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Mohammad Amir on redemption road in Bangladesh.

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DHAKA, Nov 23, 2015 (AFP) - Mohammad Amir s last appearance on a cricket pitch outside his native Pakistan led to a six-month sentence in a British prison for corruption.</div>
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Five years on, the paceman was the headline act in <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; border-bottom-style: dotted !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-size: 16px !important; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important; position: static; vertical-align: baseline;">the opening</span> match as Bangladesh s Twenty20 league staged its own comeback after a fixing scandal.</div>
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But as Amir and the Bangladesh Premier League look to turn over a new leaf, one of cricket s most respected figures, Kumar Sangakkara, says the <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; border-bottom-style: dotted !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-size: 16px !important; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important; position: static; vertical-align: baseline;">game</span> could "die" if spectators are not convinced matches are clean.</div>
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Amir, playing for the Chittagong Vikings against the Rangpur Riders, took four for 30 on Sunday, delighted to be competing once more against stars such as Pakistan s Test skipper Misbah ul-Haq whom he bowled with a perfect yorker at Dhaka s national stadium.</div>
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Amir, now 23, was jailed in 2011 after admitting bowling no balls the previous summer against England at Lord s in exchange for cash.</div>
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His captain Salman Butt and fellow bowler Mohammad Asif were jailed for similar offences.</div>
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Their hopes of returning for Pakistan look bleak, given they are in the autumn of their careers.</div>
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But Amir, who has been playing Pakistan domestic cricket since earlier this year, told AFP recently he saw the BPL as "the first step towards reviving my international career" as he eyes next year s World T20 in India.</div>
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Although Amir has refused to talk to the media in Bangladesh, he said before his departure from Pakistan that he was "really thankful to the team for choosing me and I will try my best to give them my 100 percent."</div>
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His comeback remains controversial, with Pakistan batsman Mohammad Hafeez refusing to sign for the Vikings with Amir in its ranks.</div>
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As Amir struggles to rebuild trust, the BPL faces a similar challenge after its 2013 edition was blighted by a scandal involving players and a team owner.</div>
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Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful, New Zealander Lou Vincent and Sri Lankan Kaushal Lokuarachchi were handed lengthy bans.</div>
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And Shihab Jishan Chowdhury was also convicted of trying to fix the outcome of a match involving his Dhaka Gladiators team.</div>
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An embarrassed Bangladesh Cricket Board cancelled last year s edition but now believes its house is in order.</div>
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Chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury said the BCB always had "zero tolerance" of corruption but felt compelled to do more after 2013.</div>
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It now has its own anti-corruption unit and runs an extensive <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; border-bottom-style: dotted !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-size: 16px !important; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important; position: static; vertical-align: baseline;">education programme</span> for players which includes addresses by police.</div>
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"A lot of things happened because of a lack of education, players not being aware of the consequences, not only for themselves but for the nation as a whole," Chowdury told AFP.</div>
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Sayeed Uzzaman, the journalist who broke the scandal, said the BCB deserved praise for bringing crooks to justice but feared the game remained vulnerable.</div>
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"The players are soft targets," said Uzzaman, of Dhaka s Kaler Kantho daily.</div>
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"The bookies offer them a thousand times more (than they are paid by their teams)."</div>
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While Amir is back playing in front of packed crowds, Ashraful keeps fit with nets in his backyard, still dreaming of an eventual international recall.</div>
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Neighbours are happy to bowl at the 31-year-old who set the record for the youngest player to hit a Test century but Ashraful is full of regrets.</div>
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"I ve lost almost everything I worked for ... I hope young cricketers will look at me and learn a lesson," the one-time golden boy told AFP.</div>
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The local underworld was thought to have got its hooks into Ashraful long before he was caught and made a tearful confession.</div>
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Now he urges players against falling into the same trap.</div>
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"My advice to any young cricketer would be say, very clearly, no."</div>
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His view is echoed by Sangakkara, Sri Lanka s former captain who recently retired from international cricket.</div>
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"It s very simple advice that I have for anyone, it s basically just say no and once you ve said no you report every single approach," he told AFP while training for his BPL team, the Dhaka Dynamites.</div>
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"It s the responsibility of players as well to ensure the game stays clean.</div>
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"Cricket, or any sport for that matter, has to uphold the public trust because if the crowds don t come to watch, if they feel cheated, cricket will die."</div>
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Gambling is illegal in Bangladesh but, as in most of South Asia, bookmakers routinely operate from backstreets -- often controlled by crime syndicates.</div>
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Every country has its tale of fallen heroes, including South Africa whose late captain Hansie Cronje was exposed as in the pay of bookies.</div>
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The cash-rich Indian Premier League was hit by a fixing scandal involving the son-in-law of the then head of the board in 2013.</div>
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While authorities say the punishments of players such as Amir and Ashraful have been a deterrent, few believe the corruption beast has been slain.</div>
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Only last week, Pakistan coach Waqar Younis had to insist a defeat against England in an ODI was not fixed after claims the match was under investigation by the International Cricket Council s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU).</div>
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In a recent in-house interview, the ACU s head acknowledged fixing could never be wiped out.</div>
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"I think the frank answer has to be never totally and absolutely eradicated," said Ronnie Flanagan.</div>

Mohammad Amir on redemption road in Bangladesh.

DHAKA, Nov 23, 2015 (AFP) - Mohammad Amir s last appearance on a cricket pitch outside his native Pakistan led to a six-month sentence in...

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Djokovic will face Federer for 4th straight Tour Finals crown

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LONDON (AFP) - Novak Djokovic will face Roger Federer in Sunday s World Tour Final when he attempts to lift the trophy for a fifth time and become the first player to win the season-ending showpiece four years in a row.</div>
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Djokovic said clashes between the pair were always nervy affairs as he prepared to face his rival for a second time at London s O2 Arena this week -- Federer having got the better of the Serb in the group stage.</div>
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But Djokovic pulled out a near-perfect performance as he downed the resurgent Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-3 in their <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; border-bottom-style: dotted !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-size: 16px !important; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important; position: static; vertical-align: baseline;">semi-final</span> clash on Saturday.</div>
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Federer then defeated Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 6-3 to book his place in the final.</div>
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Sunday is a repeat of last year s final, which Djokovic won by a walkover after Federer withdrew with an injury, something he has rarely done in his career.</div>
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"I don t feel unbeatable, but it does definitely feel great when I m playing the way I played," Djokovic said after his dazzling display against Nadal.</div>
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"I ve lost against Roger three times this year. When he s on, it s hard to play him," said the Serb, who has also beaten Federer four times in 2015, all in finals.</div>
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"We always play matches with a lot of tension. There is a lot at stake. I know I have to be on top in order to win against him. Hopefully I ll be able to play better than I ve done a few days ago.</div>
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"But the performance (against Nadal) definitely gives me reason to believe that I ll do that."</div>
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Djokovic could <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; border-bottom-style: dotted !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-size: 16px !important; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important; position: static; vertical-align: baseline;">claim</span> $1,050,000 in prize money if he wins, while Federer would receive $2,228,000 for winning the title undefeated.</div>
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After a miserable 2015 campaign, Nadal had looked somewhere close to his best over the last week.</div>
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The Spaniard won all three of his group matches to reach the semi-finals but there was little he could do to stop Djokovic in this sort of form.</div>
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The Australian, Wimbledon and US Open champion hit 24 winners to nine from Nadal.</div>
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In front of 17,800-strong capacity crowd, including football icon David Beckham, Djokovic quickly took control as he unloaded a string of searing shots.</div>
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Third seed Federer also put in an impressive performance against French Open champion Wawrinka, in a repeat of last year ssemi-final, which ended in bad blood between the two Switzerland team-mates.</div>
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"A great match, I really enjoyed it," Federer said afterwards.</div>
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"It will be a perfect ending only if I win. Novak should be knocked out by now! No, I am joking. He played a great match against Rafa... and I m sure it will be a fantastic meeting."</div>
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In the 2014 semis, Federer and Wawrinka had a bust-up.</div>
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Wawrinka took umbrage at what he saw as inappropriate words from Federer s wife Mirka from the players  box at a key point in the third set.</div>
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But the pair appeared to patch up their differences, teaming up to win a first Davis Cup for Switzerland.</div>
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At the <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; border-bottom-style: dotted !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-size: 16px !important; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important; position: static; vertical-align: baseline;">coin</span> toss on Saturday, the umpire, like a boxing referee, asked both players for "a clean fight" and "no blows below the belt". Federer just about managed to raise a smile.</div>
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Federer was cruising by the end, but Djokovic showed he was back on top form and in no mood to lose to Federer again.</div>
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Djokovic said he had played some "really flawless, incredible tennis" this year.</div>
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"It s the best season of my life. Regardless of the outcome of Sunday s match, the season will still be the best that I had.</div>
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"But in terms of the highlights of the year, I would say those were the Wimbledon and US Open finals that I played against Roger.</div>
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"Winning those two Grand Slams obviously against the best player in history was something that stands out as the achievement of the year." </div>

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LONDON (AFP) - Novak Djokovic will face Roger Federer in Sunday s World Tour Final when he attempts to lift the trophy for a fifth time a...

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Suarez, Neymar star as Barca rout Madrid 4-0

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MADRID (AFP) - Luis Suarez and Neymar continued their sensational goalscoring form as Barcelona moved six points clear of<span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; border-bottom-style: dotted !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-size: 16px !important; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important; position: static; vertical-align: baseline;">Real Madrid</span> at the top of La Liga with a 4-0 thrashing of their bitter rivals at the Bernabeu on Saturday.</div>
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Barca even had the luxury of leaving Lionel Messi on the bench, but the Argentine did make his return from a two-month injury layoff half an hour from time and played a part in Suarez s second and Barca s fourth goal.</div>
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Suarez got Barca off to the perfect start after just 10 minutes and Neymar deservedly doubled the visitors  advantage just before half-time.</div>
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At that point Neymar and Suarez had scored every one of Barca s last 19 La Liga goals, but Andres Iniesta ended that run in style when he blasted a third into the top corner.</div>
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And Messi, Neymar and Suarez all combined for the latter to score a fourth before Isco sealed an embarrassing defeat for Madrid by getting sent-off late on.</div>
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Despite just two defeats in 16 games in charge, Madrid boss Rafael Benitez s job is now in doubt as the home fans turned on club president Florentino Perez towards the end of the game.</div>
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The build-up to the match had been dominated by security fears after last week s series of deadly attacks in Paris which killed 130 people.</div>
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A minute s silence was held to the tune of the French national anthem La Marseillaise and a large French flag was unfurled by the Madrid fans before kick-off in honour of the victims before kick-off.</div>
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However, the sombre atmosphere quickly turned hostile as the home fans saw their side completely outplayed by Barca.</div>
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Sergi Roberto was rewarded for his great form of late with a start in the <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD1" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; border-bottom-style: dotted !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-size: 16px !important; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important; position: static; vertical-align: baseline;">position</span> normally occupied by Messi and he repaid Luis Enrique s faith with a big role in a fine opening goal.</div>
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The Spaniard collected Sergio Busquets s pass and drove at the Madrid defence before threading a pass through for Suarez who coolly slotted home with the outside of his right foot.</div>
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Roberto should then have made it 2-0 midway through the half when he fired over from close range.</div>
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Karim Benzema started for Madrid for the first time since he was charged with complicity to blackmail and conspiring to commit a criminal act in his native France in a case involving a sex tape featuring French international teammate Mathieu Valbuena.</div>
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And after six weeks out, Benzema s rustiness showed as he failed to make a clean contact when presented with a great chance from Jeremy Mathieu s slip.</div>
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Barca s dominance in possession was rewarded with a second before half-time when Iniesta s through ball was perfectly timed for Neymar and his effort squeezed under Keylor Navas.</div>
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It could even have been three before the break as Marcelo cleared Suarez s shot off the line and Raphael Varane blocked Ivan Rakitic s follow-up effort.</div>
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The hosts started the second period slightly better as James Rodriguez forced Claudio Bravo into a brilliant save low to his right.</div>
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But any hope of a comeback was emphatically ended by a brilliant strike by Iniesta as he latched onto Neymar s backheel eight minutes after the break.</div>
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Suarez fired into the side-netting in acres of space moments later as Barca threatened a repeat of their famous 5-0 mauling of Jose Mourinho s Madrid five years ago.</div>
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To add to Madrid s woes, Barca coach Luis Enrique then introduced Messi.</div>
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Cristiano Ronaldo was largely anonymous, but he had the chance to briefly restore some pride for Real only to see Bravo produce another fine save.</div>
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Messi got in on the act when his pass was flicked-on by Neymar and Suarez took his time before chipping over a helpless Navas.</div>
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And Madrid s misery was <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2" style="background-attachment: scroll !important; background-color: transparent !important; background-image: none !important; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: repeat repeat !important; border-bottom-color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; border-bottom-style: dotted !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; color: rgb(27, 142, 222) !important; cursor: pointer !important; display: inline !important; float: none !important; font-size: 16px !important; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 1px !important; position: static; vertical-align: baseline;">complete</span> when Isco was shown a straight red card for lashing out at Neymar five minutes from time.</div>

Suarez, Neymar star as Barca rout Madrid 4-0

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After solid start,Pakistan bowled out for 208

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<b style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">SHARJAH: Pakistan were bowled out for 208 in 49.5 overs after getting off to a solid start in the third day-night international against England in Sharjah on Tuesday.</b></div>
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<b style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #5e6066; font-family: 'open sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="Pakistan bowled out for 208 after solid start" class="aligncenter" id="ContentPlaceHolder1_imgNews" src="http://images.geo.tv/updates_pics/Sports-Cricket-Pakistan-England-Sharjah_11-17-2015_204478_l.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; border: 1px solid rgb(235, 235, 235); display: block; float: none; height: auto; margin: auto auto 15px; max-width: 599px; outline: 0px; padding: 4px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 500px;" title="Pakistan bowled out for 208 after solid start" /></em></b></div>
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Mohammad Hafeez top scored with 45 after Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat at Sharjah stadium. For England, paceman Chris Woakes took 4-40.</div>
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Pakistan was forced to leave out leg-spinner Yasir Shah for today's match. He suffered knee problem and was replaced by left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar as the only change in the side which lost the second game by 95 runs in Abu Dhabi.</div>
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The 20-year-old Gohar is playing his first international for Pakistan.</div>
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England, who lost the first game by six wickets in Abu Dhabi, remained unchanged for the second time in a row.</div>
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The four-match series is tied at 1-1.</div>
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<b style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Teams:</b></div>
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Pakistan: Azhar Ali (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Zafar Gohar, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan</div>
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England: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Taylor, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes</div>
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After solid start,Pakistan bowled out for 208

SHARJAH: Pakistan were bowled out for 208 in 49.5 overs after getting off to a solid start in the third day-night international against Eng...

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