According to TEAMtalk, West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini is keen to bring exciting Boca Juniors forward Cristian Pavon to the London Stadium this summer, and Irons fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.TEAMtalk report that the 22-year-old, who has been named in the Argentina squad for the Russia World Cup, is keen on a move to London, with the east London outfit, who should launch a bid for a £70,000-a-week Newcastle United star if the Magpies complete a deal for a 21-year-old, hopeful that they can get a deal for him over the line.Pavon, who can play on either flank, scored seven goals and provided a further 17 assists in 31 appearances in all competitions for Boca during the 2017/18 campaign, and would provide competition for the likes of Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio – and potentially new addition Felipe Anderson – for a starting spot under Pellegrini next term.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”252976″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch 21 things that will definitely happen at the World Cup”]West Ham supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the rumour, and while one said “he reminds me of Dybala”, another labelled him as “Jonathan Calleri Mk 2”.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

The Punjab Under-14 team scored a overwhelming innings and 224-runvictory over Jammu and Kashmir on the third and final day of theirNorth Zone league match at the Dhruv Pandove Stadium in Patiala onMonday.J&K were shot out for just 43 runs. Punjab’s opening bowlersHardavindar Singh (4 for 15) and Rattan Brichar (4 for 18) ran throughthe J&K lineup. In reply, Punjab declared at 325 for nine. AshishVinayak (62) and Tavish Gupta (45) added 94 runs for the second wicketoff 25.1 overs. Then Ankur Jund (87) forged useful partnerships withthe lower order batsmen to boost the total.In arrears by 282 runs, J&K fared little better the second time aroundand were skittled out for 58. This time Tavesh Gupta was the pick ofthe bowlers, finishing with figures of 5 for 20 in his 7.5 overs. Onlythree batsmen, opener Ian Chauhan (20 not out), Quyam Hassan (14) andKaran Kochhar (12) managed to reach double figures.

Khan Research Laboratories were propelled to the top of the table with 12 points after securing a draw against State Bank of Pakistan. KRL put SBP in, with the decision seemingly vindicated after Yasir Arafat bowled opener Raheel Majeed for just 1. A 53-run stand for the second wicket between Kashif Siddiq and Umair Khan saved early blushes, before an imperious 202 from Usman Arshad wrested the match in SBP’s favour. SBP finished their innings on 420, with Sadaf Hussain and Umaid Asif taking three wickets a piece.KRL’s effort proved even between, led by Ali Khan’s 187 at No. 6, with a pair of seventies from Shoaib Ahmed and Nayyer Abbas book-ending the innings. KRL finished on 481 despite Mohammad Naved taking 5 for 129. Facing a deficit of 61 runs, SBP did well to get past the mark with just a wicket lost. Majeed scored 50 while Umair Khan just missed out on an eight first-class ton when he was out for 97. SBP were 199 for 5 when stumps was called and the match was declared a draw.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited beat Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited by 93 runs in Islamabad to register their first win of the tournament. ZTBL batted first, but found themselves in a jam when they were placed at 42 for 3. Haris Sohail and Haseeb-ur-Rehman steadied the innings with a 75-run stand. However, once both batsmen departed, the rest of the order failed to put up a fight as ZTBL were dismissed for 210. Imran Ali led the bowlers with 5 for 31 while Hussain Talat chipped in with 3 for 24. SNGPL’s innings was marked with the inability of their batsmen to push past double figures, with only Naeemuddin and Azhar Ali the exceptions. ZTBL needed just three bowlers to dismiss SNGPL for 80, giving them a lead of 130 runs. Usman Khan took four wickets, while Imran Khan and Mohammad Khalil chipping in with three a piece.ZTBL posted a strong second innings when Sharjeel Khan and Babar Azam put on 166 runs for the second wicket, with Azam having to retire hurt on 80. Sohail remained unbeaten on 50 as ZTBL declared on 236 for 2. SNGPL were given a target of 367 to chase, with things started abjectly when SNGPL were 35 for 3. Things got even worse when they were placed at 103 for 7, but a stunning counter-attacking 106 from Bilawal Bhatti scored 106 at No. 9, but despie that performance, SNGPL still ended up falling short by 93 runs.A nerveless unbeaten 49 by Naeem Anjum in the second innings saw out a tricky 178-run chase for Pakistan Television as they held on to a four-wicket victory over Port Qasim Authority in Lahore. PQA batted first, with the openers putting on 64 for the first wicket. Innings from Faraz Ali (69) and Mohammad Waqas (88), pushed them to 316. Mohammad Ali’s took best figures of 5 for 75. Despite losing their openers with the score on just 11, and then suffering further set backs to be reduced to 51 for 4, Pakistan Television looked under the cosh, but Zeeshan Mushtaq (105) and Yasim Murtaza (70) rallied the team, helping them secure a slim 43-run lead. Mohammad Sami and Sohail Khan chipped in with three wickets a piece.PQA’s second innings didn’t go to plan as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Despite a stirring effort from Shahzaib Hasan, with 105 off 110 balls which included seven fours and four sixes, none of the other batsmen, aside from Sami’s 30, were able to contribute significant scores as PQA were rolled for 220. Waqar Ahmed and Wasim Murtaza did chief damage, taking three wickets each. With 178 runs for victory, Pakistan Television lost opener Haroon Ahmed with the score on just 17. Imran Ali and Nawar Ahmed also went out in quicktime, before a double-strike of consecutive balls from Mohammad Sami left them at a precarius 102, with 76 still required. A calm 59-run partnership between Fahad-ul-Haq and Naeem Anjum ensured they got to the mark, with Anjum finishing off the chase with consecutive boundaries.United Bank Limited beat Water and Power Development Authority by 176 runs to post their first win of the tournament. UBL batted first, with Abid Ali leading the way with his 76. Each of the UBL batsmen chipped in, but failed to go on to post a meaningful total. A couple of forties from Asif Raza and Tariq Haroon were the only notable performances other than Abid Ali as UBL reached 319. WAPDA started promisingly with some good stands up front, but lost their way after reaching 218 for 6, losing the remaining four wickets for the addition of just 42 runs. Aamer Sajjad, the captain, top-scored with 84 while Mohammad Ayub chipped in with 50. Both Mohammad Irshad and Tariq Haroon picked up four wickets each to lead the UBL bowlers’ efforts.UBL’s second innings was anchored by Abid again as he bettered his 76 in the first innings with an unbeaten 101. Khaqan Arsal scored 70 at No. 5, as UBL declared their innings at 242 for 6 with a lead of 302. WAPDA were never really in the chase, as they succumbed to 68 for 7. Only their captain, Sajjad, fought valiantly with his 64 as WAPDA were bundled out for 125, giving UBL a 176-run victory.Some imposing first-innings totals resulted in the match between Pakistan International Airlines and Habib Bank Limited finishing as a stalemate. Both sides were seeking their first win after losing their respective tournament openers. It was PIA who batted first, where innings from Fahad Iqbal (52), Anop Santosh (51) and Anwar Ali (61) helped PIA to 343. Sarmad Anwar and Ehsan Adil took seven wickets between them.Habib Bank’s innings started well, with opener Shan Masood and captain Imran Farhat adding 114 for the second wicket. Masood and No. 6 Rameez Aziz then put on 169 runs together, with Masood finally falling for 140. After Rameez was out on 78, Mohammad Aslam and Abdul Ameer were left not out as the match petered to a draw, with Habib Bank on 411 for 8.

David Warner’s image makeover has been rewarded with his appointment as Steven Smith’s lieutenant, after the Cricket Australia board approved the recommendations of the selectors for the leadership team to succeed the retiring captain Michael Clarke.Smith had always been in line to be named as captain following his strong displays as stand-in for the injured Clarke during the home summer, but Warner has needed to do considerable work on his attitude on and off the field in recent times to grow into a role that will be pivotal in support.As the chairman of selectors Rod Marsh acknowledged, the 28-year-old Warner has come a long way since he was suspended on the previous Ashes tour for throwing a punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham bar. Alongside Smith, he has been Australia’s most prolific batsman in recent times, and has also this year toned down his self-appointed role as the team’s on-field “attack dog”, something he discussed with ESPNcricinfo in the West Indies.”We have reached a point in time where we’ve had to look at our leadership positions again with an eye to the future,” Marsh said. “David has matured and developed into an important senior figure in the Australian team. He has come a long way.”He had valuable experience captaining the Sunrisers in the IPL earlier this year and we are confident he will provide strong support to Steve as his deputy. We believe that he will respond well to the added responsibility of leadership.”Other contenders for the role included Mitchell Johnson, who had been appointed vice-captain of the limited-overs team in the past, but the selectors were always likely to settle on Smith and Warner after the latter’s recent work to mature as a cricketer. He will still have some work ahead of him to prove that progress to the rest of the world, who know him as much for his abrasive manner as his explosive batting.Smith has emerged as Australia’s leader over the past 18 months, first becoming an integral member of the team in all formats and then showing his captaincy ability when Clarke was unavailable against India. He has also captained New South Wales to the 2014 Sheffield Shield and the Sydney Sixers to the 2012 Big Bash League title.”We have had a clear succession plan in place for the captaincy with Steve Smith gaining valuable experience leading the Australian Test Team while Michael Clarke was recovering from injury last season,” Marsh said. “When Michael made his decision to retire last week it was a very straightforward decision for us to nominate Steve as his successor.”He has big shoes to fill but everything about him suggests he is the right man for the job. At 26, he is a fine young man with extraordinary talent, excellent leadership qualities and a terrific temperament. He is highly regarded by the selectors and we congratulate him on being appointed to the role on an ongoing basis. He should be incredibly proud.”The CA chairman Wally Edwards said the nine directors had concurred with the selectors’ recommendations after some discussion at their August board meeting in Melbourne. “We have all seen Steve Smith’s clear leadership potential and believe he can perform an excellent job for Australian cricket over many years,” he said.”We supported the recommendation to appoint David Warner as vice-captain, noting his role as a leading batsmen, his development and emergence as a leader within the team. We congratulate both men on their appointments.”Smith and Warner will lead Australia in the limited-overs matches that follow Clarke’s farewell Test at the Oval, before they travel to Bangladesh for their first overseas assignment together.

ScorecardLiam Hatcher’s performance meant Australia cannot lose the one-day series•Cricket Australia

Liam Hatcher took 6 for 27 to demolish England U-19s for 99 as Australia took a 2-1 lead in the one-day series with one match remaining.Hatcher ran through England’s middle order at Grace Road with Jack Burnham’s 21 being the top score in a paltry effort. They were 76 for 9 before a last-wicket stand of 23 nearly pushed them to three figures.Australia lost Caleb Jewell to a run out off the first ball of the chase and slipped to 9 for 2 Will Pucovski was lbw, but Matt Renshaw’s unbeaten 39 ensured there were few other worries as they cantered to the target in the 21st over.Australia had chosen to bowl first and were soon marking inroads as Jhye Richardson removed England’s openers, including the in-from Dan Lawrence, inside the first seven overs.It was then over to Hatcher who had Haseeb Hameed caught behind then bowled captain Aneurin Donald for 4 third ball. Burham’s 21 included five boundaries before he was also bowled. Nine of the England batsmen were dismissed with barely half the overs used when Hatcher claimed George Garton and Mason Crane in consecutive deliveries.

The Bangladesh-Australia Test series is moving towards taking place as scheduled, according to BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury, after a second day of security-related meetings and assurances in Dhaka. Though the Australian High Commissioner was non-committal, ESPNcricinfo understands the BCB is expecting Cricket Australia to give the go-ahead on Tuesday, with the team likely to arrive this week.The BCB has already acted on its optimism about the tour and at 5.15 pm on Monday named the squad for the first Test in Chittagong from October 9. The team, which began training this afternoon, had been approved by the BCB president before the Eid holidays – September 24 to 26 – but the squad announcement was delayed because Cricket Australia postponed its team’s departure to Bangladesh, citing security concerns.An hour later, the BCB sent out the accreditation form for local journalists, another sign that it is positive about the tour going ahead.Perhaps another positive sign is that only Cricket Australia’s security manager Sean Carroll will return to Australia on Tuesday. Team manager Gavin Dovey and team security manager Frank Dimasi, who arrived on September 27, are staying in Dhaka presumably to receive the Australia team.On Monday, Carroll, Dovey, Dimasi, and the Australian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Greg Wilcock, had discussions with the Home Minister and the heads of the country’s security agencies. BCB president Nazmul Hassan, directors Mahbubul Anam and Lokman Hossain, and chief executive Chowdhury were also present. Later in the day, the CA security contingent also met with another security agency.After the meeting at the ministry, Chowdhury said they were looking to conduct the series according to the original tour schedule, with the first Test in Chittagong from October 9.”We are expecting all the matches to be played on schedule,” Chowdhury said. “We will try to have the main matches of the tour be played as scheduled, because there is plenty of planning that goes behind each international match.”We haven’t discussed any issue with regards to Chittagong as a venue. We have confirmed the facilities which will be given to them in Dhaka will also be given to them in Chittagong.”The Australian high commissioner Wilcock said that the talks at the ministry were a part of an ongoing process. “I want to make it clear that I speak on behalf of the Australian government and I want to send a very short message about this meeting,” he said. “The first is I think as two cricket loving nations we all want to play cricket. The Bangladesh squad has been doing very well recently.”At the same time, the Australian government very recently issued an update travel advice communicating additional guidance on safety and security in Bangladesh. The result of that is that we are here discussing these safety and security measures with the Bangladesh authorities.”We have enjoyed the time, the generosity and the expertise of the honourable minister and his senior police officials. This is part of our consultations with the Bangladesh Cricket Board, with the Bangladesh authorities and with Cricket Australia to address our shared interests. That work continues. This meeting has been one part of that. That work will continue for the rest of today.”

‘Ultra-edge’, Hawk Eye’s version of Snicko*, has been approved for use as part of the Decision Review System (DRS), according to Geoff Allardice, the ICC’s general manager of cricket, although the prospect of any uniformity over the application of the technology – and a long-term solution for who carries the cost – remains a long way off.The ‘Ultra-edge’ system has been tested by engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston and gained a positive assessment. It is able to differentiate more clearly over sounds created by bat, pads or clothing, although Allardice said “ultimately we are still judging a sound and it will need interpretation as to what created that sound.”However, it is unlikely to be seen in all Test series, given that the poorer boards are unable to afford their share of the cost for the full DRS. Neither of the Test series taking place at the moment – Pakistan-England in the UAE and Sri Lanka-West Indies – has the full system available, both lacking Hot Spot and Snicko due to the cost burden on the home board of providing the systems in conjunction with the host broadcaster.Two decisions in particular in Abu Dhabi would have had been given more clarity had either or both of those elements been available. Instead the third umpire, S Ravi, was left with only audio to use to adjudicate on nicks behind. In Pakistan’s first innings Misbah-ul-Haq was dismissed caught behind when the on-field not-out call was overturned. Then, in their second innings, Mohammad Hafeez survived a tight decision having also been given not out caught behind off Adil Rashid.One solution to find uniformity on what is available would be for the ICC to centrally carry the cost of the DRS. When asked if this was an option, David Richardson, the ICC chief executive, said: “Yes, but we need to get to the stage where everyone is using it.”To me it’s not such a big issue, whichever way you look at it cricket ends up paying for it. If the members are going to place it on the broadcasters to provide the technology then they may deduct the cost from what they pay the board. Ideally we want to get to the stage of consistent application.”The major stumbling block to that consistency remains the BCCI. There has been a hint of some thawing over the issue with Anil Kumble, who is chairman of the ICC cricket committee, slowly becoming a convert. He had initially been put off the system by his experience as a player during the first series it was trialled, between Sri Lanka and India in 2008, when there were a number of contentious decisions. Still, Richardson conceded the BCCI may never come around.”Hopefully the BCCI will take heed when the cricket committee meet next May,” he said. “The problem is they also have an objection from an ‘in principle’ point of view as well as doubts over accuracy. It’s not guaranteed they will go down that route.”Meanwhile, there are no plans in the near future to implement a system in which the third umpire can intervene on the initial calling of no-balls after the umpires themselves said they wanted to retain the authority of watching the front-line in the middle.Missed no-balls, an increasing occurrence at international level, were a feature of the first Test in Abu Dhabi. Stuart Broad was denied the wicket of Shoaib Malik when he overstepped – a decision confirmed by the TV umpire, not on-field – following an earlier no-ball which had not been called. Later, replays showed that Alastair Cook’s 263 was ended by a no-ball when Shoaib Malik, in a more unusual occurrence, landed in front of the line before dragging his heel back.Currently, third umpires are provided with split-screen replays from the square-on cameras which are locked on the popping crease. Within ten seconds they can see a replay of any delivery, but currently there is no protocol for them to intervene in a decision unless asked by the on-field official.”We talked about it at length a few weeks ago and the view of the group is that they need to get better and be more decisive,” Allardice said. “They weren’t looking for a technology solution, it’s part of their trade and they think they can do all better.”It’s not all umpires on all days, no-balls are called all over the world, but there are some missed – there have been from day dot, they are just being scrutinised a lot more. At the moment we aren’t looking at a technology solution, but there are things being worked on behind the scenes.”Allardice confirmed that the instructions to umpires was only to call no-balls when they were certain. However, he insisted that the on-field officials, sometimes helped by information from the TV umpire, still communicated with bowlers to warn them when they were getting close to the line.*9.30pm, October 19: The story was amended to correct reference of Hot Spot to Hawk Eye

David Warner’s determination to post bigger scores is driven partly by the proliferation of flat pitches in Australia and around the world. On the morning he was dismissed for 253 after collaring 244* on day one of the WACA Test against New Zealand, Warner said flat pitches were necessitating his desire to bat for longer periods.Much comment has surrounded the WACA surface for this Test, with the ABC Grandstand commentator Jim Maxwell describing it as a “chief executive’s pitch”, and Tom Moody expressing his disappointment at its relative lack of pace and carry. While Warner said it would be wise to suspend judgment until Australia’s fast battery had bowled on the strip, he pointed out that friendly batting surfaces were pushing him to redefine his own approach.”The key factor here is the type of wickets we’re playing on, they’re nice and generous for batsmen, the bowlers are really going to have to work hard,” Warner told before the second day’s play. “That’s something we know in Australia as a batsman you really have to cash in, we’re fortunate enough to play on very good wickets, and around the world I think in general the wickets are pretty batter friendly today.”It [the pitch] was a bit disappointing, you see generally after lunch or even tea time it does quicken up, but it felt like it got a bit slower through the middle. The second new ball came through a little bit, but I think it also has something to do with their bowlers only reaching 130-135 and they’re quite tired. When we’ve got two bowlers at 140 plus, that’s when we can see if the wicket has actually fastened up. But generally pretty slow for a WACA wicket.”Friday was the first time Warner had managed to bat a full day in a Test match, after he went close on day one of the first game at the Gabba. Leaning heavily on singles and strike rotation with Joe Burns and then Usman Khawaja, Warner said his play had been dictated largely by the field settings of Brendon McCullum, who was notably more conservative than he had been in Brisbane.”It wasn’t really in the back of my mind to achieve that, it was more about trying to take the singles that were on offer, that allowed me to do that and achieve batting out the day for the team,” Warner said. “That’s what it comes down to, if the fields are a little bit more attacking you can play your shots a bit more and it might create the chances, there were odd occasions when Brendon did bring the field back in, but for us it was rotating that strike.”I really did enjoy it, putting another 100-run partnership on with Joe, but to go out with my childhood mate Ussie and see him and be out there and hug him for his hundred and our 300 partnership, our family will be so proud of that because we’ve grown up with each other, to be out there and put what we used to do when we played together as youngsters, to put it out here on the global scale is fantastic.”Warner described putting up a 300-plus partnership with his childhood mate Usman Khawaja as “fantastic”•Getty Images

Warner described some of the concentration battles he had fought across the day, which related mainly to his natural desire to hit out or premeditate shots once he was settled and the bowlers began to tire. “I think the battles come when you start predicting shots before the bowler’s bowled,” he said.”That’s one thing when you’re in and feel like you’re really in, you’ve got the second person in your mind actually talking to you. That’s the hardest thing about this game, when you’ve got so many singles on offer bring able to rotate the strike, the big shots are always in the back of your mind. When I was on 190 and BMac was on, I just felt like I could hit every ball for six, and that’s what happens in your mind.”Even with the spinner at the other end you’re thinking ‘how can I get to that 200 fast’ and that’s by hitting those big shots. But you still have to respect the bowler, and I was actually quite nervous when he came on to bowl, so I was hoping he put one in my half, which he did. I tried the little dinky shots down leg but they weren’t working either.”Since the start of the West Indies tour that preceded the Ashes, Warner has sworn off alcohol, something he said he was doing in part to be united with his pregnant wife Candice. However, he admitted he would ponder a beverage after this match, now that it has reaped his highest ever Test score.”A lot of that decision was to try to get through England and our summer, to give my body the best opportunity to get through the summer,” he said. “Also it helps when you’ve got your wife who’s seven months pregnant now, her not being able to have alcohol it’s more about myself setting a goal to see if I can go her full term with not having alcohol. Going well so far but I think I might need one after this game.”

The torrential rain that engulfed Kandy and its surroundings during the week destroyed an otherwise exciting 3rd and final test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The dawn of the 5th day (Sunday) saw the Agiriya International Stadium Ground fully submerged in water. The outfield was so soggy that the two commentators Tony Graig and Pat Symcot showed the heels and toes of their shoes dipped in wet soil. No amount of work could turn the ground fit for play.Earlier, the rain washed out half the 1st days’ play. Full day’s game was, however, possible on the 2nd day that ended with Sri Lankan’s fantastic innings of 449 for 5. On the 3rd day, only 15 minutes of play was possible during which Atapttu completed his prolific double ton (207). The 4th day was completely washed out and so the 5th day now. The test has been abandoned as a draw.The prominent feature of the 5th day was the holding of a prize distribution ceremony to mark the end of HNB Test Series. The test having been drawn the prize money was shared by the two teams. While Pakistan won HNB Test Series Trophy, Wasim Akram was declared “Man of the Series”.

MRF thrashed Andhra by 161 runs in a lopsided encounter at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore today to move into the quarter finals of the KSCA Diamond Jubilee tournament for the Coromandel Cement Trophy. When Andhra captain MSK Prasad got the better of his counterpart, M Senthilnathan over the spin of the coin, he invited MRF to take first strike. They posted a total of 225 which proved more than adequate in the circumstances as Andhra crumbled to a miserable 64 in just under two hours.In the morning session, MRF were bowled out in the last of their allotted fifty overs, with five balls to spare. They suffered a poor start when Aashish Kapoor was caught off the bowling of former India A seamer N Madhukar for nought. In the fifth over, one of the heroes of India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph, Venugopala Rao was thrown out to leave the tire manufacturers at 18/2.Hemang Badani and Hrishikesh Kanitkar then steadied the boat with a 82 run third wicket stand before the former was trapped leg before one run short of his half century. Badani had struck six boundaries in his run a ball knock. Kanitkar duly went past the fifty mark but was given the marching orders by Ram Mohan for 61 (77 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) in the 31st over.All rounder Rajat Bhatia also showed his mettle with a useful 46 but when he tickled one through to Prasad off Madhukar, the lower order fell apart and MRF settled for a score of 225. Madhukar ended with the creditable figures of 4/48 but it was Watekar who combined both potency and miserliness to finish with 4/24.Andhra began their reply in disastrous fashion as both openers, one of whom was the captain Prasad, were removed for ducks by Mumbai medium pacer Sriram Kannan and Baroda paceman Zaheer Khan respectively. A Pathak and YG Rao managed to enter double figures but after Khan took a return catch to despatch the former, a steady procession began to and fro the crease.The last eight wickets slumped for 31 as the Andhra innings terminated in the 24th over. All five MRF bowlers were among the wickets but it was Kannan who produced the best analysis in the end with 3/26 from his seven overs. MRF now goes through to a quarter final clash with Indian Airlines at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on August 8.