Lionel Messi and Neymar can play together, claims Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola is persuaded Lionel Messi and Neymar will come together to overwhelming effect for Barcelona next season. The former Santos starlet protected his budge to Camp Nou prior in the summer and, but sections of the media have questioned whether the pair will be a good fit jointly due to their parallel styles of play.

However, the Bayern Munich boss took some time out from orally repartee with his previous club to declare that the pair will have no difficulties playing collectively next season.

He told Lance: "Barca have always had some of the best players in the world at their disposal, and Neymar and Messi are undoubtedly two of the best at the moment. "I know Messi very well. He is a fantastic person as well as player. I have met Neymar too and he seems like a good lad and I`m sure they will have no problem playing together."

The 42-year-old then turned his politeness towards next summer`s World Cup, and believes his inhabitant Spain will go into the contest as favorites to keep their title - despite their 3-0 defeat to Brazil in the Confederations Cup final a fortnight ago.

He added: "It seemed perfectly normal to me that Spain lost [to Brazil]. They were physically better than us. "But I believe that Spain is still favorites going into the World Cup."

Neymar is set to create his bloodthirsty debut for the Blaugrana when they open their Liga season against Levante on August 18.

Indians Preview of Detroit Tigers

By the instance he obtains to Citi Field for the All-Star game next Tuesday, Max Scherzer could own a split of the AL record for successive winning decisions to release a season.

The Detroit Tigers' right-hander, though, has a pair of starts previous to then. Scherzer will attempt to develop into the second decanter to open 14-0 in the last 27 years Monday night when the AL Central-leading Tigers bring to a close their four-game series visiting the second-place Cleveland Indians.

There was no revelation Scherzer (13-0, 3.09 ERA) was one of six Tigers named to the All-Star team Saturday, as he's off to a begin manager Jim Leyland told the team's official website is "hard to believe." With a career-best sixth repeated winning start on Wednesday - he permitted two runs in 6 1-3 innings in a 6-2 triumph at Toronto - Scherzer became the first pitcher to start 13-0 since Boston's Roger Clemens opened 14-0 in 1986.

The AL record is 15-0, set by Cleveland's Johnny Allen in 1937 and equaled by Baltimore's Dave McNally in 1969. "(My) record's kind of overblown," Scherzer told the Tigers' official website. "I'm playing a part on a great team here. Every time I start, they're always picking me up, they're always making plays. That's the reason why I'm 13-0."

A most important league-best 7.87 run-support standard has certainly helped Scherzer, whose 5-0 with a 2.16 ERA in eight road starts. He enhanced to 2-0 against the Indians (46-42) this season by giving up one run in eight innings of a 5-1 triumph at Cleveland on May 21.

Scherzer has won his last two starts at Cleveland after going 0-3 with a 7.48 ERA in his first four. He'll look an Indians team that snapped a four-game trailing line - and a seven-game slip in this series - with Sunday's 9-6 victory. Michael Brantley went 3 for 4 with two homers, a twice and a career-best five RBIs to assist Cleveland climb within 2 1/2 games of the division lead.

"Michael Brantley looked like Barry Bonds,'' Tigers All-Star right fielder Torii Hunter said later than his team's five-game win line was snapped.

The Indians will go for the series split with Scott Kazmir (4-4, 4.86) getting his initial look at the Tigers since 2010 while with the Los Angeles Angels. The expert left-hander was 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA in his earlier two starts previous to not earning a conclusion in a 6-5 loss to Kansas City on Wednesday when he surrendered three runs in five innings.

Kazmir has an 8.53 run-support standard while going 4-0 with a 4.26 ERA in six outings at Progressive Field. He could make use of all the sustain he can obtain the way All-Star third baseman Miguel Cabrera and Hunter have been drumming. Cabrera, the most important league leader with a .368 batting average and 90 RBIs, belted his 28th homer Sunday in the middle of his four hits. That tied the reigning AL MVP and Triple Crown champion with Cecil Fielder for the most home runs by a Tiger before the All-Star break.

Hunter is 12 for 23 with two homers and 11 RBIs in the last five contests after striking a game-tying three-run shot and concluding with a season-best four RBIs on Sunday. Indians All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis, 2 for 11 with five strikeouts this series, is 1 for 7 with a twice off Scherzer this season, but Nick Swisher is 3 for 3 with a triple and a double. Only one other player - Houston's Carlos Corporan (two homers) - has more than one extra-base hit against Scherzer in 2013.

LA spotlight too bright for Dwight Howard

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal says the Los Angeles limelight was too dazzling for Dwight Howard. Speaking at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Shaq hammered his previous colleague as if they were battling in the post.

O'Neal opened his mouth astonished when asked about Howard, who chose to go away the Lakers for the Houston Rockets behind Friday, and joked about reassuring on Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick in Saturday's race. A few seconds afterward, he threw an elbow Howard's way.

''It was expected,'' Shaq said. ''We've all been in LA, and not a whole lot of people can handle being under the bright lights. Everybody wants to do it, but when you get there, there are certain pressures. I think it was a safe move for him to go to a little town like Houston. That's right, little town. I said it.''

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Tyreke Evans headed to Pelicans in three-team deal

The New Orleans Pelicans have reached conformity on a three-way deal with Sacramento and Portland to obtain guard Tyreke Evans, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. As part of a sign-and-trade agreement, Evans will arrive to the Pelicans on a four-year, $44 million agreement. New Orleans will send guard Greivis Vasquez to the Kings and center Robin Lopez to the Trail Blazers, sources said.

Portland will send the draft rights to center Jeff Withey to the Pelicans and a prospect second-round pick to Sacramento. The trade came after free-agent point guard Jose Calderon discarded a agreement offer from the Kings, league sources said. The Kings had hoped to sign Calderon and trade Vasquez to another team.

 The threat of a four-year, $44 million offer sheet to Evans, a controlled free agent, encouraged New Orleans and Sacramento to work out conformity. Calderon will carry on talking about for a return Detroit, sources said, as well as negotiating elsewhere in the NBA.

The deal can't be made official until July 10. Evans, 23, averaged 15.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Kings last season. Vasquez was one of the NBA's most improved players last season, a fast-rising playmaker that averaged 13.9 points and nine assists for the Pelicans. He has a chance to become the Kings' starting point guard.

The Blazers needed a veteran center to plug into the lineup, and Lopez gives them a solid defender and rim protector. He has two years and $11 million left on an affordable contract.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Gambhir likely to be recalled for Zimbabwe tour

MS Dhoni, who offended his right hamstring during India's tri-series opener in the West Indies, is likely to be feint out for India's short tour to Zimbabwe that begins July 24. If Dhoni is certainly out of stock, Gautam Gambhir is likely to get a call to mind into the team.

While announcing India's team for the Champions Trophy on May 4, the national selectors had also named 21 probables for the continuing tri-series in the West Indies. Besides the 15 who featured in India's triumphant Champions Trophy campaign, the probable’s included Ambati Rayudu, Manoj Tiwary, Praveen Kumar, Shami Ahmed, Rahul Sharma and Gambhir.

Shami replaced Irfan Pathan later than the latter injured him at the same time as training for the West Indies tri-series. Rayudu came in for Dhoni after Dhoni was feint out of the tri-series on July 1.

With Tiwary, the solitary other consultant batsman in the list, having warped his left knee, Gambhir leftovers the only feasible candidate to lend hardness to what has become an inexperienced India batting line-up. With his skill, Gambhir could also come in handy as a member of the direction group, thus serving Virat Kohli, who is place to be retained as captain in the occasion of Dhoni's unavailability.

It will be motivating to see if the selectors go for to rest a few hackneyed players. Discussions approximately require for rest could center on R Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav. If Ashwin is certainly rested, Jammu & Kashmir offspinner Parvez Rasool could come in argument along with Rahul Sharma, who is named in the probable.

With the selectors' eyes put on the travel around to South Africa afterward this year, it is probable that Praveen Kumar, who was in the probable, may be specified another possibility. If the selectors think the requirement to bring in either Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane for the Zimbabwe ODIs ahead of the India's A tour to South Africa, Murali Vijay could be a sufferer.

However, with the India A tour to South Africa put to begin instantaneously later than the Zimbabwe series' conclusion, it is improbable that the selectors will attempt out too numerous youngsters. With the present group having fared well throughout the Champions Trophy, it is probable that some of the batsmen, who haven't got sufficient opportunities, may be asked to join the A team in South Africa.

Amol Karhadkar is a correspondent at ESPNcricinfo