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Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, and Shadab Khan have been rewarded for their impressive performances, in Pakistan’s run to the Champions Trophy title, with their first central contracts

Umar Farooq12-Jul-20171:46

Archive – The ups and downs of Umar Akmal

Umar Akmal’s international career appears to be at crossroads after the PCB omitted him from the list of 35 centrally contracted players for the year starting July 1, 2017. He was the most notable omission from the list, with his fitness having been a major concern for much of his career.Akmal was originally named in the Champions Trophy squad but was axed after failing two fitness tests leading up to the start of the tournament in England. Akmal had previously been dropped from a tour of the West Indies in April for similar reasons. He was excluded from that squad after he was the only player, out of 31, to fail the fitness test during a camp held at the National Cricket Academy in March.The Central Contracts list

Category A: Azhar Ali, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Amir
Category B: Babar Azam, Imad Wasim, Asad Shafiq, Hasan Ali

Category C: Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Haris Sohail, Sami Aslam, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Junaid Khan, Ahmed Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Shahdab Khan

Category D: Mohammad Nawaz, Asif Zakir, Usman Salahuddin, Amir Yamin, Usman Shinwari, Faheem Ashraf, Ruman Raees, Imam-ul-Haq, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Umer Amin, Mohammad Hasan, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Rizwan

He was named in the national high performance camp organised by the NCA but pulled out, citing a knee injury. He informed the relevant officials – including head coach Mushtaq Ahmed – and excused himself for five weeks, during which he intends to undergo rehabilitation with his private trainer in England.The selectors have handed out 15 new central contracts, with 10 players including now retired Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan dropped from the previous list of 30. Junaid Khan, who had been axed last year has been offered a Category C contract, while fellow left-arm fast bowlers Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali have been demoted from Category B to C. Pakistan’s lead seamer Mohammad Amir, meanwhile, was given an A grade contract.Babar Azam and Imad Wasim were promoted from Category C to B while openers Sami Aslam and Shan Masood were retained in Category C along with Mohammad Nawaz – who has served out his two-month ban for failing to report an approach in the PSL 2017. The monetary value of the monthly retainer has also been increased by 10% for all categories.”The central contracts were awarded after keeping in mind the performances, fitness, and discipline of the players,” the PCB said in a statement. “A number of young players have been awarded central contracts this year keeping in mind that the national teams in all formats will be going through a transitional period after a number of retirements from last year’s central contract list.”The selectors have also picked an additional wicketkeeper, Mohammad Hasan, in the list along with Sarfraz Ahmed – captain in all three formats – and Mohammad Rizwan, who was demoted from Category C to D.Usman Salahuddin, who was given a contract in 2012 before fading away, has once more returned to national contention. As a possible contender for one of the vacancies in the Test team’s middle order, he was given a Category D contract. Umar Amin, who has also been absent from the central contracts list for the past few years, returns in Category D. Bilal Asif, who was included in Category D, is the only off-spinner among the 35 players to be offered central contracts.The PCB has named chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq’s nephew Imam-ul-Haq in the emerging players category. He recently had a productive stint with Pakistan Under-23, scoring two back-to-back hundreds in Bangladesh. Asif Zakir, a batsman from Karachi, has also been rewarded with a Category D contract for successive prolific domestic seasons after he scored 791 runs in 10 first-class matches in 2015-16 at an average of 56.50, and 853 first runs at 85.30 in 2016-17.

Liverpool have signed teenage defender Harvey Owen from Wolves, with the youngster confirming his move to the Reds on social media.

Who have Liverpool signed?

The Reds have been fairly busy so far this summer as Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his senior side. Midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have already made the move to Merseyside from Brighton and RB Leipzig respectively, with Southampton’s Romeo Lavia looking like the next key target in midfield.

However, the club have also been adding to their academy ranks, and after a deal worth up to £800,000 was first rumoured about Owen back in May, it appears as if that has gone through.

This is Anfield shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Liverpool and Owen. They relayed a post from the teenager’s Instagram, who confirmed he has signed for the Reds.

“Very happy to sign for Liverpool, can’t wait to get started.

“Thank you to everybody who has helped me to get where I am today and just wanna say big thank you to Wolves who have supported me throughout my career.”

Who is Harvey Owen?

Owen is a right-footed defender and is just 14 years of age, but it looks as if the Reds see plenty of promise to bring him to the club so early in his career.

He was previously praised by Wolves academy coach Wes Hughes, who believes the teenager can “can surprise a few” in the future, while also sharing an interaction between Owen and former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, who believes the youngster will “be a really good player in the future”.

"Harvey was introduced to the group last year as a 13-year-old playing in the under-15s youth cup. The boys went on and did quite well in the competition and got to the semi-final – Harvey was a part of that journey and the boys really took to him as a younger player.

"He's a right-footed player who likes to play on the left side at the back – whether that's in a back three or a back four. He's come on leaps and bounds in terms of his football. We truly believe if he can overcome some difficulties and embrace some of the adversity, he can surprise a few.

"We recently played at Tottenham and he had a nice pat on the back from an ex-player in Yaya Toure. He personally went up to Harvey and said that he had a lot of potential and would be a really good player in the future, so I think he'll be really proud of that."

The Reds have lost a number of players from their academy ranks this summer with TIF citing six who have been released and four sold, so it is good to see that Owen has made the move to Merseyside from the Midlands, showing that the club are still looking to sign some exciting talents.

You’d expect he may go into Liverpool’s U16s to start with, but who knows, should he continue to develop and impress over the coming years, he could be a first-team defender in the making.

Liverpool are still alive in the pursuit of a thriving Celta Vigo midfielder despite the Premier League side's signings this summer, with fresh news revealing that more discussions have taken place.

Are Liverpool signing Gabri Veiga?

According to CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs last weekend, the Reds have recently held negotiations with Sky Blues manager Rafa Benitez to discuss the prospect of completing a deal for the young Spaniard before allowing him to depart on loan.

Fabrizio Romano revealed in June that Veiga possesses a €40m (£34m) release clause which created a whirlwind of interest in his services, with Arsenal and Chelsea notably expressing desire to secure his signature themselves.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Liverpool have also held discussions throughout the summer transfer window and could yet lodge a formal offer to tie the 21-year-old down on a long-term deal.

What is Gabri Veiga's style of play?

Jurgen Klopp has certainly been busy this summer, with Alexis Mac Allister arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion for £35m while Dominik Szoboszlai has joined from RB Leipzig in a £60m deal.

And while the midfield is now starting to look up to scratch once again – with Southampton's defensive midfielder Romeo Lavia also in talks to sign – the Anfield side seems reluctant to pass up the opportunity to sign such an exciting talent in Veiga.

Indeed, Veiga – having plied his trade in the Spanish third-tier for much of the 21/22 campaign – enjoyed a tremendous breakout season and scored 11 goals and supplied four assists from just 28 LaLiga starts.

As per FBref, the "top talent" – as proclaimed by Romano – ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 12% for progressive carries and successful take-ons and the top 11% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.

This illustrates his first-rate skill as a midfield vehicle, pushing the play up front and breaking into the final third to wreak havoc, which could allow him to link up very nicely in the future with Liverpool's club-record £85m talisman Darwin Núñez.

Nunez scored 15 times across all competitions for the Reds during his maiden season at the club, but ranked third for most big chances missed in the Premier League (20) and was lambasted by club legend Robbie Fowler for being "too wasteful".

Klopp did state that the Uruguayan is a "long-term project", and if Nunez continues to make adjustments to his game this season, he could be the perfect striker from which Veiga can link up with on Merseyside as he pushes into attacking areas.

And with the £140k-per-week ace also being described as a "monster" by reporter Charlotte Coates, there will be optimism anew that he can forge a successful season and transcend his past efforts.

And with the "wonderful' Veiga – as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting – added to the fold, be that this term of the 24/25 campaign, he could have the perfect midfield maestro to energise him and ensure he fires at full throttle for years to come.

A few weeks ago, Ed Pollock was an unknown quantity even within his own county, but his fear-free hitting led Birmingham to the final of the NatWest Blast

George Dobell at Edgbaston02-Sep-2017A few weeks ago, Ed Pollock was such a peripheral part of Birmingham’s plans that the club’s director of sport, Ashley Giles, admits he hadnever seen him play.But, just six weeks after making his first team debut for the club, Pollock has booked Birmingham’s place in the final of the NatWestBlast with a rapid half-century that set the platform for an 11-run victory over Glamorgan.Pollock, a 22-year-old graduate of Durham MCCU and Shrewsbury School, scored every one of the first 39 balls of the Birmingham innings andwent on to register a 23-ball half century. It was his third half-century in eight T20 innings and provided further vindication of the decision to prefer Pollock and co. to players of international experience such as Ian Bell and William Porterfield.For this was a victory built largely on the boldness and athleticism of Birmingham’s young side. With six men in the side aged 24 or under,Birmingham defended their total with some outstanding fielding and some impressive pace bowling from Olly Stone, who exceeded 90 mph andhurried even Glamorgan’s most experienced batsmen.Four of Pollock’s first deliveries were struck for six with a slog-sweep for six off Colin Ingram followed by successive heaves backover Mike Hogan’s head and a flick over square-leg off Marchant de Lange. When de Lange pitched short, Pollock pulled with power and bythe time Birmingham brought up their 50, Dominic Sibley had provided just three of the runs.While Birmingham lost their way a little after Pollock’s departure – they lost three for 36 in the six overs after the powerplay – GrantElliott and Colin de Grandhomme ensured the early impetus was not lost with a stand of 46 for the fifth-wicket.Ed Pollock gave Birmingham a blistering start•Getty ImagesStill, Glamorgan could feel well satisfied with their effort in the field. They clawed their way back into the game after Pollock’s earlyblast with Craig Meschede especially impressive in a four-over spell full of control and variation. Birmingham’s final total of 175 wasprobably no better than par on what appears to be an excellent surface for batsmen.Just as important as Pollock’s half-century was Birmingham’s catching at the start of the Glamorgan reply. Sam Hain clung on to anoutstanding catch – running round the mid-wicket boundary, he threw himself into a diving catch and, after seeing the ball bobble out ofhis grasp for a moment, somehow managed to cling on with his left hand – to account for Aneurin Donald, before Grant Elliott held on to anequally brilliant effort – running back from mid-on, he dived full-length and held on to the ball inches off the turf – to dismiss the dangerous Colin Ingram.It was a key moment. Of the 17 times Ingram has faced 20 balls or more in this competition over the last two years, Glamorgan have only lostthree times. With David Miller falling almost immediately, edging an attempted drive, Glamorgan were 39 for 3 with their most dangerousbatsmen gone.While Jacques Rudolph, who made an accomplished 65 in his last match before retirement, and Graham Wagg kept Glamorgan in the game, another outstanding piece of fielding byAaron Thomason ended their sixth-wicket stand of 50. Fielding a drive from Wagg off his own bowling, Thomason – a 20-year-old all-rounderwho has impressed with his composure as much as his all-round skills this season – had the presence of mind to flick the ball back towardsthe non-striker’s end where Rudolph was out of his ground. It all but ended Glamorgan’s realistic hopes of reaching the T20 domestic finalfor the first time.With Jeetan Patel typically frugal – his second over cost just one run – and Olly Stone offering notably sharp pace that consistentlyexceeded 90 mph, even Andrew Salter’s late assault (he took 14 off the first three balls of the final over bowled by Woakes before he wascaught on the long-on boundary as two fielders dangerously converged) was not enough.

Both teams have lost an influential spinner – Ravindra Jadeja and Rangana Herath, but India still appear to have all bases covered on a green Pallekele surface

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Pallekele11-Aug-20172:45

Agarkar: Play Kuldeep, he’ll be useful in away Tests

Match FactsAugust 12-16, 2017
Start time 1000 local (0430GMT)Big PictureIndia have arrived at Pallekele, and oh my, a 22-yard carpet almost as lush and green as the surrounding hills has been rolled out before them. The track is likely to be shaved before the first ball is bowled on Saturday, but nevertheless, this one may be a unicorn of an Asian surface, where teams consider strapping three quicks to the plough. The visitors have thrashed Sri Lanka on a batting pitch. They have spanked Sri Lanka on a bone-dry turner. Now they have the chance to collect the set.With their most-experienced quicks and best spinner now unavailable for this match, Sri Lanka are now relying largely on surprise. The attack for this Test could be the greenest one in recent times – three frontline bowlers likely to have played fewer than 15 Tests put together. Sri Lanka are hoping that a batting order that has spent weeks preparing for Rangana Herath and Nuwan Pradeep will be caught off guard by Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando. The young quicks, at least, could not hope for friendlier conditions at home.But the thing about this India side is that they have all bases covered. If they feel this is a surface that will be conducive to seam bowling, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is capable of running through sides in such conditions, becomes a strong contender to play. Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami have also been intermittently menacing even on flat and dry tracks. Spying a pitch that suits them now, they will have their sights set on the kinds of heavy hauls that are rarely accessible to them on the continent.Though there may be temptation to become complacent with the series so handsomely won, there are some statistical records that could spur India to maintain their intensity. They have never whitewashed Sri Lanka at home in a three-Test series. A victory here will also give them five straight wins on the island – all those achieved under Virat Kohli’s captaincy.Form guideSri Lanka LLWLW (completed matches, most recent first)
India WWWDWIn the spotlightHis hundred in the last Test may have been on a dustbowl, but Dimuth Karunaratne has prospered on seaming decks as well. His second-highest Test score of 152 came on a virtual plantation of a surface in Christchurch, against the likes of Tim Southee and Trent Boult. Though he has a modest first-dig record, Pallekele is one of the two venues in which he has scored a first-innings hundred – in 2015, against Pakistan. The most successful Sri Lanka batsman in the year so far, Karunaratne needs to carry his form right until the last innings of the series.No Indian has scored three Test centuries in an away series of three Tests or fewer. Only one has managed that in India. Going by how the series has gone, it might need something special to prevent Cheteshwar Pujara from becoming the first. In Galle, scoring a flawless hundred in perfect batting conditions, Pujara made no bones about his greed for hundreds. He enjoys the difficult ones more, but he will never look away from easier ones. This, against a deflated home side, is a great chance for him to add to his 13 Test tons.Team newsDhananjaya de Silva may retain his place despite two modest outings at the SSC. The attack, however is difficult to pick. Dilruwan Perera will probably play, thanks in no small part to his recent batting form. Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando seem the likeliest quicks. Then the quandary becomes whether to field three seamers and play Dushmantha Chameera, or whether to select Lakshan Sandakan, who bowled well in his only Test at this venue.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (capt.), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 7 Dhananjaya de Silva, 8 Dilruwan Perera, 9 Dushmantha Chameera/ Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Vishwa Fernando, 11 Lahiru Kumara,Virat Kohli will lead a changed XI yet again with Ravindra Jadeja suspended for this Test. Kuldeep Yadav should be a direct replacement for him, but India could look to rest one of the quicks. If the pitch is seam-friendly, three specialist quicks could play, leaving out either the allrounder Hardik Pandya or the second spinner.India (possible): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt.), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 R Ashwin, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 Hardik Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Umesh Yadav, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mohammed ShamiPitch and conditionsPallekele naturally affords quick bowlers a degree of pace and bounce, and the colour of the pitch on the eve of the match suggested there would be seam movement for the first two days as well. This ground is one of the wettest venues on the planet, however, so expect rain to hold up play at some point.Stats and trivia India have eight Test wins in Sri Lanka, which means they are tied with Pakistan for most victories on the island. If they win in Pallekele, five of their nine wins in the country would have come since 2015, and would also have come consecutively. Pujara is the leading run-scorer for 2017, with 843 runs at an average of 76.63. Karunaratne is fourth on that list, with 614 runs at 43.85. The two highest individual scores at Pallekele (Kusal Mendis’ 176 and Younis Khan’s 171*) have come in the second innings. There has not been a drawn Test in Sri Lanka for three years. Each of the 18 most-recent matches have yielded results.

Arsenal are closing in on signing Brazilian playmaker Bitello, with reports claiming the Gunners have submitted an opening proposal for the 23-year-old.

Mikel Arteta has already added Kai Havertz and Declan Rice to his midfield this summer, however, the Spaniard isn’t expected to halt the activity just yet.

What’s the latest on Bitello to Arsenal?

As reported by journalist Rafael Pfeiffer, the north Londoners have made an opening offer to Gremio for Bitello.

The offer is reported to be in the region of €8m (£7m), a fee lower than the expected €10m (£8.6m) valuation by the Brazilian club, as told by Tuttomercatoweb.

Reports in Brazil (as relayed by Sport Witness), first linked the club and player earlier this month.

How good is Bitello?

Deployed primarily in central midfield, the creative-minded sensation has impressed in his home country since his graduation from Gremio’s academy.

In 14 appearances in the Brazilian Serie A, the 23-year-old scored three goals, maintaining an average match rating of 7.09, as per Sofascore.

Once hailed as “unique” by Talent ID expert Ben Mattinson, the midfielder is equally as combative as he is creative, as supported by his numbers.

The Arsenal target won an average of 6.9 total duels per game in the league, while recording an average of 1.9 key passes per game to showcase his ability to dominate the middle channel.

For the Gunners, the capture of Bitello could provide a positive addition to the depth in midfield, while providing a warning sign for those already at the Emirates to up their performance if game time isn’t already guaranteed.

One name that could be alarmed by the Brazilian’s arrival is Fabio Vieira, who has failed to impress since arriving in the capital last summer from Porto.

The fellow central midfielder arrived in north London with the status of a lethal asset in Portugal, registering six goals and 14 assists in his final season in Liga Portugal in just 27 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

Whether it be a slow adaptation period or being a long way from home, the 23-year-old has failed to live up to expectation, being branded as “far too weak” by Sky Sports’ Connor Humm.

Across 22 Premier League appearances, the Portuguese talent scored on one occasion, earning just three starts during his debut campaign, via Sofascore.

The introduction of Bitello could threaten Vieira’s claim to rise up the pecking order, with the Gremio gem's numbers suggesting that he could be a more appropriate fit for the side than the Arsenal man.

While the role of a playmaker steers away from defensive duties, the former Porto whizz has been identified as a weak link in the middle of the park for his inability to protect possession.

As per Sofascore, the 23-year-old averaged just 0.3 tackles and won 0.9 total duels per game last term, highlighting his frailties in getting stuck into the opposition in a league that is identified for its physical demands.

In terms of creativity, the Santa Maria de Feira-born attacker fell short to the Gunners' target in addition to his lack of defensive competence, averaging 0.5 key passes per game in the Premier League.

The potential arrival of Bitello could prove to be negative reading for Vieira, who already has a battle on his hands to worm his way back among those in contention for game time next season.

Arsenal are attempting to aggressively enter negotiations for Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Djibril Sow, according to reports out of Italy.

Who will Arsenal sign?

Mikel Arteta, after sealing a trio of marquee deals already, could surprisingly make even more signings before deadline day as we enter the final phase of this summer transfer window.

Kai Havertz's £65 million deal, combined with a £38 million move for Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice's club-record £105 million transfer from West Ham, take Arsenal's spending north of £200 million.

Reliable media sources also claim that the Gunners are chasing a move for Brentford's David Raya as sporting director Edu looks to provide competition for current number one Aaron Ramsdale.

It's been a memorable last month for Gooners as their club show true ambition in the market, with Arteta seeming particularly thrilled by his side's capture of Rice.

“We’re really happy that Declan is joining us," said Arteta.

"He is a player with tremendous ability, who has been performing at a high level in the Premier League and for England for a number of seasons now. Declan is bringing undoubted quality to the club and he is an exceptional talent who has the potential to be very successful here.

“Declan has great experience in the Premier League at only 24 years old. He has captained a very good West Ham team and as we all saw, he recently lifted a European trophy. The responsibility and role he has taken on has been very impressive and we are really excited that he is joining us.”

Arsenal have also been linked with an ambitious move for Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and according to Calciomercato.it, as translated by Sport Witness, they could look to hijack Lazio's move for Sow from Frankfurt.

The Switzerland international, who featured regularly during their 2022 World Cup campaign in Qatar, is apparently a target for Edu and Arsenal.

It is believed they could "aggressively enter the negotiation" for Sow despite Lazio's advanced talks to sign him.

The 26-year-old was apparently on the verge of joining Maurizio Sarri's side, with a deal even being agreed of around €15 million (£12.8m) plus bonuses, but Arsenal could look to disrupt the transfer with a move of their own.

Sevilla are another side interested in Sow, meaning a possible auction is on the cards, but Lazio aren't giving up and are expected to hold a meeting on how best to proceed.

How good is Djibril Sow?

The midfielder was a near-undroppable for Eintracht last campaign, playing the fifth-highest number of league minutes out of anyone in their squad over 2022/2023 (WhoScored).

Sow started 30 league matches for them, making a further two appearances from the bench, with members of the English media heaping praise on him for some performances.

Sports reporter Sam Smith of The Daily Express, for instance, praised drew attention to Sow's "combative" and "progressive" style of play in late 2022.

"First time properly watching Djibril Sow in this first half & been impressed," wrote Smith.

"Progressive on the ball and combative."

A price in and around the £12.8m mooted is also more-than afforable from Arsenal's perspective, so this could be one to watch out for.

Sir Ian Botham called for the ECB to give greater rewards to counties to offer greater rewards to counties producing first-class players through their academy system after Paul Coughlin rejected Durham’s offer

David Hopps19-Sep-2017Sir Ian Botham has called for the ECB to offer greater rewards to counties producing first-class players through their academy system after Durham’s NatWest Blast captain Paul Coughlin rejected a new contract and opted to join Nottinghamshire.Botham did not rule out support for a football-style transfer system if satisfactory compensation figures could not be agreed.He also lambasted directors of cricket who also serve as England selectors – putting Nottinghamshire, where Mick Newell fulfils such a role, in direct line of fire.Coughlin, a combative allrounder, joins a Nottinghamshire side that has won both limited-overs trophies and is poised to return to the first division of the Specsavers Championship.Durham say they “made a substantial offer to keep his services”, but that he has decided to accept an offer elsewhere.”It was an extremely tough decision to leave Durham, but I am very excited about joining Nottinghamshire and playing at Trent Bridge,” said Coughlin.”It is a fantastic opportunity to continue my development and I look forward to working with Peter Moores and his coaching staff.”Coughlin, born in Sunderland, came through the Durham Academy, making his first-class debut against Australia A in 2012 as a 19-year-old and has since made 29 appearances in that format. He took over as captain of the T20 side this season.Newell, unabashed at Notts’ transfer success, said: “We see Paul as someone who can be influential for us in all forms of cricket and fits the type of cricketer that we want to sign.”He is a dynamic fielder, bowls quickly and is an aggressive batsman – he’s an exciting young player.”From our perspective, he is coming to a club where we have a good coaching team in place who we think can improve him as a player. We want to help Paul be the best cricketer that he can be.”It is another blow for Durham, who suffered heavy points penalties this season as punishment for having to seek a bale-out from the ECB to preserve their Division One status.Coughlin, brought through Durham’s academy system and helped through some severe injury problems, is currently injured with a side injury and won’t feature again for Durham this season.Botham, Durham’s president, said: “Following Paul Coughlin’s decision to leave Durham County Cricket Club, I would like to express my frustration at a number of issues.”Despite offering Paul – a player we have nurtured through our academy system and someone we hold in extremely high regard – a very competitive contract extension, our devoted support during periods of injury, continuous development and leadership opportunities; the player has chosen to leave Durham.”I respect Paul’s right to move clubs and understand that players at certain times in their careers may want to move on.”However, it’s without question that our second division status, points penalties and difficult financial situation has created an opportunity for rival counties and intermediaries to unsettle players with promises of first division cricket, greater England opportunities and immediate financial reward.”It concerns me that the current arrangements within cricket do not reward counties that invest in academies and produce exciting young English players.”Botham promised that Durham would be at the forefront of the fight to win greater financial compensation for counties who produce their own players – and did not rule out support for a transfer system if suitable compensation was not possible.He went on: “The ECB is currently reviewing its partnership agreement with the counties and Durham will be making strong representations to properly reward those that invest in the development of local talent.”They need to introduce a transfer or similar system of compensation, to remove the potential for conflict of interest by preventing serving directors of cricket acting as selectors and to better regulate the behaviour of agents.”Durham receive about £100,000 as a direct grant from the ECB towards the running of their academy which despite stringent cost controls costs about £230,000 a year.As transfers become increasingly common, clubs with a strong commitment to producing players within their own community are increasingly exasperated.Durham’s promotion ambitions were scuppered by a 48-point penalty, although they have put together a decent run of form as the season has gone on.”In the meantime, Durham will devote all of its available resources to putting together a squad of players that are committed to the club and share our ambition to return to the first division and winning trophies,” Botham said.”We are currently negotiating with a number of players, domestic and overseas with a view to returning to the top flight next season.Durham’s academy has been marked as outstanding by the ECB and no fewer than 75% of the 1st XI squads in 2016 were drawn from north-eastern communities.

India have not lost successive home ODIs in a bilateral series since 2013, but will have to come up with an improved performance in Pune to force a decider

The Preview by Nikhil Kalro24-Oct-2017Big PictureNew Zealand rarely go into an away series without a gameplan. When they toured South Africa for a two-Test series last year, they had a discernible strategy: use the bouncer frequently to scuff up the ball to produce reverse-swing earlier than usual. Against India in the Test series in 2016, coach Mike Hesson stressed that their focus was on getting off strike to negate India’s spinners. Both those strategies worked to a degree, but didn’t translate into wins.For this ODI series against India, New Zealand made room for an aggressive middle-order batsman, Colin Munro, to face the new ball, while pushing down a natural opener in Tom Latham to No. 5. The experiment was trialed in a warm-up game, with acceptable results. Free of error, they stuck with that plan in the first ODI in Mumbai. Although scratchy, Munro blunted a potent new-ball attack, and Latham’s technical efficiency – using his feet, the depth of the crease, and cross-batted strokes against spin – produced a match-winning hundred. Australia came into the ODI series with a formulaic plan, and New Zealand a flexible, horses-for-courses blueprint. Which one worked?In the recent past, India have not been in a position where they have needed to win to force a decider. Their personnel did not fail in Mumbai, but were undone by New Zealand. Wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were dealt with with incredible ease, Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar weren’t penetrative, and their batsmen, apart from Virat Kohli, were kept in check. Against a confident team, India may just need to step up their own game a notch.Form guideIndia: LWLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)New Zealand: WLLLWIn the spotlightIn his last 10 ODI innings, Rohit Sharma has hit three fifties and three hundreds. Even in favourable batting conditions, that’s exceptional form. Maybe that made him a little complacent in the first ODI in Mumbai, where his innings of 20 ended with a heave across the line against Trent Boult. Rohit has built his ODI career around stability in the first half of an innings, and could switch back to that template in Pune.Kane Williamson is New Zealand’s best batsman. He may have misread Kuldeep Yadav’s wrong’un in Mumbai, where he sliced a drive to cover, and this could mean a more watchful approach for the rest of the series. He has made only two hundreds in his last 37 ODI innings, but has struck 14 fifties in that period. Improving that conversion rate could just help New Zealand seal the series.Team newsIndia are unlikely to change their XI, but could rejig the batting order, moving Dinesh Karthik up a position to No. 4, after a steady comeback innings in Mumbai.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni(wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Jasprit BumrahNew Zealand, barring fitness issues, have no reason to tinker with their winning combination from the first game.New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Adam Milne, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Tim SoutheePitch and conditionsThe last international match in Pune was a Test that didn’t last three days. The ODI, prior to that, saw 351 chased down by Kohli and Kedar Jadhav. Runs are usually freely available at this ground, especially with short boundaries. There is no chance of rain.Stats and trivia Trent Boult has taken the most wickets in the first 10 overs of ODIs since January 2015 – 30 wickets in 42 innings. The previous instance of India losing successive home ODIs in a bilateral series was back in 2013, against Pakistan. Quotes”We look at it (trailing 1-0) as a big challenge right now. New Zealand compete exceptionally well. It is a bigger challenge for us to come back”
“We were lucky enough to be here last year, so we knew a little bit how India played and watching them against the Australian team, so lot of work was done in terms of spin and playing in the middle”

Manchester United will be hoping to sign a new defender before the summer transfer window slams shut in just three weeks, especially considering they have bolstered other areas of their squad.

Erik ten Hag has lured Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund to Old Trafford so far, yet with Harry Maguire looking likely to sign for West Ham United, could another centre-back be his key priority?

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Frenchman Jean-Clair Todibo has been earmarked as a key target for Ten Hag along with Bayern Munich ace Benjamin Pavard and the Dutchman could have a big decision to make over the next few weeks.

Is Benjamin Pavard joining Manchester United?

Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg provided an update on United’s pursuit of Pavard earlier this week, saying: “Benjamin #Pavard: Concrete talks with @ManUtd at this stage! All parties involved are working on a verbal agreement now.

“Ten Hag is pushing for Pavard as he’s a versatile defender. Pavard wants to leave FC Bayern in August.”

With Pavard clearly looking to depart the Bundesliga giants, a fee of around €30m (£26m) should be enough to convince Bayern to sell before the window slams shut.

What is Benjamin Pavard’s best position?

The defender is perhaps most fondly remembered for playing his part during France’s World Cup glory in Russia five years ago.

His stunning goal against Argentina was voted the goal of the tournament and it turned the tide in their favour to secure an eventual 4-3 victory.

He played at right-back throughout that competition and has done so for the vast majority of times he has represented France. However, last season, he was deployed as a centre-back on a regular basis for his club side and this could be the position for which Ten Hag could utilise him should he join United.

The 27-year-old has registered 28 goal contributions across his club career thus far, clearly enjoying the freedom on the right-hand side of defence as he is able to bomb up and down the wing, yet his performances during 2022/23 at the heart of the defence were excellent.

Over the previous 12 months, Pavard has ranked in the top 6% for tackles per 90 across the big five European leagues, while ranking in the top 10% for progressive passes, progressive carries and touches in the attacking penalty area, combining defensive acumen with a positive attacking threat.

He could certainly form a solid partnership with Lisandro Martinez at the heart of the United defence should he move to the Premier League.

The Argentinian also ranked in the top 6% for tackles per 90 when compared to positional peers across the previous 12 months, while also ranking in the top 5% for blocks per 90, and he could shine alongside Pavard.

Having signed from Ajax last summer, the World Cup winner proved a real revelation for Ten Hag's side at the heart of the defence, with club legend Patrice Evra having hailed the 25-year-old as "one of the best signings" in "years" at the Theatre of Dreams.

With Pavard clearly enjoying getting forward as much as possible, knowing Martinez effectively will cover for him could see Ten Hag deploy the duo as his first-choice centre-back pairing if the Frenchman moves to England.

Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel even heralded him as “underrated”, but given his form since the beginning of last season, the former Stuttgart man has turned into a fine central defender who could improve the Old Trafford side.