All posts by h716a5.icu

While the relative inexperience of both sides makes it hard to pick an outright favourite, West Indies will have the slight edge having already got a feel of the conditions in Bulawayo

The Preview by Liam Brickhill22-Nov-2016Match factsWednesday, 23 November
Start time 0930 local (0730 GMT)West Indies are currently ranked ninth, but are just one point behind Pakistan, which heightens the importance of a win against Sri Lanka•AFPBig PictureDespite West Indies’ big win in Harare, on paper, these are two well-matched teams with plenty to play for: the winner will be guaranteed their place in the tri-series final. The relative inexperience in both squads makes it hard to pick an out-and-out favourite, and conditions in Bulawayo should also be a leveller. West Indies’ tied game against Zimbabwe will at least have acclimatised them a little more to the pitch and conditions at Queens, as Sri Lanka’s first match was rained off.Sri Lanka also have some ground to make up against West Indies after their trouncing in Harare. Their middle order remains unproven, and if this series can be viewed as something of an audition for the upcoming tour of South Africa, there will be several young players hungry to state their case – particularly against the greater firepower of West Indies’ quicks.Youth and international inexperience are also in no short supply for West Indies at the moment. It is obviously very early days yet, but without a head coach, and with virtually all of West Indies’ established senior batsmen in the wilderness, young captain Jason Holder desperately needs his peers to gel into a new core for the side. Shai Hope and Kraigg Brathwaite’s promising form will give him something to build and bank on, while Carlos Brathwaite’s bowling has been fairly effective in Zimbabwe.Both for this team and for the immediate future of West Indies cricket, every win is an important one in these circumstances. Though still ninth in the ICC ODI rankings, they are just one point behind Pakistan, and a strong show in their remaining games will put them within touching distance of Bangladesh at No. 7. Between now and September 30, 2017, the cut-off date for direct qualification for the 2019 World Cup, West Indies currently have 11 ODIs scheduled (not including the final of this tri-series), but eight of those matches are against a resurgent England ODI side, and five of those are in England. That’s a tough assignment for what could still be a fairly inexperienced squad, and so West Indies have a lot more than a place in Sunday’s final to play for tomorrow.Form guide(Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: LWLLL
West Indies: TWLLLIn the spotlightShai Hope’s good form will buoy West Indies, and make him a target for Sri Lanka, while Suranga Lakmal will have to be at his best behaviour after he was fined 50% of his match fee for aggressively throwing the ball towards Zimbabwe opener Chamu Chibhabha during Monday’s wash-out. Yet, the spotlight might be focussed on what is happening above Queens, rather than on the ground.All three teams will have an eye on the weather on Wednesday. If there is another wash-out, Zimbabwe will effectively be out of the running, needing a massive bonus-point win to draw level and increase their net run-rate. The threat of rain also makes the toss important – inclement weather is more likely in the afternoon, meaning there could be Duckworth-Lewis permutations while chasing. Finally, the drainage issues at Queens mean that even relatively modest rain could rule a match out entirely.There are two main areas of concern on the outfield, should it rain again – on the northern side of the ground, and also near the sight screen at the Airport End. Should there be any significant showers during this game, in the absence of a super sopper, drainage will be an issue, especially after the heavy rains of the last few days have saturated the soil.Teams newsSri Lanka’s XI barely got a look-in on Monday, and given that conditions are likely to be identical, there is no reason for Sri Lanka to fiddle with their line-up. The grip on this slow surface makes Dasun Shanaka a good pick.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dhananjaya de Silva, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Upul Tharanga (capt), 6 Asela Gunaratne, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Sachith Pathirana, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Jeffrey VandersayWith two wickets in his last five games, and none in this series, the form of Sulieman Benn will be a worry for West Indies. Aside from Ashley Nurse, the other spin option in their squad is Devendra Bishoo, and given his gritty performance in the Tests against Pakistan last month, this change makes sense. Another player they might want to give a game to is Jason Mohammed, the hard-hitting middle-order batsman, though West Indies may want to secure their place in the final before tinkering with their top-six.West Indies (possible): 1 Johnson Charles, 2 Kraigg Brathwaite, 3 Evin Lewis, 4 Shai Hope (wk), 5 Jonathan Carter, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Jason Holder (c), 8 Carlos Brathwaite, 9 Ashley Nurse, 10 Devendra Bishoo, 11 Shannon Gabriel.Pitch and conditionsThe heavy downpours on Monday morning were followed by sunny and dry weather in the afternoon as well as the following day. Yet, the rainfall patterns at this time of the year are difficult to predict, and though the forecast suggests that Wednesday should be sunny and dry, some sort of precipitation is out of the question. Weather aside, there should be some early movement for the seamers who will be aided by cloud cover, as well as what appears to be a shade more green grass that has been left on the track for Wednesday’s match. The track will probably still slow down to help the spinners later in the day.Stats and trivia With 148 runs from two innings, Shai Hope is the leading run-scorer of the tri-series as well as the only century-maker. Shannon Gabriel, Carlos Brathwaite and Nuwan Kulasekara top the wickets table with five each, although Kulasekara has played one more (albeit truncated) game than the two West Indians. West Indies have played six ODIs at Queens Sports Club, winning three. In eight ODIs against West Indies, Kulasekara has taken 12 wickets at 22.08.Quotes”We know we’re playing good cricket. We had a good win against Sri Lanka [in Harare]. These lads work very hard on their fitness, and we do a lot of fielding drills in the days leading up to these matches, and the combination of those two things is starting to pay dividends. We’re looking like a good fielding side, and at this level of the game, every run you stop is a run you don’t have to score.”

Aiden Markram’s second successive hundred and legspinner Shaun von Berg’s ten-wicket match-haul lifted the Titans to the top spot in the Sunfoil Series standings

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2016Aiden Markram’s second successive hundred and legspinner Shaun von Berg’s ten-wicket match-haul lifted the Titans to first place in the Sunfoil Series, as they defeated the Cape Cobras by an innings and 50 runs at Newlands in Cape Town.Cobras were reduced to 74 for 4 in the first innings after Titans captain Henry Davids put them in. Stiaan van Zyl (65), who was dropped from the South Africa Test squad for the tour of Australia, stitched together a 92-run partnership with Justin Ontong (45) to stabilise the innings. However, they lost 3 for 8 in a span of 8.1 overs, to be reduced to 174 for 7. The tail then managed to drag the score to 235, before von Berg took his fifth wicket to bowl them out.Markram lost his opening partner Heino Kuhn with only 33 on the board, but put on 122 for the second wicket with Grant Mokoena (59) and 75 for the fourth with Farhaan Behardien (79) as he secured the lead for his team, before falling for 139. Qaasim Adams’ 58-run partnership for the seventh wicket with David Wiese (31) took the Titans to 393 for 7 before a collapse resulted in them folding for 400. Dane Piedt and Rory Kleinveldt took three wickets each for the Cobras.In the second innings, only four Cobras batsmen managed to get into double figures. Van Zyl (32*) and Ontong (20) once again briefly rescued the innings with a 42-run sixth-wicket stand after coming together at 44 for 5. Von Berg, who had Ontong caught by Wiese for the second time in the match, completed his five-wicket haul shortly after. Henry Davids took the last two wickets as Cobras slumped to their third loss this season.A day-four fourth innings collapse of the Warriors, fashioned by pacer Hardus Viljoen, handed the Lions a 148-run victory in Johannesburg. Needing 288 to win on the final day, the Warriors were reduced from 34 for 0 to 34 for 3 in 11 balls.The Lions elected to bat, and Nicky van den Bergh’s 99 and Dwaine Pretorius’ 97 took them to 308; the pair added 180 in partnership, the only significant stand in the innings – no other partnerships touched 40 runs. Andrew Birch and Sisanda Magala shared seven wickets between them for the Warriors.In reply, the Warriors were wobbling at 24 for 2 with both their openers dismissed early before Lesiba Ngoepe put on 95 runs – the third batsman to be dismissed in the 90s in the game – in partnership with the middle-order to take his side closer to the Lions’ first innings score, before Pretorius rattled them further in returning 6 for 81. Birch, who came in to bat at No. 9, contributed 82 crucial runs to take his side from 201 for 7 to 356, a 48-run lead.A 98-run opening partnership for the Lions scratched out any advantage the Warriors had; openers Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen scored 48 and 51 respectively. At one-down, Dominic Hendricks scored his second fifty in as many games; his 61 along with Yaseen Valli’s 40 led the Lions to 335, before they declared early on day four.So the Warriors were chasing 288 and ran into Viljoen, who picked up three of the top-four batsmen in the side before coming back to polish off the innings. The Warriors captain Simon Harmer – who already had a match haul of six – top scored with 42 from No. 8 as the team slid to 139 all out.Robin Peterson starred with six wickets for the Knights, while Imran Tahir and Senuran Muthusamy took four each for the Dolphins, in a draw in Durban. The match had only 188.2 overs being bowled due to inclement weather, with day two completely washed out.The Knights put the Dolphins in to bat, and they started well, with openers Sarel Erwee and Imraan Khan putting on a 123-run stand. The duo scored 58 and 59 respectively, but with no one else scoring a half-century, the team was eventually dismissed for 311. Peterson took his first two wickets off consecutive deliveries before finishing with 6 for 83 off 21 overs.In response, the Knights lost both their openers on 36 in consecutive overs. But a 107-run partnership between South Africa international David Miller (60) and wicketkeeper Rudi Second took the team past 150. With no other batsman crossing 20, though, Tahir and Muthusamy enjoyed a lot of success as the Knights were all out for 221.The Dolphins came out to bat once again and they blocked their way to 12 runs off the nine overs they faced in the second innings.

Aston Villa have been linked with one of the most in-form keepers in Europe ahead of the transfer window, as Unai Emery looks to bolster his squad this summer.

The Spaniard has enjoyed a formidable first season in the Midlands on his return to the Premier League, and will now look to make further improvements to his side that are set to contend in Europe next campaign.

What’s the latest on Yassine Bounou to Aston Villa?

As reported by Spanish outlet AS, Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou has gained interest from Aston Villa.

Known simply as Bono, the 32-year-old has racked up a host of potential buyers this summer, with the report stating further Premier League interest coming from Tottenham.

The report claims that Sevilla won't accept a bid under the €25m (£22m) mark despite his age, due to his integral role in the squad.

What could Yassine Bounou offer Aston Villa?

Lauded as being a “complete goalkeeper” by former teammate and Barcelona defender Jules Kounde during the World Cup, the Morrocan was the star of the show last week as Sevilla claimed their fifth Europa League title.

The shot-stopper saved two penalties from Roma in the decisive shoot-out, just as he did last winter in Qatar against Spain for Morocco at the World Cup.

The 32-year-old was named La Liga goalkeeper of the year last season, averaging a match rating of 7.03 and conceding an average of 0.8 per game, as per Sofascore.

For Villa, the experienced 'keeper could be a steal this summer, as the future of Emiliano Martinez at the club remains uncertain.

As reported by Football Insider last month, the Argentinian could depart Villa Park due to his desire to join a ‘top club’, leaving a potential gap in the squad to fill.

The 30-year-old has faced some criticism this season for his flippancy, most notably during Villa’s loss to Arsenal when Emery publicly criticised his star man for his decision to go upfield in the dying moments that lead to the Gunners scoring.

From potentially leaving to showing mentality mishaps, the Argentine is formidable in Villa’s goal, but certainly replaceable should he wish to depart.

With over 300 career appearances, Villa could sell the expertise of Martinez by landing a gloveman of a similar calibre and experience for a slim price.

In what has been a tough season for Sevilla, ending La Liga in 12th, Bono has been reliable when called into action, as highlighted by his 62% of saves per game, averaging 2.7 as per Sofascore.

While the 6 foot 3 keeper is reliable from open play, as supported by his successful run-out percentage of 92% this campaign, he is a genius from the spot when facing penalties, attributable to his intuition from the experience he has gained over the years.

For a deal worth potentially less than the £30m mark, Emery could sign one of the continent's most talked about 'keepers this summer.

Bangladesh have made six changes to their squad for the first Test against England at Chittagong, starting on October 20, with the batsman Sabbir Rahman a notable inclusion

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong16-Oct-2016Bangladesh have made six changes to their squad for the first Test against England at Chittagong, starting on October 20, with the batsman Sabbir Rahman a notable inclusion following his performances in the ODI series earlier this month.Rahman, who has played 29 ODIs and 26 T20Is but has yet to make his Test debut, made 49 from 46 in the third ODI at Chittagong, having been fined 20 percent of his match fee for his run-in with England’s stand-in captain, Jos Buttler, in the previous match in Dhaka.He is one of four uncapped players in the 14-man squad, alongside the former Under-19 captain, Mehedi Hasan, and Kamrul Islam Rabbi – a right-arm seamer – and Nurul Hasan, a wicketkeeper-batsman.The seamer, Shafiul Islam, and the offspinner, Shuvagata Hom, complete the revamped squad.Those who have been excluded from Bangladesh’s last Test squad, for the home series against South Africa in July 2015, are Nasir Hossain, Jubair Hossain, Rubel Hossain, while Liton Das, Mohammad Shahid and Mustafizur Rahman are all sidelined through injury.Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that they considered the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury pitch and England’s batting line-up when picking the specialist bowlers.”We have taken two pace bowlers taking into account that Chittagong offers a flat pitch,” Minhajul said. “We retained Shuvagata to tackle England’s left-handed batsmen. We also took [Mehedi Hasan] Miraz as a specialist offspinner as we believe he has much to offer since his performance at the U19 level. We have taken [Kamrul Islam] Rabbi because he has done well in first-class tournaments. He has ability to bowl fast with the old ball.”Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who is also part of the revamped selection committee, was excited by inclusions of Sabbir and Nurul.”We will try to fit in Sabbir in the XI. Having a lot of options is a good headache to have. [Nurul Hasan] Sohan is one of the best wicketkeepers in the country,” he said.Bangladesh’s Test squad Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Tamim Iqbal (vice-capt), Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan , Mahmudullah, Soumya Sarkar, Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Nurul Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Shuvagata Hom.

Napoli ultras have returned the steering wheel from Luciano Spalletti’s stolen Fiat Panda as a parting gift with the manager set to leave after winning Serie A.

Why was Luciano Spalletti’s car stolen?

It’s been a remarkable season for the Italian club as they won their first Scudetto since 1990 – back when Diego Maradona was dazzling defenders for Gli Azzurri.

Napoli’s recent success is quite remarkable when you consider that the manager had his beloved Fiat Panda stolen during protests in 2021. Not long after, the ultra’s then offered him an ultimatum about returning the car if Spalletti would leave.

The manager quipped back: “First of all we have to see in what condition the Panda will be returned in, how many kilometres it has travelled, whether there are Pino Daniele CDs inside.”

Well, both parties have now stuck to their promise as even the CDs have been returned to the 64-year-old Italian who is set to take a sabbatical in the summer and leave.

As shown in footage circulated on Twitter, the Napoli ultras met Spalletti inside the club’s dressing room before handing him a big blue box. He unwraps the present and breaks into a big smile, having had his property returned at last.

Why is Spalletti leaving Napoli?

Spalletti took charge of Napoli in 2021 and has kept up a remarkable rate of 2.10 points per game since then, which helped deliver a first Serie A title in 33 years.

However, after securing the Scudetto, he immediately spoke about how much it had taken out of him, telling the press:

“I no longer have the energy to be up to the standard of what people love so much, so I have to take two steps back and leave.

“I am not someone who changes idea easily and I decided to leave because I feel that I’ve given all I had.”

Despite still having one year on his contract, President Aurelio De Laurentiis was happy to acquiesce to this demand, telling Italian broadcaster Rai (via Evening Standard): “He’s a free man, now it’s right that he continues to do what he wants. I thank him.”

And so now was the perfect moment for the ultras to finally return those stolen items and allow Spalletti to depart on perfect terms.

One positive that could come from Leeds United's relegation to the Championship is the opportunities that may be afforded to the brightest young talents at Elland Road.

The likes of Darko Gyabi and Sonny Perkins struggled for regular first-team minutes at the club, while the likes of Cody Drameh, Joe Gelhardt and Charlie Cresswell all enjoyed positive loan spells in the Championship.

The decision to loan out the latter was perhaps a controversial one by Leeds given their defensive woes, which saw them ship a staggering 78 goals in the top flight this season, with a lack of quality at the back proving to be the major factor in their relegation.

However, the Yorkshire outfit could rectify that mistake by giving Cresswell a starting berth in the Championship next season, perhaps in place of ailing club captain, Liam Cooper.

Should Leeds start Cresswell next season?

While Leeds may have regretted their decision to loan out the 20-year-old given his impressive displays with Millwall, his Championship experience could be vital for the Whites as they aim to earn an instant return to the Premier League in the 2023/24 campaign.

The £2k-per-week Englishman would make 28 appearances in the second tier for Gary Rowett's side, contributing four goals and two assists which helped him to earn a strong 7.08 rating from WhoScored.

The Elland Road outfit's best player in the Premier League according to the same website was Tyler Adams with a 6.73 average rating, which emphasises just how impressive Cresswell was and the quality he could add to Leeds' backline.

Rowett was full of praise for the young 6 foot 3 defender, who has made just seven senior appearances for Leeds, and hinted that he could have a big future in the game, saying:

“He has really calmed down and matured in how he thinks about the game. He’s getting the benefit from it because he has got amazing attributes for a young centre-back – aggression and desire, sometimes you can’t find them as much nowadays. Honing them is easier than finding them in the first place."

A number of Leeds' first-team players look likely to depart this summer following their relegation to the Championship, although Cooper may be one to stick around at Elland Road. That said, it shouldn't stop Cresswell from getting a look in.

Indeed, the Scotland international managed just 18 appearances in the top flight due to injury issues and struggled when he did come into the team, mustering just a 6.62 average rating from WhoScored for his performances.

The 31-year-old also managed fewer blocks per game (0.4 vs 0.8) than Cresswell and was dribbled past more often (0.7 vs 0.5), so it could be time for Leeds to put their faith in the 20-year-old next season.

It's clear the club captain is past his best and as a result, the former Millwall loanee could be a far more reliable long-term option at Elland Road. After all, he has already proven he can bully second-tier opposition.

Following the Supreme Court’s warning to the BCCI to follow the directive to implement the Lodha reforms, the board’s defiance seems to have given way to anxiety ahead of the SGM on Friday

Nagraj Gollapudi and Arun Venugopal 29-Sep-20162:25

Lodha proposes, BCCI disposes

Following the Supreme Court’s warning to the BCCI to “fall in line” and follow the directive to implement the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, the board’s defiance seems to have given way to a mixture of anxiety and uncertainty a day before its crucial special general meeting on Friday in Mumbai.The agenda for the SGM, the BCCI had pointed out last week, would be to “consider directions of Justice (Retd) Lodha Committee in connection with the formal adoption of the new Memorandum of Association and Rules for the BCCI.”The court asked the BCCI to respond within a week to the status report submitted by the Lodha Committee on Wednesday. If the BCCI fails to adopt the new Memorandum of Association and Rules at Friday’s meeting, the board risks facing further flak from the court. The BCCI could wait for the court to issue a directive based on the board’s response to the status order, but either way there were not many options left for the BCCI, keeping in mind the two sets of timelines drawn by the Lodha Committee, the first of which will expire on Friday, September 30.A number of board members ESPNcricinfo spoke to admitted to being clueless about the BCCI’s next course of action, and said it would be chalked out by president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke at the SGM. An experienced administrator termed it a “crisis”, but said it was not the end of the road for the BCCI. He felt if the court did not budge, it was time for a new wave of administrators to take charge.A BCCI office-bearer said the board was looking to drag things for as long as it could. “You should understand one thing: whatever needs to be done, we’ll do it,” he said. “The affidavit [filed by the BCCI] is just to prolong things as far as possible.”Some members were, however, wary of the aggressive stance taken by the Lodha Committee and the Supreme Court. The president of a south zone association said the BCCI’s response had to be measured, and people needed to be “careful” about what they said.Another office-bearer of the board, meanwhile, faulted the confrontational approach adopted by the BCCI so far, and said the members of the board were not apprised of relevant developments. “Nobody is kept in the loop. Only president and secretary know what’s happening,” he said. “The BCCI has always been [president and secretary-centric]; that’s the problem we have. All the members could have actually interacted individually with the Lodha Committee, but that was denied. From the beginning itself it has been derailed and we have never got an opportunity to put it on track. From there on, things are messed up.”Ever since the court approved the Lodha recommendations on July 18, the BCCI has resolutely opposed them. The main recommendations the BCCI does not agree with are the cooling-off period after a three-year term, imposing an age cap of 70 for administrators, and having an official of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the proposed Apex Council. The proposed Apex Council is itself contentious as it would replace the existing, and powerful, working committee and the one-state-one-vote proposal, which would bring Mumbai, Maharashtra, Vidarbha. Gujarat, Saurashtra and Baroda under one cluster and limit their voting power to just one vote by rotation.Most state associations, too, have continued to wait for the BCCI’s direction on amending their constitutions. So far, only the Vidarbha Cricket Association has decided to put to vote whether the Lodha recommendations can be adopted by the September 30 deadline set by the committee in its first set of timelines.From being unresponsive at the beginning to openly critical of the Lodha Committee, the BCCI has pursued a combative strategy. Last week, it asked three former India captains, Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev – all hired by the board as television commentators – to back its stance and ask the Lodha Committee to modify some of the recommendations through a dialogue.However, RM Lodha, the chairman of the Lodha Committee, made it clear that there can’t be any dialogue.”Our recommendations have merged with the July 18 judgment after the Supreme Court accepted them and ordered their implementation,” Lodha told the . “The recommendations are part of the judgment. Any attempt to impede implementation of the reform recommendations would be construed as non-implementation of the judgment itself.”

Leeds United have it all to do this coming weekend, with a must-win clash at home to Tottenham Hotspur on the horizon. However, even if they do claim victory, they are still at the mercy of other results.

All Sam Allardyce can do is send his team out to crush Ryan Mason's struggling outfit, and then hope for another miracle elsewhere.

However, after their recent loss to West Ham United, the 68-year-old is faced with a tough selection headache concerning which players will retain their spot despite few impressing.

Rodrigo again proved himself as a sole clinical asset, but other than that few have stepped up during these all-important final weeks of the Premier League campaign.

Those who might have shown glimpses of their quality earlier in the year have wilted, leaving a team that is playing as if they have already been relegated. Should they succumb to the drop, Andrea Radrizzani will want to purge his team of such disappointments.

Crysencio Summerville is one such example, who threatened to play a huge role in their survival bid only to fade into obscurity as the season has gone on. On Sunday he was handed a golden chance to absolve himself for such failures, and yet only exacerbated his miserable campaign.

How did Crysencio Summerville play vs West Ham?

Although the 21-year-old did not start, the wide man was still given the best part of half an hour to make his mark on this clash with the scores level.

However, across his time on the pitch, he would miss arguably his side's best chance of the whole game and oversee two goals conceded. It was a miserable cameo that garnered his 6.4 Sofascore rating, somehow outdoing his abhorrent 6.66 average rating for the season.

It was that key moment where he burst through late on that showcased just how far from the requisite level he is, as he raced towards goal only to rush the opportunity, firing straight into the only defender when it looked easier to find the net.

The £15k-per-week speedster would also complete just three passes, touching the ball 17 times in 28 minutes, via Sofascore.

Presenter Joe Wainman had predicted such a failure to perform over a year ago, as he told the JustJoe Football Show in 2022: "I may be wrong and this may come back to bite me, but whenever I’ve seen Summerville, he has not pulled up any trees. Okay, we might not have seen enough of him, you could argue."

There was a period where the pundit threatened to be proven wrong, as the Dutchman scored four goals in as many games before the World Cup. Unfortunately, this would be the first and last suggestion of such quality.

Many fans would even argue that this brief spell of form was instrumental in Jesse Marsch staying in Yorkshire for well beyond his welcome, meaning that the six points gained from those four games actually were detrimental in the long run.

Given his youth, there is every chance that Radrizzani could still collect a hefty sum for Summerville, whilst also ditching someone that has disappointed the fanbase even when in form this season.

ESPNcricinfo previews the one-off T20I between England and Pakistan at Old Trafford

The Preview by Andrew Miller06-Sep-2016Match FactsSeptember 7, Old Trafford
Start time 6.30pm (1730GMT)Big PictureThe nights are drawing in, the kids are back at school, the summer’s main international trophies have been tussled over and divvied up. All that remains now is an autumnal farewell in Manchester, as England and Pakistan do battle for one last time in a one-off floodlit T20.It all makes for a low-key finale to an otherwise engaging visit from a popular Pakistan touring team. Their victory in the fifth and final ODI at Cardiff on Sunday spared them the ignominy of a 5-0 series whitewash but also, to a degree, deprived this contest of its edge. Not even the Super Series (currently 16-10 in England’s favour) can keep up the pretence that there’s anything tangible at stake.That said, there’s still plenty to prove for the personnel on both teams. England, of course, cemented their white-ball revival with their march to the World T20 final in Kolkata back in April, and for many of the main men of that tournament who sat out the one-off win over Sri Lanka at the Ageas Bowl in June – in particular Joe Root, Alex Hales and, of course, England’s fall guy on that famous evening, Ben Stokes – this will be their first return to the format.Pakistan have no reason to recall their most recent trip to Kolkata with any fondness, either, after a group-stage defeat to India derailed their own World T20 campaign, and in their first 20-over outing since March, they will embark on the start of their own new era, with Sarfraz Ahmed, one of their star campaigners of the England tour, leading his country for the first time outside of a single ODI as stand-in.It promises to be a fun night out in Manchester, and who can quibble with that? But, given that the next World T20 is scheduled to take place in four years’ time (notwithstanding the growing clamour for a 2018 event), anyone seeking pointers for the future directions of both teams can probably afford to let their attention waver for a few hours.Mickey Arthur will be making plans for Pakistan’s new-look T20 side•Getty ImagesForm guide(completed matches, most recent first)
England WLWWW
Pakistan LLLWWIn the spotlightThere will be no escaping the memories of Eden Gardens when Ben Stokes takes hold of the ball in a 20-over contest for the first time since that fateful final over of the World T20. Carlos Brathwaite’s four consecutive sixes ripped the trophy from England’s grasp and left one of their most wholehearted campaigners on his knees and heartbroken. He’s bounced back in all other formats since that day – injury notwithstanding – but it’ll be fascinating to see if he’s trusted to get back to on the horse again when it comes to the death overs.After making his Pakistan debut in Ireland earlier this summer, Hasan Ali’s waspish pace and wholehearted attitude made a decent impression in adversity during the ODI series, and having earned a late call-up to the T20 squad following Mohammad Irfan’s short-lived recall, it seems likely that he’ll be thrust straight into the fray for a shortest-form debut. He seems to be made of the right stuff – Mickey Arthur is already a visible fan – and for a team rebuilding from rock-bottom in limited-overs cricket, he looks worthy of investment.Team newsEngland have named a strong squad, with Hales, Stokes, Root and Moeen Ali all expected to slot back into the starting line-up that is unlikely to look very different from the team that took the field for the World T20 final. Tymal Mills, who impressed with his speed on debut at the Ageas Bowl, is a doubtful starter, having played no cricket since July.England (probable) 1 Alex Hales, 2 Jason Roy, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 David Willey, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 Liam PlunkettIt’s all change for Pakistan, who bid farewell to their ODI skipper, Azhar Ali (not to mention their less-than-match-fit substitute seamer, Irfan), and welcome instead Sarfraz to the helm. Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan have been tipped by their captain to open the batting, and there could be a debut for the 21-year-old fast bowler, Amad Butt.Pakistan 1 Khalid Latif, 2 Sharjeel Khan, 3 Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), 4 Mohammad Rizwan, 5 Babar Azam, 6 Imad Wasim, 7 Shoaib Malik, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Hasan Ali, 11 Amad ButtPitch and conditionsIt’s been a warm and dry Tuesday in Manchester, and with any luck we’ll get more of the same for the match. The pitch, likewise, looks a typically dry Old Trafford surface, with reasonably bare ends that may encourage the spinners on both sides.Stats and trivia England have never yet lost a T20 international at Old Trafford – although they’ve failed on three occasions to get to the finish of a contest. In 2009, they staged back-to-back fixtures against Australia, but weather had the final say, as it did three years later when South Africa were the visitors. Eoin Morgan, who passed 5000 career ODI runs last week, needs 54 to become the first England batsman to reach 1500 in T20s. Quotes”We’ll be playing at a very high intensity, we’ve been playing some great white-ball cricket this summer and we want to continue that.”
“We did not talk about the past but this tour has been good, we have enjoyed it and found people have been welcoming. we win the match and end on a high note.”
Sarfraz Ahmed, Pakistan’s T20 captain, reflects on a happy tour and hopes for a positive ending

Journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed that the representatives of Martin Odegaard have signalled that they want to have talks over a new Arsenal contract.

What's the latest contract news at Arsenal?

It seems as though Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar are keen to put plenty of important squad members on fresh new deals as soon as possible.

For instance, it was announced this week that goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale had committed his future to the club, while there is plenty of talk in the media about the likes of William Saliba and Bukayo Saka also penning new deals.

The latest name to add to that list appears to be club captain Odegaard – and it's good news for the Gunners, as it seems he's more than keen to stick around with a new deal.

Indeed, Bailey revealed as much while talking on 90min's Talking Transfers, explaining the latest development.

He said: "The main thing with this is, his people have signalled their intent to have the talks – which is the main thing, really.

"You know, it's that Football Manager thing, isn't it? When you engage with the agents and they're positive.

"He's not saying, 'No, I'll wait and I'll wait another 18 months.' He isn't saying that. He's happy to talk.

"So this will be a matter of when rather than if. Probably more to the end of the season but this will be a huge deal as well. This will be over £300,000 a week; he'll be one of the highest-paid players at the club."

How much will Martin Odegaard's new contract be worth?

At the moment, the former Real Madrid midfielder earns a reported £115k per week, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2025.

However, as Bailey reveals, he could potentially treble that and now earn over £300k per week. This makes sense to a degree, seeing as he has since established himself as club captain and helped the Gunners regain Champions League football.

What's more, Odegaard has been superb, winning the Premier League’s Player of the Month for November and December and has subsequently been nominated for the Premier League’s Player of the Season accolade.

With all that being the case, if the 24-year-old is happy to commit his future to Arsenal, it sounds like one deal that could be wrapped up pretty soon – which would be a great boost going into a potentially busy summer.