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Gianluigi Donnarumma's seven saves and Lionel Messi's attacking quality saw PSG over the line in a 2-0 win over Nice on Saturday

Nicolas Pepe thought he had scored. The Nice winger snuck in at the back post, met Khephren Thuram's cross in stride and guided the ball towards goal. But Gianluigi Donnarumma threw his body in the way, equalling the winger's close-range effort.

It was just one of seven stellar saves from the PSG goalkeeper, whose standout showing evoked memories of his Euro 2020 masterclasses. And after Lionel Messi bagged the opener, and Sergio Ramos nodded home from a corner, Donnarumma's goalkeeping clinic guided PSG to a 2-0 league win over Nice.

Messi broke the deadlock for the visitors. After Kylian Mbappe's shot was stuffed, Nuno Mendes pounced onto the rebound and squared it to an open Messi, who flicked over Kasper Schmeichel and into the top corner. The Argentine was at it for the rest of the first half, orchestrating play and forcing the Nice keeper into a few other neat saves.

PSG's attacking quality steadily dwindled, though, and the Parisians turned to their Euro 2020-winning goalkeeper to keep them in the contest. Donnarumma made two neat saves towards the end of the first half, twice diving at full stretch to deny what seemed to be certain goals.

He was required again in the second half, denying Pepe and Jean-Clair Todibo to ensure that PSG stayed in the lead. The Parisians were also handed a lifeline by a fortunate bounce, as Dante's header crashed down off the crossbar but refused to creep over the line – staying out of the net by millimetres.

Sergio Ramos reaped the rewards grabbed PSG's crucial second, nodding home off a corner – enough to see out a slightly uneasy victory.

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GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Allianz Riviera…

Getty ImagesWINNER: Gianluigi Donnarumma

This is the Donnarumma PSG have been missing. The Italian's quality is undeniable, but he's also been liable to the odd mistake over the past 18 months, some of which have been truly costly to his side. On Saturday, though, he was the difference-maker, seeing off a dogged Lens attack with seven excellent saves.

He was relatively untroubled for the first 30 minutes and seemed poised for a quiet day as Nice struggled to create in the early stages. But he was called into action with regularity by the end of the first half and stopped two certain goals in the closing stages of the opening period. Donnarumma proved equally valuable in the second half, denying four further attempts to ensure that PSG stayed ahead.

The Parisians cannot count on their goalie to be this impactful every game, and they might not want to put him in such a position. But he was every bit the star keeper they needed against Nice.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Achraf Hakimi

Perhaps he's still being bothered by a hamstring injury, but Hakimi hasn't quite been himself of late. He has been hesitant going forward and often loose defensively. Khephren Thuram was always going to be a tricky match-up, and Hakimi made it hard on himself.

He looked lost at times, and was too easily beaten off the dribble. He and Marquinhos – who also had a poor 90 minutes – were hardly comfortable against a side with a middling goalscoring record, something that doesn't bode well if PSG are to see this title across the line. His usual stellar attacking work was lacking, too, with Hakimi mistiming the odd run and not getting involved in the flow of attack.

It was a forgettable one for the Moroccan. He will need to be better against second-placed Lens next week.

GettyWINNER: Lionel Messi

Well, that's one way to answer your critics. Messi did a very Messi thing here. He wandered around, touched the ball very nicely, played some angled passes. And then, he made a very difficult finish look very easy. Nuno Mendes gave him a difficult cross to handle, driving a ball hard onto his left boot. But Messi controlled it perfectly, guiding Mendes' ball into the top corner.

And he continued to be impactful from there. He sprayed some wonderful passes to Mbappe, linked up with Hakimi well, and gave PSG some temporary relief when pushed back by a well-drilled Nice side. This wasn't Messi operating a full capacity – far from it – but he bagged the winner and did his bit to ensure that PSG grabbed three points. In a season this poor, that's all they need.

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Getty ImagesLOSER: Renato Sanches

What a miserable campaign for the Portuguese midfielder. Sanches just seemed to be finding form, and was rewarded with a start at the No.6 today in the absence of Marco Verratti. But he pulled up with an injury after less than 10 minutes, and immediately called for a substitution.

Sanches still has four years left on his deal, and should be an impact payer if he stays fit. But he hasn't started more than 20 league games since he was a teenager. That's not a good sign for a midfielder in his mid-20s.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted that his side could be better at the back, with a move for a new defender a priority in the upcoming window

With the end of the season fast approaching, planning has begun at Manchester United for the next campaign and how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can take his team from title challengers to real contenders.

Manchester City look set to run away with the 2020-21 Premier League trophy but United’s results – and some of their performances – this season have shown that perhaps with a couple of tweaks they could have what it takes to properly push for top spot.

There are arguments for strengthening in a number of positions but, with Covid-19 affecting finances, the club will unlikely be able to fund every single one of their targets.

One of the main priorities is a centre-back. Victor Lindelof has come under fire for his performances in recent weeks and there is not enough depth in the position. 

Solskjaer admitted ahead of his side’s clash against Chelsea this weekend that he wants to see defensive improvements from the whole team.

“We know we have scored a lot of goals and of course we need to be a better team defensively,” Solskjaer said. “We have conceded too many goals so we need to improve on that and winning tighter games.”

It is understood, therefore, that United are in the market for a central defender this summer. Here, Goal analyses the names they’ve looked at in the past, a wild card and a few candidates for the future to potentially solve their defensive dilemmas.

Also considered are a couple of in-house solutions should United fail to get the deal done. 

Getty ImagesJules Kounde – Sevilla

Kounde is one of the hottest defensive prospects in Europe and it’s hardly surprising United are interested in the 22-year-old.

Manchester City tried to land him last summer but ended getting up Ruben Dias instead after being put off by the price set by Sevilla. Afterwards, sporting director Monchi admitted that their price may have been inflated.

It will be interesting to see what kind of bid might prove to be acceptable this summer. A compromise would have to be reached as United would not be willing to pay over the odds, especially in the current climate.

Although Solskjaer is after a left-footed centre-back and Kounde is right-footed, he is comfortable on the left side and also fits the profile as a young, exciting player – the kind of player that the United boss wants to fill his side with.

Another positive is that he is able to play right-back. United have been looking at right-backs to provide competition for Aaron Wan-Bissaka. If budgets become a problem and decisions have to be made over which positions to prioritise that could prove to be a benefit.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesDavid Carmo – Braga

Portuguese defender Carmo is another who fits the profile as the kind of player Solskjaer is keen to have in his squad.

The 21-year-old centre-back, who has already been likened to Virgil van Dijk, also fits the bill in terms of being left-footed. He would compliment the right-footed centre-backs Solskjaer already has at his disposal.

Real Madrid are also believed to be keeping an eye on the Braga stopper, while he was briefly linked with Liverpool in the January window.

Carmo is currently recovering from a bad ankle injury suffered two weeks ago which saw him leave the pitch in an ambulance.

Nevertheless, he remains on Solskjaer’s watchlist.

Getty ImagesIbrahima Konate – RB Leipzig

Young Frenchman Ibrahima Konate is another hot prospect when it comes to centre-backs in Europe.

The RB Leipzig defender has been linked with the majority of the big Premier League clubs and has been monitored by United.

The 21-year-old has developed a good relationship with compatriot Dayot Upamecano and their success in Julian Nagelsmann's backline has led to interest from a variety of clubs.  

With Upamecano already agreeing to join Bayern Munich in the summer, it is hard to see Leipzig letting the other key man in their defence leave in the same window.

The fact that Konate has attracted attention from a number of clubs is even more striking given that he has missed a large chunk of this season through injury and has only started four times in the Bundesliga. 

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Getty ImagesRaphael Varane – Real Madrid

Compared to the other, younger candidates, Raphael Varane is heading towards the veteran category at 27 years old. That would not be seen as a negative though with Solskjaer having such a young dressing room.

The United boss has regularly spoken about the experience of older players helping to mould the younger generations and Varane has had plenty of experience at Real Madrid and also in winning the World Cup with France.

A proven winner, he’s out of contract in the summer of 2022 and has yet to agree an extension which could see him move on in the next window.

The United hierarchy are believed to be admirers and his key attributes would compliment captain Harry Maguire at the back.

Goal takes a look at the 20 highest-paid managers in football

France Football are set to reveal their annual lost of football's highest-paid coaches, and Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone leads the way by quite some distance.

The Argentine has led Atleti to one of the most successful spells in their history and has been well rewarded for doing so by his employers. 

Simeone earns a staggering €10 million (£8.6m/$11.2m) more than Jose Mourinho did when the Portuguese was in charge at Manchester United.

In addition, France Football unveiled the list of highest-paid players in the game, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo leading the way. 

Below, Goal takes a look at the 20 highest-paid managers in football. 

saudi arabia20Dragan Stojkovic

Club: Guangzhou R&F.

Total income: €7 million (£6m/$7.9m)

AdvertisementGetty Images19Unai Emery

Club: Arsenal.

Total income: €7 million (£6m/$7.9m)

Getty Images18Zinedine Zidane

Club: Real Madrid.

Total income: €7.5 million (£6.4m/$8.4m).

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CHRISTOF STACHE17Niko Kovac

Club: Bayern Munich.

Total income: €7.5 million (£6.4m/$8.4m).

Rubel Hossain, who was a key member of Bangadesh’s pace attack during the 2015 World Cup, has been left out of the BCB’s list of contracted players for 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2016Rubel Hossain, who was a key member of Bangadesh’s pace attack during the 2015 World Cup, has been left out of the BCB’s list of contracted players for 2016. Rubel has been troubled by injuries in recent months, and has not played for Bangladesh in any format since July 2015.Apart from Rubel, the BCB also omitted opening batsman Anamul Haque and fast bowler Shafiul Islam from its list of contracted players.In place of these three, the BCB awarded contracts to Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman and Mustafizur Rahman. All three have made big strides in international cricket over the past year, with Sarkar and Sabbir establishing themselves as opener and finisher in Bangladesh’s limited-overs batting line-ups and Mustafizur enjoying a dream debut season that culminated in his selection in the ICC ODI team of the year.List of contracted players for 2016: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Taijul Islam, Mashrafe Mortaza, Al-Amin Hossain, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman.

India batsman Yuvraj Singh has been ruled out of the World T20 following the ankle injury that he sustained while batting against Australia in the Super 10 game in Mohali

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2016India batsman Yuvraj Singh has been ruled out of the rest of the World T20 following the ankle injury he sustained while batting against Australia on Sunday. Manish Pandey has been named as his replacement in the 15-man squad.Yuvraj had landed awkwardly on his left ankle off the second ball he faced in Mohali and immediately felt pain and needed attention from the physio. Although he batted for 18 balls and spent half an hour in the middle, his movement was restricted and he had trouble running between the wickets.Pandey, who had struck an ODI century the last time he played for India, had been put on standby, and was seen practicing at Brabourne stadium on Tuesday in the lead up to India’s semi-final against West Indies in Mumbai. That 104 not out came in Australia in January and since then Pandey has not played any competitive cricket.India also have Ajinkya Rahane, who has been with the team since the start of the tournament, to call on. The team management, including captain MS Dhoni, has been vocal about Rahane’s best place in the XI being in the top three, but Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli have been the regulars at those positions for a long time.

ESPNcricinfo reporter Daniel Brettig was taken to hospital in Dominica on Saturday night after being mugged by men armed with knives in the capital city Roseau

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2015ESPNcricinfo reporter Daniel Brettig was taken to hospital in Dominica on Saturday night after being mugged by men armed with knives in the capital city Roseau.Brettig was attacked by two men and thrown to the ground after withdrawing cash from an ATM a short walk away from the Australian team hotel, and had his wallet and phones stolen.He was treated at hospital for a cut to the head, a bloody nose and other grazes, but said the incident would not taint his view of the Caribbean.”After nearly 10 years of touring maybe I had got too comfortable, but Dominica was certainly not particularly high on my list of dangerous places,” Brettig said. “It goes to show that we must be extremely careful wherever we are in the world, and that we must also look after each other and operate in groups.”The mugging itself was pretty awful and violent, although it could of course been so much worse. Quite early in the confrontation you realise that your valuables are meaningless without your life, and they can all be replaced.”Brettig had visited Dominica previously in 2012 to cover Australia’s Test match there, and said he had fond memories of the country.”I’m grateful to the overwhelming majority of the local population for how much they have worked to try to help me, from the two young men who helped me out of the street where I’d been attacked, to hotel staff, police and others,” he said. “They deserve better than to have their country dragged through the mud by a few thugs and thieves.”I’m also grateful for the kind words and gestures of the Australian team on tour, nearly all of whom have wished me well over the past day. The vigilance of the team security manager, Frank Dimasi, should not be underestimated. Equally, I am thankful for the supportive words I’ve received from the cricketing family back home.”I don’t want to let this episode dissuade me from travelling to the Caribbean nor touring generally, but I will certainly be doing so in more cautious ways in future.”Another Australian tourist travelling with a group of cricket fans was also mugged in Dominica on the same night in a separate incident.The first Test finished in Dominica on Friday, and the teams will move on to Jamaica for this week’s second Test.

If Bangladesh manage to win again in Mirpur on Sunday, they will achieve their first ever series win against Pakistan

The Preview by Mohammad Isam18-Apr-2015Match factsSunday, April 19, 2015
Start time 1430 local (0830 GMT)Mashrafe Mortaza is set to return and lead Bangladesh in the second ODI•BCBBig pictureBangladesh winning the first ODI by a whopping 79 runs will be enough to stoke the fire of an opponent that had enjoyed an unbeaten 16-year run. For once, in the history of Bangladesh-Pakistan matches, it is a real contest. The second ODI holds so much promise; the series is on the line.Pakistan played the first match with seven changes to the XI that lost the World Cup quarter-final against Australia last month. Two players made their debuts and the batting line up was rejigged. The new ODI captain Azhar Ali did his part with 72 off 73 balls, while Haris Sohail and Mohammad Rizwan also made half-centuries. Mohammad Hafeez and Fawad Alam did not contribute much.Azhar and the Pakistan coach Waqar Younis have a tricky job of fine-tuning the batting order. They won’t want to expose their best batsmen too early, but someone like Fawad Alam could also use more time at the crease. They need runs to enhance the threat posed by their strength – the pace attack and Saeed Ajmal.Wahab Riaz took four wickets, but Rahat Ali and Junaid Khan had little success or control. Ajmal conceded 74 runs in ten overs too. Pakistan have to pick a fifth bowler or Azhar Ali must juggle the part-timers with a more imagination.Bangladesh are still riding the wave of their World Cup performance. Tamim Iqbal and Mushfiqur Rahim scored hundreds and put together a record ODI partnership for the team. They batted with a rarely seen confidence, while their bowlers did an efficient job of defending a large total.Arafat Sunny and Taskin Ahmed shared six wickets, but Rubel Hossain’s verve would have encouraged the team management. Mashrafe Mortaza now looks like the perfect foil for the two young pace bowlers, as he will return after serving his over-rate ban.Form guideBangladesh WLLWW (last five matches, most recent first)Pakistan LLWWWIn the spotlightArafat Sunny’s three wickets in the first ODI took his tally to 11 in his last three home matches. The left-arm spinner is accurate and has a mean arm-ball that is faster than his stock delivery. Bangladesh will expect more control from him in the second game.Azhar Ali had a tough captaincy debut but considering it was his first ODI in more than two years, he exceeded expectations. He scored at a brisk rate, much faster than his career strike-rate. He will be expected to contribute more as an opener and captain to justify his elevation to leadership.Team newsWith Mashrafe returning, he is most likely to replace Abul Hasan, who conceded 42 runs in five overs in the first game. The rest of Bangladesh’s line-up should remain unchanged.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Mahmudullah, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Sabbir Rahman, 7 Nasir Hossain, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Arafat Sunny, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Rubel HossainPakistan might pick a fifth bowler because their three part-timers went for 79 in ten overs. Ehsan Adil has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Umar Gul, who is part of the T20 team, has replaced him and could have a shot at playing his first international match since December 2014. Left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar is another option.Pakistan (probable): 1 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 2 Azhar Ali (capt), 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Haris Sohail, 5 Mohammad Rizwan, 6 Fawad Alam, 7 Saad Nasim/Zulfiqar Babar, 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Junaid Khan, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Rahat AliPitch and conditionsThe Mirpur pitch will continue to make teams want to bat first. A bit of movement will be on offer if it is humid, but a 2:30 pm start usually makes for a big first-innings total. The forecast suggests a chance of a shower later in the evening.Stats and trivia Mashrafe Mortaza will become the third Bangladesh cricketer to play 150 ODIs. He has played 147 for his country, and two for Asia XI in 2007. Mohammad Rizwan is the ninth Pakistan batsman to make a 50-plus score on ODI debut.Quotes”We can win like we did in the first ODI consistently. I believe we can win the series. The first win has boosted our confidence but we must remember that the second game won’t be easy either.”
“I think my team will come back strong. I know my team. As a bowling unit they will bounce back, you will see a much more improved performance in the next game.”
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Australia’s captain Michael Clarke is closing the gap between his current level of physical output and the peak of fitness that he expects of himself during the World Cup

Daniel Brettig06-Feb-20152:22

‘I don’t want to be restricted on the field’ – Clarke

A club match in which he batted leisurely for two hours. A warm-up game in which he fielded, bowled and batted with greater freedom. A period of intensive training and rehab in Adelaide while he watches his team play India, another warm-up match against the UAE in which he will play.Day by day, piece by piece, Australia’s captain Michael Clarke is closing the gap between his current level of physical output and the peak of fitness that he expects of himself during the World Cup. The building blocks are being placed carefully and methodically by Clarke, who quietly rejoices in each small sign of progress after hamstring surgery but is not tempting fate by taking the next one for granted.Critical to all this is that Clarke wants to be able to move and play at his best come the February 21 match against Bangladesh. This is why he is building up steadily rather than swiftly, why he is not going to be playing against India on Sunday, and why the coach Darren Lehmann’s talk of Clarke being passed fit to play for the tournament opener against England at the MCG on February 14 seems a little too fanciful for such a careful climb.”I think I’ll get there by continuing to take each step,” Clarke said in Adelaide. “My running’s close to full speed now, so I’ll keep doing a lot of work there. Keep working hard with my strength, and then doing as much cricket-specific stuff as possible is going to get me to the intensity I need to be.”Fielding with Mike Young yesterday at Allan Border Field was a real good start. That’s probably the area I need to be 100% satisfied that my body can cope with going 100 miles an hour. That’s the way I’ve always played my cricket and that’s the way I want to continue to play. I don’t want to be restricted in where I field and how I field. I want to be able to play the type of cricket I’ve played over my whole career.”Apart from the physical work Clarke is doing, other gaps need to be closed as well. He has returned to camp with the team as leader for the first time since the Adelaide Test, despite having made sporadic visits to the dressing room in between that emotional week and his arrival to speak ahead of Australia’s World Cup tilt in a function room at Adelaide’s Intercontinental Hotel.This means reconnecting with team-mates, speaking more closely with staff other than the medical and fitness division with whom he is presently most familiar, and devoting some time to the cricket questions of this tournament. There will be plenty of senior figures at Cricket Australia happy to hear that Clarke spoke about his body and his future for only around half of his press conference on Friday, rather than all of it.”The teams that have won the World Cup, I’ve looked at them as the No. 1 team in the world,” Clarke said when reminded of Australia’s strong record in bilateral series but lack of an ICC trophy of any kind since 2009. “It is nice we’ve had success along the way, hopefully that helps us with confidence and momentum going into a major tournament, but in saying that it’s one game at a time.”You need to build momentum through the tournament but you need to have consistent success. So hopefully how we have performed over the last couple of years, we can take that confidence into this tournament, but we need to be at our best.”I’ve never minded the length of the tournament. I know it’s spoken about often being too long, but as a player I’ve never minded it, it gives you time to get to the next destination, get your body and mind right, look at your opposition and then prepare.”Two months ago, Clarke took the field for the Adelaide Test knowing his preparation had been less than ideal. For near enough to two weeks following the blow that felled Phillip Hughes at the SCG in late November, he did nothing in the way of work on his tender hamstring. When it grabbed in the field on the final day of the match, after his back had also gone into spasm when he batted, Clarke was downcast but not surprised. This time will be different.”I probably had a 12-day period before the Adelaide Test where I didn’t do a thing,” he said. “I was pretty occupied with some other stuff, so that probably wasn’t the best preparation leading into the Test. So there’s a big difference there already. I didn’t have my best preparation for Adelaide, I don’t think any player did, but in regard to my physical fitness I had no preparation going into that Test match.”The preparation I’ve been doing on a daily basis gives me the freedom and confidence to run at that intensity or move in the field or bowl or bat. My whole career the work I do off the field has given me every chance to have the success I’ve had on the field, and that won’t change. Between me playing yesterday for the CA XI and walking out and playing an ODI, there’s still a gap there, but I’ll close that gap by the work I do off the field, and once I set foot on the ground I don’t hold anything back. I give 100% and back the work I’ve done.”When Clarke was initially set he February 21 deadline, many thought it too soon for a realistic return from surgery. But day by day and piece by piece, it is becoming harder to bet against him.

Somerset have handed the captaincy of their 50-over and T20 sides to Alfonso Thomas, easing the load on club captain Marcus Trescothick, who will continue to lead in Championship cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2015Somerset have handed the captaincy of their 50-over and T20 sides to Alfonso Thomas, easing the load on club captain Marcus Trescothick, who will continue to lead in Championship cricket.Thomas, who at 38 is only a year younger than Trescothick, has become a local favourite since first arriving at Somerset in 2008. He captained Somerset at the 2011 Champions League, when Trescothick remained at home, and has experience of playing T20 around the world, including for IPL and Big Bash franchises.”Alfonso has played a huge amount of T20 cricket in the last few seasons both here and abroad,” Somerset coach, Matt Maynard, said. “He has tasted success in the IPL, the BPL and the Big Bash.”His experiences of the intricacies of the T20 game at the highest level make him the ideal captain for the shorter form of the game. Marcus will continue to lead the side in the County Championship and will still fulfil the crucial role of club captain.”Thomas has spent the winter recovering from a broken ankle, sustained while playing golf, but is ready for another campaign across all formats, having finished the 2014 season as Somerset’s leading Championship wicket-taker. He said that wanted the limited-overs teams to “be brave and play entertaining cricket” as Somerset seek their first silverware since the 2005 Twenty20 Cup.”I think the one thing we have identified in our one-day game is to try and get our youngsters coming through – and to just try and be brave and play entertaining cricket – and hopefully that will get the crowds in,” he told the .”I see my role as talking to our young bowlers, trying to work out what they’re thinking and what they are trying to execute and where it’s going to take them four years to work it out for themselves – I’d like to think it’ll take them one or two years which gives them an extra two years to be good quality.”

Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews admitted that it has been difficult to focus on the cricket following the death of Phillip Hughes

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Nov-2014There will be tragic symmetry when Sri Lanka take the field for the second ODI in Colombo, as many on social media have noted. When a 20-year-old Phillip Hughes struck his maiden Test hundred in Durban, he had worn a black armband following the Lahore terror attack on the Sri Lanka team. On Saturday, in Colombo, Sri Lanka will wear black armbands for Hughes.Sri Lanka and England had spoken of abandoning the second match, but had eventually decided to play it, in tribute. Though, it has been tough to focus on the cricket, Angelo Mathews said.Angelo Mathews – “Everyone had a tough day. Even though he’s an Australian, he’s our mate. When you lose a friend of yours, it is very difficult to go through”•Getty Images”It hasn’t really been easy to concentrate,” Mathews said. “That was the first thing I heard when I woke up last morning, and I had a very tough day going through it. Everyone had a tough day. Even though he’s an Australian, he’s our mate. When you lose a friend of yours, it is very difficult to go through. I hope and pray that we never ever hear of such an incident again in cricket, or any other sport.”Hughes had enjoyed playing Sri Lanka, going by his scores. In Tests, he had hit 435 runs at an average of 43.50 against Sri Lanka, who were also on the receiving end of both his ODI hundreds. Hughes had also made a second-innings 126 at the SSC, when Sri Lanka were pushing for a series-leveling win, in 2011. But although Hughes kept Sri Lanka in the field for longer than they would have liked, the team remembered Hughes as a “cheerful and friendly person”, Mathews said.”Phil Hughes was a very humble guy, and a fighter when it comes to cricket,” he said. “His loss will be a big one for the game. He played his first ODI against us. If I remember right, he hit a hundred in that match. He was a very good player, and a thorough gentleman. Our whole team conveys our condolences and sadness to his family, loved ones, teammates, Australian fans, and fans around the world.”Although Hughes’ death has brought the danger inherent in cricket into sharp focus, Mathews said his team would seek to play as they have always done. Hughes had been hit by a bouncer in a part of the neck not protected by helmets, and sustained an injury that has only been seen around 100 times in recorded medical history.”We never expect something like this to happen when you bowl a bouncer. Even when the bowlers are aggressive, you don’t expect the batsman to get hurt. It’s just the game of cricket, and it was an unfortunate incident. There won’t be any thoughts regarding those bouncers. It was an unfortunate incident. All we can do is hope that player safety can improve.”Though Sri Lanka did not lose a teammate in the 2009 attack, even in 2014, players have spoken of ongoing psychological repercussions stemming from that ordeal. Mathews said there was little Hughes’ team-mates could do, but gradually work through their emotions. “It’s not easy to get over things like this. You’ve got to move on, but it will take a lot of time to recover.”