Trying to balance European football with Premier League action, alongside cup football, can be difficult for any club at the best of times, and that's why Newcastle United spent money on adding to their squad in the summer. Yet, even after those additions, they have suffered the inevitable blow of injuries to key players.
So far this season, the Magpies have already been forced to cope without Fabian Schar for a period of time and still remain without Joe Willock. With the fixtures starting to come thick and fast, too, the last thing Eddie Howe would have wanted is another injury blow, which makes the latest update all the more frustrating.
What's the latest Newcastle injury news?
With games against Burnley and Paris Saint-Germain coming up, Howe would have wanted a full squad at his disposal, especially when welcoming the French champions to St James' Park. The former Bournemouth boss will have to deal with the hand he has been dealt, however, with Willock still out, and a fresh injury update regarding Harvey Barnes not exactly brimming with positivity.
Howe confirmed the news of the winger's injury, saying, via Fabrizio Romano: "He's going to be out for around three months. No surgery required which is good news but his foot is now in a boot. It's an injury underneath his toe."
With that said, Newcastle must now hope that the likes of Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak avoid any injuries of their own, which would leave the Magpies' attack fairly blunt. It's a major blow for Barnes, meanwhile, given that he was just getting his St James' Park career going, having made the move from Leicester City in the summer.
When he returns, the winger could dive straight into some important fixtures, however, with Newcastle potentially competing in the Champions League knockout stage.
How has Harvey Barnes performed this season?
federico-chiesa-harvey-barnes-newcastle-opinion
Prior to his injury, it's fair to say that Barnes was finding his feet at Newcastle, scoring once and assisting once in seven appearances in all competitions. The winger's mixed start, combined with a major injury blow, will worry those at St James' Park, who will hope to see his best form when he returns from the sidelines.
At his best, Barnes has earned deserved praise, including from Alan Hutton, who told Football Insider: "Harvey Barnes is an excellent player, he has got that raw pace, he can score goals, he can assist. He had a little dip in form but you see him coming back. He is a live wire and I think that is what Newcastle like, these players that can get the fans off their seats.
"The likes of [Miguel] Almiron, Callum Wilson, [Alexander] Isak, they are all intelligent players that want to run forward and he does that."
With that said, it's clear that Newcastle have a player capable of changing a game for them when at his best. The Magpies will just hope that, once Barnes is back from injury, he returns in top form.
Former Australia legspinner Peter Sleep will be working with spinners, while Timothy McCaskill will be a consultant for the fast-bowling unit
Madushka Balasuriya 10-May-2018Sri Lanka Cricket has enlisted the services of Australian spin and fast-bowling consultants, Peter Sleep and Timothy McCaskill, ahead of their upcoming tour of the West Indies. The pair, who have been hired on a short-term basis, will join the squad at the two-week training camp which started on Wednesday in Pallekele, Kandy.”Peter Sleep, the former Australian legspinner will work with the spinners, while Cricket Victoria’s High Performance Manager Timothy McCaskill will work with the squad’s fast bowling unit,” an SLC release said.”Both were hired as short-term consultants under the recommendation of Head Coach Chandika Hathurusingha. Sleep will work with the squad for 15 days, while McCaskill will work for 10 days.”With the pair also slotted in to conduct a workshop for 50 National High Performance and Club coaches on May 18, their appointments can be seen as Hathurusingha attempting to redress deficiencies he has identified in the national pool.Hathurusingha has long been an advocate for the effectiveness of wristspinners in shorter formats of the game, highlighted by recent call-ups for Wanindu Hasaranga and Jeevan Mendis, while the likes of Jeffrey Vandersay and Lakshan Sandakan have also been in and out of the side. Hathurusingha will likely be looking at Sleep to help improve the effectiveness and consistency of such talent.Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s fast-bowling contingent, while talented, has been struggling in terms of maintaining fitness. McCaskill is known for his work in remodelling the actions of bowlers following lengthy injury layoffs, most notably with Australia’s James Pattinson. With the likes of Dushmantha Chameera, Shehan Madushanka, Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal at constant risk of injury, SLC will be hoping McCaskill’s expertise will help keep their frontline pacemen fit leading up to next year’s World Cup.
Newcastle United returned to winning ways after their 0-0 draw with AC Milan as they romped to a remarkable 8-0 victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane in the Premier League on Sunday.
Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Sean Longstaff, Callum Wilson, Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak, and Miguel Almiron all found the back of the net in a thumping performance from the Magpies which saw eight goalscorers in a Premier League match for the first time ever.
That said, one of those who didn't get on the scoresheet, Kieran Trippier, deserves some praise for his industrious display down the right flank.
How did Kieran Trippier perform against Sheffield United?
Trippier produced an outstanding performance at the back for Eddie Howe's side as he provided three assists from his right-sided berth with his exceptional crossing ability.
He assisted Burn's header with an excellent inswinging corner that was met by the towering defender at the back post to make the score 2-0 at the time.
Another giant defender got his head on the end of a set-piece from the England international to make it three just a few minutes later as Sven Botman brilliantly guided a free-kick into the far corner with a terrific finish.
Trippier completed his hat-trick of assists just before the hour mark as his perfectly weighted cross into the six-yard box allowed Wilson to convert from close range.
Newcastle defender Sven Botman.
The former Atletico Madrid star was not the only star of the show as Anthony Gordon also stood out as one of Howe's shining lights against the Blades.
How did Anthony Gordon perform against Sheffield United?
The former Everton winger only directly contributed to two of the eight goals but was the catalyst for a lot of Newcastle's play throughout the game with his electric performance out wide.
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon.
He came on to replace the injured Harvey Barnes in the first half and sparked the game into life almost immediately with his assist for Longstaff's opening goal by keeping the ball in play before providing a perfect cutback for the midfielder.
Gordon was regularly pressing and harassing Sheffield United's defenders and set the tone for the rest of his teammates as they piled constant pressure on their opponents, which in turn led to their ruthless display at the top end of the pitch.
The exciting winger, who was hailed as "outstanding" by Sky Sports commentator Jamie Carragher during their coverage of the match, had 50 touches of the ball throughout the match and showcased his creativity with a number of fantastic passes and crosses.
Gordon, who assisted the first goal, created three 'big chances' for his teammates – more than any other player on the pitch – and completed 100% (2/2) of his attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore.
He also displayed his ability to disrupt the opposition when they had possession with three tackles and one interception, which showed that the English starlet put the hard work in off the ball to win it back for his side, despite the more-than-comfortable scoreline.
Sofascore rewarded him with a rating of 9.4 for his performance which happened to be the joint-highest of the match alongside Guimaraes, with Trippier just behind on a 9.3.
Even if he did lose the ball a worrying 19 times throughout the clash, Gordon was truly rampant and played a crucial role in Newcastle's play in and out of possession to set the tone for their thumping victory in Yorkshire on Sunday.
As Aaron Stokes of the Chronicle suggested at full-time, he has just made himself truly "undroppable" with such a lively outing.
Manchester United are having a torrid season in front of goal. They loaned out one of their most prolific goalscorers, Marcus Rashford, and their top goalscorer, Amad, is out for the remainder of the campaign with an injury.
The Red Devils have scored the 13th-lowest number of goals in the top flight this season, with just 28. Four teams sit below them, three of which are currently in the Premier League relegation zone.
United’s expected goals tally suggests they should be performing far better in front of goal than they actually are. As per Understat, United have an expected goals of 38.73xG, meaning they are underperforming by over 10 goals.
Two of the players who Ruben Amorim will hope can find their shooting boots this season are Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund.
Garnacho and Hojlund’s season so far
It has been a tough campaign so far for United’s attacking duo. Argentine winger Garnacho flew out of the blocks under former manager Erik ten Hag but has now been on a run of 13 Premier League games without a goal or assist.
He has managed eight goals and has six assists this season across all competitions, with an impressive six of those 14 goal involvements coming in the Carabao Cup against League One side Barnsley and Leicester City.
As for Hojlund, he has just two Premier League goals this season. The Denmark international has been on a lean run of form in the top flight, with just two strikes in 20 games.
He has seven goals and one assist in 32 appearances this term and has not scored since the 12th of December in the Europa League.
Amorim must be hoping these two, along with some of their teammates, can find their shooting boots towards the end of the season and help United improve their standings in the league and challenge for a cup.
Incredibly, they may have had the perfect player to help with their cause this season, but he left Old Trafford recently. He has actually outscored both Garnacho and Hojlund this season.
The former United star who could have helped them
In the days since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, United have had some memorable strikers, despite the lack of consistency in their form. That includes the likes of Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were invaluable for the club at one stage.
However, none are perhaps as silky as Anthony Martial. The Frenchman joined United as a wonderkid, and although injuries affected his time at the club, there was no doubting his ability or potential.
Martial scored 90 goals and grabbed 46 assists in 317 appearances in that famous Red shirt. The “ice-cold” attacker, as Statman Dave once described him, scored several memorable goals for United, including a wonderful solo effort against Fulham away from home.
The former United number nine arguably had his best season in 2019/20, when his link-up with Rashford was at the peak of its powers.
That season, Martial scored 17 goals and grabbed six assists, but his underlying stats on Sofascore were outstanding. For example, the Frenchman created eight big chances and had a conversion rate of 21%.
Stat
Number
Goals
17
Goals per game
0.5
Conversion rate
21%
Assists
6
Big chances created
8
Take-ons completed per game
1.6
Take-on success rate per game
52%
Martial left Old Trafford in the summer at the end of his contract, with former manager Ten Hag deciding not to keep him at the club. He now plays in Greece, for AEK Athens, and is flying. The silky French attacker has scored nine goals and has two assists in just 19 games for the Greek side.
Shockingly, the 29-year-old has scored more goals than both Garnacho and Hojlund across all competitions this season, despite playing fewer games than the pair. He has been thriving in the Greek capital.
On reflection, perhaps Amorim wishes United had offered Martial a new deal. He would have been a reliable source of goals, and his injury issues have eased off this season.
If the former United attacker had remained at the club this term, they could have scored far more goals and been performing better as a unit.
Amorim can replace Amad & unleash Man Utd teen who wasn't on bench vs Spurs
Man Utd will be without their star man for the rest of the season
Hampshire’s recent batting signing made a big impression, but Surrey were not to be denied
Paul Edwards at Kia Oval23-Apr-2018 Scorecard”The truth is that if old Gareth Batty hadn’t suffered a back spasm, Virdi would never have played in that match at all.” In such a fashion might a Surrey supporter begin his favourite tale of how a 19-year-old offspinner took four wickets on two unseasonably benign April days and helped his team to a 139-run victory against Hampshire. His listeners in the pub will order a final pint and then listen attentively, albeit to a story they already know quite well.They might guess that Sam Northeast’s first hundred for his new side will be downplayed but they can fill in those gaps themselves. They will recall that at a time when England were looking for batsmen who could bat long Northeast defied Surrey’s attack for nearly a day and made 129, an innings that was only ended when Ben Foakes’ brilliant one-gloved diving catch off Matt Dunn settled the match. An epic effort, some called it, although the praise was more muted in Kent, the county he had left in the close season. Until he was dismissed Northeast hardly looked in trouble, even when Rory Burns gave Jade Dernbach three forward square legs, the fielders standing so close they could have held a seance.In the pub, meanwhile, our storyteller might be impersonating Amar Virdi’s exultant scamper up the pitch when he trapped a sweeping Rilee Rossouw for 29 inside an hour of the final morning at The Oval. If so, other drinkers might be disturbed, but the landlord, a benevolent fellow, will know there is no mischief in it, just as there was no gloating about Virdi’s celebrations, merely the precious joy of youth.And for once this will not be a tale given wings by alcohol. Virdi did not even bowl in Hampshire’s first innings yet his 4 for 79 was a fitting counterpart to this season of daring growth. The trees are forming their generous arcades in Tooting Graveney and there are even blossoms shading the thickets of brickwork surrounding The Oval. To see young cricketers do well in September is to receive reassurance about the following year; to watch players like Virdi excel in springtime is to feel consonance with the seasons.”Eyes, ears are old. But not the sense of spring. / some inward watcher warns. It was not difficult to summon Siegfried Sassoon’s lines in “Another Spring” to mind on this fresh Monday at The Oval where the brisk wind helped Virdi’s drift. They fitted the mood perfectly as Kyle Abbott drove the spinner’s well-flighted ball to short mid-on, where Burns took the catch. By then, though, Liam Dawson had inside-edged a back foot drive off Dernbach into his stumps and it was only Northeast’s sound technique which allowed Hampshire to lunch on 212 for 7.The same patient skill was again in evidence during an afternoon session in which Surrey took only the wicket of Chris Wood, who was leg before to Sam Curran after hanging around for 55 minutes in making 26. That innings, though, was the prelude to nearly 90 minutes propping and blocking by Brad Wheal, who was at the wicket when Northeast pushed the single which took him to his 171-ball century. There were times during that 68-run stand when the Oval pigeons looked more of a threat to the batsmen’s sangfroid than the bowlers. They were certainly just as stubborn, defying thrown caps, waved bats and, no doubt, the occasional Anglo-Saxon rebuke.In the end it was Dernbach, himself no stranger to the caustic rejoinder, who took the ninth wicket with the fifth delivery after tea when his slower-ball yorker made Wheal the 17th batsmen in the match to fall leg before. Then, with 23.4 overs left to be bowled Dunn ran in from the Pavilion End and nipped one wickedly away from Northeast.”So anyway,” our storyteller in the pub will conclude, “that’s how a young bloke who wasn’t supposed to be playing in the match ended up helping to win it for Surrey. Their next game was against Lancashire at Old Trafford. And do you know what happened there? Well…””Time, gents, ,” calls the landlord. “You’ll have to tell them that story another day.” And, indeed, he will.
Under Jurgen Klopp's tutelage, Liverpool has been transformed after a period of strife on Merseyside and an interminable wait for a Premier League trophy came to an end emphatically.
Since the German manager's appointment, Liverpool have cemented a position at the forefront of the domestic and European game, with the likes of Ralf Rangnick hailing the former Borussia Dortmund boss as "one of the best" managers in the world for his impact at the Anfield side.
In the times preceding Klopp's arrival, however, Liverpool boasted some pretty incredible moments since the turn of the millennia, with the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul forever remembered as one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history, while the FA Cup victory over West Ham United the following year and many years of lethal partnerships and enthralling moments etched into the club's lore.
Premier League
x1
Champions League
x1
FA Cup
x1
League Cup
x1
FIFA Club World Cup
x1
UEFA Super Cup
x1
FA Community Shield
x1
FIFA Best Men's Club Coach
x2
PL Manager of the Season
x2
At the centre was Steven Gerrard, one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history and the centrepiece of all that flowed for the Reds, having made his debut in 1998 and going on to record 710 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 186 goals and supplying 157 assists.
He enjoyed tremendous success for his beloved club and is arguably the greatest player in its history, heralded as "without doubt the greatest player I have ever played with, he has everything" by former teammate Fernando Torres.
And what a partnership that was…
How many goals did Fernando Torres score for Liverpool?
Torres was signed from Spanish side Atletico Madrid for a fee believed to be around £20m in 2007, having scored 14 goals in LaLiga the season prior.
2007/08
33 goals from 46 games
2008/09
17 goals from 38 games
2009/10
22 goals from 32 games
2010/11
9 goals from 26 games
Torres would plunder 81 goals and 20 assists from just 142 matches for Liverpool and earned praise for his "world-class" ability by Gerrard.
Despite going trophyless during his spell at Liverpool, the 110-cap Spaniard did win the 2010 World Cup while on the club's books, and his blistering performances sent the fanbase into rapture on more than a few occasions.
His time on Merseyside ended acrimoniously when he completed a then British-record £50m transfer to Premier League rivals Chelsea in January 2011, with the Reds acquiescing to his departure as the Spaniard made his desire to leave clear.
Despite the circumstances of his exit, fans will always remember the electricity of his forward play and his devastating partnership with captain Gerrard.
How good was Steven Gerrard?
Steven Gerrard. The iconic Liverpool captain who orchestrated success in the Champions League, FA Cup and more; his all-encompassing midfield displays are to this day some of the greatest the sport has seen, and his legacy will endure despite failing to bring home the Premier League trophy for his long-time team.
His composure and intellect on the pitch was second to none; his passing range was superlative and his tenacity in the tackle stifled opposing attacks with the robustness and precision of a star centre-half, while his ability to strike the ball is among the best there has been.
Gerrard and Torres developed an innate understanding and forged a truly frightening partnership on Merseyside, with Gerrard's incredible ball-playing skills often breaking the lines and latching onto a surging Torres, whose pace and power in the final third finished off many incisive moves.
Such a duo comes around once in a blue moon, and while Liverpool would struggle to repeat such a destructive weapon, at present, Klopp might have an academy talent capable of blending with prodigious midfielder Stefan Bajcetic, who broke into Liverpool's current team last season. Step forward, Jayden Danns.
Who is Jayden Danns?
Danns is a 17-year-old striker who has been making waves for Liverpool's academy outfit, having scored 15 goals and supplied two assists from just 25 outings for the U18s.
This season, he is already making further strides and has bagged five goals from the opening four games of the U18 term, hailed for his “superb” cutting edge by reporter Lewis Bower.
A versatile attacker with a natural eye for goal and electric pace, Danns may well be in the same mould as Torres, albeit with more than a fair share of work to develop into a striker capable of leading the line at the highest level.
What the precocious talent needs is a teammate to develop a dynamic partnership with, and Bajcetic, who has already been impressing in the Reds' senior set-up, might just be the dream comrade.
How good is Stefan Bajcetic?
Lauded for his "outstanding" performances in a struggling Liverpool side last year by pundit Jamie Carragher, the 18-year-old Spaniard made 19 appearances under Klopp's wing last term, scoring one goal, from his energetic role in the centre.
The 6 foot 1 starlet is nimble and agile, both relentless in his defensive duties and possessing an eye for an audacious pass, with Klopp already praising his "attitude, awareness and intelligence."
While he's not a like-for-like heir to someone such as Gerrard, he certainly boasts enough quality to cement a prominent role in Klopp's Liverpool team in the future, and his security in the centre, blended with a supreme technicality and ball-playing skill, may well be perfect for a forward such as Danns to weave into the danger area and wreak havoc.
Liverpool midfielder Stefan Bajcetic.
It's early days, but with Danns off to a flyer in Liverpool's youth ranks and looking like he could sustain some clinical form in the future and Bajcetic already exuding style and tenacity in the centre, also demonstrating that he possesses a shrewd eye for goal, the teenage duo could forge a formidable partnership in the future.
Like one unforgettable Spaniard and Englishman duo before them, Liverpool's rising stars could play a big role for the Anfield side in the future, and there is a possibility that the days of Torres and Gerrard wreaking havoc in the Premier League could return, albeit in a new form.
The 26-year old replaces his former Western Australian captain Adam Voges, who served as the club’s captain last year
Adam Collins02-Apr-2018Australian allrounder Hilton Cartwright will join Middlesex for the first five games of the county championship, with the potential to stay on deeper into the season.The 26-year-old, who played two Tests for Australia in 2017, replaces his former Western Australian captain Adam Voges, who served as the Middlesex captain last year.A hard-hitting, right-handed batsman who has spent the bulk of his first-class career at number three, Cartwright has also been turned to at international level for his medium pace bowling. Conversations between him and the club took place over the course of the last week before a deal was finalised over Easter weekend. As Cartwright also holds a British passport he will not require a visa, and in turn can fly to the United Kingdom this week to join Middlesex before their season opener on April 13.Cartwright debuted against Pakistan in January 2017 at Sydney and played his second Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong in September. He made 37 and 18 in his two innings. At domestic level, he finished the 2017-18 Sheffield Shield in top form, making 83 and an unbeaten 111 against South Australia in Glenelg in March.It was Cartwright’s only first-class century of the Australian summer, averaging 32.5 in 10 matches for his state. But it was his 2016-17 campaign that pushed him into national calculations, accumulating 898 runs at 52.8, the second-best tally among all batsmen. Overall, since making his bow for Western Australia in January 2013, Cartwright averages 43.4 with five centuries to his name and has claimed 19 wickets at 51.Considered a player of promise across the three formats by national selectors, Cartwright has also played twice for Australia’s one-day international side in India last October.
Ange Postecoglou has been fairly ruthless when it comes to farewells at Tottenham Hotspur since taking charge, with his rebuild resulting in a number of departures around the squad, or players simply being frozen out.
It must be said, though, that as ruthless as Postecoglou has been, it has worked wonders so far in North London, with an unbeaten start representing the turnaround that the former Celtic boss has overseen so quickly.
Now, even with the transfer window shut, the Australian is making moves to improve his side, which could reportedly see yet another player depart, in what would be perhaps the most surprising exit since Harry Kane's transfer to Bayern Munich earlier this summer.
What's the latest Spurs transfer news?
According to Fabrizio Romano, Spurs are on the verge of signing 16-year-old centre-back Luka Vuskovic from Hajduk Split, beating a reported five other clubs to the highly-rated teenager's signature in the process.
The deal represents Spurs' improvement in the transfer market, as they continue to plan for the future. The deal for Vuskovic is not without its cost, according to reports, however, with a first-team player heading in the other direction.
According to Croatian outlet tportal, the deal for Vuskovic has opened the option for Ivan Perisic to go in the opposite direction, and join Hajduk Split in his home country of Croatia.
The move would come as quite the surprise, given that Vuskovic is reportedly set to stay at Split until he turns 18-years-old, before then officially making the move to Spurs.
Should Spurs sell Ivan Perisic?
Whilst Perisic is getting no younger at 34-years-old, he has remained an important member of the Spurs squad, even under Postecoglou. So far this season, he has made an appearance in all five games in all competitions, including one start in the Carabao Cup.
In such a young Spurs squad, too, with the likes of Micky van de Ven and Yves Bissouma still relatively new to the team, Perisic's experience can prove to be priceless for those in North London – swapping that experience out for a 16-year-old centre-back may prove to be a costly decision. If Spurs can get their deal done for Vuskovic without bidding farewell to Perisic, then it would be an ideal transfer.
The former Inter Milan man's versatility is an asset in its own right on top of his experience, meanwhile, having played in midfield, wingback, and in an offensive role throughout his career. That is, once again, priceless.
Perisic has earned plenty of praise during his short time at Spurs, too, including from Alasdair Gold, who said, via Football London, after the defender impressed against Sporting: "Crafted a couple of first half chances for Richarlison and Emerson and further opportunities in the second half that should have been put away.
“An excellent creative outlet down the left for Spurs and used all of his experience for much of the match. One of Spurs’ better players other than one moment of iffy defending when Edwards left him in his wake.”
With that said, the Vuskovic deal is certainly one to keep an eye on, especially if Hajduk Split pursue a deal of their own for current Spurs man Perisic in the coming days.
The board’s proposal to shift its headquarters from Mumbai to Bengaluru has met with both support and objection alongside calls for creation of zonal headquarters
Arun Venugopal08-Feb-2018BCCI acting president CK Khanna’s proposal to shift the board’s headquarters from Mumbai to a new facility in Bengaluru has met with a mixed response from different state associations. While the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) and the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) staunchly opposed the suggestion, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) welcomed the proposal and called for the creation of zonal headquarters. It is understood the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association haven’t firmed up their positions on the matter yet.Meanwhile, even as the Cricket Association of Bengal stated it did not wish to divulge its stance, the association’s joint-secretary Avishek Dalmiya said Kolkata wasn’t a “bad location” either for the BCCI’s headquarters to be moved to. “Whatever views we have we will disclose it whenever the issue is deliberated by the BCCI at its general body meeting,” Dalmiya told ESPNcricinfo. “In fact, even Kolkata does not prima facie seem to be a bad option because it will be logistically easier for a lot of units from the north-east as well as the east.”Khanna had sent two letters dated February 6 and 7 to state associations seeking their views on shifting the BCCI’s base. He stated that the 40 acres of land in the vicinity of the Bengaluru airport – originally acquired for the relocation of the National Cricket Academy from its current premises – could be used “optimally” as a multipurpose facility. “This whole land can be used optimally if along with NCA, BCCI also uses a part of this land to build a new state-of-art headquarters as its exclusive administrative office along with provision of allied and ancillary services infrastructure,” Khanna wrote.He also pointed out that the present headquarters, situated inside the premises of the Wankhede Stadium, was a rented facility, and urged that the BCCI shift to its own property. Outlining the other ways in which the proposed new headquarters could be used, Khanna wrote: “In these premises of BCCI, auditorium, conference rooms and meeting rooms for meetings with all the facilities could also be made,” he wrote. “An exquisite club house for visiting guests, cricketers with all dining facilities for their convenience, space for recreational facilities, indoor games, a cricket library, swimming pool and a cricket museum. It should also have adequate storage facility for BCCI documents for future reference and consultation.”Khanna, however, referred to clause 2 of the rules and regulations of the Lodha Committee report that warrants that the board’s headquarters remain in Mumbai. “In light of this fact, it is requested that the proposal of the members be kindly considered by the Hon’ble Committee of Administrators keeping in view the above said clause as enshrined in the rules & regulations,” he wrote in his second letter on February 7. “In case the Hon’ble Committee of Administrators deem it necessary, the proposal may be brought to the kind attention of the Hon’ble Supreme Court they may guide the way forward. It is reiterated herein that the proposal to shift the BCCI Headquarters to Bengaluru is based on the intention to develop a state-of-the-art headquaters for the board to enable it to cater to the growing organisational needs.”The MCA decided to inform the BCCI about the opinion of its managing committee that the board’s headquarters should stay at Wankhede Stadium. “The managing committee met a few days ago and is of the opinion that the BCCI office should remain on our premises,” MCA joint-secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar said. “Since the time of its inception, the BCCI’s office has been located on the premises of the MCA and the managing committee feels it should continue.”The SCA, in its reply to the BCCI, noted that the idea of moving the headquarters out of Mumbai had been floated many times in the past. However, the Cricket Centre at the Wankhede Stadium was found to be most “suitable and appropriate.””We understand that [the] lease agreement between Mumbai Cricket Association and Government of Maharashtra is coming to an end by February 2018 and our agreement with MCA will also end,” SCA joint-secretary Madhukar Worah wrote in a letter, which is in the possession of ESPNcricinfo. “We understand [the] MCA has already applied for extension of the lease agreement. We are confident that MCA will have same terms and conditions as per earlier lease agreement, which have [has] been very suitable to BCCI. Only if MCA comes up with unreasonable demands for renewal of agreement, we should think of shifting BCCI headquarters.”HCA secretary T Shesh Narayan, though, felt there was nothing wrong in moving the headquarters out of Mumbai. “As you know, Mumbai is a congested place and it has been there [as the headquarters] for 70-80 years,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “Everybody should be given a chance. My proposal would be that each zone should have a zonal office and, by rotation, the board should function from that zone. Suppose, if the president is from south zone, then the south zone office shall become the headquarters. This is decentralisation that the Lodha [Committee] has talked about. But one logistical problem which will arise is it will be difficult for the staff to move. Since the funds are available in abundance, we can afford to have five offices. Decentralisation is there.”
Ben Duckett will have the operation on the ring finger of his left hand next Monday with the recovery time estimated to be 12 weeks, which also rules him out of the North-South series
ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2018Ben Duckett will miss the start of the English domestic season after it was decided he would undergo surgery on a finger injury sustained at the end of the 2017 summer.Duckett will have the operation on the ring finger of his left hand next Monday, with the recovery time estimated to be 12 weeks, after he carried the injury over the last few months.The surgery means that Duckett has also been ruled out of the North v South one-day series in Barbados in late March.It has been a difficult few months for Duckett, who played four Tests for England in late 2016 against Bangladesh and India, after he was caught up in controversy in Australia for throwing a drink over James Anderson in a Perth nightclub when the England Lions squad was alongside the main Ashes party.Duckett was not sent home at the time of the incident – which came just a few weeks after the Jonny Bairstow headbutt affair at the same club – but was suspended and given a written warning at the time then omitted from the Lions squad which is currently touring West Indies.Duckett’s absence will stretch the Northamptonshire squad at the start of their County Championship campaign. A 12-week timescale takes Duckett’s likely absence into May but his return could coincide with the start of the Royal London Cup.He will be replaced in the North’s squad by Adam Hose, the Warwickshire batsman, who impressed during Birmingham Bears’ run to the NatWest T20 Blast final.A change has also been required for the South after England allrounder Liam Dawson signed for the Pakistan Super League as a replacement for Shakib Al Hasan, with Ollie Pope, the Surrey batsman, taking his place.Dawson, who is currently with England’s T20 squad for the tri-series in Australia and New Zealand, had also been set to play in the one-day leg of the Lions series against West Indies A. The selectors have yet to decide whether to replace him for that portion of the tour.