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The Delhi High Court has refused to permit the contentious RP Mehra Block of the Ferozeshah Kotla ground to be used for the first semi-finals of the World Twenty20, on March 30

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Mar-2016

The Delhi High Court has refused to permit the contentious RP Mehra Block of the Feroz Shah Kotla ground to be used for the first semi-finals of the World Twenty20, on March 30. This puts a question mark over the match venue, and officials of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) are due to meet the ICC on Wednesday to try and resolve the issue.On Monday the DDCA approached the court with a petition seeking to open the stand, in an attempt to avoid the semi-final being shifted to an alternate venue if the issue related to the Mehra Block was not resolved.Ravinder Manchanda, the DDCA treasurer, meanwhile said that the DDCA had sent a letter to Justice (retired) Mukul Mudgal, appointed as the observer by the court for the World T20 matches in Delhi, assuring him the safety of the Mehra Block. “We have withdrawn the petition. We have given an undertaking to the Justice Mudgal as far as safety of the structure is concerned, and the safety and security of the spectators is concerned. Justice Mudgal would do the needful now,” Manchanda told ESPNcricinfo.The court had, in an earlier oral order, said that the Mehra Block would remain an unauthorised structure until the DDCA had got the clearance from the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC). On Tuesday, the court reiterated that stand when it told DDCA that it would not open the Block for public use unless the SDMC granted the completion certificate.The court also reminded the DDCA counsels that Justice Mudgal was not there to give clearances, and it was the SDMC approval that the court wanted to see. “We can’t grant use of any building without completion certificate,” a two-judge division bench of the High Court told the DDCA counsel. Duly the DDCA withdrew its petition.According to a key official involved with the conduct of matches in Delhi, Justice Mudgal is highly unlikely to change his stance on the Mehra Block. “Since it [Mehra Block] is not an authorised structure, Mudgal has not permitted anyone else except the media. And that, too, because the angle of the cameras cannot change. The stand is right behind the bowler’s arm,” the official said.The official also clarified that Mudgal had not raised any issue with respect to hoardings in front of the Mehra block as certain media reports indicated. “He only said no person would be allowed there except for media,” the official said. It is understood that Mudgal made his stand clear to ICC chief executive Dave Richardson recently.

Sheikh Jassim is very confident in his bid to take full control at Manchester United, Fabrizio Romano reports.

The Lowdown: Second bid

Jassim made an offer to take control at Old Trafford before the soft deadline set by the Glazers last month. The current Manchester United owners have seemingly placed a £5bn valuation for the club, with previous reports believing Jassim’s opening bid was set to be rejected.

However, Jassim seems determined to complete a deal and sent a ‘formidable delegation to Old Trafford’ last week for talks. Those discussions lasted ten hours and were thought to be positive, with Sky Sports stating that a second offer from the Qatari investors was set to be made today ahead of a new deadline.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter in the last 24 hours to share what he’s heard from the Qatari investors. The transfer expert said that Jassim is ‘still very confident’ to buy the club ‘for full ownership’ but said that possible rival Sir Jim Ratcliffe will also make a new bid.

‘Sheikh Jassim feels still very confident on his bid to buy Manchester Utd for full ownership; Sir Ratcliffe’s INEOS group will also bid again after positive talks last week.’

Romano reiterated that the deadline for second bids is on Wednesday evening, adding that it will then be ‘up to the Glazers, again.’

The Verdict: Promising

This update appears to be a promising sign for those wanting Jassim to replace the Glazers, and there will more than likely be further developments throughout the day.

Erik ten Hag may also be keeping one eye on takeover updates, especially as it could impact his transfer plans for the summer. The Qatari group led by Jassim previously wanted ‘things done quickly’ so they could help Ten Hag in the transfer market, while they were also confident there would be no dual ownership issues.

This will be one to keep an eye on, and it’ll be interesting to see who may join Jassim and Ratcliffe with new bids in the coming hours.

Kylian Mbappe's possible Paris Saint-Germain exit will reportedly cost Ligue 1 a whopping €140 million in television rights.

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Mbappe set for PSG departureEyes Real Madrid summer moveExit could cost Ligue 1 €140mGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The World Cup-winning Frenchman has reportedly told the Paris outfit he wants to leave the club this summer. Real Madrid are frontrunners to recruit him when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season and while this will be a huge blow for PSG, the league could suffer as well. According to , Ligue 1 stands to lose more than €140m (£120m/$151m) in TV rights for the next five years.

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The report adds the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) is in negotiations for rights for the French top-flight for 2024-29 and not being able to count on Mbappe weakens their hand in negotiations. Therefore, the price of TV rights could be reduced by up to 20 per cent of the initial amount the LFP negotiated early on in the process. This will have a huge knock-on effect for PSG and the league as a whole when it comes to attracting new players and revenue.

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Mbappe, 25, is reportedly demanding €70m (£60m/$76m) per year and a transfer bonus of €125m (£107m/$136m) in order to sign for Real Madrid. Lose Blancos areready to make Mbappe their next ‘Galactico’, but personal terms are proving difficult to agree.

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WHAT NEXT?

Negotiations between all interested parties will continue in the coming weeks and there may be some extra twists and turns along the way. But on the pitch, PSG travel to Nantes on Saturday in Ligue 1, followed by a home clash against Rennes on February 26.

Arsenal may have recruited well this summer, but there remains one disappointment for Mikel Arteta which he will seek to rectify before deadline day concludes…

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

The Gunners were decisive with their business throughout the window, welcoming Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber in quick succession before adding David Raya later on.

However, it is one of these signings that is actually now posing the biggest headache for the Spanish manager, with the former Ajax star having been struck down with injury in what was his very first Premier League start.

Reports have since confirmed that their worst fears have been realised, with a seven-month lay-off as the 22-year-old recovers from ACL surgery.

The tough proposition is now deciding whether they wait, potentially sacrificing their title push in favour of saving money, or instead signing another player who could be unnecessary in the long-term by returning into the market.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Now, recent reports from Denmark seem to suggest that the 41-year-old has taken the latter route, with their interest in SL Benfica youngster Alexander Bah detailed.

It is expected that the Portuguese club will try and command €30m (£26m) for his services.

How good is Alexander Bah?

The only positive surrounding the miserable injury that has spurred this potential move is that Arteta could now add to his wealth of young talent set to star in the present and the future.

After all, the 25-year-old has shone across various different clubs now, having amassed 257 career appearances, surprisingly scoring 25 and assisting 47 from full-back, via Transfermarkt.

He clearly boasts a dynamic attacking impetus despite being a right-back by trade, and that desperation to contribute to the attack could see him become a hugely important figure this season, on the opposite flank to Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The Denmark international actually boasts plenty of similarities with the 26-year-old former Manchester City star, as a creative defender often more impactful when pushed further forward rather than left to defend.

This is due to his inversion from left-back into midfield, allowing him to flex his offensive know-how alongside his work rate and tenacity.

These are traits also seen in Bah, who when compared against other full-backs across European divisions similar to the Portuguese top flight, stands out.

He ranks in the top 11% for shot-creating actions per 90, the top 5% for pass attempted per 90, the top 8% for progressive passes per 90 and even the top 12% for tackles per 90, via FBref.

Given how unknown a commodity he remains, the words of scout Ron Dor still ring true:

"Alexander Bah? One of the most undervalued RB profiles in the game."

To compare those figures with Zinchenko's, it becomes clear just how impactful the former Slavia Prague star could instantly be.

After all, when the Ukraine international is instead compared against full-backs across Europe's top-five leagues, he sits in the top 15% for total shots per 90, the top 2% for passes attempted, and the top 1% for progressive passes per 90, via FBref.

He retains that immense creativity, but arguably lacks the solidity that could help Bah shine. It seems he is readymade for Arteta's system, and could more than make up for Timber's absence should he take to English football with ease.

Manchester United are in the market to sign a new defender after news that Luke Shaw could miss months of action, rather than weeks.

The muscle injury has left Erik ten Hag without a senior left-back with Tyrell Malacia also out with his own injury problem.

Who could replace Luke Shaw at Man United?

The Red Devils are thought to be considering three options, as per Fabrizio Romano.

The Italian journalist claims that Marc Cucurella at Chelsea is one possibility on a potential loan deal.

However, Sky Sports suggests it is a different Premier League left-back who is the subject of United's focus before the window closes on Friday evening.

They claimed on Saturday evening that Tottenham's Sergio Reguilon is now an option.

The £13m-rated full-back can leave Spurs before the market shuts, but they face competition from Fulham, who would no doubt be able to offer the player more game time in the long term.

How good is Sergio Reguilon?

Now 26, the Spaniard has endured a rough few years after trading Spanish football for the Premier League.

In the 2019/20 season, he played a pivotal role in Sevilla's Europe League triumph but has found consistency rather hard to come by since.

He hasn't played 30 league games once after moving to Spurs and was forced to move to Atletico Madrid last term on a loan deal in order to play more regularly. That said, he could only manage 11 La Liga outings in another difficult term.

That said, if any coach can extract the best from Reguilon, they would be unearthing a fine flying wing-back.

You only need to head back to that Europe League winning season to understand that.

Indeed, during that campaign he was compared, as per FBref, to former Real Madrid superstar Marcelo, and one of the best left-backs in the Premier League now, Pervis Estupinan.

At the time, Estupinan was playing at Osasuna before bursting onto the scene with Brighton a few years later.

That term, Reguilon ranked inside the best 3% of full-backs in La Liga for progressive carries and touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the best 8% for shot-creating actions.

Those metrics paint the picture that the now Spurs man is an incredibly offensive asset on his day, one that would certainly help to fill the void that Shaw will leave behind while on the treatment table.

Estupinan, for comparison, sat inside the best 15% for shot-creating actions that same season, the top 6% for successful take-ons and the best 7% for progressive carries to illustrate their impressive range of similarities.

Of course, the Ecuadorian has been a great deal more impressive in the Premier League after he made his own move to English football, notably registering ten assists in 44 games to Reguilon's nine in 67 outings but the evidence is there that the Spaniard could make his mark in equal manner.

He has never really had the manager to extract the best from him at Tottenham. Antonio Conte's style of play, for instance, was too defensive even if he does prefer wing-backs in his system.

Ten Hag, however, could be a game-changer as far as Reguilon is concerned. It's just whether he sees himself achieving regular minutes once Shaw returns.

Brisbane Heat captain Brendon McCullum has said Hobart Hurricanes captain George Bailey “missed an opportunity” to uphold the spirit of the game following a bizarre obstructing-the-field incident during a BBL clash at the Gabba.Batsman Alex Ross was given out obstructing the field at a critical point in the Heat’s chase of 180. Needing 49 runs from 19 balls, Ross pulled the ball to deep midwicket and looked to return for a second run. Jofra Archer fired a throw wide of the stumps at the striker’s end and hit Ross as he was sliding to make his ground. The ball eventually ricocheted onto the stumps off Ross.The Hurricanes initially appealed thinking he might have been run-out. Replays then showed he had made his ground but they also indicated he had veered off his line. Ross appeared to veer away from the ball to avoid being hit rather than get intentionally into the line of the ball to block the throw but the third umpire gave him out obstructing the field.Law 37.1 says a batsman is out obstructing the field “if he wilfully attempts to obstruct or distract the fielding side by word or action.”McCullum held long and animated discussions with both the umpires and Bailey after the end of the match. While he disagreed with the third umpire’s decision, he aimed his ire not at the them but at Bailey and the Hurricanes for not calling Ross back.”Firstly, I don’t believe it was the right decision,” McCullum said post-match.”We’re not righteous about our stance on spirit of the game. But I think every now and then you get an opportunity to stand up for the spirit of the game. Tonight, I think the Hurricanes and George (Bailey) missed an opportunity.”Bailey felt he had done nothing wrong and told broadcasters, , post-match that he had simply asked the question of the umpires and left the decision up to them.McCullum said he and Bailey did not budge from their opposing views during their tense conversation.”We were debating the philosophical merits of one another’s points,” McCullum said.”Whatever the rules are, to be honest I don’t really care what the rules are. To me that’s one of those grey areas about the definition of that rule, just like a Mankad is a grey area as well in terms of the rules that we have.”But to me it also falls into the spirit of the game and that was what I was making the point to George and he’s quite entitled to do differently.”As we say we’re not righteous about our stance. But I’m also going to be truthful about it and say that I think he missed an opportunity tonight. And perhaps in time, sometimes these opportunities are more important than the two points at play. I think he missed one of those tonight.”I think (Ross) was trying to veer away from the ball. If you do check the laws it’s about wilfully obstructing the field. Again, none of that matters because to me it is a grey rule. When it’s grey, then it comes into the definition of the spirit of the game.”They are quite entitled to do what they want. But I just get the feeling, speaking from experience that this is an opportunity that he, in time, will perhaps live to wish he had made the other choice.”I did the Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey lecture a couple of years ago and I openly admitted my own mistakes about not adhering to what was a great opportunity to, I guess, hold the spirit of cricket up where it needs to sit.”Look, that’s the way we want to play the game. Other teams don’t have to play like that. I think we’ll certainly endear ourselves to a select group of fans for the way we play and you can judge the others how you want.”McCullum did state that he felt the Hurricanes deserved to win the game because they had played the better cricket.The two teams are set to meet again in at Blundstone Arena in Hobart on Monday.

As well as finding a Declan Rice replacement, the other pressing concern for the West Ham hierarchy will be to sign a new striker.

Last season, the attacking trio of Michail Antonio, Gianluca Scamacca, and Danny Ings only netted ten Premier League goals between them. David Moyes will be on the hunt for a more consistent and dynamic focal point to spearhead the club’s domestic and European challenges.

One man tipped to do this is Armando Broja.

What’s the latest on Armando Broja to West Ham?

According to ExWHUEmployee, the Hammers welcome an opportunity in bringing Broja to the London Stadium on loan.

Last summer, West Ham tried to sign the striker on a permanent deal for around £30m. The youngster had told Chelsea he didn’t want a season on loan and stayed at the club.

Nevertheless, the East Londoners have reignited their interest in exciting young forward Broja.

Speaking exclusively to The West Ham Way podcast, Ex said: "We’ve also looked at youngsters from other clubs, mainly Chelsea. Obviously, they’ve got Armando Broja who we tried to sign last summer, if he was to be available for a loan and maybe one of our forwards was to move on then he would be another that we would look to sign."

Who can Armando Broja replace at West Ham?

Last season was hugely challenging and disappointing for Broja. After consecutive loans, the frontman was finally spending a full year with the Chelsea first team.

However, a chaotic term under new ownership coupled with a devastating knee injury that kept him out for over six months meant he only mustered three starts in all competitions.

Nevertheless, in the previous campaign, whilst on loan at Southampton, the attacker demonstrated he was an effervescent and troublesome top-flight striker, with nine goals in 38 appearances across all competitions.

This form generated large applause, with Alan Shearer saying that the £40k-per-week prodigy made an “immediate impact” whilst on loan at Southampton, adding: “Let me tell you, this lad is clinical. Broja is a young striker with an eye for goal and has a bright future in the Premier League.”

This sentiment was echoed by his former manager Frank Lampard, who said: “He is a very talented young boy. He’s fast, strong, has a real eye for goal, and he’s a very, very good young player.”

A player of this energetic, pacey, and physical profile could be the perfect heir for Antonio.

The Jamaica international has been a fantastic servant for the Irons – he has been there since 2015 and is the club’s record Premier League goalscorer, netting on 61 occasions.

But, the 33-year-old’s contract expires next summer, and he is reportedly attracting interest from Saudi Arabia.

Although Antonio’s commitment can never be questioned, it seems the logical time for the era of a new striker at the London Stadium.

He ranks within the lowest 26% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90, total shots per 90, shot-creating actions per 90, progressive passes per 90, and touches in the attacking penalty per 90.

Meanwhile, Broja can replicate Antonio’s trademark hold-up play, whilst also providing a more compelling outlet with his lightning acceleration.

The inaugural season of the GLT20, Cricket South Africa’s franchise T20 tournament, will not take place as scheduled in November and December

Firdose Moonda10-Oct-20172:06

The rise and fall of the T20 Global League

The inaugural season of Cricket South Africa’s T20 Global League, which was scheduled to begin on November 3, has been postponed to November 2018 instead.The franchises understood that the delay in securing a stable television broadcast deal and central rights sponsorship for the tournament were the main reasons for postponing the GLT20, the brainchild of former CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat who had parted ways with the board last month.SACA expresses “concern and disappointment”

The South African Cricketers Association has called for an “independent review” into what has caused the postponement of the T20 Global League.
“This has a very significant impact on a large number of local and overseas players, all of whom have signed contracts to play in the league,” Tony Irish, chief executive of SACA, said. “Some players turned down other opportunities in order to commit themselves to these contracts. We will be looking at all implications of this for players, including what compensation should be paid to them.”
“SACA is well aware of the fact that this will also affect various other groups including franchises, coaches and stadium owners. I think it will be necessary for CSA to appoint its own independent review into what has actually transpired here as there are significant implications across South African cricket.”

ESPNcricinfo learned that CSA had informed all the eight franchises of the decision over the past few days. “We have not come to this decision lightly,” CSA’s acting CEO Thabang Moroe said. “Having discussed it with all our stakeholders including the franchise owners, we believe that the interest of the league should be our first priority. We have re-assessed our strategy and believe that postponing the first edition of the T20 Global League to next year will serve us well. We will regroup and come back stronger and better.”With less than a month to go before kickoff, the event faced numerous logistical challenges, not least the inability to secure a broadcast deal or a title sponsor, resulting in hefty financial losses. Though local broadcaster SuperSport is understood to have been close to putting pen to paper, the deal was going to be worth much less than CSA anticipated.Last week, Moroe told reporters that CSA was bracing for a $25 million loss on the first edition of the tournament, which amounted to half of the organisation’s cash reserves. He also provided an assurance that the tournament would go ahead as planned.Moroe had taken over from Lorgat, who parted ways with CSA on September 28, after his relationship with the board became untenable. The board’s unhappiness with Lorgat’s methods of organisation of the T20 Global League was one of the reasons for his departure, but one of the GLT20 franchise owners told ESPNcricinfo that Lorgat’s absence had created “much bigger challenges” in putting the tournament together, because he was its driving force.”When you know that something is not right then you should not do it,” the owner said. “We are half-prepared and it will be a bigger disaster if we go this way.”There was no indication that any of the current owners, seven of whom are from overseas, would withdraw from the event. Moroe met with the franchise owners on at least one occasion and was confident they remained committed to putting the tournament together. However, the time-frame was too short to put together an event of the quality CSA and the owners wanted.The postponement of the GLT20 leaves an enormous gap in the South African cricket calendar. For six weeks in peak summer, neither the national team nor the domestic franchises will be in action because CSA had created space for the event. Zimbabwe are due to visit South Africa over Boxing Day for a four-day, day-night match that is awaiting Test status, which means that after Bangladesh’s tour ends on October 29, South Africans will not see any live home cricket until December 26, unless a contingency plan is made.

A back inflammation has ruled James Pattinson out of the Test series

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-20170:44

Quick Facts – Bird’s impressive figures

Fast bowler Jackson Bird has replaced James Pattinson in Australia’s squad for their upcoming tour of Bangladesh. Pattinson has been ruled out of the tour with inflammation in his back.The loss of Pattinson is the second blow suffered by Australia’s pace attack in less than 24 hours, with Mitchell Starc also ruled out, having failed to recover fully from a long-term foot injury. Legspinner Mitchell Swepson replaced Starc in the squad.Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Bird are now the only three frontline pace bowlers in Australia’s squad. The Boxing Day Test against Pakistan at the MCG last December was Bird’s last Test appearance. He was part of Australia’s squad on their tour of India in February-March, but did not get to play a Test.Australia will start their tour with a two-day warm-up game in Fatullah on August 22 and 23. The first of two Tests starts in Mirpur on August 27. After months of doubt over whether it would go ahead or not, the tour got its green signal following the resolution of the contracts dispute between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association.Australia squad: Steven Smith (capt), David Warner (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Jackson Bird.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has revealed Fabio Vieira is expected to be out for some time after undergoing surgery on a groin issue.

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Arteta confirms Vieira injuryMidfielder has undergone groin operationWill now miss several weeksWHAT HAPPENED?

Vieira missed training ahead of Arsenal's Champions League clash with Lens on Wednesday, with Arteta subsequently confirming the 23-year-old is now facing weeks on the sidelines. The midfielder missed Arsenal's Premier League clash with Brentford at the weekend due to suspension but had been expected to return against Lens. However, the Arsenal boss has confirmed Vieira has been forced to go under the knife after picking up a groin injury.

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Vieira's injury is a fresh blow to the youngster, following his sending off against Burnley which resulted in a three-match ban. The midfielder has made 13 appearances in all competitions so far this season for Arsenal but is now unlikely to play again this year. Vieira joins Jurrien Timber, Emile Smith Rowe and Thomas Partey on Arsenal's injured list.

WHAT ARTETA SAID

"We've got a problem with him. He's been having some discomfort," he told reporters. "He wasn't improving and we sent him to a specialist, the advice was to have an operation which we did yesterday. We expect him to be out for weeks now."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR VIEIRA?

Vieira will now aim to recover as quickly as possible in a bid to return to fitness and gain more minutes at Arsenal. The midfielder has struggled to nail down a regular place in Arteta's side since his move from Porto in 2022. There has been speculation that Vieira could move out on loan in January, in a bid to play regular. football, although it's not clear yet if Arsenal would be willing to sanction a winter exit.