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Imagine if Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had succumbed to the pressure last season.

His dynasty was in disarray after a staggering nosedive from the high-octane, swift-breaking brand of football that had lifted the club toward illustrious heights. Heights that had restored a city, etched his name into Liverpool folklore.

The German decided that this was not to be the narrative that would define his tenure, and the sweeping summer changes to a sapped and sighing midfield have proved significant, altering the pathway Liverpool were headed.

Klopp is now leaving but the Merseysiders have been revived and are competing for the Premier League and Europa League titles after clinching the Carabao Cup earlier in the term.

On Sunday, Manchester City host Arsenal in a clash against first and third; Liverpool will be keenly watching. But first, the Reds will host Brighton & Hove Albion in a must-win top-flight clash.

Liverpool have been hit with a catalogue of injuries but there is golden light at the end of that storm, with key members of the squad filtering back through.

Liverpool team news

Andy Robertson has avoided serious injury after hurting his ankle on international duty with Scotland, though it's likely that the 30-year-old left-back will be sidelined against the Seagulls.

Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip remain long-term absentees, while Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota and Stefan Bajcetic will not be involved but edge closer to a return.

More positively, Ibrahima Konate is fit once again after missing the past few fixtures, while Curtis Jones could make his first appearance since the start of February.

A variety of senior options in the centre of the park is something Klopp has not quite had at his disposal over recent months, and he might now be tempted to make a tweak, with Dominik Szoboszlai, for all his quality, possibly moving to the bench against Roberto De Zerbi's men.

Why Dominik Szoboszlai could be benched vs Brighton

Szoboszlai hit the ground running and then some on Merseyside after joining from RB Leipzig last summer, Liverpool meeting the Hungarian's £60m release clause.

His power, skill and high-energy approach have been a perfect fit under Klopp's wing and this is reflected through his metrics, ranking among the top 7% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 3% for shot-creating actions, the top 19% for progressive passes, the top 4% for progressive carries, the top 17% for successful take-ons and the top 5% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.

Across 33 appearances for Liverpool, the 23-year-old has scored seven goals and added five assists, with his dynamic performances in the engine room leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to describe him as a "magician."

These skilful, influential efforts have indeed been key to Liverpool's success but he's not the only star in that department and given that Wataru Endo and Alexis Mac Allister have been in such fine and fluid form across recent matches, Szoboszlai might find that he enters after the break against Brighton.

Especially when fellow summer signing Ryan Gravenberch is pushing for a starting berth after recovering from a setback before the international break.

Ryan Gravenberch's season in numbers

Of the four midfielders welcomed to Anfield last summer, Gravenberch has probably made the least significant impact so far, though at 21 years old the Netherlands international has showcased the innate ability that may yet see him flower into a leading midfielder.

Completing a £34m transfer from Bayern Munich last summer, Gravenberch's stock had taken a hit after a year in Germany offered little promise, with just three Bundesliga starts all season and criticism regarding his work rate off the ball and defensive deficiencies.

Still, Klopp saw the promise within this multi-functional player's skill set and while he has ebbed and flowed during his maiden campaign in England, there has been plenty to get excited about.

And this has been reflected through his showings thus far, grabbing three goals and two assists across 31 appearances, starting nine games in the Premier League.

Why Ryan Gravenberch should start vs Brighton

As per FBref, Gravenberch ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 6% for progressive carries, the top 5% for successful take-ons and the top 6% for blocks per 90.

1.

Joelinton

Newcastle United

2.

Conor Gallagher

Chelsea

3.

Dominik Szoboszlai

Liverpool

4.

Leonardo Bittencourt

Werder Bremen

5.

Khephren Thuram

OGC Nice

Given his stylistic similarities with Szoboszlai, added to the defensive security provided by Endo and Mac Allister, this might be the perfect opportunity to hand the Dutchman a starting role, especially with Liverpool hosting Sheffield United on Thursday evening before travelling to Old Trafford on Sunday.

Gravenberch, on his day, has been described as a "Rolls-Royce" of a midfielder by journalist Declan Carr, and while his displays in the Premier League have left much to be desired, Gravenberch need only take the soil of his efforts in the Europa League and cultivate a sustained level of performance on the domestic front.

As per Sofascore, Gravenberch has clinched three goal contributions from five games in Europe this term, averaging 2.2 key passes, 1.8 tackles, 5.0 ball recoveries and 4.6 successful duels per match.

Such an all-encompassing array of abilities is part of the natural ability that Klopp knows, as does Gravenberch himself, no doubt, is yet to be harnessed to its full, latent but waiting for a breakthrough.

This crucial late stage of the campaign will call for rotation as Liverpool fight across two fronts, and while Szoboszlai is unquestionably one of the finest players on Liverpool's books, the 6 foot 2 Gravenberch must now take this opportunity to make his mark.

Jones and Bajcetic are both returning from injury layoffs and there is no better time for Gravenberch to prove that he has what it takes to make his mark and aid his outfit in the fight for silverware.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Soumya Sarkar doesn’t make the 15-member squad and is said to be taking a break for personal reasons

Mohammad Isam23-Feb-2020Afif Hossain and Mohammad Naim have been included in the Bangladesh ODI side for the first time as they take on Zimbabwe in a three-match series next week.Bangladesh squad for first two ODIs against Zimbabwe

Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mithun, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Afif Hossain, Mohammad Naim, Al Amin Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shafiul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman
IN: Mashrafe Mortaza, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Liton Das, Afif Hossain, Mohammad Naim, Al-Amin Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shafiul Islam
OUT: Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Anamul Haque, Farhad Reza, Taskin Ahmed

Afif and Naim are two of several changes that Bangladesh are looking into as they prepare to play 50-over cricket for the first time since July last year. Mashrafe Mortaza, who according to the BCB chief Nazmul Hassan will be playing his last series as captain, is back and so are Najmul Hossain Shanto, Liton Das, Al-Amin Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin and Shafiul Islam.This squad has been picked only for the first two matches of the series. It had no place for Mosaddek Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Rubel Hossain, Anamul Haque, Farhad Reza and Taskin Ahmed, while Soumya Sarkar is said to be taking a break for personal reasons.Mosaddek is injured but the others haven’t been in Bangladesh’s plans for some time now. Taskin is in the Test squad currently playing against Zimbabwe, but he didn’t make the XI. Rubel is an interesting exclusion though. He is usually considered a shoe-in for one-day games.”It is great to have Mortaza back as his experience and leadership is vital to our one day cricket,” chief selector Minhajul Abedin said. “Mohammad Saifuddin is also key to the team’s balance. We had to make certain adjustments in the last ODI series we had played in as a number of cricketers were unavailable due to various reasons but I am happy that we now have a fit pool of players to select from. Shanto’s current form in international and domestic cricket gets him into the team while Naim and Afif are also part of our long term plan for the shorter version.”Bangladesh will play the ODI series against Zimbabwe in Sylhet on March 1, 3 and 6.

The winger has been given an unexpected second chance to make a go of his frustrating Red Devils career but must now play out of his comfort zone

When Jadon Sancho was at the height of his exile from Manchester United, training by himself, forced to eat lunch alone out of tupperware and playing EAFC while his team-mates were in Champions League action, it was impossible to imagine that less than a year later he would be back playing for the club.

It was even harder to envisage him not just still being a part of the squad, but starting the season as their central striker. But the player who called his manager a liar 11 months ago and then refused to apologise to him, even if it was his best route back into the team, is now the Red Devils' best option for the Community Shield against Manchester City.

United begin the new season just as they ended the last one, against City at Wembley, where they staged a stunning 2-1 victory in the FA Cup final and became the first team in almost six months to beat Pep Guardiola's side over 90 minutes. Their team feels weaker now than then, though, despite spending close to £90 million ($114m) on two new signings. And that is illustrated by the fact that Sancho is likely to be leading their attack.

Getty Sancho vs Haaland

At Wembley, City will be armed up front with Erling Haaland, who scored 36 goals in his first Premier League season and 28 in his second. He has warmed up for a third consecutive assault on the Golden Boot by having an extended summer break while his contemporaries were at the European Championship or Copa America.

And he has been scoring for fun in the pre-season tour of the United States, even plundering a hat-trick against Chelsea. United, by contrast, will be relying on a forward who has hardly any experience of playing up front and even less positive experience of the role.

This is not how Ten Hag planned it, of course. Rasmus Hojlund hurt his hamstring against Arsenal and new signing Joshua Zirkzee has barely trained with the team. The manager has also seemingly abandoned the idea of playing Marcus Rashford through the middle, which did not go well at the start of last season. Rashford's revival over pre-season has confirmed the notion that he is best deployed from the left of the attack.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesHasn't worked before

There remains a possibility that Ten Hag does what he did in the last two games against City, and play Bruno Fernandes as a false nine. But he has hinted it will be Sancho, who started there in the final two games of the ill-fated U.S. tour, in the 3-2 win over Real Betis and the 3-0 defeat by Liverpool. The latter was not a particulary good advert for him in the role, as he failed to get into many positive positions, and the wide forwards Rashford and Amad Diallo had much better games.

Ten Hag actually experimented with Sancho as a false nine on the previous U.S. tour, just weeks before their relationship exploded in full view of social media. He had scored against Arsenal in New Jersey, but that was as good as it got.

And when the season started properly, Sancho was on the bench, playing just a handful of minutes before being left out of the squad for the trip to Arsenal, when Ten Hag let it slip that he had not been training hard enough, and all hell broke loose.

Getty/GOALFragile relationship

Little has happened in between to suggest that Sancho is now better equipped for playing up front or that his rift with Ten Hag has properly healed. The coach was adamant last year that Sancho must publicly apologise for his verbal attack, and was so adamant that he preferred to send him on loan to Borussia Dortmund than back down.

A private chat seems to have been enough to bury the hatchet this time, but for how long? The pair's agreement to put their furious spat behind them feels more like a ceasefire than a permanent peace process, and Sancho playing out of position will put this fragile relationship to the test.

Sancho did revitalise his career on loan at Dortmund, but it was playing on the right of the attack, with a clear focal point in Niclas Fullkrug to chime with.

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Getty ImagesReinvention is risky

He rediscovered his dribbling ability while playing back in Dortmund, having barely demonstrated it at United, either under Ten Hag or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Indeed, he only dribbled past a player seven times in 48 games with the Red Devils.

In one match for Dortmund against Paris Saint-Germain, he completed 12 dribbles, the most of any player in the Champions League since Lionel Messi in 2008. It feels like United should be trying to rediscover that version of Sancho, the thrusting, thrilling winger, rather than try to reinvent him in an unfamiliar position.

Sancho does not have the physique of Fullkrug or the power of Hojlund, and him playing as a traditional centre-forward is unlikely to cause City many problems. He stands a better chance as a false nine, although that still feels like it won't get the best out of him.

To be effective he will need to drop deeper into attacking midfield and pick out either Rashford, Amad or Alejandro Garnacho. Doing so runs the risk of him getting in the way of Fernandes or Mason Mount, who also has a point to prove after missing most of last season through injury.

As the dramatic race for automatic promotion reaches its crescendo in the Championship, Leeds United have already started turning some of their attention towards the summer transfer window, with a ruthless decision reportedly set to be made.

Leeds transfer news

Once promotion is decided, Leeds' transfer plans will become far clearer. With the promise of Premier League football, Daniel Farke could welcome a number of fresh faces to leave his side in the best possible position to earn survival and much more in the top flight. If they fail to go up, however, then the Whites could be in for an incredibly difficult summer.

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Already, the likes of Crysencio Summerville have been linked with moves away following an excellent campaign and promotion failure would hardly help those at Elland Road keep hold of such stars.

As things stand, the Yorkshire club have the chance to move into second in the Championship on Monday when they face Middlesbrough on Monday, but will then face pressure from Ipswich Town, who will have a game in hand with just a matter of weeks remaining in the season. Things are set to go down to the wire, but that pressure hasn't stopped Farke from making a ruthless decision.

According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Jack Harrison is set to be sold this summer in a permanent deal following his loan spell at Everton this season, with Farke looking to keep faith with his current wingers rather than turning to the former Manchester City man.

It remains to be seen just how much those at Elland Road will demand for Harrison this summer and whether it will be Everton or another option who lead the race for his signature, but Leeds will at least clear his reported £40k per-week salary from their wage bill.

Harrison's inconsistent loan spell at Everton

Whilst Harrison was once a reliable Premier League option at Leeds, scoring five goals and assisting a further seven just last season, he has struggled to find consistency at Everton with injuries playing a part in that.

During his time at Goodison Park, Harrison has been involved in just six Premier League goals with three goals and three assists to his name in a side still battling to avoid relegation. Still only 27 years old, however, the winger could yet come good in Merseyside or elsewhere to prove Leeds wrong this summer.

Sean Dyche may be among those hoping to see Everton take advantage of Leeds' transfer decision, having been full of praise for Harrison from the off this season, saying via Liverpool Echo: “I must say I think Jack Harrison has done fantastically well, he has only just had that game the other night with the development side and he said he felt fine, he said he was ready, and I believed him.

"He looked ready, he was training freely. But to come in and play at this level with hardly any return to real football is very, very pleasing for me as a manager and him as a player."

Rangers icon Ally McCoist has backed his former side to overturn the deficit against Celtic and be crowned champions this season, despite admitting they are now the underdogs.

Rangers hand Celtic advantage

Philippe Clement's side threw away their Scottish Premiership advantage thanks to a dismal run of form that saw them lose to Ross County and draw with Dundee, a run of games that saw them take five points from a possible 15.

It means that Celtic are in the driving seat heading into the final part of the season, with a three point cushion and a better goal difference than Rangers having played the same number of games.

Scottish Premiership as it stands

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goal Difference

Points

Celtic

33

24

6

3

54

78

Rangers

33

24

3

6

49

75

It has led to plenty of speculation that the title is already effectively in residence at Celtic Park, with Rangers still needing to visit their rivals in the final league Old Firm Derby of the season.

McCoist – Title far from over

But one man still believes, in the form of former Rangers striker Ally McCoist. The Scot appeared over 400 times for the Glasgow outfit, and was quick to talk up his old side's chances to overturn the deficit.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of talkSPORT BET, McCoist rubbished claims that the title race is over, though he admitted Rangers likely have to be perfect and added that it wouldn't be easy for his former side.

"I genuinely do [think Rangers can still win the SPL]. They are second favourites make no mistake about it. But, you know, you look at it. Celtic's form up until recently was a little bit erratic too. Dropping points in places you wouldn't imagine them dropping points and it's now getting to the stage where it's against the top six.

"And so, the big question is – are Rangers capable of winning at Celtic Park? Yes, they are. Would it be very difficult? Yes, it would be very difficult but they're capable of doing it. Can Celtic drop other points? You better believe it. I mean, KIilmarnock have taken all sorts of points off Celtic this season, and Kilmanock have taken points off Rangers. Hearts have taken points off Rangers and Celtic.

Rangers have "concrete" interest in move to sign versatile 17 y/o attacker

He could become the newest sensation at Ibrox.

ByBen Browning Apr 25, 2024

"So is Rangers dream still alive, you better believe it's still alive. They had the favourites tag maybe three weeks ago, they've lost that that's for sure, but it's still not beyond them."

The two meetings between the sides left this season will almost certainly decide the destination of all remaining Scottish major silverware, with the two also meeting in the cup final next month.

For Rangers, their trip to Celtic Park could be their chance to set the record straight after a poor few weeks. Meanwhile, Celtic will know that even a point against their rivals, like they managed at Ibrox, could see them effectively seal the title.

A round-up from the opening day of the latest Sheffield Shield round as teams push to play NSW in the final

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2020ScorecardNathan Ellis and Sam Rainbird first swung the game Tasmania’s way, at home against New South Wales, and Jordan Silk and Alex Doolan put the finishing touches to the job, a nine-wicket win inside three days.The win keeps Tasmania’s hopes of making the final alive while Shield leaders NSW are looking shaky following a second loss in three games.The day started with NSW on 3 for 105 in their second innings, just 30 runs in front. It didn’t take long for their plans of setting Tasmania a big target to be dashed. Overnight batsman Daniel Solway added just five runs to his 36 before becoming the first to fall, and though some of the remaining batsmen got starts, Sean Abbott’s 35 was the best on the day. Ellis, who had 6 for 43 in the first innings, returned 3 for 52, while Rainbird picked up 3 for 72.The gave Tasmania a target of 129, and with Silk (67 not out) and Doolan (47) adding 101 for the first wicket, it took them only 40.3 overs to reach the target.ScorecardWill Sutherland made big dents in South Australia’s chase of a steep 399, picking up three wickets on the third evening to leave them at 4 for 80, still 319 runs adrift.The day started with Victoria, 79 ahead after the first-innings exchanges, add 265 runs to their total to get to a formidable 6 for 320 before declaring. Travis Dean and Nic Maddinson, the overnight batsmen, added 107 for the second wicket before Dean fell in the 90s for the second straight match, nicking a wide ball to second slip. Maddinson made 66, passing 50 for the fifth consecutive innings in Shield cricket. Victoria’s middle-order all made swift contributions to allow skipper Peter Handscomb to make an aggressive declaration with 120 overs left in the match.Sutherland justified the decision tearing through South Australia’s top order, removing Henry Hunt, Jake Weatherald and Callum Ferguson to leave them 3 for 32. Travis Head steadied with an unbeaten 32 by but lost Tom Cooper before stumps.
ScorecardAn unbeaten half-century from Sam Whiteman has given Western Australia a glimmer of hope of holding off Queensland at the WACA.Whiteman posted his second half-century of the match, and his third in four Shield innings, as WA reached stumps on day three at 3 for 143, still 76 runs away from making Queensland bat again on the final day.Earlier, Queensland piled up 496 with Jack Wildermuth posting 80 with ten boundaries to build a significant first-innings lead of 219. After a century from Bryce Street and 93 from Joe Burns on day two, the Queensland tail piled on the pain on day three with Wildermuth leading the charge. WA quick Matthew Kelly toiled away to collect 5 for 85 to bowl Queensland out for under 500.Whiteman held firm late in the day. Jake Carder and Shaun Marsh made starts but neither could kick on while Marcus Stoinis was trapped in front by Mark Steketee for just 9. WA’s form player Cameron Green helped Whiteman through to stumps but the pair face a monumental task along with the lower middle order to dig WA out of a hole on the final day.

Real Madrid have rejected a bid worth in excess of €100m (£85m/$110m) for Eder Militao from Saudi Arabia.

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Real reportedly reject mammoth bidSaudi Arabian club not namedMilitao deemed a key playerWHAT HAPPENED?

Per UOLEsporte, Real have received an offer worth in excess of €100m for Militao from an unnamed Saudi club. The defender missed a large part of last season because he sustained an ACL injury but Real continue to deem him a key player, especially in the wake of Nacho Fernandez's move to Saudi Arabia.

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Saudi Arabia's Pro League has also targeted Vinicius Jr and they proposed a deal worth in excess of €1 billion (£854m/$1.1bn) for the Brazil international. Neither player appears set to make the move to the Middle East, however.

DID YOU KNOW?

Militao has been with Madrid since 2019 and has made a total of 156 appearances for the club. He has a contract until 2028 and has won the Champions League twice, as well as La Liga three times.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Real Madrid kick off their La Liga season against Mallorca on Sunday as they bid to defend their title. Militao will hope to be involved, as will Vinicius.

As Rangers gear up for a dramatic end to the Scottish Premiership title race, the Gers have been handed a boost in the form of some positive transfer news for Philippe Clement.

Rangers transfer news

It looks set to be a busy summer at Ibrox with a number of departures expected. The likes of Ryan Jack, Borna Barisic, John Lundstram and Leon Balogun are all heading for the exit door upon the expiry of their current contracts as things stand. Lundstram's exit would be a particular blow given that Rangers had attempted to negotiate a fresh deal without any success.

Clement could boldly ditch Rangers star who earns more than Tavernier

Phillipe Clement could be set for a major rebuilding job at Ibrox this summer

ByRoss Kilvington May 10, 2024

There is still some positive news ahead it seems, however. As per recent reports, Rangers are looking to turn loan deals for Abdallah Sima and Oscar Cortes into permanent switches this summer in what would hand Clement quite the duo on both wings next season.

It is the type of attacking duo that could see the Gers end Celtic's recent dominance and hand their boss a squad packed with talent ahead of his first full campaign – something one player will reportedly be a part of.

According to TeamTalk, Rangers believe that Jack Butland will stay put this summer despite previous interest from Premier League side Nottingham Forest. The shot-stopper has rediscovered his best form since completing a move to Ibrox last summer and looks set to reward their trust by declining a return to England in the coming months.

In the space of a year in Scotland, Butland's return to form could yet end with an England call-up in what would be quite the way to add the cherry on top of his career revival.

"Top-class" Butland is one of Clement's most important players

Any success that Clement may have at Rangers will undoubtedly be in some way credited to Butland, such is his importance under the Belgian. The Gers boss is well aware of his quality too, having compared Butland with the best he has worked with during his career.

Clement told BBC Sport when comparing Butland to Simon Mignolet: "Over more than 30 years, Jack together with Simon are the two best I have met. He is a really, really top-class goalkeeper for me.

"He almost didn't have a downfall [make a mistake] in all of our four months together. He is a top goalkeeper but also a top personality, because you can be a really good goalkeeper but not be a leader in the dressing room – but Simon and Jack both are. They're quite similar – they have some specific different qualities but they're both leaders with a lot of authority. But really natural, not forced."

It's the type of quality that earns Butland a reported £25k-a-week wage in a deal that should see the shot-stopper remain a Rangers player until at least the summer of 2027.

Lionesses star Beth Mead will be available for Arsenal's Champions League qualifier against Rosenborg this weekend, giving the Gunners a huge boost.

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Mead has missed Arsenal's last three gamesIncluding Champions League qualifier with RangersBut will be back for crucial Rosenborg clashWHAT HAPPENED?

After missing the team's final two pre-season fixtures, Mead was unavailable for Arsenal's first qualifying match against Rangers on Wednesday night. The Gunners were also without Australia defender Steph Catley due to a knock, along with long-term absentees Lina Hurtig and Victoria Pelova. However, they still managed to come through as 6-0 winners thanks to a four-goal display from Caitlin Foord, who took Mead's place on the right.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Jonas Eidevall's side looked sharp in that victory and they will need to be as impressive on Saturday, despite not facing the opponent most expected. Many would have predicted Atletico Madrid to come through the other qualifying match in this section of the draw, but Norwegian side Rosenborg prevailed after a dramatic penalty shootout and will now take on Arsenal for a place in the second round of qualifying.

DID YOU KNOW?

Arsenal fell short at this stage last year, defeated by Paris FC. The French side claimed another huge scalp on their way to the group stage, too, when they knocked out Wolfsburg in the second round, just a few months after the German giants had contested the 2022-23 Champions League final with Barcelona.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MEAD AND ARSENAL?

That failure will make the Gunners even more motivated to emerge victorious this weekend, then, and having Mead back available for the match will only boost their chances of making it through to the next stage of qualifying.

A board official says hosting it this October would be ‘too big a risk’

Nagraj Gollapudi and Osman Samiuddin27-May-2020As the prospects of the men’s T20 World Cup proceeding on schedule in Australia this October recede by the day, the ICC board will consider alternative scenarios on Thursday.An official decision may not come after the board meeting – the ICC issued a statement to say that reports of a postponement were “inaccurate”– but according to one official familiar with the contingency planning, a tournament this year would be “too big a risk” in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. The official said the logistics of arranging a global tournament would be “impossible to manage,” and that the “safe option” would be to not have it this year.Alternative options as to when the tournament can take place were drawn up in a meeting of the Finance & Commercial Affairs (F&CA) Committee, an influential sub-committee within the ICC, on May 22.Although it is looking increasingly likely that international cricket will resume soon enough the challenges of bringing together 16 teams from across the world into one country and creating a bio-secure bubble for them is of a different scale altogether. The ICC has to take into account multiple travel restriction policies, different quarantine measures in different countries and the loss of revenue from a tournament played behind closed doors (not to mention the additional costs of playing matches in a bio-secure environment).It is possible that the ICC Board does not make the decision official tomorrow – the ICC pointed to a “number of contingency plans” in its statement – and instead waits till its annual conference scheduled for mid-July. But one official said leaving the final decision late would hurt all stakeholders. “If there is uncertainty too close to the actual event itself then stakeholders like the broadcaster will not like it.”The four main scenarios for when the tournament can be postponed to in chronological sequence are:Scenario 1: February-March 2021. Venue: AustraliaMoving the T20 World Cup to February-March next year. For that to happen though the ICC will have to reschedule the 2021 women’s ODI World Cup – currently scheduled between February 6 and March 7 in New Zealand – to start mid-January. The proximity of the events shouldn’t be an issue, the ICC having held back-to-back world events in 2017 with the men’s Champions Trophy and the women’s ODI World Cup in England. Another key advantage is that keeping it in Australia ensures a continuity to plans already in place.Questions: Will there be an appetite among the game’s commercial and broadcast stakeholders to have two men’s T20 World Cups in the same year (and three major ICC events overall) considering India are scheduled to host the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup in October-November? And don’t forget the year might include a de facto global event in the IPL as well. Also, will the pandemic have eased enough to make this viable?ICC/Getty ImagesScenario 2: October-November, 2021. Venue: AustraliaPostpone the event by a year without changing the venue. Australia can then play host to a big summer of cricket, which also involves the 2021 Ashes, scheduled from November through January 2022.Questions: India is already down as the host for the 2021 edition of the men’s T20 World Cup (tax exemptions notwithstanding). This would mean India hosting the event in October-November 2022, but one senior BCCI official has indicated the board would not be in favour as the 2023 World Cup is also scheduled to be held in India in February-March 2023: two global events would take a significant chunk out of the BCCI’s bilateral home season. It could also impact broadcast and commercial revenues to hold back-to-back global tournaments.Scenario 3: February-March, 2022. Venue: AustraliaAustralia host the tournament 14 months later subject to all other teams adjusting their international schedules.Questions: The predicament of two T20 World Cups within the space of five months remains, if India host the 2021 edition. Also would Australia want to play a global tournament on the back of five-Test Ashes which could leave some of their key players exhausted?Scenario 4: October-November, 2022. Venue: AustraliaAustralia hosts the tournament two years down the line. The tournament still gets played in the Australian summer and by then crowds could be back and gate money and merchandising are key revenue streams for Australia.Questions: Again, would the ICC, as well as the broadcaster, want two world events in the space of five months (with the men’s ODI World Cup in early 2023)? That World Cup is, as of now, the only ICC event scheduled in 2023 so potentially that could be pushed to October-November later that year.