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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- The president of Argentina said Tuesday he hopes to meet Lionel Messi next week and convince him to return to the national team.President Mauricio Macri said he had spoken by telephone with Messi, who announced his shock retirement from the Argentine national team following the loss Sunday to Chile on penalty kicks in the Copa America final in the United States.Messi returned Monday to Argentina, but has not spoken publicly.Macri said he told Messi to ignore some of the nonsense because, truth be told, we are all very happy with how the Barcelona star has played for Argentina.Messi, who moved to Barcelona at age 13, has often faced tough criticism in Argentina because he has failed to deliver the country a major title -- in contrast to his repeated success at Barcelona.He is often compared unfavorably to Maradona, who led Argentina to the 1986 World Cup title.Macri said he didnt understand the criticism of Messi.The truth is that its good fortune, a joy, a gift from God to have the best player in the world in a country like ours that is so football-crazy, said Macri, a former president of Argentine club Boca Juniors.Macris lobbying could be helped by a gathering planned Saturday at the obelisk in central Buenos Aires, the citys most famous landmark.Support for Messi has been overwhelming on social media with sports figures, artists and politicians urging him to return. Billboards and signs across the city are also asking him to stay.In the midst of the turmoil, the Buenos Aires city hall unveiled a statue of Messi -- with a football at his foot -- alongside other national sports stars.In another show of support, some members of Argentinas 1986 World Cup team posed for a photograph that contained a written plea: Dont Go Lio.Maradona, the biggest star on that team, was not in the photo.TV commentators have speculated that Messi spoke out in frustration after Sundays 4-2 loss on penalties to Chile following a scoreless draw.The national team is over for me, Messi told Argentine network TyC Sports. Its been four finals, its not meant for me. I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldnt get it, so I think its over.It didnt help that Messi himself lifted Argentinas first penalty kick over the crossbar, setting the stage for another final defeat. Messi and Argentina lost to Brazil in the 2007 Copa final and to Germany in extra time in the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil. They lost last years Copa final to host Chile on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw.Matt Martin Islanders Jersey . -- Adam Snyder returned to the San Francisco 49ers this season because the offensive lineman thought it was his best opportunity to win a championship. Bryan Trottier Jersey . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. http://www.islanderssale.com/authentic-leo-komarov-islanders-jersey/ . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. Pat LaFontaine Jersey . With Parker having a quiet game for once, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw provided the scoring as France won its first major basketball title by beating Lithuania 80-66 on Sunday. It was a victory that ended a decade of frustration for Parker and a talented French generation, which lost the final against Spain two years ago and took bronze in 2005. Thomas Greiss Islanders Jersey . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday.Who I expected to winLooking at West Indies T20 exploits over the last two years, and Pakistans alarming decline in the format, West Indies were the favorites. Im not much of a predictor, and yet the absence of some big names in West Indies, coupled with Pakistans new captain that people are raving about, I had a small hope of a Pakistani victory.Team supportedPakistan. Obviously. And yet West Indies has forever been my second favorite team. So although I wanted Pakistan to win, I didnt want it to be dominant.Key performerImad Wasim virtually ended the game in the third over, taking three wickets in his first two overs. This included Evin Lewis, the guy that had smashed a 100 against India just two games back, and Samuels (the king of T20 finals). He later returned in the 10th over to end any remaining West Indian hopes, dismissing the bowler annihilators Kieron Pollard and Carlos Brathwaite in the same over.WI 47-7; Imad Wasim 5-14; end of match.One thing youd have changed about the dayOh what I wouldnt have given for Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy and Andre Russell to have been a part of this match. West Indies looked seriously depleted without them. And these are some serious entertainers we are talking about. The experience of the match was poorer without them.The face-off you relishedSamuel Badree and Sunil Narine against the young Pakistani batsmen. They had dismantled Pakistan in the past: in the WT20 2014 in Dhaka with combined figures of 6-26 in 8 overs. Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Laitf and Babar Azam did considerably better against them losing just a single wicket and scoring at seven an over, though admittedly with a considerably smaller target.I was also desperate to see Umar Akmal bat again. Hes one of my favorite players from Pakistan and I was happy to see him back. Sadly, he never got to bat.Wow momentJugalbandi - a term that signifies a duet of musicians. Unlike the PSL final, I had brought my own Darbuka (arabic drum) to the stadium, after much persuasion of the security guards who kindly let me go. As the second innings began, another guy showed up with a drum. We sat together and started playing Pakistani cultural drum beats which is how the festivities began in our stands. Pakistan was winning, people were happy, so a lot of people joined in the clapping and dancing.Shot of the dayThe cover drive from Babar Azam to Badree was beautiful to watch. The ball drifted in on leg stump, and Babar nonchalantly made room and caressed the ball effortlessly through the covers. It was a glimpse into the future of Babar, and the promisse he holds for Pakistani batting.dddddddddddd The crowd was suitably impressed.Crowd meterIt was a full house. I was sitting in the top tier which was overflowing. People were even sitting on the stairs next to the seats, waiting for people vacate their seats.The crowd wasnt too energetic and I cant really blame them. With the kind of heat and suffocating humidity in the ground, it was a challenge just staying in to watch the match.Pakistan had overwhelming support. Dispersed in the sea of green, you could spot some West Indian supporters as well. The thing about West Indies is, they find popular support wherever they go, and that includes the people supporting the other team.In the absence of players like Gayle, Sammy and Shahid Afridi, the crowd favourite was Dwayne Bravo. Four rows below me was a group of enthusiastic Pakistani DJ Bravo supporters who included his name in many local slogans throughout the match.The Dubai saunaThe size of the crowd was remarkable considering how stiflingly hot it was in the ground. It was a proper sweat fest. The surrounding dust and sand made the conditions unbearable. Many people were standing at the very back, which was the only place you could feel a little breeze and get much-needed respite. Most of us took turns to go stand there and dry our completely wet clothes while other friends guarded our seats.The heat simply left no room for fancy dresses. I admire the courage of the few who had dared to paint their faces.EntertainmentDubai International Cricket Stadium probably has one of the more pointless PA programs. You can hardly hear anything said over it. Even the songs they played were somehow drowned out - you couldnt really understand much. The PA programs during the PSL were actually much better.OverallA disappointing experience overall, considering only one team showed up. West Indies have built a great T20 reputation and it was sad that I didnt get to see it at the stadium yesterday. Pakistans intensity in the field was surprisingly high and fielded really well. West Indies fielding, usually so good, perhaps mirrored their batting display. As is the trend with T20, one-sided games can be really one-sided - the end result becomes apparent so early in the game you dont really enjoy it.Marks out of 105/10. And thats because Pakistan won. The one-sided nature of the match, absence of big names from the West Indies team, and the heat - not a great combination. ' ' '