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Ian Botham has warned that England will be “playing into Australia’s hands” if flat pitches are prepared for the Investec Ashes.Botham, the former England captain, is concerned that a desire to maximise ticket sales could convince the grounds hosting the Tests to prepare easy-paced, flat tracks with a view to trying to ensure that each match lasts the full five days. But he insisted such a tactic would be an error and feels that, if the series is played on surfaces offering bowlers some assistance, England have the team to surprise Australia.”We don’t want flat wickets,” Botham said. “That’s playing right into Australia’s hands. The pitch at Lord’s for the Test against New Zealand was a great pitch. Pitches like that serve up great cricket. Please don’t serve up five-day corporate pitches. If you do we might as well send the Ashes back now because that’ll play right into Australia’s hands.”I’m not sure they will dare to prepare flat wickets. We’ll be on their case and so will the written media and the public too because they’ve got used to seeing an expressive England. They don’t want boring cricket.”If we play on good sporting pitches England have got a good chance against Australia. They’re at home. Everybody is expecting Australia to come here and cruise to victory but I just don’t see that. I think it will be very close.”Ian Botham believes Ben Stokes is a “special” player•Getty Images

At the heart of Botham’s confidence is his faith in England’s young players. He believes Joe Root is playing “magnificently” and rates Ben Stokes as England’s most promising allrounder since his own career ended.”Ben Stokes is the real thing,” Botham said. “He’s got the right attitude. He’s a tough competitor and is a good enough bowler and good enough batsman. He didn’t have much luck with the ball in the Tests v New Zealand – he had a few catches dropped off him – but that can suddenly change.”I’ve been impressed since I first saw him a couple of years ago. How anybody could possibly leave him out of the World Cup is totally beyond me. But that decision was made and Stokes reacted in the best way possible – he turned up, scored runs and took wickets. He’s also a very good fielder. He goes out there and plays with no fear and he’s very strong mentally. That’s the way he is going to play and that’s why he’ll win you games.”I’ve spoken to him, I get on well with him. Hopefully we’ll get a chance at some point during the Ashes to get a bite to eat and have a chat. It’s just general talk when we do, if he’s got something technical to ask he’ll ask. He’s got the coaching staff, I’m just there as a mate.”He’s learning about swinging the ball, about variation at the crease, variation of pace. He’s young but he’s got real talent. I think he is special.”But Botham also urged the senior bowlers – Stuart Broad and James Anderson – to lead from the front and demonstrate the positive cricket the younger players showed in their absence during the limited-overs games against New Zealand.”You’ve got a guy on more than 400 wickets and another guy approaching 300,” Botham said. “Those two are your senior bowlers. They need to turn up and they know that.”They’ve got to perform and they’ve got to be aggressive. I think teams have worked out England used to sit back with defensive fields and wait for sides to make mistakes. You can’t do that now. This Australian team will go at you hard so I think England have got to come back hard.”They have to try and hit the stumps. The best spells I’ve seen Broad bowl were The Oval in 2009, where he hit the top of off stump, and then at Durham in 2013, where he changed the game in a session. I think it’s essential he tries to hit the top of off. He must not sit back and try and bowl a length because you’re not going to win matches with that.”

Leeds United could sign Barcelona youngster Francisco Trincao as Raphinha’s replacement this summer, according to a fresh transfer rumour.

The Lowdown: Trincao on loan at Wolves

The 22-year-old joined Wolves on loan last summer, with first-team opportunities looking hard to come by at the Camp Nou.

Trincao hasn’t exactly set the world alight during his time at Molineux, however, only scoring and assisting once apiece in 22 Premier League appearances this season.

Ironically, both of those goal involvements came against Leeds earlier this month, as the Whites sealed a memorable 3-2 win at Molineux.

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The Latest: Leeds keen on move

According to Mundo Deportivo [via Sport Witness], Victor Orta and co. view Trincao as a possible replacement for Raphinha, should the winger head to Barca himself this summer.

The Whites’ transfer team ‘would be open’ to making the youngster part of a deal, helping fill the void left by the Brazilian.

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The Verdict: Is he good enough?

Ideally, Raphinha would stay put at Leeds, but if not, the idea of gaining a Barca player or two in the deal is at least a positive. That being said, Trincao’s lack of end product has been evident this season, so bringing him in certainly wouldn’t be a like-for-like replacement.

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There would be a risk element and it would be preferable for Jesse Marsch to sign someone who guarantees a similar stream of goals and assists to Raphinha, in order to fully make up for the loss.

Acquiring that player as well as Trincao would make some sense, but only the latter arriving would feel like Leeds’ squad has only got weaker, despite the young talent drawing praise as ‘unbelievable’ by Wolves journalist Tim Spiers.

In other news, a journalist has dropped a key Andrea Radrizzani claim. Read more here.

Pakistan legspinner Yasir Shah has been provisionally suspended under the ICC’s anti-doping code for testing positive for a banned substance. A sample taken from Yasir on November 13, when Pakistan played an ODI against England in Abu Dhabi, was found to contain chlortalidone, which is on WADA’s prohibited list of diuretics and masking agents.While he is provisionally suspended, Yasir cannot play – or be involved in any capacity in – international matches, and games organised by any national cricket board or its affiliated members. He can request for his B sample to be tested, and if that test does not confirm a positive result then the entire test will be considered negative and the suspension will be lifted with immediate effect.Yasir can also request for a hearing before an anti-doping tribunal through a written application that must be received by the anti-doping manager within 14 days. Should he want a hearing, Yasir must state in his application how he responds to the charge and his explanation for the same.Yasir, 29, has become a key member of the Pakistan team since debuting in Test cricket in October 2014. Currently ranked No. 4 in the Test bowlers rankings, he has 76 wickets from 12 Tests at 24.17. Forty-nine of those wickets have come in 2015, making him the fourth-highest Test wicket-taker overall this year till date.Pakistan’s next international assignment is a limited-overs tour of New Zealand in January.

Shoaib Akthar said he made a mistake ‘in the heat of the moment” when he hit Mohammad Asif and has apologised to him and his Pakistan team-mates for the dressing-room scuffle that saw him being sent home from South Africa. He vowed to make a comeback and said he was hopeful of playing in next month’s home series against South Africa.”I’m human and made a mistake in the heat of the moment,” Shoaib told , an Indian news channel. “Asif said something to me that made me lose my temper. I apologised to him, but I was very upset.”He asked the media not to paint him as a villain and said, “I’m feeling bad that two minutes of temper have ruined my comeback. Sometime you do things in a fit of temper. I will explain the situation to everyone and apologise. I will address a press conference and apologise for my actions. I will try and make it back for the series against South Africa next month.”He likened the incident to the headbutt by the French footballer, Zinedine Zidane, in the final of the World Cup in Germany last year and said what happened was not intentional.

Jhulan Goswami has room to celebrate after picking up the Special Award at the Castrol Awards in Mumbai © Getty Images

Jhulan Goswami, the fastest bowler in women’s cricket, has received the Castrol Special Award for her outstanding bowling on India’s recent tour of England.India lost the one-dayers, but claimed the Test series, the first time India have ever beaten England in a Test. It was in that match, the second Test at Taunton, that the player of the match Goswami became only the second Indian, and first woman, to take ten wickets in a Test on English soil.Goswami received her award at the ceremony in Mumbai on Friday. “I’m happy that we beat England on their home ground,” she told Rediff, “it was a really big win and a special one. It is really special that I played a part in it.”Success has not come easy. Women’s cricket demands heavy commitment from players, many of whom must juggle jobs and study, and Goswami’s dedication is no less significant. At the age of 15 she would get up at 4.30am to catch the train for a five-hour round trip of practising. “Many times I missed the train and used to reach late for practice; but I never lost heart.”Now aged 22, she feels there is still room for improvement in her game. “I am focusing on my accuracy.”

Rahul Dravid: ‘We have got to play good cricket, focus on ourselves and not worry about the opposition’ © Getty Images

India would emerge as the runaway winners if they play to their potential and not worry about Zimbabwe – their opponents – in the upcoming two-match Test series, according to Rahul Dravid, their vice-captain.”If we play good cricket, we should win,” Dravid said in the run-up to the first Test beginning on Tuesday. “We have got to play good cricket, focus on ourselves and not worry about the opposition. It is very important from our point of view to win the Tests against Zimbabwe and win them well.”Dravid acknowledged the quality of Heath Streak and Tatenda Taibu in the opposition ranks but also admitted that they knew little about the rest of Zimbabwe team. “Streak and Taibu have been around for a while, they have got some experience. But, to be honest, we don’t know much about the other cricketers.”Dravid felt the pitches at Bulawayo and Harare would be similar to the track they played in Mutare – against the Board President’s XI – over the weekend. In that respect, he believed the three-day warm up game was a good work-out for his side. “The track was a good wicket to bat on and was a bit slow. It was a similar kind of wicket we might get in Tests as well.”It was a good three days from our point of view,” he continued. “Anil [Kumble] bowled a good spell. For people like Balaji who have not played for a while, it was good to have a go in these conditions. In the end it was a good work-out.”Dravid also said that he was concerned over the way he was out bowled out four times in the tri-series. “It happens. Sometimes you do get out in the same fashion. But it’s pretty unusual to get out in the same way. There were different ways of getting bowled, also a couple of inside edges and a couple of misses. I am not really concerned about it. I will keep on improving.”

The defeat to India may still rankle but can Inzamam-ul-Haq’s side overcome Sri Lanka in the two-Test series?© AFP

The champagne might still be flowing in the Sri Lankan camp, after their resounding win in the final of the Paktel Cup, but the hangover time allotted was just three days. After strangling Pakistan’s run-chase with their masterful use of their part-time spinners, Sri Lanka get another shot at glory with the two-Test series beginning at Faisalabad tomorrow.Marvan Atapattu may be embroiled in a heated controversy with the selection committee, but he starts the series with a legacy to uphold. Arjuna Ranatunga’s men came back from the dead in 1995 to become the first team to win a series in Pakistan for nearly 15 years. That win triggered off a glittering period, with the 1996 World Cup triumph and victory in the one-off Test at The Oval in 1998 the highlights. Sri Lanka returned to Pakistan in 2000, this time under Sanath Jayasuriya, but the series result read just the same: 2-1 in their favour. Neither team has managed to win at home in the five series they have played over the last ten years. Home disadvantage will suit Sri Lanka just fine.But history and figures may not mean too much to Pakistan. Bob Woolmer will be in charge for the first time in a Test and there have been clear signs of revival in the one-day version. He expressed his disappointment over Saturday’s defeat when he spoke to a few journalists after practice. “It’s a shame to have lost in the final. It was very disappointing to see the team lose despite having the potential to turning the tide. In fact they should have won the tri-series.”More importantly, the scars of losing to India earlier in the year might not have healed and their batsmen will need to show more gumption than they did in March. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami have shown the ability to produce shocks in bursts, but Woolmer would want the intensity sustained throughout the series. Pakistan are likely to open the batting with Yasir Hameed and Imran Farhat and both have a chance to show that promise, if persisted with, can deliver results when they matter.Sri Lanka will rely on their top four to get them the big scores, which would then enable the spinners to get stuck in. Thilan Samaraweera has managed to cross fifty just twice in his last 14 innings and Romesh Kaluwitharana can exhilarate and exasperate in a span of a few minutes. Either Thilina Kandamby or Jehan Mubarak are set to bat at No. 6. The bowling line-up, though, may not be as spin-dominated as earlier Sri Lankan teams, with Lasith Malinga and Dilhara Fernando, both capable of making top-quality batsmen hop, backing up the canny Chaminda Vaas.The second Test will be played at Karachi, which will host a Test for the first time after May 2002 when New Zealand abandoned their tour midway. Karachi remains a Pakistani fortress where they have lost just one Test, when England pulled off an astonishing run-chase in the twilight in 2000. But Sri Lanka will fancy their chances to go one-up at Faisalabad. After a gritty showing in Australia, they overcame South Africa in a home series and have tasted success in two one-day tournaments in the subcontinent.And if Sri Lanka are in need of inspiration, they will do well to remember the squad of 1995, who levelled the series at Faisalabad and went on to win it soon after.Pakistan (probable) 1 Yasir Hameed, 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Asim Kamal, 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq (capt), 5 Yousuf Youhana, 6 Abdul Razzaq, 7 Shoaib Malik, 8 Moin Khan (wk), 9 Shoaib Akhtar, 10 Mohammad Sami, 11 Danish Kaneria.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Marvan Atapattu (capt), 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Jehan Mubarak, 7 Romesh Kaluwitharana (wk), 8 Upul Chandana, 9 Chaminda Vaas, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Dilhara Fernando.

Hampshire host table topping Worcestershire at the Rose Bowl in the final Frizzell Championship match of the season at The Rose Bowl. Play on all 4 days start at the earlier September time of 10:30am.Simon Katich and Chaminda Vaas return for the match. Katich has recovered from his flu, Chaminda Vaas returns after being rested for the match at Taunton.Robin Smith is already ruled out for the remainder of the season, John Francis still suffering from shingles and Alan Mullally is still troubled with an ankle injury, but is expected to play in the National League match against Lancashire on Sunday (12:00 noon start).Hampshire Team: James Adams, Derek Kenway, Simon Katich, John Crawley (captain), Nic Pothas, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Shaun Udal, Chaminda Vaas, Lawrence Prittipaul, Chris Tremlett and James Tomlinson.

Western Australia’s last batsman Brad Williams struck a six with two balls to spare to give the Warriors a stunning win over South Australia in their limited overs day-night cricket match at Adelaide Oval tonight.Chasing SA’s 7-235 from 50 overs, the Warriors passed the target, reaching 237 from 49.4 overs with just one wicket in hand.Williams came in with four runs required to win off the final four balls – with left-arm spinner Brad Young bowling – and failed to score off the first ball he faced.But he struck a massive six which easily cleared the mid-wicket boundary off the next ball to give WA the victory, which had looked highly unlikely at several stages throughout their innings.Openers Chris Rogers (39 from 53 balls) and Ryan Campbell (20 from 22 balls) got the Warriors off to a flying start to be 0-39 eight overs into the innings.They were particularly severe on SA debutant Matthew King, whose opening four over spell cost 32 runs, including 15 from his fourth over.But Mark Harrity replaced him and picked up the wicket of Campbell in his second over and then dismissed Rogers in his fourth over, on his way to 2-40 from 10 overs, while young paceman Paul Rofe conceded just 23 from his 10 overs at the other end.The required run-rate was up to almost six per over 28 overs into the innings and, when SA captain Darren Lehmann had WA counterpart Simon Katich stumped inthe 35th over, the Warriors were in deep trouble.The required rate was up to eight per over with 11 overs remaining with SA looking headed for victory.But Stuart Karppinen smashed 22 from 22 balls to keep WA in the match, with 12 coming from the 40th over the innings bowled by Mike Smith.Wickets fell steadily as the run-chase continued, but it did not slow the Warriors, with Smith conceding 16 runs in the 45th over.With three overs to go WA needed just 17 runs with three wickets in hand.Young trapped Marcus North (17 off 16 balls) lbw in the 48th over while conceding just four runs to make it 13 needed from two overs with two wickets remaining.Smith conceded seven runs in the 49th over to Brad Hogg and Matthew Nicholson, meaning just six runs were needed in Young’s last over.A wide on the first ball meant WA needed five off six balls, but Hogg was run out off the next ball, leaving Nicholson and Williams to score five runs from five balls.Nicholson scored a single, and Williams blocked the next ball straight back to Young, building the tension, before striking the killer blow with the next ball.Young finished with 4-55.Greg Blewett was named man of the match for his top score of 73 from 101 balls in SA’s innings.

Bangladesh wasted no time in racing to a seven wicket victory overNamibia in the Plate Championship of the under-19 World Cup at theUyanwatte stadium in Matara on Wednesday.Namibia were plainly outplayed. Put in to bat, they were shot out for57 in 28.3 overs. The fact that extras with 22 provided the top scoretells the sad tale of the Namibia innings. None of the batsmen reacheddouble digits with S Gericke top scoring with eight. Interestinglyenough, they were no ducks in the innings, Hannan Sarker was quiteunplayable as his final figures of 10-4-15-5 will illustrate.Bangladesh reached their easy target in only 11.1 overs as probablythe most lop sided encounter in the tournament came to a quick end.