Uncapped Barbados fast bowler Miguel Cummins has been included in West Indies’ squad for the first Test against India in Antigua from July 21
ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2016Uncapped Barbados fast bowler Miguel Cummins has been included in West Indies’ squad for the first Test against India in Antigua from July 21. He was a replacement for Jerome Taylor, who retired from Test cricket earlier this week.Cummins, 25, had been left out of the original 12-man squad for the first Test, after having made the trip to Australia for the last two Tests in 2015-16 as a replacement for Shannon Gabriel. He did not play, though.Cummins has played 41 first-class matches and taken 116 wickets at an average of 22.56. His only international for West Indies was an ODI against Ireland in Jamaica in February 2014 – he took 1 for 42 in six overs.West Indies squad for first Test Jason Holder (capt), Kraigg Brathwaite (vc), Devendra Bishoo, Jermaine Blackwood, Carlos Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Rajendra Chandrika, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Leon Johnson, Marlon Samuels
Chelsea are reportedly readying an offer for Sporting Lisbon's defensive machine Manuel Ugarte, with the player thought to be keen on a move to England.
The Blues have been extremely active in the transfer market in recent windows but appear to be getting ready to invest in their squad once again after a lacklustre Premier League campaign that will see them end the season in the bottom half of the table.
However, things seem to be looking up for the London outfit with Mauricio Pochettino set to join the club as its next manager. Frank Lampard will receive his second farewell as the Blues' manager on Sunday when they face Newcastle at home.
What's the latest on Manuel Ugarte to Chelsea?
According to reports in Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain have made a proposal to Sporting Lisbon for Ugarte while Chelsea are getting ready to make an offer of their own.
PSG have made an offer of €60m (£52m) which matches the player's release clause, however, Chelsea are ready to match the offer which they want to pay in "several installments."
Todd Boehly recently sent his right-hand man, Alvalade Behdad Eghbali, to watch Ugarte, and Chelsea have been given a boost with the player reportedly preferring a move to Stamford Bridge over the Parc des Princes.
Why is Manuel Ugarte rated so highly?
Talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed the midfielder a "machine" earlier in the season, backing that up with some remarkable stats at that time. At the end of September, Ugarte won the most tackles and duels in the Champions League this season and had the second-highest in both categories in the Primeira Liga.
Every top side needs a midfielder that is able to consistently interrupt and break down opposition teams, and you could say that Chelsea have been too easy to score against this season, conceding 46 goals in the Premier League.
Signing Ugarte may not magically solve all their problems but playing alongside Enzo Fernandez, he could greatly increase Chelsea's ability to win the ball back in dangerous areas.
According to Fbref, not only does he rank in the 99th percentile of all midfielders for tackles, averaging 4.63 per 90, he also ranks in the 97th percentile for interceptions, cutting out 2.18 passes per 90. In addition to that, he ranks in the 99th percentile for passes completed per game with an average success rate of 91.6%.
Ugarte's numbers are solid and he's proven in the Champions League that he is ready for the next step in his career, so this could be one to watch.
James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been ruled out of action for the rest of the season due to injury
George Dobell27-Aug-2016James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been ruled out of action for the rest of the season due to injury.While neither man was named in the England limited-overs squads, both had hopes of playing county cricket with a view to helping their teams, Lancashire and Nottinghamshire respectively, avoid relegation in the County Championship.A statement released by the ECB explained that “Anderson requires ongoing rehabilitation of his right shoulder and Broad, who last played in the NatWest T20 Finals Day for Nottinghamshire last week, is recovering from an ankle problem.”The news will come as a blow to both clubs. Nottinghamshire are currently bottom of the Division One table, 35 points beneath Durham, who are in seventh position (with a game in hand). Lancashire are sixth but, having won three of their first five games, have not won any of their last eight Championship matches in a run that extends back to May. The teams placed eighth and ninth will be relegated.”Both players have managed their injuries through the summer,” the ECB statement continued. “A break from cricket is needed to best prepare the Test opening bowling pair for England’s winter campaign that begins this October in Bangladesh.”The ECB also announced that Jonny Bairstow was to be released from the ODI squad to play for Yorkshire in Sunday’s Royal London semi-final against Surrey. David Willey, who has a hand injury, is not deemed to be fit enough to play.
Liverpool will be in the market for a number of central midfielders this summer as Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster a squad that fell way short of expectations this season.
After only qualifying for the Europa League following a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League, the Reds may find it a little harder to recruit the top talents that may have been on their shortlist heading into the summer.
However, midfield reinforcements will be a priority for Klopp after the exits of James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita, with Borussia Monchengladbach ace Manu Kone one man who could arrive at Anfield.
What has Fabrizio Romano said about Manu Kone?
According to transfer specialist Romano, Liverpool are keeping a close eye on the 22-year-old after his impressive performances in the Bundesliga this term.
He wrote: "Manu Koné, one of the midfielders on Liverpool's list. He’s highly rated as LFC are already informed on conditions of the deal.
"Parties feel there’s a chance for Koné to leave this summer, as BILD called — he’s a name to consider for Liverpool plans."
Previous reports have claimed that the defensive-minded midfielder could cost around £26m this summer, which could represent a bargain for the Reds if he can live up to his potential at Anfield.
Would Manu Kone be a good signing for Liverpool?
This season saw Kone feature regularly in Daniel Farke's side, making 30 appearances in the Bundesliga and averaging a solid 6.81 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
He had previously averaged a strong 6.99 rating in the 2021/22 campaign so has been impressive in Germany for some time now, and it seems likely that the former Toulouse man could be destined for a big move in the upcoming window.
WhoScored suggests that the young midfielder excels at dribbling, passing and tackling, so he could be the ideal man to replace Keita as a ball-carrying midfield in Klopp's squad, while his obvious potential and strong performances at Monchengladbach certainly suggest that he could eclipse the Guinean at Anfield.
Just this term, he amassed a healthy 1.9 dribbles per game and an impressive 2.5 tackles per match, numbers that would have ranked him joint-top and the very best in the entire Liverpool squad for those metrics. It's those very performance that have seen him tipped to become a "monstrous" asset in the future by scout Jacek Kulig.
On the flip side, the former RB Leipzig man never lived up to expectations at Liverpool, with injury issues plaguing his time in the Premier League, as he mustered just 129 appearances in five years with the Merseyside club, contributing 11 goals and seven assists.
His lack of minutes in the Premier League this season was always going to make an exit likely but Klopp will still need to replace him after midfield depth became a key issue for the Reds throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
Kone is certainly highly-rated, doesn't have too high a price tag and has plenty of room to grow at just 22, so he could be an excellent first signing by Jorg Schmadtke this summer.
Chris Gayle has signed up to play five matches in Bangladesh Premier League 2016-17 for Chittagong Vikings, and will be available for the latter half of the tournament that begins on November 4 in Dhaka
Mohammad Isam27-Sep-2016Chris Gayle has signed up to play five matches in the Bangladesh Premier League 2016-17 for Chittagong Vikings, and will be available for the latter half of the tournament that begins on November 4 in Dhaka. Gayle, who played for Barisal Bulls in the 2015-16 edition, is among the 31 foreign players signed up by the seven franchises before the players’ draft scheduled for September 30.Apart from Gayle, Chittagong, who finished as the bottom-ranked team in 2015-16, have signed four other foreign players – Dwayne Smith, Shoaib Malik (played for Comilla Victorians last season), Chaturanga de Silva and Mohammad Nabi (from Rangpur Riders).Foreign players signed by franchises before the draft
Barisal Bulls: Dilshan Munaweera
Chittagong Vikings: Chris Gayle, Dwayne Smith, Shoaib Malik, Chaturanga de Silva, Mohammad Nabi
Dhaka Dynamites: Kumar Sangakkara, Andre Russell, Mahela Jayawardene, Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Ravi Bopara
Khulna Titans: Nicholas Pooran, Riki Wessels, Kevon Cooper, Mohammad Asghar, Benny Howell
Rajshahi: Darren Sammy, Mohammad Sami
Rangpur Riders: Shahid Afridi, Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Mohammad Shahzad, Dasun Shanaka, Gidron Pope, Richard Gleeson
Gayle had scored 139 runs in four matches for Barisal last season, while Nabi took seven wickets and scored 37 runs for Rangpur in seven matches. Smith had last played the tournament in 2013, while de Silva was the top wicket-taker in this year’s Dhaka Premier League one-day tournament.Ryan ten Doeschate, Grant Elliott, Ahmed Shehzad, Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Herschelle Gibbs, Seekugge Prasanna, Jason Holder and Lendl Simons will enter the draft and have been placed in the A category for foreign players. Their salary cap is $70,000 while foreign players in categories B, C and D can earn up to $50,000, $40,000 and $30,000 respectively.Australian players Ben Hilfenhaus, Ben Laughlin, Tom Beaton and Evan Gulbis will also be a part of the draft. Thirty-six English players are part of the draft list, including James Vince, Liam Dawson, Jade Dernbach and Graham Onions.Defending champions Comilla Victorians have signed on Imad Wasim, Thisara Perera and Sohail Tanvir while retaining Ashar Zaidi and Nuwan Kulasekera. Imad, the Pakistan left-arm spinner, is set to make his first appearance in the Bangladesh Premier League, while Perera and Tanvir played for Rangpur Ryders and Sylhet Super Stars last season.Kumar Sangakkara will be joined by Mahela Jayawardene at Dhaka Dynamites. The franchise has also signed Andre Russell (from Comilla), Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis (from Barisal) and Ravi Bopara (from Sylhet).Rangpur have enlisted Shahid Afridi (from Sylhet), Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Mohammad Shahzad, Dasun Shanaka, 19-year-old West Indies batsman Gidron Pope and English pace bowler Richard Gleeson. This will be the first BPL appearance for the six new players in the Rangpur squad. Pope had impressed scouts in Bangladesh with his big-hitting abilities in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, where he scored 232 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 107.9.While Barisal have only signed up Dilshan Munaweera so far, Rajshahi have picked Darren Sammy and Mohammad Sami. Nicholas Pooran, Riki Wessels, Kevon Cooper, Mohammad Asghar and Benny Howell have been signed by Khulna Titans.
England’s tour of India is unlikely to be disrupted by the hurdles the BCCI face in signing a memorandum of understanding with the ECB
Nagraj Gollapudi04-Nov-2016England’s tour of India is unlikely to be disrupted by the hurdles the BCCI faces in signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the ECB. Officials from both boards confirmed there has been no change to their preparations ahead of the series, which starts in Rajkot on November 9.The state associations hosting the five Tests – Saurashtra, Punjab, Andhra, Mumbai and Tamil Nadu – also said they did not foresee any difficulty as long as the England team’s hotel costs, airfare and the daily allowance are taken care of. A representative from one state association even said they would be happy to foot the hotel bill should it come to that.Alastair Cook’s squad had landed in Mumbai on Wednesday, but doubts emerged over whether the series would take place after email exchanges between the BCCI and the Lodha Committee revealed that an MoU had not been signed yet.According to an order passed by the Supreme Court of India on October 21, all contracts that the BCCI enters into have to be cleared by the Lodha Committee, which was appointed by the court to suggest changes to the way the board functions. Matters directly related to cricket though are beyond the Committee’s remit, which was why they had asked the BCCI for more information before giving their approval for the MoU’s signing. On Thursday evening, BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke sent a copy of the blank MoU to the Lodha Committee without mentioning any specifics.To work around the problem, Shirke wrote to Phil Neale, England’s operations manager, on Thursday asking the ECB to pay for its own expenses until further updates. “We are already in India, there is no change to any plans and we are looking forward to the series against India,” an ECB spokesperson said.A top BCCI official said the board already had contracts in place with the hotels that England would be staying at and, as such, lodging expenses shouldn’t prove a problem. “The main issue is their daily allowance has to be cleared. Ultimately it is a large amount,” the official said. “The daily allowance is in the range of GBP 50-75. The England contingent strength is about 30 including the players and support staff. The BCCI will need to calculate the daily allowance for roughly 50 days for the Test series, and that amount will need to be ratified by the committee before the Indian board disburses the amount to ECB.”The BCCI official also said the MoU could be signed once the series starts. “In letter and spirit, we can’t sign it right now because it is part of the list we sent to the Lodha Committee,” the official said. “Unless and until they revert we can’t sign something that we have referred to them. (But) ultimately we hope it will get signed.”In the interim order delivered on October 21, the Supreme Court asked the BCCI to stop distributing funds to its state associations until they instituted the reforms the Lodha Committee had suggested in January.But the state associations that will host the five Tests said they have no trouble taking on routine costs in the course of the matches and can provide security and in-ground hospitality for the England team if the BCCI finds a way to take on the tourists’ hotel charges and daily allowances.Niranjan Shah, secretary of Saurashtra Cricket Association, said he saw no threat to Rajkot’s first-ever Test in under a week’s time. All the preparations, he said, were going on as scheduled, and even added that if SCA has to pay for lodging, it will.Punjab Cricket Association, that will host the third Test, in Mohali, is also going ahead with its preparations. “Will PCA do the match? Yes, PCA will,” the secretary MP Pandove said. “Will PCA pay for the expenses? Yes, PCA will pay for the expenses it is required to pay for. To get the teams here, to pay for their hotels, to pay their daily allowance, that is BCCI’s job. All ground hospitality, all local transport, traffic control, all staging costs, that is our responsibility. That has been the understanding for years now.”Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, which will host the final Test of series in Chennai, will finalise its plan at an executive meeting on November 7. “We will meet only those expenses that the states have to pay,” a TNCA official said. “Payments concerning daily allowances, airfare, hotel bills have to be met by the BCCI. We will take care of ground expenses and team security.”Mumbai Cricket Association, hosting the fourth Test of the series, has said it is ready to host the match, following its managing committee meeting on Friday. Andhra Cricket Association secretary G Ganga Raju, who is also one of the five BCCI vice-presidents, has said the association has enough funds to host England for the second Test, in Visakhapatnam.
Arsenal have allegedly agreed on personal terms with West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, with the player favouring a move to The Emirates Stadium, according to a recent report from FootballTransfers.
Who will Declan Rice sign for?
Bayern Munich fancied their chances in the race for Rice, with The Daily Mail reporting that manager Thomas Tuchel had hoped to persuade him to move over to the Bundesliga, however, he is now prepared to snub a move to the Allianz Arena.
The same report details that Manchester United and Arsenal are interested in the midfielder, but the Gunners are currently leading the race for the player thought to be valued at over £100m, as he is understood to be settled living in London, and a fee in that region would smash the current Emirates record.
Not only that, but the Gunners have now taken an important step towards securing the Englishman's signature, as Football Transfers report that the two parties have made a breakthrough by agreeing on personal terms after working on the transfer for several weeks.
Mikel Arteta has edged closer towards landing the West Ham captain, with the player himself having made a move to the Emirates Stadium his priority since back in January, however, there are still aspects of the deal that will need to be ironed out.
Arsenal are yet to reach an agreement with West Ham regarding the transfer fee required for the 24-year-old, and the player himself wants to see his current club adequately compensated if he is to leave this summer. As such, the likes of Man United, Bayern Munich or even Liverpool could still make a late attempt to hijack the move.
Should Arsenal sign Rice?
Even though the deal is by no means done yet, it is fantastic news that it has taken a step towards completion, as the England international could be a fantastic signing, given the range of different qualities that he has displayed over the past year.
With an average of 1.73 interceptions per 90, the central midfielder ranks in the 94th percentile compared to his positional peers, while he has also started to display his ability on the front foot, scoring in style after picking the ball up in his own half against Gent.
Hailed as "unbelievable" by members of the media, Rice has proven that he is ready to make the step up to the Champions League, and Arsenal may now be looking to agree a transfer fee with West Ham United at the earliest opportunity.
An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to replace Ange Postecoglou ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…
What's the latest on Brendan Rodgers to Celtic?
According to the Daily Record, former Hoops head coach Brendan Rodgers has not ruled out a sensational return to Parkhead this summer.
The report claims that the Northern Irishman is one of the top contenders to take over as majority shareholder Dermot Desmond is a 'huge admirer' of the tactician.
It states that Rodgers will not rule anything out after he left Leicester prior to their relegation from the Premier League earlier this year, which leaves the club with hope that they can get a deal done in the coming weeks.
Which Celtic player would thrive under Brendan Rodgers?
Desmond bringing the ex-Liverpool boss back to Paradise could be a dream come true for current Hoops forward Liel Abada as the 50-year-old would be perfect for him.
The manager typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 system and enjoyed great success with James Forrest during his previous spell with Celtic as a right winger.
Celtic forward Liel Abada.
Forrest, who only played 16 league games in 22/23 under Postecoglou, produced an impressive 38 goals and 41 assists in 148 matches in all competitions under Rodgers, including 22 goals and 23 assists in 82 outings in the Scottish Premiership.
The Northern Irish coach departed for Leicester in 2019 and since then, the Scottish winger has only plundered 14 goals and eight assists in 72 matches across all competitions, which shows that his production has diminished under the subsequent managers.
This proves that Rodgers, who was once lauded as a "genius" by journalist Sid Lowe, was able to get the best out of the electric right-winger and he could do the same with Abada, who plays a similar position.
The Israel international, like Forrest, is a right-footed forward who plays on his strong foot and is capable of producing goals and assists on a regular basis.
He racked up ten goals and created ten 'big chances' in 34 Premiership appearances in 22/23, despite only starting 13 times, with that coming after the whiz scored ten and produced 13 'big chances' in 24 starts and 36 outings in the previous campaign in the division.
These statistics suggest that Abada, who has played the vast majority of the games in his career as a right winger, would slot in perfectly for Rodgers on the right in his 4-2-3-1 system in the same way that Forrest did.
He would be able to stay high and push forward to score and create goals week-in-week-out as a regular starter which could lead to his numbers rocketing, as the Isreal ace would be playing more than Postecoglou allowed him to.
A round-up of the CSA T20 Challenge matches played on November 19, 2017
ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-2016The Cobras earned their first victory of the season after defending 163 against the Warriors. The franchise have lost three out of five first-class matches and their first two T20 matches as they continue to battle player concerns over the capability of coach Paul Adams. But Adam could smile for a change after Wayne Parnell, Kieron Pollard and George Linde took the team to victory.Parnell was coming back from a rib injury sustained during South Africa’s ODI series against Australia. He opened the batting with Richard Levi, who departed early, and scored 61 off 51 balls. He lacked support until joined by Pollard, whose 50 off 27 balls earned him the batsman of the match award. The pair scored 78 off 50 balls at a rate of almost 10 an over to ensure the Cobras compiled a competitive total.In reply, the Warriors were in early trouble at 58 for 5. Left-arm spinners Linde and Rory Kleinveldt did the damage but Colin Ackermann resisted. His 60 off 41 balls was one of only four scores in double figures in the innings and the only one of more than 22. The Warriors sit mid-table with one loss and one win so far.David Miller’s career-best T20 score was not enough for the Knights to beat the Titans in a last-ball thriller that was decided by a no-ball. The Titans’ victory keep them at the top of the table, eight points clear of their nearest challenger.At 10 for 2, the Knights ceded the early control as veteran allrounder Albie Morkel struck. Miller and Pite van Biljon shared 91 for the third wicket, with van Biljon only a minor contributor. His 28 off 31 balls offered only companionship for Miller, who stood man alone in building the total. Miller’s century came off 56 balls and his eventual strike rate was a shave under 200. He was particularly harsh on Junior Dala, whose four overs cost 57 runs.The Titans stayed on course in the chase, with all their batsmen chipping in. Heinrich Klaasen’s 50 off 27 balls started them off well before Farhaan Behardien and David Wiese kept them in the hunt.They were dismissed off successive balls – Wiese off the last of the penultimate over and Behardien the first of the final over – to leave the Knights needing five runs off the last five balls. Shadley van Schalkwyk was bowling and he gave away only two runs off the next three balls before a bye was conceded, leaving the Titans with two to get off the final ball. That’s when van Schalkwyk overstepped and the Titans took a single to win the game.
Arsenal are reportedly eyeing a Premier League defender as the transfer window approaches, however, Mikel Arteta must avoid past mistakes in dodging the potential signing.
The Spaniard will be keen to make amendments to his side this summer after narrowly missing out on the league title, with depth needed in all areas to tussle with defending champions Manchester City once again.
A host of talent has been linked with a move to the Emirates already, however, the latest link should be one for the club to swipe past.
What’s the latest on Timothy Castagne to Arsenal?
As reported by Belgian outlet Het Belang van Limburg (as relayed by Sport Witness), Leicester City defender Timothy Castagne is a wanted man at Arsenal.
The news was supported by journalist Sacha Tavolieri, who claimed the right-back is seen by the Gunners as a second choice to Real Valladolid gem Ivan Fresneda.
Tavolieri added that Arsenal have ‘started the talks’ with the Foxes over the Belgian with things having the potential to ‘develop quickly’.
Is Timothy Castagne the best option for Arsenal?
Having once been described as being an “absolute liability” by members of the media, the 27-year-old made 37 appearances this season in a campaign that saw Leicester relegated to the Championship.
The right-back has some qualities that established him as a Premier League player, however, Arsenal must avoid past mistakes in the transfer window in order to fully progress after a title-challenging term.
The Gunners secured the signing of Cedric Soares from Southampton in 2020, but the Portuguese defender has failed to make an impact in north London.
While the market can be misleading when stating ‘you get what you pay for’, Arsenal could indeed seek better options than an individual that played a key role in the defence of a side that was relegated.
In 2022 when speaking on talkSPORT, former Premier League forward Darren Bent claimed that Cedric was “not good enough” for the Gunners, something that was correct, with the 31-year-old going on loan to Fulham in January 2023 where he made just six appearances.
Depth is what Arsenal need, however, it's the quality in the numbers that is critical to the north Londoners to close the gap on Pep Guardiola’s treble winners, as seen by the gulf in class following William Saliba’s injury in March and Rob Holding’s inadequate cameo.
cedric-soares-arsenal-brighton
Signing a relegated individual shouldn’t be the route that Edu follows in order to add to the squad this summer, with statistics showing that Castagne ranks far lower than the Gunners’ current options.
Ben White, who is considered Arsenal’s first-choice right-back, was dribbled past on average 0.7 times per game this season, with the Leicester defender being overcome 1.2 times per game, via Sofascore.
Although he would expectedly act as a backup to the Englishman, Arteta wouldn’t be making a significant upgrade on Cedric in signing Castagne.
When comparing the seasons of the Portuguese in 2021/22 to the Belgian this year via FBref, the numbers suggest that Cedric is actually better suited to the Spaniard’s style of play, averaging 5.09 progressive passes per 90 to the £67k-per-week defender’s 2.93.
Having progressive playing full-backs is integral to Arsenal’s playing style, and with the reported target not hitting near the heights of the Emirates’ out-of-favour player, the deal makes little sense in the club’s pursuit of another title challenge.
And as such, Arteta must avoid repeating a Cedric-esque mistake this off-season.