'Solskjaer has unblocked Mourinho's mind games' - Cruyff hails impact of Man Utd's interim boss The former Red Devils winger believes a more considered approach to management is delivering rich rewards for a rejuvenated side at Old Trafford Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has freed the bodies and minds of a Manchester United squad which had lost its way under Jose Mourinho, says Jordi Cruyff. The Red Devils had become stuck in a serious rut when the decision was taken to make another managerial change in December. Mourinho was relieved of his duties after two-and-a-half years at the helm, with a fresh approach sought under the guidance of a familiar face. Editors' Picks Still unstoppable at 34 – Ronaldo is the greatest athlete in football history What has happened to former €100m Man Utd target Leon Bailey? VIDEO: Mourinho suffers embarrassing slip at Russian hockey game Body found amid Sala plane wreckage as search continues Solskjaer was handed the reins and charged with the task of rescuing United’s season – a challenge he has set about with gusto after overseeing a 10-game unbeaten run. Key men have got their spark back under the Norwegian’s guidance, with the Red Devils considered to have rediscovered “the DNA” which made them so successful in the past. Asked to explain the reversal in fortune brought about by an interim boss, former United winger Cruyff told BBC Sport: "The quality is there. They are good players. From the outside, he has touched their minds and put an arm around their shoulder. "They really needed someone to stabilise things and give positive messages, outside and inside the club. "When players are blocked, they cannot produce. Suddenly, there is an unblock, which probably comes more from the mind because Ole had no time to turn things around based on training. "That tells you a lot about the players' state of mind." Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Manchester United 2018-19 Cruyff added on a manager who has delivered 22 points from eight games: "After two or three days there was a huge turnaround without any training. "His work has been more mental, talking to the players and pressing the right buttons to get the best out of them." United are yet to make a decision on whether Solskjaer will be handed the reins on a permanent basis. They are also in the market for a director of sport to work alongside their next manager. Cruyff believes such an appointment is imperative for the future success of the Red Devils, with former goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar – who currently fills a similar role at Ajax – among those to have been mooted as potential candidates for the post. Article continues below "The sports director role is vital,” said Cruyff. "Managers decide training schedules, tactics, line-ups. But who makes the decisions about where to scout or the structure of the academy? The manager? There is no logic to that. "If a manager loses eight games, unfortunately, he is out of a job these days. Why would you give the keys to the club to the person who is most fragile?"

The Brazilian concedes that the Reds have to come up with a way of breaking down opponents who set up to contain Jurgen Klopp's title hopefuls Fabinho concedes that Liverpool need to try something different in their Premier League title bid, with solutions being sought after seeing their lead at the summit cut to three points. The Reds looked to be well in control of the battle for the English top-flight crown a matter of days ago. They were, however, to miss the chance to go seven points clear when being held 1-1 at home by Leicester and were left frustrated by the same scoreline on their most recent outing against West Ham. Editors' Picks Still unstoppable at 34 – Ronaldo is the greatest athlete in football history What has happened to former €100m Man Utd target Leon Bailey? VIDEO: Mourinho suffers embarrassing slip at Russian hockey game Body found amid Sala plane wreckage as search continues Two disappointing stalemates mean that Jurgen Klopp’s side have allowed the chasing pack to close in, with it possible that Manchester City could knock them from top spot on Wednesday. Fabinho insists that is no cause for alarm at Anfield, but admits that Liverpool have to find a way of breaking down stubborn opposition if they are to ultimately emerge as title winners. The versatile Brazilian told ESPN: "We have confidence. "We enjoyed a brilliant December, which was almost perfect, but now we have had this dip. "It is difficult to explain why this has happened. I believe that now teams who play against us sit very deep. We need to do things a little differently and maybe we aren't doing this - we are unable to find the spaces. "Often, we want to go through the middle and it is difficult against physically strong and defensive teams. We need to find solutions and in these past few games we haven't." Jurgen Klopp Liverpool While City are in midweek action, Liverpool must wait until Saturday before playing host to Bournemouth. After that contest, Klopp’s side will head into a testing run which is set to see them face Bayern Munich in the last 16 of the Champions League and Manchester United, Watford and Everton in the Premier League. "We want to play better every day and unfortunately it is not happening," Fabinho said. "We know our quality and we know that we can give more. Article continues below "If we do it, with our quality, we will continue at the top. But I'm talking and talking is always a little easier, so we have to try to put it into practice. Personally, I am not worried. But we know that in the next game we have to give much more. "Beating Bournemouth is important to continue with a three-point gap at the top of the table. Now we only look at the next game and that is against Bournemouth. "Then there will be a run of difficult games, but we will get some players back from injury and the manager will have more options to choose for those games."

The Bengaluru FC coach was in a buoyant mood ahead of his team's clash against Kerala Blasters.... Bengaluru FC are just one win away from confirming their spot in the Indian Super League (ISL) play-offs for a second year in a row. The Blues can seal qualification on Wednesday by bagging all three points at home against Kerala Blasters. Coach Carles Cuadrat expressed his satisfaction with the team’s efforts and results but was unhappy with claims that Bengaluru have been underperforming this season, despite what the points table says. The Spaniard said, “I have been hearing coaches say that they have been playing very well and they have played better than Bengaluru. But in the end, we have been getting points in almost all our games, except the Mumbai game. So, this means something. The players put everything in every game.” Editors' Picks Still unstoppable at 34 – Ronaldo is the greatest athlete in football history What has happened to former €100m Man Utd target Leon Bailey? VIDEO: Mourinho suffers embarrassing slip at Russian hockey game Body found amid Sala plane wreckage as search continues “If you look at the league table, you will see that we have won nine games and not won just four. Goa – who are a brilliant team – have won seven games and not won seven games. NorthEast- who are fighting for a play-off spot – have won six games and not won eight games. “A lot of people are saying that the team is not playing so well like last season. We have had a lot of foreigners’ problems and Miku’s injury and still the boys have given everything.” The Blues roped in Luisma Villa on deadline day after Chencho Gyeltshen was sent on loan to NEROCA FC. Cuadrat feels that the midfielder perfectly fits the profile the club was looking for and will be a great addition to the team. “We saw the market and the options we had. Luisma was the best player for the kind of work we are going to do. We have Miku and he will be in the list tomorrow. So, we have players that we can trust in that position. I feel that we have had problems in maintaining possession of the ball. With Dimas (Delgado), Xisco (Hernandez) and Miku, we are losing the ball easily Luisma is a player who can help us here,” the Spaniard stated. “He just arrived and is training with us, so I don’t know if he will play tomorrow. It’s not easy because he just arrived. The players are doing the tactical work and he is just receiving the information, Let’s see what happens,” Cuadrat added. The 50-year-old hailed the competitive spirit of the team while outlining his ambitions to win the league title. Cuadrat said, “One of the reasons that I am coaching this team is that they have shown that they are competitive. It is pleasure for a coach to have a team that is so competitive. We are working to become champions.” “I have had nice memories of playing in Kochi. The fans created a nice atmosphere to play football. The things are not going well for them and when you are in that dynamic, it’s not easy. The good thing for us is that we have had a good dynamic before Christmas. “Some of the teams like Pune, Kerala, Delhi and Chennai have not had a great season and I feel sorry for them because they have great players and great supporters.” Although Bengaluru have been defensively stable this season, the statistics have shown that they have not been great on the offence. Cuadrat remains unperturbed by this aspect and maintained that the return of Miku will turn the tide. The Spaniard also went on to praise his defence for their role in ensuring that the team endured a smooth journey throughout the season. “With Miku, the stats in attack will be better. We are putting a lot of intensity in defence. I’m happy with the work done by Sunil (Chhetri) and Udanta (Singh). At the beginning, we had some problems with Nishu (Kumar) and Rahul (Bheke) as they were adjusting to maintain the line. But now all four defenders are doing well. You can see the work that we have been putting in. These guys create a lot of chances usually, but we were catching (Bartholomew) Ogbeche and (Modou) Sougou offside a lot,” Cuadrat exclaimed. “The reason we are on top of the League is the work that we have put in, on the team as a whole. We take risks, but we know that we are taking risks. The final outcome is that we are on top of the League.” The Spaniard also spoke about the growing rivalry between Kerala and Bengaluru ahead of the clash. “I feel that the rivalry is great, and the atmosphere in Kerala was really nice. Their supporters were really vocal during the game, and even though they lost, after the game they gave us a good reception. “Their supporters show a great deal of respect for Sunil, because of what he has done for Indian football and I hope to see a healthy rivalry tomorrow. These kinds of rivalries are good for the sport.”

Sachin Tendulkar believes India are "the favourites" to win the 2019 World Cup. Tendulkar's comments came two days after his former India team-mate Rahul Dravid, too, backed Virat Kohli's men to win a third World Cup for India. "As far as our chances are concerned, I will not hesitate in saying that we are the favourites," Tendulkar told PTI on Sunday. "I have gone on record saying that we have a perfect balance in the team where we will be competitive in any part of the world or on any surface." Tendulkar believes hosts England will provide India with their toughest challenge, while New Zealand too are a team to watch despite them having just lost 4-1 to India at home. "I know New Zealand have struggled in this series but it's a good unit, one needs to be on their toes [when playing them]," Tendulkar said. "It's all about getting the early momentum. My judgement on the toughest contenders would be England, while New Zealand would be the dark horse." India have had a successful 12 months in ODI cricket. After beating South Africa 5-1, they lost the ODI series in England 2-1 but regained momentum to win the Asia Cup as well as series in Australia (2-1) and now New Zealand. Tendulkar said that Australia would be a different side when the banned duo of Steven Smith and David Warner return. "I think Australia at full strength will be a formidable side," Tendulkar said. "With Smith and David Warner back in the team and their other bowlers coming back into the ODI squad, it will be a competitive side." The 2019 World Cup kickstarts on May 30, with India's first game scheduled against South Africa on June 5 in Southampton.

Daniel Brettig Re-integration of David Warner and Steven Smith into the Australian team following their 12-month bans for the Newlands scandal may be staggered over the course of the World Cup and the Ashes this year, with the former captain's more problematic elbow injury causing serious consideration of a conservative return to the game tailored to peak during the bid to retain the urn. While the national captain Tim Paine was adamant about Warner and Smith both returning to have "a huge part in us winning the series" against England, it is believed that Smith's return to international ranks from major elbow surgery may well be managed via a longer term plan than simply pushing him to recover in time for the World Cup in May. Instead, a scenario is emerging whereby Smith does not form a part of the World Cup squad but instead plays longer form cricket, whether with Australia A on the tour concurrent to the World Cup or for one of the English county sides. Warner, meanwhile, looks set to be recovered from his own more minor elbow surgery in time to be a part of the ODI squad for the UAE tour against Pakistan, with at least two of the five scheduled matches due to be played after the March 29 conclusion of the duo's bans. "We've got to keep working on how they are with their elbows, first. They're going to need to get some cricket before coming back into the squad. It's all part of the management. We'll have to wait and see," Australia's coach Justin Langer said. "[Re-integration] has been going on for some time now. We know it's been a tough time for them, it's been a tough time for Australian cricket, but we know the word integration has been going for the last nine or ten months, or eleven, it's getting closer isn't it." "We're talking about two great players, we're not talking about two really good players. Two great players who on paper we'd be crazy not to have them in the team. It's about how much cricket they get to play between now and then. They'll find opportunities. We'll find opportunities, but I can't say anything else." Among the many complicating factors of Smith and Warner's bans was the fact that it effectively ruled both out of any first-class cricket in the Sheffield Shield, which will be played with a Dukes ball in its final four rounds to offer better preparation for English conditions. While Warner looms as a key part of the ODI team for the World Cup, a slower return to the game would afford Smith the chance to get his long-form game completely grooved for the Ashes. Steven Smith bowls in the nets Getty Images "It's a tough schedule as we all know but we've got a World Cup coming up as well," Langer said. "We want to get as close to the World Cup squad as we can over the next 12 games [against India and Pakistan], including the two T20s. We've got to keep our eyes very clearly on what's best for the team, not what's best for individuals. That doesn't work. It'd be hard to do that. It'd be good for some individuals to do that, but we've also got to win the World Cup. That's just the schedule we deal with. "It's unprecedented that you have a World Cup and an Ashes straight after. We're lucky that we've got really good depth of talent in Australian cricket so we'll manage it as best we can. In Australian cricket every game's important. A cricket or Shield cricket or county cricket, every game's important for keeping your name in for selection." Commenting on the possibility of CA revising the domestic schedule for next year to play seven Shield matches before Christmas while delaying the start of the BBL until Boxing Day, Langer pondered the potential toll on fast bowlers. "There's no perfect answer to this," he said. "If you have seven Shield games before Christmas, that's a massive impact on the bowlers, especially off the back of a World Cup and an Ashes and an Australia A tour. "Trying to keep our bowlers on the park has been a battle traditionally. Seven Shield games are going to put enormous strain on the bowlers. We had England one-dayers, then UAE Tests and T20s, then more one-dayers, then Test matches, then in a week's time we go and play more one-dayers. It's a hectic schedule but we have to deal with it." As for his reflections on the summer, Langer said that a vast 2-0 defeat of an undermanned and overawed Sri Lanka was still significant because he had seen how much the many young members of the team had wrestled with the mental weight of playing Test cricket. "It's Test cricket, isn't it? We put out the best team we can and we play against the team we're put up against. That's all we can do," Langer said. "It's the same pressure. We've got a really young group of blokes besides Usman Khawaja and Nathan Lyon. Trust me, it doesn't matter who they're playing against, they feel the pressure of playing Test cricket. That's why it was so nice to see some of the young guys perform well in this series. "I addressed the boys today about it, Ussie and Mitch Starc, there's been a fair bit of outside pressure on those guys, they're senior players and expectations are high, and for Mitch to take [ten] wickets for the game and Ussie to get a hundred, that's really pleasing." Langer also pointed to Khawaja's flying, one-handed catch to dismiss Virat Kohli in Adelaide on the opening day of the series as his highlight of the summer, while speaking sympathetically of his struggles to overcome a knee injury and also the dual arrests of his brother, Arsalan. "I'm really proud of Ussie," Langer said. "He came back from that knee injury, and he had to work really hard to get back from that. "It's not just Tests, now he's back in our one-day side as well. There are reasons for that: the way he's transformed his body. That catch in the first Test is the highlight of the summer for me. Because he'd worked so hard to get fit to play, so hard to get himself fielding better and running between the wickets better. To see that catch, that's literally the highlight of my summer."

Andrew Fidel Fernando Sri Lanka have lost 16 of their last 18 international matches, so there are rumours floating around about replacing the coach again. Rumours that Sri Lanka Cricket has inquired about the availability of top coaches overseas. That the island's sports ministry - essentially running cricket in the country at present - has consulted lawyers about the legal ramifications of firing or demoting Chandika Hathurusingha. Perhaps they will remove him from the national side and send him to the High Performance Centre. This is what they have just meted out to batting coach Thilan Samaraweera, who was replaced in the national set-up in December. If you took the last five months in isolation, removing Hathurusingha from the national set-up would seem a perfectly reasonable solution, right? Sri Lanka's only win since September, after all, was in a dead-rubber ODI against a weakened England. In the 2-0 Test shellacking they have just suffered in Australia, only Suranga Lakmal out of the entire squad can claim to have had a decent series. The record under Hathurusingha is atrocious. But hang on. Was it not arguably worse under his predecessor Nic Pothas? Sri Lanka lost a series to Zimbabwe for the first time ever, on Pothas' watch. They were then pummeled 3-0 by India at home, and would go on to lose an ODI series 5-0 to Pakistan. "A generation of Sri Lankan administrators have opened umbrellas in a cyclone. They have poured cups of water on a forest fire, put band-aids on a sawn off limb, and merely changed the personnel who must deal with the next phase of an almighty crisis, which they had themselves brought about." Or what about Graham Ford, before that, whose Sri Lanka team lost a home Test to Bangladesh for the first time, before going on to endure a poor Champions Trophy campaign just before Ford was elbowed out of the job. Or Ford's predecessor, Marvan Atapattu, who had himself been removed from the position long before the expiration of his contract, on account of dwindling performances in 2015. Have Sri Lanka had the rotten luck of having appointed a string of awful coaches? Or could more foundational problems be laying to waste the island's cricket? *** Across the two Tests in Australia, captain Dinesh Chandimal produced 24 runs, only once making it out of single figures. According to selectors, he had insisted on batting at No. 3 despite their belief that No. 5 or No. 6 was a better fit for his technique. In general, Chandimal's Test form has been poor in the past few months, with only one fifty in the last five Tests. But, perhaps more importantly, the team has been losing. Sri Lanka's best Test results in 2018 - the win in Barbados, and the 2-0 drubbing of South Africa at home - had both been achieved when he had been out of the side. So now, there are rumours that Chandimal will be left out of Sri Lanka's squad for the South Africa Test series. That Dimuth Karunaratne will lead the side instead. On the surface, this is a strong decision, right? What use is a captain under whom the team keeps losing, and whose own form has waned? But then what about Chandimal's predecessor, Angelo Mathews, who had led the team to a 3-0 loss in the previous Test series in South Africa. What about Mathews, whose own batting form declined sharply after Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene ceased to bat above him? Rumours suggest Chandika Hathurusingha and Dinesh Chandimal could lose their jobs Getty Images Have Sri Lanka had the rotten luck of having had two terrible captains, both of whom were unable to sustain their own performances every series? Or could it be that the strain of leading Sri Lanka - a team with quicks that break down if you sneeze on them, that hasn't had a consistent top five in years, whose young players routinely complain that the domestic game does not adequately prepare them for international cricket - has worn them down? *** To illustrate just how broken Sri Lanka's domestic system is, take the ongoing season of the Premier League. Following the first two rounds, which were predictably dominated by spinners running through oppositions on dustbowls, the national selectors made a request. They asked curators to ensure they retained three to seven millimetres of grass on every first-class pitch in the hope there would be assistance for the island's quicks. The practice of a spinner opening the bowling at either end would cease, they anticipated. The change has had substantial impact on the domestic game, but not in the intended direction. This season of the Premier League has seen 13 double-tons so far, including two in the same match by Angelo Perera last weekend. The selectors had wanted fast bowlers to get more wickets and bowl more overs, which in theory might produce skilful quicks whose bodies are accustomed to the heavy workloads required at Test cricket. Instead, what they have got are run-scoring wonderlands. It is possible that following many years of first-class decline, curators at that level no longer have the knowledge or skill to produce the kinds of pitches the selectors wanted. Just as in the previous four seasons, each of the Premier League's top wicket-takers (Tier A) are spinners. This year, because Lakshan Sandakan has been on national duty, each of the top ten are finger spinners. Sri Lanka has a domestic system with far too many teams, profoundly diluting quality. They play on pitches where quicks are almost totally superfluous, and have no history of bowling 20 overs a day, as you must do in Tests. Batsmen rarely contend with the kind of bounce and seam movement they have encountered in Australia and New Zealand. Yet, when the team loses overseas, it is the coach and the captain who come under the microscope. When quicks succumb to injury en masse, people wonder what the national team's trainer is doing. Sports minister Harin Fernando flew himself to Canberra last week (using his own funds, to his credit), to meet the team, and presumably glean information on what may be done to arrest Sri Lanka's slump. In this particularly bleak moment in what has been a four-year low ebb, it is Fernando who is shaping to make the big moves. If his focus is on swapping out coaches, and influencing team selection (which he has the official power to do, under Sri Lankan law), he is misguided. If he once again attempts a top-down solution to the problem instead of bringing about a bottom-up grassroots reformation, he will be like virtually every other cricket administrator in the past decade, who have collectively inflicted 11 head coaches upon Sri Lanka in the last nine years, as well as a slew of Test and ODI captains. A generation of Sri Lankan administrators have opened umbrellas in a cyclone. They have poured cups of water on a forest fire, put band-aids on a sawn-off limb, and merely changed the personnel who must deal with the next phase of an almighty crisis, which they had themselves brought about.

Fast bowlers have taken giant strides in the recent Test rankings, with Australia's Pat Cummins and West Indies captain Jason Holder reaching their career-best rankings following their dominating performances in series wins against Sri Lanka and England respectively. While Cummins leapfrogged James Anderson to No. 2 after picking 14 wickets in two Tests against Sri Lanka, Holder's five wickets in the second Test in Antigua that completed a series win against England lifted him to sixth position. Jason Holder leads his players on a victory lap Getty Images Holder, who last week became the first West Indies player to become the top-ranked Test allrounder since Sir Garry Sobers in 1974, now has 778 points, the highest by any West Indies bowler since Courtney Walsh in 2001. His fast-bowling compatriots Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel have also moved up the charts. Roach, who was the Man-of-the-Match in Antigua for his eight-for, jumped eight places to No. 12, just one behind Gabriel, who picked five wickets in the two Tests to go up one spot. The last time West Indies had four fast bowlers - Curtly Ambrose, Walsh, Ian Bishop and Kenny Benjamin - in the top 12 rankings was in 1996. Australia's Mitchell Starc, who was adjudged Man-of-the-Match for his ten-for in Canberra, vaulted 10 places to 15th position after the hosts' 366-run win against Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been dropped from the Test squad, in a shock move by the selectors. The captaincy goes to opener Dimuth Karunaratne for the tour of South Africa. According to an SLC release, Chandimal has been released to play domestic cricket and regain his form with the bat, after he made only 24 runs in four innings in the recently concluded Tests against Australia. In his last five Tests, he has crossed fifty only once. Chandimal is also understood to have disagreed with the selectors about his position in the batting line-up. He has begun batting at No. 3 in recent weeks - with little reward so far - but the selectors believe he is better suited to No. 5 or No. 6, where he has historically made most of his runs. Despite the recent downturn, however, Chandimal's overall form as captain has been decent. He averages 40.93 in the 17 Tests he has led in. Since taking the reins in the middle of 2017, he has also hit overseas hundreds in the UAE (against Pakistan), India and the West Indies. Also axed from the squad are senior offspinner Dilruwan Perera and middle-order batsman Roshen Silva. Although South Africa shapes as an immensely difficult tour, the selectors have chosen to make wholesale changes. Several inexperienced players come into the squad, with eight of the 17 named having played five Tests or fewer. Of those eight, four - left arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya, seam bowler Mohamed Shiraz, and batsmen Angelo Perera and Oshada Fernando - are uncapped altogether. Making a return to the Test squad after a hiatus, meanwhile, are Milinda Siriwardana, 33, and opener Kaushal Silva. Siriwardana last played a Test in mid-2016, and makes his way back courtesy hundreds against Ireland A at home. Silva most recently played against England in November, and returns on the back of a 273 in the Premier League Tournament - the biggest score of the season so far. The fresh entrants have also impressed, either against Ireland A or in the Premier League, or both, in order to earn their places. Angelo Perera hit two double hundreds in the same match this past weekend, becoming only the second batsman in first-class history to achieve the feat. He has also been in good touch for Sri Lanka A. Oshada Fernando, meanwhile, had struck a hundred and a double hundred the previous weekend. Embuldeniya and Shiraz had also been good in the first-class games against Ireland A - Embuldeniya taking 14 wickets across the two unofficial Tests and claiming seven. Shiraz joins a threadbare pace attack, however, with Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera and Nuwan Pradeep all ruled out of the series with injuries. Thankfully for Sri Lanka, spearhead Suranga Lakmal is expected to be fit for the first Test in Durban despite having missed the second Australia Test with a stiff back. Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando and Chamika Karunaratne - all of whom played the Canberra Test - are the other quicks in the squad. Angelo Mathews remains unavailable due to the hamstring injury he had sustained in late December, in a Test against New Zealand. The two-Test series begins in Durban on February 13. Sri Lanka squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Niroshan Dickwella, (v-capt), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya De Silva, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohamed Shiraz, Lakshan Sandakan, Lasith Embuldeniya

Shafiul Islam last played an ODI for his country in October 2016 © Getty Shafiul Islam replaces the injured Taskin Ahmed in the Bangladesh's 15-member ODI squad for the upcoming tour of New Zealand, Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Tuesday (February 5). Meanwhile, uncapped pacer Ebadat Hossain has been roped in as Taskin's replacement in the Test squad. BCB was forced to seek a replacement for Taskin after he sustained an ankle injury during the Bangladesh Premier League match between Sylhet Sixers and Chittagong Vikings. Shafiul, who played his last ODI game against England in Chittagong on 2016, returned to the national side on the back of consistent performances in BPL, having picked up 15 wickets in the competition so far. The 25-year-old Ebadat made his first-class debut for Sylhet Division in September 2016, has picked up 59 wickets in 19 matches. In November 2018, playing for North Zone in the Bangladesh Cricket League, he bagged a 10-wicket haul in the match against Central Zone. He also bagged a four-fer in Sylhet Sixers victory against Chittagong Vikings in a recent BPL game. "We picked Shafiul because of his experience while we opted Ebadat because he impressed us with his pace," chief selector Minhajul Abedin told Cricbuzz. "I am sure both will try to capitalise the opportunity." Bangladesh tour of New Zealand gets underway with a three-match ODI series which starts on February 13, followed by a three-Test series.

"There's no doubt that Sarfaraz Ahmed is our captain and he will remain so until any other decision is taken" - Ehsan Mani © Getty The dust regarding the issue of Pakistan's captain for the upcoming World Cup finally settled on Tuesday (February 5) after the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ehsan Mani confirmed Sarfaraz Ahmed as the team's leader. The PCB chairman may however reconsider his decision if there is a 'big disaster' in terms of performances in the run-up to the World Cup, and there will be an 'honest' re-evaluation after the multi-team event. "There's no doubt that Sarfaraz Ahmed is our captain and he will remain so until any other decision is taken," Mani told reporters in a specially arranged press conference at the PCB headquarters. "There are unsubstantiated speculations regarding the leadership role after every series in the media. Sarfaraz will captain Pakistan in the Australia series [five ODIs before the World Cup] and in the World Cup. After it, we will sit and re-evaluate the performance. Obviously performances are related to leadership but only a case of big disaster can make us review our support [for Sarfaraz]. I am not saying that we won't be honest with our evaluations." Last week, a PCB spokesperson had told Cricbuzz that the board had never announced Sarfaraz for a specific tenure. Rather the board's policy was to select captains on series-to-series basis. But, the chairman stressed that the whole board stood behind him. "I am saying this from my first day that he is Pakistan captain and we are not concerned at all about what is being discussed around. He is captain and will remain captain until next decision is taken. There's no politics involved in this decision. Yes, we carry out a review after every series and it's a normal governing process which I believed should be carried out to analyse the performances. Questions have been raised about the performances but in a bigger picture results have been good. So, once again I tell you that the entire board is behind Sarfaraz. I spoke to selectors, coaches, director operations and all are supporting him as captain. We are very much hopeful that we will again get on the success in his leadership." Sarfaraz's leadership role has remained under scrutiny since Mohsin Khan, head of cricket committee, said in October last year that the wicketkeeper-batsman should be relieved of Test captaincy as leading the national side in all three formats was putting extra burden on him. Pakistan's poor run in the Asia Cup followed by a Test series defeat against New Zealand at home - their second in almost a year - added to the calls of his removal. His on-field taunt in the second ODI - deemed to be racial for which he was suspended for four-matches - further aggravated the situation. There has also been a dip in his batting form. Since taking up the Test captaincy in September 2017, Sarfaraz has scored 24.69 runs per dismissal which is 12 runs below his overall average. His ODI batting average has also fallen by five runs to 27.75. His T20I batting average, however, has remained the same - hovering around 28. Pakistan have largely enjoyed success under Sarfaraz as they won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 and became the top-ranked side in the shorter-format in January 2018. The team has enjoyed phenomenal success in the T20 format with their win/loss ratio standing at a staggering 7.250. However, it is the team's record in Tests - in which they have lost eight out of 13 matches - that has raised questions on Sarfaraz's ability. The PCB chairman, however, has backed Sarfaraz throughout his turbulent times because of the impression that he made on him with his on-field demeanor during Pakistan's historic win over India in the final of the U-19 World Cup in 2006. "I first met Sarfaraz 13 years ago during ICC U-19 World Cup in Colombo and his leadership quality [in that tournament] had been great," he said. "Pakistan believed to have lost that game after scoring 109 against India but the way Sarfaraz led the side and got India out for 71 runs was outstanding. I couldn't forgot that match and even wrote a letter to the then chairman Shahrayar Khan appraising his leadership, and this is still intact. So there is no doubt at all in Sarfaraz's contribution and performances for Pakistan." At the occasion, Sarfaraz, seated beside the chairman, expressed his gratefulness. "I am very much thankful to the PCB chairman for trusting me. This support was always there and [for] this reassurance I am again thankful. You [referring to the chairman] trusted in my abilities and I will try my level best to justify and whatever good is for Pakistan I will push hard for it. "It is a big honour for me to lead Pakistan at the World Cup and stand among those who did in past people like Imran Khan, Wasim [Akram], Shahid [Afridi], and Misbah [ul Haq]. So, this is big." But, will the developments of the past few months have any pressure on him when he steps on the field the next time to lead Pakistan? "Pressure is always there," said Sarfaraz. "I am the captain from last two years and this [series-to-series evaluation] has been there. Personally, as captain, I have never thought too far about being captain, [and] neither about my career. I always go series-by-series. With the chairman's and board's support my spirits are higher than ever. I now would like to transfer the same spirit in the team for whatever coming up next in Australia series and World Cup."

Chandimal had a horrid time in Australia where Sri Lanka were battered in the two Tests © Getty Sri Lanka have sprung a surprise by dropping Dinesh Chandimal for the South Africa Tests. Opener Dimuth Karunaratne has been appointed as the stand-in skipper for the two-match Test series. While announcing the 17-man squad, the SLC revealed that Chandimal has been asked to return to Sri Lanka so that he can play domestic cricket and regain his form ahead of the future international assignments. Former skipper Angelo Mathews continues to be absent from the squad after injuring his hamstring in New Zealand by the end of 2018. Chandimal had a horrid time in Australia where Sri Lanka were battered in the two Tests. In four innings, Chandimal made only 24 runs while batting at No. 3 as his side completely surrendered to the Australian pace attack, crossing 200 just once in the entire series. 32-year-old opener Kaushal Silva has returned to the squad after scoring two massive double centuries in first-class cricket. Apart from this, the selectors have also made five more changes to the squad. Roshen Silva, who played one Test each in New Zealand and Australia, has been left out with Sadeera Samarawickrama also getting the boot despite not featuring in any of their four recent overseas Test matches. Pacers Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara and senior spinner Dilruwan Perera have also been axed with the selectors picking some new faces for the challenging tour. Allrounder Milinda Siriwardana, batsmen Oshada Fernando and Angelo Perera, seamer Mohamed Shiraz and left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya are the five replacements. Out of these five, only Siriwardana has played Test cricket so far with his most recent appearance in the format coming in May 2016. Sri Lanka will hope that the likes of Fernando and Perera can arrest their recent batting slump. Fernando hit two fifties and three centuries, including a double hundred in his last three first-class games whereas Perera made headlines after smashing two double centuries in a single first-class game. Wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella has been named the vice-captain. The first Test will be played in Durban, starting from February 13 with the second Test scheduled to be played in Port Elizabeth from February 21. The island nation will also play five ODIs and three T20Is following the Tests. Squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (C), Niroshan Dickwella, (VC), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Milinda Siriwardana, Dhananjaya De Silva, Oshada Fernando, Angelo Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Chamika Karunaratne, Mohamed Shiraz, Lakshan Sandakan, Lasith Embuldeniya

The defender is happy to be taking penalties for Real Madrid after Portuguese star's exit Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is delighted to have penalty-taking responsibilities after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. Ramos is on spot-kick duties for Madrid after Ronaldo left the LaLiga giants for Juventus in July. The defender has already scored 10 goals this season – his equal most in a campaign – and said it was nice to replace Ronaldo, while adding he never wanted to offend when he opts for the 'Panenka' from the spot. Editors' Picks What has happened to former €100m Man Utd target Leon Bailey? VIDEO: Mourinho suffers embarrassing slip at Russian hockey game Body found amid Sala plane wreckage as search continues Impressive Vinicius inspires soaring Madrid against Alaves "I've taken on the role after Cristiano's departure and I'm delighted to do so," Ramos told Antena 3. "It [the 'Panenka'] is a way to take them, but I never want to offend a colleague." Madrid are preparing for a big few weeks, including a Copa del Rey semi-final and league clash against Barcelona, a meeting with Atletico Madrid and Champions League tie against Ajax. Embedded video Real Madrid C.F. ✔ @Realmadriden A BIG month ahead for @RealMadrid! #RMClasico x2 #RMDerbi x1 Return to the Champions League http://bit.ly/RMFebruary19 2,445 3:00 AM - Feb 5, 2019 332 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy Ramos said it would be a huge month for Madrid, who are third in LaLiga and eight points behind Barca. Article continues below "We are facing Barcelona, who are the leaders in LaLiga, and our rivals in the cup," he said. "We also have the derby with Atletico in LaLiga." The first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final is on Wednesday.

Manchester City could go top of the Premier League for the first time since December, but the Reds boss is not worried Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists the Premier League leaders will not crack under the pressure of being chased by Manchester City. Monday's 1-1 draw away to West Ham meant the Reds missed the chance to move five points clear of last season's champions City, who can now go top on Wednesday if they win at Everton. City last topped the table on December 15 but Liverpool drawing their past two matches has opened the door to Pep Guardiola's side, while Tottenham have sealed three consecutive dramatic late league wins under Mauricio Pochettino to rejoin the title race. Editors' Picks What has happened to former €100m Man Utd target Leon Bailey? VIDEO: Mourinho suffers embarrassing slip at Russian hockey game Body found amid Sala plane wreckage as search continues Impressive Vinicius inspires soaring Madrid against Alaves Liverpool were without Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, Joe Gomez, Dejan Lovren and Trent Alexander-Arnold for the trip to London Stadium, where a lead earned by Sadio Mane was cancelled out by Michail Antonio in the first half. The Reds' opener should not have counted due to an offside in the build-up and Liverpool were well below their best, but Klopp does not feel the pressure exerted by City will affect his side. "Yes, I'm confident about that," Klopp told a news conference when asked if he feels Liverpool will not crack. "I think since five, six, seven, eight weeks we talk about a two-horse race now and Tottenham came from behind. "They had a very difficult situation and deal with it brilliantly, I have to say, all credit to Pochettino and his team how they did it, winning games late with a lot of injury problems as well. For me, they are 100 per cent in the race. So that's the situation. View image on Twitter View image on Twitter West Ham United ✔ @WestHamUtd 11.6K 5:04 AM - Feb 5, 2019 3,230 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy "If you want to be top of the table at the end of the season then you have to deal with much tougher situations than we had today, that's the truth. Of course you need players fit and available, that helps a bit. "Our midfield players tonight apart from Shaq [Xherdan Shaqiri] would have been 18 and 18 years old - brilliant boys and if needed we would have played them tonight but that's not perfect. We have to fight. It's not about pressure, it's about enjoying the situation you are in. "We have 62 points, lost one game in the full season so far, which is very positive. But I see your faces already, you feel a bit sorry for us - you don't have to, we are fine, everything is good. "Tonight was just a tough game but if you have a day like that with the things that happened yesterday and then you get a point at West Ham, for me that's absolutely fine." View image on Twitter View image on Twitter Premier League ✔ @premierleague Just three points in it.#PL 3,470 4:34 AM - Feb 5, 2019 993 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy Liverpool had teenagers Rafael Camacho and Curtis Jones on the bench at West Ham due to their injury issues and Klopp confirmed Virgil van Dijk and James Milner could have also missed the game due to a bug. "We had a difficult situation," Klopp added. "It's a long season. In general, we lost one game in the whole season. So the team is doing well and we have a tough situation in the moment. The injuries, I don't know where they come from, or the illness. "Millie was ill - or maybe still is ill - and Virg had three, four days where he was out. He lost three or four kilos. That doesn't help as well. You have difficult situations. It's difficult in the moment, but the boys still fight. Could we have played better, even in that situation? 100 per cent. Article continues below "That's what we expect from ourselves. But the games are difficult and we have to accept the quality of the opponent and use their weaknesses what they have. We did that in a lot of situations pretty well, but they reacted already with the line-up... "I don't moan about that, it's just a fact. It's not an excuse, I said we could have played better tonight, 100 per cent. But it's a situation that's not perfect, changing three players. Millie came back but he did not train yesterday, he came to London by himself because he's infectious. "That's all not perfect, of course. For me, it explains parts of the game but we don't look for these things. How I said, the preparation for the game was far from perfect and we still got a point! That's it."

His deal expires at the end of the season, but the defender is unconcerned about his future Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany insists he remains "relaxed" despite some uncertainty over his future. Kompany, 32, is out of contract at the end of the season and is dealing with yet another injury setback at City. The centre-back has been at City since 2008 and has made 347 appearances for the club since joining from German side Hamburg. Editors' Picks What has happened to former €100m Man Utd target Leon Bailey? VIDEO: Mourinho suffers embarrassing slip at Russian hockey game Body found amid Sala plane wreckage as search continues Impressive Vinicius inspires soaring Madrid against Alaves Kompany said he had no concerns over his contract as Pep Guardiola's men remain in contention for four more trophies this season. "I am in a privileged position, I have such a good relationship with the club. We're in this as partners," Kompany said, via Sky Sports. "Nobody is making any hasty decisions. We have fixtures and fixtures and fixtures coming up – four trophies still to play for – and a contract that still exists. "That is the key thing. There is no need to look too far beyond. Everybody is relaxed." Article continues below City can return to the top of the Premier League with a win over Everton on Wednesday after Liverpool dropped points in Monday's draw with West Ham. "Every season has been special at City but at this point in time, we are that much with our noses into what's been happening day-in, day-out, we forget how much of a special season this could be," he added. "I want to play my role in making sure everyone realises that and does the right thing. There is still so much to look forward to."

'Manchester United have better squad than Liverpool' - Carragher concerned by Reds' lack of depth The former defender says the title race is far from over, but there are worrying signs for the current leaders Jamie Carragher says he believes Manchester United have a better squad than Liverpool while adding that a lack of depth could harm the Reds' title push. Liverpool were held to a draw against West Ham on Monday, a result that leaves just three points between the Reds and Manchester City in second place. The Citizens can actually temporarily return to the top of the table this week with a win over Everton on Wednesday. Editors' Picks What has happened to former €100m Man Utd target Leon Bailey? VIDEO: Mourinho suffers embarrassing slip at Russian hockey game Body found amid Sala plane wreckage as search continues Impressive Vinicius inspires soaring Madrid against Alaves Having drawn each of the club's last two matches, the Reds' lack of depth is beginning to show, Carragher, says as the former defender pointed out the club's decision to loan Nathaniel Clyne and frustrating performances from the likes of Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. “I said yesterday Manchester United have a better squad than Liverpool. People may have thought it was a strange thing to say but I think we’re seeing little signs of it,” he said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football. “On the right back situation, Klopp’s made a mistake letting Clyne go. I know there were a couple of injuries but you don’t need to let him go — keep him there. “At the moment James Milner has played there twice now and watching him you can’t quite believe he played left back so well for so long. He looks like someone completely out of position. “Keita, who he paid big money for, looked quiet and keeps losing the ball. Firmino doesn’t look himself. Salah we didn’t see anything from tonight. “I think that’s a worry going forward, not in terms of this pressure in the lead, more that when there’s a few injuries in different positions it doesn’t look like that solid Liverpool side we’ve seen for the last few weeks.” Article continues below With City and Tottenham lurking, Liverpool aren't quite as comfortable as they were just a few weeks ago, but Carragher says the title race is far form over as his former club prepares to take on Bournemouth on Saturday. “I think there were was a lot of frustration out there tonight. I think there were a lot of poor performances. I couldn’t believe how bad Liverpool were tonight, but I also think there needs to be a bit of perspective that Liverpool are still top of the league," he said. “If Liverpool go one or two points behind City and Tottenham, they’re still in the race for the league.”

Incredible performances make Hulu's comedy — in which a pair of adult actresses play middle-schoolers — intriguing, but it feels too much like a sketch stretched into a series. The new Hulu comedy PEN15 has two incredibly strong things going for it in co-stars and co-creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, who devote an astonishing amount of effort and creativity to playing, as adults, the 7th graders they once were, surrounded in the process by real 13-year-olds. To say their shared efforts make for a granular experience for viewers is probably underselling it. If two adult women have ever pulled off acting like 7th graders with this kind of painful, detail-specific accuracy, I haven't seen it. If you're into that — and no doubt this will be highly and hilariously relatable for plenty of viewers, especially women, reliving that awkward and embarrassing phase that came just before the even more awkward and even more embarrassing high school phase — then PEN15 will be binged and rewarded for its unrelenting effort at realism. But the series itself ends up becoming less inviting as a whole experience. In fact, PEN15 (a play on words referencing a grade-school prank where kids dying to be liked end up agreeing to be in a "club" that basically spells out the word "penis" somewhere on their body) is more skit than show. If not for the all-in efforts of Erskine (Insecure, Casual) and Konkle (Shameless, Rosewood), who play the eponymously named best friends Maya and Anna, the series would be instantly more forgettable. Co-creator and director Sam Zvibleman does an excellent job bringing out the inner 13-year-olds of these comic actresses — and credit goes to both him and casting for finding actual young actors who do a credible and believable job alongside their adult co-stars — but other times PEN15(Hulu says it's phonetically calling the show "pen-fifteen") seems like it comes from an under-funded, niche ad-supported cable channel. The fact that it often plays, as mentioned above, like an elongated skit probably doesn't help. It might be that the thing that hurts PEN15 the most is the choice its creators made to set it in the 7th grade. While part of the charm is watching Erskine and Konkle dive headlong into being 13-year-olds, maybe the coming of age stories (of 7th and one would assume 8th grade if PEN15 is picked up for a second season) pale in comparison to those unfolding right now on something like Netflix's painfully funny Sex Education, set in high school. Anyone who has real-life experience with the difference between the changes girls and boys undergo in 7th grade might argue that the ground is plenty fertile for comedy. And there are definite bright spots in PEN15 where the series is particularly spot-on at capturing the absurdly funny and painful balance between the all-out childishness of, say, being 12 and the suddenly more grown-up discoveries a year later. But the stakes are simply lower than those of high schoolers, where the rush of wanting to be cool and grown up clash with reality for some of the most awkward and memorable coming of age moments. There's just more variance in high school life than in the giggly middle school stuff PEN15traffics in. Again, both Erskine and Konkle are fearless in their portrayals — particularly Erskine, whose Maya is a little more prone to wild behavior than Anna, thus giving Erskine room to go so far over the top she comes round again, like in "Ojichan," the third episode, where Maya discovers masturbation and goes from 0 to 60 in her hilarious addiction; or "Community Service," episode five (of 10), where Maya's love of a stolen thong goes to hilarious extremes. In its best moments, PEN15 is like a juvenile version of Broad City — creatively bold, out there and simple in its directness as it follows two best friends testing the bounds of friendship. The series should also get tons of credit for essentially taking the puberty nitty-gritty that American television loves to relegate to cartoons, like Netflix's Big Mouth, and giving those horrors a 3D realness. But the downside is the repetitive sketch feel of the whole thing, which can wear thin over 30 minutes. As writers, Erskine, Konkle and Zvibleman are trying to build the PEN15 world beyond just Maya and Anna, to their families and those of their school mates. But right now the focus is so acutely on these grown women acting like 13-year-olds (and kind of awkward, naïve ones at that), that a little goes a long way — despite how committed the actresses are to the conceit. Cast: Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle Created, written and executive produced by: Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Sam Zvibleman Directed by: Sam Zvibleman Premiere: Friday (Hulu)

The cabler's Kenya Barris-produced 'Besties' has also cast Jordin Sparks in a lead role. Freeform is going back to school with Grown-ish. The Disney-owned cable network has renewed the comedy for a third season. A spinoff of ABC's Black-ish, the series follows Zoe Johnson (Yara Shahidi) as she makes her way through college. The renewal for Grown-ish comes six episodes into its 20-episode second season. The series is averaging 556,000 viewers and a 0.2 rating among adults 18-49 for initial airings and typically doubles both those numbers with a week of delayed viewing. The pickup also comes on the heels of Freeform ordering a Party of Five reboot to series. Like Black-ish, Grown-ish was created by Kenya Barris, who remains an executive producer of the ABC Signature Studios show despite having signed a rich overall deal at Netflix. Another Barris-produced series at Freeform, Besties has cast three of its lead roles. The show revolves around Becca, an ambitious overachiever from an African-American family who discovers her birth mother is white, which leads to her meeting her previously unknown half-sister, Jesi, and the two figure out how to go from strangers to sisters. Former American Idol winner Jordin Sparks will play Becca. She's joined in the cast by Brooks Brantly as her brother Todd, who still lives with their parents, and Matt Shively (The Real O'Neals) as Matt, a former athlete turned bartender who has trouble letting go of his glory days. Ranada Shepard, Casey Johnson and David Windsor created Besties and executive produce with Barris.

CBS All Access has found the subject of its Interrogation. The true-crime drama, which is designed to tell a nonlinear story, has cast Kyle Gallner in the lead role. The Outsiders and Finest Hours actor will play a young man accused and convicted of murdering his mother — and keep playing the character as he ages more than 30 years, mirroring the real-life case on which the show is based. After his conviction, Gallner's character spends more than two decades trying to prove his innocence. The first nine of Interrogation's 10 episodes are made to be watched in any order; the 10th will be released on its own some time after the others and depict the resolution of the case. Anders Weidemann and John Mankiewicz (Bosch, House of Cards) co-created the series and executive produce with Henrik Bastin and Melissa Aouate of Fabrik Entertainment. CBS Television Studios is producing with Fabrik. Interrogation, which doesn't yet have a launch date, will join a roster of originals on CBS All Access that includes Star Trek: Discovery, The Good Fight, Strange Angel, Tell Me a Story and No Activity, plus several forthcoming Trek series, the Jordan Peele-led Twilight Zone reboot and an adaptation of Stephen King's The Stand.

Lesli Linka Glatter, Charlotte Stoudt and Bruna Papandrea will serve as executive producers on the show. Netflix has found its next TV adaptation. The streaming giant has ordered to series Pieces of Her, a new eight-episode thriller based on crime author Karin Slaughter's novel of the same name. The show will explore what happens when an adrift young woman’s Saturday afternoon trip to the mall with her mother suddenly explodes into violence and forever changes the daughter's conception of her mother. As figures from the mother’s past start to resurface, the daughter is forced to go on the run and on that journey, she begins to piece together the truth of her mother’s previous identity and uncovers secrets of her childhood. Pieces of Her boasts an all-female creative team, with Lesli Linka Glatter, Charlotte Stoudt and Bruna Papandrea as executive producers. In addition to producing, Linka Glatter will direct the first two episodes and Stoudt will serve as writer and showrunner. Papandrea's production company Made Up Stories will produce, with Casey Haver, Jeanne Snow and Steve Hutensky shepherding the project for the company. Internationally known, Slaughter's books have been published in 37 languages and sold over 35 million copies around the world. She has written more than 18 novels, including New York Times best-sellers Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter. Pieces of Her was published by William Morrow in June 2018.

Executives from the network surprised the cast of 'The Fosters' spinoff with the announcement at Tuesday's TCA session. Freeform is showing early confidence in Good Trouble. The younger-skewing, Disney-owned cable network has handed out an early second-season renewal for The Fosters spinoff. The news was announced Tuesday at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour, where executives surprised the cast with the pickup. Good Trouble, picked up with a 13-episode order, follows Callie Adams Foster (Maia Mitchell) and Mariana Adams Foster (Cierra Ramirez) as they head off on their own to work in L.A. Since launching Jan. 8, Good Trouble has struggled to live up to its Fosters ratings but has shown promising signs of growth. Its most recent telecast surged to a series high among women 18-34 and 18-49 as well as total viewers (632,000). Factoring in three days of DVR, the same episode delivered its biggest increases in adults 18-34 and adults 18-49. Perhaps more important for the social media-driven Freeform, fan engagement continues to be strong as the series draws positive word-of-mouth buzz among the cabler's key demos. Joanna Johnson, Peter Paige, Bradley Bredeweg as well as Ramirez, Jennifer Lopez and Mitchell exec produce. The series is produced by Lopez's Nyuorican Productions and owned in-house. Good Trouble is part of a Freeform scripted slate that includes recently renewed Black-ish spinoff, Grown-ish, newly ordered Party of Five, The Bold Type, Cloak and Dagger, Siren and the upcoming Pretty Little Liars spinoff, The Perfectionist, as well as Kenya Barris' Besties and Everything's Gonna Be Okay.

The network has also picked up unscripted mainstay 'Shark Tank' for an 11th season. A pair of dramas and an unscripted stalwart are getting extended lives at ABC. The network has renewed rookie drama A Million Little Things and second-year show The Good Doctor for 2019-20. Shark Tank will also return for an 11th season. The three shows are the first renewals for ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke, who took over the post in November after the departure of Channing Dungey. They join Agents of SHIELD, which got an extremely early seventh-season renewal as one of Dungey's last decisions with the network. (Season six is set for the summer.) The Good Doctor was a breakout for ABC in its rookie season in 2017-18, and though ratings have cooled considerably this season, it's still the network's No. 2 drama behind Grey's Anatomy among adults 18-49 (and tied for second among all of ABC's shows), averaging a 2.5 rating with a week of delayed viewing. It's also the most-watched show on the network with 12.74 million viewers. A Million Little Things has benefited from a recent move to Thursdays behind Grey's, tying its same-day season high in the 18-49 demo in all three weeks it's aired Thursday. For the season it's averaging a 1.9 in the demo and 7.32 million viewers in live plus seven-day ratings. Both it and The Good Doctor more than double their demo ratings after a week. Shark Tank draws a 1.1 in the 18-49 demo and 4.62 million viewers Sunday nights and has gained momentum of late, posting its four best 18-49 ratings of the season in its past five episodes.

Sasha Pieterse and Janel Parrish star in the offshoot from showrunner I. Marlene King. In addition to renewals for Grown-ish and Good Trouble, Freeform used its time Tuesday at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour to unveil the first full-length trailer for another of its most high-profile spinoffs, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. Based on Sara Shepard's book The Perfectionists, the drama was first put into development at Freeform in November 2014 as an unrelated series. After Freeform wrapped Pretty Little Liars after seven seasons, the idea then became to merge The Perfectionists with the world of the flagship — with the latter having been based on a different Shepard book. The series will premiere Wednesday, March 20, on Freeform. PLL: The Perfectionists is set in Beacon Heights, a seemingly perfect town, and revolves around a group of three college friends who struggle with the stress of being overachievers. In the aftermath of the town’s first murder, each Perfectionist hides behind a secret, a lie and an alibi. Reprising their roles are Sasha Pieterse, as Alison DiLaurentis, the former queen bee whose mysterious disappearance rocked the small town of Rosewood; and Janel Parrish, as Mona Vanderwaal, Hanna Marin's best friend who was unmasked as the mysterious tormentor "A" at the end of the show’s second season and ultimately beat uber-villain A.D. at her own game. Sofia Carson, Sydney Park, Eli Brown, Graeme Thomas King, Kelly Rutherford and Hayley Erin round out the cast. Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists is being produced by Alloy Entertainment and Long Lake Media in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television. PLL showrunner I. Marlene King, who also ran since-canceled drama Famous in Love at Freeform, penned the pilot and serves as executive producer, reuniting with PLL's Charlie Craig, Lisa Cochran-Neilan, Alloy's Leslie Morgenstein (Pretty Little Liars) and Gina Girolamo (The 100) on the spinoff. Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum directed the pilot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdP8tZ09Xfw

The summer spinoff series is headed back to its Mexico shores. In other news, ABC is once again doubling down on 'The Bachelor' finale. ABC is heading back to Paradise this summer. Bachelor in Paradise has been renewed for a sixth season, the network announced ahead of its turn at the Television Critics Association's press tour Tuesday. The summer dating series and spinoff of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette will return summer of 2019. Though a premiere date has not been announced, the series typically airs in August. Veteran franchise host Chris Harrison will return to greet a new cast of singles — who will be plucked primarily from Becca Kufrin's 2018 season of The Bachelorette and Colton Underwood's currently airing season of The Bachelor — when they return to the show's resident Playa Escondida beach resort in Sayulita, Mexico. Bachelor in Paradise reunites memorable castoffs from previous Bachelor and Bachelorette seasons in hopes they will find love throughout the competition. Instead of one lead handing out roses, the elimination ceremonies alternate between the men and the women handing out roses to the opposite sex. The beach is then replenished with new castmembers after an elimination. Bachelor in Paradise has not come without controversy. After the 2017 season was temporarily shut down over a sexual misconduct claim (and ultimately cleared), the franchise has had a complicated relationship with consent in the #MeToo era. As a result, the producers instituted a drinking rule (no more than two drinks per hour) and had Harrison host a cast chat about consent when dating on the show.

The news comes as studio 20th Century Fox Television will soon become a Disney-owned property. It's official: ABC's Modern Family is returning for an 11th and final season. The Disney-owned network on Tuesday announced at the Television Critics Association's press tour that it has handed out a formal renewal for the Emmy-winning comedy after its adult stars inked rich new deals to return. The decision to bring back the Steve Levitan- and Christopher Lloyd-created single-camera comedy comes as the series is poised to become owned in-house as studio 20th Century Fox Television is included in the assets moving to Disney as part of Fox's $72 billion sale. Modern Family's adult stars — Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ed O'Neill, Eric Stonestreet and Sofia Vergara — each inked new deals with 20th TV to return for an 11th run for the 2019-20 broadcast season. The renewal hinged on the studio signing new pacts with young stars Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould and Rico Rodriguez. "Chris and Steve have created one of the most seminal and iconic comedies in television history," said ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke. "In its final season, there will be more milestone events that anyone who has been a fan of the series won’t want to miss." Speaking with reporters after her TCA session, Burke confessed that she "would love" if launching a spinoff out of Modern Family's final season were on the agenda. That said, there are "no concrete plans" for that at the moment. A couple of previous spinoffs were rumored to be in development, but nothing has ever made it to the pilot stage. The renewal arrives as Levitan previously said that the "plan was to end [Modern Family] at 10" seasons. That, however, was before 20th TV was to become part of the Disney fold, giving ABC ownership of the expensive series for the first time. Were it not for Fox's asset sale, ABC would have had to pay a sizable licensing fee to 20th TV that would have made another season less likely. Taking over ownership of Modern Family makes the series more cost-effective as Disney now has the benefit of collecting backend profits from the show's syndication and streaming deals.

The network is working on a deal to bring back one of its highest-rated comedies in 2019-20. The Conners is on the path to a second season. ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke on Tuesday told reporters at the Television Critics Association's press tour that the network is near a deal for season two. "We are close," she said. A renewal for The Conners wouldn't be much of a surprise, given the series is the top-rated new comedy of the 2018-19 season. Its 11-episode run averaged a 2.3 rating among adults 18-49 and 9.95 million viewers after a week of delayed viewing, ranking second behind Modern Familyamong ABC comedies in the demo and first in total audience. The show was born after ABC canceled its highly rated Roseanne revival in May 2018 following a racist tweet from star and executive producer Roseanne Barr. After a deal in which Barr agreed to cede any creative or financial participation in a spinoff, the network gave a straight-to-series order for The Conners in June. The rest of the original show's core cast — Sara Gilbert (who is also an executive producer), John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Lecy Goranson and Michael Fishman — returned for the spinoff along with Emma Kenney, Ames McNamara, Maya Lynne Robinson and Jayden Rey, who continued their roles on the revival. If and when The Conners gets the green light for season two, it will join the final season of Modern Family, The Good Doctor, A Million Little Things and Shark Tank in ABC's 2019-20 lineup. Burke also confirmed that Dancing With the Stars will return in fall 2019 after scaling back to one cycle for the current season.