Two players and a driver are dead after a top-flight Guinea football club's team bus crashed into a stationary truck late at night on the journey back from a game.

The club, Wakriya AC, said new signing Alfred Kargbo died at the scene of the crash on Monday night.

Midfielder Aboubacar Camara and bus driver N'Fa Laye died in the hospital on Tuesday after being taken there in critical condition.

Issiaga Camara, a defender for the Guinea under-17 national team, was also in critical condition but has improved, Wakriya said.

He played at the U17 World Cup in 2017. He is not related to Aboubacar Camara.

Other players, including defender and team captain Ibrahima Sory Doumbouya, who was recently selected in the Guinea senior national team squad, sustained minor injuries.

Wakriya said the bus plowed into a stationary truck that was carrying tree logs at around 11 p.m. on Monday at Friguiadi, just outside the capital Conakry. Although they are based in the western city of Boke, the team was due to stop over in Conakry after a game against league leader Loubha Telimele in Kindia, about 85 miles north-east of the capital.

Wakriya said it believed the truck had broken down in the middle of the road and had no warning lights on and the team bus slammed into the back of it. Some of the tree logs fell onto the Wakriya bus.

Kargbo was from Sierra Leone and his family has asked that his body be repatriated, Wakriya said. There will be a memorial service for Camara at the country's main September 28 Stadium in Conakry on Friday.

The West Africa nation is due to host the 2025 African Cup of Nations, the continent's biggest soccer tournament.

Former Premier League referee Bobby Madley has admitted he was sacked because a tasteless video he described as a "dark-humoured joke" between friends was sent to his employers.

Madley has not officiated in the Premier League since August 2018, with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) originally stating that he was relocating to Norway.

However, he has now revealed that the video, where he mocked a parent with a walking impairment, was forwarded to the PGMOL which resulted in a formal disciplinary hearing and his subsequent dismissal.

Madley said the video was made in response to being "fat shamed" in a newspaper article titled 'Blobby Bobby' written by former referee Mark Halsey, who claimed he made mistakes because he was overweight.

"As I sat in my car with my phone in hand, a person walked past my car in front of me who had a walking impairment. The next part I am ashamed of," Madley explained in a blog post.

"I took a six-second film, I said nothing. I did this in Snapchat, which is where I take all of my films that I intend to save to my phone.

"On the video I wrote: 'I have a chance of winning the parents' race this year.' Out of context I accept this reads shamefully... However, my intention was that the joke was aimed at myself."

Madley said the video, sent as a private text to somebody he trusted, was meant to be nothing more than a joke and was not intended to be seen by anyone else, claiming his "world fell apart" after the video came to light.

"I regret taking the video, I regret sending that video and, whilst it was a dark-humoured joke, it was just that. A joke. It was not intended to shame anyone," he added.

"Whilst I absolutely understand the importance of an employer taking discrimination seriously, as they did, the decision to this day still stuns me.

"I will never be able to accept that the decision taken was either necessary nor was it proportionate to the act... The last 18 months have been mental torture for me."

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Naseem Shah has been withdrawn from Pakistan's squad for the Under-19 World Cup. Mohammad Wasim, the 18-year-old fast bowler who has been an Under-19 regular in recent months, has replaced him.

Naseem, the 16-year-old fast bowler who has played three Test matches since making his senior international debut in November, was named in the original Under-19 squad last month. Pakistan head-coach-cum-selector Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis, however, were not in favour of releasing him for age-group cricket.

ALSO READ - Naseem Shah caught in tug-of-war between Pakistan's senior and Under-19 teams

The senior and junior selection committees have now come to an agreement, and Naseem will not travel to South Africa for the tournament, which begins on January 17.

"The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup is a stepping stone for future stars and a platform for budding youngsters to graduate to international cricket," said Wasim Khan, PCB's chief executive officer. "Naseem has recently broken that glass ceiling and has established his credentials as an international cricketer. As such, the PCB has taken a pragmatic approach and decided to withdraw him from [the] competition to provide this opportunity to another promising cricketer so that he can show his mettle and potential at a global stage."

In his short time so far as an international cricketer, Naseem has marked himself out as a special talent with his precocious pace and venom. He made his debut in Perth, in the first Test of Pakistan's recent tour of Australia, and dismissed centurion David Warner with a brute of a short ball. He missed the second Test with a knee niggle that is understood to have hindered his rhythm in the nets, but played both Tests of Pakistan's home series against Sri Lanka, taking seven wickets in the two Tests including a match-winning five-wicket haul in the second Test in Karachi.

That performance made him the second-youngest bowler, behind compatriot Nasim-ul-Ghani in 1958, to take a five-for in Test cricket, and the youngest fast bowler to do so.

The junior team management, headed by coach Ijaz Ahmed, wanted Naseem to be freed up for the Under-19 World Cup, and he was meant to link up with his team-mates at a preparatory camp in Lahore after the series against Sri Lanka. But he did not attend the camp, and was also rested from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final in Karachi.

After extensive discussions with the senior team management, the national junior selection committee, headed by Saleem Jaffar, have agreed to withdraw Naseem and include Wasim in his stead. Wasim has taken 10 Youth ODI wickets in eight matches, at an average of 27.40.

"This should not deter Pakistan's chances at next year's ICC U19 Cricket World Cup as the selectors have picked a side that is experienced and bubbling with confidence to perform strongly," said Khan. "Naseem will now remain in Pakistan and continue to work on his skills under the watchful eyes of bowling coach Waqar Younis. Furthermore, he will remain available for the home series against Bangladesh."

Pakistan, the 2004 and 2006 champions and three-time runners-up, are slotted in Group C along with Bangladesh, Scotland and Zimbabwe in the 16-team Under-19 World Cup. They will kick off their campaign against Scotland on January 19 in Potchefstroom.

After a month-long camp followed by a break, the players regrouped in Lahore on Wednesday for the final leg of the camp. The team will depart for Johannesburg on January 10 from Lahore.

Four cities across Pakistan have been identified as hosts for the 34 matches of the upcoming PSL, the PCB has announced. Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium will stage 14 matches, including the final on March 22, while Karachi will host nine games, including the tournament opener between Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United on February 20. Rawalpindi (eight matches) and Multan (three matches) are the two other venues.

The return of big cricket to Pakistan, following the 2009 terrorist attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore, has mostly been confined to Lahore and Karachi. International cricket returned to Rawalpindi after 13 years last month, when it hosted Pakistan's first home Test in a decade, while Multan last hosted an international game in April 2008.

"After bringing Test cricket back to Pakistan, hosting of the entire HBL Pakistan Super League is our other major achievement," PCB chairman Ehsan Mani said in a statement. "I never had any doubts it was Pakistan's league and should be played in front of home crowds. We had made this commitment to the people of Pakistan at the end of last year's event and I am pleased today we have announced the event schedule with four centres to share the 34 event matches between them."

Multan got its go-ahead following an extensive security assessment by a PCB-appointed independent consultant. The stadium is still undergoing renovations but is expected to be ready in time.

Steyn is coming to Pakistan for @thePSLt20. We play 5 home games in Pindi https://t.co/1puGJ1Ag1w

— Islamabad United (@IsbUnited) January 1, 2020

The 36-player overseas contingent for this year's PSL includes international stars including Dale Steyn, Ben Cutting, Chris Lynn, Alex Hales and Chris Jordan. The six franchises signed six overseas players each, with only four allowed in the playing XI per game. A total of 425 overseas players from 22 countries had registered for the PSL 2020 draft.

"This shows the confidence that players throughout the world have in playing in Pakistan," Mani said. "Through this event, we expect economy and tourism to get significant boost, which will have a direct impact on the overall health of the country.

"For the fans, this will be a long-awaited opportunity to see their cricketing heroes live in action and reinforce their love for this great game. I am expecting like last year, the entire country will get behind this tournament and by turning up in big numbers, they will once again show the world their passion for cricket."

Defending champions Quetta Gladiators will play three matches in Lahore, four in Karachi, one in Multan and two in Rawalpindi, while Peshawar Zalmi will play one match each in Lahore and Multan, three in Karachi and five in Rawalpindi. Lahore Qalandars will play eight matches in Lahore and travel to Karachi and Rawalpindi for one game each.

Karachi Kings have two of their games in Lahore, five in Karachi, one in Multan and two in Rawalpindi while Multan Sultans will travel to Lahore for five matches, Karachi and Rawalpindi for one each, with three of their home games in Multan. Islamabad United will travel between Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi for five, three, and two matches respectively.

In recent years, the PCB has used the PSL as a key platform to revive high-profile cricket in the country. The ball got rolling in 2017 when the Gaddafi Stadium hosted the final of the tournament. In the following season, four games were held across Karachi and Lahore, with the fourth and most-recent edition in 2019, seeing eight games played in Karachi, including the final.

Jofra Archer has emerged as an injury doubt for England's second Test in South Africa.

Archer, who took six wickets in the first Test, only bowled six balls in England's training session on January 1 due to a sore elbow, raising concerns that he will not have recovered in time to play in the Cape Town Test.

ALSO READ: England 'will not be afraid' to leave out Broad or Anderson - Silverwood

The pitch for the Test, which starts on January 3, lacks the grass seen in Centurion and is relatively dry. As a result, England are likely to bring a spin bowler into their side. Dom Bess, the Somerset offspinner, looks in pole position to play, ahead of Jack Leach - who trained on Wednesday, but has been unwell for most of the past month - and Matt Parkinson.

That means that one seamer would have to miss out, with Archer's injury suggesting he could be the most likely to do so. If he is fully recovered and fit to play - which is far from certain - the selection dilemma facing Joe Root and Chris Silverwood would probably come down to a choice between James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

While Archer was expensive in the second innings at Centurion, it will be a significant blow for England if he is unavailable. He is, alongside Mark Wood, the fastest bowler in their squad and their seam attack would risk looking somewhat one-paced in his absence. The pitch is expected to prove relatively good for batting. Not only it is the first Test surface prepared by new groundsman, Ihtishaam Adams, but the local board's finances suggest they would prefer a four or even five-day crowd.

All 19 members of England's touring party were fit enough to train, with Dom Sibley recovering quickly from the illness that has swept the camp since their arrival in South Africa.

The Washington Redskins officially named Ron Rivera their new head coach Wednesday.

"After several meetings with Coach Rivera, it was clear he is the right person to bring winning football back to Washington D.C.," Redskins owner Dan Snyder said in a statement. "He is widely respected around the league as a man of great integrity and has proven to be one of the finest coaches in the country."

Rivera becomes the seventh head coach hired by Snyder. Because Rivera, 57, was fired by the Panthers on Dec. 3 with a 5-7 record, and he was viewed as a strong candidate for any opening.

The Redskins fired Jay Gruden after an 0-5 start in his sixth season. Some players bemoaned a lack of discipline, something interim coach Bill Callahan said he wanted to correct.

"While I love the storied history of the franchise, I am focused on the future and excited for the opportunity to win football games with this talented young team," Rivera said in the statement. "After meeting Dan Snyder, it was clear we are aligned in our passion for the game and he supports my vision to turn the team around. I look forward to surrounding myself with great people and getting to work."

Rivera is expected to target former Jaguars and Raiders coach Jack Del Rio as his new defensive coordinator, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Del Rio, 55, is currently an ESPN analyst.

He was a defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers in 2002 and with the Denver Broncos from 2012-14, all for John Fox who was the head coach of those teams.

His defenses finished No. 1 overall in 2012 and '13, No. 2 in 2002 and No. 4 in 2014.

Rivera quickly turned around the Panthers, who went 2-14 in 2010, the season before he took over. Three seasons later, they went 12-4. In 2015, they were 15-1 and reached the Super Bowl. Rivera compiled a 76-63-1 record with Carolina, although the Panthers had only three winning seasons in his eight full years. They reached the playoffs four times, including in 2014 with a 7-8-1 record, and won the NFC South three seasons in a row.

Rivera also was Chicago's defensive coordinator in 2006 when the Bears reached the Super Bowl. He served in the same role from 2008 to 2010 with the San Diego Chargers. Carolina hired him as its head coach in January 2011.

Since his debut in the second half of 2018, Deepak Chahar has made rapid strides to be among the near-certainties in India's T20I squad, while staking his claim to a regular spot in the ODI squad as well. Chahar enjoyed a particularly productive 2019 in the shortest format, for India as well as Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. That included a world-record haul of 6 for 7 against Bangladesh.

Chahar followed that performance up by turning out for Rajasthan, his state team, in India's domestic T20 competition, and continuing to take wickets in clusters, but the surfeit of cricket took a toll. Chahar was ruled out of India's deciding third ODI against West Indies with a stress fracture on his lower back, and is now on the rehabilitation road.

The experience has prompted Chahar to reconsider his schedule, and he said he would be more selective about the domestic matches he turns up for. Chahar had a particularly busy time in November and December. It began with a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, and two days after his 6 for 7, he was turning out for Rajasthan in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He played four T20 matches from November 12 to 17, and then three more from November 25 to 29. Subsequently, he was back in India colours for the T20I and ODI series against West Indies, from December 6, playing five matches before being ruled out of the final one.

"The stress fracture in my back is mainly due to playing excess matches," Chahar told The Telegraph. "Before the Ranji Trophy began, I was playing almost all matches. In fact, it's been happening like this for the past two years. So I have to be a bit selective now. Else, I won't be able to survive."

Chahar has spoken earlier of the work he had put in to increase his pace from the 120s (kph) to the high 130s. Now he says constant cricket has also brought his pace down.

"The year starts on a poor note, unfortunately, because of the injury," Chahar said. "My objective is to obviously keep performing better, but I will also be doing the required training and exercises to regain my lost pace. Since I was playing continuously, I had lost two-three kilometres [per hour] of pace."

Chief selector MSK Prasad had indicated Chahar could be out until March-April, but the seamer himself hasn't put a timeframe to his return. He made it clear, though, that his being selective with the matches he plays would not apply to the IPL.

"Match fitness is also important," Chahar said. "If you take proper rest and utilise your time properly, then the IPL is a really good platform to regain your rhythm. In two months, you have to play 14 matches in the IPL, which is not much.

"The problem was, after the Bangladesh series where we played three matches in seven days, I started playing the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy where the gaps between each game were very short. So if I have to play, say eight to nine games in 12 days, that is more difficult. Therefore, in these cases, I need to be selective. These situations are more harmful to the body kyunki aap lagaatar khel rahe ho (because you are continuously playing).

"Besides, the schedule in the Ranji Trophy as also in the Vijay Hazare Trophy is such that sometimes you have to play back-to-back matches. I played four matches in five days in this season's Vijay Hazare Trophy [he played four List A games from October 1 to 6], and such a scenario may lead to injuries."

Disquiet at the bottom

Reports have emerged of the Rangpur sponsors meddling in pre-match selection and captaincy talks. BCB director Enayet Hossain Siraj, who shifted from Rajshahi Royals to the Rangpur side after his company, Incepta Pharmaceuticals, became Rangpur's sponsors, has admitted that he has taken charge of team affairs. Whispers of Siraj disregarding coach Mark O'Donnell's suggestions for the playing XI are also gathering strength.

Rangpur have changed captains three times already, a sign of things not really going well. They began the season with Mohammad Nabi in charge before appointing Tom Abell, and then turning to Shane Watson, under whom they have won their last two games.

Sylhet, meanwhile, have put the Krishmar Santokie controversy out of their way after the West Indian bowler was cleared by the BCB's anti-corruption and security unit following an investigation into the massive no-ball he bowled on the opening day. Sylhet's on-field troubles, however, seem unending as they remain at the bottom of the table with only one win in eight games.

Cumilla Warriors, who have won three games so far, also have tough times ahead. Some of their overseas recruits never turned up for the tournament despite the draft list giving them a "fully available" status. If they do make it to the playoffs, their best bowler, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, is likely to miss that part of the tournament.

Youthful stars turn a corner

Soumya Sarkar struck his first half-century in the BPL after more than four years, when he made an unbeaten 88 for Cumilla, albeit in a losing cause. Sarkar's 48-ball innings, full of his trademark flair, also exuded a promising degree of patience. He struck six sixes and five fours.

Taskin Ahmed, who had only played three of Rangpur's first seven matches, also hinted at a revival with a four-wicket haul. Liton Das and Mohammad Mithun have also been among runs while Mustafizur Rahman, who had a poor T20I series against India in November, has now taken six wickets in his last two games and also looks set to move on from a tough point in his career.

Batsman of the week

Tamim Iqbal has scored three fifties in the tournament so far, providing Dhaka Platoon with the stability expected of a T20 opener. The 30-year-old sets himself up with early boundaries and builds partnerships in the middle overs, before gaining pace in the latter half of the innings. For the Dhaka side to progress further in the tournament, they would want Tamim to bat at the same pace, with the same diligence and responsibility, and perhaps save his best knocks for the playoffs.

Bowler of the week

After taking just one wicket in his first five games for Dhaka, Wahab Riaz took 5 for 8 against Rajshahi Royals. He took three wickets in his first over, before helping the Dhaka attack run through the tail in their 74-run win. Riaz's 16 wickets, at an average of 15.75, were pivotal to Comilla Victorians' title victory last season. Dhaka will want to see more such bursts from their vastly experienced left-arm quick if they are to push to a good finish in the league phase.