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Leeds United faced the unenviable task of turning the ship around to gain positive momentum after they were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season.

The Whites kicked off their summer with the appointment of Daniel Farke as the club's new head coach and then overhauled the squad with a host of incomings and outgoings.

Rodrigo, Jack Harrison, Max Wober, Robin Koch, and Luis Sinisterra were among those to depart, either permanently or on loan, and that opened the door for new arrivals to come in.

Jaidon Anthony, Ilia Gruev, Djed Spence, Joel Piroe, Joe Rodon, Glen Kamara, Sam Byram, Karl Darlow, and Ethan Ampadu were all snapped up to bolster their Championship promotion hopes.

The Yorkshire-based outfit are currently third in the table after 16 games and are eight points off the top of the table, which suggests that the club's summer business has had a positive impact.

Rodon, in particular, has been an impressive addition to the group and there is now some speculation over whether or not he could have a future at Elland Road beyond his current loan.

Leeds United transfer news – Joe Rodon

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Leeds may have the opportunity to sign the central defender on a permanent basis if they are promoted to the Premier League this season.

The outlet has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur are 'open' to the possibility of cashing in on the Wales international next summer, which suggests that he is not a part of Ange Postecoglou's long-term plans in London.

It is stated that Spurs could hold out for a fee within the region of £20m for the ex-Swansea City star, having paid an initial fee of £11m to sign him back in 2020.

He is currently on a season-long loan from the top-flight side and Farke recently confirmed that the towering enforcer will remain at Elland Road until the conclusion of the campaign, at least.

When asked about the possibility of a recall during the January transfer window, the Whites boss stated that the defender will stay with the club and hailed his performances to that point as "brilliant".

Whilst there is a long way to go in the season, there is now the potential for Leeds to repeat the masterclass they played with Pontus Jansson by securing a permanent deal for Rodon.

The Sweden international initially signed for the club on loan from Serie A side Torino ahead of the 2016/17 Championship campaign before being snapped up permanently for a reported fee of £3.5m the following year.

Jansson's Leeds career in numbers

He hit the ground running in England with a sublime debut season in the second tier as the impressive defender displayed his fantastic defensive qualities.

The Torino loanee played 34 Championship matches throughout the year and ended the term with a staggering 10.4 clearances per game for the team, which was at least 2.5 more per outing than any of his teammates managed.

This showed that his positioning and reading of the game was a level above the other defenders at the club as he was in the right place at the right time to clear the danger more often than anyone else.

Jansson also made 3.4 tackles and interceptions per clash as the fantastic battler showcased his ability to win possession back on a consistent basis.

His dominance at the back was also on full display as the Swedish titan won 67% of his duels, and 73% of his battles on the ground, throughout the season.

These performances convinced Leeds to pay £3.5m to sign him in 2017 and the central defender went on to play another 81 Championship games across the subsequent two seasons.

His form for Marcelo Bielsa in his final campaign for the Whites between 2018 and 2019 was particularly eye-catching. He ranked second within the squad for both tackles (2.4) and interceptions (2.3) per match, whilst also leading the way with his 4.2 clearances per outing.

Eventually, Leeds opted to cash in and make a profit on Jansson as Brentford swooped to seal his signature for a reported fee of £5.5m in 2019, which represented a £2m profit after just two years of being in Yorkshire on a permanent deal.

Rodon could now follow in his footsteps by signing permanently after an impressive year on loan, as the Welsh gem has been in superb form so far this season.

Rodon's season in numbers

The 26-year-old colossus, who was recently lauded as "terrific" by international and former Spurs teammate Ben Davies, has hit the ground running for Farke this term.

A red card for two bookable offences against Hull in September was a rare moment of vulnerability from the fantastic ace, who has contributed to the club's excellent defensive record.

Only Leicester (ten) have conceded fewer goals than Leeds (16) after 16 matches and this illustrates how impressive the defence, and the structure around it, has been, with Rodon at the heart of the backline.

The Welsh ace has featured in 13 of the club's Championship games and contributed with two tackles and interceptions combined per match, whilst also being within the top 31% of players in his position at that level for clearances (4.59) and blocks (1.5) per 90.

He has displayed his dominance with a duel success rate of 61%, which shows that opposition forwards have rarely been able to get the better of him in physical contests.

Rodon has also been an important part of Leeds' control in possession as the central defender is a reliable passer. In fact, he currently ranks within the top 13% of his positional Championship peers with a pass accuracy of 89.7% this season.

The Wales international also played 15 Premier League games for Tottenham earlier in his career and has, therefore, already had a taste of top-flight football in this country, which could be useful experience to have if the Whites win promotion this term.

Therefore, Leeds could secure an excellent deal and repeat their Jansson masterclass by signing an impressive central defender on a permanent deal after a fantastic loan spell at Elland Road, if Rodon carries his form on throughout the rest of the campaign and helps the side to return to the top table.

Only 18 months since their promotion to Full Membership, Afghanistan have secured a direct place in the main group stage of the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia by virtue of being in the top eight of teams in the ICC rankings at the 2018 cut-off date.Afghanistan’s progression up the T20I rankings corresponds with a slip down the order for Sri Lanka, who currently sit in ninth place on 87 points. It means the 2014 world champions will have to go through the opening round of the tournament in order to reach the “Super 12s”, where teams will be split into two groups of six for round-robin play. The 2020 format means Sri Lanka will need to finish in the top two of a four-team group in the opening round in order to advance to the Super 12s.

The 2020 T20 World Cup

Teams through to the Super 12: Pakistan, India, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, West Indies, Afghanistan
Full Members who will have to qualify to the Super 12s: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Ireland

“It is a bit disappointing that we have not been able to ensure a direct Super 12s berth but I’m confident that we will do well in the tournament,” Sri Lanka T20I captain, Lasith Malinga, told the ICC. “Having played three finals and winning once, it is natural that everyone expected us to finish in the top-eight but we have to take the opportunity in the extra matches of the group stage and prepare well for the knock-out matches.”The 2020 tournament will mark the first time that Afghanistan won’t have to go through a qualifying round in order to reach the main phase of the T20 World Cup, now dubbed the “Super 12s”. They went a perfect seven-for-seven in T20Is in 2018, including a 3-0 sweep of Bangladesh, to move up to eighth on the rankings table, five points clear of Sri Lanka in ninth and 15 points above Bangladesh in 10th.This left Shakib Al Hasan saying: “We have not secured a direct Super 12s berth but I’m confident that we will do well in the tournament by going through the group stage.”We are a side capable of beating the best on our day and I see no reason why we can’t go far in the tournament. There is still some time and we will use it to be at our best for the T20 World Cup.”Afghanistan qualified for the first time in the West Indies in 2010 after beating Ireland in the final of the T20 World Cup Qualifier in UAE earlier that year. They subsequently qualified again in 2012 for a then 12-team event and also reached the opening round of the 2014 tournament but finished below both Nepal and eventual opening-round group winners Bangladesh.After finishing fifth in the qualifying tournament in 2015, they went 3-0 in the opening round of the 2016 tournament in India, including a resounding win over Zimbabwe, to advance to the Super 10s main draw. They knocked off eventual champions West Indies for their second win over a Full Member at the event and have continued a gradual rise up the T20I rankings since.Afghanistan’s progression also means that Zimbabwe will have to go into the T20 Global Qualifier for the first time just to earn a spot in the opening round of the T20 World Cup. Along with Ireland, it will also mark the first time that Full Members are a part of the qualifying tournament.It follows a new approach from the ICC in which Full Members are no longer guaranteed a spot in World Cups by virtue of membership status. The 2018 ODI World Cup Qualifier also featured Full Members for the first time as West Indies, Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe had to compete against six Associates in order to secure a spot in England. West Indies and Afghanistan clinched the only two berths available, meaning Ireland and Zimbabwe will become the first two Full Members to not take part in a World Cup in 2019.In addition to Ireland and Zimbabwe, four Associates have been fast-tracked into the T20 Global Qualifier by virtue of their participation in the opening round of the 2016 T20 World Cup: Scotland, Netherlands, Hong Kong and Oman. They will be joined by eight other Associates who will advance from five regional qualification finals (Africa, Americas, Asia, East Asia-Pacific, Europe) to take place in the first half of 2019.The 14-team T20 Global Qualifier is expected to take place in October or November this year at a venue yet to be determined. The top six teams at that tournament will join Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the opening round in Australia.

Meanwhile, Kedar Jadhav is set to play for Maharashtra for the first time since December 2016, in their match against Baroda in Vadodara

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2018

No Ashwin, Vijay for Tamil NaduRain affected Tamil Nadu’s prospects in the first round when they were at full-strength. They’ll have to do without R Ashwin, M Vijay and Vijay Shankar for their second-round match against Hyderabad in Tirunelveli. While both Vijay and Shankar will be travelling with the India A squad to New Zealand, Ashwin will be preparing for the Test series against Australia.K Vignesh, CV Varun and Shahrukh Khan have been named in the squad to replace the missing trio.Saha sets tentative comeback dateWriddhiman Saha, who has been battling injury issues since the start of the year, has set a tentative return date. “I am feeling much better now. I hope to be back in action by mid-December. I am preparing and training accordingly. Hope my body recovers in time and I’m fit to play (Ranji Trophy). I’ve started net sessions but I am yet to get match-fit,” Saha said at an event in Kolkata.While Saha may have missed the bus for the Test series against Australia, he could still play a significant role for Bengal if his return goes as per schedule.Jadhav to turn out for MaharashtraKedar Jadhav will turn out for Maharashtra in their match against Baroda at the Moti Bagh Stadium in Vadodara. He hasn’t represented Maharashtra since December 2016 due to national commitments and injury issues.It is worth remembering that Jadhav first came into the national reckoning due to a blockbuster Ranji season, when his 1224 runs in 2013-14 took Maharashtra from Group C all the way to the final. The last time he played for his state though, Jadhav was only a batsman. He’s now become someone who can chip in with a few overs of spin too. Playing a four-day match while batting and bowling, and crucially coming through unscathed and without injury, will perhaps be an important step in Jadhav proving his fitness.CM Gautam droppedThe Karnataka side that is taking on defending champions Vidarbha in Nagpur will be without a familiar face. CM Gautam, veteran of 94 first-class matches, is not part of the team. Gautam had a middling 2017-18 season, scoring 285 runs in eight games at 31.66 average. The squad is only for the first game, so there is still a chance for him to come back.Gambhir steps down as Delhi captainNitish Rana has been named Delhi captain for the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy, after Gautam Gambhir, who led them in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, stepped down from the role a week before the start of the season. Rana will begin his captaincy stint on November 12, when Delhi kick off their season against Himachal Pradesh, in a match that will also feature Ishant Sharma, who is returning from rehab for ankle complaints suffered since the Oval Test against England.Gambhir, who led Delhi to the Hazare final last month, made the announcement via Twitter. “Time to pass the captaincy baton to youngsters, hence have requested the DDCA selectors not to consider me for that role,” he wrote. “I will be in the background helping the new leader to win games.”At the start of this season, Gambhir had been asked by the Delhi selectors to lead the team in the limited-overs tournaments in the absence of Rishabh Pant and Ishant Sharma, who had both led the side in last year’s Ranji Trophy. But when offered the opportunity to continue in the role for this season, Gambhir told the selectors that it would be good to groom a young leader.”Gautam has intimated the state team’s chief selector Amit Bhandari that he would like to opt out of captaincy,” Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rajat Sharma told . “He suggested that someone younger be groomed for the job. Nitish Rana will lead the side and Dhruv Shorey will be his deputy.”Earlier this year, the 37-year-old Gambhir had also stepped down as Delhi Daredevils’ captain during the IPL season, after the franchise managed only one win in their first six games.Rana, the new state team captain, was the second-highest scorer for Delhi, behind Gambhir, in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy, with 613 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.72. Shorey, Rana’s deputy, also had a productive tournament, scoring 593 runs in 12 innings, including a hundred in the final.Delhi squad: Nitish Rana (capt), Dhruv Shorey (vice-capt), Gautam Gambhir, Hitel Dalal, Himmat Singh, Anuj Rawat, Ishant Sharma, Kulwant Khejroliya, Vikas Mishra, Lalit Yadav, Simarjit Singh, Vaibhav Rawal, Varun Sood, Sarthak Rajan, Shivank Vashisth

Liverpool have seen some of the highest highs in domestic football during Jurgen Klopp’s nine-year season reign, with a magnitude of talent gracing the pitch at Anfield in that time.

At the point of the German’s arrival, the Reds had been on an adventure of similar highs and lows with Brendan Rodgers, who went from missing out agonisingly on the 2013/14 Premier League title, to finishing 6th in his final season the year after.

While Klopp wrote himself into the club’s folklore by winning their first Premier League title, as well as adding Liverpool’s sixth Champions League win, Rodgers was the catalyst in harvesting some of the Reds’ most exciting talents of the Premier League era to Anfield.

From unearthing the seed of Luis Suarez from Kenny Dalglish to welcoming the likes of Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge, Joe Gomez and James Milner, Rodgers was blessed with a highly talented squad during his tenure with the Reds.

It’s difficult to refer to the club’s success over the past 10 years, as well as the success of Rodgers on Merseyside without mentioning the former manager’s best signing for the Reds, with Philippe Coutinho being the club’s star man from his arrival to his exit.

How much was Philippe Coutinho worth when he signed for Liverpool?

In 2008, Inter Milan secured the signature of Coutinho as a youngster from Brazilian club Vasco da Gama.

The reported fee is identified by Football Transfers to have been in the region of €3.8m (£3.2m), a fair price for a player making his first move to the European football scene after leaving his homeland.

After his arrival, Coutinho was loaned back to his boyhood club to continue his development, before rejoining the Nerazzurri in the summer of 2010.

The playmaker made a name for himself over the years at Inter, securing a total of 47 appearances as well as embarking on a half-season loan spell to Espanyol to gain further experience after struggling to adapt in Italy.

In his 47 appearances, the versatile midfielder scored five goals and registered four assists in all competitions, which was a statement big enough for Rodgers to strike a deal with the Italian giants for their 19-year-old starlet.

How much did Liverpool sign Philippe Coutinho for?

In January 2013, it was announced that Liverpool had signed Coutinho for a fee of £8.5m from Inter, with the deal a positive thing for both sides, considering the youngster hadn’t yet blown the minds of those at the San Siro with his talent.

There is always a subtle fear that players from abroad will fail to cope with the physical demands of the Premier League, however it was quickly evident that Rodgers had gifted Liverpool a bargain in signing the 19-year-old.

In the 2012/13 campaign, the £8.5m starlet contributed to 10 Premier League goals in 13 appearances, scoring three and assisting seven to make his arrival in England known and heard loudly.

The year after his arrival, Rodgers was full of praise for his acquisition, dubbing him a “sensational footballer” and lauding him for his “phenomenal” displays in red so early into his career at Anfield.

How many goals did Philippe Coutinho score at Liverpool?

His form during his early days under Rodgers were just a snippet of what was to come, as in 2016, he took home four personal awards for his contributions to the club in the 2015/16 campaign.

In that Premier League season, Coutinho scored eight goals and recorded five assists, shining during Klopp’s first term on Merseyside despite the poor collective outcome of an 8th-place finish.

The Brazilian took home the club’s Players’ Player of the Season, Player of the Year, Goal of the Season and Best Performance of the Season for his efforts, making the £8.5m price tag seem even more minimal.

While the Brazil international’s performance level and importance at Liverpool rose year by year, so did his market value, as documented by Football Transfers in the table below.

Coutinho’s rise in expected transfer value (xTV) ran parallel to his form, as highlighted by his 54 goals and 45 assists in all competitions during his five-year stay at Liverpool.

It took the Brazilian a total of 201 appearances to secure the 99 goal contributions he recorded with the Reds, with his best tally noted in the 2016/17 season as he netted 13 goals and claimed seven assists in just 31 Premier League appearances.

His form continued in the 2017/18 term, however it marked the beginning of the end for the much loved “magician”, as once hailed by former teammate Lucas Leiva, as the start of the season began a countdown of his final six months on Merseyside.

How much did Liverpool sell Philippe Coutinho for?

After totalling 20 goal contributions in 20 appearances in the first half of the 2017/18 campaign, Liverpool could no longer contain their star, as Barcelona came knocking with an undeniable offer on the table.

Back in 2014, Rodgers told the media that it was “frightening” to think of just how much his £8.5m signing was worth at that point, however not even the Northern Irishman could have anticipated the actual sum of the imagined figure.

In January 2018, Barcelona secured the signing of Coutinho for a monstrous fee of £142m, a price that amounted to an increase of 1570% from the mere expense that Rodgers first grasped him for five years earlier.

The sale amounted to a profit of £133.5m to accompany five years of quality and decisive goals and moments from the prolific Brazilian, with his departure a tough pill for those at Anfield to swallow due to his impact and growth at the club.

Not many could have predicted what happened next to the superstar, as he failed to make an impact in Spain, before being shipped on loan to Bayern Munich and eventually returned to England.

During his four-year association with Barcelona, the playmaker scored just 25 goals in all competitions, slipping further down the pecking order as time went on before he joined Aston Villa on loan in January 2022.

What is Philippe Coutinho’s market value now?

Coutinho went from an £8.5m to a £142m player in five years, and fell from a £142m to a £17m player in just four, as he signed permanently with the Midlands club in the summer of 2022.

The 68-capped Brazil international’s fall from grace extended beyond his return to England, as just a year after his permanent arrival, he was sent on loan to Qatari club Al-Duhail after failing to impress at Villa.

In the 2022/23 campaign, the former Liverpool whiz scored just one goal in 20 Premier League appearances, highlighting that his stint at the top of his game was almost certainly up.

Today, the 31-year-old has a market value of just €5m (£4.3m) as per CIES Football Observatory, suggesting that despite the pain of his departure, Liverpool let go of their hero at the optimum time with reference to his value.

The Reds struck gold not only by capturing Coutinho for £8.5m, but selling him for £142m was a stellar piece of business, especially when it’s considered the highs that Klopp’s side managed to reach without him.

Lancashire took the spoils in front of a record home crowd despite Joe Root’s late-innings heroics and a thrilling finish at Old Trafford

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford20-Jul-2018

ScorecardOn evenings such as this it is perhaps worth remembering that Liam Livingstone esteems his red-ball cricket above the shorter formats. Certainly as his six sixes sailed into the stands at Emirates Old Trafford the majority of the 22,515 spectators would have found that preference difficult to credit. Then again, they probably didn’t care. All that mattered to Lancashire Lightning’s fans was that Livingstone’s 37-ball 79 was taking his side most of the way to their colossal score of 176 for 2 in a game reduced by early rain to 14 overs-a-side.Yet so coolly do batsmen regard an asking-rate of 12.57 runs per over in short-form cricket these days – this game’s 28 overs included 23 maximums – that Yorkshire’s batsmen came within one boundary of overhauling Lancashire’s score. Indeed, had Kane Williamson hit the last ball of the innings for four, visiting supporters would have been celebrating a magnificent victory. As it was, Lancashire’s left-arm seamer Toby Lester managed his jangling nerves and restricted Williamson to a couple of runs. Rarely can a cricketer have celebrated bowling three overs for 48 runs quite so ecstatically.Talking T20 Podcast

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“I’ve never felt that that,” Livingstone said. “I was stood at long-on feeling sick. It’s probably up there with one of the best games I’ve played in. Toby changed his plan and bowled yorkers at the finish and it was great for him to perform under the pressure of a Roses game. We’ve now won five on the trot and we’re flying.”But amid the euphoria of the home victory, Lancashire’s fifth in six North Group games this season, there was also proper credit paid to Yorkshire’s batsmen for their extraordinary pursuit. Adam Lyth got things going in grand style by whacking half a dozen sixes in his 26-ball 60 but arguably the most impressive innings was played by Joe Root, whose 22-ball 51 not out proved that orthodox strokes can be quite as effective as clubbing, even when chasing down a massive score.It was no night for bowlers and not much of a one for fielders. Only Steve Patterson conceded less than ten runs an over and Yorkshire’s spinners, Adil Rashid and Azeem Rafiq, were particularly wayward, their four overs costing 61 runs. However, Matt Parkinson and Steven Parry disappeared for only ten runs fewer, although Parkinson dismissed both Lyth and David Willey, the first caught at long-on by Livingstone, the second stumped by Buttler for 20. At that point the leg-spinner was on a hat-trick, but it is doubtful if many people noticed that either.Only three catches were taken all night but the one not properly attempted was decisive. In the first over of Lancashire’s innings Livingstone skied Willey to deepish extra cover. Williamson, Lyth and Patterson all ran to within a few yards of the ball – and left it to each other. Livingstone had made 4.Liam Livingstone set Yorkshire a formidable target•Getty Images

It was also a pretty damaging night for Old Trafford’s fabric. With when a record crowd filling Old Trafford – the largest for any T20 game outside London excluding Finals Day – the frame of the press box was hit by one of Liam Plunkett’s sixes and the window of the Radio Lancashire box was whacked by Jos Buttler’s only maximum before the ball dropped on to the Yorkshire balcony, from where Martyn Moxon, the county’s director of cricket, returned it to the field. The 7500 folk in the precipitous Foster’s Party Stand, a massive structure which could double as a ski-jump in the winter, also welcomed sixes from each side.And all of this was missed by Steven Croft, who was left out of Lancashire’s side after making 148 consecutive appearances since his debut in June 2006, an impressive sequence which has left him 11 short of the world record currently held by Suresh Raina of the Chennai Super Kings. Lancashire’s former captain watched the match from the balcony and may have reflected that this was not the short-form game he played a dozen years ago. And in less than a decade you can bet it will be different again.

Cricket South Africa’s board will be asked to reconsider its equity deal with SuperSport for a new T20 league after meetings between officials and T20 Global League franchise owners last week. The owners collectively reserved their rights to teams and want the 49% share SuperSport currently holds to be handed over to them. The four CSA representatives who met with the owners – CEO Thabang Moroe, acting COO Naasei Appiah and board members Louis von Zeuner and Iqbal Khan – told owners they will revert to them in 10 days, after consulting with the board.This follows four days of heated meetings in Dubai and Mumbai in which CSA was asked to clarify the owners’ statuses, something one owner told ESPNcricinfo CSA failed to do. “They did not have any answers for us,” Hiren Bhanu, owner of the Pretoria Mavericks said. “But they did tell us that the deal with SuperSport is not finalised, has not been signed and no terms are agreed.”Bhanu intends to seek an interdict against CSA to stop any new league from going ahead, while other owners are also considering legal action. In June, three other owners – the Durban Qalandars, the Bloemfontein City Blazers and the Nelson Mandela Bay Stars – said they would take CSA to court but haven’t followed up on that threat yet. The owners do not merely want CSA to return their deposits of USD 250,000 and for CSA to cover expenses they incurred in setting up the league, some of which amount to millions of dollars, but are demanding a stake in the league, even though CSA has changed the competition’s format and ownership model.Later on Monday evening, Kausar Rana Resources, the owners of the Qalandars franchise, sent out a statement claiming that they had neither asked for nor received any refund of their deposit.”We wish to reiterate and clarify our position that KRR has not requested, at any stage, for our deposit to be refunded. Since no request was made by us for the refund, none was received,” the statement said, quoting Qalandars CEO Sameen Rana. “As a primary stakeholder and owner of a franchise that has made a huge investment in the South African league, we are totally committed towards participating in CSA’s T20 event.”(I)n view of this commitment, our deposit is still with CSA and we expect them to respect and acknowledge all our rights, but should CSA renege on the signed agreements, then we will reserve all our rights.”Qalandars met with the CSA delegation in Dubai and we, once again, impressed upon them our position in the most clearest of terms. We are unequivocal that in any future event, our rights must be respected and that Qalandars must be a participating team in the T20 league.”In June, nine months after the postponement of the inaugural edition of the GLT20, CSA announced it had entered into a deal with private broadcaster SuperSport for a new T20 league, to replace the GLT20. SuperSport also holds the broadcast rights for all cricket played in South Africa and all South Africa’s series abroad. The owners of the GLT20 teams have separately said they regarded CSA’s actions with SuperSport as going behind the owners’ backs to sell a property which the owners already have a claim on.The only detail of that new league was revealed at the end of last month when Moroe announced the board had approved a six-team format, two fewer than the original GLT20, and that venues would have to bid for a team. The original GLT20 owners were not part of the new league, though CSA obliquely mentioned they may consider their involvement at a later stage.That explanation has never placated the owners , who consider themselves to have a stake in a T20 league – of any name – played in South Africa, which is what they are willing to fight CSA over. Seven of the eight owners – all except the Cape Town Knight Riders who excused themselves from the meetings last week – want first option to buy into a new league, given their involvement in the previous one.A ninth party, Osman Osman, the minority-shareholder owner of the Mavericks, has brought separate legal action against CSA demanding an explanation of why it offered him R 400,000 (USD 28,128) as a “gesture of goodwill”. Effectively, Osman Osman wants to force CSA into a position from which it will have to disclose its legal obligations to all owners involved in the botched GLT20.When asked for comment, a CSA spokesperson said the organisation would not make any media statements until the CEO meets with the board. “Unfortunately there will be no comment from CSA regarding these matters as the Chief Executive has not met with the board. Once he has, CSA will assess what the feedback is from them and communicate through our media channels.”GMT 1740 The story was updated to include the Durban Qalandars statement.

The person identified in an Al Jazeera investigation as a “groundsman” who curated Test pitches in Galle to suit bettors, is not a curator, according to SLC

Andrew Fidel Fernando27-May-2018The person identified in an Al Jazeera investigation as a “groundsman” who may have twice curated Test pitches in Galle to suit bettors, is not in fact a curator, according to SLC. As such, he did not have powers to alter the state of either pitch, board officials said.In the investigative documentary, “Cricket’s match-fixers,” the person Al Jazeera says is Tharanga Indika is seen in conversation with an undercover journalist posing as a prospective bettor. Two other men, who are also identified as fixers, are present in the room. Through the course of this conversation, Indika claims to have doctored the Test pitches for the 2016 match against Australia and 2017 match against India, according to Al Jazeera. The investigation describes Indika’s actions as “unlawful”, the implication being, the doctoring was for the benefit of bettors.The documentary identifies Indika as someone “who oversees the pitch at Galle, where Sri Lanka play international matches”. But SLC denied Indika had control over how any pitch will turn out.SLC takes steps

SLC to complain to the Criminal Investigations Department against persons allegedly involved in “pitch fixing” as reported by Al Jazeera.

The alleged individuals being investigated by ICC for involvement in the said incident suspended by SLC.

SLC appointed a committee comprising Mohan de Silva, Air Commodore Roshan Biyanwila and Channa Weerakkody to make recommendations on existing protocols for management and staff of every venue to prevent such incidents in the future.

While the board pledged its support to the ICC’s investigation into the matter, “[Indika] is not a curator,” board CEO Ashley de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. “He was only the assistant manager. He was working on the administrative side and overlooking the staff at the venue.”SLC did not deny that Indika was in a position to direct staff who were working at the venue. However, all work on the pitch was overseen by SLC’s certified curators, said Godfrey Dabrera, the board’s international venues and facilities manager – effectively the head SLC curator. Dabrera was the man in charge of both the Test pitches Al Jazeera drew into question.”Anyone who works at the ground has access to the pitch, but without my permission, he can’t direct staff to work on the surface,” Dabrera told ESPNcricinfo. “All he can do is supply the labour that we need. Sometimes he directs the temporary staff we have hired to pull the covers on and off the field, but when it comes to making the wickets, he has no rights there. He has no connection to the cricket side of things. If I am not at the pitch, then my assistant Asitha, who generally works at Pallekele, is at the pitch.”While the SLC curators are present during pitch preparation before the match begins, the Al Jazeera investigation itself suggests ICC officials are present after the game has begun.And although Indika had begun training to become a curator, he was some way from completing that qualification, and was not regarded by the board as a curator, Dabrera said. “He has attended a curators’ workshop, but he hasn’t completed that course. Even though he has done some of the theory, there is a practical component. If you pass that only you get a certificate. He’s not a curator in any case.”Where someone who works inside the venue might be of use to bettors, however, is when it comes to providing pitch information before the game begins. Dabrera said: “People like assistant managers don’t have the power to make the pitches they want. What is possible is that they can watch what we are doing. They can talk to the staff who have been working on the pitch. They can listen to conversations.””I wasn’t aware anything like this was going on. Now I will have to cover everything up during the preparation of a pitch to stop [that information from getting out]. But someone who has no control over how the pitch will turn out can’t say anything like this.”The two Test surfaces in question, meanwhile, had not raised the officials’ eyebrows at the time. In fact, ESPNcricinfo can confirm the Sri Lanka team had requested a spin-friendly surface for the Australia match in 2016, and a batting friendly surface against India in 2017. Immediately after that 2017 game, the captain Rangana Herath had said: “I think we made this pitch because we had a plan. I said before the match that it will be a track that’s good for batting. We should take the main responsibility for the nature of the pitch.” The ICC had rated that pitch as “very good”.*The 2016 pitch for the Australia match had been rated “below average”, just about escaping serious ICC censure. It was very spin friendly, and had been described by Sri Lanka’s then-captain Angelo Mathews as an “extreme pitch”. Australia slumped to 106 and 183 all out in that game, Sri Lanka ad made 281 and 237 in their innings.”There are standards for every pitch that we have to follow,” Dabrera said. “The ball can’t skid along the ground. It can’t jump up at batsmen. It can’t have inconsistent bounce. Those things are regulated by the ICC.”This is the second time in a few years the surfaces in Galle have been part of corruption investigations, however. In early 2016, the venue’s curator Jayananda Warnaweera was suspended for three years by the ICC, for failing to attend scheduled ACU interviews on two separate occasions.*This story was updated with the pitch rating information.

Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming has also confirmed that Lungi Ngidi, who had flown back to South Africa following the death of his father, has rejoined the squad

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Apr-20181:36

Deepak Chahar could be out for a couple of weeks – Fleming

Chennai Super Kings fast bowler Deepak Chahar could be out of action for at least two weeks with a hamstring strain sustained during Saturday’s match against Mumbai Indians in Pune.Chahar pulled up injured after bowling the first ball of his third over. He left the field after that delivery and did not return for rest of the match. Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming confirmed the injury during his post-match press conference. “He (Chahar) has had hamstring injuries in the past, he has a pretty good idea when he is in trouble,” Fleming said. “Conservatively, it’s probably a couple of weeks, which is a bit of a blow.”Fleming also confirmed that Lungi Ngidi, who had flown back to South Africa following the death of his father, has rejoined the squad.Chahar has played in all seven Super Kings matches so far this season, and has picked six wickets at an average of 25.50, including a match-winning 3 for 15 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He is also one of only two Super Kings bowlers with an economy rate of less than eight an over.

Arsenal have been guilty of some of the worst transfer missteps in recent history, as they strived to ease the pain that Arsene Wenger’s inevitable exit would cause.

The Frenchman had enjoyed 22 successful years in north London, cementing his status as one of the game’s greatest-ever tacticians alongside Sir Alex Ferguson.

He would win three Premier League titles among numerous other domestic honours, with his stature made immortal earlier in the year with the unveiling of his statue outside the Emirates. An action befitting such a legendary character.

So, when he stepped down, the man chosen to succeed him was always bound to struggle, in a similar way to how David Moyes did following the retirement of his compatriot at Old Trafford. The Scotsman would last just ten months in Manchester before his sacking, with his tenure a doomed one.

However, despite being given more time, Unai Emery still failed to earn success, making way for Mikel Arteta’s current regime which finally has them seemingly headed back towards good times.

That being said, the current Aston Villa boss was handed a rough start to life, inheriting all of the duds that Wenger brought in as his truly special tenure wound down. As such, he not only had to build up his own philosophy but also break down the one that came before him by pushing out these failures.

In the end, many of the players painfully outlived the 51-year-old tactician.

Who is Arsenal’s worst-ever signing?

Whilst the title of the Gunners’ worst-ever signing could be handed to any number of players, the last decade has been particularly startling given the inevitable transitional period that Wenger’s departure invoked.

Nicolas Pepe, Lucas Perez, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Francis Jeffers are just a few names that spring to mind over their recent history, but arguably with regard to the biggest disappointment, few compare to Shkodran Mustafi.

Joining as a World Cup winner with Germany, the 31-year-old had been shining for Valencia and deservedly earned his move to England's top flight. The expectation was that he would take to life in a new country with ease, instantly translating his ball-playing and physical profile to become an instant fan favourite in north London.

Whilst he would enjoy some early-tenure success, this proved to be a false dawn, with Mustafi’s true form showing its ugly truth towards the end of his time in north London.

His debut campaign boasted a 7.14 average rating and was upheld through his 83% pass accuracy, 2.4 interceptions, 2.1 tackles and five clearances per game. Crucially, he would not make a single error leading to a goal that year, via Sofascore. By the time his contract had been terminated, a reputation had already been built for making mistakes.

Comparing such figures to the final few seasons endured, and this could not be more unlike how he started. Arsenal legend Ian Wright even launched into a scathing criticism of the 20-cap flop back in 2020, noting: “He's had multiple chances at Arsenal and he continues to let them down.

"I'm not digging him out or anything. He is not good enough. They are playing him because they've got no choice and that's unfortunately why Arsenal can't get rid of him."

Even when they did finally remove him from the playing squad, journalist Charles Watts still summed up his torrid tenure with some choice words:

“So ends the Mustafi era at Arsenal. Horrendous signing. Had some good games, but up there with one of the most costly errors of judgement the club has ever made.”

Whilst Pepe might have been the most expensive flop produced thus far, Mustafi is understandably a contender for their worst-ever acquisition due to the unfulfilled expectation the dud left.

How much did Shokdran Mustafi cost Arsenal?

That’s not to suggest that the centre-back did not set the club back significantly too, with his £35m fee a huge sum for the time.

For context, in that same summer, Manchester City signed John Stones for just £15m more at £50m, and Liverpool brought in Sadio Mane for £36m.

What makes this even more amusing is that The Express rated Pep Guardiola’s business at a mere 6/10, suggesting the “jury’s still out”. Meanwhile, Mustafi’s deal garnered an 8/10, with James Dickenson writing: “Another great piece of business.”

What was Shokdran Mustafi’s salary at Arsenal?

Such a lucrative fee was always bound to draw an equally sizable salary, and by tying him down on a five-year deal, they were locked in.

The north London outfit were forced to pay him £92k-per-week, and across the time he spent with the club, he amassed £21.5m from wages alone.

Shkodran Mustafi's years at Arsenal

Value at the time (via Transfermarkt)

Percentage change from previous year

2020

€12m (£10.3m)

20% decrease

2019

€15m (£12.9m)

39% decrease

2018

€25m (£21.4m)

17% decrease

2017

€30m (£25.7m)

N/A

2016

€30m (£25.7m)

N/A

Not only did Wenger pay out a huge initial fee, but the now 73-year-old’s unwavering faith in the 6-foot stopper also made him a consistent drain even after his departure.

How much has Shokdran Mustafi earned in his career?

Mustafi did not endure a completely torrid career though, despite what many will remember when viewing his his time at Arsenal in isolation.

Successful spells with Sampdoria and Valencia set up the foundation for a thoroughly impressive career that was unfortunately halted in England, with those national team performances a frustrating example that poor displays for the Gunners were in isolation.

As such, he has merited some of the $38.99m (£31.2m) career earnings amassed, although the bulk of that came from Wenger’s generosity.

Did Shkodran Mustafi deserve to earn £92k-per-week?

It is certainly fair to say that Mustafi was not good value for his £92k-per-week paycheck, given how he would struggle as his time at the club went on,

Despite that, the current-Aris Thessaloniki FC ace would go on to make 151 appearances for the club, enjoying some positive spells at the very least. Although, for the total fee he cost the club, you would hope so.

Adding those aforementioned wages to the transfer fee, the former Everton ace took a total of £56.5m from Arsenal across his years there, costing around £374k per game.

How much did other Arsenal players earn?

To emphasise how clueless a period this was, despite his torrid tenure, Mustafi actually earned more than many of his starring peers at the club.

Club captain Laurent Koscielny and Santi Cazorla were both on a level salary with the flop, whilst stars such as Jack Wilshere, Hector Bellerin and Granit Xhaka all earned less, via Capology.

It seems that Wenger made a truly catastrophic error in investing so much in Arsenal’s former number 20, which somehow has managed to age terribly even despite the huge influx of additional money in recent years.

كشف أحمد جاب الله طبيب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، النقاب عن تطورات إصابة الظهير الأيسر علي معلول.

وكان معلول قد أدى جلسة تأهيل وعلاج طبيعي في “الجيم” على هامش المران الجماعي للفريق، الذي أقيم اليوم على ملعب التتش بالجزيرة.

طالع أيضًا | مونديال الأندية يؤجل كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025

وقال جاب الله في تصريحات للموقع الرسمي للنادي الأهلي، إن معلول بدأ اليوم تنفيذ مرحلة جديدة من العلاج الطبيعي والتأهيل في الجيم.

وأكد أن معلول يؤدي بشكل منتظم برنامجه التأهيلي المحدد، من بعد الجراحة التي خضع لها مؤخرًا.

وكان معلول قد تعرض للإصابة في الدقائق الأولى من مباراة الأهلي والترجي في ذهاب نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بقطع جزئي في وتر أكيليس.

وواصل الفريق تدريباته مساء اليوم الأربعاء على ملعب التتش بالجزيرة، في إطار الاستعدادات للمرحلة القادمة.

ومن المقرر أن يخوض فريق النادي الأهلي مباراة ودية أمام النجوم يوم السبت المقبل، استغلالًا لفترة التوقف الدولي.