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New Zealand Cricket has released its 114th annual report in which it announced a profit of $2.905 million before distributions to major and district associations

Cricinfo staff05-Sep-2008
Justin Vaughan: ‘There have been strong indications we are progressing successfully towards achieving these strategic objectives’ © Getty Images
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has released its 114th annual report in which it announced a profit of $2.905 million before distributions to major and district associations.Distributions to major and district Associations of $10.492m, including player back pays of $1.2m, resulted in a loss of $7.586m in the 2007-08 financial year. This compares with a budgeted loss after distributions of $3.03m, excluding the player payment adjustments.”The 2007-08 financial year was the second of the current four-year cycle. NZC operates on a four-year cycle due to variations in revenue over the four-year period arising from ICC events such as the World Cup and inbound tours from the likes of England and India,” NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said. “Overall for the four years ending May 31, 2010, NZC is forecasting a surplus result.”During the past financial year we reached some important milestones in our efforts to drive New Zealand Cricket and the sport of cricket to new heights, including entering into an international broadcasting rights agreement with Sony Entertainment Television and amended our Master Agreement with contracted players to greatly increase their incomes.Vaughan said: “Our 2007-2011 Strategic Plan was launched in the past year and outlined the strategic objectives the organisation is aiming for.”There have been strong indications we are progressing successfully towards achieving these. As well as financial achievements over the past year we also registered significant success in our high performing teams as well as grass-roots development, where for the first time we had over 100,000 registered participants.”

Leicester City are reportedly plotting a big-money move for Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio as manager Brendan Rodgers looks to add further reinforcements to his first-team squad.

What’s the story?

According to reports from Spain, the Foxes are amongst three Premier League clubs to have made an offer for the highly-rated 25-year-old this summer.

The report claims that Leeds United and Everton are also interested in securing Asensio’s signature ahead of the upcoming campaign, meaning director of football Jon Rudkin may have to move quickly in order to secure his transfer target.

Fans will be buzzing

This update on the Spain international’s future states that new Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti is keen to offload the creative talent and will place his faith in alternative options next season.

It alleges that: “The Italian coach does not trust the current performance of the Spanish winger and would be willing to use players like Takefusa Kubo and Rodrygo Goes, who are the future of Real Madrid.”

As a result, it appears as though Asensio’s time at the Bernabeu may be coming to an end, presenting several English sides with the opportunity to pick up a promising attacking talent.

The £31.5m-rated magician has won two Champions League crowns, two La Liga titles and three FIFA Club World Cups since arriving in the Spanish capital and established himself as one of Europe’s most promising youngsters in the early stages of his career.

However, a ruptured cruciate ligament last year stunted Asensio’s progression, limiting him to just 10 appearances throughout the 2019/20 campaign.

He did make a solid return to action last term, scoring seven goals and providing two assists in 48 appearances. And at just 25, he still has plenty of time to rediscover his best form and fulfil his potential.

With Cengiz Under’s disappointing 12-month loan spell failing to result in a permanent move to the King Power Stadium, Marc Albrighton is currently the only right-winger on Leicester’s books.

Therefore, news that the FA Cup holders are interested in signing Asensio will surely leave the club’s supporters buzzing.

The versatile forward would add further strength in depth in the Foxes’ final third, bolstering the Midlands outfit ahead of another push for a top-four finish.

And, in other news…LCFC receive boost in pursuit of £22.5m-rated “big prospect”, Rodgers would love him 

The London Evening Standard’s West Ham United reporter, Jack Rosser, believes that the club are aiming to strengthen in two key areas this summer, after a deal for Alphonse Areola was confirmed.

The Hammers have made just one permanent signing in this transfer window, bringing in Craig Dawson on a permanent deal after his initial loan arrival from Watford.

In terms of new signings, one has to feel that the Hammers need new blood, especially given the fact that they will be playing Europa League football this term.

A lack of movement may set alarm bells ringing amongst supporters and Rosser thinks that there are two key positions that the Irons are hopeful of strengthening: central midfield and up front.

Indeed, there is a lack of depth in both areas, with Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek the clear first-choice partnership in midfield, and Mark Noble the main back-up, while Michail Antonio is their only senior striker.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Rosser said: “Left back is not quite the top priority but it’s somewhere, if they had the money, which this summer for most clubs is quite a big if, then they would look to do something. However, striker and central midfield are the areas they want to get sorted above anything else.”

Sunil Gavaskar believes India and Australia are risking overkill by scheduling too many series with not enough time in between

Cricinfo staff28-Sep-2008
Ricky Ponting’s Australian team will aim to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India eight months after they defended it successfully at home © Getty Images
Sunil Gavaskar believes India and Australia are risking overkill by scheduling too many series with not enough time in between. Australia won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home in January and nine months on, the prize will be up for grabs again in a four-Test series in India.In the build-up to the series players from both sides have said the challenging contest matches or even outdoes the traditional rivalries of India v Pakistan and Australia v England. However, Gavaskar felt there should have been a longer gap between the tours.”But for the fact that it was such an enthralling series last time around, it made little sense for the two teams to be confronting each other so soon and in the same year,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for the . “Too much of a good thing will even have the public fed up. If one team had been thrashed then the public would not have been too interested in the series, even if it was at a different venue.”Pakistan’s visit for Test and ODI series in India last year didn’t evoke as much enthusiasm among fans compared to previous series, largely attributed to an overdose of matches between the neighbours. Gavaskar said the scheduling of the Ashes was perhaps the ideal that could be followed, as it gave sufficient time for teams to regroup.”The other example in favour of having a reasonable gap between series is the Ashes clash in 2006-07, when Australia smarting from the unexpected loss of the Ashes in 2005, came back with a vengeance and swamped England 5-0 in the series. Now with Kevin Pietersen leading a seemingly rejuvenated England side, the Ashes series next year in England could be well worth watching.”We have seen in the past how England have beaten West Indies in the Caribbean [in 2003-04], and within a couple of months the calypso crusaders [West Indies] were in England and got beaten again, simply because the interim period of a couple of months did not allow them to add anything new to their squad.”Australia visited India this time last year for a seven-ODI series, and another one-day campaign is due next year. Prior to India’s tour of Australia earlier this year, the previous two Test series between the nations were also played within the span of a year, with eight Tests from December 2003 to November 2004.The two boards are even keen to schedule regular games between their second-string players. Australia A visited India this month, playing two three-day games against their Indian counterparts, and won the subsequent triangular one-day series, which also involved New Zealand A.

Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, will lead the Stanford Superstars in the Stanford Super Series

Cricinfo staff10-Oct-2008
Chris Gayle will head the Stanford Superstars’ quest for the richest prize in cricket © PA Photos
Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, will lead the Stanford Superstars in the Stanford Super Series, which includes the US$20 million match against England on November 1 in Antigua. Sylvester Joseph, the Antigua and Barbuda captain, will be Gayle’s deputy as the Superstars vie for the richest prize in cricket.”Our selection panel gave much thought to this selection and deliberated extensively and there was consensus that Chris is the man for the job,” Viv Richards, the chairman of the Superstars’ selection panel, said. “He’s an experienced international cricketer, possesses a cool head and is the best man for the job in this all important match.”Additionally the selection of Joseph who has been touted as one of the better leaders in the region pays compliments to Chris’ leadership and it is also good to have a new and refreshing face in the deputy position.”Gayle has led West Indies in five Tests, 19 ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals. He is also the only batsman to score a century in a Twenty20 international – against South Africa in the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 last year. Joseph has played five Tests and 13 ODIs, but last represented West Indies during the tour of England in 2007.Allrounder Dwayne Bravo, who has been vice-captain to Gayle in recent internationals, will miss the game after he underwent an ankle injury. The 17-man squad also includes two of West Indies’ most experienced players in Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan.The clash between the Stanford Superstars and England is the first of five annual matches, with a total prize of US$100m. The prize money will be shared as follows: $1m each for players on the winning team, $1m to be shared between the reserve players and $1m between the support staff. The West Indies and England boards would each receive $3.5m.The Superstars will play two warm-up games during the Stanford Super Series, on October 25 and 30, before facing England.Stanford Superstars squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Sylvester Joseph, Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Lennox Cush, Travis Dowlin, Rayad Emrit, Andre Fletcher, Chad Hampson, Lindon James (wk), Dave Mohammed, Kieron Pollard, Daren Powell, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor.

Liverpool have suffered a potentially significant blow in their pursuit of Lille midfielder Renato Sanches.

What’s the story?

The Reds have been linked with a move for the highly-rated 23-year-old throughout the summer as manager Jurgen Klopp continues to search for Gini Wijnaldum’s successor.

However, according to French outlet Le10 Sport, La Liga giants Barcelona have now agreed personal terms with Sanches but have yet to agree a fee with Lille, so Liverpool will need to act quickly if they’re serious about signing the Portugal international.

Jurgen Klopp will be gutted

Following Wijnaldum’s decision to depart Anfield following five successful seasons on Merseyside, several central midfielders have reportedly caught the eye of the 19-time English champions. Liverpool have also been credited with an interest in the likes of Saul Niguez and Nicolo Barella, but news of Barcelona’s move for Sanches will surely leave Klopp feeling gutted.

After a hugely disappointing loan spell with Swansea City during the 2017/18 campaign, the box-to-box dynamo has rebuilt his career with Les Dogues over the last couple of years.

Sanches made 23 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille last term, playing a big part in their outstanding run to the title, and his contribution to their success saw the £27m-rated gem described as a “machine” by Lille’s official Twitter feed in April.

Wijnaldum’s unique blend of technical ability, tactical understanding and physical prowess makes the Dutch international an extremely hard man to replace, but Sanches has the assets to do just that.

Over the last year, the youngster made 6.65 progressive passes, 7.75 progressive carries and 2.54 completed dribbles per game, as per fbref.com, highlighting his influence and impressive performances with the reigning French champions, whilst he also played very well for Portugal at Euro 2020.

Therefore, this latest revelation regarding Sanches’ future may leave Klopp very frustrated as the new campaign fast approaches.

With Barca’s finances in a desperate and dire state, it remains to be seen whether they can stump up the funds required to prise Sanches away from the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, but Liverpool supporters may be left deflated that personal terms with the Catalan club have already been agreed. That will no doubt lessen the Reds’ chances of landing the 23-year-old.

In other news… Sky Sports reveal intriguing transfer update which will excite Liverpool fans 

Burnley are struggling to close out a deal for reported Crystal Palace transfer target Ademola Lookman as the start of the Premier League season draws ever closer, according to The Sun.

In a productive 2020/21 campaign, the 23-year-old registered eight goal contributions in 34 Premier League fixtures, with four goals and four assists during his loan spell at Fulham [Transfermarkt].

However, his future now seems to be up in the air following recent developments. Amid loan interest from Burnley, Lookman is said to be unsure about penning a deal at Turf Moor going into the new campaign [The Sun].

Crystal Palace have also been linked with a loan move for the former England under-21 international, who is currently on the books of RB Leipzig, wile Burnley have reportedly turned their attention to Lyon’s Maxwell Cornet.

Taking plenty of encouragement from recent events, loads of Crystal Palace fans took to Twitter to voice their opinions on the current state of play regarding Lookman.

Crystal Palace fans react:

Replying to popular Crystal Palace fan outlet PALACE XTRA on Twitter, here is what some fans had to say about the situation:

“Another one who prefers a move to SE25”

Credit: @Jamseyandrew”Would be a good addition”Credit: @Daveanglia07921″PLEASE”Credit: @JoelGray_”please I begggg”Credit: @CPFCWiII”he’s unsure cos he knows going to Burnley will destroy his career lol, Burnley literally offer him nothing for his future, if we are not interested in him we should be going for him because he is one of the best options we can go for with 6 days left for the new season to begin”Credit: @turkishcpfc”You just know he’s praying that Palace come in”Credit: @cpfcamesIn other news, many Crystal Palace fans lap up this backroom update.

Peter Moores said doubts persisted among England’s players over whether they were playing for the money or for the country

Cricinfo staff03-Nov-2008
Peter Moores: “Is it for England? Is it for money? You’ve got to be very clear as a team and as an individual, and I think we weren’t as clear as we could have been.” © Getty Images
As England lick their wounds and cut back on their Christmas spending after being humiliated in Saturday’s Stanford 20/20 for 20, coach Peter Moores said that his players had “learned a very expensive lesson”.”The players were trying to get in their heads what the game was all about,” he said after the match. “I think that until the game had actually been played, the guys didn’t get into their heads exactly what the tournament has been about. I don’t know if we were absolutely as clear as we could have been”.The players, Moores said, were in doubt over the purpose of the match. “Is it for England? Is it for money? In international top-flight sport you can’t afford to have any grey areas. You’ve got to be very clear as a team and as an individual, and I think we weren’t as clear as we could have been.”Was it okay to say the match was about money or not about money? Every time you play for England it is about playing for England, but those questions were in people’s minds during the week. They had to square it off in their heads. All credit to the lads for that, what they wanted to do was keep their integrity. They didn’t want to be portrayed as not playing for their country but for the cash.”He was also concerned about how the result might affect England’s assignments during winter. “We were playing against a very hungry, disciplined side. And we got nailed. That’s what hurts, we got nailed in an international match. What we didn’t want to compromise at all was our preparation for the winter. It’s been a bit of both, because we’re going to India for a massive series and we’ve been concentrating on getting right for that as well.”However, Moores was optimistic about the chances next time around at the Stanford Super Series. ” I think we will be stronger and wiser for it. Yeah, honestly I think we will. I think we will know what this is about.”But he acknowledged there would be a rethink about whether it would be an England team that took the field for the next Stanford outing or, as mooted, and ECB XI. “It’s going to be reviewed,” he said. “If a change helps people get their heads around why we’re here, fine.”

With less than two weeks to go, Tottenham Hotspur are by no means finished in the transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to renowned Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, who was speaking on Sky Sports News on Monday morning, the North London outfit are targeting another three signings at least.

Spurs have already signed the likes of Atalanta duo Pierluigi Gollini and Cristian Romero, and Bryan Gil from Sevilla, but they appear to be targeting further additions before the end of the month.

He said (via a clip sourced by Football Daily):

“First of all, Fabio Paratici always works like this. He’s used to working on loads of different players for the same position, so for Tottenham fans, they should get used to this kind of work from Fabio Paratici.

“Now he’s going for another centre-back. He wants another centre-back for Tottenham. We will see if it’ll be Nikola Milenkovic from Fiorentina – also West Ham are interested in him – or a different player but he could be one of the candidates, one of the options at centre-back for Tottenham.

“They are also looking for a midfielder. They have had contact with Cagliari for Nahitan Nandez. A Uruguayan midfielder who’s an interesting player. Inter wanted him before signing Denzel Dumfries from PSV Eindhoven.

“And [they are] also [in] for a back-up striker if Harry Kane will stay because they are looking for this kind of solution or a replacement, of course, if Harry Kane will leave the club. Keep an eye on Dusan Vlahovic, the striker of Fiorentina. Atletico Madrid want him but they have no agreement with Fiorentina or the player. Tottenham are still keen on him. Fiorentina want around €70m, so it won’t be easy.”

Paratici wants more!

Spurs kickstarted the new Premier League season in the perfect way, getting the Nuno Santo era off to the perfect start with a 1-0 victory over defending champions Manchester City on Sunday afternoon.

Of all the new arrivals, only Romero featured as he came off the bench in the final minute of regular time to make his debut.

It’s understandable that the Portuguese did not throw the Argentine straight in the deep end as he had only just returned from an injury he picked up during the Copa America final.

Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier were selected instead. However, despite their clean sheet and impressive performances, they were two players who were key to their defensive problems last season.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title= “Read the latest Spurs team and injury news, transfer rumours, gossip and much, much more!”]

Individual mistakes not only led to Spurs recording the worst defensive record of any of the ‘big six’ but the aforementioned duo were deemed to be “one of the worst partnerships in the Premier League” by ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara on talkSPORT.

That’s why they need yet another centre-back addition, so it’s hugely encouraging news that it’s a clear aim for Paratici.

What makes this latest development even more exciting is that he’s after a midfielder and striker to bolster Nuno’s squad depth. Players like Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks are pretty poor backups and were both mooted with an exit throughout the off-season.

Meanwhile, this ongoing Kane saga is certainly going to go down to the wire, so the Lilywhites need to plan for all eventualities. Currently he has no backup, with last season’s loan alternative Carlos Vinicius back at Benfica.

Similarly, if Kane does join Manchester City, it would leave Nuno with no striker. On Sunday, he opted for Heung-min Son in attack. He scored the winning goal but again, if he’s to be a striker, then he will also need a backup.

Therefore, as the transfer window draws to a close, the Spurs faithful will surely be buoyed by Romano’s fresh update on Spurs’ likely transfer plans. A perfect start to the season could be matched by some more phenomenal work by Paratici.

Only time will tell if Spurs can make it a super six of new signings.

AND in other news, Forget Son: £18m-rated “nightmare” was Spurs’ unsung hero in shock Man City win…

Barbados, Guyana and St Lucia are the three Caribbean countries to have been nominated to stage the matches of the World Twenty in 2010

Cricinfo staff04-Dec-2008
The Kensington Oval in Barbados is likely to host the final of the 2010 World Twenty20 © Arup Associates & Christian Richters
Barbados, Guyana and St Lucia are the three Caribbean countries nominated by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to stage the World Twenty20 in 2010. The board has also proposed St Kitts & Nevis as the hosts of the women’s championship, to be played simultaneously.The Kensington Oval in Bridgetown has been nominated to host the final while the Beausejour Stadium in Gros Islet and the Guyana National Stadium in Providence were nominated to stage the semi-finals.The ICC board will take up the recommendations of the WICB and finalise the venues after its quarterly meeting, starting January 31 in Perth. reported that a team from the ICC will inspect the proposed venues next week. The team will visit St Lucia on Monday before travelling to St Kitts & Nevis, Guyana and Barbados in a four-day trip.West Indies were due to host the Champions Trophy in 2010 but the postponement of the 2008 event in Pakistan until next year means the same tournament would have been held twice within nine months.