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Where to watch the Ligue 1 game between PSG and Lorient on TV, plus live stream options, team news and more.

Paris Saint-Germain will be hoping to continue winning to seal the Ligue 1 title soon when they take on Lorient at Parc des Princes on Sunday.

🖥️ Watch PSG Ligue 1 games with Sling TV in the US!

Since their back-to-back home defeats against Rennes and Lyon, PSG have put together three wins in a row and Kylian Mbappe scored a brace as the French champions beat Angers in their previous outing. With an eight-point lead over second-placed Marseille, PSG will be looking to wrap up their league campaign as soon as possible without any hiccups.

Their opponents Lorient are 11th in the standings but they are winless in their last five matches. Going up against the defending champions will be a difficult challenge for the team in the bottom half of the table,

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch the game on TV and online, as well as team news, head-to-head record and more.

Getty ImagesPSG vs Lorient kick-off timeGame:PSG vs LorientDate:April 30, 2023Kick-off:11.05am EDT Venue:Parc des Princes

The fixture between PSG and Lorient will be played on Sunday April 30, 2023. The match will kick off at 11.05am EDT in the U.S.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHow to watch PSG vs Lorient – TV channels & live streamsTV channels & live stream options

Country TV channel Live stream

U.S.beIN SPORTSSling TV

PSG vs Lorient can be streamed live with Sling TV in the United States and beIN SPORTS will be broadcasting the game live on TV.

GettyTeam news & squadsPSG team news

PSG will be without Neymar, Presnel Kimpembe and Nordi Mukiele, who have all been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Renato Sanches is yet to fully recover from his injury and is set to miss another game. Nuno Mendes and Timothee Pembele, who were injured, have resumed training and the latter is in the squad selected for the game against Lorient.

PSG predicted XI: Donnarumma; Pereira, Ramos, Marquinhos; Hakimi, Ruiz, Vitinha, Verratti, Mendes; Mbappe, Messi

Position PSG players

Goalkeepers:Donnarumma, Rico, LetellierDefenders:Hakimi, Ramos, Mendes, Marquinhos, Bernat, Bitshiabu, Fernandez-Veliz, Lamy, PereiraMidfielders:Ruiz, Vitinha, Danilo, Soler, Zaire-Emery, Gharbi, VerrattiForwards:Mbappe, Messi, Ekitike, HousniLorient team news

Jean-Victor Makengo and Igor Silva have picked up injuries in the last week and will miss Lorient's big game against defending champions PSG. The duo will join Theo Le Bris and Julien Laporte in the treatment room.

Julien Ponceau missed a training session earlier this week due to illness but is expected to take the field on Sunday.

Lorient predicted XI: Mvogo; Le Goff, Meite, Talbi; Kalulu, Innocent, Abergel, Yongwa; Le Fee, Faivre; Kone

Position Nice players

Goalkeepers:Mannone, MvogoDefenders:Talbi, Matsima, Yongwa, Meite, Kalulu, Le Goff, Wackers, JamesMidfielders:Innocent, Adil, Faivre, Abergel, Ponceau, Le Fee, Kari, Lebas, Nagera, Bellon, DoumbouyaForwards:Diarra, Kone, Dieng, Cathline, Kroupi, Doucoure, Doumbia, Colas, NilorHead-to-head record

Date Result Competition

November 2022Lorient 1-2 PSGLigue 1April 2022PSG 5-1 LorientLigue 1December 2021Lorient 1-1 PSGLigue 1January 2021Lorient 3-2 PSGLigue 1December 2020PSG 2-0 LorientLigue 1

PSG won the reverse fixture 2-1 earlier in the season and will be confident of getting another win against the same opponents at home. Lorient's last win over PSG was in 2021 and a shock result looks very unlikely.

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GettyUseful linksPSG newsLigue 1 newsLive soccer to watch in the U.S. today

Goal takes a look at the interesting monikers of the 32 teams that are travelling to Qatar in November 2022…

The World Cup is the grandest stage of international football where people, art, and culture from across the globe come together. It is a month-long carnival where the finest footballing nations lock horns for the ultimate prize in football.

Almost every football team has got nicknames that gives an insight into their roots or their distinct characteristics. There is usually a story behind each of these monikers that also resonate well with the fans at large. These nicknames would be used by commentators and journalists.

In fact, Brazil, the most successful nation in World Cup history, has got around six nicknames. Argentina are popularly known as for its colour of the flag and jersey. Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal are known as for their rich naval history whereas England are known as

GettyAustralia – Socceroos

The term 'Socceroos' was coined by Sydney-based journalist Tony Horstead who wanted to highlight Australia's iconic kangaroos. The words  and  are combined into a portmanteau word as 

AdvertisementGettyIran – Team Melli

in the Persian language means "The National Team". There are a few other nicknames as well such as meaning the "The Iranian Lions", meaning the "Lion Hearts" and "Princes of Persia".

Getty ImagesJapan – Samurai Blue

The Japanese team is nicknamed the in close reference to their historical Samurai background.

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GettyQatar – The Maroon

Qatar is nicknamed The Maroon, corresponding to the colour of their home jersey.

Clubs in the English top flight have until June 23 to tie down players to short-term deals if they want to finish the 2019-20 season

The coronavirus pandemic threw football into chaos this year.

While the Premier League season has now resumed, clubs and players alike face an uncertain future.

The financial ramifications of the disruption are yet to be truly seen but, in the short term, players up and down the country find themselves with decisions to make.

Most player contracts in the Premier League end on June 30 of a given year, but the 2019-20 season is now expected to run until late July. For clubs playing in Europe, fixtures may continue until the end of August.

The Premier League has set a deadline of June 23 for players to agree short-term contract extensions in order to play until the end of the season.

Some have already taken up this option – David Silva at Manchester City and Liverpool’s Adam Lallana among them – but plenty of players are still set to be without a club on July 1.

GettyWillian – Chelsea

Brazil international Willian has played more than 300 times for Chelsea since joining in 2013, winning two Premier League titles after the Blues hijacked a proposed move to Tottenham.

However, his future has been up in the air for some time now and he has been linked with a number of clubs during the 2019-20 season.

Manchester United and Arsenal have both been linked, with the 31-year-old still a useful player for any club looking to add strength in depth.

Barcelona were also rumoured to be considering a move during the January transfer window but for now, he is believed to be open to signing a temporary contract to finish the season with Chelsea.

AdvertisementGettyRyan Fraser – Bournemouth

Fraser’s decision not to agree a short-term contract extension has left Bournemouth staring down the barrel of relegation as the final stretch of the season looms.

He notched seven goals and 14 assists in the Premier League last season, though he has scored only once in the current campaign.

The Cherries restart the season in 18th. Simon Francis, Andrew Surman, Artur Boruc and Charlie Daniels have all agreed to short-term deals, but Fraser will depart for free.

Arsenal and Tottenham have both been linked with his signature.

Getty ImagesJan Vertonghen – Tottenham

Contrasting reports around Vertonghen’s immediate future mean it is currently unclear whether or not he will still be a Tottenham player come July 1.

The 33-year-old has been at Spurs since 2012, one of the key figures in their progression under Mauricio Pochettino.

His experience also means he will be a wanted man if he does leave on a free transfer.

Fellow defender Japhet Tanganga, who made his debut earlier this season, is also out of contract but had reportedly been in talks over a new deal before Covid-19 struck.

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GettyDavid Luiz – Arsenal

Arsenal are looking to reshape their squad on a budget under Mikel Arteta, and it remains to be seen whether Luiz will be part of the rebuild.

He may well have already played his last game for the Gunners, having been sent off in a disaster-class performance against Manchester City in their first game back.

Luiz has shown signs of being keen on another year at the Emirates Stadium but, after an unconvincing season, some fans would doubtless be content to see him go.

The defender’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, has said his future will be decided before the June 23 deadline.

An England implosion that saw their last seven wickets go down for just 14 runs and a sublime performance with the bat, combining the power of AB de Villiers with the elegance of Hashim Amla, saw South Africa seal the two-match T20 series in emphatic fash

Firdose Moonda21-Feb-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAn England implosion that saw their last seven wickets go down for just 14 runs and a sublime performance with the bat, combining the power of AB de Villiers with the elegance of Hashim Amla, saw South Africa seal the two-match T20 series in emphatic fashion. Victory meant South Africa won both limited-overs series against England, after losing the Test series, and ended the tour in fine style.On a Wanderers pitch packed with runs, England needed a total in excess of 200 but could not get away at the start of the innings, rebuilt with a 96-run stand between Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler and then collapsed. De Villiers and Amla then made England wonder if 300 would have been enough when they polished off 100 runs inside seven overs to set South Africa up for a dominant win.Unlike in the previous matches on this tour, South Africa did not allow England to get away from them early on. Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott kept a lid on things by bowling back of a length. Rabada could have had Jason Roy out first ball but JP Duminy spilled the catch at short cover. Ten balls later, Rabada had his man when Roy tried to smack him down the ground, was beaten for pace and his off stump was uprooted.South Africa continued with their short-ball strategy but it did not work as well against Joe Root. He scored the first boundary of the innings off one of those deliveries and went on to punish Abbott, Rabada, Chris Morris and then David Wiese, who was dealt with even more severely once Root was dismissed.The introduction of spin allowed South Africa to pull things back when Imran Tahir had Root caught on the extra cover boundary and he was on hand to run out Alex Hales when Eoin Morgan seemed to commit a second as Morris raced in from deep midwicket. By the time he sent Hales back it was too late.AB de Villiers went off like a train in the chase•Getty ImagesWith two new batsmen at the crease, England needed time to rebuild and once Buttler had settled, he took it on himself to accelerate. He found runs with power and placement, particularly off Wiese, who missed the yorker and tried the slower ball without success. Morgan joined the party and Wiese’s second and third overs cost 30 runs.He was replaced by Duminy, who fared no better. Buttler targeted Duminy, Morgan looked more confident than he has throughout the series and was reading Morris well. With four overs to go, England, on 150, were well on track for a big score.Then, their fortunes changed. Buttler was caught inches off the turf by Faf du Plessis and Morgan was run out at the non-striker’s end in successive balls. England had two new men in again and their luck got no better. Stokes was caught off a ball that he should have hit into the ground but which popped up to Morris, Duminy made up for his earlier blunder with a good catch on the boundary to remove Moeen Ali and England were in free fall.Abbott was rewarded for accuracy with two wickets in two balls at the death and England were bowled out without completing their 20 overs. Rabada took the final wicket in similar fashion to the way he claimed the first when he removed Adil Rashid’s off stump.At altitude and with a fast outfield, South Africa would have known the target was chaseable but may not have expected to get it as quickly as they did. De Villiers was in no mood to stick around. The first ball he faced found the boundary and that was just the beginning.He sent the ball into the stands, the grass embankment and even the parking lot in a display of innovative hitting that the Wanderers has seen before. The ground was the venue of de Villiers’ fastest ODI century and has now also witnessed his fastest fifty in the shortest format. It came off 21-balls.By then Amla, who only had eight runs when de Villiers had 40, had just about caught up. In entirely contrasting style, Amla added 32 runs off nine balls with touches of finesse, like his flick through fine leg, and excellent timing.South Africa’s hundred was up in the seventh over and none of the England bowlers was spared. The attack were all guilty of missing their lines, often bowling too full and on the pads and were overawed by the assault they came under. De Villiers found the boundary six times and went over it another six but finally miscued Rashid to long-off to give England some relief but not much hope.Amla got to fifty soon after, off 27 balls and batted through. He had his highest T20 international score by the time du Plessis finished off to give South Africa victory with 5.2 overs to spare.

Mumbai Indians brought the curtains down on Maharashtra Day with an eight-wicket win over Rising Pune Supergiants at the MCA Stadium

The Report by Shashank Kishore01-May-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRohit Sharma’s five fifty-plus scores in chases this season are the most by anyone in a single edition•BCCIMumbai Indians brought the curtains down on Maharashtra Day with an eight-wicket win over Rising Pune Supergiants at the MCA Stadium in Pune. Rohit Sharma’s fourth half-century in a successful chase this season – an unbeaten 60-ball 85 – helped make light work of a 160-run target and sealed Mumbai’s fifth win with nine balls to spare.Rohit completed the job that was set up by Mumbai’s bowlers, who conceded only 66 in the second half of Supergiants’ innings after Steven Smith and Saurabh Tiwary had clobbered the ball all over the ground in a swift second-wicket stand of 84.A flurry of boundaries, misjudged catches and misfields formed the crux of the first 10 overs of the Supergiants innings after they were put in to bat. Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed early but Smith, who offered a tough chance to Parthiv Patel on 1, was quickly into his stride, hitting three successive boundaries off Tim Southee in the third over.The confidence of a century in the previous game showed in Smith’s intent to dominate. One moment, he was pulling in front of square. Next he swiftly used the depth of the crease to cut and ramp the ball over third man. He raced to 33 off 14 deliveries as Supergiants brought up their fifty in the sixth over.Smith was not the only Supergiants batsman to ride his luck. Tiwary should have been dismissed for 4 by Mitchell McClenaghan but Jasprit Bumrah fluffed a regulation chance at mid-on in the fourth over. Galvanized by the let-off, Tiwary raced from 6 off 11 deliveries to 34 off 22 balls. He was eventually dismissed for 57 off 45 balls, his first IPL half-century since 2013.Tiwary’s formula was simple: staying deep inside the crease, he cleared his front leg and used his broad shoulders to repeatedly find the leg-side boundaries. He was severe on left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya, who was hit for two sixes and a four in his second over that went for 20.Bumrah was brought back with Supergiants at 91 for 1 in nine overs, and he struck off his second delivery as Smith’s attempted dab down to third man resulted in a deflection to MS Dhoni. From there on, the innings stuttered like a two-stroke engine running out of oil. Peter Handscomb was also dismissed quickly and those wickets not only allowed Mumbai to apply the brakes, but also brought about hesitancy in Tiwary’s game. MS Dhoni, who walked in to bat at No. 5 in the 13th over, also struggled to bring out his big hits.While McClenaghan hustled the batsmen with pace, Bumrah varied his lengths effectively with yorkers and cutters. Harbhajan Singh, too, kept a lid on the runs by darting the ball and cramping the batsmen for room. The squeeze meant that Supergiants scored only three fours and a six in their last 11 overs.Mumbai had the momentum going into the break and Rohit made his intentions clear when they came out to bat. Happy to swing at the length balls, he got away with two thick edges that flew towards third man in the third over. Parthiv was in sparkling form, driving Ashok Dinda for three successive boundaries before nicking the fourth ball to Dhoni. By then, Mumbai had wiped out 39 in four overs.Ambati Rayudu played a typical innings, quietly nudging the ball, picking singles and hitting the odd boundary. He switched to attack in the eighth over, Ashwin’s first, by stepping out and lofting the offspinner for a six over long-on. There was little pressure to contend with and Rohit effortlessly reeled off the runs, a majority of which came in the arc between deep midwicket and long-on.Rayudu’s wicket gave Supergiants a brief respite but an equation of 67 from eight overs allowed Jos Buttler enough time to find his range. At the other end, Rohit brought up his fifty off 38 balls and ensured that Supergiants’ campaign was left in disarray with their sixth loss in eight matches.

Chris Rogers has conceded that team doctor Peter Brukner was right to rule him out of both Tests in the West Indies after he suffered concussion when he was struck on the helmet at training

Brydon Coverdale12-Jun-2015Chris Rogers has conceded that team doctor Peter Brukner was right to rule him out of both Tests in the West Indies after he suffered concussion when he was struck on the helmet at training. Rogers said he had had “some pretty bad days” since the incident in the lead-up to the first Test, but he was hopeful that he was on the way to recovery after facing throwdowns in the nets on Thursday.Rogers initially thought the incident was innocuous but he has suffered from headaches and dizziness since then, and admitted he would not have been fit for the ongoing second Test in Jamaica. He said he had been surprised by how long his symptoms had persisted since being struck on May 31, and while it was a concern he had been assured by Brukner he would recover.”I got hit on the head when I was just a bit early on a pull shot,” Rogers said. “Then I was actually hit on the box and that’s when I walked away and was a little bit annoyed. To be honest, I didn’t think much of the hit on the head. I’ve been hit on the head quite a few times. I thought it was just another one.”But then I just didn’t start to feel great. I spoke to the doc and didn’t expect him to rule me out of the Test, but he did. I was a little bit surprised at the time but since then I still haven’t quite recovered. I’ve had some pretty bad days so I think the doc was right. He made the right call.”You never want to miss a Test, especially for something I thought was fairly insignificant. I guess nowadays any knock to the head can make a difference. I just didn’t really think I’d have the headaches and the dizziness that have come with it. It’s been surprising but that’s what has happened.”Rogers said at the time he had not worried about the hit from a bowler who “wasn’t even that quick”. He was not aware of having been concussed previously in his career, and said it was hard to watch on from the sidelines but having felt ill after attempting some training he knew that he needed to be ruled out of the Jamaica Test as well as the first in Dominica.”As an opening batsman and a small one, you tend to cop your fair share on the helmet,” Rogers said. “But I’ve never really had symptoms like this, I must admit. Even just running and taking a few catches and then feeling terrible for the rest of the day. It’s been a bit of a wake-up call.”Shaun Marsh has filled Rogers’ position at the top of the order in the West Indies and Adam Voges slotted in at No.5 and scored a hundred on debut in Dominica. That will mean a decision for the selectors ahead of the Ashes next month; Rogers’ experience in English conditions will make him a desired member of the side if he is fully fit.”I had a hit today and that was a good sign,” Rogers said on Thursday. “I haven’t felt any side-effects from that so I think I’m on the road to recovery now … After a while you want to be back in it and you feel a little bit left out when you’re not part of the team. But that’s natural and you just have to wait your turn.”

Ravi Shastri has been named India’s team director for the upcoming tour to Bangladesh, while Sanjay Bangar, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar will continue as assistant coaches for the tour

Amol Karhadkar02-Jun-2015Ravi Shastri has been named India’s team director for the upcoming tour to Bangladesh, while Sanjay Bangar, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar will continue as assistant coaches for the tour. However, the long-term coaching appointments are likely to be finalised in consultation with the cricket advisory committee before India’s tour to Zimbabwe in July.The appointments, announced by the BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, meant the only name missing from India’s coaching staff from the World Cup was Duncan Fletcher’s, whose contract has ended.Shastri is understood to have been interested in a long-term position, either as head coach or team director but for now, he has agreed for the short-term assignment of one Test and three ODIs in Bangladesh.Since the BCCI didn’t want to rope in new appointees for the short tour, the three specialist coaches were also retained. One of the three is in danger of losing his post after the Bangladesh series.Meanwhile, the high-profile cricket advisory committee is likely to meet in Kolkata on June 6 to spell out the procedure for appointing the head coach or team director. Besides Shastri, the BCCI is believed to have been in touch with former Sri Lanka coach Tom Moody and Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach Daniel Vettori.While Moody is understood to have been recommended by VVS Laxman, his colleague at Sunrisers Hyderabad, Vettori has been recommended by Test captain Kohli.Shastri had been named director of cricket after India’s poor performance in the Test series in England last year and the BCCI had appointed Bangar, Arun and Sridhar as assistant coaches at the same time. Their tenures with the Indian team were then extended until the end of the 2015 World Cup.

Mashrafe Mortaza was glad to move on with a point after their match against Australia was washed out and turned his attention to their next game against Sri Lanka in Melbourne in five days’ time

Mohammad Isam21-Feb-2015Mashrafe Mortaza, the Bangladesh captain, was glad to move on with a point after their match against Australia was washed out and turned his attention to their next game against Sri Lanka in Melbourne in five days’ time.Bangladesh are at third behind New Zealand and Australia in Group A. Given England’s poor show, Mashrafe and his men have a better chance of making the quarterfinal now than when they began the World Cup. Beating Scotland on March 5 would lift the team’s hopes further, but Mashrafe wanted to keep the focus on Sri Lanka, a side they last beat in 2013 and only four out of 37 times overall.”It would be great if [beating Scotland takes us to the quarterfinals] that does happen, but we have to worry about Sri Lanka before we can think of the Scotland game,” Mashrafe said. “I didn’t come to the World Cup with a rigid mindset going by particular opponents. If we stick to our plans and execute properly, we can end up doing anything in a one-day match. We can win against them [Sri Lanka] if we play well. But we have to make sure we give ourselves the best chances to play our hundred percent.”We have to win two more matches but for now we are focused on our next game, against Sri Lanka. We still have some time left to complete the remaining four matches, so it is better to think about what’s in front of us. It is going to be hard to predict what might happen in the group.”Mashrafe said that the one point from the Australia game will encourage his team to do well in the rest of the tournament. He was also happy with an improvement in body language after the Afghanistan victory, which had been a point of concern following the loss to Ireland in the practice match nine days ago.”I think earning points in the World Cup is a motivating factor,” Mashrafe said. “Everyone is quite relaxed and confident, and they are prepared to play in every condition and against any opponent. We can have a good tournament if we can hold on to this attitude.”Of course we are feeling good [gaining the point]. We don’t know what would have happened if cricket was played but we wouldn’t have much to lose. We wanted to play good cricket, and it would have been a great experience. It would have helped us to play the Australian pace attack, taken some confidence to the next matches. We are disappointed in this regard. But the point is very important. We should be happy with it.”Mashrafe, however, rued missing out on playing at the Gabba, which would have been Bangladesh’s first outing in the venue. Since 2003, they have only played in Cairns, Darwin and Canberra. A sizeable group of Bangladeshis had also travelled to Brisbane, but Mashrafe has asked them to keep supporting his team as the tournament rolls on.”It is very disappointing not to play at the Gabba. We were really looking forward to playing on this beautiful field. It would have helped us in the tournament, but what happened has happened.”The fans have been really good from the time we landed in Australia. They have been supporting us. We had a decent crowd in this game too, and I am sure they will keep coming.”

Kane Williamson has said it is important New Zealand stay calm and continue to play with the aggression that has served them well so far in the World Cup

Andrew McGlashan16-Mar-2015An unbeaten group stage. Eight one-day wins internationals in a row and 21 in 31 matches since the start of January 2014. It’s an impressive record for New Zealand, but they know it will not count for much if the result goes against them in the World Cup quarter-final against West Indies in Wellington on Saturday.It will be the last of the four quarters played, giving New Zealand a lengthy build-up – which can be both a help and hindrance. It gives Adam Milne more time to overcome his shoulder injury, which kept him out of the match against Bangladesh, but also risks feeding the tension that inevitably comes with knockout cricket.New Zealand have reached six World Cup semi-finals without going any further, including the last two, losing to Sri Lanka both times. They shape as a potential opponent in Auckland this time should they overcome West Indies who have been the least convincing of the eight teams to qualify. For now, though, only Saturday matters.”After playing good, we know that everything starts again,” Kane Williamson said. “Anything in the past is quickly forgotten.”Williamson started what is likely to be plenty of mentions of not treating the quarter-final any differently by saying a relaxed outlook will serve New Zealand best. “We don’t want to try too hard, it’s important you are relaxed and calm because that’s when you play your best cricket. With it being on the line we need to look at it with freedom so we can express ourselves in high-pressure situations.”We’ve played six games and each one has been very different, so it’s nice to have all those experiences going into the quarter-final but we need to keep playing with that calm aggression we have had in the group stage.”West Indies were without Chris Gayle against UAE after his long-standing back complaint flared up on the morning of the game, but he is likely to play the quarter even if not at full fitness. Gayle has had one stand-out performance in the World Cup, his 215 against Zimbabwe, alongside scores of 36, 4, 3 and 21. Regardless of a bad back or his inconsistency, he is certainly firmly on New Zealand’s radar.”Everyone knows what Gayle can do, he’s one of the biggest matchwinners in world cricket,” Williamson said. “It’s important we put a little bit of focus on him, but more important we look at ourselves. When he plays well, he takes any team down. Still, if you bowl well you can get anyone out. We’ve got world-class players as well.”New Zealand’s most recent one-day meeting with West Indies was the 2013-14 series, which ended 2-2. New Zealand suffered their second-heaviest defeat in ODIs, by 203 runs, in Hamilton. Kirk Edwards and Dwayne Bravo, neither part of the World Cup, scored hundreds that day in a 211-run fourth-wicket stand.Barring Jesse Ryder’s presence at the top of the order, the spot now taken by Brendon McCullum opening the batting with Grant Elliott in the middle, New Zealand’s top order was the same as the one which will line up in Wellington. However, of the bowling attack only Tim Southee and Corey Anderson are likely to be present this time if Milne recovers to take his spot back from McClenaghan.

Canada will tour Zimbabwe early next year for four fifty-over matches which will form part of Zimbabwe’s preparation for the 2015 World Cup and ahead of Canada’s WCL Division 2 campaign

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Dec-2014Canada will tour Zimbabwe early next year for four fifty-over matches which will form part of Zimbabwe’s preparation for the 2015 World Cup and ahead of Canada’s World Cricket League Division 2 campaign.All the matches will take place at Harare Sports Club between January 6 and 12 and Zimbabwe will field an A squad, coached by former first-class player Shepherd Makunura. Stuart Matsikenyeri, who last played for Zimbabwe in 2012, is part of the squad.The games will afford Zimbabwe’s new coach, expected to be named later this week, an opportunity to assess candidates for the World Cup squad which must be named by January 7. Dav Whatmore, the former Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan coach, is the frontrunner for the job. Whatmore arrived in Harare late Sunday and hoped to seal the deal early this week.He will inherit a team that has recently returned from an 8-0 blanking in Bangladesh after losing all three Tests and five ODIs and which has little more than a month to prepare for the World Cup. Should Whatmore get the job, he will hold a training camp in Dubai, where it may be possible for other warm-up fixtures to be arranged in addition to the Canada fixtures.Canada, who lost ODI status in February, have never toured Zimbabwe and only played against them twice. They lost both games – one a tri-series fixture in Port-of-Spain in 2006 and the other a group stage match at the 2011 World Cup – although those matches were against a full Zimbabwe international side and not an A team.Canada failed to qualify for the 2015 World Cup but will use the visit to Zimbabwe as preparation for their WCL Division Two tournament which will take place in Namibia from January 17 to 24.There, Canada will play the hosts, Kenya, Netherlands, Nepal and Uganda with winner going through to the Intercontinental Cup and the World Cricket League Championship, which would be a step to regaining their ODI badge.