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Some of the game's greatest have featured for Portugal, but only the best are allowed in our all-time XI!

Portugal first qualified for the World Cup in 1966, as a team featuring legendary Ballon d'Or winner Eusebio finished in third place.

Their golden generation arrived in the 1990s with legends like Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Paulo Sousa turning Portugal into a force to be reckoned with.

Trophies evaded that crop of players, however, as Portugal had to wait until 2016 for their first major piece of silverware when they won the European Championship at the expense of France.

They then lifted the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League to build on their first success.

Plenty of superstars have featured for Selecao throughout the years, but only the greatest ever can make it into their all-time best XI!

GK: Vitor Baia

One of the most decorated goalkeepers of all time, Vitor Baia made an impression with Porto before catching the eye of Portuguese national team selectors.

He made his senior debut in 1990 at the age of 21 and went on to make 80 appearances for the national team until 2002, playing a starring role at Euro 1996 and 2000, as well as the 2002 World Cup.

At Euro 2000, it was Baia who stopped Arif Erdem's penalty in a 2-0 win over Turkey in the quarter-finals.

Then came Luiz Felipe Scolari as Portugal's manager and Baia never played for his country again.

That doesn't stop him from beating Rui Patricio to the No.1 jersey in this dream team, though!

AdvertisementRB: Joao Domingos Pinto

Regarded as one of the greatest Portuguese defenders of all time, Pinto represented his country for more than a decade, featuring in one World Cup and one European Championship.

He appeared in 70 games for Portugal and captained them 42 times.

After failing to help Portugal qualify for the 1994 World Cup, Pinto was reduced to tears on the field.

Bobby Robson, who coached him at his club Porto once famously said: "Pinto has two hearts and four legs. It's extremely difficult to find a player like him."

Imago ImagesCB: Fernando Couto

Couto played at the 2002 World Cup as well as three European Championships during a 14-year spell for Portugal.

He made his debut for the senior team in December 1990 in a 1-0 friendly win over United States.

He went on to represent Portugal at the Euro 1996, scoring a memorable goal against Turkey in the group stages.

Couto also featured at Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup and became the first Portuguese player to reach 100 caps, in October 2003.

He then captained Portugal at Euro 2004, where they reached the final.

The defender played 110 games for Portugal before hanging up his boots.

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GettyCB: Pepe

One of the best defenders of his generation, Pepe was actually born and raised in Brazil but opted to play for Portugal and thus gets to partner Couto at the back.

Since 2007, he has made over 125 appearances for Portugal and has played at three World Cups and four Euros.

Pepe was part of the Portugal team that won Euro 2016, as well as the one before that reached the semi-final of Euro 2012.

The summer solstice must have seemed even longer to Kent than normal, as they put themselves under pressure in their against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road as Rory Kleinveldt and Azharullah both took five-wicket hauls to bowl them out for just 140.

ECB/PA21-Jun-2015
ScorecardAzharullah, and his new ball partner Rory Kleinveldt, ripped through Kent•Getty ImagesThe summer solstice must have seemed even longer to Kent than normal, as they put themselves under pressure in their against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road as Rory Kleinveldt and Azharullah both took five-wicket hauls to bowl them out for just 140.Having been dismissed so cheaply on what has been one of the country’s flattest wickets, that they fought back late in the day to limit Northamptonshire to 193 for 7 shows just how dire their situation was in mid-afternoon.The pleasant Sunday conditions were in contrast to the mizzle that ruined Saturday’s opening day and in fairness to the visitors, the green tinge to the pitch suggested something as spicy as the curry on the nearby Wellingborough Road. Despite the early loss of both openers, Kent seemed well placed at 93 for 2 with Rob Key and Sam Northeast playing shots all around the square. That was with ten minutes left in the session when the largely self-inflicted carnage took place.Previously the model of consistency this season, Northeast was unsure whether to leave or play at Kleinveldt outside the off stump and ending up edging to wicketkeeper Adam Rossington for 36. Darren Stevens was lbw to the very next ball and three further deliveries later, Key was bowled for 35, playing all around one from Azharullah. Tredwell’s dismissal – bowled Azharullah for 0 – on the stroke of lunch, meant that four wickets had fallen in a remarkable 19-ball spell and Kent were 97 for 6.Forty-four balls after lunch, Kent were all out and although Azharullah and Kleinveldt bowled well to produce the home side’s best and second-best bowling figures of the season, the movement was hardly excessive.Northamptonshire’s players showed on occasions that with application, batting was far from impossible and the likelihood is that the surface will improve further over the next two days. The chief example of that was provided by 23 year-old Rob Keogh. Predominantly a leg side player, he has the cool temperament to play the long innings as evidenced by his 163 not out to save the game at Derbyshire this season and 221 against Hampshire two years ago.Keogh is closing in on 700 runs and has a chance of becoming the first Northamptonshire player to reach 1000 first-class runs in a season since Stephen Peters in 2010. Alex Wakely’s 50 in support, helped Keogh run up 70 for the third wicket and while all batsmen played and missed during the day, it was a surprise when Keogh edged Matt Coles to Adam Ball at third slip for 68, with eight overs remaining in the day.That was the first of three wickets in successive overs for Coles who finished with figures of 4 for 62 and who now has 42 Championship wickets in his first season back with his original county, after a brief spell at Hampshire. To add to Northants’ late woe, Cobb departed in Mitchell Claydon’s last over of the day to leave the home side 53 in front with three first-innings wickets left. This seesaw day leaves the remaining two days impossible to predict.

Bowlers Joe Leach and Jack Shantry took three late wickets to swing the first day in Worcestershire’s favour at the Ageas Bowl

ECB/PA31-May-2015
ScorecardJack Shantry picked up in-form man Michael Carberry late in the day•Getty ImagesBowlers Joe Leach and Jack Shantry took three late wickets to swing the first day in Worcestershire’s favour at the Ageas Bowl. Hampshire looked in control on 88 for 1, having batted slowly on a rain affected day, but evening scalps dragged the game back into the visitors’ grasp.Shantry found the edge of Hampshire’s most dangerous batsman this season, Michael Carberry, before Leach had Jimmy Adams and nightwatchman James Tomlinson leg before. The day will also stick in the mind of another Worcestershire fast bowler – Ed Barnard – who took his maiden first class wicket on his debut – the scalp of Hampshire opener Liam Dawson.After a washed out morning, play finally got underway for the day at 3pm after Worcestershire had won the toss and decided to field on a green-tinged wicket with rarely-seen blue skies overhead. Before play got under way, Hampshire awarded former Durham batsman Will Smith a county cap, while Worcestershire gave first-class debuts to Barnard and England Under-19 colleague Joe Clarke – and a Championship debut to New Zealander Colin Munro.The two counties were promoted together from Division Two last season but have found life in the top flight more difficult – with just one win between the sides – with both viewing this encounter as a must win.In that spirit, Adams and Dawson carefully watched a dangerous opening spell by Leach and Charlie Morris go by without too many issues. Dawson beautifully timed a drive on the back foot to collect the first boundary of the match as both openers looked to play straight. The first stand went past 50 for the second game in a row but again Adams and Dawson couldn’t reach three figures together – Dawson poking a Barnard delivery to Daryl Mitchell for 39.Carberry joined his captain at the crease and survived a vocal shout for caught behind off Leach – the slip cordon and bowler staring at an unmoved umpire Michael Gough in disbelief. The former Test opener smeared a drive through the covers and pulled heftily in front of square – as the home side moved past 100 in the 44th over.Carberry departed with 4.4 overs left of the day, as he ended his run of three straight half centuries in first-class matches, edging behind to Ben Cox off a lively Shantry delivery. And in the next over Adams departed two short of a fourth half century of the season and Tomlinson went in the same way to the final delivery of the day off of Leach as Hampshire toiled in the late evening sunshine.”There were a few nerves jangling around when I got the nod but at the end of the day it’s just another game,” Worcestershire fast bowler Barnard said. “Jack, Joe and Charlie were giving me advice and they are three experienced bowlers and have done very well this season. To have them next to me was good for me. It was a great last 45 minutes but I think we deserved it after the way we bowled throughout the day.”We were consistent and kept the pressure on them without letting them get away. Joe getting that last one at the end was an extra bonus. I think 250 will be a decent score but own aim will be to keep them under 200. We will want to get a big lead and not have to bat again but we have to see how it goes tomorrow and take the battle from there.”Hampshire first-team coach Dale Benkenstein admitted it was not the best finish to the day, saying: “It wasn’t a good end to the day but we had a good couple of hours before that. We would have had a bowl as well and knowing that if you don’t bowl well you only have 50 overs on the park. I thought our guys did well upfront to the new ball but we have the same problem every game where no batsman takes the game by the scruff of the neck.”It’s not easy when the wicket is giving a bit of assistance to the seamers but we are not helping ourselves. There were times when they weren’t looking threatening but were still not giving us many runs. Credit to them, they made every run we did get hard to get. We should have been good enough to have got through today with maybe just one down, not four down.”

Deandra Dottin’s unbeaten 113-ball 84 helped West Indies women beat Sri Lanka women by five wickets in the first ODI in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Deandra Dottin hit nine fours during her unbeaten 84•WICB Media/Ashley AllenDeandra Dottin’s unbeaten 113-ball 84 helped West Indies women beat Sri Lanka women by five wickets in the first ODI in Colombo. Chasing 150, West Indies were rocked early as they were 41 for 4 in the 11th over, but a 70-run fifth-wicket partnership between Dottin and Merissa Aguilleira(30) put the game in West Indies’ grasp. It was followed by an unbroken 42-run stand between Dottin and Stacy-Ann King(18) which finished the match off. Eshani Lokusuriyage, who was appointed captain after an injury to Chamari Atapattu, picked up two wickets in one over but bowled only three overs.After choosing to bat, Sri Lanka got off to a solid start as Prasadani Weerakkody (42) and Lasanthi Madushani (23) put up a 70-run opening stand in 122 balls. However, their innings went downhill from there as they were soon reduced to 109 for 7, the next highest contributor being Sripali Weerakkody with 24. Hayley Matthews took three wickets and Anisa Mohammed finished with figures of 10-2-15-2. Sri Lanka’s innings also included four run-outs.

James McClean has heaped praise on his Wrexham team-mate Paul Mullin and hit back at those who label the striker a tap-in merchant.

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McClean praises team-mate MullinFormer Premier League winger joined Wrexham in AugustMullin finding form after lung punctureWHAT HAPPENED?

McClean has been used to playing with Premier League-quality strikers during his career, but he has insisted that he rates Mullin very highly. The Republic of Ireland international only joined Wrexham in August, but has already struck up a good partnership with the 29-year-old striker. Last week he set up Mullin's equaliser before then scoring himself as Wrexham beat Port Vale in the EFL Trophy.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

In 2021 Mullin gave up the chance to play in League One with Cambridge United in order to play for Wrexham in the National League. Last season he scored 38 goals in 46 league games as the club owned by Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney secured promotion to League Two. Speaking to the Leader, former Premier League star McClean shared just how good he thinks Mullin is.

WHAT JAMES MCCLEAN SAID

McClean said: "I rate him [Mullin] very highly, his record speaks for itself. He is a striker who can score all different types of goals; he is not just someone who scores six-yard tap-ins. We are very lucky to have him."

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MULLIN'S REMARKABLE RECOVERY

Mullin suffered a punctured lung and four cracked ribs during Wrexham's pre-season tour in the United States, but McClean feels that the striker is almost back up to top speed. "It was a serious injury but he is probably up to full-match sharpness now," McClean said. "That's great for us because he is starting to get that goal tally up which is good to see so long may it continue."

England batsman Gary Ballance has suffered a fractured finger in Australia but is expected to be fit for the World Cup. There will not be an additional batsman called into the squad for the on-going tri series

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2015England batsman Gary Ballance has suffered a fractured finger in Australia but is expected to be fit for the World Cup. There will not be an additional batsman called into the squad for the on-going tri series.Ballance sustained the injury – to his right little finger – during fielding practice in Canberra where England played their two warm-up matches.He had not featured in either of those two games and it did not appear as though he was in England’s thinking as a top-order option in the short term, with a top three of Ian Bell, Moeen Ali and James Taylor starting the series although England slumped to 4 for 33 against Australia in Sydney.Ballance was the batsman brought into England’s squad following the sacking of Alastair Cook as captain, after he did not feature on the tour of Sri Lanka.It means England are down to 13 players without injury worries as James Anderson also remains under a cloud due to his knee problem, which ruled him out of the opening tri-series match.

Alexi Lalas brutally criticised the USMNT after shock Nations League defeat to Trinidad and Tobago.

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USMNT went down 2-1 to Trinidad and TobagoLalas critiqued USMNT's performanceVoiced concerns about the team's depth WHAT HAPPENED?

The former USMNT player labelled the 2-1 loss as a concerning indicator of the team's overall quality. Despite advancing to the Nations League semifinals with a 4-2 aggregate win, Lalas questioned the team's depth beyond elite players, highlighting their vulnerability when key individuals are unavailable. He challenged the notion that the team is as formidable as perceived, leading to a broader conversation about realistic expectations for the upcoming 2026 World Cup and the Copa America.

AdvertisementWHAT LALAS SAID ABOUT THE USMNT

While speaking on his , he said: "We as an American soccer community leading up to 2026 may have to come to terms with this team, when all is said and done, might not be as good as we thought. I know that's a difficult thing to hear – it is a difficult thing to say given all of the talent we have, all of the pathways, all of the success and let's be honest, all the expectation we have for this group. Is that unfair? Or is that lowering expectations going to hurt this group going forward?"

Getty ImagesLALAS WANTS A REALITY CHECK

Star players Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams were absent in the recent defeat to Trinidad & Tobago. This prompted Lalas to raise concerns about the lack of depth of this team and insisted that there must be serious questions asked before the 2024 Copa America and the 2026 World Cup.

"I will say that all of the talk of the depth and all of the talk of all of this talent, I think we are finding out now on multiple occasions that once we get past those elite players, or as has happened in this window – some of those players aren't available, we become very mediocre very quickly," he said.

"Does it mean we can't beat great teams? Does it mean we can't have great moments? No.

"But this whole foundation has been built on winning a World Cup, on the premise that these players are so much better and there are so many more of them. 

"Not saying I yet believe this but it is a question that needs to be asked if our expectations are out of whack with what the reality is when it comes to this team. It's an important conversation to have leading up to next summer and 2026."

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WHAT NEXT FOR USMNT?

The Copa America next summer will serve as a vital test for the USMNT, providing insights into the team's progress and capabilities against top-tier competition. Lalas's critique sparks a necessary conversation about the team's true potential and the expectations surrounding their performance in major tournaments.

Both Kings XI and Royal Challengers are fresh off sparkling wins, but neither team will rest on their laurels as another defeat would push them to the brink of elimination

The Preview by Akshay Gopalakrishnan08-May-2016Match factsTuesday, May 9, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)4:05

Agarkar: Will be tough for Punjab to get past Bangalore

Big PictureWith a top four that would be the envy of any Twenty20 team in the world, how Royal Challengers Bangalore find themselves second from bottom of the points table is a question that the team management would be asking itself.Batting has been Royal Challengers’ stronger suit, and unlike the previous seasons, they haven’t relied on a few individuals. Virat Kohli has already struck two centuries this season and AB de Villiers has three half-centuries. Shane Watson has played some vital knocks, like the 13-ball 36 against Rising Pune Supergiants on Saturday. Sarfaraz Khan and Sachin Baby have caught the eye with scoops and reverse-scoops, while KL Rahul has been successful at the top with orthodox shots.Royal Challengers’ weak link has been the bowling. Thrice they have allowed teams to chase down totals in excess of 180. On an average, Royal Challengers have conceded 9.45 runs an over – the worst among all teams – and Watson, at 8.26, is the team’s most economical bowler.By contrast, Kings XI Punjab have thrived with the ball. Sandeep Sharma and Mohit Sharma have nailed inch-perfect yorkers in the end overs, playing key roles in each of Punjab’s three wins this season. That Mohit has added the offcutter to his back-of-the-hand legcutter augurs well for the hosts. Axar Patel’s quick fizzers and Marcus Stoinis’ slower balls add more variety to the attack. M Vijay, the captain, has multiplied the efficiency of the attack with smart field placements. He is also Kings XI’s highest run-getter this season with 229 runs in nine matches at an average and strike rate of 25.44 and 118.04, including two fifties.The form of David Miller and Glenn Maxwell, however, continues to be a cause for concern. The two have a combined tally of 310 runs in nine matches.Form guideKings XI Punjab WLWLL (last five matches, most recent first)
Royal Challengers Bangalore WLLLWIn the spotlightStoinis has proved a valuable addition to Kings XI. He has crunched 112 runs in four innings, striking at 130.23, to add to four wickets. Besides, he has shown the ability to hold his own in the slog overs with yorkers and cutters.Chris Jordan had an ordinary IPL debut, for Royal Challengers, giving away 43 runs for the wicket of Thisara Perera. Having come in as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Starc, he has big shoes to fill. Can Jordan match the Sharmas on Monday?Team newsKings XI may stick to the same team that toppled Delhi Daredevils.Kings XI Punjab (probable): 1 M Vijay (capt), 2 Marcus Stoinis, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 David Miller, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Gurkeerat Singh, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 KC CariappaRoyal Challengers have already paid the price for using an occasional wicketkeeper in Rahul. He has fluffed stumping chances and allowed the ball to sneak through. It was one such missed stumping, of Andre Russell, which might have cost Royal Challengers their match against Kolkata Knight Riders. Will they pass the keeping gloves to Kedar Jadhav? Rahul, though, has come good with the bat, which means that Sachin Baby may have to be left out to accommodate Jadhav. Royal Challengers also made the bold move of dropping Chris Gayle against Supergiants. Will they be tempted to give him another go? If Gayle makes the cut, Travis Head is likely to miss out.Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable): 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Chris Gayle/Travis Head, 3 KL Rahul, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Shane Watson, 6 Sachin Baby/Kedar Jadhav (wk), 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Parvez Rasool, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Varun Aaron, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalPitch and conditionsThe Mohali surface has helped the spinners this season. Teams have enjoyed chasing at the venue, although the last two matches have suggested otherwise. Cloud cover is expected, but there is no rain forecast.Stats and trivia Wriddhiman Saha’s 52 against Daredevils was his first fifty-plus score in the IPL after 19 innings. The last time he passed 50 was in the 2014 final, when he scored an unbeaten 115 against Knight Riders. Virat Kohli went past 500 runs for the season during the course of his unbeaten 108 against Supergiants. Kohli did so in his eighth innings, making it the fastest by any batsman in a season. The record previously belonged to Kohli’s team-mate, Chris Gayle, who took nine innings in 2011.Quotes”Sarfaraz Khan isn’t going to get more than 10-15 balls to play. You can’t afford to have too many in the field who aren’t up to the mark with their speed. You need guys who are fit, and can get to the ball quickly to save you 5-6 runs in the field. Sachin Baby is committed and works on those things. I’d be committed to anyone who gives me 120 per cent in the field.”

A round-up of the Ranji Trophy Group B matches played on January 8, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2015
ScorecardRajasthan pacers Pankaj Singh and Aniket Choudhary helped set-up a nine-wicket win for their side by bundling Punjab out for 247 on the final day in Jaipur. Their effort meant that Rajasthan were left to chase 89 to register their first Ranji Trophy victory over Punjab and hand the latter their first defeat of the season.Punjab began the day at 85 for 3 with the pair of Taruwar Kohli and Yuvraj Singh at the crease but both batsmen failed to bat on, contributing 36 and 35 respectively. The rest of the line-up tried stitching together a few partnerships but Pankaj and Choudhary kept chipping away to limit the side to 247. Both bowlers had similar figures – Pankaj took 4 for 57, while Choudhary finished with 4 for 52. Their second-innings returns took their match hauls to seven and eight wickets respectively.Pranay Sharma, whose 140 had helped set up Rajasthan’s challenging first-innings score, led the way, scoring 33 in his 67-run opening partnership with Vineet Saxena. Pranay fell with Rajasthan 22 runs away from a win and Saxena and Robin Bist took the side past the target.
ScorecardFile photo – Akshay Darekar finished with his third ten-wicket haul in first-class cricket•West Indies CricketLeft-arm spinner Akshay Darekar’s 7 for 72 steered Maharashtra to an innings-and-48-run win over Saurashtra on the final day in Rajkot. Darekar’s seven-for took his match haul to 10 for 161.Saurashtra began the day at 53 for 4, trailing Maharashtra by 193 runs after following-on and lost Vishal Joshi early on but Sheldon Jackson and Arpit Vasavada held off the Maharashtra bowlers with a 44-run partnership. Two quick wickets from Darekar, including that of Jackson, pushed Saurashtra to 113 for 7 but Vasavada resisted again, adding 83 for the eighth wicket with Kamlesh Makvana. Darekar hastened the end of the match, dismissing Vasavada for 76 and then picking up the last two wickets in his next over to bundle Saurashtra for 198.
ScorecardOdisha’s batsmen held on for a draw even as Vidarbha challenged with a declaration on the fourth day in Sambalpur.At the start of the day, Odisha declared on their overnight score of 137 for 9 and Vidarbha, led by Ganesh Satish’s second fifty of the match – a brisk, unbeaten 54 off 90 balls – declared their innings at 165 for 2 after 47 overs. Vidarbha openers Faiz Fazal and Aniruddha Chore also contributed with knocks of 37 and 36 respectively.Set a target of 269, Odisha had a shaky start with Girjia Rout dismissed with the score still on 0 in the third over. Govinda Podder and Nataraj Behera went on to add 15 runs over the next 14.2 overs at a rate of 1.04. Ravikumar Thakur and Fazal struck to leave Odisha at 23 for 3 and they battled their way out with a 34-run stand between Biplab Samantray and Arabind Singh. After the pair were dismissed, Abhilash Mallick’s unbeaten 32 kept Vidarbha at bay.
ScorecardNo play was possible on the fourth day of the game between Delhi and Haryana due to fog and bad light in Lahli and Delhi ended the match with three points after a first-innings lead of 144.

Najam Sethi, the PCB chairman, has said the Pakistan board stands to gain US$450 million over the next eight-year cycle

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2014Najam Sethi, the PCB chairman, has said the Pakistan board stands to gain US$450 million (PKR 44.4 billion approx.) over the next eight-year cycle. Speaking on his return from the ICC meeting in Melbourne, where the governing body was restructured, Sethi said that more than half that revenue would come from the proposed series’ with India.”Until last year, we had been getting $10 million per year on average and in last seven years we got around $70 million from ICC fixtures [World Cup, Champions Trophy, etc],” Sethi said. “But now I can confirm with full confidence that Pakistan will be getting $150 million dollars in next eight-year cycle from ICC events, which is almost double the previous amount, which I think is a big achievement.”By playing India we will be getting $300 million from just four series in next eight-year cycle, according to which India will only host two series.”The PCB had said last week that it had “binding agreements” with the BCCI to play these six series. However, Sethi now said the boards had agreed to play the series’ but were yet to sign documents that would make them mandatory. “With India, we are yet to sign a binding bankable document but we are seeking to transform the present agreement biding into a bankable binding. ICC has given us a sample draft, a sort of agreement between two boards, which will be amended accordingly.”It was never a must to play each other and if any board pulled out of their commitment there was no penalty at all. But this time we can make it a bankable commitment.”Politics, though, Sethi said, could still prove to be a stumbling block. “It’s up to the boards to make up a legal and bankable agreement, but again in case the governments of either country do not want to play, you can’t do anything. That’s something beyond our control.”