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Four Atletico Madrid ultras have been charged for allegedly hanging an effigy of Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr from a bridge before the derby in January.

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Atletico Madrid fans facing chargesAccused of hanging effigy near Real's training groundCould face four years in prisonWHAT HAPPENED?

The four fans are facing charges, per, after hanging the effigy of Vinicius from a bridge near the Real training ground in January. A banner was also unfurled, reading "Madrid hates Real" before the two clubs met in the Copa del Rey.

AdvertisementTwitter – AnonymousTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Madrid Public Prosecutors office is seeking four years in prison for each individual, who say they are "ideologically identified with the extreme right". Arrests were initially made in May but they have now been charged with intimidation and 'acting against fundamental rights and public freedoms'.

WHAT THE PROSECUTOR SAID

They insist that the hanging of the effigy was racially motivated, saying it was "an unmistakable sign of contempt and rejection of the victim’s skin colour and motivated by a desire to undermine his sense of wellbeing".

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Charges have been brought so the case is now set to be heard. Meanwhile, Vinicius will likely play for Real Madrid against Real Betis this weekend.

Brendon McCullum was happy setting Pakistan 261 in 72 overs, in the hope that temptation might get the better of Misbah-ul-Haq’s previously impervious side

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2014Hesson ‘pleased’ with spinners’ performance

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson is optimistic about his bowlers’ performance – both seamers and spinners – who took 15 wickets in the second Test in Dubai, compared to only five in the first Test in Abu Dhabi. Hesson said the seamers’ outing in Abu Dhabi was only an “aberration.”
“They are two quality bowlers [Tim Southee and Trent Boult] who in the last couple of years have performed everywhere,” Hesson said. “It was a bit of an aberration in Abu Dhabi where they weren’t able to create anything but they still bowled tightly enough. Those guys have gone away and worked on a few things and tried to find ways of creating opportunities. I thought the way they kept chugging in today was exceptional, and over the last five days was great.”
Hesson said his spinners were not used to bowling on subcontinent pitches but he was pleased with the way they had adapted in the two Tests.
“Our spinners aren’t used to bowling on conditions with footholes playing such a part,” he said. “Pakistan spinners beat us off the wicket and at home traditionally we try and beat guys in the air. When you have footholes to hit, it’s very hard to change the method that you’ve trained your whole life. I thought the way Ish [Sodhi] and Mark [Craig] have adapted over the last couple of Tests is pleasing but they are still striving for consistency of pace as well.
“[Yasir] Shah and [Zulfiqar] Babar don’t give away lot of freebies so you’ve got to scrap hard for your runs. And that’s something that our spinners are learning, these guys are little more experienced than us but we are getting better.”

When your opponent has chased down a score of 300 at more than five runs an over in recent memory, most captains could be forgiven for approaching a second-innings declaration with caution. Brendon McCullum is happy to describe himself as an “eternal optimist”, however, and preferred to dangle the carrot of victory in front of Pakistan rather than take the draw that would keep alive New Zealand’s chances of levelling the series.No matter that Pakistan had chased 302 in 57.3 overs in Sharjah at the start of the year to overcome a defensive-minded Sri Lanka; McCullum was confident enough to set them 261 in 72 overs, in the hope that temptation might get the better of Misbah-ul-Haq’s previously impervious side.With Pakistan 75 for 4 and tea some way off, McCullum’s gamble looked to have been well-judged. Asad Shafiq’s dogged innings, in partnerships with Younis Khan and Sarfraz Ahmed, made sure Pakistan would hold on to their 1-0 lead but New Zealand could draw strength from denying the hosts a fourth straight Test victory while maintaining their chances of squaring the series in Sharjah next week.”When you’re making those kind of decisions, you look at the history of what’s happened, how the opposition team has responded in situations like this and try and get a bit of information, rather than having to come up with a willy-nilly score,” McCullum said. “So we looked at all of that stuff, the strength of their line-up, and we thought if we keep them semi-interested, that would give us our greatest opportunity.”We didn’t want to hand it to them, that’s for sure, because we worked far too hard throughout the game to make a reckless decision. But the one we came up with kept them interested but also kept us interested and gave us enough time if we’d been able to knock over the top order. Credit to them but we’ll walk away pretty happy as well.”Having posted 403 in their first innings, New Zealand were looking at a significant lead when Pakistan were reduced to 312 for 9. However, Sarfraz battled his way to a century during a last-wicket stand worth 81, which McCullum said prevented New Zealand from “dictating play a little bit more”.New Zealand were then wobbling at 125 for 5 in their second innings but recovered through Ross Taylor’s century. In keeping with his reputation for positive captaincy, McCullum chose to declare New Zealand’s innings nine down, after a brief salvo from Tim Southee took the target above 250, to give the visitors their best chance of victory.”I thought it was a pretty fair declaration, there was enough there for the batting team to stay interested if they got off to a good start and there was also enough time for us if we’d been able to knock over the top order reasonably quickly to be able take 10 wickets on a wearing track,” McCullum said. “From our point of view, we’re trying to win Test matches and hence we went down that route rather than looking to try and bat out more of the day. I thought it was a brilliant Test match and, whilst there was no winner, a really good advert for Test cricket.”It almost deserved a winner, it was that good a Test. We’ll hark back to that 10th-wicket partnership where if we’d been able to make inroads at that point we’d have been able to go on and dictate play a little bit more. But it wasn’t to be and credit has to go to Sarfraz, I thought his innings under an immense amount of pressure was outstanding, the way he shepherded the lower order through to that score.”In times gone past there’s probably a tendency for us to have gone into our shell after losing some of that momentum but I thought the way we came out and played positively and with some intent, looking to try and win the Test match was a real credit to us. It’s a really good sign from my point of view because it shows that a young team is prepared to play aggressive cricket to get some wins in the column. The wins are what you remember most – we’ll remember a lot out of this Test match but it would have been great to get across the line. It was certainly a gamble worth taking.”McCullum conceded that “winning the toss helped”, breaking Pakistan’s run of batting first and racking up match-winning scores, and he will hope to call correctly again at the start of the third Test, as New Zealand seek to extend an unbeaten run in series stretching back to May 2013. More runs from Taylor, after a relatively dry year, would also aid their chances.”Ross’ innings was brilliant,” McCullum said. “The game was teetering. For him to come out, he’s been a little bit lean on runs in the series, to have that utter confidence in his game, his proactive-ness put some pressure back on Pakistan. To keep doing that in trying circumstances takes a lot of courage and it was great to see him get a hundred and get us into a position where we could make a bold declaration. That was a big feather for us as well, delighted for Ross and delighted for the group, we’ll take a lot out of that innings and the way we responded.”

After Sven Ulreich's howler against Real Madrid on Tuesday, Goal looks back at the biggest mistakes ever made by the game's supposed guardians

GettySven Ulreich

A simple back pass from Corentin Tolisso should have been easy for Sven Ulreich to deal with, but the Bayern Munich goalkeeper only realised at the last second that he could not use his hands to collect the ball.

As Manuel Neuer's understudy tried to readjust and clear with his right foot, he slipped and allowed Karim Benzema to nip in and score the goal that decided an engrossing Champions League semi-final clash in Real Madrid's favour.

AdvertisementGettyRobert Green

Clint Dempsey's long-range shot in this 2010 World Cup group stage game should have been easily stopped by Robert Green but the England No.1 made a meal of the American's effort, allowing the ball to skip over his hands and into the back of the net.

The Three Lions drew 1-1, finished second, behind the United States, and were then eliminated by Germany. Things could have been so different, had Green made what should have been a routine stop.

GettyDida

With Liverpool trailing 3-1 to AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, Vladimir Smicer let fly from range.

The effort, though powerful, was close to Dida, but he was unable to keep it out, instead pushing it into the bottom corner.

We all know what happened next, as the Reds went on to equalise, and win the ensuing penalty shoot-out.

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GettyPeter Shilton

Peter Shilton's mistake in a World Cup qualifier against Poland in 1973 was preceded by an error from defender Norman Hunter, as he lost the ball in defence.

Grzegorz Lato found Jan Domarski and his shot, skidding along the turf, simply squirmed under Shilton as Poland held England to a 1-1 draw that denied the Three Lions qualification for the 1974 World Cup.

While the “Chelmsfort” of T20 fame can be a lairy cauldron of noise and attitude, the Championship crowd tends to be a more pleasant bunch

Alan Gardner at Chelmsford23-Sep-2014
ScorecardJesse Ryder’s medium pace was behind Worcestershire’s collapse•Getty ImagesWhile the “Chelmsfort” of T20 fame can be a lairy cauldron of noise and attitude, the Championship crowd tends to be a more pleasant bunch. After Worcestershire were bowled out inside the first session of the day, there was guarded optimism about Essex’s chances of pipping Hampshire to promotion from Division Two. Discussion of whether missing out for the fourth season in a row would constitute a failure generally elicited a good-natured shrug and a “let’s see how we do here”.Essex are already in a commanding position to win for the sixth time in seven but Hampshire’s resurrection from 53 for 5 in Cardiff ensured the calculators will continue to whir into the second day. At tea, a customer informed the ice cream lady that Hampshire were 233 for 5. “I don’t know what that means, love,” came the reply. Head scratching abounds. At the very least, it seems Essex will need to take three batting points (another 102 runs from the next 41 overs) in victory and hope Hampshire can do no better than draw.Had Essex not failed to win for eight games after beating Derbyshire in their first outing back in April, they would not be relying on results elsewhere, of course, though a lengthy injury list, and in particular the need to use a dozen different seam bowlers throughout the year, stands in mitigation. This was their most in-form attack, the reinvention of Jesse Ryder continuing apace, and they wreaked carnage. Nick Browne then stroked a composed century to ease any fears that the pitch inspector present, Tony Pigott, would need to convene a panel.On a late September morning, as bowlers around the country feasted, Worcestershire collapsed inside 26.2 overs. Ryder’s opening spell was rewarded with sumptuous figures of 10-4-24-5, recording his first-class best for the third time this year. Paul Grayson, understandably, purred in approval. Essex are in the process of trying to make sure he returns to Chelmsford for a few summers more.Worcestershire had giddily claimed promotion after Jack Shantry’s heroics against Surrey but this was the comedown. If the film was , the morning session would have been the bit where they woke up to find Mike Tyson’s tiger in the bathroom.The Worcestershire scorecard, which only had two batsmen in double figures, required a double take and there were whispers that the pitch might not stand up to a second look. With the green grass of home in the middle and bare patches for the spinners at both ends, it seemed designed to produce a result; but while Essex needed some fortune in winning the toss, their seamers did far more than just flip a coin.Ryder arrived for his first spell in county cricket as a tearaway batsman who bowled the occasional bit of fill-in seam-up. The New Zealander has averaged only 30.00 with the bat but he is now Essex’s leading Championship wicket-taker, having taken 43 at 17.79. This was the fourth five-wicket haul of the season and the fourth of his career; in the previous decade of first-class cricket, he had collected 55 wickets. It’s British summertime and the living is easy for Ryder.Worcestershire, having celebrated hard after their dramatic win two weeks ago, were soon looking green around the gills, never mind the pitch. Richard Oliver was caught in the slips off David Masters’ fourth ball, before Ryder went around the wicket to tease an outside edge through to the keeper off Moeen Ali.Daryl Mitchell was next to go, caught at square leg playing across the line, in the first of a few avoidable Worcestershire dismissals. Ryder had the ball moving just enough both up and down and laterally, though Alexei Kervezee was not at his most judicious in attempting to leave one that came back to clip off stump.Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Ben Cox were trapped in front, the latter becoming Ryder’s fifth wicket, either side of Tom Fell’s woeful slash to slip. That left Worcestershire, who still need a handful of points to be certain of winning the Division Two title, 31 for 7 and now possibly a little pink from embarrassment. Joe Leach slapped a few forceful boundaries during a stand for the eighth wicket that more than doubled the score but fell to a brilliant, instinctive catch from Masters to a drive that might otherwise have rearranged his familiar lopsided grin.Conversation turned to 1991, when Essex were closing in on the Championship title and Middlesex arrived to be dismissed for 51 in scarcely less overs than Worcestershire managed. Home nerves tightened at the thought of a pitch penalty, before Graham Gooch allayed those fears by finishing the day 202 not out. Browne, tall and left-handed, is perhaps more reminiscent of Marcus Trescothick but his third century of the season, featuring some crisp straight drives, provided a similar tonic.

The threat of some inclement weather later on persuaded Meg Lanning to put England in to bat after winning the toss in Mirpur

The Report by Andrew McGlashan06-Apr-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:35

‘A pretty perfect game’ – Lanning

Sarah Taylor’s lbw dismissal off Sarah Coyte triggered a collapse that saw England lose three wickets in four overs•Getty ImagesThere is no doubt who the best women’s T20 side in the world are. Australia overwhelmed England to secure a hat-trick of World T20 titles, cruising to a six-wicket victory. They were miserly in the field, restricting England to 105 for 8, then quickly put themselves ahead of the rate in the chase which was fittingly led by Meg Lanning with a powerful 44 as she became the leading run-scorer at the event.The key difference was summed up in the sixes count: Australia struck four, extending their lead in the six-hitting league for the tournament, while England could not manage one – leaving their tournament tally at zero. The Powerplays were a microcosm: England limped to 24 for 1 while Australia skipped to 43 for 1 – including two of the sixes – to break the back of the chase.Jess Jonassen set the tone, drilling Danielle Hazell’s first ball for six, as she took 14 off the second over of the innings. The main threat to Australia was Anya Shrubsole, the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, but with a small total to chase they knew they did not have to over-attack against her although it did not stop Lanning putting her over the boundary – it was the ultimate statement from Australia’s captain.Shrubsole did add to her wicket tally when Jonassen picked out mid-on and Jenny Gunn removed Elyse Villani but they were no more than minor irritants for Australia. Perry, who earlier claimed a miserly 2 for 13 from her four overs, skipped to an unbeaten 31 as she and Lanning added 60 in eight overs although the captain could not quite be there at the end when she tried to clear the infield for the winning hit but found mid-off.England’s batting has been underwhelming during the tournament – only Charlotte Edwards played close to her best and the fact they were often chasing low totals meant the middle and lower order had not had much time in the middle when they were needed to try and lift an innings in the finalThey struggled to overcome a slow pitch as their two leading batsmen, Sarah Taylor and Edwards, laboured against accurate bowling. Sarah Coyte removed them both, Edwards lofting to mid-on trying to force the pace and Taylor unfortunate to be lbw on the reverse sweep, on her way to the second-best figures in a Women’s World T20 final.England’s only fluent period of batting came shortly after the Powerplay as Taylor and Heather Knight moved along at nearly eight an over to suggest they had gone some way to mastering the conditions. But Taylor’s departure was soon followed by Lydia Greenway’s, well caught low down by Healy, and when Knight was superbly caught at deep midwicket it meant two new batsmen had to try and rebuild.They never threatened to break the shackles and the only two boundaries in the second half of the innings came in the same over from Rene Farrell. However, the expectation was that Australia would still have to work hard in the chase but they barely had a concern as they kept hold of a trophy that has become a permanent fixture in the Jolimont cabinet.

Jonathan Trott is on course to start the domestic season with Warwickshire and has been backed to return to international cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2014Jonathan Trott is on course to start the domestic season with Warwickshire and has been backed to return to international cricket.Trott left the Ashes tour with a stress-related illness straight after the opening Test in Brisbane. At the time it was revealed he had been managing his condition for a considerable length of time.He has since been supported by the ECB and PCA during his recovery and is on track to play for Warwickshire at the beginning of the season. Their first Championship match is against Sussex, at Edgbaston, on April 13 but he is expected to play against Oxford MCCU at the Parks the week before.He will not be part of Warwickshire’s pre-season tour of Barbados but that was always part of the plan. Trott has yet to speak publicly since leaving Australia but Dennis Amiss, the chairman of Trott’s 2014 benefit committee, said his desire to return at all levels is strong.”He’s doing very well. He’s had a great rest, which is very important, and he is raring to go again,” Amiss told the BBC. “He’s still very hungry. He wants to continue succeeding both for Warwickshire and for England.””Cricket is his passion and I believe he has qualities, as we’ve seen, to be able to score a mass of runs for Warwickshire to get himself back into the England side and regain his position.””I think it was essentially burnout. The England and Wales Cricket Board has helped him while he has been back. Everybody has given him a lot of help. Rest has been the most important thing.”In Trott’s absence, Joe Root was initially promoted to No. 3 but was dropped after the Melbourne Test and Ian Bell took the position. In the one-day side, the No. 3 role is currently held by Ben Stokes.England’s home international season begins with a one-day international against Scotland on May 9 before Sri Lanka arrive for a tour that includes one Twenty20, five one-day internationals and two Tests.

Jonathan Trott is fine, btw, and will start the season for Warwickshire in The Parks.

— George Dobell (@GeorgeDobell1) February 14, 2014

The absence of Kevin Pietersen from the England team is “terribly sad” according to Eoin Morgan

George Dobell13-Nov-2014The absence of Kevin Pietersen from the England team is “terribly sad” according to Eoin Morgan.Morgan, who has captained the England limited-overs sides on several occasions, suggested Pietersen could have “his best years ahead of him” and said he would “love to be there playing cricket for England” with him.”It’s great having played with Kev and having in the team and learning from him,” Morgan said.”It’s terribly sad that he’s not in the team at the moment considering he’s still so young and had potentially his best years still ahead of him.”I would love to be out here playing cricket for England with Kevin Pietersen but the fact of the matter is he’s not involved anymore.”While he accepted that Pietersen was not universally popular within the England camp, Morgan dismissed the importance of such factors and insisted it was more relevant that players performed on the pitch.”Not everyone is popular in a cricket team,” Morgan said. “Everyone individually commands respect through their performance and there is trust and relationships that you build.”But that’s absolutely fine. In every walk of life you make friends with people who other people aren’t friends with. Was it awkward being friends with him? Certainly not.”When asked whether Pietersen’s accusation of bullying within the England environment – a claim made in Pietersen’s recent book – was fair, Morgan was non-committal. While admitting that he had yet to read the book – “I’ve heard it’s brilliant,” he said with a smile – he accepted that there were times when the bowlers’ frustration with fielders had been obvious. But he insisted he “can’t remember if it went too far or not.””You’re certainly aware of things like that particularly when you don’t bowl and you’re a specialist fielder,” he said. “It’s a difficult one because you have a bowler who had maybe been hit for four or a catch dropped and it’s hard for him to disguise his emotion. There a bit of give and take with both sides.”I can’t remember if it went too far or not. The issue was raised and it was dealt with.”Morgan’s words are significant not just because they suggest that Pietersen was not “disengaged” – to use Paul Downton’s expression – from the entire team, but because it is quite possible that Morgan will be appointed permanent one-day captain within the next few months.If England endure a poor World Cup – and they are hardly approaching it as one of the bookies’ favourites – it would be no surprise if Alastair Cook stepped down and a successor found. Such a scenario just might offer a sliver of encouragement to those who harbour hopes of a Pietersen recall.Investec, the specialist bank and asset manager, is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. Visit investec.co.uk/cricket or follow us @InvestecCricket

Queensland joined Victoria on 22 points at the top of the Sheffield Shield table on a day when 15 wickets fell at the Gabba

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Feb-2013
ScorecardQueensland joined Victoria on 22 points at the top of the Sheffield Shield table on a day when 15 wickets fell at the Gabba. Ten of those were in Western Australia’s first innings, which concluded for a mere 111 after the visitors had been sent in.Conditions in Brisbane were helpful to seam bowlers but not exactly unplayable, yet the Warriors were rounded up in only 51.5 overs, Adam Voges the only man to threaten a score of substance in making 38 while wickets fell around him.The Bulls shared the wickets, Cameron Gannon nipping out four and James Hopes three, Matthew Gale accounting for the in-form Shaun Marsh. Michael Hussey was a victim of Gannon, edging behind for five.Setting off in pursuit of a meagre total, Greg Moller and Luke Pomersbach guided Queensland to 83 without loss, before WA’s bowlers struck in the final session. Newly announced as a developmental tourist to India, the left-arm spinner Ashton Agar claimed another two wickets as the Bulls slipped to 5 for 100.However Hopes and Chris Hartley, captain and deputy, guided their side into the lead and an imposing position by the close.

GOAL breaks down the Italian defender's journey from son of a legend to legend himself

Long before he burst onto the scene at AC Milan, Paolo Maldini's last name was legendary in Italy. His father, Cesare, was an icon for both Milan and the national team, a captain for both club and country. A dominant defender in his playing days, Cesare Maldini went on to manage AC Milan, too, making him one of the most important figures in history for one of the world's biggest clubs.

All of that is to say that the name Maldini carried weight and, for many, that weight would have been crushing. The moment Paolo Maldini was born, that weight was thrust upon him. He spent his entire childhood being looked at as Cesare's boy as he followed in the footsteps of his father for both club and country.

So how did Maldini shoulder that weight? How did he respond to the massive expectations thrown on him? Well, he simply became perhaps the best defender this sport has ever seen. Not bad… not bad, at all.

By the time his own career was over, Maldini redefined what his own last name meant. Over the course of two-and-a-half decades, Maldini won everything there is to win, reinventing himself as a player over and over again. His time at Milan was iconic. No player is more synonymous with a club than Maldini and Milan.

Born amid unrelenting pressure, Maldini exceeded every expectation, becoming an all-time great. To coincide with the release of his Future Stars Icon card on EA Sports FC24 on PlayStation 5, GOAL takes a look back at Maldini's journey and how he went from Future Star to ICON…

GettyWhere it all began

Maldini was born to play football, that much is clear. It didn't take long for him to prove that, either.

He rapidly rose through the club's youth teams and made his senior debut for the club at just 16 years old during the 1984-85 season. That was his only appearance during that Serie A season, but, at the start of the next campaign, Maldini was thrust right into the starting XI as a right-back. Notably, he was also handed the No.3 shirt that previously belonged to his father, too, cementing him as a player to watch for a rising Milan team.

He won his first Scudetto in the 1987-88 season, anchoring a legendary Milan side that would be remembered as "The Immortals". Featuring the likes of Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit and Franco Baresi, the Rossoneri were loaded with legends and conceded just 14 goals throughout an entire Serie A season. Over the next two years, Maldini and Milan lifted back-to-back European Cups as the defender cemented his place among the best in the game.

AdvertisementThe big break

Although he is likely best known for his skills as a centerback, Maldini's early career was defined by his play on the outside. Having started on the right, he was eventually moved to the left by manager Arrigo Sacchi, highlighting Maldini's ability to play with both feet.

Still at the height of their powers, Milan took things to an even higher level during the 1991-92 season, going unbeaten for 58 matches to earn the "Invincibles" monicker. Under Fabio Capello, Maldini and Milan won three consecutive Serie A titles and reached three consecutive Champions League finals, establishing Milan as the top side in the world.

After winning a third Champions League trophy and reaching the 1994 World Cup final, Maldini truly arrived on the world stage. He finished third in that year's Ballon d'Or voting, a massive achievement for a defender, and finished fifth in the FIFA World Cup Player of the Year voting.

By 1994, at just age 26, Maldini had already won four Serie A titles, three Champions League titles, three European Super Cups and had been to a World Cup final. Following Franco Baresi's retirement, he was also handed Italy's captaincy and, ahead of the 1996-97 season, he was rewarded with the armband at Milan as well.

GettyBecoming an ICON

After being handed the captaincy, Maldini ushered in a new era of AC Milan dominance. Throughout the final years of the 20th century, the club's performance dipped a little as the players that formed the backbone of that early-90s side aged out. Maldini, then, was entrusted to be the face and leader of a new generation, one which went on to reach incredible heights as well.

As the figurehead of a backline that also featured Alessandro Nesta and Cafu, Maldini and Milan won the 2002-03 Champions League, his first as a captain. That win, which came over Juventus, came exactly 40 years after his father, Cesare, also lifted the trophy as Milan's captain. Maldini, of course, was Man of the Match, solidifying his place among the game's legendary defenders.

Now a centerback, Maldini went on to win one more Champions League in 2006-07 after infamously losing to Liverpool in the final the year prior. He went on to play all the way until 2009, making 902 total appearances for Milan. In total, he won 26 trophies with the Rossoneri, who retired his No.3 shirt after his retirement.

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GettyBiggest strengths

Where do you even begin? It's difficult to break down everything Maldini could do given the fact that he was a superstar at two different positions.

As a fullback, Maldini showcased fantastic pace and stamina, while also showing off the famous tackling and defending that would define his play as a centerback later in his career. The Italian was an underrated crosser of the ball, too, popping up with goals and assists that often go overlooked due to that defensive prowess.

That defensive prowess, though, is what made him a legend. One of the best pure defenders of all time, Maldini was a master of marking. Always aware of his surroundings, Maldini's positioning was unmatched, leaving few gaps for even the world's best attackers to exploit.

From a leadership perspective, too, there were few better, as evidenced by his trophy count and the trust put in him by both Milan and Italy to lead them as their captain.

A round-up of the President’s Trophy matches on October 26, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2013Water and Power Development Authority completed an emphatic 213-run victory over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited. WAPDA batted first, putting up a strong first innings total of 311, led by Aamer Sajjad (81) and Adnan Raees (68). Imran Khan was the pick of the bowlers with 5 for 70, and was ably supported by Zafar Gohar’s 3 for 60. ZTBL’s reply was rather flat as they only scored 185, with Naved-ul-Hasan doing the most damage with 4 for 28. Only Yasir Hameed stood out with his score of 70.WAPDA then added 237 in their second innings, with Mohammad Ayub scoring 64. This created a target of 364 for ZTBL, and it was vital that the top order provided useful starts. However, this would not be the case as Sharjeel Khan and Imran Nazir were the only batsmen to hit fifties as ZTBL folded for just 150, with each of the WAPDA bowlers taking at least two wickets.The opening match between Faisalabad and Multan petered out to a draw in Faisalabad. Multan batted first and posted 427, with Usman Liaqat top-scoring with 176. Contributions from Waqar Hussain (51) and Kashif Naved (64) did not go amiss, while Adnan Munir was the pick of the bowlers with 5 for 101. In reply, Faisalabad put up an impressive 475, courtesy lower-order centuries from Zeeshan Butt (102) and Fahim Ashraf (116). Both Shahbaz Hussain and Asif Fawad took four wickets a piece, as Faisalabad held a slight lead of 48 runs. Multan batted well again in their second innings, with Ahmed Rasheed making 99, while Mohammad Imran finished unbeaten on 51, as the teams held for a draw.State Bank of Pakistan completed a 133-run victory over Habib Bank Limited in Islamabad. After opting to bat, SBP put on 226, thanks largely to fifties from Raheel Majeed and Usman Saeed. Ehsan Adil and Sarmad Anwar were the pick of the Habib Bank bowlers, taking 5 for 53 and 3 for 37 respectively. Habib Bank matched SBP’s first innings score with key contributions from Hasan Raza (45), Rameez Aziz (43) and Adil (40). Saad Altaf took a five-for as things remained even-stevens.SBP put on a sizable 293 in their second innings, with Rizwan Haider’s 60 the top score. Sarmad took 4 for 80 and was ably supported by Mohammad Aslam’s 3 for 50. With 294 to chase, Habib Bank looked in trouble as they lost both their openers for just 8 runs. The middle order simply did not capitalise on their starts as Tabish Khan ran through the line-up to finish with 5 for 67. Mohammad Naved also chipped in by taking 3 for 46 as Habib Bank was dismissed for 160.National Bank of Pakistan kicked off their President’s Trophy campaign with a seven-wicket win over Pakistan International Airlines in Sialkot. After being put into bat, PIA posted just 135 in their first innings as Hammad Azam and Zia-ul-Haq ran through the order, picking up four and three wickets respectively.Despite losing opener Anwaar Hafeez inside the first over, Sami Aslam (109) and Kamran Akmal (53) ensured NBP did not make the same mistakes as they scored 278. Shoaib Malik was the pick of the PIA bowlers with 5 for 78. Facing a 143-run deficit, PIA did their best to run up a big total, but faltered as NBP’s bowlers, led by Adnan Rasool’s 4 for 64, restricted them to 218 in the second innings. Only Malik and No. 9 Rafaiy Safdar posted fifties in the second innings for PIA. With just 76 to chase, NBP did the needful in just under 19 overs.Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited began their title defence with a five-run win over Port Qasim Authority in Rawalpindi. SNGPL opted to bat first, but lost wickets at regular intervals and were restricted to 178 by PQA’s bowlers, led by Abdur Rauf’s 5 for 52. PQA’s openers put on 34 but the rest of their batsmen struggled to make meaningful contributions. Medium pacer Imran Ali led SNGPL’s charge, taking 8 for 42 as PQA were skittled for 132. With a slight lead of 46 runs, it was imperative SNGPL put on a strong total to build a sizeable lead.However, the PQA bowlers reduced SNGPL to 33 for 4 early on, with each of the bowlers chipping in. Only Ali Waqas and Khurram Shehzad posted over 30 runs, as Mohammad Talha and Mohammad Sami picked up 4 for 26 and 3 for 26 respectively to dismiss SNGPL for 110. Chasing 157, Imran Ali’s 5 for 55 tore through the top and middle order but PQA were still in sight of victory at 138 for 8, needing another 19 runs, but Sohail Khan’s wicket on 151 meant they fell just short of the target.Khan Research Laboratories beat Pakistan Television by six wickets to register an opening win in the competition. Pakistan Television batted first and only put on 125, with Sadaf Hussain (5 for 36) doing most damage, ably supported by Yasir Arafat’s 3 for 57. In reply, KRL put on 159, boosted by No. 10 Umaid Asif’s counterattacking 47 off 57 balls. Rizwan Akbar starred with the ball for PTV, taking 5 for 47, and Waqar Ahmed chipped in with 3 for 40.Imran Ali and Haroon Ahmed put on a better show in the second innings for PTV, adding 91 for the first wicket. But down the order, apart from Rizwan Ahmed’s 74, the rest of the batting folded without much fight. PTV lost wickets in clusters at several points in the innings, with four wickets falling for just 10 runs towards the end. Facing a chase of 200 runs, KRL overhauled the target without too much trouble. Saeed Anwar jnr’s 74 and Usman Salahuddin’s unbeaten 62 helped KRL reach the total within 42 overs.