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• 'What's gone, is gone': Brathwaite warns against complacency heading into Bangladesh Test Series

  West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite has struck a measured tone as his team readies to face Bangladesh in the opening contest of their two-match Test series at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday.

  While acknowledging his team’s enthusiasm to return to the longest format, Brathwaite also stressed the need for focus and execution against what he believes is a talented Bangladesh team.

  "Well, the guys are really looking forward to it. We haven't played Test cricket for a little while, so the guys are excited to get out there. You know it's a ground we love playing at; we enjoy playing here, and you know the guys are ready and raring to go,” Brathwaite said in a pre-game conference.

  The Antigua venue has fond memories for the West Indies, most notably the dismissal of Bangladesh for a record-low 43 in 2018. However, Brathwaite insists that past triumphs are irrelevant heading into this series, as he warned against complacency.

  His warning comes with the anticipation of a balanced wicket that will reward disciplined cricket, as he believes the pitch will offer movement and bounce for the pacers early on, with spin likely to play a role as the match progresses.

  “Everything that’s gone is history. I mean, we're playing against a talented Bangladesh team now, so what's gone, is gone. We are obviously all looking forward to coming tomorrow and starting well in whatever we do,” he stated firmly.

  “We got to focus on tomorrow morning and starting well; that's on our minds. Again, what is gone is gone, and we look forward to this challenge of playing good Test cricket,” Brathwaite noted.

  That said, Brathwaite pointed to the invaluable presence of seasoned pacer Kemar Roach, both for his bowling prowess and his off-field mentorship. Roach’s devastating spell was pivotal in Bangladesh’s infamous 2018 collapse.

  “Kemar is a very experienced player and obviously a Test bowler. On the field, he's great, but off the field, the information he shares with us is phenomenal. So having him around, I think, is very important for this team because on the field we know his statistics and he is playing here in the Caribbean as well.

  “So I would say look forward to that. But, you know, on and off the field, I think Kemar is a true example of a leader for the West Indies going into this particular Test match,” the Barbadian said of his compatriot.

  Interestingly, both Bangladesh and West Indies currently sit at the foot of the ICC World Test Championship standings in eighth and ninth positions, with both also coming off recent defeats to South Africa.

  Despite that, Brathwaite expressed confidence in his batters, many of whom have recently shown form in the regional Super50 competition, as he highlighted the Caribbean side’s determination to finish the cycle on a high.

  “Obviously, we looked at the points as a team, and we know we got four games left in this cycle and we could still pretty much come high up in the table. We just got to believe, and as I said, we are playing against a talented Bangladesh team, so it won't be easy, and we got to come ready and raring to go tomorrow morning,” Brathwaite said.

  “I think they (batsmen) are in a good space; a few of the guys have played in the Super50 tournament and got some scores, so that was good to see. It's just all about that belief now; we’ve had a difficult year thus far, but we also had some good performances with the bat. It's just to draw from those performances as much as possible; we got four innings here, and it's just to bat and give it 100%,” he ended.

  Meanwhile, Bangladesh enters the series missing key players like Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto. However, all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who will serve as stand-in captain, believes the team’s younger players have the opportunity to step up.

  “It’s tough without some of our senior players, but we’ve worked hard in practice and are focused on playing positive cricket. We still have a good side right now. Some of the young players coming have a good opportunity to perform well in these conditions, so we actually believe that we can play well and we can come strongly,” Hasan Miraz shared.

  West Indies have named a pace-heavy lineup that includes Roach, Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph, and Shemar Joseph to complement the batting of Brathwaite, Mikyle Louis, Keacy Carty, Kavem Hodge, Alick Athanaze, Justin Greaves, and wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva.

  Bangladesh: Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Capt), Shadman Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Litton Das (wkt), Jaker Ali Anik, Taijul Islam, Shoriful Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Hasan Murad

   

• Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters

  Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday. 

  After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight. 

  Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.

  In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal. 

  Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out. 

  However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining. 

  Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena. 

  The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.

  Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range. 

  Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt. 

  There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner. 

  Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition. 

• Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City

  Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.

  The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.

  The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.

  There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.

  Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.

  “Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.  

  “That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.

  “Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.  

  “I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.  

  “Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”

   

  Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.

  That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.

  He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.