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BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed that the board had decided to hold the Ranji Trophy in two phases, split by the IPL. The first phase, in February-March, will have all league matches, while the knockout games will be held in June.Earlier, the tournament was scheduled to start on January 13 but had to be postponed indefinitely because of rising Covid-19 cases in the country.”The board has decided to conduct the Ranji Trophy this season in two phases. In the first phase, we plan to complete all matches of the league stage while the knockouts will be held in June,” Shah said on Friday. “My team is working closely to mitigate any kind of health risk caused by the pandemic, while at the same time ensuring a highly competitive red-ball cricket contest. The Ranji Trophy is our most prestigious domestic competition, which has been providing Indian cricket with an enviable talent pool every year. It is absolutely important that we take all necessary steps to safeguard the interest of this premier event.”Related

• Ranji Trophy league phase likely to take place from February 16 to March 5

• BCCI disburses longstanding Covid compensation for domestic players

• Ranji Trophy, CK Nayudu Trophy, women's T20 league postponed

• IPL 2022 likely to start from March 27

In a letter to state associations, Shah further said that “the decks have been cleared” and the BCCI was all set to conduct the Ranji Trophy. Shah also said that recovery rates from the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic were encouraging, but the BCCI would continue to have biosecure bubbles for the tournament to mitigate any risks.”Ever since the decision on postponement was made, the board was working on several models to ensure that the tournament takes place as soon as the environment is safe and conducive,” Shah wrote. “We will continue to have biosecure bubbles to mitigate any potential risk. The board is committed to providing a healthy and secure environment and seeks your support in ensuring a safe tournament for all our key stakeholders.”He also said that the grouping, structure and venues for the Ranji Trophy would be conveyed soon to state associations.Shah’s confirmation comes a day after BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal had indicated that the board intended to hold the Ranji Trophy 2021-22 in two phases.With the BCCI planning to start the IPL from March 27, it is practically impossible to hold the Ranji Trophy in one go, but after requests from many state units, the brass had held a meeting to discuss the way forward.”We are exploring the possibility of staging Ranji Trophy, cases were going up when it was postponed, now they seem to be coming down,” Dhumal told PTI after the meeting. “The operations team is working on whether we can do the league stage next month and complete the rest of the tournament later [post IPL].”The operations team will work out the logistics and factor in the weather, venue availability as well as availability of players. We are very keen to organise the tournament and that is why we are exploring all possibilities to stage it without compromising players’ safety.”The meeting was also attended by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and Shah.

Our cricket will be spineless without Ranji Trophy – Shastri

Meanwhile, former India coach Ravi Shastri came out strongly in support of holding the Ranji Trophy, saying it formed the backbone of Indian cricket, which would be left spineless if the competition did not take place. The pandemic played spoilsport last season as the BCCI only held the two men’s white-ball tournaments – Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.The BCCI paid 50% of the earlier match fees as compensation to all first-class cricketers who have endured financial losses.If it is not held this year, it will severely affect the BCCI’s pathways cricket like India A team, which is primarily selected on the basis of Ranji Trophy performance.

Last week, Newcastle United reminded the Premier League of their quality, defeating Arsenal in the top flight at St. James’ Park after knocking Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup.

Newcastle are capable of achieving big things, thank you very much. Oh, sure, it hasn’t been the most fluent start to the season, but Eddie Howe’s side have had to turn themselves back to the limelight after falling by the wayside thanks to injuries last year.

Compounding the matter, the summer transfer window left plenty to be desired. Nonetheless, things might just be coming together, though tomorrow’s trip to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League will be quite the test.

The division’s surprise package this term, Forest are third in the table after ten matches, having lost just once and conceded only seven goals (table toppers Liverpool are the only team with a firmer defence, having shipped six).

Without question, it’s going to be a difficult one, but Newcastle have what it takes to secure victory and gain a foothold in the top half of the table.

Newcastle team news

Newcastle have actually played Forest already this season, defeating the Tricky Trees on penalties in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

This will be a different test and one that Howe will have to juggle deftly on the fitness front. Although Jacob Murphy is expected to play a part after recovering from injury, experienced duo Callum Wilson and Keiran Trippier remain sidelined and Sven Botman continues his rehabilitation from a long-term knee injury last season.

On the whole, though, Newcastle have a healthy crop right now, with no fresh concerns to report. Newcastle have hit a winning formula in recent games and must channel that toward beating Forest, and, crucially, stopping Chris Wood.

The enigma of Chris Wood

Wood flopped like a fish hauled from water in black and white, proving to be one of the worst signings of the Howe era so far. Newcastle signed Burnley’s star striker for a £25m fee in January 2022, with the New Zealand international a tried-and-tested Premier League ace.

However, his time on Tyneside was nightmarish and unsatisfactory for all parties as he scored just five times in 39 games. At least, in hindsight, Newcastle were able to recoup £15m when he moved to Nottingham Forest.

Under Nuno Espirito Santo, Wood has been an utter machine at the front of the ship, performing with unfiltered potency and proving to be one of the most clinical centre-forwards in the division.

Premier League 24/25: Top Goalscorers

Rank

Player

Apps

Goals

1.

Erling Haaland

10

11

2.

Chris Wood

10

8

2=

Bryan Mbeumo

10

8

4.

Cole Palmer

10

7

4=

Mohamed Salah

10

7

Stats via Premier League

The Magpies have felt the goalscoring prowess of their former player keenly since his departure, with Wood dispatching a hat-trick against Newcastle at St. James’ Park last season to condemn Howe’s injury-riddled outfit to a chastening league loss on Boxing Day.

Stopping him will be crucial today, stemming Forest’s attacking flow and allowing the likes of Anthony Gordon and the in-form Alexander Isak to wreak havoc and silence the City Ground.

Newcastle need to win, having stuttered through the campaign so far. Beating Arsenal last time out will have raised confidence levels, but now, away from home in a veritable lion’s den, a tweak or two might need to be made. Sandro Tonali must be unleashed.

Sandro Tonali could be crucial

Sean Longstaff’s industriousness has seen him play an important part at St. James’ Park over the past several years, serving as a counterpoint of sorts to, typically, Brazilian dynamos Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.

Forest will perform with a strong defensive base and will look to hurt Newcastle through fast counter-attacking football – they have recorded a 42% possession average in the Premier League this season, ranking them 18th.

Ball retention hardly represents success, something that Espirito Santo’s side are showcasing. Even so, Howe has a sharp tactical mind and he will know that correctly applied pressure and dominance on the ball could have a strong effect on the game’s narrative.

As such, Tonali should be unleashed from the outset, in place of that man Longstaff. The Italian has struggled to claim a regular starting berth since returning to action last month but would add a layer of technique and composure that might bear dividends besides Joelinton – or Joe Willock – and Guimaraes.

Hailed for his “incredibly gifted” skill set by Italian coach Roberto Mancini, Tonali’s debut season at Newcastle was cut short after a lengthy suspension was imposed on him last October for betting breaches.

Now back in action, Tonali could be crucial against Forest. Howe will be reluctant to tamper with a winning formula but one artfully-placed switch in the engine room would enhance the possession that his side will have, and, more importantly, how this is wielded.

Tonali ranked among the top 6% of Serie A midfielders with AC Milan in 2022/23 for assists and the top 18% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref, which emphasises that intelligent usage of possession, elegantly directing toward the final third, where Isak and the like could feast.

The maestro has also won 56% of his ground battles in the league this term, as per Sofascore, which marks an improvement on last year’s short-lived efforts, recording a 46% success rate.

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Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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When considering these facets, it’s clear that he might be a weapon worth wielding tomorrow, for Guimaraes’ elegant passing and Willock’s ceaseless running could work in combination with Tonali’s dynamic style, allowing for total control in the centre of the park, muffling Morgan Gibbs-White’s impact and, consequently, silencing and isolating Wood.

It’s going to be a tough test, for sure, but Newcastle have plenty of quality and have recently hit the rich vein of form that has stopped Chelsea and Arsenal. Now, Forest must be hacked and toppled.

Related The next Lewis Miley: Howe has a "huge prospect" brewing at Newcastle

Howe could find the next version of Lewis Miley in Newcastle’s “huge prospect”.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 8, 2024

Yorkshire chairman welcomes ‘courage’ of Adil Rashid as he speaks out on claims

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2021Lord Patel, Yorkshire’s chairman, says that he welcomes the opportunity for the club to be held to account in a parliamentary select committee hearing this week, after acknowledging that the investigation into Azeem Rafiq’s claims of institutional racism was “flawed”.The hearings are due to take place in Westminster on Tuesday from 9am, and though Patel himself will not be giving evidence, his precedessor Roger Hutton will be one of three past or present club administrators to do so – along with Mark Arthur, the former chief executive, and Wayne Morton, the Director of Medical Services, standing in for Martyn Moxon, the Director of Cricket, who has been signed off work due to a stress-related illness.Rafiq himself is also due to make his first in-person comments on the case, having last week been awarded substantial damages, and offered an apology from Patel on behalf of Yorkshire, at the conclusion of his long-running employment tribunal.”We welcome the formal meeting of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on sport governance,” Patel said in a statement issued by Yorkshire. “I will be listening to the session with great interest to help us understand the past and address the many challenges which have come to light.”It is right that the issues which were initially brought up by Azeem Rafiq, and the way in which they were handled, are properly examined by the Committee. We have provided the Committee with a copy of the full report, given its legal interest in the case.”It is clear that we have handled this issue badly and the investigation was flawed. Azeem giving evidence is an important moment and, as a whistleblower, he should be praised for speaking up. I have said from the outset that we need to listen and to learn in order to create urgent change at Yorkshire Country Cricket Club”.Related

Yorkshire come to grief over Azeem Rafiq affair, but acceptance is a way off yet

Mark Arthur resigns as Yorkshire chief executive in wake of racism scandal

Joe Root calls on English cricket to unite in wake of Yorkshire racism scandal

Azeem Rafiq racism report: Yorkshire criticised for 'woefully inadequate' response to complaints

Adil Rashid backs up Azeem Rafiq's recollections on Michael Vaughan comment

The DCMS hearings come in the wake of a significant intervention from Adil Rashid, the Yorkshire and England legspinner, who acknowledged in a statement released to ESPNcricinfo that he too had overheard Michael Vaughan’s alleged remarks about the Asian players in the team: “There are too many of you lot; we need to do something about it.” Vaughan continues to deny the claim, which was cited in the report into the investigation’s findings.Rashid’s statement called for the “cancer” of racism to be “stamped out”, adding that he was “encouraged” by the prospect of further scrutiny in the parliamentary hearings.”I am aware of the recent statement from Adil Rashid, and I welcome his courage in speaking up at what is a difficult and distressing time for all those who love this Club and the sport of cricket,” Patel added.”It is essential that those who have experienced or witnessed racism, discrimination and abuse are able to come forward to share their experiences.”I have been in touch with Adil personally today so that we can talk through the issues as soon as he is ready and able.”

Former captain’s departure may hasten new deal for Alastair Cook

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2021

A view of the County Ground, Chelmsford•Getty Images

Ronnie Irani has stepped down from his position on the board at Essex, a move that may help to convince Alastair Cook to extend his first-class career by another season.Irani, the former chairman of the club’s Cricket Committee, has been the centre of a season-long dispute at Essex, with a number of players raising objections to his interference in club matters.Irani’s recommendation of Chris Silverwood for the role of head coach in 2015 was a key factor in the club’s recent spate of trophies, including two County Championships and the Bob Willis Trophy, as well two Division Two titles and the T20 Blast in 2019.More recently, however, he attracted the ire of the players by recommending a review into an alleged drinking culture at Essex – an inquest which may have been related to the team’s celebrations after winning the Bob Willis Trophy at Lord’s last season, when photographs of beer being poured on the head of the young batter Feroze Khushi – a non-drinker for religious reasons – were circulated to widespread condemnation.Irani is understood to have suggested such behaviour was not conducive to an elite sporting environment and may be deemed exclusive to those who do not drink. However, the insinuation of a lack of professionalism was a frustration to the club’s senior core, including Cook, 36, who was their leading run-scorer in last year’s Bob Willis Trophy, and whom Essex’s new chief executive, John Stephenson, will hope can be persuaded to extend his career by another year, following a further 611 runs and two centuries this summer.While Essex did endure a below-par start to their 2021 campaign, resulting in them missing the cut for Division One when the first half of the season was concluded in July, they finished strongly to claim the Division Two title with a two-day win over Northamptonshire – a result that Dan Lawrence, their stand-in captain, claimed they would be reluctant to celebrate given their high standards in red-ball cricket.Irani is understood to have held ambitions of becoming the next chair of Essex in the new year. But his candidature was opposed by many of the club’s grandees, including Graham Gooch and David Acfield, and he was a notable omission from Ryan ten Doeschate’s vote of thanks in his farewell speech at Chelmsford, as he officially retired after 19 years of service during Essex’s final match of the season.Essex’s chairman, John Faragher, said: “I would like to thank Ronnie for his services over the last twelve years during which time the club has achieved considerable success on the field.”Ronnie’s contribution on the Essex County Cricket Club board and as chairman of the Cricket Committee has been central to this success and we wish him well in the future.”

“You have to take a bit of responsibility in these conditions and make sure you do something for your team”

Deivarayan Muthu05-Sep-2021

Ajaz Patel returned his career-best T20I – as well as T20 – figures•AFP via Getty Images

Ajaz Patel is possibly New Zealand’s fourth-choice T20I spinner, behind Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, and Todd Astle. But, as the side’s only specialist spinner on tour in Bangladesh, he is relishing the responsibility in friendly conditions. With the series on the line in Dhaka, Patel scythed through Bangladesh in their chase of 129, returning 4 for 16 – his best T20 figures – as a second-string New Zealand pulled off a memorable 52-run win.”I guess, as a spinner, you thrive on conditions like this and you have to take a bit of responsibility in these conditions to try and make sure you can do something for your team,” Patel told the broadcaster at the post-match presentation. “It was nice to get a few [wickets] up top and I thought all our bowlers bowled brilliantly. I thought we bowled really well as a collective and our spinners [Cole McConchie (3-15) and Rachin Ravindra (1-13) were the others] did a great job.”Related

Chance for Bangladesh to test T20 World Cup players as Shakib, Mustafizur unlikely for NZ dead rubber

Glenn Pocknall: New Zealand 'are going to fight fire with fire'

Batting in focus as Bangladesh eye another T20I series victory

Inexperienced players 'learning on the job effectively' the biggest plus, says Henry Nicholls

Patel, McConchie keep New Zealand alive in series

Patel went too short and wide with his first ball, which was laced through the covers by Liton Das, but soon eased into his rhythm and outwitted the batters with his variations, including a yorker that cannoned into Afif Hossain’s off stump.”You know, for me, it was trying to get a read for the player. I knew Mahedi (Hasan) was going to try and take me on, so I tried to tighten him up, bowl a little bit quicker and flatter and try to squeeze one through him,” Patel said after the match. “Obviously, Shakib (Al Hasan) – we know how dangerous a player he is, so it was about trying to make sure I take some pace away from him.”I was fortunate there; he kind of mistimed it, and Afif, I bowled him a couple of slower ones, so it was really about the next one, trying to make sure I can fire a quicker, flatter one in.”Patel explained that darting the ball into the Dhaka pitch on an in-between length posed the biggest threat to the batters. “Obviously, over here, we’ve realised it differs quite considerably from day to day. It’s about figuring out what the pace for the surface is and what’s the most dangerous ball,” Patel said. “So, for me, it was really about trying to get over the top of the ball today, make sure I bowl the ball into the wicket and make sure I spin the ball hard.”So, that was my main focus today, and from thereon it was about changes of pace, line and variation, using the crease. As a fingerspinner, you know that you are limited in terms of how many ways you can turn the ball, but you can definitely use the crease and changes in pace and variations that way to kind of make a difference.”Cole McConchie also earned his career -best bowling numbers•AFP via Getty Images

McConchie also netted his best T20 figures to give Patel good support from the other end. Das had picked off the offspinner for back-to-back leg-side fours and when he went for another sweep two balls later, McConchie found just enough turn from a good length to trap him for 15 off 11 balls. As for Ravindra, he got the wicket of Mohammad Naim, the other opener, and didn’t concede a single boundary in his four overs.Patel credited McConchie and Ravindra for ramping up the pressure on Bangladesh. Even Mushfiqur Rahim couldn’t put them away as he laboured to an unbeaten 20 off 37 balls. “It’s always great to have other spinners alongside you and both of them bowled brilliantly tonight,” Patel said. “And it could’ve easily been them with three or five wickets. Oh, Cole did get three wickets, but Rachin could’ve easily got three or four as well.”So, it’s great in that sense that we can communicate and have a chat about what’s working and what’s not working. I guess, for me, I’ve played a little bit more cricket; it’s a small responsibility that I take on myself to kind of make sure that I can give them some feedback on what the surface is doing and what we can look to do.”Patel acknowledged that the 66-run sixth-wicket stand between Henry Nicholls and Tom Blundell was central to New Zealand keeping the series alive. Nicholls and Blundell came together at 62 for 5 in the 11th over and after bedding in, they took 46 off the last five overs. Nicholls belted Mustafizur Rahman’s whippy cutters down the ground and over extra cover for fours while Blundell pulled off eye-catching scoops despite the lack of pace from Rahman.”I thought they both batted brilliantly. Obviously, it’s not easy on that surface to kind of go out there and bat and feel comfortable,” Patel said. “But they scrapped hard and played some great cricketing shots and put some pressure on the Bangladesh bowlers. We were fortunate that they got us close to 130 [128 for 5] and we thought that was a reasonable score but we were in with a chance if we bowl well. I guess we started off quite well, which allowed us to put a bit more pressure on the Bangladesh batsmen. Batting, obviously, is the tough part out here and I thought our batters did a great job today.”Patel believed that New Zealand could yet snatch the series if they keep digging deep. “It’s great that the series is still alive,” he said. “We really feel like if we fight and scrap well, we’ve got a good chance. So, it’s just making sure we turn up next game and put our best foot forward again and make sure we’re ready for a fight.”

Arsenal are set to seal a deal for long-term target Martin Zubimendi, beating Liverpool and Manchester City to the Real Sociedad man's signature.

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Arsenal to seal Zubimendi transferBeat Liverpool and Man City in transfer racePartey and Jorginho set to leave in the summerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , the Gunners are in advanced talks with Real Sociedad to seal a transfer for their star midfielder Martin Zubimendi, with the deal now 'virtually completed'. Arsenal ideally would have wanted the Spaniard to join the club in January, however, Real Sociedad remain determined to retain his services until the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

AdvertisementGetty THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Gunners will see two of their current central midfielders, Jorginho and Thomas Partey, leave the club at the end of the current season after the expiry of their contracts. As a result, the English side went all-out to secure Zubimendi's signature. The Spain international has a release clause of €60 million (£51m/$61.5m) which Arsenal are ready to trigger.

DID YOU KNOW?

Liverpool and Manchester City were also in the race to sign the Real Sociedad star. Despite facing a rejection from Zubimendi in the summer, the Reds were planning to go after him once again this month. City, on the other hand, had put the Spain international on their shortlist after Rodri ruptured his ACL earlier in the season.

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

After securing Zubimendi's transfer, Arteta will now look to strengthen his attack. Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus have been sidelined with long-term injuries, while Kai Havertz has failed to perform consistently. After two consecutive setbacks in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, Arsenal will aim to get back to winning ways on Wednesday when they take on local rivals Tottenham in the Premier League.

Arsenal have been dealt an injury blow which could result in a fourth player missing their all-important clash against arch rivals Tottenham, which is coming up right after the international break.

Arsenal held to 1-1 Brighton draw as Tottenham and Man City await

Mikel Arteta was a frustrated figure on the Emirates Stadium touchline last Saturday, with Arsenal held to a 1-1 draw at home to Brighton on a less-than ideal afternoon in north London.

Why Arteta personally pulled plug on Arsenal signing £330k-per-week striker

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Emilio Galantini

Sep 3, 2024

Despite makeshift striker Kai Havertz opening the scoring with an excellent lobbed finish over the helpless Bart Verbruggen, Arteta's men couldn't press home their advantage, and watched star midfielder Declan Rice get sent off for two bookable offenses.

Brighton striker Joao Pedro equalised for Fabian Hurzeler's side just before the hour mark, compounding Arsenal and Arteta's misery, with the Premier League title hopefuls dropping their first points of the new campaign.

"It was a very emotional afternoon, for sure," said Arteta after Arsenal's 1-1 draw to Brighton. "We started the game really well, created three or four chances that we didn’t convert. After that we had a period with some issues, particularly with the ball and we lacked some dominance in that period.

"We then score a really good goal in a moment when we take advantage of the opponent. Then we go in at half-time, come back and we were really strong.

Arsenal's next five Premier League games	Date
Tottenham (away)	September 15
Man City (away)	September 22
Leicester City (home)	September 28
Southampton (home)	October 5
Bournemouth (away)	October 19

"Then the referee makes a decision that changes the course of the game. With 10 men, the team reacted unbelievably well, the stadium reacts unbelievably well and we should have won the game."

Arteta will be disappointed to drop points at home to Brighton, with that result hardly coming as the best warm-up for two of their biggest games of the season in Spurs and Man City.

Arsenal suffer Mikel Merino injury blow as fourth potential player misses Tottenham

The Daily Mail have shared more bad news for Arsenal, concerning new summer arrival Mikel Merino. Merino put pen to paper on a £32 million move to Arsenal after weeks of talks, but the Spain international will have to wait a long time to make his debut after shoulder injury in training.

The 28-year-old fractured his deltoid during his very first session at London Colney, following a collision with star defender Gabriel Magalhaes. The Mail and reliable journalist Sami Mokbel now provide an update, and they write that Merino is set to miss nearly two months after his injury at Arsenal's training complex.

Merino is set to miss their match against Tottenham as a result, joining Rice (suspension) on the sidelines for Arsenal's encounter. As well as Merino and Rice, both Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are doubts for the derby, with no return date confirmed yet for the pair.

Arteta could therefore be without four senior players to face Ange Postecoglou's side, but there's some good news about Gabriel Jesus and Jurrien Timber, who could yet play a part and make their return.

The new payment system has created a bit of a divide between players and the board

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-May-2021

Sri Lanka’s players have contended that the new system is not transparent•SLC

The Sri Lanka men’s players’ rejection of their central contracts is “very unfair”, essentially because the board is offering more for winning series against top-ranked opposition. This is according to Aravinda de Silva, one of the architects of the new payment scheme.The players have contended that the new system is not transparent however, and senior players, in particular, have felt that the proposal rewards future potential over performance and experience. They made their grouses public in a statement last week, after Sri Lanka Cricket had revealed the details – including specific salary figures – of the proposed scheme.De Silva’s comments are an indication that SLC is unwilling to budge on contracts, despite player resistance. The new contracts system was devised largely by the technical committee, which de Silva heads, as well as director of cricket Tom Moody. According to de Silva, the new contracts have been modeled on kinds of contracts often offered in the corporate world.”We discussed this matter in depth before we presented it to the players,” de Silva told . “Unlike in the past, we have increased the benefits three-fold than what it was but purely on the team’s performance… If they win a Test series, we pay them US$ 150,000 which was earlier limited to US$ 50,000. It has to be a collective effort by the whole team.”Related

Sri Lanka players agree contracts for India series, Angelo Mathews only one to decline offer

Sri Lanka players agree to tour England without contracts

Sri Lanka's England tour in jeopardy after players refuse to sign contracts

Sri Lanka players reject 'unfair' contracts

New SLC player contracts: Lower base salaries

De Silva, though, is only correct in a narrow sense about the incentives. This three-fold increase in incentive is only available if they defeat the No. 1 Test team in a series. There are far more modest incentives for beating lower-ranked sides. In fact, for teams ranked 6th and lower, the team would likely have earned higher sums under the old contracts.The ODI series incentives follow a similar pattern – substantial increases on previous years for beating top-ranked teams, but more modest increases and sometimes decreases for defeating lower-ranked outfits.De Silva did, however, correctly point out that: “We also introduced a slab for the T20 format, which also runs up to a maximum of US$ 50,000, which earlier didn’t have any rewards at all.”The comments came after Sri Lanka lost the first two matches of the ongoing ODI series against Bangladesh, thereby surrendering the trophy.”The most important fact is that they should get into the middle and play positive cricket and start winning games for the country rather than complaining,” de Silva said.”This positive approach will encourage us to consider offering them more benefits, like some of the other countries in our region. If the team creates value, their incentives will also go up.”

After Callum Burton was ruled out for the season, Wrexham have announced the signing of a new goalkeeper to provide cover.

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Wrexham sign Brad FosterGoalkeeper will offer coverBurton and Okonkwo out injuredFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons have announced the signing of 23-year-old Brad Foster to provide cover on a short-term basis. Wrexham announced they had signed the player, who had been training with the club for weeks, following the injury to Burton that will prevent him from appearing again this season. Foster was previously on the books at Stoke City, Derby County and West Brom, although he never made an appearance for any of their respective first teams.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT WREXHAM SAID

Announcing the signing, Wrexham said: "Foster, 23, will provide short-term cover for the goalkeeping department, while Arthur Okonkwo (wrist) and Callum Burton (thigh) recover from their respective injuries, and help to share the training workload.

"He has been registered to play, and is available for selection if required.

"Foster has been training with the Red Dragons for several weeks, alongside Mark Howard, Liam Hall and Callum Burton prior to his injury".

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Wrexham's number one and number two, Okonkwo and Burton, have suffered long-term injuries and left Phil Parkinson short between the sticks. It is unlikely that Foster will get many minutes at the Red Dragons before his short-term contract expires, but he will offer competition to Howard and Hall while Okonkwo is sidelined. It is a blow for Phil Parkinson's side who are chasing a remarkable third-straight promotion.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

The Red Dragons host Crewe in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday with the aim of progressing to the next round. They then host relegation-battling Cambridge United and have a chance to keep the pressure on league leaders Wycombe Wanderers.

Leigh Kasperek’s career-best returns of 6 for 46, followed by 3 for 24, in the recently concluded ODI series against Australia has pushed her seven spots up to No. 17 among bowlers in the ICC rankings in the 50-over format, even as Meg Lanning’s contributions with the bat in Australia’s 3-0 wipeout of New Zealand in that series helped her move back into the top five among batters.Lanning scored a useful 51-ball 49 in the second ODI against New Zealand, in what was a 71-run win, and then hit 15 in the rain-curtailed third match, which also went Australia’s way, by 21 runs. That helped them stretch their winning streak to 24 matches – when they won the first match of the series to make it 22 wins in a row, Lanning’s team created a new world record by beating the mark of 21 set by Ricky Ponting’s Australia in 2003. Lanning had last been No. 1 in ODIs last October.Related

• Leigh Kasperek provides reminder of rare Australia vulnerability

• Evolution of Ash Gardner's batting further deepens Australia's options

England batter Tammy Beaumont remained in top spot, followed by South Africa’s Lizelle Lee, Australia’s Alyssa Healy, and West Indies’ Stafanie Taylor. Healy hit 44 and 46 in the second and third ODIs, to follow a 65 in the first, to move to 756 rating points, just two behind Lee and nine behind Beaumont. Somewhat below them, Beth Mooney’s 26 and 28 took her up two spots to No. 17.In the bowlers’ chart, Australia quick Megan Schutt remained in second place, behind compatriot Jess Jonassen, despite picking up seven wickets in the series – she was named the Player of the Series, though – while the big mover was Kasperek, the 29-year-old offspinner, who moved to within two spots of her career-best 15th position. Georgia Wareham, meanwhile, moved up two places to 22nd after returns of 2 for 39 and 2 for 25.Australia also earned two points to consolidate their position at the top of the team table, where New Zealand are fifth, with South Africa, England and India between them.