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Eddie Howe has received a huge injury lift regarding Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka this week…

What’s the latest?

According to Newcastle World, the Magpies shot-stopper is expected to train ahead of the clash with Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. The report claimed that Newcastle are hopeful that the 33-year-old will be available for selection against Antonio Conte’s side despite withdrawing from international duty.

This comes after Slovakia boss Stefan Tarkovic told futbalsfz.sk [via The Mag] earlier this week: “Martin Dubravka suspects angina. Our doctors started antibiotic treatment for him.

“He is in isolation and will definitely not be part of the team in Norway and Finland. Ivan Schranz came together with an untreated member after a club match with Linz.

“Since he still doesn’t have it right, after talking to the doctors and the player, I decided that he wouldn’t travel with us and return to the club.”

Elation

This news will surely leave Toon supporters feeling elated, as they will no doubt be keen to see him lining up between the sticks this weekend.

Having him available will be a major boost for the club, as he is Howe’s number one and the best goalkeeper on their books. He has played 121 games for Newcastle since joining in 2018, which shows that he has played regularly over a number of years, with Rafael Benitez, Steve Bruce and now Howe often picking him to be their first-choice in goal.

The 33-year-old is a proven Premier League performer, with 33 clean sheets in 118 top-flight games, and he has been in fine form this season. Dubravka has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.84 and has made zero errors directly leading to goals, whilst also not giving away a single penalty.

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He has kept three clean sheets in his last nine league outings, with the Magpies losing just twice during that run. This shows that he is in form at the moment and has been crucial to the club’s revival as they currently sit nine points clear of the bottom three.

Therefore, Toon fans must be elated by the news that he is set to return to training this week. Losing him would have been a big blow, given his impressive displays this term, and supporters may have been concerned about Dubravka’s situation after his international manager’s worrying comments. Instead, they can now rest easy knowing that he is on the verge of returning…

AND in other news, Howe can get St James’ rocking as Newcastle plot bid for “phenomenal” £50m wizard…

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Mark Boucher played a fine hand to guide Bangalore to victory (file photo) © Cricinfo

In a match dominated by South African stars, the batting efforts of Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis edged the all-round contribution of Shaun Pollock, as Bangalore Royal Challengers recovered from Friday’s mauling to register their first win of the tournament. Set a challenging 166 by the Mumbai Indians, Bangalore rode on an unbeaten 39 from Boucher, and his 55-run stand with Kallis sealed a five-wicket win with two balls to spare.The absence of Sachin Tendulkar would have been a huge downer for the crowd at the Wankhede Stadium, but none of them could complain about the quality of action. The bounce on the pitch kept the bowlers interested, and the batsmen on their toes – one of them, Mumbai’s Dominic Thornely, was so surprised by a Zaheer Khan bouncer that he copped a blow above the eye which required 15 stitches. Robin Uthappa and Pollock were the two major contributors for Mumbai, with Sanath Jayasuriya chipping in with a cameo at the start.A target of 166 suggested a close finish, and that’s exactly how it panned out. Bangalore had contributions from all their batsmen, though none of the top five stayed through the chase. Shivnarine Chanderpaul biffed a few before getting a painful blow on the knee, while Rahul Dravid alternated between the sublime – with glorious straight- and extra-cover drives – and the tentative – five runs from 14 balls off Pollock. Ross Taylor and Virat Kohli both made 23 in identical fashion, but when Kohli fell, the match hung in the balance, with 60 needed from 39 balls.While Kallis played a typically patient hand, Boucher put in the decisive knock which turned the match Bangalore’s way. Striking the ball freely and cleanly, he ensured the asking-rate never climbed beyond ten, and got the boundaries so regularly that the pressure slowly moved to the home team. Harbhajan Singh, the Mumbai captain, was creamed through point in the 15th over, while Jayasuriya was clubbed for a straight six. When Nehra was pulled for four and blasted out of the ground for the biggest six of the game in successive balls, the requirement had suddenly come down to 11 from 12 balls, after which the result was never in doubt.Mumbai’s innings was built largely around Uthappa’s 48, which held the innings together, and a whirlwind 12-ball 28 from Pollock which turned an average total into a substantial one. The absence of Tendulkar was felt at the top of the order, as Luke Ronchi, his replacement as opener, lasted just ten balls before falling to an outstanding catch by Kohli. Jayasuriya gave every indication of making up for Tendulkar’s absence, creaming the hapless Kallis for three fours – two bludgeoned down the ground, one flicked fine – and a huge six over long-on. When he fell against the run of play, run out by a direct hit from Zaheer, Mumbai needed a steady hand to guide the innings, and Uthappa played that part well.

	The over-wise runs scored for the two teams shows how close the contest was (click here for a larger image) © Cricinfo

His familiarity with the opposition bowlers – Vinay Kumar, Sunil Joshi and B Akhil are all state-mates in first-class cricket – helped him along too, as Vinay was late-cut delightfully and then hooked for six off successive balls. Uthappa improvised cleverly, moving to leg to clip the ball fine, or walking down the pitch to upset the bowlers, but he also reined in his attacking instincts, knocking the ball in the gaps during the middle overs.When he fell just two short of his half-century, though, Mumbai only had 125 on the board with just 19 deliveries to go. Enter Pollock, who immediately turned it up a few gears. After Abhishek Nayar had creamed a straight six off Vinay, Pollock dismissed the same bowler for a four and a six off consecutive balls. Praveen and Zaheer were taken for boundaries as well, as 40 came off the last five overs. The opposition team, though, had two other South African heavyweights to seal the deal.

ScorecardWill Smith’s first limited overs century powered Durham to the top of the North Conference as they completed a 143-run demolition of Worcestershire. Smith’s hundred was followed by Dale Benkenstein’s impressive striking as the captain hit 94 from 66 balls.Smith and Benkenstein added 155 for the fourth wicket as Worcestershire’s attack were given a day to forget. Kabir Ali, especially, will want to put events behind him as the former England seamer went for 94 off his 10 overs. Doug Bollinger fared little better, also conceding over nine-an-over, and only Ray Price’s economical spell prevented even further carnage.Any chance of the visitors making an impact on their chase was blown away as they sank to 17 for 3. Ottis Gibson, who can still do a better job than some of the West Indians in the tour party, grabbed two as Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett were made to wait for the ball.The England pair failed to impress, bowling six overs each for a total of 73 runs and a wicket apiece. They were overshadowed at the end by Gareth Breese, who claimed his first one-day five-wicket haul to wrap up the massive win, with only Moeen Ali providing meaningful resistance with a career-best 86.

Virender Sehwag performed with the bat, but might need to bowl a lot as well, as India left out Harbhajan Singh © Getty Images

Amit Varma and S Rajesh discuss the first day of the Antigua Test
Download MP3 (right click and select “save target as”)
Streaming Audio: Real :: WMARahul Dravid’s decision at the toss, to bat first, was vindicated when India made 361 for 4 on the first day, at 4.24 runs per over. But did he perhaps choose the wrong team, going in, once again, with just one specialist spinner in Anil Kumble. Amit Varma discussed that and more with S Rajesh. Listen in.Download MP3 (right click and select “save target as”)
Streaming Audio: Real :: WMA

Queensland recovered from a middle-order collapse to begin the ING Cup season with a tense two-wicket victory over New South Wales at the Gabba.Chasing 225, Queensland were cruising at 5 for 201 in the 43rd over but lost 3 for 9 and had to rely on James Hopes (30 off 32 balls) to guide them home with 13 balls to spare.Andrew Symonds, the Bulls allrounder, was named Man of the Match for his 71 from 66 balls before he fell to the legspin of Stuart MacGill, who took 4 for 37 and passed Jo Angel’s domestic one-day bowling record of 94 wickets.The New South Wales skipper Brad Haddin, who won the toss, belted a run-a-ball 88 to lift his side out of trouble at 4 for 36.

Shoaib Akhtar: matador or enraged bull?© Getty Images

Until the end of the Indian tour of Pakistan, we will be running a daily Paper Round of what newspapers in India and Pakistan, and from around the world, are saying about this series. This is what the media had to report today:Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan’s president, expects his people to extend their hospitality to the visiting Indian side. According to a report on the Pakistan News Service, he said, “It is not the question of win or lose, the good performance should be appreciated.” Musharraf added that he wanted the good folk of Pakistan to show India, and the rest of the world, that “we are a disciplined nation and we appreciate the good performance.”* * *Pakistan’s reports that India and Pakistan will run additional buses between Delhi and Lahore later this month, to cater to those who are expected to cross the border to watch the two one-day matches at the Gaddafi Stadium (March 21 and 24). Agreeing to the Indian proposal, the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) has sent a formal note to Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to start running two buses from March 19.According to the decision, DTC will run two buses instead of one on March 19 and 23, while PTDC will have two buses on March 22 and 25 to cater to the demand of the fans.* * *The also quotes Dr Ishratul Ibad, the Governor of Sindh, who has urged the people of Karachi – those who flock to the stadium and those following it from elsewhere – to be on their best behaviour in order to make it clear to the world that the city was one of the world’s great cricket venues.* * *When India and Pakistan play, can the bookies and touts be far away? According to the , the answer is no. They suggest that tickets will be changing hands for up to 20 times the marked price, with the racket mainly controlled by students. The story also quotes a Karachi bookmaker, who identified himself as “Afghani”, as saying that he expected to handle bets worth $1m during the course of the first ODI. With 40 such bookmakers estimated to be part of the scene, there are likely to be some happy bank managers come Monday morning.* * *The Calcutta Telegraph focuses on a story that has obsessed Indians like no other during the past few days – the question of live telecast. Ten Sports, who hold the rights for the series, have finally agreed to provide the signal to Doordarshan – India’s national broadcaster – albeit only for the opening game. India’s Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Madras High Court, forcing Ten to provide the feed from Karachi free of cost. But Ten and the cable operators have failed to come to any sort of agreement on the charges to be levied for the series.* * *In the midst of all the mundane prose, you can rely on Omar Kureishi for the elegant turn of phrase. Writing in the , he says, “In normal circumstances one would have written that all roads will lead to the National Stadium for the Karachi ODI. Precisely the opposite will be true. All roads will be closed. For ticket-holders it will be a sort of treasure hunt, for others an obstacle race.”Newspapers have printed maps outlining the traffic arrangements. They resemble navigation charts that might have been used by Christopher Columbus. He had set out to discover India and found America instead, but cricket fans will find the National Stadium, come hell or high water.”Kureishi also suggests that Shoaib Akhtar could be a decisive factor, given the absence of a quality spinner on either side. “The moment of truth has arrived for him,” he says with reference to Shoaib. “But he must understand that he is the matador, not the enraged bull. Never has a Pakistani bowler carried such a weight of expectation and the hopes of so many millions of people. His biceps are bulging. What about his nerves? Are they made of steel? If he is on song, it may decide the fate of the entire series. If India tames him, it may be an altogether different ball-game.”* * *And surely the last word should go to that most loquacious of cricketers. Javed Miandad turned diplomat on the eve of the Karachi game, waxing eloquent about cricket’s potential to play a part in the big thaw between India and Pakistan. “Given the craze for cricket in the two countries, the game has the potential to play a significant role,” he said. “We want the Indians to carry back pleasant memories.”The also quotes Miandad as saying that it’s the pressure from the fans that leads to unusually high tension-levels on the field. “The pressure on the players comes from the fans, we all know what happens during cricket encounters between the two countries,” he said. “I’ve instructed my players on good behaviour in the field. We have to convey a good impression to millions of cricket-lovers watching this series. People in both countries don’t want to lose these matches, but cricket will end up cooling frayed tempers.”

MELBOURNE, Feb 22 AAP – Shane Warne’s reputation was in tatters and his sporting career in the balance today after he was found guilty of doping and banned from playing cricket for 12 months.But Warne said he would appeal the verdict and vigorously protested his innocence.”I feel I am a victim of anti-doping hysteria,” said Warne, who added he was “absolutely devastated” by today’s finding.The three-person Australian Cricket Board (ACB) anti-doping committee found him guilty of using a prohibited method after he tested positive to the diuretics hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride on January 22.The ban takes effect from February 10 and prohibits Warne from playing for Australia, Victoria, English county side Hampshire or his Melbourne district team St Kilda.He stands to lose most of the $1.5 million a year he earns from cricket and sponsorship deals, including his estimated $500,000 ACB contract which is also suspended for a year.Warne insisted the tablet he took which led to the positive test was only to improve his appearance and not to mask performance-enhancing drugs.He said he did not blame mother Brigitte, who Warne claimed had given him the pill.”I feel that a 12-month suspension is a very harsh penalty for not checking what I took with anyone,” he said.”I have never blamed my mum, I thought it was important to clarify where the tablet came from.”It had nothing to do with cricket or trying to mask anything. It had to do with appearance.”Playing for Australia and Victoria is my love and I would never knowingly put that in jeopardy. I love playing cricket too much.”To the Australian team, you don’t need me to win the World Cup – you have the talent, the passion and the desire to bring the Cup back to all of us here in Australia.”The offence Warne was charged with carries a two year ban and it was not immediately clear how the committee arrived at a 12 month suspension.An “exceptional circumstances” defence is available under ACB rules but ACB chief executive James Sutherland said the committee had found this did not apply.Sutherland said the board was “comfortable” with the finding.He said it was a complex case and the full reasons for the finding would be released “at a later date”.”Generally, no-one’s happy about the circumstances around this case, it’s unfortunate,” he said.”The anti-doping committee found there were no exceptional circumstances which would justify the charge being dismissed.”The committee confirmed the mere presence of diuretics in the sample constituted use of a prohibited method.”Sutherland added the board regarded this as “an isolated incident”.Diuretics can be used to mask other drugs, such as steroids, and this was the reason for the more serious “prohibited method” charge.The committee handed down the finding at 1pm (AEDT) today after yesterday’s all-day hearing at ACB headquarters.Seven as-yet unnamed witnesses were called yesterday – four on behalf of the ACB and three called by Warne’s legal team.National chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said a replacement for Australia’s greatest wicket taker in the World Cup squad had already been decided upon.The identity of that player, probably either Queensland off-spinner Nathan Hauritz or New South Wales leg-spinner Stuart MacGill, could be revealed later today.

* Narvekar remanded to one day police custodyFormer Deputy Chief Minister of Goa and the president of the Goa Cricket Association Dayanand Narvekar was on Tuesday remanded to one day police custody for his alleged involvement in the ticket scam. The scam broke out after the fifth one-day international match between India and Australia at Panaji on April 6.Navrekar who has been charged under section 420, 468, 471 and 120 (b) of the IPC was remanded to a day’s custody by the Margao First Class Judicial Magistrate, pending the final disposal of the remand application.Narvekar, who was arrested on Monday, was admitted to a city hospital after he complained of chest pain in the night and could not be interrogated as doctors attending on him said he was not fit to be interrogated in custody, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Goa, Karnal Singh told reporters in Panaji.* BCCI’s fixtures committee to meet on June 8The BCCI tour programme and fixture committee would meet in Mumbai on June 8. The BCCI’s executive secretary Sharad Diwadkar told PTI on Tuesday that the main agenda would be to finalise the venues and dates of matches during India’s forthcoming tour of South Africa involving three Test matches and a triangular series from September 28 to November 28. Kenya is the third team in the triangular series.”The selectors would then meet in Mumbai on June 13 to pick the one-day team for the triangular series involving India, Zimbabwe and West Indies in Zimbabwe from June 23 to July 7,” Diwadkar added.The Indians will also visit Sri Lanka to play three Test matches and a triangular series with New Zealand being the third team from July 15 to September 3.* Revised timings for India – Zimbabwe TestsThe International Cricket Council on Wednesday announced a change in the timings for the forthcoming Test matches between India and Zimbabwe. In a press release, the ICC made it clear that there would be a break from tradition in the format of the day’s play.Firstly, play will start at 9.30am local time (1300 IST, 0730 GMT) as opposed to the originally announced 10.00am. The session timings are as follows: First session – 09.30 to 12.00, Lunch – 12.00 to 12.40, Second session – 12.40 to 14.40, Tea – 14.40 – 15.00, Final session – 15.00 to 16.30.This also means of course that the playing hours are split into sessions of two and a half hours, two hours and one and a half hours. Traditionally, the day is split into three sessions of two hours each. It is believed that these changes have been made in view of the failing light later in the day at Zimbabwe.

Leeds United winger Raphinha is in advanced negotiations regarding a move away from Elland Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Fabrizio Romano, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent post on Twitter that Barcelona are now in advanced discussions with Deco – the 25-year-old’s agent – concerning a move to Barcelona at the end of the current campaign.

The journalist went on to state that, while discussions with the Brazilian are progressing quickly, official talks with Leeds regarding the forward’s transfer are yet to begin, with these negotiations expected to take a considerable amount of time.

Speaking about Barcelona’s interest in Raphinha, Romano said: “Barcelona are in well-advanced talks with Deco for Raphinha as [a] summer target since one month, but the official negotiation with Leeds won’t start now – it will take some time.”

Supporters will be devastated

While it would appear likely that, should Raphinha indeed go on to leave Leeds this summer, the Whites would be in line to receive a considerable fee for the 25-year-old – with it being reported that Victor Orta has informed Barca they will have to pay the winger’s €75m (£62.5m) release clause in order to prise him away from Elland Road – the news that the Brazil international looks to all but have agreed personal terms with the LaLiga side will nevertheless leave supporters devastated.

Indeed, over his 27 Premier League appearances this season, the £36m-rated sensation has been in breathtaking form for Leeds, scoring nine goals, registering three assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots and making 2.1 key passes per game – which see him rank first in Jesse Marsch’s squad in both metrics.

These returns have seen the £63k-per-week forward average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as the Whites’ second-best performing outfielder in the current campaign.

Furthermore, considering just how highly FBref rank the 25-year-old in a number of key metrics in comparison to every attacking midfielder and winger in Europe’s big five leagues – being in the top 14% for xA per 90, as well as the top 11% for progressive passes, the top 19% for dribbles completed, the top 26% for shot-creating actions and the top 29% for non-penalty xG over the last 365 days – it is clear to see just how talented a player Raphinha really is.

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As such, while receiving a transfer fee of around £62.5m would undoubtedly represent a fantastic piece of business on a player Orta signed for £17m just a year and a half ago, the loss of the Brazilian would nevertheless come as a gutting blow to both Marsch and the Elland Road faithful – who will now be well accustomed to seeing Raphinha tear Premier League defenders apart for Leeds on a weekly basis.

AND in other news: Leeds United dealt yet another huge injury setback, Jesse Marsch will be devastated

	Chris Gayle deserved to be pleased with the effort of Sewnarine Chattergoon in his opening Test © AFP

Walking out with his captain settled Sewnarine Chattergoon as he began his Test career with a composed 46 against Sri Lanka. Chattergoon’s innings assisted the home team to reach 137 for 1 before his dismissal started the slide towards a stumps score of 268 for 7, a deficit of 10 runs.Chattergoon was expected to make his debut in the opening match of the two-game series, which Sri Lanka won, but he was ruled out by illness and had to wait for his first cap. Despite Gayle’s struggles against Sri Lanka, Chattergoon felt extra confidence as the openers stepped out together.”I was a bit nervous, but the good thing was that I was with my captain and also a senior member and I rallied around him and he told me to relax and play my normal game,” Chattergoon said. “I was looking for the single to get down to the non-striker’s end and Gayle helped me a lot because he was playing positively and the Sri Lankan bowlers put more emphasis on him than me.”Gayle, who has five zeroes against Sri Lanka in Tests, reached 45 off 44 balls to give his side a boost after his unbeaten half-century at the end of the first contest. “He has been struggling against Sri Lanka,” Chattergoon said, “but he is a world-class batsman and he can come out anytime and destroy any bowling attack, so I was confident going out with him.”Chattergoon, who turned 27 on the first day of the game, hit five fours in his display and stayed for 78 deliveries until being bowled by Chaminda Vaas. In the lead-up to the match he had placed extra emphasis on facing Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, who combined for four of the West Indian wickets.”The two of them are two great bowlers and to get an opportunity to face them in my first Test innings, it was a bit difficult,” he said. “But I played to my ability and I was successful in the end.”