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Canada have slammed Bayern Munich over "grossly negligent" accusations following Alphonso Davies' ACL injury while on international duty.

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• Davies tore his ACL during the Nations League
• Bayern fuming with Canada's treatment of the player
• Canada FA issues scathing statement in their defence

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 24-year-old defender suffered a devastating ACL tear less than 15 minutes into Canada’s CONCACAF Nations League third-place match against the United States. The injury has ruled him out for the remainder of the Bundesliga season, the Champions League campaign and the Club World Cup.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In the wake of the injury, Davies' agent, Nedal Huoseh, voiced his frustration, claiming that the Canadian federation failed to protect the player. He suggested that the Bayern star was not fully fit ahead of the match and was allegedly pressured into starting by head coach Jesse Marsch. His remarks added fuel to Bayern’s growing anger over the situation, further intensifying tensions between the German club and Canada Soccer.

  Bayern have now reportedly threatened to explore legal options against Canada Soccer, citing "grossly negligent" medical care. According to the club, Canada’s medical staff failed to detect the ACL tear, with the full extent of the injury only becoming clear after Davies returned to Germany for further evaluation.

• WHAT CANADA FA SAID

  In response to Bayern’s allegations, Canada Soccer issued a firm statement defending their handling of Davies’ injury. The federation insisted that their medical team followed all appropriate protocols and maintained continuous communication with Bayern Munich throughout the tournament.

  “We further reviewed the circumstances related to the medical care provided to Alphonso Davies," a statement read.

  "Medical documentation confirms that proper care protocols were followed, and communication records show that our medical staff provided updates to Bayern Munich throughout the entire tournament. We spoke further with Bayern Munich today to provide them with context and details to address any misunderstandings. We are all focused on supporting Alphonso in the months ahead.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DAVIES?

  With the ACL tear confirmed, Davies is expected to be sidelined for several months, forcing him to miss some of the biggest fixtures in Bayern’s calendar. The German club are currently fighting for the Bundesliga title and a potential Champions League final, which will take place at their stadium. His recovery timeline now extends into the 2025-26 season.

Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund has explained why he copied Cristiano Ronaldo's goal celebration in front of the Portuguese superstar.

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• Red Devils frontman back among the goals
• Settled first leg of Nations League contest
• Has always been a big fan of Ronaldo

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hojlund, who scored for the first time in 22 outings at club level when finding the net against Leicester in the Premier League last Sunday, made another decisive contribution when representing Denmark in UEFA Nations League action.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  His solitary effort was enough to earn the Danes a 1-0 victory over Portugal in the first leg of their quarter-final tie – with Red Devils team-mate Christian Eriksen having previously missed a first-half penalty in the same contest.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  After hitting the net, Hojlund broke out the iconic 'Siu' routine that five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has made famous. Fending off any accusations of being disrespectful to United legend CR7, who was on the field at the time, Hojlund revealed why he opted for that celebration.

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  WHAT RASMUS HOJLUND SAID

  The 22-year-old forward told : "I'm playing against the world's best footballer, my idol, and to score and become the winner, it couldn't be better. It was not to mock him or anything, I've always said he has had great importance for me and my football career. Scoring against him and Portugal is huge. I went to see him in 2009, where he scored from a free-kick, and I've been a fan ever since."

  Quizzed on whether he has dreamed of performing the ‘Siu’ routine in front of Ronaldo, Hojlund went on to say: "Really, really many times. It's very, very big."

Manchester City are ready to aggressively attack the January transfer window in a bid to rescue their season, with Pep Guardiola personally demanding at least three new faces, according to a fresh report.

Man City make unwanted Champions League history

So used to being Champions League heavyweights, Manchester City made history for all the wrong reasons against Feyenoord as they became the first side in the competition’s history to lead 3-0 at the 75-minute mark of a game and fail to win, collapsing to allow the Dutch side to claim a famous 3-3 draw.

It continued a woeful run of form for Guardiola’s side, who have not won a game in over a month and lost each of their last three Premier League games, leaving them eight points behind Liverpool, who they face at Anfield on Sunday.

Thrashed 4-0 at home by Tottenham in their last top-flight outing, Guardiola later admitted that his side were “fragile” and said the same after the draw with Feyenoord.

Pep Guardiola's 9 worst defeats at Manchester City – ranked

Pep Guardiola has endured some tough defeats as Manchester City manager, and is now in the worst run of his career.

By
Ross Kilvington

Nov 27, 2024

“The game was fine at 3-0, playing good, but then we concede a lot goals because we were not stable. We gave them the first and then the other one, that is why it was difficult.

“We have lost a lot of games lately, we are fragile and of course we needed a victory. The game was good for the confidence. We were playing a good level but the first time something happened we had problems.”

One way to fix that is by fresh faces, and now Manchester City are reportedly determined to be active in January, with three men specifically requested by Guardiola.

Pep Guardiola demands Man City to sign trio in January

That is according to a report coming out of Spain, which claims that Guardiola has asked the Manchester City board to sign three new players in the winter window, with the club planning an aggressive move.

The first of those is Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who has been the subject of interest from Arsenal and Liverpool in recent transfer windows and is seen as Rodri’s replacement, having done so at the final of Euro 2024.

There is a £50m release clause written into his £49,000 a week deal in San Sebastian, but, as Liverpool found over the summer, it may not be that simple.

Another transfer that Guardiola is thought to be pursuing is Leverkusen jewel Florian Wirtz, who is seen as the future of the Manchester City attack as Kevin de Bruyne enters the twilight of his career.

Wirtz has been on fire so far this season, and scored twice against RB Salzburg to take his tally to nine for the season. With no release clause in his contract at the Bay Arena, he could be a record signing for Manchester City, while his £120,000 a week wages would also likely need to be hiked up to move to the Etihad.

Finally, the report also claims that Manchester City are keen to add another winger to their ranks, and have pointed to Sporting CP’s Maximiliano Araujo as the player in question.

The Uruguayan is also under long-term contract until 2029, but a series of strong outings have sparked widespread interest in the 24-year-old and it is claimed that City “are looking to get ahead of the competition”.

With Wirtz and Zubimendi likely to be mega-money signings, securing deals for the trio would be a massive statement of intent in the unlikely scenario that Manchester City pulled it off midway through the campaign. They may be able to agree deals in advance of the summer though.

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2015Ben Wheeler, making his international debut, had Hales caught at slip in the sixth over. Tim Southee nipped one in to disturb Roy’s stumps in the next over as both openers were removed in the space of three balls•Getty ImagesBen Stokes played an enterprising knock, smashing a stroke-filled 68 which included seven fours and two sixes•PA PhotosEngland lost wickets in a bunch to collapse from 288 for 5 in the 42nd over to 302 all out, thereby failing to bat 28 balls in their innings•Getty ImagesDefending a target much lower than expected, England got off to a good start as David Willey trapped Martin Guptill in front of his stumps in the second over of the innings•PA PhotosBrendon McCullum and Kane Williamson steadied the innings for a while before McCullum was lbw of the bowling of Mark Wood for 11•PA PhotosWilliamson got into his element quickly, keeping the required run-rate in check. He and Ross Taylor added 206 for the third wicket – New Zealand’s highest third-wicket partnership in ODIs – in just 184 balls•Getty ImagesWilliamson made a fluent 118, his seventh ODI century, which included 12 fours and a six•PA PhotosTaylor made his second consecutive century to take New Zealand within touching distance of the 303 target•AFPNew Zealand lost four wickets after Williamson’s dismissal but held on to win by three wickets and took a 2-1 lead in the five-match series•Getty Images

Australian was a part of England backroom staff for victorious tour of 2010-11

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2023David Saker, England’s bowling coach during their ascent to the No. 1 Test ranking a decade ago, has agreed to return to the role for this summer’s Ashes, after being sounded out by the Test captain, Ben Stokes.Saker, 56, is currently in Bangladesh working with England’s white-ball squad, but has agreed to link up with the red-ball team during the English summer, and reprise a role he last performed from 2010 to 2015, including two previous Ashes wins in 2010-11 and 2013. As a native Australian, he also performed the same role for his home country between 2016 and 2019.”I don’t think I’ll do much Test cricket, but I’m doing the Ashes,” Saker told reporters in Dhaka. “Ben said: ‘I’d like to get you involved in the Ashes.’ Rob Key [managing director] had already floated it a little bit, but being so busy I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to do it. Once Stokesy pushed it, it made it an easy decision. I said yes straight away because of the magnitude of the occasion. I’ve been involved in Ashes with both parties and the cricket is as exciting as it gets. It’s the biggest Test event.”Related

• Kuhnemann leaves India after 'awesome tips' from Jadeja

• Hussey, Saker appointed to England's World Cup coaching staff

• Wood plays down expectations of Ashes involvement

With his focus on mindset over technique, Saker’s methods would appear to be a good fit for England’s current Test team, which includes two of his previous charges in James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who are set to embark on their tenth and ninth Ashes campaigns respectively.”Working with England the first time was so much fun,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to do the Ashes with this group because they are the best team in the world to watch at the moment.”Baz [Brendon McCullum] will pick a team that he thinks will win and he’ll explain what he wants from the players and then it’s my job to make sure they can deliver that,” he added.”The evolution of Jimmy and Broady, they’re so confident in what they can do and they just go out and do it. That’s what you want from your bowling group. My job is to make sure the bowlers are doing that.”It’s also creating an atmosphere in the dressing room that’s enjoyable. There’s no doubt that people are enjoying turning up to that Test team. It sounds like it’s a small thing, but the dressing-room atmosphere is a huge thing in international cricket.”The England team that won in Australia in 2010-11 before rising to the top of the Test standings the following summer was blessed with a core of outstanding fast bowlers – with Anderson and Broad at the forefront but the likes of Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn and Tim Bresnan also at their peak in that period.England’s stable of quick bowlers for this summer’s Ashes could include two of the fastest in the modern game in Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, a point of difference that Saker believes could give them the edge in their bid for a first series win over Australia since 2015.”To win Ashes and big series you need a good battery of fast bowlers and that is definitely the case about England,” he said. “You can say the same about the Australians, but playing on your home patch is always an advantage for a bowling group.”It’s exciting if we can have Jofra [Archer] and [Mark] Wood available. Whether you play them together is another thing, but you need that pace against the Australians. The thing those sorts of bowlers can do, they can bowl a spell that can crack a game open.”The key is to have a group of fast bowlers ready to get selected, so it makes it tough for the selection committee to make a decision. When you get that you usually get a pretty strong team.”

Aston Villa and Unai Emery have been handed a blow as it has emerged that one of their top January targets has now picked up another injury and won’t be available for multiple months, throwing any potential deal into doubt.

Villa looking to strengthen in attack

It had been an excellent start to the season for Aston Villa, but four consecutive losses in their most recent outings have tempered the feel-good factor in the Midlands somewhat.

Aston Villa had the original version of Duran, then Emery sold him for £2m

Aston Villa let this talent slip through the cracks

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 15, 2024

A shock loss to Club Brugge, courtesy of a controversial handball decision on defender Tyrone Mings, ended Emery’s 100% start to the Champions League with the Villans, though three wins at the halfway mark of the league stage still puts them well on course for progression into the knockout rounds.

In the Premier League, losses to fellow top four hopefuls Tottenham and Premier League leaders Liverpool have left the Villans sitting in ninth place, though given the congested nature of the early running they remain just a point behind third placed Chelsea, and they will be hoping that the international break will act as a reset to prevent their blip in form turning into a full downturn in performances and results.

They are expected to be active in the January transfer window as they look to re-qualify for the Champions League with a top four finish, but now doubt has been cast on a potential move.

Injury throws Aston Villa transfer into doubt

That comes as Sporting CP forward Pedro Goncalves has picked up yet another injury, which is set to keep him sidelined until the start of 2025. The Portuguese forward has been a revelation under Ruben Amorim, enjoying the best form of his career under the now-Manchester United boss, who dubbed him a “very intelligent” player who could play for “any team in the world”.

He has reportedly been a long term target for Aston Villa and Sport Witness had previously relayed reports that Villa were even preparing an offer to sign the 26-year-old forward in either the January transfer window or next summer.

“He can play in any team in the world and with any player, because he is a great player,” Amorim said. “I could take him anywhere. He is very funny, which improves the personal relationship. But he is also very intelligent, but he also has to focus on Sporting because we have to be champions this year. But he could play in any team in the world.”

However, with Goncalves now injured for the rest of 2024, it is claimed that his injury-prone nature is a “red flag” for Villa, who don’t “want to invest a major amount on an injury prone player, regardless of how good he can be”.

With Amorim having also revealed he won’t plunder his former side in January, Goncalves may be forced to wait until the summer for a move out of Portugal, though with three years left still to run on his £38,000 a week deal and Sporting top of the Portuguese league, that may well have proved the case anyway.

The trio, already well-respected on the women’s circuit, became the first female umpires to officiate in the tournament

PTI10-Jan-2023Vrinda Rathi, N Janani and V Gayathri made history on Tuesday by becoming the first women to officiate in the Ranji Trophy.Gayathri, a former cricketer whose career was cut short by injury, is currently officiating in the second round match between Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh in Jamshedpur. Janani, an ex-software engineer, is umpiring in Surat for the game between Railways and Tripura, while Rathi, a former scorer, is in charge for the Goa vs Pondicherry match in Porvorim.Hailing from various backgrounds, the trio, already well-respected on the women’s circuit, made history courtesy BCCI’s decision to draft women umpires on the men’s domestic circuit.A long-time cricket lover, the 36-year-old Janani had approached the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) a couple of times to become an umpire. A few years after the the state body changed its rule to allow women to officiate, she cleared the BCCI’s Level 2 umpiring exam in 2018 and had to think little before quitting her IT job to pursue umpiring. Narayan has since also officiated in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), in 2021.Rathi, 32, is from Mumbai. She used to score local matches before clearing the BCCI scorers exam. She was the official BCCI scorer for the 2013 Women’s World Cup. Later on, she moved to umpiring.Janani and Rathi are seasoned umpires and were also included in the ICC panel of development umpires back in 2020.Veteran umpire coach Denis Burns, who has worked closely with Indian umpires and overseen their rise to the international level, had hailed the duo’s promotion to the ICC development panel.”I think Janani and Vrinda represent the ‘new wave’ of female umpires in India,” he had said.Delhi-based Gayathri, 43, dreamed of becoming a cricketer but a shoulder injury quashed her hopes. She started umpiring in 2019 after clearing the BCCI exam. Venugopalan has already served as a reserve (fourth) umpire in the Ranji Trophy.While there are already several female umpires officiating in men’s cricket in England and Australia, out of 150 registered umpires with the BCCI, only three are women.

Momentum has been lacking from Parthiv Patel’s T20 game, but in Mohali, he was able to find it in style against the pace of Mitchell Johnson

Sidharth Monga in Mohali03-May-20150:36

‘Simmons helps me play fearlessly’ – Parthiv

Parthiv Patel’s IPL strike rate before this match was 110. He had scored five fifties in 83 innings spread over eight seasons. He has been asked to open for Mumbai Indians as a belated plan this season. Coming into this match he had scored 96 off 75 balls in six innings. Although Mumbai had started winning, Parthiv and Unmukt Chand in the top three – struggling to score either quick or big runs – were a huge concern for Mumbai, leaving Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard with too much to do, especially given Lendl Simmons’ tendency to slow down after six overs. Even as Simmons raced away to 21 off 16 balls, Parthiv again seemed to be reprising the old problem with five runs off eight balls. Then bowled Mitchell Johnson.Johnson is still one of the best bowlers in Test cricket, the fifth-best according to ICC. He was excellent in the final stages of the World Cup. Back when he bowled in India in 2013 – just before the Ashes rout of England – he could take out Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh at will. In Twenty20 too, he was instrumental in Parthiv’s current team’s IPL title win earlier that year. Parthiv last played international cricket in 2012. Even though Johnson has not had a great IPL this year, this was supposed to be the time when Kings XI Punjab would put pressure on the Mumbai top three, especially Parthiv and Chand.Parthiv had other ideas. The first ball Johnson bowled to Parthiv was a bouncer, which he ramped, and given Johnson’s pace it sailed over third man for a six. Okay one bouncer. Maybe the pitch doesn’t have the sting. Johnson went full next ball, and strayed down leg. Parthiv unfurled his wrists to whip it over square leg. All of a sudden Parthiv was finding momentum, a quality that has deserted him as his stats suggest.Johnson has had a long testing season, physically and emotionally. Another long sojourn to the West Indies and England beckons. He has come here with a Cricket Australia plan. He is not to bowl any more deliveries on a given day than the plan prescribes. This is not the ultimate test for him this year, but he found himself in a contest that was slipping out of his hand. Parthiv had entered that zone where he was punishing every little error. The next ball was whipped away on the leg side for two. And then he went a step further: he drove on the up, through the covers, and got four off a delivery that didn’t have too much going against it.There was no movement on offer, the pitch was slow, keeping a little low, which would make it tough for the batsmen coming in. We hadn’t realised all that yet. We had just seen Johnson go for 18 in his first over, not one streaky shot played. Parthiv scored 17 of those, and the only time he had scored more in one over previously had been off Johnson.The decision now for George Bailey was between cutting his losses and letting Johnson having his own back. Any other time, any other format, you would back Johnson, but this was Twenty20, and he had given away runs at 9.37 an over this season. He was making a comeback into the side after being left out for conceding 39, 40, 33 in his last three matches. Momentarily Bailey cut his losses and went to his two spinners to bowl overs six and seven.Only 14 came off those overs, and Bailey rolled the dice again. He gave Johnson a change of ends and asked for his senior quick to produce a wicket. There wasn’t too much wrong with the first ball he bowled: it was short of a length – Parthiv prefers the drive, it was bowled at 140kph, and it was aimed at the body. Parthiv, though, was prepared. He rocked back early and played a pick-up pull over square leg for six. He was 36 off 22 now, and had gone well past Simmons. A yorker and a slower ball followed, which produced one run, but Johnson undid the good work with a leg-side full toss last ball of the over. The four took Parthiv to 41 off 25, and he had scored 28 off nine Johnson balls. Johnson to Parthiv overall in IPL: 26 balls, 57 runs, never got him out.It wasn’t breathtaking, it wasn’t long, it didn’t involve shots that you will remember next week, but in a brief concentrated attack, when everything came together for him, Parthiv had taken apart the big draw of the opposition. Mumbai were pulled back in the last 10 overs, and then returned Kings XI the favour, which made Parthiv’s attack on Johnson the decisive play of the match.

Harry Kane saw his own face made out of coffee beans as the Bayern Munich striker released his own Starbucks offer as part of a charity promotion.

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• Kane releases new coffee order
• Will raise funds for Bayern star's foundation
• Striker announced initiative on Instagram

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international and Starbucks have teamed up to deliver Harry's Flat White across the United Kingdom. The order is available for a limited period and will go to supporting the 31-year-old's own foundation.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  For every Harry's Flat White sold in England, 25p will be paid to the Harry Kane Foundation, which was set up to "transform a generation’s thinking around mental health" by providing support to charities. As part of the promotion, a portrait of Kane's face was made out of coffee beans.

• WHAT KANE SAID

  An Instagram post from Kane read: "Never thought I’d see myself made out of coffee beans! I’ve teamed up with [Starbucks] to create my own coffee order – Harry’s Flat White – which will be available to order from today until 30 April!

  "For every Harry’s Flat White purchased, 25p will be donated to the Harry Kane Foundation, supporting incredible charity partners who provide vital mental wellbeing initiatives across England."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

  Kane, who has scored 32 goals in 36 matches in all competitions for Bayern this season, will be in action again when his side face Union Berlin in the Bundesliga at the weekend.

Plus, centuries on debut, most matches, closest games – all in World Cups

Steven Lynch17-Feb-2015Nuwan Kulasekara bowled the last ball of the 2011 World Cup and the first ball of the 2015 one. Has this happened before? asked Mark Long from England

Nuwan Kulasekara of Sri Lanka bowled the delivery which MS Dhoni smashed for six to clinch the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai, and started the 2015 tournament last Saturday with a dot ball to New Zealand’s Martin Guptill in Christchurch. My first inclination was that, with only ten previous tournaments, this couldn’t possibly have happened before… but it has. In 1987, Craig McDermott bowled the last over to clinch Australia’s victory over England in Kolkata; and in 1992 he sent down the first over of the opening match, against New Zealand in Auckland – and bowled John Wright with his first legitimate delivery, after two wides. Glenn McGrath bowled the last ball of the 1996 and 2003 World Cups. Imran Khan bowled the last ball of the 1992 World Cup, and in 1979 had also bowled the first ball of one of the four matches on the opening day. Darren Lehmann, now Australia’s coach, hit the winning boundary in the 1999 final at Lord’s, and took the catch that ended the 2003 one, in Johannesburg.Aaron Finch scored a hundred in his first innings in the World Cup. How many others have done this? asked Brad Linklater from Australia

Aaron Finch, during his bruising 135 against England in Melbourne on Saturday, became the 14th batsman to begin his World Cup career with a century. The list starts with Dennis Amiss (137 for England v India at Lord’s) and Glenn Turner (171 not out for New Zealand v East Africa at Edgbaston) on the first day of the inaugural tournament in 1975. They were followed by Trevor Chappell and Allan Lamb in 1983, Geoff Marsh in 1987, Andy Flower in 1992, Nathan Astle and Gary Kirsten in 1996, Scott Styris, Andrew Symonds and Craig Wishart in 2003, the Irishman Jeremy Bray in 2007, and Virat Kohli in 2011. With an unbeaten 115 for Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in New Plymouth in 1992, Flower is the only person to score a century on overall ODI debut during a World Cup.Steven Finn’s five wickets cost him 71 runs. Was this the most expensive in the World Cup? asked Michael Fancutt from Australia

Steven Finn’s 5 for 71 in England’s World Cup opener in Melbourne was easily the most expensive five-for in World Cup history. The previous-best (or perhaps previous-worst) was shared by two West Indians: Winston Davis took 7 for 51 against Australia at Headingley in 1983, while Ravi Rampaul took 5 for 51 against India in Chennai in 2011. A day after Finn’s record, Pakistan’s Sohail Khan, now in second place, took 5 for 55 against India in Adelaide. Indeed, there’s only been one more expensive five-wicket haul than Finn’s in all one-day internationals: the Scotland seamer Gordon Goudie took 5 for 73 against Australia at The Grange in Edinburgh in 2009. Ben Stokes took 5 for 61 for England against Australia in Southampton in 2013. Finn was only the third England bowler to take a World Cup five-for, following Vic Marks (5 for 39 against Sri Lanka at Taunton in 1983) and Tim Bresnan (5 for 48 against India in Bangalore in 2010-11).Has anyone got closer to a World Cup century than James Taylor? asked Terry McKinley from England

The unfortunate James Taylor became the second player to be marooned on 98 not out in a World Cup match. The first one was also against Australia: Collins Obuya had reached 98 when Kenya’s overs ran out in Bangalore in 2011. Sachin Tendulkar (India v Pakistan in Centurion in 2003) and Tatenda Taibu (Zimbabwe v Canada in Nagpur in 2011) were both dismissed for 98 in the World Cup. But there have been two World Cup 99s: Australia’s Adam Gilchrist was run out for 99 (from 88 balls) against Sri Lanka in Centurion in 2003, while JP Duminy holed out one short for South Africa against Ireland in Kolkata in 2011. Before the current tournament there had been 47 scores in the nineties during the World Cup, nine of them not out. Tendulkar and Michael Clarke both made three of them; Clarke had still not managed a World Cup century before this tournament started.Andy Flower scored a century on his one-day debut, which was a World Cup match against Sri Lanka in New Plymouth in 1992•Getty ImagesWho has played the most World Cup matches? asked Mohammad Qalil from Pakistan

Ricky Ponting leads the way here with 46, including four finals (1996/1999/2003/2007). He’s one ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, who played in six different tournaments (a record he shares with Javed Miandad). Muttiah Muralitharan played in 40 matches, Glenn McGrath 39, and Sanath Jayasuriya and Wasim Akram 38. The overall appearances record isn’t going to be broken this time: the most by any current player before the 2015 tournament started was Mahela Jayawardene’s 33.Have there been any one-run victories in the World Cup? Or one-wicket ones? asked Mahendra Jain from India

Before the 2015 tournament, there had been only two one-run victories in World Cup history, both of them by Australia over India – in Chennai in 1987, and in Brisbane in 1992. There had been one victory by two runs (by Sri Lanka over England in North Sound in 2006-07), and four by three runs. There had been four wins by one wicket: by West Indies over Pakistan at Edgbaston in 1975; Pakistan over West Indies in Lahore in 1987; South Africa over Sri Lanka in Providence in 2007; and England over West Indies in Bridgetown, also in 2007. Pakistan’s win in 1987 was clinched off the final delivery of the 50th over, the only time the side batting second has won a World Cup match off the last possible ball. There have also been four tied World Cup matches: the Australia v South Africa semi-final at Edgbaston in 1999; South Africa v Sri Lanka in Durban in 2003; Ireland v Zimbabwe in Kingston in 2007; and India v England in Bangalore in 2011.