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Paulo Dybala is currently one of the most exciting strikers in Europe, tearing up Italian football at Juventus this season with 25 goals in all competitions, but could he be on his way to the English Premier League.

He’s been linked with a move to Liverpool this week, a transfer rumour that has caught the imagination of Reds supporters, even if they think it’s pretty unlikely it will be pulled off.

The striker has scored an excellent 67 goals in 132 appearances for the Italian giants, making him one of the most devastating strikers at the club in recent memory.

At just 24 years old he isn’t even the finished product either and has plenty of improving to do.

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Would he be a good fit at Liverpool? Supporters seem to think so with many taking to social media in the wake of the rumours to share their excitement at the potential addition of the Argentinian.

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After reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, is such a move as unrealistic as it first appears?

Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

The Pakistan board is certain that the twin blasts that rocked Pakistan’s northern city of Rawalpindi on Tuesday will not affect either the ongoing Australia A tour or the forthcoming home series against South Africa later in September. The blasts occurred on Tuesday morning and killed at least 24 people”We have not had any concerns from either the Australian or the South African authorities so far and as far as things stand, both tours are still on,” Shafqat Naghmi, the board’s chief operating officer, told .Although there are no matches against Australia A scheduled for Rawalpindi, the one-day international between Pakistan and South Africa initially scheduled for the city was moved to Karachi last month. The Pakistan board cited the lack of cricket facilities in Peshawar and Rawalpindi as reason for the change. However, it was widely reported that the South Africans had expressed concerns over playing in Rawalpindi due to its close proximity to Islamabad where the standoff between the government and the radical mosque clerks took place in July.

A Pakistan legends side will play their Indian counterparts at the Rogers Centre, Toronto on March 3, 2007. The match comes one week before of the start of the World Cup in the Caribbean.Wasim Akram will captain the Pakistan side, and Mohammad Azharuddin India in the 50-overs-a-side game. The organisers and the Canadian Cricket Association President, Mr Ben Sennik, hope for a capacity crowd of 60,000.Canada holds the record attendance for a cricket match in North America, when around 43,000 watched a game at the same venue in 1989 (when it was called the Skydome).This new event, which is billed as an attempt to bring “community togetherness through sports and entertainment”, is being presented by M+D Community Corporation in partnership with the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cricket Association.

Scorecard

Zander de Bruyn scored a rapid 45 to guide South Africa across the line with Andrew Puttick © Getty Images

South Africa A produced another impressive performance as they completed a comfortable six-wicket win against New Zealand A in Colombo. After routing Sri Lanka A by 10 wickets on Wednesday the South Africa bowlers were again on form, constantly chipping away at the New Zealand batting. Andrew Puttick guided South Africa home with a composed 84, in a stand of 99 with Zander de Bruyn.It was a team effort from the South African with the six bowlers each taking a least a wicket apiece. Dale Steyn, Tyron Henderson and Johann van der Wath troubled the top order and New Zealand couldn’t creat a solid foundation to build from. Matthew Sinclair and James Marshall battled hard but Robin Peterson and Johan Botha claimed a brace each to stifle any thoughts of a fightback.New Zealand’s predicament was highlight when Jamie How was introduced as the Supersub and he managed to hold the tail together with a grafting 31 from 50 balls. But Steyn claimed his second wicket as New Zealand failed to use up their full allocation of overs.New Zealand were determined to make a game of it and their seamers exploited the same assistance that their South African counterparts had enjoyed. Daryl Tuffey struck twice and at 39 for 3 the game was suddenly thrown wide open. However, Andrew Puttick, a compact left-hander, settled in to anchor the innings and when the new-ball threat had disappeared batting became easier. De Bruyn provided the attacking imeptous and the target was knocked off with almost 15 overs remaining.

Olonga: ‘Heath dug himself a hole and they jumped in with him’© Getty Images

Henry Olonga, who staged a black armband protest mourning the "death of democracy" in Zimbabwe at the World Cup last year, is surprisingly unenthusiastic about the current tour of the Zimbabwean rebel players, who have reformed as a team called the Red Lions.The team yesterday played the first match of their three-week tour, against a Lashings XI, which Olonga was part of, at Wimbledon cricket club. The game ended in a tie off the last ball.”I don’t endorse or support the tour, I just think it’s a great way for them to stick together,” Olonga told BBC Sport. “A lot of them have lost their careers and it’s a very uncertain time for them.”"There could have been different ways of showing their solidarity for Heath in a way that didn’t result in drastic action being taken against them," he continued. "They ended up being in breach of contract, which gave the ZCU every right to fire them. Heath dug himself a hole and they jumped in with him.”However, Olonga agrees with the rebel players’ complaint about the politicisation of cricket in Zimbabwe, saying: “The administrators of the ZCU are for all intents and purposes working along lines one can deem to be political. The kinds of decisions they’re making don’t make sense."If they wanted the best team to be on the field they wouldn’t have sacked all these players and the kind of results the team has turned in of late wouldn’t have happened.”Olonga added that the current crisis in cricket is only "a small part of the jigsaw puzzle" of Zimbabwe’s many problems. He believes one solution to these problems would be "the due process of democracy being allowed to prevail – free and fair elections for a start."If those fall into place everything else does – the independence of the judiciary, freedom of speech and the media, opening up the airwaves."All the players on the Red Lions team are white, although Stuart Carlisle, who captained the team yesterday, explained: “Three or four black players were interested in joining us a couple of months ago but the ZCU were quick to put pressure on them.”Carlisle added that he thinks the rebel players could be playing for the national side by next year, but only if the arbitration process put in place by the ICC is successful.”This is a trial period for us. If arbitration doesn’t come through, or isn’t effective, we’ve got other players at home," he added. “We could certainly play some of the first-class sides, some counties and state sides, if they were interested.”

There could be a big-name casualty when South Africa’s United Cricket Board (UCB) announces its list of contracted players at the end of this month. Meetings at the weekend and next week will determine which players – and there will be a maximum of 20 – will be on the UCB’s books for the next 11 months.The suits who sign the cheques will be guided by Omar Henry, South Africa’s convenor of selectors, who will make recommendations on individual players. And Henry declined to give Lance Klusener a vote of confidence when Wisden CricInfo spoke to him on Wednesday.”We know what he can do and what he can’t do,” Henry sidestepped when asked if he was satisfied with Klusener’s performance during the past year. “Andrew Hall had a fantastic domestic season and he has done well in the South African team, and then there’s Albie Morkel and Justin Kemp. We didn’t know enough about them before last season. Now that we do we need to put Klusener’s name among those and discuss it.”Eric Simons, the recently appointed national coach, also couldn’t bring himself to back the previously pyrotechnic left-hander when asked whether there was a place for Klusener in his blueprint. “There’s always a place for anyone who is playing good cricket,” Simons said. “I’m happy with the way Klusener has performed … uhh, well, I’m not unhappy.”Klusener scored just one half-century in this year’s World Cup, and he was left out of the squad for the subsequent tour of Bangladesh. He was also deemed surplus to requirements for the South Africa A tour of Australia. That would seem to indicate that he will not be part of the forthcoming tour of England, because there won’t be any cricket in or involving South Africa before they arrive in the UK on June 16.If Klusener does not have his current top-tier contract renewed it will mark a spectacular fall from iconhood. He terrorised almost every bowler he faced in the 1999 World Cup, where he averaged 140.50 and was the single major reason why South Africa reached the semi-finals.His efforts were recognised when he was named Player of the Tournament, and when he was ordained as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year in 2000.Klusener belied no sense of impending unemployment on Wednesday, and revealed that his services were being sought outside South Africa. Would he consider playing abroad if his UCB contract was not renewed? “Absolutely! I’d be off before the dust had settled,” Klusener told us.”I’ve certainly had offers from Australia, which are very inviting.” But there were cons as well as pros: “Playing in Australia would coincide with South Africa’s domestic season, which is a problem. And if I play in England that would mean a year of nonstop cricket.”Klusener, who’s now 31 and married with a young child, was philosophical about his prospects. “If there’s a future for me in South African cricket, that’s great. If there isn’t, that’s tough. It’s a big world out there.”Only the six players who will enter the second half of two-year contracts can be sure of keeping their jobs in the unsettled scenario in which South African cricket finds itself after a disastrous year – last season’s thrashing by Australia and this year’s World Cup debacle, where South Africa, the main hosts, were tearful first-round casualties.The smug six are Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs, Makhaya Ntini, Mark Boucher and Paul Adams. Graeme Smith, as captain, must surely be contracted. Gone from the current pool will be Allan Donald and Jonty Rhodes, who have retired. Nantie Hayward (now with Worcestershire) and Roger Telemachus are unlikely to be re-signed – and nor is the unlucky Steve Elworthy.Klusener may well suffer a similar fate. If he does, it will be a clear case of “Come in No. 69: Your time is up.”

Four of the most distinguished names in cricket – Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Richard Hadlee, Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar – have accepted invitations to become international ambassadors for the 2003 Cricket World Cup, it was announced on Monday.All four volunteered their services after being approached by 2003 CWC executive director Ali Bacher and will visit South Africa for a two week-period during February and March 2003.They will visit schools, conduct coaching clinics, assist sponsorship drives and generally promote cricket during the tournament.Another "three or four" international ambassadors are to be invited, said Bacher, along with 20-25 prominent current and former South African sportsmen and women who will perform similar roles.Also announced on Monday were the venues where the various World Cup teams will be hosted during the tournament.The venues are: South Africa in Cape Town; West Indies in Bloemfontein; Sri Lanka in Kimberley; England in Port Elizabeth; Kenya in East London; India in Durban; Bangladesh in Pietermaritzburg; Pakistan in Johannesburg; Canada in Johannesburg; New Zealand in Centurion; Australia in Potchefstroom; Holland in Paarl; Namibia in Benoni; Zimbabwe in Harare/Bulawayo.Bacher said that hosts South Africa had been placed in Cape Town because they would be playing in the opening match of the tournament against either England or the West Indies on February 6.He said England would go to Port Elizabeth because of the historical associations of the city – South Africa played its first Test match against England in PE in 1889 while Australia had asked to be billetted in Potchefstroom at the recommendation of Allan Border who coached the Australian team in South Africa during the 1999 Youth World Cup.In other announcements on Monday, the names of 10 team liaison officers for the tournament were announced. The liaison officers are: Patrick Steytler (Kwazulu Natal), Collin Dettmer (Northerns), Michael Kaplan (Kwazulu Natal), Haroon Nosarka (Gauteng), Bruce Risien (Western Province), Lux Qoboshiyana (Border), Leon Coetzee (Eastern Province), Fezele Mguqulwa (Western Province), Pankie Mangisa (Gauteng), Sundra Reddy (Kwazulu Natal).A further two liaison officers have still to be appointed, said Bacher, and all would receive intensive training from Doug Russell and Gulam Rajah before taking up their positions.Bacher said that the World Cup policy committee had approved the following budgets: R8-million for safety and security during the tournament R6.9-million to improve playing and practice facilities at the 12 World Cup venues in South Africa R5.6-million for the improvement of the sound systems at the 12 venues. R650 000 for the provision of emergency electricity generators at the venues in the event of power failures.He also said that the International Tour Operator for the tournament would be a consortium consisting of Gullinjet Sports Travel (London), Edusport Travel (South Africa) and Autshumatu Investments Pty Ltd (South Africa). Autshumatu Investments is a black empowerment company and will provide the executive director of the consortium.

Scorecard

Andrew Flintoff claimed a wicket but couldn’t stop Craig Spearman © Getty Images

Craig Spearman chose the ideal time to make amends for a meagre Twenty20 season with a match-winning 55-ball 86 to put Gloucestershire into the final, for the first time, at Edgbaston with 19 deliveries to spare. An impressive fielding display kept Lancashire to 148 as Gloucestershire produced two vital run-outs, including Andrew Flintoff for 3.Gloucestershire produced the brand of cricket that made them a one-day powerhouse under Mark Alleyne and John Bracewell. Crucially they came out on top during the six-over fielding restriction periods, which play such a vital part in Twenty20, and Spearman expertly showed how to exploit the early overs.Before this match Spearman was averaging 7.85 in this season’s tournament, but was quickly into his stride as 23 came off James Anderson’s second over. He regularly brought out the reverse sweep against the spinners – sending Muttiah Muralitharan to the deep cover boundary twice in his first over – and reached his 33-ball half-century with a straight six off Gary Keedy.Not even Flintoff could change the tide for Lancashire. He steamed in from the Pavilion End during an opening two-over burst, having a loud lbw shout against Spearman turned down before making a breakthrough when Hamish Marshall slashed to point. Flintoff was pumped, letting out a primeval roar, but his second over included a no-ball and the resulting free hit was dispatched by Spearman as Gloucestershire raced away and passed fifty in the sixth over.Kadeer Ali played his part in a second-wicket century stand that came off just 67 balls, but everyone else was overshadowed by Spearman. He took Dominic Cork to the cleaners with two huge leg-side sixes in a superb display of clean striking before tamely chipping Muralitharan to midwicket with 12 needed. But he had more than done his job.Spearman’s top-order onslaught is what Lancashire missed. They suffered a chaotic build-up when Mal Loye, someone who could have produced a similar performance, was forced to pull out with a recurrence of his back problems. Mark Chilton, the captain, was going to drop himself if Loye played, but Lancashire still had plenty of power with Flintoff and Stuart Law opening.However, a tight new-ball spell by Jon Lewis kept Lancashire in their shell. Law tried to break the shackles with a heave over the leg side, but his top-edge was sharply pouched at slip. Flintoff had already been dropped at mid-off on 1 by Alex Gidman before he was run out. The ball cannoned off his pad towards slip, Hodge started running before stopping and Flintoff couldn’t get back.Hodge, though, provided some impetus to the innings as he crunched six authoritative boundaries to become the second batsman to pass 1000 runs in the competition. However, Mark Hardinges picked up the key wicket when Hodge smashed a firm drive to Marshall at extra cover and the same combination accounted for Chilton.Lancashire were partially revived by an enterprising innings from Gareth Cross and a 30-run stand between Cork and Glen Chapple. However, the fact that the only six came as late as the 19th over showed the extent of Gloucestershire’s grip. Their batting ensured they never let go.

Sourav Ganguly: another chance to impress as East Zone captain © Getty Images

The Duleep Trophy, Indian domestic cricket’s inter-zonal tournament, begins on Thursday with two four-day matches: South Zone take on West Zone in Indore, while Central Zone do battle with East Zone in Gwalior.Sourav Ganguly, the former Indian captain, will lead East Zone. After his failure in the recent Challenger Trophy, the tournament is another opportunity for Ganguly to prove his form for a return to the national side. Meanwhile, VVS Laxman, who missed the Challenger Trophy due to a hamstring injury, has been appointed captain of South Zone. Wasim Jaffer, the Test opener, will lead West Zone.Zaheer Khan, the left-arm fast bowler, has also targetted the Duleep Trophy for a comeback. India tour South Africa for five one-day internationals and three Tests from November, and thus the tournament provides ample opportunities to impress.The Duleep Trophy tournament consists of six teams, divided into two pools, which play each other in four-day matches. Five of the competing teams are Indian, while the sixth is an overseas side. This season, Sri Lanka A has been included after conflicting playing schedules forced the Nashua Dolphins to pull out.The 2005-06 competition was won by West Zone after they beat East Zone by five wickets in the final.For the full schedule of the 2006 Duleep Trophy, click here.Squads
East Zone: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Lakshmi Shukla, Deep Dasgupta (wk), Subhomoy Das, Shib Shankar Das, Ranadeb Basu, Debasish Mohanty, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Sourashish Lahiri, Ashis Sinha, Pravanjan Das, S S Rao, D Mohan, S Saigal, P Mallick and Ashoke Dinda.South Zone: VVS Laxman (capt), Venugopal Rao, Anil Kumble, S Badrinath, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa, Sreesanth, L Balaji, Pragyan Ojha, Gnaneshwar Rao, Arjun Yadav, Ibrahim Khaleel, Swapnil Asnodkar, Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh.West Zone: Wasim Jaffer (capt), Parthiv Patel (wk), Dhiraj Jadhav, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Amol Muzumdar, Kiran Powar, Sairaj Bahutule, Vinit Indulkar, Rajesh Pawar, Zaheer Khan, Siddharth Trivedi, Ravindra Jadeja, Suyash Burkul and Sanjay Maniar.North Zone: Mithun Manhas (capt), Gautam Gambhir, Akash Chopra, Ravneet Ricky, Sachin Rana, Yashpal Singh, Mahesh Rawat (wk), M Bisla, Ashish Nehra, VRV Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Joginder Sharma, Rajesh Sharma, Virat Kohli, Vishal Bhatia.Sri Lanka A: Thilan Samaraweera (Capt.), Jehan Mubarak, Michael Vandort, Mahela Udawatte, Jeevan Mendis, Malintha Warnapura, Kaushal Silva (wk), Upul Chandana, Rangana Herath, Chamara Silva, Dhammika Prasad, Tharanga Lakshitha, Akalanga Ganegama, Ishara Amarasinghe, Kosala Kulasekara.

Super career that: Richie Benaud has been an ubiquitious television presence in the United Kingdom for 42 years © Getty Images

Richie Benaud will commentate his last Test in England at The Oval next week. Benaud, who has been cricket broadcasting’s most comfortable armchair for the past 42 years, will hang up the microphone when Channel 4’s contract with the ECB expires after the fifth Test. He has ruled out a switch to Sky, who control the rights from next season.”It is time to say goodbye because I won’t be doing any more television in the United Kingdom,” Benaud told in an exclusive interview. “I’ll still be doing free-to-air in Australia. I’ve got a three-year contract with Channel 9 which will probably be extended.”Benaud, 74, said he knew the time was right to retire, just as he did when he ended his Test career in 1964, but he regretted the loss of C4’s coverage. “From the production and direction point of view, they’ve been quite magnificent in the six years that they’ve been doing it,” he said.While international cricket will be available only on subscription television in England from next season until 2009, Benaud refused to challenge the decision. Instead he praised the Australian government’s move in March 2004 to produce legislation that ensured cricket remained on free-to-air and hoped the game would again be available on terrestrial broadcasts.”There are only two groups of people who have control over that,” he said of the ECB’s decision to give the rights to Sky. “The first is the government of the day and the second is the ECB. It’s the ECB who persuaded the government to take cricket off the restricted list.”Admired throughout the world, Benaud was last month voted the runaway winner in commentators’ poll. “It’s a great compliment from the people who have been watching over the years and I very, very much appreciate it,” he said. “One of the reasons is that I’ve been coming over to England for 42 years. I spent a long time with the BBC and then with Channel 4, all on free-to-air. And a lot of the stuff I have done with Channel 9 in Australia has come back to England as well. It’s something that I’ll treasure.”Despite deserving a long rest, Benaud quickly rejected talk of total retirement and is currently promoting his book . “What I won’t be doing is television in the United Kingdom,” he said. “Daphne, my wife, and I will be over in England in the next couple of years. I want to keep writing if I can. I love writing because it’s the first thing I did before I did any television.”