. Obviously, the players put up some really good cricket to be in this position,&rdquo; Kohli added.</p>

<p>The last match of the ODI series is in Pretoria on Friday.</p>

<p>&ldquo;We want to win 5-1 but there might be a scenario to give a few (other) guys a chance,&rdquo; Kohli said with the series won using only 12 of India&rsquo;s 17-man squad.</p>

<p>The 2019 World Cup is being hosted by England and Wales, where India won their first global title in 1983 before adding a second on home soil in 2011.</p>


The 2019 World Cup is being hosted by England and Wales, where India won their first global title in 1983 before adding a second on home soil in 2011

India’s first ever one-day international series victory in South Africa has laid a strong platform for the country’s hopes of a successful 2019 World Cup campaign, captain Virat Kohli said. Also read: India regains No1 spot in ICC ODI rankings after defeating South Africa in 5th ODI “We are a team that always wants to think of ways we can improve and after this tour, we will look be to even stronger with the 2019 World Cup in mind,” he said after India took a 4-1 lead in the six-match series on Tuesday. “It’s a wonderful feeling to have created some history. The guys really got stuck in, with the bat and the ball and in the field as well,” he added after the Port Elizabeth triumph. Success in the series has lifted India above South Africa in the International Cricket Council’s one-day rankings and they retained their number one status in tests as well despite losing 2-1 to the South Africans last month. “For now, 4-1 feels amazing. Obviously, the players put up some really good cricket to be in this position,” Kohli added. The last match of the ODI series is in Pretoria on Friday. “We want to win 5-1 but there might be a scenario to give a few (other) guys a chance,” Kohli said with the series won using only 12 of India’s 17-man squad. The 2019 World Cup is being hosted by England and Wales, where India won their first global title in 1983 before adding a second on home soil in 2011.

Virat Kohli eyes World Cup glory after conquering South Africa

<p>Under-19 cricket team of India has arrived in Mumbai after earning glory.</p>

<p>World U-19 champions received a warm welcome at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai&nbsp;by some senior officials of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).</p>

<p>Besides MCA officials, a significant number of fans were also assembled at the airport to welcome the young heroes.</p>

<p>On the arrival, skipper<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/virats-xi-vs-u-19-world-cup-captain-prithvi-shaws-xi-which-is-better-669"> Prithvi Shaw expressed</a> his gratitude and said, &quot;Thank you all for supporting us throughout the journey and thank you for sending blessings.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Indian U-19 cricket team players arrive at Mumbai Airport after winning the U-19 World Cup title. <a href="https://t.co/hkB7MLrlIk">pic.twitter.com/hkB7MLrlIk</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/960458684253069317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Prithvi Shaw and his team have retired from Under-19 cricket in the best way possible.</p>

<p>Now, they are definitely looking forward to having a promising future in cricket. Few of players like, skipper&nbsp;Prithvi Shaw, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/meet-manjot-kalra-the-man-behind-indias-victory-in-u-19-world-cup-666">Manjot Kalra</a>, Shubman Gill, Ishan Porel, Kamlesh Nagarkoti will appear&nbsp;in the upcoming IPL series.</p>

<p>They have booked a&nbsp;berth in the upcoming&nbsp;IPL series&nbsp;as they were bought by IPL franchises.</p>

<p>The U-19 team, coached by legendary Rahul Dravid, came out of the airport at around 3.30 PM local time.</p>

<p>India produced a dominant performance in the tournament and<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-indias-historic-win-against-australia-in-the-u-19-world-cup-final-665"> remained unbeaten throughout</a> to lift the trophy for a record fourth time in New Zealand.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


World U-19 champions received a warm welcome at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai by senior officials of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA)

Under-19 cricket team of India has arrived in Mumbai after earning glory. World U-19 champions received a warm welcome at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai by some senior officials of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). Besides MCA officials, a significant number of fans were also assembled at the airport to welcome the young heroes. On the arrival, skipper Prithvi Shaw expressed his gratitude and said, "Thank you all for supporting us throughout the journey and thank you for sending blessings." Indian U-19 cricket team players arrive at Mumbai Airport after winning the U-19 World Cup title. pic.twitter.com/hkB7MLrlIk — ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2018 × Prithvi Shaw and his team have retired from Under-19 cricket in the best way possible. Now, they are definitely looking forward to having a promising future in cricket. Few of players like, skipper Prithvi Shaw, Manjot Kalra, Shubman Gill, Ishan Porel, Kamlesh Nagarkoti will appear in the upcoming IPL series. They have booked a berth in the upcoming IPL series as they were bought by IPL franchises. The U-19 team, coached by legendary Rahul Dravid, came out of the airport at around 3.30 PM local time. India produced a dominant performance in the tournament and remained unbeaten throughout to lift the trophy for a record fourth time in New Zealand.

Watch: India U-19 team returns home with World Cup trophy

<p>In a press conference in Mumbai, the coach of the under 19 Indian Cricket team Rahul Dravid, expressed his happiness on the recent victory of his team.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said that the entire credit for the victory rests with the team as they are the ones who made sacrifices.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dravid said &quot;I know the impact a coach can have on the team, but real credit goes to the players. They are the ones who stand up in such pressure games, they are the ones who stood up &amp; showed maturity. They are the ones who made sacrifices. Credit is entirely theirs&quot;</p>

<p>He added &quot;the real satisfaction was in the process. Planning and developing of U-19 players was&nbsp;in place. I am really happy because of these fifteen boys winning the World Cup. The way they have played and executed in pressure, these kinds of things give you happiness&quot;.</p>

<p>The former Indian&nbsp;captain said &quot;I don&#39;t think we played our number one game in the final, but playing such a high-pressure final in such a big tournament is another experience. Then coming to Mumbai and seeing excitement, noise and so many people around them, is another kind of experience.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">World cup winning Indian U-19 Cricket team with Coach Rahul Dravid and other coaching staff in Mumbai. <a href="https://t.co/2vHShYzMmj">pic.twitter.com/2vHShYzMmj</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/960493450629144576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The captain of the team, Prithvi Shah thanked the senior players for the experiences. He said &quot; When you go to a higher level, you get good experience from your senior players. You get many things from them. Things which help you in your game&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is all about experience. Obviously when you go to a higher level, you get good experience from your senior players. You get many things from them. Things which help you in your game. Scoring runs in Ranji Trophy or U-19 matches helped me a lot, it really mattered: Prithvi Shaw <a href="https://t.co/dDSnnVfnQe">pic.twitter.com/dDSnnVfnQe</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/960498505881149440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Under-19 cricket team of India reached Mumbai on Monday after the dominant performance in the World Cup tournament.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pictures-indias-historic-win-against-australia-in-the-u-19-world-cup-final-665">remained unbeaten throughout</a>&nbsp;to lift the trophy for a record fourth time in New Zealand.</p>

<p>The team&nbsp;received a warm welcome at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai&nbsp;by some senior officials of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and a significant number of fans.&nbsp;</p>


The former Indian captain said 'I don't think we played our number one game in the final, but playing such a high-pressure final in such a big tournament is another experience'

In a press conference in Mumbai, the coach of the under 19 Indian Cricket team Rahul Dravid, expressed his happiness on the recent victory of his team. He said that the entire credit for the victory rests with the team as they are the ones who made sacrifices. Dravid said "I know the impact a coach can have on the team, but real credit goes to the players. They are the ones who stand up in such pressure games, they are the ones who stood up & showed maturity. They are the ones who made sacrifices. Credit is entirely theirs" He added "the real satisfaction was in the process. Planning and developing of U-19 players was in place. I am really happy because of these fifteen boys winning the World Cup. The way they have played and executed in pressure, these kinds of things give you happiness". The former Indian captain said "I don't think we played our number one game in the final, but playing such a high-pressure final in such a big tournament is another experience. Then coming to Mumbai and seeing excitement, noise and so many people around them, is another kind of experience." World cup winning Indian U-19 Cricket team with Coach Rahul Dravid and other coaching staff in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/2vHShYzMmj — ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2018 × The captain of the team, Prithvi Shah thanked the senior players for the experiences. He said " When you go to a higher level, you get good experience from your senior players. You get many things from them. Things which help you in your game". It is all about experience. Obviously when you go to a higher level, you get good experience from your senior players. You get many things from them. Things which help you in your game. Scoring runs in Ranji Trophy or U-19 matches helped me a lot, it really mattered: Prithvi Shaw pic.twitter.com/dDSnnVfnQe — ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2018 × The Under-19 cricket team of India reached Mumbai on Monday after the dominant performance in the World Cup tournament. India remained unbeaten throughout to lift the trophy for a record fourth time in New Zealand. The team received a warm welcome at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai by some senior officials of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and a significant number of fans.

Team did not play their number 1 game in U-19 World Cup final: Coach Dravid

<p>Wishes pour in from all over the nation to congratulate the Under 19 Indian cricket team after they lifted the World cup on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Suniel Shetty, Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Adnan Sami, Raveena Tandon,&nbsp;SS Rajamouli, Saiyami Kher also extended their wishes to the team.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Amitabh Bachchan congratulated the team and said that India was the only country to win the title four times.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">T 2603 -YEEEAAAHHHHHHHH !! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDIACHAMPIONS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDIACHAMPIONS</a> !! UNDER 19 WORLD CRICKET CHAMPIONS .. THE ONLY NATION TO HAVE WON 4 TIMES !! AMAZING ! Well done India U19 cricket , you have given us such pride and joy ! INDIA ! INDIA ! INDIA !???????????????????????????????????????? ..गूँज रहा है विश्व भर में !! <a href="https://t.co/lyKFPTWZRc">pic.twitter.com/lyKFPTWZRc</a></p>
&mdash; Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SrBachchan/status/959700056562581504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Shah Rukh Khan also tweeted expressing the &quot; proud moment for young India&quot;. He also suggested the team to continue playing FIFA on the side.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wow. What a proud moment for young India. Well done lil ones&hellip;May u keep conquering the world. And keep playing FIFA ...on the side. A great morning. <a href="https://t.co/2aLycIud95">pic.twitter.com/2aLycIud95</a></p>
&mdash; Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrk/status/959698233021870080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The real Youth Icons! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoysInBlue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoysInBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/under19worldcup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#under19worldcup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCCI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulDravid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulDravid</a> <a href="https://t.co/QUJkytksLT">pic.twitter.com/QUJkytksLT</a></p>
&mdash; Suniel Shetty (@SunielVShetty) <a href="https://twitter.com/SunielVShetty/status/959749756129107968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Farhan Akhtar&nbsp;highlighted the efforts of the man behind the victory, the coach of the under 19 Cricket team Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations team India. Well played. Well deserved. And a special mention for Rahul Dravid who is giving back to the game like a true champion. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICCU19CWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICCU19CWC</a></p>
&mdash; Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) <a href="https://twitter.com/FarOutAkhtar/status/959720973288263680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are the champions! Congrats under 19 team India for this amazing victory! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/U19CWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#U19CWC</a></p>
&mdash; Arjun Kapoor (@arjunk26) <a href="https://twitter.com/arjunk26/status/959712882421387264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Vivek Oberoi also congratulated the team and the coach for the victory.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Yayyy! Congrats team India under 19 and the amazing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulDravid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulDravid</a> ! So proud of u! Unbeaten champs through the tournament! 4world titles a record we are all so proud of! Jai hind ???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoysinBlue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoysinBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/under19worldcup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#under19worldcup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BCCI</a> <a href="https://t.co/KRiWdQf5eI">pic.twitter.com/KRiWdQf5eI</a></p>
&mdash; Vivek Anand Oberoi (@vivekoberoi) <a href="https://twitter.com/vivekoberoi/status/959698001085202432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Huge congratulations to Team India for becoming U19 Cricket World Champions!! Mighty Proud!!????????????????????????✌️????????????<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/U19CWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#U19CWC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/U19WCFinal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#U19WCFinal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulDravid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulDravid</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/U19WorldCupFinal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#U19WorldCupFinal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldCupHeroes?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldCupHeroes</a></p>
&mdash; Adnan Sami (@AdnanSamiLive) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdnanSamiLive/status/959700162502328323?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">indiaaa inndddiaa <a href="https://twitter.com/Under19WorldCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Under19WorldCup</a> the future superstars of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> ????????????????????????your parents,Entire country Proud! U made it look so easy! ????????????????????????</p>
&mdash; Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) <a href="https://twitter.com/TandonRaveena/status/959693837227577344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations India U-19 team for winning the World Cup for the 4th time... FANTASTIC...<br />
So elated that both the senior team and U-19 team have the best fast bowling attacks.. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/U19CWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#U19CWC</a></p>
&mdash; rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) <a href="https://twitter.com/ssrajamouli/status/959703341919035392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">World champions!!! What a dominating performance by team India...Incredible! <a href="https://twitter.com/Shaw_Prithvi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Shaw_Prithvi</a> congratulations to you and the boys!<br />
Rahul Dravid you genius. Thankyou ???????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/U19CWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#U19CWC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAUS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RahulDravid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RahulDravid</a></p>
&mdash; Saiyami Kher (@SaiyamiKher) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaiyamiKher/status/959699547881639936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/u-19-final-manjot-kalras-ton-takes-india-to-historic-fourth-world-cup-title-31660" target="_blank">India defeated three times World Champions Australia</a>&nbsp;by 8 wickets to register a memorable World Cup triumph in Mount Maunganui, Bay Oval, on Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


Wishes pour in from all over the nation to congratulate the Under 19 Indian cricket team after they lifted the World cup on Saturday

Wishes pour in from all over the nation to congratulate the Under 19 Indian cricket team after they lifted the World cup on Saturday. Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Suniel Shetty, Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Adnan Sami, Raveena Tandon, SS Rajamouli, Saiyami Kher also extended their wishes to the team. Amitabh Bachchan congratulated the team and said that India was the only country to win the title four times. T 2603 -YEEEAAAHHHHHHHH !! #INDIACHAMPIONS !! UNDER 19 WORLD CRICKET CHAMPIONS .. THE ONLY NATION TO HAVE WON 4 TIMES !! AMAZING ! Well done India U19 cricket , you have given us such pride and joy ! INDIA ! INDIA ! INDIA !???????????????????????????????????????? ..गूँज रहा है विश्व भर में !! pic.twitter.com/lyKFPTWZRc — Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) February 3, 2018 × Shah Rukh Khan also tweeted expressing the " proud moment for young India". He also suggested the team to continue playing FIFA on the side. Wow. What a proud moment for young India. Well done lil ones…May u keep conquering the world. And keep playing FIFA ...on the side. A great morning. pic.twitter.com/2aLycIud95 — Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) February 3, 2018 × The real Youth Icons! #BoysInBlue #under19worldcup @BCCI #RahulDravid pic.twitter.com/QUJkytksLT — Suniel Shetty (@SunielVShetty) February 3, 2018 × Farhan Akhtar highlighted the efforts of the man behind the victory, the coach of the under 19 Cricket team Rahul Gandhi. Congratulations team India. Well played. Well deserved. And a special mention for Rahul Dravid who is giving back to the game like a true champion. #ICCU19CWC — Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) February 3, 2018 × We are the champions! Congrats under 19 team India for this amazing victory! #U19CWC — Arjun Kapoor (@arjunk26) February 3, 2018 × Vivek Oberoi also congratulated the team and the coach for the victory. Yayyy! Congrats team India under 19 and the amazing #RahulDravid ! So proud of u! Unbeaten champs through the tournament! 4world titles a record we are all so proud of! Jai hind ???????? #BoysinBlue #under19worldcup @BCCI pic.twitter.com/KRiWdQf5eI — Vivek Anand Oberoi (@vivekoberoi) February 3, 2018 × Huge congratulations to Team India for becoming U19 Cricket World Champions!! Mighty Proud!!????????????????????????✌️???????????? #INDvAUS #U19CWC #U19WCFinal #RahulDravid #U19WorldCupFinal #WorldCupHeroes — Adnan Sami (@AdnanSamiLive) February 3, 2018 × indiaaa inndddiaa @Under19WorldCup the future superstars of #India ????????????????????????your parents,Entire country Proud! U made it look so easy! ???????????????????????? — Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) February 3, 2018 × Congratulations India U-19 team for winning the World Cup for the 4th time... FANTASTIC... So elated that both the senior team and U-19 team have the best fast bowling attacks.. #U19CWC — rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) February 3, 2018 × World champions!!! What a dominating performance by team India...Incredible! @Shaw_Prithvi congratulations to you and the boys! Rahul Dravid you genius. Thankyou ???????? #U19CWC #INDvAUS #RahulDravid — Saiyami Kher (@SaiyamiKher) February 3, 2018 × India defeated three times World Champions Australia by 8 wickets to register a memorable World Cup triumph in Mount Maunganui, Bay Oval, on Saturday.

Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan congratulate Under 19 Cricket team for historic win

<p>India won the U-19 World Cup against Australia by 8 wickets. Prithvi Shaw led the team to a historic fourth-time victory in the World Cup.</p>

<p>After this spectacular performance, BCCI has announced prize money&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(245, 246, 245);">for victorious India U19 team.</span></p>

<p><span style="background-color: rgb(245, 246, 245);">Mr Rahul Dravid, Head Coach India U19 &ndash; INR 50 lakhs.</span></p>

<p><span style="background-color: rgb(245, 246, 245);">Members of India U19 team &ndash; INR 30 lakhs each.</span></p>

<p>Members<span style="background-color: rgb(245, 246, 245);">&nbsp;of the Support Staff, India U19 &ndash; INR 20 lakhs each.</span></p>

<p>In the first innings, Australia had won the toss and opted to bat and set a target of 217 runs.</p>

<p>Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Karla gave a good start for the team but Shaw could not convert his start into a big score and lost his wicket to Will Sutherland after contributing 29 runs for the team.</p>

<p>Manjot Karla and Shubman Gill&nbsp;looked good at a moment but Param Uppal took Gill&#39;s wicket and saw him off.</p>

<p>After Gill&#39;s wicket, Kalra found a determined ally in Harvik Desai and together they scored 89 runs for the team.</p>

<p>Manjot&nbsp;Kalra slammed an award-winning century. The way Kalra was hitting and by looking at his record in previous matches this performance was expected of this young star.</p>

<p>His massive century included 8 fours and 3 sixes.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Head Coach India U19, Mr Rahul Dravid to receive INR 50 lakhs, members of India U19 team to get INR 30 lakhs each

India won the U-19 World Cup against Australia by 8 wickets. Prithvi Shaw led the team to a historic fourth-time victory in the World Cup. After this spectacular performance, BCCI has announced prize money for victorious India U19 team. Mr Rahul Dravid, Head Coach India U19 – INR 50 lakhs. Members of India U19 team – INR 30 lakhs each. Members of the Support Staff, India U19 – INR 20 lakhs each. In the first innings, Australia had won the toss and opted to bat and set a target of 217 runs. Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Karla gave a good start for the team but Shaw could not convert his start into a big score and lost his wicket to Will Sutherland after contributing 29 runs for the team. Manjot Karla and Shubman Gill looked good at a moment but Param Uppal took Gill's wicket and saw him off. After Gill's wicket, Kalra found a determined ally in Harvik Desai and together they scored 89 runs for the team. Manjot Kalra slammed an award-winning century. The way Kalra was hitting and by looking at his record in previous matches this performance was expected of this young star. His massive century included 8 fours and 3 sixes.

U-19 World Cup final: BCCI announces prize money for victorious team India

<p>Australia won the toss and opted to bat in the final match of U-19 World Cup against India and has set a target of 217 runs.</p>

<p>Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Karla gave a good start for the team but Shaw could not convert his start into a big score and lost his wicket to Will Sutherland after contributing 29 runs for the team.</p>

<p>Manjot Karla and Shubman Gill&nbsp;looked good at a moment but Param Uppal took Gill&#39;s wicket and saw him off.</p>

<p>After Gill&#39;s wicket, Kalra found a determined ally in Harvik Desai and together they scored 89 runs for the team.</p>

<p>Manjot&nbsp;Kalra slammed an award-winning century. The way Kalra was hitting and by looking at his record in previous matches this performance was expected of this young star.</p>

<p>His massive century included 8 fours and 3 sixes.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Four overs into the India chase and rain has sadly arrived in Tauranga. The covers come on with India 23/0 ☔ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/U19CWC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#U19CWC</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AUSvIND?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AUSvIND</a> LIVE ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/BU9XqVZ41U">https://t.co/BU9XqVZ41U</a> <a href="https://t.co/sQfSgzEM6x">pic.twitter.com/sQfSgzEM6x</a></p>
&mdash; Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketworldcup/status/959656562536071168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>In the first innings, Ishan Porel struck twice and took two crucial wickets to give an early shock to the Australian side.</p>

<p>Jack Edwards and Max Bryant lost their wicket to Ishan Porel after scoring 28 and 14 respectively.&nbsp;Then Kamlesh Nagarkoyi came in and outbowled the Australian skipper Jason Sangha. It was a big blow to the Australian side.</p>

<p>Jonathan Merlo helped the team to recover from early losses and found a determined ally in Param Uppal, together they tried to push the run rate.</p>

<p>Anukul Roy helped to break&nbsp;the partnership&nbsp;by taking both the wickets. Uppal lost his wicket after scoring 34 and Merlo edged the ball into the safe hands of Shiva Singh.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/live-u-19-world-cup-finals-india-vs-australia-31627"><strong>Also read: What happened in 1st innings</strong></a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Australia won the toss and opted to bat in the final match of U-19 World Cup against India and has set a target of 217 runs. Prithvi Shaw and Manjot Karla gave a good start for the team but Shaw could not convert his start into a big score and lost his wicket to Will Sutherland after contributing 29 runs for the team. Manjot Karla and Shubman Gill looked good at a moment but Param Uppal took Gill's wicket and saw him off. After Gill's wicket, Kalra found a determined ally in Harvik Desai and together they scored 89 runs for the team. Manjot Kalra slammed an award-winning century. The way Kalra was hitting and by looking at his record in previous matches this performance was expected of this young star. His massive century included 8 fours and 3 sixes. Four overs into the India chase and rain has sadly arrived in Tauranga. The covers come on with India 23/0 ☔ #U19CWC#AUSvIND LIVE ➡️ https://t.co/BU9XqVZ41U pic.twitter.com/sQfSgzEM6x — Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) February 3, 2018 × In the first innings, Ishan Porel struck twice and took two crucial wickets to give an early shock to the Australian side. Jack Edwards and Max Bryant lost their wicket to Ishan Porel after scoring 28 and 14 respectively. Then Kamlesh Nagarkoyi came in and outbowled the Australian skipper Jason Sangha. It was a big blow to the Australian side. Jonathan Merlo helped the team to recover from early losses and found a determined ally in Param Uppal, together they tried to push the run rate. Anukul Roy helped to break the partnership by taking both the wickets. Uppal lost his wicket after scoring 34 and Merlo edged the ball into the safe hands of Shiva Singh. Also read: What happened in 1st innings

U-19 final: Manjot Kalra's ton takes India to historic fourth World Cup title

<p>The Under-19 World Cup final is underway,&nbsp;Australia won the toss and opted to bat first against&nbsp;India at&nbsp;Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.</p>

<p>Batting first Australia has set a modest target of 216.Indian bowling was at its lethal best as they took early wickets.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ishan Porel struck twice and took two crucial wickets to give an early shock to the Australian side.</p>

<p>Jack Edwards and Max Bryant lost their wicket to Ishan Porel after scoring 28 and 14 respectively.&nbsp;Then Kamlesh Nagarkoyi came in and outbowled the Australian skipper Jason Sangha. It was a big blow to the Australian side.</p>

<p>Jonathan Merlo helped the team to recover from early losses and found a determined ally in Param Uppal, together they tried to push the run rate.</p>

<p>Anukul Roy helped to break&nbsp;the partnership&nbsp;by taking both the wickets. Uppal lost his wicket after scoring 34 and Merlo edged the ball into the safe hands of Shiva Singh.</p>

<p>Indian side performed like a world-class team, that how a team would perform which is led by Rahul Dravid, Yes, it is a Dravid&#39;s team, the&nbsp;team thus performed like him. The&nbsp;fielding was commendable, from run outs to amazing&nbsp;catches, team India looked all set to claim the trophy.</p>

<p><b>Fall of Wickets:</b></p>

<p>32-1 (Max Bryant, 5.1), 52-2 (Jack Edwards, 9.6), 59-3 (Jason Sangha, 11.4), 134-4 (Param Uppal, 28.5), 183-5 (Nathan McSweeney, 39.2), 191-6 (Will Sutherland, 41.3), 212-7 (Jonathan Merlo, 45.3), 214-8 (Zak Evans, 46.1), 216-9 (Baxter J Holt, 46.3), 216-10 (Ryan Hadley, 47.2)</p>

<p>India&#39;s batting has been at its&nbsp;best. While the openers -- Shaw and Manjot Kalra -- have given the team good starts throughout the tournament, Shubman Gill has been in phenomenal form at the number - 3. India entered the finals after thrashing arch-rivals Pakistan by 203 runs.</p>

<p>Both teams remained unchanged from the last game. In a group stage encounter, India thrashed the Aussies by 100 runs earlier in the competition. Hence, Australia would be desperate for revenge after their big loss to the Indians in the&nbsp;tournament opener.</p>

<p>The Jason Sangha-led side&#39;s last two performances signal that they have upped their game when it mattered.</p>

<p><strong>Squad:</strong></p>

<p><b>India U19</b>: Prithvi Shaw(c), Manjot Kalra, Shubman Gill, Harvik Desai(w), Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma, Anukul Roy, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh, Ishan Porel</p>

<p><b>Australia U19</b>: Jack Edwards, Max Bryant, Jason Sangha(c), Jonathan Merlo, Param Uppal, Nathan McSweeney, Will Sutherland, Baxter J Holt(w), Zak Evans, Ryan Hadley, Lloyd Pope</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Australia set a target of 217 runs in the final match of U-19 World Cup

The Under-19 World Cup final is underway, Australia won the toss and opted to bat first against India at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. Batting first Australia has set a modest target of 216.Indian bowling was at its lethal best as they took early wickets. Ishan Porel struck twice and took two crucial wickets to give an early shock to the Australian side. Jack Edwards and Max Bryant lost their wicket to Ishan Porel after scoring 28 and 14 respectively. Then Kamlesh Nagarkoyi came in and outbowled the Australian skipper Jason Sangha. It was a big blow to the Australian side. Jonathan Merlo helped the team to recover from early losses and found a determined ally in Param Uppal, together they tried to push the run rate. Anukul Roy helped to break the partnership by taking both the wickets. Uppal lost his wicket after scoring 34 and Merlo edged the ball into the safe hands of Shiva Singh. Indian side performed like a world-class team, that how a team would perform which is led by Rahul Dravid, Yes, it is a Dravid's team, the team thus performed like him. The fielding was commendable, from run outs to amazing catches, team India looked all set to claim the trophy. Fall of Wickets: 32-1 (Max Bryant, 5.1), 52-2 (Jack Edwards, 9.6), 59-3 (Jason Sangha, 11.4), 134-4 (Param Uppal, 28.5), 183-5 (Nathan McSweeney, 39.2), 191-6 (Will Sutherland, 41.3), 212-7 (Jonathan Merlo, 45.3), 214-8 (Zak Evans, 46.1), 216-9 (Baxter J Holt, 46.3), 216-10 (Ryan Hadley, 47.2) India's batting has been at its best. While the openers -- Shaw and Manjot Kalra -- have given the team good starts throughout the tournament, Shubman Gill has been in phenomenal form at the number - 3. India entered the finals after thrashing arch-rivals Pakistan by 203 runs. Both teams remained unchanged from the last game. In a group stage encounter, India thrashed the Aussies by 100 runs earlier in the competition. Hence, Australia would be desperate for revenge after their big loss to the Indians in the tournament opener. The Jason Sangha-led side's last two performances signal that they have upped their game when it mattered. Squad: India U19: Prithvi Shaw(c), Manjot Kalra, Shubman Gill, Harvik Desai(w), Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma, Anukul Roy, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh, Ishan Porel Australia U19: Jack Edwards, Max Bryant, Jason Sangha(c), Jonathan Merlo, Param Uppal, Nathan McSweeney, Will Sutherland, Baxter J Holt(w), Zak Evans, Ryan Hadley, Lloyd Pope

U-19 World Cup final: India bowl out Australia for 216

<p>The &#39;other men in blue&#39;&nbsp;defeated Bangladesh by 10 wickets in the Blind Cricket World Cup at&nbsp;MCC Ground Ajman, UAE on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first. They had set a target of 227 after one of the players Ajay took four&nbsp;wickets to restrict the opponents at 226.</p>

<p>For India, both the openers&nbsp;slammed a century and led the team to a huge victory with more than 20 overs to spare.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">There it is!!!! A huge win for team India as they beat Bangladesh by 10 wickets with more than 20 overs to spare.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/blindcricketworldcup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#blindcricketworldcup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheOtherMenInBlue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheOtherMenInBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thecupisours?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thecupisours</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsBAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsBAN</a></p>
&mdash; Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) (@blind_cricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/blind_cricket/status/952120324560072706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Recently, India took revenge of Champions Trophy by defeating Pakistan by 7 wickets. Pakistan scored 282 runs and in reply to that, India comfortably achieved the target in just 34.5 overs.</p>

<p>Depak Malik scored 79&nbsp;runs, helping his team to&nbsp;win the match against Pakistan. He was also awarded the player of the match for his stellar performance.</p>

<p>Earlier, India had defeated Sri Lanka also in a high scoring match. There also,&nbsp;Depak Malik outshined and made 179 runs off 103 balls.</p>

<p>India&#39;s first match in this tournament against Australia was cancelled due to the wet outfield.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here is the scorecard from today&#39;s match between India and Bangladesh.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/blindcricketworldcup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#blindcricketworldcup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheOtherMenInBlue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheOtherMenInBlue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thecupisours?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thecupisours</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvsBAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvsBAN</a> <a href="https://t.co/sk9WLrVhL4">pic.twitter.com/sk9WLrVhL4</a></p>
&mdash; Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) (@blind_cricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/blind_cricket/status/952129177674592257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Bangladesh had set a target of 227 runs which India easily achieved with more than 20 overs to spare

The 'other men in blue' defeated Bangladesh by 10 wickets in the Blind Cricket World Cup at MCC Ground Ajman, UAE on Saturday. Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat first. They had set a target of 227 after one of the players Ajay took four wickets to restrict the opponents at 226. For India, both the openers slammed a century and led the team to a huge victory with more than 20 overs to spare. There it is!!!! A huge win for team India as they beat Bangladesh by 10 wickets with more than 20 overs to spare.#blindcricketworldcup #TheOtherMenInBlue #thecupisours #INDvsBAN — Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) (@blind_cricket) January 13, 2018 × Recently, India took revenge of Champions Trophy by defeating Pakistan by 7 wickets. Pakistan scored 282 runs and in reply to that, India comfortably achieved the target in just 34.5 overs. Depak Malik scored 79 runs, helping his team to win the match against Pakistan. He was also awarded the player of the match for his stellar performance. Earlier, India had defeated Sri Lanka also in a high scoring match. There also, Depak Malik outshined and made 179 runs off 103 balls. India's first match in this tournament against Australia was cancelled due to the wet outfield. Here is the scorecard from today's match between India and Bangladesh.#blindcricketworldcup #TheOtherMenInBlue #thecupisours #INDvsBAN pic.twitter.com/sk9WLrVhL4 — Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) (@blind_cricket) January 13, 2018 ×

Blind Cricket World Cup: India continues winning streak, beat Bangladesh by 10 wickets

<p>It&#39;s considered the stepping stone for the stars of the future and 16 teams, including three-time champions India, would be aiming to discover their Virat Kohlis and Steve Smiths when the ICC Under-19 World Cup starts off here tomorrow.</p>

<p>From Kohli to Smith, most modern-day greats have learnt the ropes in the biennial event, which has gained significance with every passing edition.</p>

<p>The boys not only become men here, they also become household names with millions following the live broadcast of the competition.</p>

<p>The event begins tomorrow with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan and hosts New Zealand facing reigning champions West Indies.</p>

<p>India, eager to prove themselves after their disastrous showing in the Asia Cup, open their campaign against Australia at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.</p>

<p>The tournament&#39;s stature has risen to such an extent that a great like Rahul Dravid, the current India U-19 coach, would love to have been part of it back in the day.</p>

<p>&quot;We never played this tournament in my day. After 1988 they didn&#39;t hold the tournament for 10 years, so I&#39;ve no exposure of playing and being part of this tournament. I tell a lot of these boys that I think it&#39;s a terrific opportunity for them to be a part of this tournament,&quot; Dravid had said in the lead up to the event.</p>

<p>Countless number of U-19 players have gone on to represent their countries at the highest level. Each edition unearths oodles of talent and makes them overnight stars, be it Rishabh Pant or Alzaari Joseph from the previous edition in 2016 when three-time champions India lost the final to the West Indies.</p>

<p>This edition too has created high expectations with a selected bunch already proving themselves at the first-class level.</p>

<p>The likes of India captain Prithvi Shaw, teammate Shubham Gill, Australia captain Jason Sangha, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, Afghanistan batting sensation Baheer Shah, they all go into the event after making a mark on the domestic circuit back home.</p>

<p>Shaw, Gill, Sangha and Shah already have a first-class hundred to their name while left-arm pacer Afridi hogged the limelight by taking eight for 39 in the Quad-e-Azam Trophy, the best figures by a Pakistani on first-class debut.</p>

<p><br />
The sensational performances of Baheer Shah too has created a buzz. The 17-year-old averages a staggering 121.77 in his seven-match first-class career, beating even the legendary Donald Bradman (95.14).</p>

<p>He has the highest average in the list of players with at least 1000 first-class runs, leaving behind not just Bradman but also Vijay Merchant (71.64) and George Headley (69.86).</p>

<p>The exploits of India captain and opener Shaw too are well-documented. After grabbing headlines with his performance in junior cricket, Shaw has graduated to the higher-level so seamlessly that he always belonged there. Therefore, it was not a surprise that he hit a match-winning hundred on Ranji Trophy debut 12 months ago.</p>

<p>Adding to the tournament flavour will be the sons of Steve Waugh and Makhya Ntini, Austin and Thando who will be turning up for Australia and South African respectively. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland&#39;s son Will is also in the national squad.</p>

<p>With the IPL auction round the corner, there is every possibility that a millionaire could from the U-19 World Cup, just like Pant had a bagged Rs 1.9 crore deal with Delhi Daredevils after his stellar showing in Bangladesh.</p>

<p>The 22-day tournament, featuring 16 teams and being played across seven venues in the cities of Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga and Whangarei, will see 20 matches being broadcast live.</p>

<p><strong>Squads</strong></p>

<p>India: Prithvi Shaw (C), Shubman Gill, Aryan Juyal, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Harvik Desai, Manjot Kalra, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pankaj Yadav, Riyan Parag, Ishan Porel, Himanshu Rana, Anukul Roy, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh.</p>

<p>Pakistan: Hasan Khan (C), Rohail Nazir , Mohammad Ali Khan, Ali Zaryab, Ammad Alam, Arshad Iqbal, Imran Shah, Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Mohsin Khan, Muhammad Musa, Muhammad Zaid, Munir Riaz, Saad Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Suleman Shafqat.</p>

<p>Bangladesh: Saif Hassan (C), Afif Hossain, Aminul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Mohammad Naim, Mohammad Rakib, Nayeem Hasan, Pinak Ghosh, Qazi Onik, Robiul Hoque, Roni Hossen , Shakil Hossain, Tipu Sultan, Towhid Hridoy.</p>

<p>Sri Lanka: Kamindu Mendis (C), Jehan Daniel, Krishan Sanjula, Ashen Bandara, Hareen Buddila, Hasitha Boyagoda, Nipun Dananjaya, Thisaru Rashmika, Nawanidu Fernando, Santhush Gunathilaka, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Nishan Madushka, Nipun Malinga, Kalana Perera.</p>

<p>Afghanistan: Naveen-ul-Haq (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Baheer Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Ikram Ali Khil, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mujeeb Zadran, Nisar Wahdat, Qais Ahmad, Rahmanullah, Tariq Stanikzai, Wafadar ,Waqarullah Ishaq, Yousuf Zazai, Zahir Khan.</p>

<p>Australia: Jason Sangha (C), Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Jack Edwards, Zak Evans, Jarrod Freeman, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Nathan McSweeney, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope, Jason Ralston, Param Uppal, Austin Waugh.</p>

<p>New Zealand: Kaylum Boshier (C), Finn Allen, Jakob Bhula, Max Chu, Katene Clarke, Matthew Fisher, Luke Georgeson, Ben Lockrose, Callum McLachlan, Felix Murray, Dale Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Sandeep Patel, Connor Sullivan, Todd Watson.</p>

<p>Canada: Arslan Khan (C), Akash Gill, Ashtan Deosammy, Emanuel Khokhar, Kavian Naress, Kevin Singh, Pranav Sharma, Randhir Sandhu, Krishen Samuel, Faisal Jamkhandi, Arshdeep Dhaliwal, Rishiv Joshi, Aran Pathmanathan, Pieter Pretorius, Rommel Shazad.</p>

<p>England: Harry Brook (C), Ethan Bamber, Liam Banks, Tom Banton, Jack Davies, Adam Finch, Luke Hollman, Will Jacks, Tom Lammonby, Dillon Pennington, Savin Perera, Tom Scriven, Prem Sisodiya, Fin Trenouth, Roman Walker.</p>

<p>Ireland: Harry Tector (C), Ian Anders, Aaron Cawley, Varun Chopra, Mark Donegan, JJ Garth, Jamie Grassi, Reece Kelly, Graham Kennedy, Joshua Little, Sam Murphy, Max Neville, Neil Rock, Morgan Topping, Andrew Vincent.</p>

<p>Kenya: Sachin Bhudia (C), Maxwel Ager, Abhishekh Chidambaran, Aveet Desai, Jay Doshi, Aman Gandhi, Ankit Hirani , Jasraj Kundi, Jayant Mepani, Gerard Mwendwa, Dennis Musyoka, Thomas Ochieng, Sukhdeep Singh, Siddharth Vasudev, Rene Were.</p>

<p>Papua New Guinea: Sema Kamea (C), Eisa Eka, James Tau, Tau Toa Nou, Nou Rarua, Igo Mahuru, Simon Atai, Leke Morea, Vagi Karaho, Kevau Tau, Heagi Toua, Daure Aiga, Ovia Sam, Sinaka Arua, Boge Arua.</p>

<p>Namibia: Lohan Louwrens (C), Henry Brink, Petrus Burger, Jan-Izak de Villiers, Shaun Fouche, Jurgen Linde, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Lottering, Erich van Mollendorf, Dewald Nell, Mauritius Ngupita, Ben Shikongo, Floris Steenkamp, Ramon Wilmot, Eben van Wyk.</p>

<p>South Africa: Raynard van Tonder (C), Matthew Breetzke , Gerald Coetzee, Jade de Klerk, Jean du Plessism, Fraser Jones, Wandile Makwetu, Akhona Mnyaka, Andile Mokgakane, Kgaudisa Molefe, Jason Niemand, Thando Ntini, Jiveshan Pillay, Hermann Rolfes, Kenan Smith.</p>

<p>West Indies: Emmanuel Stewart (C), Kirstan Kallicharan, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Alick Athanaze, Cephas Cooper, Jarion Hoyte, Kimani Melius, Ashmead Nedd, Kian Pemberton, Raymond Perez, Joshua Persaud, Jeavor Royal, Keagan Simmons, Bhaskar Yadram, Nyeem Young.</p>

<p>Zimbabwe: Liam Roche (C), Robert Chimhinya, Jonathan Connolly, Gregory Dollar, Alistair Frost, Taun Harrison, Wesley Madhevere, Tanunurwa Makoni, Donald Mlambo, Dion Myers, Tinashe Nenhunzi, Nkosilatu Nunu, Kieran Robinson, Jayden Schadendorf, Milton Shumba.</p>


It's considered the stepping stone for the stars of the future and 16 teams, including three-time champions India, would be aiming to discover their Virat Kohlis and Steve Smiths when the ICC Under-19 World Cup starts off here tomorrow

It's considered the stepping stone for the stars of the future and 16 teams, including three-time champions India, would be aiming to discover their Virat Kohlis and Steve Smiths when the ICC Under-19 World Cup starts off here tomorrow. From Kohli to Smith, most modern-day greats have learnt the ropes in the biennial event, which has gained significance with every passing edition. The boys not only become men here, they also become household names with millions following the live broadcast of the competition. The event begins tomorrow with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan and hosts New Zealand facing reigning champions West Indies. India, eager to prove themselves after their disastrous showing in the Asia Cup, open their campaign against Australia at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. The tournament's stature has risen to such an extent that a great like Rahul Dravid, the current India U-19 coach, would love to have been part of it back in the day. "We never played this tournament in my day. After 1988 they didn't hold the tournament for 10 years, so I've no exposure of playing and being part of this tournament. I tell a lot of these boys that I think it's a terrific opportunity for them to be a part of this tournament," Dravid had said in the lead up to the event. Countless number of U-19 players have gone on to represent their countries at the highest level. Each edition unearths oodles of talent and makes them overnight stars, be it Rishabh Pant or Alzaari Joseph from the previous edition in 2016 when three-time champions India lost the final to the West Indies. This edition too has created high expectations with a selected bunch already proving themselves at the first-class level. The likes of India captain Prithvi Shaw, teammate Shubham Gill, Australia captain Jason Sangha, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, Afghanistan batting sensation Baheer Shah, they all go into the event after making a mark on the domestic circuit back home. Shaw, Gill, Sangha and Shah already have a first-class hundred to their name while left-arm pacer Afridi hogged the limelight by taking eight for 39 in the Quad-e-Azam Trophy, the best figures by a Pakistani on first-class debut. The sensational performances of Baheer Shah too has created a buzz. The 17-year-old averages a staggering 121.77 in his seven-match first-class career, beating even the legendary Donald Bradman (95.14). He has the highest average in the list of players with at least 1000 first-class runs, leaving behind not just Bradman but also Vijay Merchant (71.64) and George Headley (69.86). The exploits of India captain and opener Shaw too are well-documented. After grabbing headlines with his performance in junior cricket, Shaw has graduated to the higher-level so seamlessly that he always belonged there. Therefore, it was not a surprise that he hit a match-winning hundred on Ranji Trophy debut 12 months ago. Adding to the tournament flavour will be the sons of Steve Waugh and Makhya Ntini, Austin and Thando who will be turning up for Australia and South African respectively. Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland's son Will is also in the national squad. With the IPL auction round the corner, there is every possibility that a millionaire could from the U-19 World Cup, just like Pant had a bagged Rs 1.9 crore deal with Delhi Daredevils after his stellar showing in Bangladesh. The 22-day tournament, featuring 16 teams and being played across seven venues in the cities of Christchurch, Queenstown, Tauranga and Whangarei, will see 20 matches being broadcast live. Squads India: Prithvi Shaw (C), Shubman Gill, Aryan Juyal, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Harvik Desai, Manjot Kalra, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Pankaj Yadav, Riyan Parag, Ishan Porel, Himanshu Rana, Anukul Roy, Shivam Mavi, Shiva Singh. Pakistan: Hasan Khan (C), Rohail Nazir , Mohammad Ali Khan, Ali Zaryab, Ammad Alam, Arshad Iqbal, Imran Shah, Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Mohsin Khan, Muhammad Musa, Muhammad Zaid, Munir Riaz, Saad Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Suleman Shafqat. Bangladesh: Saif Hassan (C), Afif Hossain, Aminul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Mohammad Naim, Mohammad Rakib, Nayeem Hasan, Pinak Ghosh, Qazi Onik, Robiul Hoque, Roni Hossen , Shakil Hossain, Tipu Sultan, Towhid Hridoy. Sri Lanka: Kamindu Mendis (C), Jehan Daniel, Krishan Sanjula, Ashen Bandara, Hareen Buddila, Hasitha Boyagoda, Nipun Dananjaya, Thisaru Rashmika, Nawanidu Fernando, Santhush Gunathilaka, Praveen Jayawickrama, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Nishan Madushka, Nipun Malinga, Kalana Perera. Afghanistan: Naveen-ul-Haq (C), Azmatullah Omarzai, Baheer Shah, Darwish Rasooli, Ikram Ali Khil, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mujeeb Zadran, Nisar Wahdat, Qais Ahmad, Rahmanullah, Tariq Stanikzai, Wafadar ,Waqarullah Ishaq, Yousuf Zazai, Zahir Khan. Australia: Jason Sangha (C), Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Jack Edwards, Zak Evans, Jarrod Freeman, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Nathan McSweeney, Jonathan Merlo, Lloyd Pope, Jason Ralston, Param Uppal, Austin Waugh. New Zealand: Kaylum Boshier (C), Finn Allen, Jakob Bhula, Max Chu, Katene Clarke, Matthew Fisher, Luke Georgeson, Ben Lockrose, Callum McLachlan, Felix Murray, Dale Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Sandeep Patel, Connor Sullivan, Todd Watson. Canada: Arslan Khan (C), Akash Gill, Ashtan Deosammy, Emanuel Khokhar, Kavian Naress, Kevin Singh, Pranav Sharma, Randhir Sandhu, Krishen Samuel, Faisal Jamkhandi, Arshdeep Dhaliwal, Rishiv Joshi, Aran Pathmanathan, Pieter Pretorius, Rommel Shazad. England: Harry Brook (C), Ethan Bamber, Liam Banks, Tom Banton, Jack Davies, Adam Finch, Luke Hollman, Will Jacks, Tom Lammonby, Dillon Pennington, Savin Perera, Tom Scriven, Prem Sisodiya, Fin Trenouth, Roman Walker. Ireland: Harry Tector (C), Ian Anders, Aaron Cawley, Varun Chopra, Mark Donegan, JJ Garth, Jamie Grassi, Reece Kelly, Graham Kennedy, Joshua Little, Sam Murphy, Max Neville, Neil Rock, Morgan Topping, Andrew Vincent. Kenya: Sachin Bhudia (C), Maxwel Ager, Abhishekh Chidambaran, Aveet Desai, Jay Doshi, Aman Gandhi, Ankit Hirani , Jasraj Kundi, Jayant Mepani, Gerard Mwendwa, Dennis Musyoka, Thomas Ochieng, Sukhdeep Singh, Siddharth Vasudev, Rene Were. Papua New Guinea: Sema Kamea (C), Eisa Eka, James Tau, Tau Toa Nou, Nou Rarua, Igo Mahuru, Simon Atai, Leke Morea, Vagi Karaho, Kevau Tau, Heagi Toua, Daure Aiga, Ovia Sam, Sinaka Arua, Boge Arua. Namibia: Lohan Louwrens (C), Henry Brink, Petrus Burger, Jan-Izak de Villiers, Shaun Fouche, Jurgen Linde, Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Gerhard Lottering, Erich van Mollendorf, Dewald Nell, Mauritius Ngupita, Ben Shikongo, Floris Steenkamp, Ramon Wilmot, Eben van Wyk. South Africa: Raynard van Tonder (C), Matthew Breetzke , Gerald Coetzee, Jade de Klerk, Jean du Plessism, Fraser Jones, Wandile Makwetu, Akhona Mnyaka, Andile Mokgakane, Kgaudisa Molefe, Jason Niemand, Thando Ntini, Jiveshan Pillay, Hermann Rolfes, Kenan Smith. West Indies: Emmanuel Stewart (C), Kirstan Kallicharan, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Alick Athanaze, Cephas Cooper, Jarion Hoyte, Kimani Melius, Ashmead Nedd, Kian Pemberton, Raymond Perez, Joshua Persaud, Jeavor Royal, Keagan Simmons, Bhaskar Yadram, Nyeem Young. Zimbabwe: Liam Roche (C), Robert Chimhinya, Jonathan Connolly, Gregory Dollar, Alistair Frost, Taun Harrison, Wesley Madhevere, Tanunurwa Makoni, Donald Mlambo, Dion Myers, Tinashe Nenhunzi, Nkosilatu Nunu, Kieran Robinson, Jayden Schadendorf, Milton Shumba.

U-19 World Cup: An opportunity like never before

<p>England set up a World Cup showdown with Australia after scraping home 20-18 against a late-charging Tonga, who were denied a last-gasp try in Auckland&nbsp;on Saturday.</p>

<p>It is the first time England have reached the final in 22 years, their last appearance ending in a 16-8 defeat by Australia at Wembley in 1995.</p>

<p>In a nail-biting finish to the semi-final, Tonga were down 20-0 with eight minutes remaining but the Pacific islanders ran in three quick tries to close within two points.</p>

<p>Then on the stroke of full-time, Tonga claimed Andrew Fifita was illegally stripped of the ball as he drove towards what would have been a sensational match-winning try.</p>

<p>But referee Matt Cecchin ruled Fifita lost the ball and refused Tongan pleas for a&nbsp;video review as England hung on to snap an agonising semi-final jinx.</p>

<p>Before a packed 30,000 Auckland crowd -- including a large contingent of Tonga supporters fired up by the appearance of the Tongan King Tupou VI wearing a team jersey -- it was England who impressed from the outset.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They scored two tries in the first half and another in the second with Garth Widdop landing four out of four shots at goal and adding a try himself as England inflicted a first defeat on Tonga in the tournament.</p>

<p>Australia, who beat England in pool play, thrashed Fiji 54-6 in the first semi-final in Brisbane&nbsp;on Friday.</p>

<p>England face the Kangaroos in the final, also in Brisbane, next weekend.</p>


It is the first time England have reached the final in 22 years, their last appearance ending in a 16-8 defeat by Australia at Wembley in 1995

England set up a World Cup showdown with Australia after scraping home 20-18 against a late-charging Tonga, who were denied a last-gasp try in Auckland on Saturday. It is the first time England have reached the final in 22 years, their last appearance ending in a 16-8 defeat by Australia at Wembley in 1995. In a nail-biting finish to the semi-final, Tonga were down 20-0 with eight minutes remaining but the Pacific islanders ran in three quick tries to close within two points. Then on the stroke of full-time, Tonga claimed Andrew Fifita was illegally stripped of the ball as he drove towards what would have been a sensational match-winning try. But referee Matt Cecchin ruled Fifita lost the ball and refused Tongan pleas for a video review as England hung on to snap an agonising semi-final jinx. Before a packed 30,000 Auckland crowd -- including a large contingent of Tonga supporters fired up by the appearance of the Tongan King Tupou VI wearing a team jersey -- it was England who impressed from the outset. They scored two tries in the first half and another in the second with Garth Widdop landing four out of four shots at goal and adding a try himself as England inflicted a first defeat on Tonga in the tournament. Australia, who beat England in pool play, thrashed Fiji 54-6 in the first semi-final in Brisbane on Friday. England face the Kangaroos in the final, also in Brisbane, next weekend.

England into World Cup final after late Tonga drama

<p>Peru became the last side to clinch their place at next year&#39;s World Cup finals when goals in each half from Jefferson Farfan and Christian Ramos gave them a 2-0 win over New Zealand in the second leg of their inter-confederation playoff on Wednesday.</p>

<p>The teams played out a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Wellington on Saturday and although both sides had chances in a tense match in Lima, Peru were more clinical in front of goal.</p>

<p>The Peruvians, who last went to the World Cup finals in 1982, celebrated with abandon when the final whistle went and were guaranteed a day to recover after the government promised a national holiday.</p>

<p>&quot;This is a dream come true and now it is time to celebrate,&quot; Christian Cueva, the gifted left winger who had a hand in creating both goals, told reporters as the players completed a boisterous lap of honour.</p>

<p>&quot;Now we have to keep working and prepare for the finals.&quot;</p>

<p>Peru got their noses in front on 27 minutes when Farfan hammered home a fierce rising shot from just inside the penalty area to complete a sweeping counter-attack.</p>

<p>The home side could have scored more but an early drive from Luis Advincula hit the woodwork and All Whites keeper Stefan Marinovic did well to stop a bending drive from Miguel Trauco and then get a hand to Farfan&#39;s shot from the rebound.</p>

<p>New Zealand brought on Chris Wood at halftime in search of a vital away goal and a series of long balls to the towering Burnley striker managed to put Peru on the back foot in the early stages of the second period.</p>

<p>However, the Kiwis could not make their temporary control of the contest count and Ramos doubled Peru&#39;s lead after 64 minutes when he seized on a loose ball from a corner kick and lashed it into the roof of the net from close range.</p>

<p>The result extended Peru&#39;s unbeaten run to 10 games, their longest such streak in 75 years.</p>

<p>&quot;Mission accomplished, thank you,&quot; Ricardo Gareca, Peru&#39;s Argentine coach said after the game. &quot;We have managed something very important for the country. I am very emotional.&quot;</p>

<p>The South Americans are 10th in the latest FIFA rankings and will go into the second group of seeds when the draw for next year&#39;s tournament takes place in Moscow on Dec. 1.</p>


The teams played out a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Wellington on Saturday and although both sides had chances in a tense match in Lima, Peru were more clinical in front of goal.

Peru became the last side to clinch their place at next year's World Cup finals when goals in each half from Jefferson Farfan and Christian Ramos gave them a 2-0 win over New Zealand in the second leg of their inter-confederation playoff on Wednesday. The teams played out a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Wellington on Saturday and although both sides had chances in a tense match in Lima, Peru were more clinical in front of goal. The Peruvians, who last went to the World Cup finals in 1982, celebrated with abandon when the final whistle went and were guaranteed a day to recover after the government promised a national holiday. "This is a dream come true and now it is time to celebrate," Christian Cueva, the gifted left winger who had a hand in creating both goals, told reporters as the players completed a boisterous lap of honour. "Now we have to keep working and prepare for the finals." Peru got their noses in front on 27 minutes when Farfan hammered home a fierce rising shot from just inside the penalty area to complete a sweeping counter-attack. The home side could have scored more but an early drive from Luis Advincula hit the woodwork and All Whites keeper Stefan Marinovic did well to stop a bending drive from Miguel Trauco and then get a hand to Farfan's shot from the rebound. New Zealand brought on Chris Wood at halftime in search of a vital away goal and a series of long balls to the towering Burnley striker managed to put Peru on the back foot in the early stages of the second period. However, the Kiwis could not make their temporary control of the contest count and Ramos doubled Peru's lead after 64 minutes when he seized on a loose ball from a corner kick and lashed it into the roof of the net from close range. The result extended Peru's unbeaten run to 10 games, their longest such streak in 75 years. "Mission accomplished, thank you," Ricardo Gareca, Peru's Argentine coach said after the game. "We have managed something very important for the country. I am very emotional." The South Americans are 10th in the latest FIFA rankings and will go into the second group of seeds when the draw for next year's tournament takes place in Moscow on Dec. 1.

Football: Peru down New Zealand to complete World Cup lineup

<p>After <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/italy-fail-to-qualify-for-next-world-cup-buffon-quits-24137">qualifying for the next World Cup by defeating Italy </a>with a 1-0 aggregate score on Tuesday, Swedish fans are&nbsp;guessing whether retired goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic will return for the finals in Russia.</p>

<p>This was Sweden&#39;s first winning campaign ever since Zlatan Ibrahimovic left. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Just a few moments after Sweden&#39;s win, Zlatan posted a picture on social media with the caption &#39;We are Zweden&#39;, which got over a million likes on Instagram.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="nl">We are Zweden <a href="https://t.co/rDXzRImev4">pic.twitter.com/rDXzRImev4</a></p>
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<p>Since the post, speculation is rife on social media whether Ibrahimovic just dropped a hint of a possible return to the team.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, coach Janne Andersson did not seem very enthusiastic about the idea.</p>

<p>&quot;This is incredible. The player has just stopped to play one-and-a-half years ago and we are still here talking about him,&quot; Sweden coach&nbsp;Andersson told reporters when asked if Ibrahimovic was set to return.</p>

<p>&quot;Zlatan is, as I expressed it, our greatest player of all time, a fantastic athlete in every way, but he has chosen not to take part,&quot; he told a news conference in Milan on Tuesday.</p>

<p>&quot;These guys who did take part and have performed fantastically. It&#39;s sad to sit and talk about someone who hasn&#39;t been here. I have a gang that has done fantastic, we can talk about them instead.&quot;</p>

<p>The 36-year-old retired from the national team after a disappointing group stage exit at Euro 2016, ending an international career that saw him score 62 goals, many of them spectacular, in 116 matches for his country.</p>


Sweden had just secured a 1-0 aggregate victory over Italy with a squad short on big names, a team that snatched second place in European qualifying Group A from the Dutch and beaten France at home before knocking out Italy, all without Zlatan.

After qualifying for the next World Cup by defeating Italy with a 1-0 aggregate score on Tuesday, Swedish fans are guessing whether retired goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic will return for the finals in Russia. This was Sweden's first winning campaign ever since Zlatan Ibrahimovic left. Just a few moments after Sweden's win, Zlatan posted a picture on social media with the caption 'We are Zweden', which got over a million likes on Instagram. We are Zweden pic.twitter.com/rDXzRImev4 — Zlatan Ibrahimovic (@Ibra_official) November 13, 2017 × Since the post, speculation is rife on social media whether Ibrahimovic just dropped a hint of a possible return to the team. However, coach Janne Andersson did not seem very enthusiastic about the idea. "This is incredible. The player has just stopped to play one-and-a-half years ago and we are still here talking about him," Sweden coach Andersson told reporters when asked if Ibrahimovic was set to return. "Zlatan is, as I expressed it, our greatest player of all time, a fantastic athlete in every way, but he has chosen not to take part," he told a news conference in Milan on Tuesday. "These guys who did take part and have performed fantastically. It's sad to sit and talk about someone who hasn't been here. I have a gang that has done fantastic, we can talk about them instead." The 36-year-old retired from the national team after a disappointing group stage exit at Euro 2016, ending an international career that saw him score 62 goals, many of them spectacular, in 116 matches for his country.

'We are Zweden': Ibrahimovic's post after Sweden's victory over Italy

<p>The road to Russia is definitely not easy this time. Earlier, it was Argentina, which was struggling to qualify but somehow made it to Russia.</p>

<p>This time it was Italy. Poor performance in the whole season created a fuss in the end where they couldn&#39;t score against Sweden. Eventually, were ousted from the FIFA World Cup 2018. The Azzurri, four-time winners of football&#39;s most important trophy, will miss their first World Cup since 1958.</p>

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<p>Italy players dejected after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup (AFP)</p>
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<p>You might lose your heart in Italy but Italy losing in qualifiers is heartbreaking.</p>

<p>Daniel Pagani, a war correspondent with WION and an Italian, said, &quot;For Italians, it is a &#39;national tragedy&#39;. Losing to a mediocre side like Sweden is certainly heartbreaking. Every Italian is fond of the game they not only celebrate it but live with it. In Italy, people watch football with friends and family and cherish the memories forever&quot;.</p>

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<h5>FIFA 2018 seems incomplete without Italy but Sweden certainly deserves to enter the world cup as their performance was brilliant in both the legs.</h5>
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<p>FIFA 2018 seems incomplete without Italy but Sweden certainly deserves to enter the World Cup as their performance was brilliant in both the legs. In&nbsp;yesterday&#39;s game, they had 24 per cent possession and only 4 goal attempts, but still, they were able to hold Italian side. Italy underplayed not only in yesterday&#39;s game but throughout the season and now joins fellow big guns such as Chile and the Netherlands in missing out on Russia 2018.</p>

<p>Johan Castell, WION correspondent and a Swede, said, &quot;Sweden won! But we are not going to watch the World Cup (because Italy did not qualify). To beat a country whose national game is football is exponentially amazing. In Sweden, every football spectator will become a critic during a football match, so this moment is beyond magical to all Swedish. It seems Sweden is onto setting a new tradition of beating Italy in every 60 years and not letting them enter the World Cup&quot;.</p>

<p>Italy, with a very poor tactics, failed to reach next year&#39;s World Cup. If Italian team plays the way they did against Sweden then it is a better option to avoid playing in the World Cup. Even with 75 per cent ball possession and 27 goal attempts, they could not score a goal and let the Scandinavians sail through to the qualifiers with an aggregate of 0-1.</p>

<p><strong>What went wrong</strong></p>

<p>In the situation of &quot;do and die&quot; attack&nbsp;was the only option left for Italy but players like Lorenzo Insigne with 6 goals and 5 assists in the season spends 90 minutes on the bench. Even, Andrea Belotti and Stephan El Shaarawy were on the bench when the match started.</p>

<p>Daniele De Rossi snapped on the bench and vented his anger on a staff and also on the coach after the decision was taken to send him on as a substitute rather than Lorenzo Insigne. Later, Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura apologised for World Cup failure.</p>

<p>Digvijay Singh Deo, WION sports editor, who grew up supporting Italy was in distress to see the current schema of Italian Football Federation. He said, &quot;Italy used to be a trendsetter for the football fraternity but its ouster raises question&nbsp;on other important aspects. It&#39;s not about yesterday&#39;s game but there is a continuous decline in the quality in terms of players and management. Where are the players? Apart from Buffon, there is no one else to name. Italy as a team has tailed off from being the best to good&quot;.</p>

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<h5>After the match Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele De Rossi announced retirement. This was maybe the last chance for Buffon to appear in the world cup.</h5>
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<p>Argentina also struggled to enter the World Cup but their star player Lionel Messi played his heart out when it was needed the most. But is there anyone in Italy who is like Messi? Where are the great players in Italy? Why did Italy stop producing legends?</p>

<p>After the match Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele De Rossi announced retirement. This was maybe the last chance for Buffon to appear in the World Cup but he lost it. Though he performed exceptionally well in the game as well the season. His tearful exit seems like the end of an era.</p>

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<p>After the match Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele De Rossi announced retirement. (AFP)</p>
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<p>On Buffon&#39;s retirement,&nbsp;Daniele Pagani&nbsp;said, &quot;Players like Buffon doesn&#39;t need to prove anything to the world but his retirement on a sad note is heart-rending, it&#39;s like Virat Kohli retires after losing against Kenya&quot;.</p>

<p>Collectively many things are responsible for Italy&#39;s ouster, for instance, it hasn&#39;t been able to collect itself from the tragic 3-0 defeat at the Bernabeu against Spain in September not just that it&#39;s also about their continuous decline in their game quality since 2008.</p>

<p>Italian Football Federation now have enough time to think that what went wrong. Whether it was coach Ventura&#39;s mistake or the whole system is somewhere to be blamed for the devastating and heartbreaking ouster of Italy.</p>


Italy failed to reach FIFA world cup 2018. Who is to blame?

The road to Russia is definitely not easy this time. Earlier, it was Argentina, which was struggling to qualify but somehow made it to Russia. This time it was Italy. Poor performance in the whole season created a fuss in the end where they couldn't score against Sweden. Eventually, were ousted from the FIFA World Cup 2018. The Azzurri, four-time winners of football's most important trophy, will miss their first World Cup since 1958. Italy players dejected after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup (AFP) × You might lose your heart in Italy but Italy losing in qualifiers is heartbreaking. Daniel Pagani, a war correspondent with WION and an Italian, said, "For Italians, it is a 'national tragedy'. Losing to a mediocre side like Sweden is certainly heartbreaking. Every Italian is fond of the game they not only celebrate it but live with it. In Italy, people watch football with friends and family and cherish the memories forever". FIFA 2018 seems incomplete without Italy but Sweden certainly deserves to enter the world cup as their performance was brilliant in both the legs. × FIFA 2018 seems incomplete without Italy but Sweden certainly deserves to enter the World Cup as their performance was brilliant in both the legs. In yesterday's game, they had 24 per cent possession and only 4 goal attempts, but still, they were able to hold Italian side. Italy underplayed not only in yesterday's game but throughout the season and now joins fellow big guns such as Chile and the Netherlands in missing out on Russia 2018. Johan Castell, WION correspondent and a Swede, said, "Sweden won! But we are not going to watch the World Cup (because Italy did not qualify). To beat a country whose national game is football is exponentially amazing. In Sweden, every football spectator will become a critic during a football match, so this moment is beyond magical to all Swedish. It seems Sweden is onto setting a new tradition of beating Italy in every 60 years and not letting them enter the World Cup". Italy, with a very poor tactics, failed to reach next year's World Cup. If Italian team plays the way they did against Sweden then it is a better option to avoid playing in the World Cup. Even with 75 per cent ball possession and 27 goal attempts, they could not score a goal and let the Scandinavians sail through to the qualifiers with an aggregate of 0-1. What went wrong In the situation of "do and die" attack was the only option left for Italy but players like Lorenzo Insigne with 6 goals and 5 assists in the season spends 90 minutes on the bench. Even, Andrea Belotti and Stephan El Shaarawy were on the bench when the match started. Daniele De Rossi snapped on the bench and vented his anger on a staff and also on the coach after the decision was taken to send him on as a substitute rather than Lorenzo Insigne. Later, Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura apologised for World Cup failure. Digvijay Singh Deo, WION sports editor, who grew up supporting Italy was in distress to see the current schema of Italian Football Federation. He said, "Italy used to be a trendsetter for the football fraternity but its ouster raises question on other important aspects. It's not about yesterday's game but there is a continuous decline in the quality in terms of players and management. Where are the players? Apart from Buffon, there is no one else to name. Italy as a team has tailed off from being the best to good". After the match Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele De Rossi announced retirement. This was maybe the last chance for Buffon to appear in the world cup. × Argentina also struggled to enter the World Cup but their star player Lionel Messi played his heart out when it was needed the most. But is there anyone in Italy who is like Messi? Where are the great players in Italy? Why did Italy stop producing legends? After the match Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele De Rossi announced retirement. This was maybe the last chance for Buffon to appear in the World Cup but he lost it. Though he performed exceptionally well in the game as well the season. His tearful exit seems like the end of an era. After the match Gianluigi Buffon and Daniele De Rossi announced retirement. (AFP) × On Buffon's retirement, Daniele Pagani said, "Players like Buffon doesn't need to prove anything to the world but his retirement on a sad note is heart-rending, it's like Virat Kohli retires after losing against Kenya". Collectively many things are responsible for Italy's ouster, for instance, it hasn't been able to collect itself from the tragic 3-0 defeat at the Bernabeu against Spain in September not just that it's also about their continuous decline in their game quality since 2008. Italian Football Federation now have enough time to think that what went wrong. Whether it was coach Ventura's mistake or the whole system is somewhere to be blamed for the devastating and heartbreaking ouster of Italy.

Italy's ouster from football World Cup: What went wrong?

<p>Beleaguered Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura said his team would try to qualify for the World Cup by &ldquo;playing football&rdquo; after their ill-tempered playoff first leg against Sweden.</p>

<p>The 69-year-old Ventura - the oldest-ever coach in Italy&rsquo;s history -- said it would take him months to listen to all the advice he had received as he bids to overturn Friday&#39;s 1-0 first leg defeat in Stockholm.</p>

<p>That loss left Italy in danger of missing the World Cup for the first time in 60 years and the tension ahead of Monday&#39;s return at the San Siro is palpable.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/humble-sweden-taking-nothing-for-granted-against-italy-24104" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;&#39;Humble&#39; Sweden taking nothing for granted against Italy</a></p>

<p>Italy complained of rough play by Sweden in the first leg, including a challenge which left Leonardo Bonucci with a broken nose, while Sweden were unhappy at their rivals&#39; alleged gamesmanship.</p>

<p>Italy has said that defender Bonucci will play on Monday with a face mask.</p>

<p>&quot;We are Italy and, if we qualify, I would like to be able to say that we did it by playing football,&quot; Ventura told reporters. &quot;I don&#39;t know what sort of game it will be but I hope it will be played in the correct spirit.&quot;</p>

<p>Ventura&#39;s tactics and team selection have been the subject of heated debate.</p>

<p>He ditched his preferred 4-2-4 formation for a 3-5-2 in Friday&#39;s match and Italians are eager to see what he will come up with on Monday and who will replace suspended midfielder Marco Verratti.</p>

<p>&quot;I&#39;ve received so much advice in the last few days that, if I tried to listen to it all, it would take months,&quot; said Ventura.</p>

<p>&quot;I know that&#39;s how it works when you are coach of the national team although I didn&#39;t expect it to be quite like this.&rdquo;</p>

<p>&quot;I can assure you that coaches listen to advice and analyse it, but it is us who decide.&quot; Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said the team were in a state of &quot;high tension&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;It&#39;s an important match for us and our history,&quot; said the 39-year-old. &quot;It&#39;s important for football in our country that we qualify for the World Cup.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;I am approaching this like the eve of an important event. I&#39;m tense, but it&#39;s the right amount of tension.&quot;</p>

<p>To read more:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/could-italy-miss-first-football-world-cup-in-60-years-23877" target="_blank">Could Italy miss first Football World Cup in 60 years?</a></p>


Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura wants Italy to qualify by 'playing football'

Beleaguered Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura said his team would try to qualify for the World Cup by “playing football” after their ill-tempered playoff first leg against Sweden. The 69-year-old Ventura - the oldest-ever coach in Italy’s history -- said it would take him months to listen to all the advice he had received as he bids to overturn Friday's 1-0 first leg defeat in Stockholm. That loss left Italy in danger of missing the World Cup for the first time in 60 years and the tension ahead of Monday's return at the San Siro is palpable. Also read: 'Humble' Sweden taking nothing for granted against Italy Italy complained of rough play by Sweden in the first leg, including a challenge which left Leonardo Bonucci with a broken nose, while Sweden were unhappy at their rivals' alleged gamesmanship. Italy has said that defender Bonucci will play on Monday with a face mask. "We are Italy and, if we qualify, I would like to be able to say that we did it by playing football," Ventura told reporters. "I don't know what sort of game it will be but I hope it will be played in the correct spirit." Ventura's tactics and team selection have been the subject of heated debate. He ditched his preferred 4-2-4 formation for a 3-5-2 in Friday's match and Italians are eager to see what he will come up with on Monday and who will replace suspended midfielder Marco Verratti. "I've received so much advice in the last few days that, if I tried to listen to it all, it would take months," said Ventura. "I know that's how it works when you are coach of the national team although I didn't expect it to be quite like this.” "I can assure you that coaches listen to advice and analyse it, but it is us who decide." Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said the team were in a state of "high tension". "It's an important match for us and our history," said the 39-year-old. "It's important for football in our country that we qualify for the World Cup." "I am approaching this like the eve of an important event. I'm tense, but it's the right amount of tension." To read more: Could Italy miss first Football World Cup in 60 years?

One last chance for Italy to qualify for Football World Cup

<p>Distraught Brazil players blamed poor finishing for the heart-breaking semifinal loss to England which ended their dreams of lifting the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time in 14 years.</p>

<p>England produced a masterclass performance to beat Brazil 3-1 in front of a shell-shocked crowd at the Salt Lake Stadium here last night to set up a first-ever all-European summit clash on October 28 at the same venue.</p>

<p>Three-time champions Brazil last won the title in 2003. They have gone without a title in the subsequent seven editions, including this one in India. They finished runners- up in 2005 and were fourth in 2011.</p>

<p>It was an emotional scene at the Salt Lake Stadium last night as several spectators among the 63,000-odd who turned up to watch the match cried after Brazil lost the match. Some players, including striker Lincoln, also broke down on the pitch.</p>

<p>Lincoln, another striker Paulinho and midfield maestro Alan Souza blamed the loss to lack of finishing touches in front of England goal.</p>

<p>&quot;We played a great game but we missed scoring opportunities. England could score from their opportunities and that is why they won. That was the difference in the match,&quot; Alan, the fulcrum of most of the Brazil attacks, said.</p>

<p>&quot;Our dream was to be the champion. We tried our best and we know we have reached our limits. We are sad but we have to now focus on the third-place match (against Mali) and try to win another game of football,&quot; said the pocket dynamo wonderkid, who is reported to have signed a deal to move to Real Madrid B team from his current side Palmeiras next season.</p>

<p>Asked if he was satisfied with his performance, he said, &quot;It was a good competition but I would have preferred to be perfect not just good and that could have happened if we would have won the title.&quot;</p>

<p>Star striker Paulinho agreed with Alan that shyness in front of England goal led to their loss in the semifinals.</p>

<p>&quot;We had our strategies for the match but we made mistakes mostly in front of goal. We did not score and also conceded goals. This was our mistake. Now we have to raise our heads up and think about the third-place match (against Mali on October 28),&quot; he said.<br />
&quot;</p>

<p>We feel happy about the support we got from the fans here. But we are sad because we could not give them back by winning the title,&quot; said the Vasco da Gama player who has scored three goals from six matches.</p>

<p>Lincoln said England were the better team and they deserved to reach their maiden final.</p>

<p>&quot;Me, Paulinho and the others could not score and that was why we lost. If you don&#39;t score you will lose. We were prepared for all situations but England were better than us,&quot; said the Flamengo player, who has scored three goals from six matches.</p>

<p>Asked why he cried after the match, Lincoln said, &quot;After the German match (quarterfinals) I was very excited but after the final whistle (against England) I cried because I was very upset.&quot;</p>


Three-time champions Brazil last won the title in 2003.

Distraught Brazil players blamed poor finishing for the heart-breaking semifinal loss to England which ended their dreams of lifting the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the first time in 14 years. England produced a masterclass performance to beat Brazil 3-1 in front of a shell-shocked crowd at the Salt Lake Stadium here last night to set up a first-ever all-European summit clash on October 28 at the same venue. Three-time champions Brazil last won the title in 2003. They have gone without a title in the subsequent seven editions, including this one in India. They finished runners- up in 2005 and were fourth in 2011. It was an emotional scene at the Salt Lake Stadium last night as several spectators among the 63,000-odd who turned up to watch the match cried after Brazil lost the match. Some players, including striker Lincoln, also broke down on the pitch. Lincoln, another striker Paulinho and midfield maestro Alan Souza blamed the loss to lack of finishing touches in front of England goal. "We played a great game but we missed scoring opportunities. England could score from their opportunities and that is why they won. That was the difference in the match," Alan, the fulcrum of most of the Brazil attacks, said. "Our dream was to be the champion. We tried our best and we know we have reached our limits. We are sad but we have to now focus on the third-place match (against Mali) and try to win another game of football," said the pocket dynamo wonderkid, who is reported to have signed a deal to move to Real Madrid B team from his current side Palmeiras next season. Asked if he was satisfied with his performance, he said, "It was a good competition but I would have preferred to be perfect not just good and that could have happened if we would have won the title." Star striker Paulinho agreed with Alan that shyness in front of England goal led to their loss in the semifinals. "We had our strategies for the match but we made mistakes mostly in front of goal. We did not score and also conceded goals. This was our mistake. Now we have to raise our heads up and think about the third-place match (against Mali on October 28)," he said. " We feel happy about the support we got from the fans here. But we are sad because we could not give them back by winning the title," said the Vasco da Gama player who has scored three goals from six matches. Lincoln said England were the better team and they deserved to reach their maiden final. "Me, Paulinho and the others could not score and that was why we lost. If you don't score you will lose. We were prepared for all situations but England were better than us," said the Flamengo player, who has scored three goals from six matches. Asked why he cried after the match, Lincoln said, "After the German match (quarterfinals) I was very excited but after the final whistle (against England) I cried because I was very upset."

Distraught Brazil players blame poor finishing for semis loss

<p>World champions&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;pushed Brazil back into second place to&nbsp;return&nbsp;to the&nbsp;top&nbsp;of the&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;rankings, which was published on Thursday.</p>

<p>Germany&#39;s 2-1 win away to the Czech Republic and their 6-0 drubbing of Norway in the World Cup qualifiers lifted them over the already-qualified Brazil, who dropped points in a draw away to Colombia.</p>

<p>European champions Portugal climbed three places to third -- even though they are second in their World Cup qualifying group behind Switzerland.</p>

<p>In another surprise, Argentina are fourth in the&nbsp;rankings&nbsp;despite struggling to qualify for the World Cup after drawing their last two games - away to Uruguay and at home to Venezuela.</p>

<p>War-torn Syria, who have reached the Asian playoff stage in the World Cup qualifiers despite playing their &#39;home&#39; World Cup qualifiers in Malaysia because of the security situation in the country, rose to their highest-ever ranking of 75.</p>

<p>Three other teams reached their best-ever place - Peru (12th), Northern Ireland (20th) and Luxemburg (101st) after they held France to a 0-0 draw away.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;rankings&nbsp;made disappointing reading for Asia with only three sides in the&nbsp;top&nbsp;50 - Iran, Japan and Australia.</p>

<p>The next&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;rankings&nbsp;will be announced on Oct. 16 and used to determine the seedings in the draw for the four European playoff ties for next year&#39;s World Cup finals in Russia.</p>

<p>Top&nbsp;10&nbsp;rankings: (previous positions in brackets) 1.&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;(2) 2. Brazil (1) 3. Portugal (6) 4. Argentina (3) 5. Belgium (9) 6. Poland (5) 7. Switzerland (4) 8. France (10) 9. Chile (7) 10. Colombia (8)</p>


Germany's 2-1 win away to the Czech Republic and their 6-0 drubbing of Norway in the World Cup qualifiers lifted them over the already-qualified Brazil, who dropped points in a draw away to Colombia.

World champions Germany pushed Brazil back into second place to return to the top of the FIFA rankings, which was published on Thursday. Germany's 2-1 win away to the Czech Republic and their 6-0 drubbing of Norway in the World Cup qualifiers lifted them over the already-qualified Brazil, who dropped points in a draw away to Colombia. European champions Portugal climbed three places to third -- even though they are second in their World Cup qualifying group behind Switzerland. In another surprise, Argentina are fourth in the rankings despite struggling to qualify for the World Cup after drawing their last two games - away to Uruguay and at home to Venezuela. War-torn Syria, who have reached the Asian playoff stage in the World Cup qualifiers despite playing their 'home' World Cup qualifiers in Malaysia because of the security situation in the country, rose to their highest-ever ranking of 75. Three other teams reached their best-ever place - Peru (12th), Northern Ireland (20th) and Luxemburg (101st) after they held France to a 0-0 draw away. The rankings made disappointing reading for Asia with only three sides in the top 50 - Iran, Japan and Australia. The next FIFA rankings will be announced on Oct. 16 and used to determine the seedings in the draw for the four European playoff ties for next year's World Cup finals in Russia. Top 10 rankings: (previous positions in brackets) 1. Germany (2) 2. Brazil (1) 3. Portugal (6) 4. Argentina (3) 5. Belgium (9) 6. Poland (5) 7. Switzerland (4) 8. France (10) 9. Chile (7) 10. Colombia (8)

FIFA rankings: World Champions Germany on top, Brazil slips

<p>Australia&nbsp;coach Ange Postecoglou has an unshakable faith that his Socceroos will feature at next year&#39;s&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;but said on Monday (September 4) the team must maintain a relentless pressure in Tuesday&#39;s (September 5) final&nbsp;qualifier&nbsp;against&nbsp;Thailand.</p>

<p>The Socceroos have backed themselves into a corner after Thursday&#39;s (August 31) 2-0 defeat by already-qualified Japan, who top Group B with 20 points, four more than&nbsp;Australia&nbsp;and Saudi Arabia.</p>

<p>Australia&nbsp;must win big against&nbsp;Thailand&nbsp;to give themselves their best chance of securing a fourth successive&nbsp;World&nbsp;Cup&nbsp;appearance, rather than slip into the tricky playoff zone.</p>

<p>The Socceroos will have to wait to know their qualifying fate until Saudi Arabia host Japan hours later.</p>

<p>The importance of the occasion was not lost on veteran forward Tim Cahill, who promised a &quot;fearless&quot; display against the Thais.</p>

<p>Australia&nbsp;will be boosted by the return of midfielder Aaron Mooy, who was a late withdrawal from the Japan match.</p>

<p>Striker Tomi Juri should also be fit to start against the Thais after he carried an injury into the clash against the Samurai Blue and spent most of the match on the bench.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Socceroos have backed themselves into a corner after Thursday's (August 31) 2-0 defeat by already-qualified Japan, who top Group B with 20 points, four more than?Australia?and Saudi Arabia.

Australia coach Ange Postecoglou has an unshakable faith that his Socceroos will feature at next year's World Cup but said on Monday (September 4) the team must maintain a relentless pressure in Tuesday's (September 5) final qualifier against Thailand. The Socceroos have backed themselves into a corner after Thursday's (August 31) 2-0 defeat by already-qualified Japan, who top Group B with 20 points, four more than Australia and Saudi Arabia. Australia must win big against Thailand to give themselves their best chance of securing a fourth successive World Cup appearance, rather than slip into the tricky playoff zone. The Socceroos will have to wait to know their qualifying fate until Saudi Arabia host Japan hours later. The importance of the occasion was not lost on veteran forward Tim Cahill, who promised a "fearless" display against the Thais. Australia will be boosted by the return of midfielder Aaron Mooy, who was a late withdrawal from the Japan match. Striker Tomi Juri should also be fit to start against the Thais after he carried an injury into the clash against the Samurai Blue and spent most of the match on the bench.

Australia ready to face Thailand in crucial World Cup qualifier

<p>Makoto Hasebe has been recalled for Japan&#39;s crucial World Cup qualifying matches against Australia and Saudi Arabia after the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder was included in head coach Vahid Halilhodzic&#39;s squad on Thursday.</p>

<p>Having missed games against the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Iraq due to surgery on a knee injury, Japan&#39;s captain has made a full recovery to be selected in Halilhodzic&#39;s initial 27-man squad.</p>

<p>&quot;There are a number of players I am concerned about and I have done this because I don&#39;t want to take risks. I want to look first-hand at the players I have got and see what the possibilities are,&quot; Halilhodzic was reported as saying by Kyodo News.</p>

<p>The former Algeria coach has also recalled Getafe midfielder Gaku Shibasaki as well as striker Yoshinori Muto, while there are fitness concerns over Yuya Osako, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa.</p>

<p>Japan lead Group B of Asia&#39;s qualifying competition for the tournament in Russia next year by a solitary point and victory over Australia on Aug. 31 would secure a place in the World Cup finals for a sixth successive time.</p>

<p>However, with the Australians and Saudi Arabia only a point behind, Halilhodzic&#39;s side cannot afford to slip up or risk being forced to continue their qualification quest via a series of playoffs.</p>

<p>&quot;We started the final round of qualifiers on the wrong foot (with a 2-1 home defeat to UAE last September) but we are top of the group,&quot; Halilhodzic said.</p>

<p>&quot;I hear the recent criticism directed my way and it puts pressure on me but this is the kind of situation I like. The more I come under attack and the more criticism I face, the more determined I am to respond.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Japan Squad</p>

<p>Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Metz, France), Masaaki Higashiguchi (Gamba Osaka), Kosuke Nakamura (Kashiwa Reysol).</p>

<p>Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan, Italy), Tomoaki Makino (Urawa Reds), Maya Yoshida (Southampton, England), Hiroki Sakai (Marseille, France), Gotoku Sakai (Hamburg, Germany), Gen Shoji (Kashima Antlers), Naomichi Ueda (Kashima Antlers), Genta Miura (Gamba Osaka).</p>

<p>Midfielders: Makoto Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Yojiro Takahagi (FC Tokyo), Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Hotaru Yamaguchi (Cerezo Osaka), Yuki Kobayashi (Heerenveen, Holland), Gaku Shibasaki (Getafe, Spain), Yosuke Ideguchi (Gamba Osaka).</p>

<p>Forwards: Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City, England), Keisuke Honda (Pachuca, Mexico), Takashi Inui (Eibar, Spain), Yuya Osako (Cologne, Germany), Genki Haraguchi (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Yoshinori Muto (Mainz, Germany), Kenyu Sugimoto (Cerezo Osaka), Yuya Kubo (Gent, Belgium), Takuma Asano (Stuttgart, Germany).</p>


Japan's captain has made a full recovery to be selected in Halilhodzic's initial 27-man squad.

Makoto Hasebe has been recalled for Japan's crucial World Cup qualifying matches against Australia and Saudi Arabia after the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder was included in head coach Vahid Halilhodzic's squad on Thursday. Having missed games against the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Iraq due to surgery on a knee injury, Japan's captain has made a full recovery to be selected in Halilhodzic's initial 27-man squad. "There are a number of players I am concerned about and I have done this because I don't want to take risks. I want to look first-hand at the players I have got and see what the possibilities are," Halilhodzic was reported as saying by Kyodo News. The former Algeria coach has also recalled Getafe midfielder Gaku Shibasaki as well as striker Yoshinori Muto, while there are fitness concerns over Yuya Osako, Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa. Japan lead Group B of Asia's qualifying competition for the tournament in Russia next year by a solitary point and victory over Australia on Aug. 31 would secure a place in the World Cup finals for a sixth successive time. However, with the Australians and Saudi Arabia only a point behind, Halilhodzic's side cannot afford to slip up or risk being forced to continue their qualification quest via a series of playoffs. "We started the final round of qualifiers on the wrong foot (with a 2-1 home defeat to UAE last September) but we are top of the group," Halilhodzic said. "I hear the recent criticism directed my way and it puts pressure on me but this is the kind of situation I like. The more I come under attack and the more criticism I face, the more determined I am to respond." Japan Squad Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Metz, France), Masaaki Higashiguchi (Gamba Osaka), Kosuke Nakamura (Kashiwa Reysol). Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan, Italy), Tomoaki Makino (Urawa Reds), Maya Yoshida (Southampton, England), Hiroki Sakai (Marseille, France), Gotoku Sakai (Hamburg, Germany), Gen Shoji (Kashima Antlers), Naomichi Ueda (Kashima Antlers), Genta Miura (Gamba Osaka). Midfielders: Makoto Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Yojiro Takahagi (FC Tokyo), Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Hotaru Yamaguchi (Cerezo Osaka), Yuki Kobayashi (Heerenveen, Holland), Gaku Shibasaki (Getafe, Spain), Yosuke Ideguchi (Gamba Osaka). Forwards: Shinji Okazaki (Leicester City, England), Keisuke Honda (Pachuca, Mexico), Takashi Inui (Eibar, Spain), Yuya Osako (Cologne, Germany), Genki Haraguchi (Hertha Berlin, Germany), Yoshinori Muto (Mainz, Germany), Kenyu Sugimoto (Cerezo Osaka), Yuya Kubo (Gent, Belgium), Takuma Asano (Stuttgart, Germany).

Japan World Cup qualifier: Makoto Hasebe recalled for matches against Australia, Saudi Arabia

<p>Argentines German Ballejo and Magdalena Gutierrez brought home on Tuesday (August 22) the first place trophy in the&nbsp;salon, or pisto,&nbsp;tango&nbsp;category of the 2017&nbsp;Tango&nbsp;World Cup.</p>

<p>The soulful, dramatic dance at Buenos Aires&#39; Luna Park stadium is a highlight of the annual festival that celebrates the traditional song and dance of the South American nation.</p>

<p>Buenos Aires natives Ballejo and Gutierrez won with 9.450 points awarded by the seven-member jury while Jose Luis Salvo and Carla Rossi, also from Buenos Aires, took second place.</p>

<p>Almost 500 couples entered the competition and 41 reached the final in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.</p>

<p>The winners received a $60,000 prize and a trip to Paris.</p>


The soulful, dramatic dance at Buenos Aires' Luna Park stadium is a highlight of the annual festival that celebrates the traditional song and dance of the South American nation

Argentines German Ballejo and Magdalena Gutierrez brought home on Tuesday (August 22) the first place trophy in the salon, or pisto, tango category of the 2017 Tango World Cup. The soulful, dramatic dance at Buenos Aires' Luna Park stadium is a highlight of the annual festival that celebrates the traditional song and dance of the South American nation. Buenos Aires natives Ballejo and Gutierrez won with 9.450 points awarded by the seven-member jury while Jose Luis Salvo and Carla Rossi, also from Buenos Aires, took second place. Almost 500 couples entered the competition and 41 reached the final in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. The winners received a $60,000 prize and a trip to Paris.

Argentine couple wins The Salon Tango 2017 World Cup

<p>Video referees could help introduce key rule changes in 25 areas of the game such as awarding a penalty goal for a handball offence on the goal line, soccer&#39;s lawmaking body has said.</p>

<p>David Elleray, the technical director of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), said video assistant referees could trigger key changes to the handball rule to make the game fairer.</p>

<p>Elleray said incidents like Luis Suarez&#39;s handball on the line during Uruguay&#39;s 2010 World Cup match against Ghana was discussed. The African side missed the resulting penalty and a chance to qualify to the semi-finals of the tournament.</p>

<p>&quot;The IFAB is looking at 25 areas of the game aiming to make it fairer and handball is one of those,&quot; the 62-year-old former referee told the Times.</p>

<p>&quot;One of those areas we are discussing is incidents similar to the handball by Luis Su&aacute;rez in the 2010 World Cup.</p>

<p>&quot;A lot of people have said in those kind of incidents why can&#39;t you give that as a goal if it is clearly going in.&quot;</p>

<p>The video assistance, which is being tested ahead of the 2018 World Cup, played a key role earlier this week when it disallowed an offside goal from France striker Antoine Griezmann in a friendly against Spain.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Video referees could help introduce key rule changes into football, such as awarding a penalty goal for a handball offence on the goal line

Video referees could help introduce key rule changes in 25 areas of the game such as awarding a penalty goal for a handball offence on the goal line, soccer's lawmaking body has said. David Elleray, the technical director of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), said video assistant referees could trigger key changes to the handball rule to make the game fairer. Elleray said incidents like Luis Suarez's handball on the line during Uruguay's 2010 World Cup match against Ghana was discussed. The African side missed the resulting penalty and a chance to qualify to the semi-finals of the tournament. "The IFAB is looking at 25 areas of the game aiming to make it fairer and handball is one of those," the 62-year-old former referee told the Times. "One of those areas we are discussing is incidents similar to the handball by Luis Suárez in the 2010 World Cup. "A lot of people have said in those kind of incidents why can't you give that as a goal if it is clearly going in." The video assistance, which is being tested ahead of the 2018 World Cup, played a key role earlier this week when it disallowed an offside goal from France striker Antoine Griezmann in a friendly against Spain. (Reuters)

Video referees set to drive major rule changes: IFAB

<p>FIFA announced its proposed slot allocation for the expanded 48-team World Cup on Thursday, including an automatic place for Oceania, 16 places for Europe - up from 13 - and a six-team inter-zonal playoff tournament for two more spots.</p>

<p>The proposals will be submitted to the FIFA Council at its next full meeting in Bahrain in May for a final decision, FIFA said.</p>

<p>Under the proposal, made by the FIFA Bureau, for the enlarged tournament beginning in 2026, Europe would get 16 direct places, Africa nine, Asia eight, South America six, CONCACAF six and Oceania one, totalling 46 teams.</p>

<p>The host nation would qualify automatically and its slot would be taken from the allocation of its confederation.</p>

<p>In the most innovative part of the proposal, the two remaining places would be decided by a six-team playoff tournament which would take place in the World Cup host nation, possibly in the November before the finals, FIFA said.</p>

<p>That tournament would include one team from each confederation, except UEFA, and an extra one from the continent of the host country.</p>

<p>FIFA decided in January to increase the tournament from 32 teams to 48.</p>

<p>The current allocation is 13 places to Europe, five to Africa, four to Asia and South America and three to CONCACAF.</p>

<p>Asia, South America, CONCACAF and Oceania also get a place in two inter-zonal playoffs.</p>

<p>The proposal shows how football has grown around the world over the last 40 years.</p>

<p>As recently as 1978, when the World Cup had only 16 teams, Africa and CONCACAF were given only one place each while Asia and Oceania had to share one place between them.</p>

<p>According to the FIFA world rankings, the top nine teams in Africa currently include Burkina Faso, who have never played at a World Cup, and Democratic Republic of Congo, who took part only once as Zaire in 1974.</p>

<p>CONCACAF&#39;S top six include Panama and Haiti while St Kitts and Nevis are seventh.</p>

<p>Asia&#39;s top eight include Uzbekistan and Qatar while China are ninth and Syria 10th.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


There'll be an automatic place for Oceania, 16 places for Europe - up from 13 - and a six-team inter-zonal playoff tournament for two slots

FIFA announced its proposed slot allocation for the expanded 48-team World Cup on Thursday, including an automatic place for Oceania, 16 places for Europe - up from 13 - and a six-team inter-zonal playoff tournament for two more spots. The proposals will be submitted to the FIFA Council at its next full meeting in Bahrain in May for a final decision, FIFA said. Under the proposal, made by the FIFA Bureau, for the enlarged tournament beginning in 2026, Europe would get 16 direct places, Africa nine, Asia eight, South America six, CONCACAF six and Oceania one, totalling 46 teams. The host nation would qualify automatically and its slot would be taken from the allocation of its confederation. In the most innovative part of the proposal, the two remaining places would be decided by a six-team playoff tournament which would take place in the World Cup host nation, possibly in the November before the finals, FIFA said. That tournament would include one team from each confederation, except UEFA, and an extra one from the continent of the host country. FIFA decided in January to increase the tournament from 32 teams to 48. The current allocation is 13 places to Europe, five to Africa, four to Asia and South America and three to CONCACAF. Asia, South America, CONCACAF and Oceania also get a place in two inter-zonal playoffs. The proposal shows how football has grown around the world over the last 40 years. As recently as 1978, when the World Cup had only 16 teams, Africa and CONCACAF were given only one place each while Asia and Oceania had to share one place between them. According to the FIFA world rankings, the top nine teams in Africa currently include Burkina Faso, who have never played at a World Cup, and Democratic Republic of Congo, who took part only once as Zaire in 1974. CONCACAF'S top six include Panama and Haiti while St Kitts and Nevis are seventh. Asia's top eight include Uzbekistan and Qatar while China are ninth and Syria 10th. (Reuters)

FIFA unveils new slot-allocation for 48-team World Cup in 2026

<p>Argentina, weakened by the last-minute suspension of Lionel Messi, had their chances of reaching next year&#39;s World Cup finals dealt a blow on Tuesday when they were beaten 2-0 by a spirited Bolivia side in La Paz.</p>

<p>Juan Arce and Marcelo Martins scored either side of halftime to give Bolivia a deserved victory over an Argentina side who defended poorly throughout an exciting end-to-end encounter.</p>

<p>The defeat in the high altitude of Bolivia&#39;s capital, coupled with Colombia&#39;s 2-0 win away in Ecuador and Chile&#39;s 3-1 defeat of Venezuela, means the twice World Cup winners fall from third to fifth in the 10-team South American qualifying group.</p>

<p>The top four teams qualify automatically for Russia 2018 and the fifth-placed side goes into a playoff with a team from Oceania.</p>

<p>Argentina have 22 points, one fewer than Chile, two behind Colombia and eight in arrears to group leaders Brazil. Uruguay, who play Peru later on Tuesday, are also above them on 23 points.</p>

<p>Argentina were already without suspended regulars Javier Mascherano, Lucas Biglia and Gonzalo Higuain and their task was made even tougher when captain Messi was handed a four-match ban for swearing at a match official hours before the game started.</p>

<p>Bolivia appeared fired up by the decision and got the goal their early pressing deserved through Arce after 31 minutes.</p>

<p>The skinny winger outmuscled Facundo Roncaglia on the penalty spot to head home a deep cross from Pablo Escobar on the right. Roncaglia was at fault again for the second goal seven minutes into the second half.</p>

<p>The Celta Vigo defender failed to prevent Jorge Flores from escaping to the byline to cross for an unmarked Marcelo Martins.</p>

<p>The big striker had all the time in the world to steady himself and hammer the ball past helpless Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero.</p>

<p>Argentina came into the game more when Sergio Aguero replaced Angel Correa 10 minutes into the second half but they could not get a goal.</p>

<p>&quot;We tried to wrestle control of the game from Bolivia (and) the team improved a bit in the second half,&quot; said Argentine coach Edgardo Bauza.</p>

<p>&quot;Bolivia won fair and square,&quot; he added. &quot;We need to think ahead. We are still alive and we want to qualify for the World Cup.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;We know that this is going to be a battle and we are going to keep fighting.&quot;</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Argentina's World Cup hopes were dealt a blow as captain Messi missed the game, serving a four-match ban for swearing at a match official

Argentina, weakened by the last-minute suspension of Lionel Messi, had their chances of reaching next year's World Cup finals dealt a blow on Tuesday when they were beaten 2-0 by a spirited Bolivia side in La Paz. Juan Arce and Marcelo Martins scored either side of halftime to give Bolivia a deserved victory over an Argentina side who defended poorly throughout an exciting end-to-end encounter. The defeat in the high altitude of Bolivia's capital, coupled with Colombia's 2-0 win away in Ecuador and Chile's 3-1 defeat of Venezuela, means the twice World Cup winners fall from third to fifth in the 10-team South American qualifying group. The top four teams qualify automatically for Russia 2018 and the fifth-placed side goes into a playoff with a team from Oceania. Argentina have 22 points, one fewer than Chile, two behind Colombia and eight in arrears to group leaders Brazil. Uruguay, who play Peru later on Tuesday, are also above them on 23 points. Argentina were already without suspended regulars Javier Mascherano, Lucas Biglia and Gonzalo Higuain and their task was made even tougher when captain Messi was handed a four-match ban for swearing at a match official hours before the game started. Bolivia appeared fired up by the decision and got the goal their early pressing deserved through Arce after 31 minutes. The skinny winger outmuscled Facundo Roncaglia on the penalty spot to head home a deep cross from Pablo Escobar on the right. Roncaglia was at fault again for the second goal seven minutes into the second half. The Celta Vigo defender failed to prevent Jorge Flores from escaping to the byline to cross for an unmarked Marcelo Martins. The big striker had all the time in the world to steady himself and hammer the ball past helpless Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero. Argentina came into the game more when Sergio Aguero replaced Angel Correa 10 minutes into the second half but they could not get a goal. "We tried to wrestle control of the game from Bolivia (and) the team improved a bit in the second half," said Argentine coach Edgardo Bauza. "Bolivia won fair and square," he added. "We need to think ahead. We are still alive and we want to qualify for the World Cup." "We know that this is going to be a battle and we are going to keep fighting." (Reuters)

Messi-less Argentina lose 2-0 in Bolivia qualifier

<p>Shortly after the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, three-time chief minister of a Congress state told me that the Gandhis have become a liability for the Congress. What sounded shocking to me then seems like a cold reality today. Post 2012, every election where Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi campaigned intensively has been lost by the party. The Congress has only been able to retain or regain those states where the state leadership has been strong. This development has been co-terminus with the rise of Modi&rsquo;s brand of politics and Rahul&rsquo;s elevation in the Congress Party. The rise of the BJP also became the rise of Narendra Modi which not only electorally marginalised the Congress but also damaged the Gandhi brand. His campaign model ran down Rahul Gandhi hence his capacity to attract and electrify the voters.</p>

<p>This happened when Narendra Modi had more political baggage than the young Rahul Gandhi. Despite the disadvantage he faced, Modi managed to turn it around. He did this through opportunities inadvertently handed down to him by the Opposition and by projecting himself as an outsider to the corrupt world of the Delhi Durbar. In the process, Rahul Gandhi was successfully projected as a lazy leader who was a product of power and pelf in front of an aspirational India which he has not been able to shake off till date.</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi not only squandered away the opportunity to understand the humbling process of government work but also proved organisationally inept. Not only did his Youth Congress programme come under tremendous criticism but his transition, forced by his mother Sonia Gandhi, created deep fissures in the party. Married to the defeat of 2014 and 2017, one can safely say that Rahul Gandhi today is turning into a brand liability for the Congress as he fails to draw the voters out on his own account. The truth is that the dynasty is in decline. The truth is that majority of Indians aren&rsquo;t taking Rahul Gandhi seriously. It is failing to connect to a new India on its own accord. It is a difficult truth but stares the Congress in its face and it should worry everyone in the Congress a lot.</p>

<p>The sum and total of five polls is that Narendra Modi today stands as the only pan Indian leader who possesses the ability to move and mobilise multiple social constituencies. Even if concession is given to Rahul Gandhi that the Congress wrested a couple of states, its overall vote share continues to decline. Rahul&#39;s victories never gave him the legitimacy of a mass leader as people gave credit to the state leaders. This time, the family bastion in Uttar Pradesh (UP) was again swept away despite the alliance whereas all seats in Varanasi went into the BJP&rsquo;s pocket indicating that even the home turf of the Gandhis is in tatters.</p>

<p>To top it up is the issue of perception that no leader comes close to Modi. This image has been buffeted further by the economically-contested demonetisation which he used to the party&rsquo;s political advantage in Uttar Pradesh. This not only enhanced his stature but also made all adversaries look small, limited and regional in nature.</p>

<p>The UP results also made Rahul Gandhi fall into the trap of sectional politics. In the 2012 elections, &nbsp;he spoke about the issue of backward Muslims which failed miserably. This time also the same mistake was repeated, but in a different avatar.</p>

<p>Despite appealing to the developmental issues, the dog whisper campaign of the SP-Congress was that with the Muslim Yadav combine with the Congress, the upper-caste vote would do well. This was politically countered by the majority discrimination campaign by BJP which was spearheaded by the prime minister himself. Not only did it derail the alliance, but it also created a united Hindu vote which should worry Congress a lot.</p>

<p>Bluntly putting it, PM Modi has become the biggest Hindu mascot who makes his intention of not running after the minority votes very clear to the electorate. To say that the post-Godhra baggage of the PM has been forgotten by India as he speaks more on development would be to fool oneself. Modi represents a skillful combination of Hindutva and the right-of-center economy of the world. So, to say that the UP results showcase booth-management skills or caste management would be to fool oneself. The vote represents a majority vote against a minority veto which has resurfaced in a much more powerful manner after the 1990s. This is the reason why not a single Muslim candidate was fielded by the BJP in UP and similarly in Assam, where the Muslim population touches 30 per cent of the total votes. This is not limited to India. Through the world, a churn exists where the majority not only asserts itself but also wears its cultural and religious symbols dynamically in the political field.</p>

<p>It is in this contrast that Rahul Gandhi comes across as a perpetually struggling leader who has neither defined his idea nor politics. It is this reality that Rahul Gandhi needs to deal with. It will not resolve itself by visiting temples or talking about Saivism in public because it doesn&rsquo;t look organic.</p>

<p>Congress under Rahul Gandhi can either continue to fight the BJP to preserve its past and the family or can call for internal elections to embrace fresh leadership. Who knows that a tough fight to take over the party might reinvent Rahul Gandhi himself. It did wonders to Sonia Gandhi when she was challenged by Jitendra Prasad. It gave her the legitimacy in front of workers and from there she went on to challenge the BJP. She challenged them state by state and in the process rebuilt a broken party.</p>

<p>The Congress will have to walk the same road again but will have to start the process by addressing the issue of the family first. There is not much of a choice. Fix it or replace it with an outsider.<br />
<br />
(WION)</p>

<p>&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Meanwhile, five-time world champions Brazil have virtually booked a place for the next edition to be held in Russia

Shortly after the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, three-time chief minister of a Congress state told me that the Gandhis have become a liability for the Congress. What sounded shocking to me then seems like a cold reality today. Post 2012, every election where Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi campaigned intensively has been lost by the party. The Congress has only been able to retain or regain those states where the state leadership has been strong. This development has been co-terminus with the rise of Modi’s brand of politics and Rahul’s elevation in the Congress Party. The rise of the BJP also became the rise of Narendra Modi which not only electorally marginalised the Congress but also damaged the Gandhi brand. His campaign model ran down Rahul Gandhi hence his capacity to attract and electrify the voters. This happened when Narendra Modi had more political baggage than the young Rahul Gandhi. Despite the disadvantage he faced, Modi managed to turn it around. He did this through opportunities inadvertently handed down to him by the Opposition and by projecting himself as an outsider to the corrupt world of the Delhi Durbar. In the process, Rahul Gandhi was successfully projected as a lazy leader who was a product of power and pelf in front of an aspirational India which he has not been able to shake off till date. Rahul Gandhi not only squandered away the opportunity to understand the humbling process of government work but also proved organisationally inept. Not only did his Youth Congress programme come under tremendous criticism but his transition, forced by his mother Sonia Gandhi, created deep fissures in the party. Married to the defeat of 2014 and 2017, one can safely say that Rahul Gandhi today is turning into a brand liability for the Congress as he fails to draw the voters out on his own account. The truth is that the dynasty is in decline. The truth is that majority of Indians aren’t taking Rahul Gandhi seriously. It is failing to connect to a new India on its own accord. It is a difficult truth but stares the Congress in its face and it should worry everyone in the Congress a lot. The sum and total of five polls is that Narendra Modi today stands as the only pan Indian leader who possesses the ability to move and mobilise multiple social constituencies. Even if concession is given to Rahul Gandhi that the Congress wrested a couple of states, its overall vote share continues to decline. Rahul's victories never gave him the legitimacy of a mass leader as people gave credit to the state leaders. This time, the family bastion in Uttar Pradesh (UP) was again swept away despite the alliance whereas all seats in Varanasi went into the BJP’s pocket indicating that even the home turf of the Gandhis is in tatters. To top it up is the issue of perception that no leader comes close to Modi. This image has been buffeted further by the economically-contested demonetisation which he used to the party’s political advantage in Uttar Pradesh. This not only enhanced his stature but also made all adversaries look small, limited and regional in nature. The UP results also made Rahul Gandhi fall into the trap of sectional politics. In the 2012 elections, he spoke about the issue of backward Muslims which failed miserably. This time also the same mistake was repeated, but in a different avatar. Despite appealing to the developmental issues, the dog whisper campaign of the SP-Congress was that with the Muslim Yadav combine with the Congress, the upper-caste vote would do well. This was politically countered by the majority discrimination campaign by BJP which was spearheaded by the prime minister himself. Not only did it derail the alliance, but it also created a united Hindu vote which should worry Congress a lot. Bluntly putting it, PM Modi has become the biggest Hindu mascot who makes his intention of not running after the minority votes very clear to the electorate. To say that the post-Godhra baggage of the PM has been forgotten by India as he speaks more on development would be to fool oneself. Modi represents a skillful combination of Hindutva and the right-of-center economy of the world. So, to say that the UP results showcase booth-management skills or caste management would be to fool oneself. The vote represents a majority vote against a minority veto which has resurfaced in a much more powerful manner after the 1990s. This is the reason why not a single Muslim candidate was fielded by the BJP in UP and similarly in Assam, where the Muslim population touches 30 per cent of the total votes. This is not limited to India. Through the world, a churn exists where the majority not only asserts itself but also wears its cultural and religious symbols dynamically in the political field. It is in this contrast that Rahul Gandhi comes across as a perpetually struggling leader who has neither defined his idea nor politics. It is this reality that Rahul Gandhi needs to deal with. It will not resolve itself by visiting temples or talking about Saivism in public because it doesn’t look organic. Congress under Rahul Gandhi can either continue to fight the BJP to preserve its past and the family or can call for internal elections to embrace fresh leadership. Who knows that a tough fight to take over the party might reinvent Rahul Gandhi himself. It did wonders to Sonia Gandhi when she was challenged by Jitendra Prasad. It gave her the legitimacy in front of workers and from there she went on to challenge the BJP. She challenged them state by state and in the process rebuilt a broken party. The Congress will have to walk the same road again but will have to start the process by addressing the issue of the family first. There is not much of a choice. Fix it or replace it with an outsider. (WION)

World Cup qualifiers: Messi-led Argentina beat Chile to exorcise Copa ghosts

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