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A BCCI official confirmed that the board would approach the court “very soon”

Arun Venugopal11-Aug-2017

The BCCI is set to appeal against the Kerala High Court judgement that had ordered the board to lift the life ban on fast bowler Sreesanth for his alleged involvement in the 2013 spot- fixing scandal in the IPL. Confirming the development, a BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo that the board would approach the court “very soon”.In its judgement on Monday, the Kerala High Court had, according to media reports, observed that the BCCI’s refusal to lift the ban was a violation of natural justice. After Sreesanth and two other Rajasthan Royals bowlers – Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila – were arrested for alleged fulfilling of promises made to bookmakers in May 2013, they were banned for life by the BCCI.The court’s observations factored that in 2015 Sreesanth had been exonerated of spot-fixing charges by a Delhi trial court due to insufficient evidence under the MCOCA act, a special law passed by the Maharashtra state government to tackle organised crime syndicates and terrorism.The BCCI, however, has consistently detached its decisions from the outcome of any legal proceedings. Following the board’s investigation in 2013, conducted by the BCCI’s then anti-corruption unit chief Ravi Sawani, the BCCI maintained that its decisions “independent to any criminal proceeding” and “based on its independent disciplinary action, shall remain unaltered.”Consequently, Sreesanth’s request for a no-objection certificate to play league cricket for Glenrothes CC in Scotland was shot down in January. However, soon after his ban was lifted by the court, the Kerala Cricket Association, Sreesanth’s home body, wrote to the BCCI requesting the board to allow his return to active cricket in the forthcoming domestic season. Sreesanth last played official cricket during IPL 2013.”Sreesanth had met me a day after the judgement and communicated his availability for Kerala,” KCA secretary Jayesh George told ESPNcricinfo. “So, we wrote to the board asking it to consider the matter favourably and allow him to play domestic matches this year. The BCCI hasn’t replied to the letter yet.”For his part, Sreesanth said he was overwhelmed by the support from the cricketing community. “Since 2015, once I got the clean chit a lot of support has been coming, especially from the cricketers, first-class as well as international, but then especially from yesterday they have been bit more public and I am very happy that people are coming out in open and supporting me,” he told . “Everybody is looking up to me to perform and get back to the squad. That’s a great sign. All the first-class cricketers especially in Kerala and some international cricketers too have messaged me and motivated me saying ‘We always had faith in you and it’s just a matter of time, hope you have not put on weight.'”

Sri Lanka Cricket have covered the outer periphery of the Galle Stadium with corrugated iron sheets and SLC branding, much to the resentment of the local spectators

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Jul-2017Sri Lanka Cricket has covered the periphery of the Galle Stadium for the first time since 2012, sparking resentment among local spectators, some of whom would ordinarily watch portions of the game from outside the wire fence.Corrugated iron sheets and SLC branding now obscure the view into the ground from the road outside. The vantage points from the fort ramparts, however, remain unobscured, though that is largely because of their height.”The reason is that when you’re playing the match, everyone can see the movement of vehicles going past, and the players get disturbed,” SLC CEO Ashley de Silva said. “So we thought the best thing is to cover it up.” De Silva also confirmed the board had not fielded any complaints from either players or paying spectators, but that “people need not make any complaints for us to take action.”In addition to those reasons, SLC has also said “new transmission technology” could be affected by sonic and visual disturbances from the road that surrounds the venue. A technician from series broadcaster Ten Sony has refuted that claim, however. There is no known reason why the noise from passing vehicles should interfere with broadcast technology.The covering of the venue has also sparked particular consternation among some Galle residents, because the ground had been a free-to-use public park before the stadium was built. Non-paying spectators have grown accustomed to congregating beneath the trees on the ground’s perimeter to catch passages of play. Those spectators would now either have to go to the fort ramparts for a more distant view of the match, or buy a day ticket, the cheapest of which sells for 200 Sri Lankan rupees ($1.30 approximately).De Silva said sale of tickets was not SLC’s motivation in blocking off the view.

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Ruben Neves was unsure whether or not to move to Saudi Arabia, according to Dean Jones.

What's the latest on Ruben Neves?

After years of speculation linking Neves with a move away from Molineux, the time has finally come for the 26-year-old to make his long-awaited switch.

However, his dreams of playing for Barcelona or Manchester United have been put firmly to rest, with the Portuguese instead swapping Wolves for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.

The midfielder became one of the younger players to make the move to Asia this summer, finalising a transfer worth £47m, and subsequently giving up on his dream to play under Xavi at Camp Nou.

According to journalist Dean Jones, Neves was sceptical over a move to the Saudi Pro League, and the 41-cap international would have much preferred a destination closer to home.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones said: "I know that Ruben Neves was really umming and ahing over whether to actually go through with that [move to Al Hilal]. Like, it's not an easy decision to make on a personal level.

"Financially, it's obviously tough to turn down. But I think in a dream world, Ruben Neves would have gone to Barcelona or another even club in the Premier League. The problem with Ruben Neves is he was never anyone's absolute priority to get through the door, and that's why he's ended up there."

Neves was wanted by Barcelona, but the Spanish side's financial situation would have made a transfer problematic, while their priority target Ilkay Gundogan has since joined on a free transfer.

Julen Lopetegui will have to fill the hole left behind by Neves next season and how the manager reinvests the £47m will be pivotal in how Wanderers perform.

What's the latest Saudi Arabia transfer news?

Cristiano Ronaldo's high-profile move to Al-Nassr started the ball rolling, but few expected what was to come in terms of the sheer volume of players arriving in the country.

Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly have all made the switch, while dozens of others from Europe's top leagues are expected to follow.

Some of the latest links involve Marcelo Brozovic, who could be joining Ronaldo at Al-Nassr, while former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino appears to be on his way to Al-Ahli.

Celtic's 24-year-old winger Jota also appears to be on his way to Al-Ittihad, showing, much like Neves, that it isn't just more senior players making the switch.

West Ham United are keeping their eye out for some younger talent this transfer window and have now added Keisuke Goto to their wanted list, according to a report from The Daily Mail.

Who is Keisuke Goto?

Having come up through the academy with Jubilo Iwata in Japan, he has already been given his first-team debut for the club despite being just 18-years-old. He has played on a total of 17 occasions in the 2023 season, but only five of those have been starts.

Considering his youth and the fact he has had to come off the bench, it is even more impressive then to hear that he has bagged five goals and one assist along the way. It means that he has a rate of 0.64 goals per 90 – a very respectable amount for the youngster.

Goto has also been capped for his country's youth sides, but has yet to make the step up to their first-team squad. If he carries on in this vein of form though – and hits his potential – it could be a case of when and not if for that.

Are West Ham United signing Keisuke Goto?

Now, according to a report from The Daily Mail, the forward may have a chance to prove himself in England soon. That's because Premier League side West Ham are now keeping a close eye on the striker, with Goto having caught the eye with his displays in Japan.

He is now on their transfer wishlist it seems, as David Moyes want to try and bring in some younger talent to ensure they have a good amount of long-term potential in the squad.

The report adds that they also want some taller players to boot, and he certainly fits that bill. Standing at 6 foot 3, Goto would certainly be a giant of a player – so he ticks both boxes that the club are currently looking for in the window.

Even though he is still well into his teens, Goto is already viewed as having a lot of potential. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig called him a "superb talent" already and even added that may soon be called the "Japanese Haaland" because of his ability and brute-like physicality.

It suggests that the youngster is already capable of producing the goods and has a high ceiling – so if West Ham do manage to sign him, it could be a shrewd bit of business by the club.

أبدى المدير الفني لفريق نابولي، فرانشيسكو كالزونا، اعتراضه على التحكيم بعد الخروج من منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا، مساء أمس، على يد برشلونة.

واستضاف ملعب “مونتجويك” مباراة الفريقين في إياب دور الـ16 من البطولة، حيث خسر نابولي بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف.

وقال فرانشيسكو كالزونا في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “فوتبول إيطاليا” عقب المباراة: “من الواضح أن هناك خيبة أمل، لأننا جئنا إلى هنا من أجل محاولة الفوز بالمباراة”.

وأضاف: “لقد كانت بداية سيئة للغاية، فقدنا الكرة عددًا لا حصر له من المرات، ستدفع الثمن عندما تسمح بالكثير من الهجمات المرتدة لفريق مثل هذا”.

وواصل: “كان الأمر مختلفًا تمامًا في مباراة الذهاب، لقد وصلت إلى هناك في اليوم السابق فقط (تعيينه مدربًا لنابولي بعد إقالة رودي جارسيا) وكان من الصعب تنظيم شيء ما”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. برشلونة يثير الغموض حول مستقبل تشافي بعد التأهل إلى ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا

واستمر: “برشلونة فريق قوي، لكننا فقدنا الكرة بسعر بخس جدًا وبمجرد أن تمكنا من إصلاح بعض هذه المشكلات، كنا متأخرين بالفعل 2-0”.

وأردف: “كنا منتشرين للغاية وبطيئين جدًا في الرد عند فقدان الكرة، العذر الوحيد هو أنه لم يكن لدينا الكثير من الوقت للعمل على هذه الأشياء في التدريب، في كل مرة نفقد فيها الكرة، كنا أيضًا نتحرك على نطاق واسع ونسمح لـ برشلونة بشن هجمات مرتدة خطيرة”.

وأوضح: “لقد أتيحت لنا أيضًا فرص لإدراك التعادل، لكن تغيير النظام في وقت متأخر تسبب في فقداننا شكلنا، هذا فريق يعاني عند تغيير النظام ويحتاج إلى اليقين، ومن المحبط أنه ليس لدينا الوقت للعمل على أساليب مختلفة في التدريب”.

ورفض التحكيم احتساب ضربة جزاء لـ نابولي، والتي طالب بها الفريق الإيطالي بعدما ظهر باو كوبارسي وهو “يدوس” على قدم فيكتور أوسيمين.

وعن ذلك قال كالزونا: “بالنظر إلى اللقطات، يبدو أنها ركلة جزاء، لا أستطيع أن أفهم لماذا لا تتدخل تقنية الفيديو في هذه النوعية من المواقف”.

واستأنف: “يجب أن يأخذوا كل الوقت اللازم للتوصل إلى القرار الصحيح، يبدو أنها ركلة جزاء واضحة وكان من الممكن أن تغير مسار المباراة”.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Shahid took another three-wicket haul as Dhaka Dynamites climbed to first place•BCB

Defending champions Comilla Victorians will go into the Chittagong leg of the BPL – beginning on November 17 – as the only team without a win, after they lost their fourth consecutive game. This time, the Dhaka Dynamites defeated them by 33 runs.This was Dhaka’s third win in four games, and most of their success has come on the back of strong starts by their openers – a combination of the legendary Kumar Sangakkara and the young Mehedi Maruf. This was true once again, as Maruf’s 60 set up Dhaka’s formidable 194 for 5 before their spinners dominated the Comilla batsmenIt was his second fifty in the BPL, and came off 31 balls, starting with a scythe over point off Mashrafe Mortaza in the third over. Sangakkara struck two fours and a six in his 12-ball 20, before falling in the fourth over.But Maruf’s aggression was unabated. He found boundaries quite regularly and then lofted Nabil Samad for two massive sixes over midwicket, with one of them landing in the grandstand. He added 84 runs for the second wicket with Nasir, who chipped in with 43 off 35 balls with five fours.Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan – who finished with 3 for 28 in his four overs – removed Ravi Bopara and Maruf in the 16th over, but that didn’t stop Dhaka captain Shakib Al Hasan from blazing 36 runs in 16 deliveries with Dwayne Bravo for the fifth wicket. Shakib struck two sixes in his 13-ball 24.Comilla’s chase began with intent – Imrul Kayes hit three fours in his 11-ball 19. But they ended up losing three wickets in consecutive overs, after Kayes was removed in the fourth. In the very next over, his new opening partner Jashimuddin was caught at deep square leg for ten, and Ahmed Shehzad – playing his first game – struck two consecutive sixes before getting stumped off the last ball of the sixth.They played two more overs before repeating the pattern. Nazmul Hossain Shanto, Ryan ten Doeschate, Rashid Khan and Al-Amin were all dismissed in the space of three overs, to leave Comilla reeling at 74 for 7 at the end of the 11th over. Medium-pacer Mohammad Shahid accounted for the last two wickets in that collapse, in his first over.Mashrafe provided entertainment towards the end, including slamming Shakib for four sixes in the penultimate over. But it was never going to be enough for Comilla.

Celtic are on the lookout for a new head coach after Ange Postecoglou officially left the Scottish giants to join the Premier League on Tuesday.

The 57-year-old has put pen to paper on a deal with Tottenham Hotspur in England and this now pushes Peter and Mark Lawwell and Dermot Desmond into the market to bring a manager in to replace the Australian.

A number of bosses have already been linked with the vacancy and one man who is reportedly in the running for the job is ex-Leeds United coach Jesse Marsch.

The 49-year-old, who won two Austrian Bundesliga titles in two seasons with RB Salzburg earlier in his career, could revive a current Celtic outcast back to his former glory if the Hoops decide to appoint him heading into next term.

How did David Turnbull perform this season?

Parkhead attacking midfielder David Turnbull endured a difficult 2022/23 campaign as the Scotsman only started six games in the Scottish Premiership and zero times in the Champions League.

He made 27 appearances as a substitute in the two competitions combined but his lack of starts limited the impact that he was able to make in the final third. The gem ended the season with four goals and six assists in the league and in Europe combined, which shows that the ace was unable to make regular contributions in attack.

Turnbull is a number ten by trade and did not fit in with Postecoglou's 4-3-3 system, which required him to play as an eight or out wide, and thus could be revived by Marsch's preferred 4-2-3-1 set-up that would allow him to play in the hole behind a centre-forward.

The American's formation would provide the 23-year-old with two holding midfielders behind him to offer defensive protection and allow the ace to push forward to link up with the two wingers and striker to create and score goals at the top end of the pitch.

Celtic's Scotland international predominantly played as a number ten for Neil Lennon in the 2020/21 campaign, before Postecoglou's arrival, and enjoyed a terrific year in the Premiership, which the Australian later described as "outstanding".

The £16k-per-week magician averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.47 and contributed with nine goals and six assists in 30 starts. He also created 12 'big chances' for his teammates and made 2.9 key passes per match, which is more than any Celtic player averaged in the league this year.

Therefore, Marsch, whose style was described as "aggressive" by journalist Josh Bunting, could revive the Hoops wizard by making him the attacking midfielder in his 4-2-3-1 system, which could allow the ace to thrive and get back to regularly scoring and creating goals in the Premiership.

Jalaj Saxena, the Madhya Pradesh and India A allrounder, has signed one-year contract with Kerala as a professional player.

Shashank Kishore04-Sep-2016

Jalaj Saxena, the Madhya Pradesh and India A allrounder, has signed one-year contract with Kerala as a professional player for the 2016-17 season. He will join Iqbal Abdulla and Bhavin Thakkar, who moved from Mumbai to the Kerala side as professionals. A No-Objection Certificate from the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association was submitted to the Kerala Cricket Association on September 3.”It was a personal decision, but a very emotional one too,” Saxena, who is currently participating in the Duleep Trophy, told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s a one-year deal which will be reviewed after the season and will be extended if they feel my performances have been up to their expectation.”Having played for Madhya Pradesh for more than a decade, to make this switch was hard but I was sure of it. I wanted a change of environment at this stage, but I’m thankful to MPCA for giving me an opportunity over the years.”The Kerala Cricket Association was reportedly keen on signing Saxena given his record as a batting allrounder over the last four seasons.From 2012-13 to 2015-16, Saxena racked up 2485 runs at an average of 46.89, with six centuries and 12 half-centuries, scoring more than 2000 runs as an opener. His offspin brought him 111 wickets at 26.01 in this period. He won the Lala Amarnath award for the best allrounder for the 2014-15 season, in which he scored 768 runs and took 20 wickets in the first-class format. Overall, Saxena has played 84 first-class matches, scoring 4604 runs with 195 wickets.Last season, one where they qualified for the semi-finals, Saxena finished with the second-best match haul in Ranji Trophy history, taking 16 for 154 to help MP beat Railways. At Kerala, he will likely be a part of a spin trio, alongside left-arm spinners Karaparambil Monish, the third-highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy 2015-16, and Abdulla.”My performances over the last four years have given me immense confidence,” Saxena said. “But I realise I can’t afford to drop my guard. As a professional, the onus is on you to perform. The self-belief is there now.”Saxena said the motivation to sign with Kerala, once he was briefed on what was expected of him, stemmed from their poor record. Kerala are yet to earn a promotion from Group C since the Ranji Trophy was revamped in 2012-13 to accommodate 27 teams into three groups. This season, Chhattisgarh will be the tenth team in Group C. Saxena may have been eligible to play for Chhattisgarh except for “minor issues” related to nativity – he was born in Bhilai and moved to Indore – but he realised that with Kerala, the competition will bring out the best in him at this stage of his career”I looked at their performance. They were always mid-table in Group C, so if I can help them qualify to the elite groups, it will be a big achievement,” he said. “Maybe that could also be a way of being recognised. With the line-up we’ve got, I’m confident we will improve this year.”

The advantage of being a home team is you have a better understanding of conditions than your opposition, but that may not be the case when South Africa host New Zealand next month. Kane Williamson’s men will have spent a significant amount of time in the country ahead of their two-Test series, thanks to a training camp at the University of Pretoria’s High Performance Centre organised by former New Zealand player Kruger van Wyk.The wicketkeeper-batsman, originally from South Africa, had retired from cricket in December and returned home to take charge of the University’s cricket program, which he himself had come through. Van Wyk has an intricate knowledge of the High Performance Centre, which is home to CSA’s National Academy and hosts several other elite sports teams at its state-of-the-art facilities. He knew it would be the ideal place for New Zealand to prepare for the four Tests they play in southern Africa – two in Zimbabwe, two in South Africa – this winter.”I know what it’s like to tour, to want to get the best preparation and I had no doubt that we could help them with that,” van Wyk said. In particular, he has focussed on giving New Zealand the kinds of surfaces they will encounter in Bulawayo, Durban and Centurion, which are all expected to be slow and low at this time of year. “It’s important that they [the pitches] are similar to the Zimbabwe ones, similar to the ones they’ll get here. As a player, whatever you need, you get. That’s our motto. Whatever you guys need, we’re going to give it to you and give it at a high level of professionalism as well, so I hope the boys enjoy it as well while they’re here.”With New Zealand’s every need being met, van Wyk’s loyalties were a subject of discussion and he made no attempt to hide where they lie. “I think it’s going to be an awesome series. It’s very clear who I want to see do well. These are the guys who I played for, and my priorities, even though I’m coaching and living in South Africa at the moment, it’s still with the New Zealand side,” he said. “I’ve played Test cricket for New Zealand and I’m proud of that. But I think it’s going to be a hell of a good series and I’m so excited about seeing that and I really believe this is a good opportunity to get a double Test series victory.”Key to New Zealand’s recent success has been their team culture, which is centered on the collective and has exuded a fun-factor for all involved. For van Wyk, that is the difference. “It’s been wonderful, actually. I think there’s been such a new life blown into cricket in New Zealand and that was just through the culture in this side. Mike [Hesson, the coach] and Baz [Brendon McCullum] and Kane and a lot of the senior players must take massive credit for this. They’ve done some wonderful things for the image of the game and just the way they’ve played as well. That’s the best way to get fans back, to get all these sorts of things back, ex-players, and their performances have been outstanding and I know it will only grow under Kane and Mike as well.”That culture exists even among those, like van Wyk, who have left the New Zealand fold. “As a coach, and as an ex-player, I think a lot of it is about giving back to the game, giving back to the people who’ve always been good to you. I am extremely thankful towards New Zealand cricket who’ve always been good to me and it’s time to give back,” he said. “Tukkies [University of Pretoria] was an institution that put a lot of time and effort into my development when I was a youngster here, so it’s the best of both worlds.”

Mauricio Pochettino already faces a number of dilemmas to solve ahead of his imminent arrival at Chelsea, as he looks to get the best out of a bloated squad at Stamford Bridge.

While player exits will be necessary this summer in order to balance the books, both Mason Mount and N'Golo Kante are yet to agree to a new deal at Stamford Bridge and could leave on a free transfer when their contracts expire at the end of the season.

While the Argentine manager may be keen to keep a world-class midfielder such as the World Cup-winning Frenchman, his injury issues this season have been a major concern and at 32, the Blues perhaps need to begin their search for a long-term successor in midfield.

Pochettino could find a dream heir to the former Leicester City man in Everton star Amadou Onana, who has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge in recent months after an impressive debut season at Goodison Park.

Could Chelsea sign Onana?

While the Blues were actually rejected by the Belgium international in January as Graham Potter sought to improve upon his midfield options, a summer move could well be on the cards for the 21-year-old, especially if the Toffees go down.

Journalist Ben Jacobs suggested in one column for Caught Offside last month that Chelsea, Arsenal and Atletico Madrid were all potential destinations for the young midfielder this summer, although interested sides may have to meet Everton's reported £50m price tag.

The giant midfielder only joined from Lille in a £33m deal last summer but has been one of the bright sparks in another woeful season for the Merseyside outfit, as his solid 6.69 average rating from WhoScored ranks him as the sixth-best performer, of those to make at least ten appearances this term.

Onana's physicality in midfield is clear to see, as according to FBref, he ranks in the top 20% of midfielders across Europe for tackles per game (2.66), clearances per game (1.54) and aerials won per game (2.08).

WhoScored also suggests that he excels at aerial duels and tackling, which outlines him as the perfect mould for a defensive-minded midfielder such as Kante, who too excels at winning the ball back.

As per FBref, the French World Cup winner ranks inside the top 20% of midfielders for tackles per 90, further outlining their similarities.

Onana's performances for both Lille and Everton saw him earn a call-up to Belgium's World Cup squad in 2022, with former manager Roberto Martinez singing his praises following his selection.

He said: “Another unique profile. Someone with such physical presence and dynamism is needed, just think of Fellaini in 2018. He is also a leader on the field who has made strides in his career. From Germany to France and now the Premier League… He deserves this selection.”

Liverpool Echo writer Connor O'Neill also lauded him as "outstanding" earlier in the season, which suggests that Onana's reputation is only going to increase further as he continues to impress.

Considering the lack of European football on offer at Stamford Bridge next season, it may prove difficult to sign world-class talents but in Onana, Pochettino could land a promising youngster who looks to have all the attributes to replace Kante at Chelsea.