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A round-up of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League games played on April 4, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2015 Group A Gujarat chased down a target of 150 set by Madhya Pradesh to beat them by five wickets in Bhubaneshwar.Having been put in, MP lost both openers inside two overs and were 1 for 2 before Zafar Ali and Udit Birla steadied their innings with a 76-run stand for the third wicket. Zafar then played a part in two 30-plus partnerships, with Harpreet Singh and Parth Sahani, as he made an unbeaten 56-ball 70 that helped MP to 149 in their 20 overs.Gujarat’s chase began briskly and the early wicket of Smit Patel didn’t deter Priyank Kirit Panchal, who struck seven fours and two sixes in a 33-ball 60 before falling to Jatin Saxena in the 11th over. Jalaj Saxena and his older brother Jatin then removed Rujul Bhatt and Chirag Gandhi in quick succession, leaving Gujarat 103 for 4.While Manpreej Juneja anchored the chase with a run-a-ball 40, Himalaya Barad struck three sixes in an eight-ball 22 to hand Gujarat victory with seven balls to spare.Ishank Jaggi’s unbeaten 108 off 67 balls, including 14 fours and three sixes, went in vain as Andhra got the better of Jharkhand by six wickets with 20 balls to spare, and climbed to third place on the points table.Needing 160 to win, Prasanth Kumar, who made 51 off 26 balls with six fours and three sixes, and Murumulla Sriram put on 78 runs in 7.2 overs for the first wicket. Despite losing both of them in the space of an over, Andhra continued to attack through KV Sasikanth (46* off 31 balls) and AG Pradeep (23 off 13 balls), and polished off the target with relative ease.It was Sasikanth who ensured Jharkhand, after being sent in, didn’t get off to a good start, snaffling a caught-and-bowled to remove Ishan Kishan. Save for Jaggi there were no other significant contributions. CV Stephen was frugal, picking up a wicket and conceding only 17 in his four overs. Group B An inspired bowling performance from Mumbai saw them beat Rajasthan by 33 runs in Cuttack. Javed Khan and Rohan Raje picked up three wickets each, while the 15-year old Sidak Singh finished with figures of 2 for 7.Having been set a target of 154, Rajasthan’s chase was jolted early by Javed, who struck twice in his first over. Rajasthan lost three more wickets soon after and were 36 for 5 inside eight overs.Rajasthan managed two quick 30-plus partnerships for the sixth and seventh wickets but Sidak removed Ashok Menaria and Manjeet Singh off successive deliveries in the 15th over, after which there was little resistance from the tail.Mumbai, who were put in, rode on Jay Bista’s unbeaten 59-ball 81 and Siddarth Chitnis’ 38 to finish on 154 for 4.Hyderabad left it to the last ball to grab a five-wicket win over Odisha in Cuttack.Given a target of 154, Hyderabad lost Tirumalasetti Suman in the third over of their innings and Akshath Reddy in the seventh, leaving them 34 for 2. Tanmay Agarwal and Dereck Prince shared a 48-run stand for the third wicket to steady the chase, before Hyderabad lost Prince (31) and captain Hanuma Vihari (0) in the space of five balls.Deepak Behera dismissed Agarwal one short of his fifty after which Benjamin Thomas and Akash Bhandari saw Hyderabad home with an unbroken 47-run stand. Bhandari smashed three sixes and two fours for his 17-ball 37 to finish off the chase.Odisha, who chose to bat, began briskly and scored 35 in 3.5 overs before Anurag Sarangi was run out. Biplab Samantaray top-scored with 33 as a couple of 20-run partnerships took Odisha to 121 for 6. The Hyderabad bowlers kept chipping away at the wickets eventually bowling Odisha out for 153 in 19.1 overs. Vihari and M Ravi Kiran picked three wickets each, while Chama Milind took 2 for 21.

Bangladesh are allowed to feel some Schadenfreude when hearing Pakistan ask for more time to develop as a team. It used to be Bangladesh’s go-to phrase for years

The Preview by Mohammad Isam21-Apr-2015Match factsWednesday, April 22, 2015
Start time 1430 local (0830 GMT)1:40

Isam: Teams will take dead rubber seriously

Big pictureBangladesh are allowed to feel some Schadenfreude when hearing Pakistan ask for more time to develop as a team. It used to be Bangladesh’s go-to phrase for years. Ahead of the third ODI, both teams are in uncharted waters: there have been plenty of dead rubbers between these sides but Pakistan were never on the wrong end of one.In the first two matches, Bangladesh had good starts with the bat and that translated into a smoother time for the middle order. Their lower order hasn’t needed to contribute yet. Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim had two century stands, with Tamim making a brace of hundreds. Mushfiqur also continued his rich form, collecting a hundred and a fifty. Soumya Sarkar is promising to build on his starts, but Mahmudullah will want a big innings in the third ODI.The home team’s spinners have also taken grip of the two contests. Shakib Al Hasan and Arafat Sunny did it by varying their pace, while Nasir Hossain was accurate. Mashrafe Mortaza will also rely on Rubel Hossain and Taskin Ahmed to continue giving him breakthroughs. The young pair has outbowled their opposite numbers.Pakistan’s pace attack has disappointed, especially Junaid Khan. He has just one wicket in two games and looked listless. Rahat Ali’s hamstring niggle meant Umar Gul could be back after his last playing in December. Saeed Ajmal has also been disappointing but he is feeling his way back into international cricket with his remedied action, while Mohammad Hafeez will be relieved to be given the green-signal by the ICC just before Wednesday’s game.The batting has also failed. Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed have been poor as openers while Hafeez and Fawad Alam are senior batsmen without runs. Instead it has been Mohammad Rizwan and Saad Nasim, the two newcomers, who have shown glimpses of their talent.Form guideBangladesh WWLLW (last five matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLWWIn the spotlightTamim Iqbal will have restored most of his lost confidence after scoring two successive hundreds. His approach in this series has been like the Tamim of old, when he freely charged the bowlers. A third big score can be expected.There was hue and cry to include Sarfraz Ahmed in Pakistan’s XI during the World Cup. He repaid the faith back then, but he has been unsuccessful in this series. With the team desperate for runs at the top, there is pressure on him to get a big score.Team newsIf Bangladesh are going for a 3-0 victory, they will not want to change the line-up. However, if they rest one of their senior players, Mominul Haque or Rony Talukdar could get a game.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Mahmudullah, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Sabbir Rahman, 7 Nasir Hossain, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Arafat Sunny, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Rubel HossainPakistan are likely to bring in Umar Gul in place of Rahat Ali. Zulfiqar Babar could come in to add to the spin attack though with Hafeez now allowed to bowl, they could go with Ajmal as the only specialist spinner.Pakistan (probable): 1 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 2 Azhar Ali (capt), 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Haris Sohail, 5 Mohammad Rizwan, 6 Fawad Alam, 7 Saad Nasim, 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Junaid Khan, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Umar GulPitch and conditionsThe pitch is expected to behave similarly as the ones used for the first two games, with the side batting first targeting a 300-plus score. Weather could worsen in the early evening with forecasts showing 88% chance of rain at around 5:00pm.Stats and trivia After Mashrafe Mortaza in the previous game, it is now Shakib Al Hasan’s turn to play his 150th ODI. Bangladesh have won nine ODI series via a whitewash.Quotes”We had two near-perfect performances in the first two games. If we continue in this manner, we have a chance to make it 3-0.”

“We have a new team with plenty of youngsters. It is a matter of one good innings and one very good spell can turn everything. We will play hard and positive cricket.”

The security arrangements had been the focus since Zimbabwe’s arrival in Pakistan but on the eve of the first ever Twenty20 international at the Gaddafi Stadium, the attention returned to cricket

Umar Farooq21-May-2015The security arrangements had been the focus since Zimbabwe’s arrival in Pakistan but on the eve of the first ever Twenty20 international at the Gaddafi Stadium, the attention returned to cricket.With ten months to go for the World T20 in India, Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan captain, had his eyes on giving the revamped squad a good test. The two T20Is against Zimbabwe were a chance to experiment before they settle on a core group, he said.”I had requested the selectors to give me three to four new players for the series.” Afridi said. “In the last three months of our preparation, I don’t like to see changes in the team so that the same set of players go to the World T20s and their morale remains high. It’s selectors’ responsibility. I don’t want to interfere in their work. I want to work together with them and form a good team.”When you are focusing on World T20, you have to do experiments,” he said. “You try to work on weak areas to do well. It’s good that the selection committee is doing its work. As a captain I will do my work, coaches will do their job. If we concentrate on our areas the results will be good.”The inclusion of allrounder Shoaib Malik and fast bowler Mohammad Sami had been surprising but the selectors also included uncapped 19-year-old opener Nauman Anwar and former under-19 captain Imad Wasim.Anwar Ali, Bilawal Bhatti and Hammad Azam also returned to the squad, while Saad Nasim, Imran Khan and Haris Sohail were dropped from the T20 squad that played against Bangladesh in Mirpur last month.”There is only 8-9 months left and Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Sami have given lots of good performances in the past,” Afridi said. “And it’s not like they are aged. Malik has done well in Big Bash. They have got an opportunity and I hope they will make good use of it.”Pakistan are ranked fifth in T20s, seven places above Zimbabwe, and need to win both the matches to retain the spot. A drawn series would mean Pakistan will slip to seventh. Afridi said he was aware of the threat Zimbabwe could pose and was not taking them lightly.”I don’t underestimate any team in the world especially, when you compete in Twenty20 format,” he said. “It’s the best 14-15 selected. They are the fighters and they will give good results.”Elton Chigumbura, the Zimbabwe captain, however had simpler goals. Leading a side that has recently lost Brendan Taylor and has made said his team was looking to build on the positives they had at the World Cup. They have made seven changes in their 15-member squad that travelled to Australia and New Zealand.”That’s the good thing about life, players come and go and get opportunity and players came here to grab those opportunity,” Chigumbura said. “We just want to try and carry that momentum from the world cup and obviously improve one or two percent on the thing that we didn’t do well.”Although it’s a different version but the most important thing that we do well and hopeful we will do well tomorrow. Good thing about cricket is that any team can play good on a given day and can win the game. It’s not about countries (ranking) but it’s about XI guys going out on a given day play best of their cricket and try to win the game.”

Sam Billings, Reece Topley, James Vince, David Willey and Mark Wood are the uncapped players England have picked for the only T20 international against New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-2015Sam Billings, Reece Topley, James Vince, David Willey and Mark Wood are the uncapped players England have picked for the only T20 international against New Zealand at Old Trafford on June 23. The 13-man squad did not include Stuart Broad, who was removed as T20 captain after Andrew Strauss took over as England’s director of cricket.Only Topley and Vince are not involved in the current ODI series against New Zealand. “This match against New Zealand allows us another opportunity to look at players relatively new to international cricket as we look to build a squad for the World T20 in India this winter,” national selector James Whitaker said. “The squad is made up of players who have demonstrated their ability in domestic cricket and fully deserve a chance to continue their progress against a very good New Zealand side.”We have already seen our limited-overs cricket begin to move in the right direction which is exciting but we are all aware that we have plenty more to do if we are going to challenge the very best sides in the world on a regular basis.”It has been a good few weeks for putative England left-arm quicks. David Willey was called up for the ODI squad against New Zealand, Mark Footitt for the pre-Ashes camp and now Reece Topley, barely back from another injury, for T20. England are anxious for a solution to a long-standing weakness.He told BBC Essex: “It’s probably the biggest jump I’ve ever had in the standard of cricket, but I feel like I can contribute at that level. “I’m very excited about seeing how I do and it’s a good time to assess where I am and what I need to improve on.”Squad Eoin Morgan (capt), Sam Billings, Jos Buttler (wk), Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, James Vince, David Willey, Mark Wood

Alastair Cook admitted that the habitual failure of England’s top order had become an “area of concern” following their humiliating 405-run defeat in the second Test

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2015Alastair Cook admitted that the habitual failure of England’s top order had become an “area of concern” following their humiliating 405-run defeat in the second Test against Australia at Lord’s, and acknowledged that changes might be afoot ahead of next week’s third Test at Edgbaston.Speaking after England had been routed for 103 in 37 overs on the fourth afternoon of a one-sided contest, Cook said that it was “very frustrating” that England had failed to build on their impressive win in the Ashes opener at Cardiff, but insisted that there was still “all to play for” with the series squared at 1-1 with three Tests to come.Nevertheless, he could not disguise the shortcomings of a fragile top order, with England once again losing their first three wickets with fewer than 50 runs on the board. Scorelines of 29 for 3 and 42 for 3 followed directly on from 43 for 3 and 73 for 3 in the Cardiff win, not to mention to first-morning collapse to 30 for 4 on this same ground against New Zealand in the first Test of the summer in May.”It’s a few games now we’ve been three down for 40-odd and it’s hard to always expect the middle order to get us out of trouble,” said Cook. “So that’s obviously an area of concern.”Gary Ballance’s technique once again came under severe scrutiny when he was trapped on the crease and bowled in the first innings, and though he was arguably the least culpable of today’s dismissals, his scores of 23 and 14 have done little to appease his critics. Adam Lyth showed a vulnerability outside off in both innings, while Ian Bell reverted to his lacklustre form of the early season, making 1 and 11 in the match.”The selectors might have to look at it but it’s down to the players,” said Cook. “I don’t think it’s where people are batting, people have got to get stuck in, but you have to remember that, even after a defeat like this it’s still 1-1 and there’s all to play for.”The players have to take this on the chin,” he added. “That’s the nature of sport, when you lose as badly as this, it is to bounce back. We’ve got some wonderful players in that dressing room with fantastic records, but this why you play sport, to be tested against the best and we came up short this week.”From the standards we set ourselves in Cardiff to the way we played here for four days, to not back that up here, today wasn’t great at all,” said Cook. “It’s very frustrating and hats off to Australia for the way they bounced back. They put us under pressure all game and we weren’t able to deal with it.”In Cardiff, we did a lot of things right, here we didn’t do things at all well. We didn’t bowl with the same discipline or control as we did there on a different wicket. We didn’t take those catches like we did at Cardiff, and we didn’t make big hundreds, so all three aspects of the game we didn’t do well.”Australia were ahead from pretty much ball one and never let us back in,” he added. “It shows how important the first couple of days are of the next Test match. The side that gets on top tends to dominate. That’s the challenge we have for the first two days [at Edgbaston].”

Legspinner Yasir Shah and fast bowler Mohammad Irfan have been recalled to Pakistan’s T20 squad for the forthcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2015Legspinner Yasir Shah, fast bowler Mohammad Irfan and pacer Sohail Tanvir have been recalled to Pakistan’s Twenty20 squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka.Fast bowler Wahab Riaz, who had fractured his hand during the Tests against Sri Lanka last month, has also been named in the squad, but will be included only once he clears a fitness test. The PCB has drafted in uncapped left-arm fast bowler Zia-ul-Haq as a replacement if Wahab fails the test.Haroon Rashid, Pakistan’s chief selector, said that Wahab was expected to start bowling from July 24 and would have to be cleared by the National Cricket Academy coaches before he could join the squad.”Wahab Riaz is expected to start bowling from July 24, 2015 after recovering from hand injury sustained during the Test series against Sri Lanka, under the supervision of NCA coaches and would be included in the squad upon clearance that he is injury free and bowling to their satisfaction,” Rashid said. “Otherwise Zia-ul-Haq – a budding young fast bowler having toured recently with Pakistan A – would take his place in the team.”Zia was part of the Pakistan A squad that toured Sri Lanka in May this year. He took six wickets in three List A games on the tour, and three wickets in the three-match unofficial Test series.Irfan, who suffered a pelvic fracture during the World Cup, had already been picked for the ODI series against Sri Lanka. He has bowled 27 overs and taken one wicket in the three completed matches of the series so far.Yasir, who last played a T20 international in September 2011, was included after consistent performances across Tests and ODIs on the tour. He was the highest wicket-taker in the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, with 24 wickets at an average of 19.33, and took a career-best 4 for 29 in the third ODI.Tanvir’s previous T20 international for Pakistan was against Bangladesh in April but since then, he has played in the Natwest t20 Blast and the Caribbean Premier League – for Somerset and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots respectively – apart from Pakistan’s domestic T20 competition. Rashid said the selectors had been monitoring Pakistan players in the UK and the CPL, and decided to pick Tanvir based on his performances in the leagues as well as his experience in the T20 format.Pakistan T20 squad: Ahmed Shehzad, Nauman Anwar, Mohammad Hafeez, Mukhtar Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan, Shahid Afridi (capt), Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Sohail Tanvir, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz/Zia-ul-Haq

In an unusual move India captain MS Dhoni invited a journalist to sit alongside him when asked if he was going to retire immediately after India were knocked out of the World T20 by West Indies

Nagraj Gollapudi in Mumbai31-Mar-20161:01

WATCH – Dhoni solves the retirement question

In an unusual move India captain MS Dhoni invited a journalist to sit alongside him when asked if he was going to retire immediately after India were knocked out of the World T20 by West Indies. The journalist, an overseas correspondent, simply asked: “You have achieved virtually everything that a cricketer could. Are you keen to continue playing on?”Dhoni said “sorry” first, asking the question to be repeated. Having heard it again, with a big smile, he waved at the journalist, inviting him to come and sit next to him to discuss the question. “Come here. Let’s have some fun. Come here,” he said. The journalist obviously was not sure if Dhoni was being serious. Dhoni insisted. “Come, come, come. Seriously. Yeah, come,” Dhoni said pulling a chair towards him.As everyone in the media room looked on, the journalist walked and sat next to Dhoni. “You want me to retire?” Dhoni asked, putting his right arm around the journalist. The journalist said: “No, I don’t. I was just asking.”Dhoni’s response was surprising considering he has responded in the past to similar questions on retirement with a smile and a shake of the head many a times. But on this occasion Dhoni carried on. “I was hoping it was an Indian media guy because I can’t really say if you have a brother or a son who can play for India as a keeper,” he said while rubbing his beard with his left hand.Unprompted, he then said to the journalist: “Do you think I am unfit?” To which the journalist replied no. “Looking at me running,” Dhoni continued to which the journalist responded “very fast”.”Do you think I can survive till the 2019 World Cup?” Dhoni asked next to which the response was “sure, yes, sure.” “Then you have answered the question,” Dhoni told the journalist and also gave him a pat on his back.As the room filled up with laughter, Dhoni continued. “I wish it was an Indian media guy because I would have asked whether he has a son who is old enough to play and is a wicketkeeper to play. He would have said ‘no’ then I would have said maybe a brother who can play and who is a wicketkeeper. You fired the wrong ammunition at the wrong time,” he said, pointing once again to the overseas correspondent.

Hampshire’s coach Dale Benkenstein had been scathing about Hampshire’s inadequate display in the field on the second day. He would have been happier with the response

David Hopps at Headingley19-Apr-2016
ScorecardJames Vince could soon be adding Test honours to his England limited-overs caps•Getty ImagesHampshire’s coach Dale Benkenstein had been scathing about Hampshire’s inadequate display in the field on the second day at Headingley. He would have been happier with the response. The polish of James Vince, an England Test-batsman-in-waiting whose time feels nigh, and an innings of defiance by Sean Ervine as he feared the worst about a hand injury provided two hundreds that left pride well and truly restored.Vince has an excellent chance of a Test debut against Sri Lanka at Lord’s. Ervine’s immediate future is less clear-cut. He was struck on the same index finger that caused a two-month absence last season and, fearing what may lie in wait, he will delay an x-ray until he returns to see a specialist in Southampton.When Yorkshire’s scoreboard flashed up birthday greetings before the start of play to Jason Gillespie, the coach, and Dickie Bird, the former Test umpire turned cult follower, there had been an assumption that they would make substantial progress towards a first Championship win by the close of the third day.Gillespie lauds Vince

Yorkshire’s coach Jason Gillespie added his voice to those presenting James Vince as worthy of a Test call-up. “He is a quality player. I thought his driving and the way he left the ball was very good. He is a proper player, no doubt about that.
“Hampshire played wonderfully well today. I thought Vince was excellent. I thought the way Sean Ervine gutsed it out after copping one on the hand – you could tell the way he took his hand off the bat that he was in pain – was real credit to him.
“Our efforts were outstanding. I am proud of the lads – they put in a real shift. It just didn’t quite go our way today.”

Instead, they had to commit themselves to a day of unrelenting toil as Hampshire lost only three wickets all day. “Nivver,” Bird would have exclaimed if offered this forecast at start of play. But the Leeds skies were a strange colour identified by older spectators as blue, the pitch lost energy and Vince and Ervine logged hundreds which were impressive for different reasons. After a hard-fought day, the follow-on had been averted, and Hampshire’s deficit had been trimmed to 143 with two wickets remaining.Benkenstein has signalled that loan signings are in the offing to cover for injuries in the seam-bowling ranks, but Hampshire had felt his criticism all the same. “I can’t really accept what we dished up with the ball,” he had said. “That performance out there in the field is not good enough. We can’t expect a miracle like we produced last year in the last four games.”His captain was the first to respond. There is a classiness about Vince that turns many of his admirers into zealots. He did the hardest work on the second evening, 76 to his name by stumps, and reached 119 before he misread a big inswinger from Steve Patterson and, struck high on the back pad, was adjudged lbw on the leave.The national selector James Whitaker had the expression of a man feeling short-changed as he zeroed in on the nearest camera to study a replay, but there seemed little cause to curse the decision, only the absence of stroke.With Nick Compton not nailing down the No. 3 England batting spot in South Africa and a space vacated at No. 5 by James Taylor’s career-ending heart condition, there are places to be had – middle-order places if Joe Root steps up to first-wicket down. Vince is the uncapped Test batsman with the biggest well of support. Benkenstein termed him “international class”, many have come to that view and there is a gathering suspicion that England feel it is the right time to find out.After Monday’s horror show, though, when Yorkshire’s relentless marauders, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Plunkett needed only 27 overs to add 228 for the seventh wicket, Benkenstein was even more in need of something doughty. He found it in a flinty hundred for Ervine, five-and-a-half hours of resistance after the Zimbabwean had been struck on the bottom hand by Plunkett.Ervine, on 20, needed prolonged treatment and painkillers and upon the resumption was thoroughly tested on the short ball by Plunkett, the most hostile phase of the day, with a couple of balls popping perilously close to short leg (the captain, Andrew Gale, stationing himself there, at a suitable distance) and Ervine withdrawing his hand instinctively from another short delivery.A cover drive against Patterson offered his first release and the threat waned sooner than expected. The second new ball, taken at 233 for 6, proved to be no panacea, Adil Rashid’s legspin was also repelled comfortably, and Ervine found himself acquitting himself more ably than he might have imagined in successive stands of 62 with Adam Wheater – eventually chipped out at midwicket by Patterson – and 59 with Ryan McLaren.It is tempting to link the way this pitch has died by referencing the new toss regulations which have undoubtedly made pitches flatter over the first two weeks of the season. But it is not unusual for Headingley to go flat when the skies clear; it is just unusual for the skies to clear. The forecast is for the fine weather to persist. David Willey, rested out of this match after his England exploits, has not been badly served by a delayed debut.One old stager, though, still managed to nip in for a record. It was Ryan Sidebottom who finally ended Ervine’s innings, a catch for wicketkeeper Bairstow which brought up Sidebottom’s 1,000th wicket across all formats. A landmark that he did not overly celebrate, either because he is not that sort of man, it is not that sort of record, or it was not that sort of day. All three probably. “It probably just shows he’s getting old,” said Gillespie.

With Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having been reunited at Arsenal, Goal looks back at other devastating pairings…

Getty ImagesDwight Yorke & Andy Cole (Manchester United)

First brought together early in the 1998-99 season, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole combined to devastating effect as Manchester United won the treble under Sir Alex Ferguson, albeit with their back-ups – Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – sealing the deal in the Champions League final.

Cole and Yorke started 36 matches together in that campaign, with the Red Devils losing on just one occasion. Between them, they scored 53 goals in all competitions and followed that up with 46 in the next campaign.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesFernando Morientes & Raul (Real Madrid & Spain)

During a period around the turn of the millennium, Fernando Morientes and Raul were one of Europe's most feared strike pairings, with their telepathic connection up front leading the Blancos into the 'Galactico Generation'.

Such was their close friendship, Raul was one of the witnesses at Morientes's wedding, while after Morientes was dropped for the 2002 European Super Cup following the arrival of Ronaldo, Raul wore his great friend's No.9 jersey as a show of solidarity.

Getty ImagesIan Rush & Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool)

Given his legendary status at Liverpool, it is hard to believe that Kenny Dalglish went on a 10-month scoring drought during 1981, with the Scot contemplating a move into midfield as he struggled for form in the aftermath of his 30th birthday.

That all changed when Ian Rush arrived on the scene, however, as Dalglish became more of a withdrawn forward in behind Rush, and the pair ran riot. Liverpool won the title in each of their first three campaigns together, with the deadly duo scoring 59 goals between them as the European Cup was also secured in 1983-84.

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Getty ImagesXavi & Andres Iniesta (Barcelona & Spain)

One of the greatest midfield partnerships of all time, Xavi and Iniesta changed the way the modern game is played with their precision passing for both club and country.

Together they won four Champions League titles among a whole host of other trophies at Barcelona, as well as helping lead Spain to two European Championships and their first World Cup, in 2010.

Goal takes a look at all 32 challengers, with the tournament set to get under way on June 14

Getty Images=32. Panama

Qualifying route: CONCACAF Fifth Round third place

dabblebet odds to win: 1000/1

Panama will be competing at the World Cup for the first time in history after emerging as the surprise package in CONCACAF qualifying.

The Central American side managed to draw with the United States and Costa Rica in the qualification process, results which helped them secure a third-place finish.

The backbone of their squad is made up of players who are plying their trade in Major League Soccer and, while they are not likely to challenge for the title, they will be hoping they can frustrate Belgium, England and Tunisia in Group G.

AdvertisementGetty=32. Saudi Arabia

Qualifying route: AFC Third Round Group B runners up

dabblebet odds to win: 1000/1

Saudi Arabia are back in the World Cup after failing to qualify for the previous two editions and the draw has placed them in Group A alongside Uruguay, Egypt and tournament hosts Russia.

Managed by Juan Antonio Pizzi, who steered Chile to the final of the Confederations Cup, they face a difficult fight to qualify from the group and their odds reflect that.

However, if players such as Salem Al-Dawsari and Yahya Al-Shehri play to their potential, Pizzi's side could spring an upset or two.

Getty=30. Tunisia

Qualifying route: CAF Group A winners

dabblebet odds to win: 500/1

Tunisia find themselves up against it in Group G alongside Belgium, England and Panama.

The North African men breezed through qualification to book their place in Russia, but they will have to step things up a gear if they are to have a chance of progressing – something they have failed to do on four previous occasions.

Players such as Rennes midfielder Wahbi Khazri and Esperance's Anice Badri will be crucial to their efforts.

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Getty Images=30. Iran

Qualifying route: AFC Third Round Group A winners

dabblebet odds to win: 500/1

In the four appearances Iran have made at previous tournaments, they have finished bottom of their group on three occasions, winning just one game out of 12, so history is not on their side.

However, they have an experienced coach at the helm in the form of Carlos Queiroz, who will attempt to make amends for a poor showing in Brazil four years ago.

While they do not necessarily boast any household names in their squad, Eredivisie stars Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Reza Ghoochannejhad, along with Rubin Kazan forward Sardar Azmoun, boast plenty of ability.