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MCC have appointed Guy Lavender as their next chief executive

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2017MCC have appointed Guy Lavender as their next chief executive. Lavender, who has impressed MCC with an impressive army background as well as his success in the chief executive’s role at Somerset, joins MCC in September before taking up the role officially on October 1, no doubt with military precision.The MCC Committee unanimously ratified Lavender’s appointment on Wednesday evening after a recommendation from the nominations committee, overseen by MCC chairman Gerald Corbett, which was charged with finding a successor to Derek Brewer.Lavender has supervised a successful period at Somerset in his six years at the club. The county has become one of English cricket’s hotbeds for T20, has a bouyant membership and came close to winning the Championship for the first time last season only to miss out in a three-way shake-up on the final day.Substantial ground improvements have also led to Somerset staging their first international T20 when South Africa visit Taunton in June. All achieved, it seems, while avoiding the severest financial pressures afflicting many county clubs.Andy Nash, Somerset’s chairman, did not stint on his praise. “Guy has been a huge success as our CEO and leaves the club a rich legacy of ODI and IT20 status, vastly improved facilities, a strong united culture and a business model which has become an acknowledged financial powerhouse and exemplar in the game.Lavender’s military bearing owes much to 18 years in the British Army, with the Parachute Regiment and UK Special Forces, before leaving at 39 as a lieutenant colonel.During his military career, Lavender led operations in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. On leaving the forces, he led South West England’s preparations for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which saw the successful completion of the sailing venue at Weymouth and Portland to budget a year ahead of schedule.He then moved to Cornwall as the Managing Director of Wave Hub, a £42M public sector project based off the north coast in Hayle which successfully installed an offshore test site for companies developing wave energy.Corbett said: “In a competitive field, Guy was the outstanding candidate. He has impeccable leadership credentials, which you would expect of someone who was one of the youngest lieutenant colonels in the British Army. He has a proven track record of project and strategic management and excellent commercial skills and experience.”This is one of the biggest jobs in the cricketing world, and in appointing Guy, we can be confident that MCC will continue to play an important part in the development of the global game.”MCC president, Matthew Fleming, himself a former officer in the Royal Green Jackets, said: “Guy has an immensely high standing in the game, and his success in helping to make Somerset a force on and off the field is clear for all to see.”

Half-centuries from opening batsmen Rob Nicol and Glenn Phillips steered Auckland to a seven-wicket win, chasing 176 in their Super Smash clash against Otago

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Rob Nicol dominated an opening stand of 71 to set up Auckland’s successful chase of 176•Getty Images

Half-centuries from opening batsmen Rob Nicol and Glenn Phillips steered Auckland to a seven-wicket win, as they chased down 176 in their Super Smash clash against Otago. Auckland also benefited from handy cameos by Colin de Grandhomme (30 off 14) and Jeet Raval (21 off 12) as they chased the target with two overs to spare at the University Oval in Dunedin. Otago had put up 175 for 7 after winning the toss, riding on contributions from the middle order.Nicol dominated the opening partnership of of 71, scoring 51 of those himself. He was stumped off Rhys Phillips’ leg spin in the ninth over, having struck three fours and as many sixes in his 36-ball knock. Glenn Phillips then shared partnerships of 51 with Raval for the second wicket and 38 with de Grandhomme for the third. He saw his team through by staying not out on 62 off 44 balls that included five fours and two sixes.Earlier, Otago’s middle order pulled them from 13 for 2 in the second over to 175. Hamish Rutherford, the captain, struck 42 off 27 balls and shared a 36-run fourth-wicket stand with Josh Finnie, who top-scored with an unbeaten 45. A late cameo from Brad Wilson who blitzed 30 off 15 balls gave them a strong finish.Pacers De Grandhomme and Donovan Grobbelaar took two wickets each, while left-arm spinner Ben Horne took one. The win, Auckland’s fifth in nine matches, took them to second place on the points table.

Former Australia batsman Dean Jones said that while he is all for sportsmen being able to say what they want, Glenn Maxwell did not pick the right forum for his comments on Matthew Wade

Daniel Brettig05-Dec-2016

Former Australia batsman Dean Jones believes that Glenn Maxwell needs to find a mentor he can trust in order to make better decisions about what he says and also how he bats.Left out of the Australia ODI team that defeated New Zealand in the first ODI in Sydney on Sunday, Maxwell has been fined and publicly criticised by the coach Darren Lehmann and captain Steven Smith for his frank words about batting behind Victoria captain Matthew Wade in the Bushrangers’ Sheffield Shield line-up.Jones, no stranger to differences with officialdom, including his Australia coach Bob Simpson, stated that Maxwell’s struggles suggested a lack of good advice around him. He paralleled Maxwell with his earlier days when Jones’ father Barney – a stalwart of the Carlton Cricket Club – and Keith Stackpole, the former Australia opening batsman, served as confidantes.”I think he really needs a mentor,” he said while launching at the MCG. “I don’t want my sportsmen to come out of cookie moulds. I want them to have a personality and be able to say what they want, but I don’t think that was the right forum for him to do it. He’s got enough charisma in the way he plays. At the top of his game, he’s in our team, first pick, and I think he’s going to India.”But the fact remains that I think he needs a mentor, whether that be Chris Rogers, or Michael Hussey or Mark Taylor or someone like that, who he could speak to and vent. I often did with Stacky or my dad, get it off your chest and then say ‘okay, this is what we need to do’.”I don’t think you can be successful in international cricket without having someone you can speak honestly and candidly to. He’s a bit of a repeat offender and that’s hurting people. Now, is he worth working for? Yep, I think he is, he’s got a lot to offer. [R] Ashwin hates bowling to him, that’s a fact… but he needs to get some runs.”Jones expressed his surprise at Maxwell’s absence from the team at the SCG, and questioned the wisdom of batting Mitchell Marsh as high as No. 5, above Travis Head. “I would’ve had him in,” he said. “I can’t for the life of me work out how Mitchell Marsh is batting at No. 5, are you telling me Travis Head’s not as good a batsman as [Marsh]? What Travis Head did was terrific, but he still lacks a bit of polish.”Cricket’s economy now affords handsome wages to international cricketers as well as globetrotting Twenty20 specialists. Jones argued that this now meant players could be taking the opportunity to have their own personal coaches and mentors with them on tours around the world, thereby providing greater consistency of advice. That, in turn, could reduce the need for copious numbers of support staff on a tour.”I’m starting to think now, they get paid so much money, are we getting like golf and tennis where I’d have had Stacky in my hip pocket on a contract and flying around wherever I need him?” Jones said. “The money’s there and it’s a tax deduction for the players.”The selectors pick you because they like you as a player. Then, you go to a different coach, a different batting coach… how many coaches do they go through before they play for Australia? You want consistency in people around you to help get you where you want to go and protect you as much as you can. I think it’s going to get that way.”Can I go to Darren Lehmann as coach and say ‘I can’t hit the ball off the square, I’m struggling’, well, do this, go do that. But then, he takes the coach’s hat off, puts the selector’s on and says, ‘can’t pick him because he’s struggling’. Is that the environment we want? It happened with me.”Looking back at Maxwell’s ill-fated attempt to move from Victoria to New South Wales on the eve of the season, Jones said that it was symptomatic of a system where players were encouraged to think the pathway system – also criticised by former Test batsman Paul Sheahan in launching the book – was there purely to develop them. He wondered how much the current generation was encouraged to have a strong sense of affinity with any one team or state.”What type of player do we want coming through our system?” Jones said. “We’re getting a system now where if you don’t play for Victoria, you’ll play for the CA XI, and you’re just creating a pathway for players worrying about themselves instead of worrying about their state cap.”Guys move from the Stars to the Renegades to the Adelaide Strikers, because of a difference in their pay structure. We’re creating that environment to get players thinking that way instead of worrying about the team enough.”

The fourth day of the Rajkot Test ended as it began: with England needing some magic to give them a chance to win the Test

The Report by Sidharth Monga12-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:56

Ganguly: Both batting units have played spin exceptionally

The fourth day of the Rajkot Test ended as it began: with England needing some magic to give them a chance to win the Test. In between it seemed they had hypnotised two main India batsmen into unusual dismissals, but R Ashwin broke the spell with his 11th Test score of 50 or more. Then came a stage where, leading by 49 on first innings with four sessions to go, England seemed like the only side that could lose the Test. By stumps, though, Haseeb Hameed and Alastair Cook had put paid to any such notions, adding 114, to all but rule an England defeat out and leave them with an outside chance of winning on day five.On a day in which so much seemed to have happened, eventually not enough happened off the pitch. However, to put the likely result of draw down to the pitch would be unfair. This match would have looked different had both teams held their catches. Even on the fourth day, England dropped two, taking the match count to nine between the two sides. The first of those proved to be crucial: England had taken two wickets for 12 runs, India were still 176 runs behind and they got a chance to end the sixth-wicket partnership short. Jonny Bairstow, though, dived over a low chance at first slip to reprieve Wriddhiman Saha.Ashwin and Saha went on to add 64, becoming India’s fourth-most prolific association since Saha became a permanent part of India’s Test side late in 2014, and you could feel life going out of the Test momentarily. When Saha finally fell, having messed around with the spinners with cheeky sweeps and a loft for six, India were only 112 behind on a pitch that hadn’t deteriorated as much as an Indian pitch usually does over four days.There was turn, but no natural variation. There was no lateral movement for the quicks, and once again they failed to reverse the ball. There was enough in the surface, though, to make sure batsmen in deficit couldn’t afford to take liberties against disciplined bowlers. Keeping that in mind, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane began the day sedately against Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes. Having seen them off, though, they fell against the run of play to give England a look-in.Rahane saw a ball short from Zafar Ansari, but perhaps it was not short enough, which meant he ended up playing a half-flick and half-pull, missing the line as well. The ball kissed the top of the stumps. Three overs later, Kohli went back deep into the crease to pull a short ball from Adil Rashid. The extra bounce perhaps cramped him, which meant his front foot went back down the line of the stumps, as opposed to wide of them, when he swivelled. He ended up tickling the bottom of leg stump as he finished swivelling. Bairstow noticed the missing bail and appealed.Ajinkya Rahane played a half-flick, half-pull, but missed the ball and was bowled by Zafar Ansari•Associated Press

Ashwin looked just as good as Kohli or Rahane, and he didn’t make any freakish errors. He was hardly ever beaten in the flight against spin. When he moved forward he reached the pitch of the ball thanks to his height. When he went back he did so having picked the shorter length early, and cut handsomely. India might not have a Ben Stokes as their allrounder, but Ashwin is the No. 1 allrounder on ICC ratings for a reason. He brought the temperament of a proper batsman. He didn’t play low-percentage shots even as wickets fell, and farmed the strike with the last man for company, adding 29 runs with Mohammed Shami.That wickets fell was down to Rashid’s earning his captain’s faith and getting extended spells. He drew bounce not out of loose parts of the pitch but through the overspin he imparted. He hit the shoulder of Ravindra Jadeja’s bat and got Umesh Yadav out slogging against the turn. Ashwin and Shami kept them in the field until tea, and India came out buzzing after the break.The buzz ended soon with the pitch not doing much for them. Hameed and Cook looked assured with Hameed taking the attack to the bowlers, lofting Jadeja, who had opened the bowling, for a six over long-off. India’s bowlers have been unplayable on helpful surfaces, but they will have to live with the criticism that on a flatter pitch the visiting side bowled with better plans and discipline. With England bowling you could tell how they were looking to get the batsmen out. If there was a plan to India’s bowling the execution was not spot-on: the seamers bowled loose balls both on line and length, and Amit Mishra continued to struggle for impact in a format where batsmen are not obliged to go after him.Hameed and Cook kept cashing in, the youngster outscoring the veteran, as England reached 70 in 20 overs. India were forced into the defensive in the remaining 17 overs lest they be given about 80 overs to survive on the final day. England didn’t go out of their way looking for runs now. Hameed reached his maiden fifty, in the presence of his family who have roots in Gujarat, with a late cut. By stumps the lead had reached 163, and England were on their way to giving India 70 or so tricky overs to bat out on the final day.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Erik ten Hag remains a huge fan of Frenkie de Jong but a transfer to Manchester United isn't looking likely.

What's the latest on Frenkie de Jong and Man United?

It was probably the biggest saga of last summer's transfer window as the Red Devils tried all they could to land the Dutch midfielder.

In the end, though, De Jong seemed desperate to stay in Barcelona and having just won La Liga, he likely won't regret his decision.

This week, though, those rumours have been dug up again as the 26-year-old has been talking about the past interest.

Indeed, he told Dutch broadcaster NOS (via 90min): "Manchester United already spoke with Barcelona [last summer] despite the fact that I wanted to stay here."

He added: "The club was in a difficult situation. They were able to sell me for a big fee, and they wanted to do this, but I did not want to leave so I stayed."

With De Jong in the news again, Romano provided an update on his current situation at Barcelona going into this summer, with Ten Hag still his biggest fan.

The journalist said on his YouTube channel (4:39): "So this summer he still wants to stay at Barcelona. Frenkie's idea is to stay at Barcelona.

"Let's see how the financial situation will be at Barca. But the idea is to continue together.

“On Man United's side, Erik ten Hag remains a fan, a big fan. Probably the biggest fan of Frenkie de Jong but he also knows that at the moment the player wants to stay at Barca.

"And the only way to change this story is for Barca to force the situation but Xavi wants Frenkie de Jong to stay in the club."

What happened between De Jong and Man United?

Seeing as De Jong has worked with Ten Hag before at Ajax, it's no wonder the manager is a big fan of the midfielder and it feels like it could be a good fit.

However, even though work was genuinely in progress last summer as Barca seemed prepared to sell their man, the 26-year-old didn't want to leave Spain.

And after enjoying a fine season under Xavi – with a 7.14 WhoScored average La Liga match rating (fourth best in the team) – it's not hard to see why the player and manager want to maintain that relationship.

However, as Romano mentions, if Barca are in need of some cash, they may look to force a sale just as they did last summer – after all, he does earn a reported £626k-p/w.

And with Ten Hag no doubt waiting and ready to land his ideal transfer, perhaps it would be unwise to rule this out completely just yet.

ScorecardMarcus Trescothick is within one century of Harold Gimblett•Getty Images

Middlesex will anticipate the final day of four at Taunton and reflect that on such days are Championships won and lost. With Warwickshire getting little change from the bottom club Hampshire, there is a chance to extend their lead at the top, but Somerset’s lead of 203 with four wickets remaining makes victory in the balance. A tense day lies in prospect.When Middlesex took a first-innings lead of 145 and then removed four Somerset wickets before conceding the lead, their hopes must have been high that they could be well on the way to their third win of the season which would be quite an achievement for an attack lacking Toby Roland-Jones, Steven Finn and Tim Murtagh: 76 wickets between them.Instead, they ran aground on both sides of tea against familiar foes as centuries from Marcus Trescothick and Peter Trego lifted Taunton spirits. For 40 overs, as they crashed and carved 181 runs, West Country cricket had a smile on its face again. Middlesex’s stand-in seamers have much to commend them, but they deteriorated under pressure and as a green pitch became firm and true their hold over the match weakened.Here are two fine servants of Somerset cricket: the gentle roll of Trescothick, ambling around the crease with the contentment of a jolly sailor reaching dry land after a satisfying day’s fishing in the Bristol Channel, and the piratical figure of Trego, who is more likely to dock with cutlass and eye patch. They offer fine entertainment, even on a day when a chill wind is whistling around the Quantocks.Trescothick’s 48th first-class century for Somerset takes him second in the county’s all-time list, his innings coming to grief on 124 when James Harris had him caught at the wicket with a delivery of tight line. His latest landmark leaves him just one century behind the great Harold Gimblett, a batsman from five centuries of Quantocks farming stock.

Jayawardene stays on

Mahela Jayawardene will now be available to play in the remaining matches in Somerset’s Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.
Originally the Sri Lankan batsman had only signed for the NatWest T20 Blast campaign but this has now been extended to the 50 over competition.

Trego, the great entertainer, only averages about one hundred a year – destructive 40s and 60s are more his metier – but he played with great certainty and remained 115 not out at the close. To reach his first century of the season, he needed a let-off by John Simpson, the wicketkeeper, on 81, a chance high to his right off James Fuller.Trego said; “It was my 200th game and I never thought I would get to this point. But having been around for such a long time, I have had to make sure that my game has evolved. I needed to dig in for the team and I felt I did that today.”Tres and I have got a great rapport, but a lot of our better partnership[s have been in one day cricket. With Marcus not playing one day games anymore, we don’t often get the chance to bat together. So, yes, it was enjoyable.”Fuller, resuming on 84, had failed to achieve his maiden Championship hundred before lunch, falling nine short when he edged Tim Groenewald to first slip. James Harris fell in identical fashion, their ninth-wicket stand stretched to 162 in 46 overs, and the match in Middlesex’s grasp.Peter Trego shows delight at his century•Getty Images

There was talk of a three-day win as Middlesex, led by three wickets for Harry Podmore, worked through Somerset’s second innings. No batsman likes to lose his middle stump because of a leave alone, but Johann Myburgh could at last reflect that he was beaten by a ball that came back sharply and which he might have felt he could fairly leave on length alone.Chris Rogers – the captain who had risked a greentop, knowing that Somerset would have to have first bat on it – had reason to be doubly frustrated about his duck, guiding Podmore to his former Australian team-mate George Bailey at point. Spin has played a minor role on this pitch, but Ollie Raynor chipped in with the wicket of James Hildreth thanks to a sharp catch at slip from James Franklin.Trescothick, as he has so often, welcomed each new partner with equanimity, a figure of certainty while change happened all around hm. Jim Allenby first provided support until he pulled Podmore to mind-on. Then came Trego and Taunton put its gripes and grievances aside and soaked up the entertainment.

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s

The Preview by Andrew Miller13-Jul-2016Match factsJuly 14-18, 2016
Start time 11am local (1000 GMT)Big PictureHow big do you like your pictures? It took Michelangelo four years, from 1508 to 1512, to paint one of the biggest of the lot, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel – with its depictions of the rise and fall of man, and all that malarky. Well, it’s been six years and counting since Mohammad Amir succumbed to temptation at Lord’s in 2010, and tomorrow, he launches his bid for redemption at the scene of his original sin, with the full backing of a Pakistan team that has rarely seemed more focussed or united than they do at this potentially epochal moment of their history. This is a big picture, all right. One of the biggest that Test cricket could ever have conceived.All eyes will be on Amir, and rightly so, as he marches back out through the Long Room and down the pavilion steps to relaunch his Test career after the highest-profile hiatus imaginable – and memories of that abject August Sunday are sure to be recalled in gory detail as the contest begins to take shape. Nevertheless, the focus of both teams will be very much on the here-and-now – out of respect for the challenge in store, and doubtless for the sanity of the competitors as well.Pakistan have spoken at length about how they intend to close ranks around Amir and block out the “noise” that will surround his return to the fray, but England also have plenty of reasons to treat this occasion as ordinarily as possible. From Jake Ball, inked in for his Test debut at the age of 25, to Gary Ballance – back in the team after a year of exile and introspection – there will be enough emotion doing the rounds without getting caught up in the whys and where-fors in the opposition ranks.Besides, after a low-key start to England’s international summer, in which a rebuilding Sri Lanka team was put firmly in its place across all three formats, there is a distinct sense of occasion surrounding the arrival of Pakistan. They may not have won a Test series in England since 1996, but they have more regenerative properties than the T-3000, and under the leadership of Misbah-ul-Haq, they have gelled into one of the most consistent opponents in the world game.This is, as Misbah acknowledged last week, the ultimate challenge for a team that he has coaxed back to prominence over the past six years. All roads since the ignominy of the 2010 tour have led straight back to where it all began, and the diligence of their preparations – from their training camp in Lahore, to their acclimatisation at the Ageas Bowl, to the discipline of their practice sessions under the focussed eye of the new coach, Mickey Arthur – underlines the sense that they want this shot at redemption more than they have wanted any other challenge in recent times.We are about to find out whether Misbah’s men are ready and able to emulate the great Pakistan teams of the 1980s and 1990s. But, as with their forebears, there’s nothing like an underlying sense of grievance to galvanise one of world sport’s most naturally talented outfits. Whatever the size of the picture, it promises to be a spectacle.Mohammad Amir is ready for his shot at redemption•Getty ImagesForm guideEngland: DWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)

Pakistan: WWDWL
In the spotlightErr … have a guess. Still, if we take it as read that Amir will hog every inch of the limelight in this contest, then the way is clear for his less conspicuous team-mates to thrive in his slip-stream. Not least his fellow left-armer, Wahab Riaz, who proved to be the single most significant difference between the teams in the recent series in the UAE. His searing pace on unforgiving surfaces returned little in the way of eye-catching figures – his best return of 4 for 66 came in the second Test at Dubai, but that included the prime scalps of Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler in a ferocious nine-over spell. No-one in England’s ranks can rival his out-and-out pace.Joe Root’s promotion to No.3 is the most eye-catching statement of intent from an England line-up that has had more than its fair share of top-order wobbles in recent times, but the recall of Gary Ballance at No.5 is the surprise move from the selectors. His technique has been put through the wringer since his glut of failings against New Zealand and Australia last year, but showing a commendable streak of stubbornness of which his captain, Alastair Cook, would no doubt approve, Ballance has resolved not to deconstruct his methods, but simply to apply them better. He returns to the fray with a proven track record, including four Test hundreds and an average of 47.76. He’s done it before, and can do it again.Team newsThe Nottinghamshire debutant, Jake Ball, has been confirmed as James Anderson’s replacement, after Alastair Cook revealed his hand on the eve of the contest – he edges out the Lord’s local, Toby Roland-Jones, for the final spot in the XI. Anderson himself is said by Cook (somewhat euphemistically, you suspect) to be “disappointed” not to be playing. Joe Root steps up to the hot seat at No.3, following Nick Compton’s failure to cement his place against Sri Lanka, while Ballance is back at No. 5, a full year after his last Test appearance on this same ground against Australia. Chris Woakes (illness) and Steven Finn (knee) have come through their respective niggles and will be fit for Thursday morning.England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 James Vince, 5 Gary Ballance, 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Jake Ball, 11 Steven Finn.Pakistan can put forward an imposing and settled line-up, one that will be very familiar to England following their 2-0 loss in the UAE last winter, and one that has been significantly bolstered by the return of You Know Who. With Wahab and Yasir Shah ready to resume their leading roles, Rahat Ali and Imran Khan seem to be in a shoot-out for their fourth bowling slot. Imran might just have the edge, seeing as three left-armers might be overdoing it.Pakistan (probable) 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Shan Masood, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Rahat Ali / Imran Khan, 11 Yasir Shah.Pitch and conditionsStuart Broad has already expressed his fears about the state of the Lord’s wicket – a surface on which no side has yet managed to claim 20 wickets this season. Middlesex’s most recent fixture at Lord’s, against Lancashire two weeks ago, resulted in a mercy killing on the final day; rain washed out the contest with the scores entrenched on a towering 513 v 419 for 5. There is, at present, a green tinge to the surface, and the weather promises to be dry but overcast, which may offer some assistance to the quicks on either side. But Pakistan, with all their experience in the UAE and their traditional pace-and-legspin combination, may fancy their chances if the carry is as slow and low as anticipated.Stats and trivia Pakistan have won three and lost five of their previous 14 Tests at Lord’s – including two crushing defeats on their last tour in 2010. One, of course, came in the aftermath of the spot-fixing saga, but the other – less-well-remembered – contest came earlier that summer, against Australia in the first neutral Test at the venue since 1912. Auspiciously for Pakistan, however, both of their last two wins at the venue came in their most recent series victories in England – in the heyday of Wasim and Waqar in 1992 and 1996. The 1992 victory, by two wickets, was one of the most thrilling in Lord’s illustrious history. At the age of 42 years and 47 days, Misbah-ul-Haq will be playing his first Test in England. With 20 wins in 42 Tests as captain, he is already Pakistan’s most successful captain, ahead of Imran Khan and Javed Miandad (both 14).Stuart Broad, in his 95th Test, needs five more wickets to become the 22nd bowler to take 350 Test wickets.Quotes”Unfortunately Jimmy’s missed out, it gives a great opportunity for Jake, one he’s really looking forward to. He’s had a great year with Notts and looks a fine bowler.”
Alastair Cook confirms that Ball is set to make his Test debut in place of England’s leading wicket-taker.“It’s an advantage if one of the main bowlers is missing. We feel ready. Preparation has been good. Everyone is ready to go.”

Bangladesh’s chief selector Faruque Ahmed has said that he is reluctant to continue in his post if the BCB approves the proposed expansion of the selection committee

Mohammad Isam27-May-2016Bangladesh’s chief selector Faruque Ahmed has said that he is reluctant to continue in his post if the BCB approves the proposed expansion of the selection committee during their next board meeting, which is likely to be held next week.The BCB’s working committee had proposed changes after a meeting on Thursday. According to their recommendation, the new selection panel will consist of four selectors, the national team’s head coach and manager, as well as the chairman of the cricket operations committee, who is likely to head the panel.”I think if this recommendation is passed, it will bring to an end a good system of selection that we have been following for a long time. If this new system is adapted by the board, I won’t stay,” Faruque told Dhaka-based .Faruque also stated that although he hadn’t reached a final decision, he may make a statement soon. When asked why he wanted to resign, Faruque reasoned that the independence of the selection panel will be compromised once the expansion takes place.”Do you think the selection committee will remain an independent body? I will let you know what I decide soon,” Faruque told ESPNcricinfo on Friday.In the existing system, the three selectors pick a squad, which they submit to the cricket operations chairman who then gives it to the BCB president for final approval. The selection process of the playing XI, as per protocol, should include a selector, but it is usually done by the coach and captain. When the squad is selected, more often than not, the coach and captain are asked for their opinions, although they do not have the authority to make a final decision.Faruque had signed a two-year contract in December 2013, and for the last five months, he and the rest of the selection panel had been running on extended contracts. Faruque, Minhajul Abedin and Habibul Bashar, the three incumbent selectors, are likely to have their contracts extended and joined by a new selector. The head coach and manager will give their inputs after the selectors pick the team, while the operations chairman will be expected to “plan and provide guidelines to selectors on how to do their duty and scout new talent”. The committee also recommended that the new structure should be in place for at least one year.Enayet Hossain Siraj, the chairman of the working committee, said that the new structure was recommended for better coordination between the national team management and the selectors. “The current selection panel’s contract has already expired and that is why the board asked us to give a recommendation regarding the new panel,” he said.”We realised that there were some problems in understanding and there was a communication gap between the national team management and the selectors. We have proposed a new structure to bring harmony. As the team management ultimately picks the playing XI, they must also have their say in selecting the main team.”Over the last two years, there have been instances of discord between the team management and selection panel. In February 2014, the then captain Mushfiqur Rahim had criticised Faruque for not consulting him before picking the Asia Cup squad.Bangladesh’s 2015 World Cup squad announcement was delayed by two hours because the board’s higher-ups wanted to “discuss” the make-up of the squad with the selection committee. Three days later, coach Chandika Hathurusingha said that he wanted a legspinner, Jubair Hossain, in the World Cup squad. Earlier this year, Faruque had welcomed discussions at the BCB that Hathurusingha be added to the selection panel.

Referee Simon Hooper and his VAR team may have made a big mistake as they missed a perhaps clear handball from Harry Maguire in the most recent Manchester United game.

What's the latest on VAR and Man Utd?

On the face of it, it seems as though the Red Devils cruised to a pretty standard 2-0 win against Nottingham Forest on the weekend.

Indeed, the Sunday afternoon fixture was ultimately decided thanks to goals from Antony and Diogo Dalot, handing Man United a key three points inside the Premier League as they look to finish inside the top four.

However, Erik ten Hag's men did have to ride their luck early on. Indeed, when the score was still 0-0, Forest had a huge penalty shout questionably turned down.

As this image shows, when jumping to win the ball inside his own box, Maguire gets himself in a complete mess and the ball bounces off his arm.

Was it a handball from Harry Maguire?

It's easy to see why referee Hooper might not have spotted the possible offence live. After all, there are plenty of bodies in the box, making it hard to see quite just what is going on.

However, this is why we have VAR. With that in mind, it's quite baffling that the technology was not able to spot the incident and then at least ask the referee to review it on the pitch-side monitor.

Judging from the picture above, had Hooper been given another opportunity to review the incident, it's hard to see him not awarding Forest a penalty.

To make things worse, Maguire was already on a yellow card and so this could have changed the trajectory of the game even more, had he then been sent off for a second bookable offence.

When talking to BBC Sport after the game, Forest manager Cooper certainly seemed to think this should have been the case.

Indeed, he fumed, saying: "I definitely think it was a penalty, and then a second yellow.

"I do not know how VAR did not spot it, at this level they should be doing better."

With Nottingham Forest battling down at the very bottom of the Premier League, this could be a pivotal moment in their season.

Indeed, they now sit 18th on the table, only 27 points with just seven games left to save themselves from relegation back down into the Championship.

Journalist Craig Hope has claimed that Newcastle United could be set for some vital sponsorship deals if they can secure Champions League football.

What's the latest on Newcastle United?

Ever since the Magpies' high-profile takeover by the Saudi-led consortium back in October 2021, the club have seemingly been on the rise.

Indeed, the Mike Ashley era ended with Steve Bruce in the midst of a relegation battle, but since then new boss Eddie Howe has made Newcastle genuine contenders for a top-four finish.

This was evident on the weekend in the Premier League against rivals Manchester United, as the home team claimed an impressive 2-0 win at St James' Park.

Consequently, Newcastle leapfrogged their opponent and now sit third in the league with just 11 games left to play in the remainder of the season.

While talking on his own YouTube channel, Hope outlined just how important it is to the club to finish inside the top four as it could help "put a zero on the end" of some key financial deals in the near future.

He said (8:49): “Now with the position they've put themselves in with 11 matches of the season remaining, that top four has to be an absolute must.

"And would it be too soon? Well, not for me. You know, I've said this before, that this club for where it wants to go cannot move quickly enough.

“And if you secure Champions League football, that may just allow you to put a zero on the end of some of those sponsorship deals and, and accelerate the journey you’re on.”

Why do Newcastle need sponsorship?

While it's well understood that Newcastle's current owners aren't exactly strapped for cash, they can't just invest all of their own money with no limits.

Indeed, as seen with the current Financial Fair Play allegations made against Everton and Manchester City, Premier League clubs have to operate in a sustainable manner and raise enough of their own revenue to fund things such as exciting new transfers.

This means new sponsorship will be extremely useful for Newcastle in the near future as they look to establish themselves as one of England's best-performing clubs once more.

And so, if Howe and co can cling onto a Champions League spot by the end of the season, it will naturally be much easier to attract some high-profile deals with potential sponsors – thus, potentially accelerating the club's journey to the top.