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Barca enjoyed their best season in four years on their way to regaining the Spanish title – but who were their best performers?

Barcelona didn't figure to be here. Although the expectation is to win La Liga every year, Real Madrid, theoretically, looked too good for Xavi's side, and were far and away favourites to win the 2022-23 title. But Barca were a revelation, at least domestically, and finished the season by hoisting the trophy after finishing 10 points clear of their arch-rivals.

It was very much a team effort, with Xavi dipping deep into his squad for a series of strong performers that amounted to their first league title in four years. But there were some star players, too, with the likes of Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, Robert Lewandowski and Marc-Andre ter Stegen proving crucial over the course of the season.

And although a few players seem poised to leave, the Blaugrana have enjoyed contributions from everywhere within their playing ranks.

GOAL rates every member of Barcelona's senior squad from the 2022-23 season…

Getty22Memphis Depay – 3/10

Barcelona needed to get rid of him from day one, and it took them a while. Eventually, the Dutch international was shipped off to Atletico Madrid in January after barely making an impact during a forgettable few months. The Blaugrana were better off without him.

AdvertisementGetty21Gerard Pique – 3/10

The best thing Pique did this season was retire. The Barcelona legend was told by Xavi back in October that he wouldn't be a regular for the Blaugrana anymore, and Pique swiftly announced after that he would hang his boots up within a month.

It didn't make things too easy at the time; an injury to Araujo left Barcelona shorthanded for a few weeks. Still, Pique agreed to forgo a significant chunk of his wages, valuable cash that could now clear the way for the signing of Lionel Messi this summer.

Getty Images20Ferran Torres – 4/10

Torres was a puzzling signing last winter, and he isn't looking any better now. The Spaniard has had his moments, including a braze against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League, but the major memory from his campaign will be his entirely unnecessary wrestling match with Atletico defender Stefan Savic in January — one that earned him a straight red.

Xavi seems to like him, but it would be of little surprise if Barca listen to offers for the 23-year-old this summer.

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Getty Images19Pablo Torre – 5/10

A youngster full of potential, Torre enjoyed some good moments for the Blaugrana this season. A good hour against Valladolid showed promise, while he also bagged a goal in the Champions League.

Still, he perhaps could have done more with the time offered, and hasn't shown that he deserves regular minutes in a packed midfield and attacking corps.

Ben Stokes has spoken about the “complete devastation” he felt after the last over of the World T20 final

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2016Allrounder Ben Stokes has spoken about the “complete devastation” he felt after the last over of the World T20 final when Carlos Brathwaite had taken him for four consecutive sixes to snatch the title away from England.In the immediate aftermath of the conclusion to the final, Stokes admitted trying to block out the emotions and he said it is only since returning home that he has really reflected on what took place.The final over began with West Indies needing 19 to win and England favourites despite having struggled to 155 for 9 with the bat. But then Brathwaite swung Stokes’ first delivery over deep square leg, then connected sweetly against two full deliveries to suddenly level the scores and leave a distraught Stokes with his head in his hands.”I thought, ‘I’ve just lost the World Cup’. I couldn’t believe it,” he told the . “I didn’t know what to do. It took me so long to get back on my feet. I didn’t want to get back up. It was like the whole world had come down on me. There weren’t any good things going through my mind. It was just complete devastation.””It is probably only now really that all the emotions have started to come out about it. I couldn’t reflect on it at the time. There was just shock.”Stokes had developed his reputation as a death bowler during the tournament with important spells against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. He said he did not panic after the first ball of the last over had cleared the boundary and was still backing himself to defend 7 off 4 before being crushed by the third six.”It was not until they needed one off three that I knew the game was gone. When they needed seven I was still backing myself to get us over the line but I just couldn’t. It was amazing hitting. I just did not execute what I wanted to do.”A host of current and former players – not just from England – have come out in support of Stokes, praising his desire to be the man under pressure at the end, and he said he would not have a second thought about putting himself back in that position.”A hundred per cent. Definitely. It is something I work at a lot. Some days they go well. Some days they don’t. That was a bad day but I won’t be shying away from it. You almost want it to happen because if you nail it everyone forgets.”Stokes was at the centre of another spat with Marlon Samuels during the final – Samuels was fined 30% of his match fee for foul language – and Samuels was far from glowing about Stokes during his post-match press conference. Stokes has no issue with how events transpired and acknowledged Samuels played “a brilliant” innings.He also revealed that Brathwaite, who was fulsome in his praise of Stokes, had asked for a signed shirt.”We did not have a beer with them afterwards but Brathwaite came up to me and asked for a shirt. He is a brilliant lad. I wanted to make sure I spoke to them and say well done because I did not want people to think I was bitter. I wished them all the best. It is about respect to the opposition.”Stokes will return to action for Durham on April 24 in their County Championship match against Middlesex.

South Africa’s World Cup-winning rugby captain Francois Pienaar has been appointed to a CSA four-person panel to conduct an independent review of all national teams

Firdose Moonda09-Apr-20163:53

‘SA stars will feel this missed opportunity’

South Africa’s World Cup-winning rugby captain Francois Pienaar has been appointed to a CSA four-person panel to conduct an independent review of all national teams. Pienaar, whose team won the trophy in 1995, will be joined by former Test batsman Adam Bacher, chairperson of CSA’s HR committee, Dawn Mokhobo, and sports physiologist Dr Ross Tucker. There is no deadline for the committee to reveal their findings.Under particular scrutiny will be the post of Russell Domingo, South Africa’s national coach, who faced a volley of questions over his future when the team exited the World T20 in the first round. On their return, CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat said the organisation intended to undertake a review, as it does every year, before making any decisions. However, Lorgat emphasised that “with every passing ICC event that we come back from below expectation, the reviews should get tougher,” and the unveiling of the new panel is proof of that.But the review will not focus solely on one man. It will examine both the men’s and women’s teams and Under-19 side, who all struggled in a summer of discontent for South African cricket. The men’s Test team lost back-to-back series against India and England and with it their No.1 ranking. While they earned ODI series wins against the same opposition, that meant very little considering their World T20 failing.The women’s team made history by beating England and West Indies for the first time in T20s but could not take that form into a major tournament and the U-19s looked out of their depth at the World Cup in Bangladesh, where they could not defend their title and lost to Namibia and Zimbabwe in the process.”Our recent performances resulting in early exits for all our national teams at the World T20 and the Under-19 World Cup is clearly not acceptable,” Haroon Lorgat, CSA CEO said. “This calls for us to conduct a clinical review into the national set-up and performances of the various teams. While we plan to do this as soon as practically possible, we do not intend to place a deadline on this important piece of work as we presently have capable people and contracts in place. We have time to do a thorough review before the board makes any decisions about the future.”South Africa do not play any cricket until June, when they have a triangular series in the Caribbean also involving Australia, and they do not play Test cricket until August, when they host New Zealand. With the domestic season drawing to a close this weekend, CSA has also begun a review of that set-up, which has undergone recent change. The 2015-16 summer was the first in which the transformation targets (six players of colour of which three must be Black African) required half the team to be non-white.CSA has previously turned to rugby experts to assist. Henning Gericke, for example, was the Springboks’ psychologist and accompanied the cricket team to the 2011 World Cup while former Springbok captain Morne du Plessis, who was also the team manager of the 1995 team, was tasked with taking Herschelle Gibbs through a life-skills program in 2001, after Gibbs’ repeated breaches of discipline.

Australia’s selectors have chosen to drop Shane Watson after also learning that Brad Haddin will miss the second Ashes Test at Lord’s for personal reasons

Daniel Brettig14-Jul-20152:07

Brettig: A massive blow to the team psyche

Australia’s selectors have chosen to drop the allrounder Shane Watson after also learning that the wicketkeeper Brad Haddin will miss the second Ashes Test at Lord’s for personal reasons. Peter Nevill, 29, will make his Test debut in Haddin’s absence while Mitchell Marsh is set for inclusion at Watson’s expense.Haddin will remain on the tour and there is no suggestion that he is retiring, but it is now hard to see Watson returning to the Test team now that the selection chairman Rod Marsh and the coach Darren Lehmann have decided to go with Marsh.The decision on Watson was brought about by his poor first Test at Cardiff and a recent run of indifferent performances in the long form of the game. He has not made a century since the Perth Test in December 2013, and has also failed to make a significant enough impact with the ball to merit a place. In Cardiff Watson was twice out lbw, a vivid reminder of an enduring blind spot in his technique.Marsh has meanwhile shown signs of significant progress, doubling his tally of first-class centuries with a pair of bold innings during the tour warm-up fixtures against Kent and Essex while also demonstrating a more mature approach off the field. Marsh has played four Tests for Australia, but this is the first time he has been chosen directly ahead of Watson.Earlier on Tuesday, Haddin was seen in conversation with Lehmann in the Pavilion and did not emerge from the dressing room to go to the nets. Haddin was also spoken to by the team psychologist Michael Lloyd. Meanwhile the reserve gloveman Nevill was talking to Rod Marsh in the Nursery End nets amid a range of conferences among Australian players and staff.The captain Michael Clarke had his head bowed as the news was relayed to him after he had batted. Nevill and Haddin, both New South Welshmen, have a close relationship, with Haddin saying earlier on this tour he was delighted to have Nevill as his reserve and potential replacement.It is not the first time that Haddin has been forced to absent himself from national duty due to personal reasons. In 2012 he withdrew from a tour of the West Indies due to the ill health of his daughter, Mia, and subsequently spent six months out of the game. He returned to the New South Wales team in time for the 2012-13 summer, and fought his way back into the first-choice wicketkeeping spot in time for the 2013 Ashes tour.Haddin went on to be a major contributor to the Australian 5-0 sweep of England in the home summer of 2013-14, playing a series of outlandish and effective innings with the bat while also being integral to the team as Clarke’s vice-captain and a mentor to younger players. It was Haddin’s preference last summer for Steve Smith to replace him as vice-captain when Clarke was injured and thus take the role of stand-in leader. Haddin was then a part of the World Cup-winning team before retiring from limited overs matches on the eve of the current Ashes tour.Nevill has played one match on tour, against Essex at Chelmsford, and will now become the 443rd Australian Test cricketer. He has impressed good judges with his combination of sound glove work and attractive batting, and scored 78 against Essex.The loss of Haddin is a blow to Australia’s hopes of levelling the series at Lord’s, even if he endured a difficult match in the first Test at Cardiff, dropping Joe Root on the first morning of the match and twice falling for low scores as the tourists tumbled to a 169-run defeat.Watson has enjoyed a more or less uninterrupted run in the Test team since Lehmann took over from Mickey Arthur as coach in 2013, missing three matches due to minor injuries. However his returns as a batsman have not warranted a place – only three times past 50 in his past 18 innings – and his bowling returns have also trailed off, tallying only 13 wickets in his past 22 Tests.He had been dropped from the ODI team during the World Cup earlier this year, but was swiftly reinstated after one game and went on to play a pivotal role for Australia in victories over Sri Lanka and Pakistan. It is difficult to see him returning to the Test team this time, however.

Jude Bellingham is reportedly being allowed to play through injury at Real Madrid courtesy of a shoulder protector drafted in from the NFL.

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England star nursing shoulder complaintIssue may eventually require surgeryBlancos managing problem for nowWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international suffered a dislocation during a La Liga meeting with Rayo Vallecano – forcing him to sit out games for club and country. He returned to action against Cadiz and has continued to score goals at a record-breaking rate for the Blancos.

AdvertisementGetty/ GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Bellingham is up to 15 efforts through 17 appearances, with his exploits topping those previously posted by five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo at Santiago Bernabeu. Real are desperate to keep him on the pitch, in domestic and Champions League competition, with inspiration being sought from a different form of football.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to , Bellingham is wearing an NFL-style protector on his left shoulder, which is allowing him to play through any pain and remain a key part of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans.The 20-year-old has sported that accessory against Cadiz, Napoli and Granada.

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WHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?

There have been suggestions that Bellingham will require surgery at some stage, with Real managing his injury for now. Any operation will not take place until the end of the season, with Bellingham also having major tournament action with England to contend with in the summer of 2024 as the Three Lions ready themselves for another European Championship campaign.

Ben Stokes’ Man of the Match contribution at Lord’s means he will likely be the centre of attention once again when the second Test begins

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2015With the two-Test series between England and New Zealand taking place over back-to-back weekends, the momentum from Lord’s could prove decisive. One player in particular was the catalyst for England’s dramatic come-from-behind victory and his name was again the focus as the teams moved to Headingley and began preparations for Friday.Ben Stokes scored 92 and 101, in the process recording the fastest Test hundred at Lord’s, before taking three wickets on Monday afternoon to help seal a 124-run win. His Man-of-the-Match contribution was the most eye-catching among several impressive individual performances on either side and he will likely be the centre of attention once again when the second Test begins.England had been reduced to 30 for 4 on the first morning at Lord’s, before a 161-run stand between Stokes and Joe Root helped them to a competitive first-innings total. Root, only a few months older than Stokes but already Alastair Cook’s vice-captain, said Stokes’ full-blooded commitment set the tone for the fightback that put England 1-0 up in the series and ignited their start to the international summer.”When he is bowling, he will run in until he can barely move any more – if he is given that choice,” Root said. “When he is batting, he is a free spirit, he goes and plays his shots and puts sides under pressure. In the field, he is dynamic, he can field anywhere.”He is one of those blokes you want in the side because he rubs off on you and gives everything.”Over the course of his two innings, Stokes cracked 30 fours and four sixes, clearly showing the benefits of moving up the batting order to No. 6. A year ago, Stokes made a pair at Lord’s against India, to make it three Test ducks in a row, and he then missed out on a place at the World Cup after a disappointing tour of Sri Lanka. His confidence seems to have returned, particularly with the bat; now the challenge is to deliver consistent match-turning performances.Ben Stokes’ performance at Lord’s helped give Alastair Cook and England a victory to savour•Getty Images”It is great. If he is going, you know the board is always going to be ticking over – you don’t have to worry about that,” Root said of Stokes’ aggressive approach. “You know the bowlers will be under pressure, because he is always looking to score. That is the art of batting – to try and make sure you are on top.'”Even in times of struggle, when we are 30 for 4, he came out and put them on the back foot. It will not work every time and could have looked slightly reckless if it didn’t come off.”But it is the way he plays and what he brings to the side, and why he was picked to bat at No. 6, to put them under pressure. He did that perfectly. The key for him and the rest of us now is to make sure it is not a one-off and go on and do it again this week.”He makes mistakes now and again – but that is why he is the player he is. He is aggressive; he is always in your face… that’s his personality. For him, it is about making sure he can control it in a way which makes him more consistent.”Root also shone at Lord’s, with scores of 98 and 84 as well as a crucial wicket on the final day, while Mark Wood, one of two debutants, bowled above 90mph and picked up four wickets, and Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali made important contributions. Root said it was further proof that England have a depth of talent for new coach, Trevor Bayliss, to work with.”We have a lot of young and exciting players trying to establish themselves in the side,” he said. “The more they do that, the more those little errors will creep out of our game.”That confidence doesn’t just give them a boost, it gives everyone a boost, it rubs off. Fingers crossed, Lord’s was not just a one-off – and it is the start of us moving forward as a side.”Martin Guptill, who made 70 in his first Test innings since Headingley 2013, conceded that New Zealand would need to come up with a plan to try and deal with Stokes. They may have to make changes to their personnel, too, with Corey Anderson and BJ Watling unable to train on Wednesday due to injuries. Watling’s absence could mean a Test debut at 34 for Luke Ronchi, while Anderson missing out would deprive the crowds of a big-hitting battle with Stokes.”He’s turned himself into one of England’s better allrounders, that they’ve had for a while,” Guptill said. “He’s a very aggressive player, likes to come out and play his shots and hits it cleanly. We’ll come up with some plans to be able to counter that this week.”We’re pretty confident we can come out and square the series, and come away pretty happy. On the last day at Lord’s, we just didn’t quite get the batting right. We’re going to come out this week firing, and hope to rectify that. It was very disappointing. Obviously, we came over here wanting to win the series. But you’ve got to be able to bounce back pretty quickly.”

The Women's Super League saw a new record set on Saturday as 60,160 packed into the Emirates Stadium to see Arsenal take on Manchester United.

Arsenal host Manchester UnitedWin WSL game 3-1Set new attendance recordWHAT HAPPENED?

It's the first time Arsenal Women have sold out the Emirates for a league fixture and beats the previous WSL attendance record of 59,042, which was also set by the Gunners.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Arsenal fans had plenty to cheer about too as the Gunners ran out 3-1 winners over United. Cloe Lacasse and Kim Little were both on target for the hosts to seal victory after a Geyse own goal had put Arsenal in front. The win means Arsenal sit in third place in the table, three points behind Chelsea and Manchester City.

DID YOU KNOW?

Arsenal's latest record means Gunners home games are now now responsible for the top five attendances in the WSL.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL

Arsenal are back at the Emirates again next time out when they take on Tottenham in a north London derby. The Gunners will be out for revenge after losing to their local rivals for the first time in the WSL back in December.

The two have been consistent figures in the Pharaohs' starting team since they began this year's tournament with a loss to Nigeria.

With Ahmed Hegazi ruled out and doubts hovering over first and second goalkeeping choices, coach Carlos Queiroz is expected to tinker with Egypt's starting team for the semi-final game against Cameroon on Thursday at Paul Biya Stadium in Yaounde.

Meanwhile, the Pharaohs have won three of their last four Afcon games against Cameroon (L1), scoring nine goals, this after netting just twice across their previous six encounters against the Indomitable Lions in the competition (W1 D2 L3).

Egypt Football Association.Goalkeeper:  Mohamed Sobhy

He is set to make his first start in the tournament as Mohamed El Shenawy and Mohamed Abou Gabal – the first and second goalkeeping choices, respectively – remain doubtful after picking up injuries in the last two games.

AdvertisementBackpagepixRight-back – Omar Kamal

Kamal has been a consistent figure in the Egyptian team and is highly likely to keep his place. Kamal's ability to effectively block the opponents' attacks and offer additional attacking threats will be key for the Pharaohs as they face the hosts.

Sports Mole.Left-back – Ahmed Abou El Fotouh

The Zamalek full-back was solid against Morocco as he was able to frustrate the Atlas Lions' strategy of attacking from the wing, and such a performance should certainly guarantee him a start against the Indomitable Lions.

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Backpagepix.Centre-back – Mohamed Abdelmonem

Since he replaced Akram Tawfik, who got injured in the group opening game against Nigeria, Abdelmonem has been an ever-present figure in Carlos Queiroz's starting team and his consistent performances should keep him among the starters.

South Africa’s Test captain, Hashim Amla, has signed a short-term contract to join Derbyshire as a replacement for Martin Guptill

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-2015South Africa’s Test captain, Hashim Amla, has signed a short-term contract to join Derbyshire as a replacement for Martin Guptill. Derbyshire will become Amla’s fourth county, after spells with Surrey, Nottinghamshire and Essex.Guptill had signed for the first two months of the season but his recall to New Zealand’s Test team reduced his availability. Amla will now slot in for two Championship matches and three fixtures in the NatWest T20 Blast from the start of May. Tillakaratne Dilshan has also signed for two spells, either side of the Caribbean Premier League.”Hashim is a world-class batsman and a proven match-winner on both the Test and limited-overs stage,” Graeme Welch, Derbyshire’s performance director, said. “He’s a player I have worked with before and I know he will be a great influence on the younger lads. He will also bring a wealth of experience to the side as we look to compete at the highest level in both red-ball and white-ball cricket.”Amla has scored almost 13,000 runs in international cricket and is currently No. 3 in the Test and ODI batting rankings. He has averaged 63.04 in Championship cricket, as well as 54.66 in four T20 innings for Surrey. Wayne Madsen, Derbyshire’s captain, also has experience of playing under Amla for South Africa U-19s.Amla said: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to play in England this summer. Derbyshire are an ambitious club with an exciting young team and I’ve enjoyed working with Graeme before. I’m looking forward to making a strong contribution in both four-day and Twenty20 cricket for Derbyshire next month.”

VVS Laxman has backed up Sachin Tendulkar’s criticism of the way Greg Chappell treated senior players during his tenure as coach, saying he “took Indian cricket backwards

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2014Former India batsman VVS Laxman has backed up Sachin Tendulkar’s criticism of the way Greg Chappell treated senior players during his tenure as coach between 2005 and 2007, saying he “took Indian cricket backwards.”In his autobiography , Tendulkar had claimed Chappell made a veiled threat about dropping Laxman when the batsmen said he did not want to open the innings. “This happened in 2006 at the Wankhede Stadium when India were playing England,” Laxman told NDTV. “Yuvraj Singh was picked ahead of me and five bowlers were fielded. We were going to the West Indies for a four-Test series after that and he asked me if I would open.”I mentioned that back in 2000, I had decided I would not open anymore after it didn’t work for me in the first four years. I was consistent in the middle order. Chappell asked me my age and said – Don’t you think 31 is too young an age to sit at home? I had a very good run under him. I was the second highest run-scorer under him.”Laxman said the team environment created by Chappell was poor. “In 2006, it was the worst dressing-room I was part of,” he said. “I have played under various coaches and captains for 16 years but that year was the worst atmosphere in a dressing-room.”More than anything else, it was very evident that there was an attempt to create a rift. A cricket team is like a family and there is no point in creating a divide between seniors and juniors. It was very unfortunate. The seniors felt very insecure. We never understood why Chappell thought that way when the seniors were playing well.”