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Messi to play in friendly match against Mexico
Mexico City: Argentine star Lionel Messi will play the friendly match against Mexico, media reported.
Messi, the forward in Spain’s Barcelona, has not said he will not be available to play the friendly game against Mexico on September 8, as per quoted Gerardo “Tata” Martino, coach of Argentina’s national soccer team, as saying on Monday.
After losing Copa America’s final game, Messi said he would detach for a while from Argentina’s national soccer team.
But “Tata” told Mexico’s sports daily Records that Messi has not confirmed he will not be available.
“Messi has not rejected to play the friendly match (against Mexico). We will see next week when the player list will be spread,” said Martino.
Martino also defended Messi from strong criticism.
“I should not discuss about Messi, but I think his participation in the national team was, by far, the best thing of Copa America. Before the World Cup 1986, (Diego Armando) Maradona faced the same situation. I would be very disappointed if Messi does not play more in the national team,” he said.
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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.