All posts by h716a5.icu

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said that the board is going to investigate allegations of unfair practices during this season’s Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League

Mohammad Isam11-Jun-2016BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said that the board is going to investigate allegations of unfair practices during this season’s Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League.Umpiring standards have been repeatedly questioned by all quarters during this year’s league. At a crucial stage in the Abahani Limited-Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club match, umpire Rezwan Parvez gave Taskin Ahmed not out although he was at least 12 inches outside the crease when Farhad Reza broke the stumps. Abahani needed 10 runs off three balls before that incident and went on to win the match. In the Abahani-Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi match, a questionable no-ball call was not made despite the full-toss going above the batsman’s waist in the last over of the chase.In the Kalabagan Krira Chakra-Legends of Rupganj match, Rupganj were not awarded six runs despite an overthrow following the completion of two runs. Rupganj also alleged that the umpires called off that game soon after rain stopped and did not wait too long for the Fatullah ground to dry, with Kalabagan winning through the D/L method. Two days later, the Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis, the BCB standing committee that runs the tournament, suspended Rupganj captain Mosharraf Hossain and wicketkeeper Mohammad Mithun for arguing with the umpires during the same game.Allegations of favouritism were also leveled towards the CCDM, after Gazi Group Cricketers’ last-round match against Victoria Sporting Club was deferred by a day. The CCDM, citing “unavoidable circumstances”, broke the pattern in which three matches were held on every match day.Gazi Group were on ten points before that match while Mohammedan Sporting Club, Kalabagan Krira Chakra and Prime Bank Cricket Club were on 12 points each. The one-day delay gave Gazi Group the advantage of knowing the equation to qualify to the Super League, but they ultimately lost to Victoria and failed to make it to the next phase. Kalabagan Krira Chakra lodged an official complaint by saying that the CCDM favoured Gazi Group because the club’s owner Gazi Golam Murtoza is also the chairman of CCDM.BCB chief Hassan said that he will ask the CCDM to furnish an answer about the change in the match date as well as the wet pitch in BKSP. He announced that such problems would not arise in the Super League phase.”We will officially ask for what happened with the Gazi match timing change,” Hassan said. “They will have to provide an answer. But the result wasn’t in their favour. No team went into the Super League with the benefit from umpires. Kalabagan Krira Chakra’s [Nazmul Karim] Tinku is the head of the umpiring committee but his team didn’t go to the Super League.”I will take action if there’s a specific instance where a certain team benefited by an umpiring decision. But the Super League is yet to start so we are still in discussion to ensure these things aren’t repeated. These are all abnormal incidents. I have no doubt that these are motivated. Otherwise why would they complain to the ICC that cricket in Bangladesh is getting destroyed, and that matches are fixed here? They are trying hard to suspend Bangladesh from international cricket, it seems.”Even though Hassan didn’t specify who he was referring to as “they”, the ICC denied receiving any complaint regarding the Dhaka Premier League, saying that it doesn’t have the jurisdiction to interfere in domestic matters of a member country.Hassan said that the Abahani run-out incident had no bearing on the result of the game, because Mosaddek Hossain struck Farhad for a six and a four off the next two balls. He also said that Abahani don’t get the support of the umpires.”The second one is the one where the wicket was wet, so we will investigate that game,” he said. “Allegations have come about umpiring in Abahani matches. Since it went up to the ICC with photos being sent to them, we need to take it seriously. I saw that a run-out was not given. But there was no relation between that run-out and the result. It would have been seven [sic] wickets instead of six [sic].”They won with a six and four off the last two balls. Abahani in fact lost two games off the last ball. So if they got support of the umpires, they wouldn’t have lost those matches. They were on the brink of relegation two seasons ago.”

Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha is "very likely" to leave the club in the summer transfer window and Steve Parish wants to focus on securing Michael Olise, according to an update from journalist Pete O'Rourke.

When is Zaha out of contract?

The 30-year-old has arguably been the Eagles' greatest player of the Premier League era, so often proving to be their attacking talisman down the years. His pace, trickery and unpredictability have all made him such an exciting player to watch, and he has now racked up 458 appearances for Palace, scoring 90 goals and registering 76 assists along the way.

Zaha's future has been a big talking point throughout this season, however, with the £130,000-a-week winger's current Palace deal expiring at the end of the current campaign. That means he will be allowed to leave on a free transfer, unless an extension is agreed in the next month or so.

It feels increasingly likely that the Ivorian could be angling for a fresh challenge, seeing this moment as his last chance to get a big move at the peak of his powers. A fresh update further suggests that that could be the case.

Will Zaha leave Palace in the summer?

According to Football Insider's O'Rourke, he has been told that it is "very likely" Zaha will depart Selhurst Park in the summer window. While talks have taken place over a new Palace deal, little progress appears to have been made and the player is 'keen to pursue a new challenge'.

Marseille, Arsenal and Chelsea are all credited with interest in the report, and the news means that the Eagles are putting their focus on extending Olise's stay at the club, in order to soften the blow.

In truth, it does feel as though Zaha feels he has come as far as he can at Palace, with his talent arguably deserving of a move elsewhere before he drifts past his prime. He has shown such loyalty to the Eagles, returning there after a failed spell at Manchester United, so it would be hard to begrudge him a move to a club like Marseille, who are expected to be in the Champions League next term.

Ideally, he will sign an extension and spend the rest of his career in south London, of course, but he has lofty ambitions and will surely want to test himself in a European competition, which is something Palace can't offer him currently. There is always a chance that Zaha could have a change of heart, but at this point, it feels unlikely.

Leeds United have come forward as one of the clubs interested in signing AC Milan midfielder Charles de Ketelaere, if he is made available for loan this summer, according to reports from Belgium.

What's the latest Leeds transfer news?

Leeds are already looking at potential new options for next season, after a disappointing 2022-23 Premier League campaign, and it has recently been reported they are interested in signing Toulouse midfielder Branco van den Boomen.

The Whites seem to be keen on bringing in new signings in the engine room, as they are also targeting OH Leuven midfielder Mandela Keita, having "already signed up" to try and secure his services for next season.

Sam Allardyce has not ruled out staying at Elland Road beyond the end of the season, and the Yorkshire club have now come forward to potentially make their first signing under the new manager.

According to a report from Le Soir (via Sport Witness), Leeds have made it clear they would be keen on signing De Ketelaere this summer, if he is made available for loan by current club AC Milan, and they have "come forward" for his signing.

After joining the Serie A club last summer, the Belgian has been unable to live up to expectations at the San Siro, and a temporary move elsewhere could give him the opportunity to "rebound" after a poor first season in Italy.

The Whites are not the only club battling for the midfielder's signature, however, as Burnley and Atalanta have also made their interest clear, so there may be stiff competition this summer.

Should Leeds sign Charles de Ketelaere?

Although he has failed to hold down a regular place in the Milan starting XI this season, often being utilised as a substitute, the 22-year-old has still been lauded as a "top player" by teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Divock Origi has compared the attacking midfielder's play-style to that of a Brazil legend, describing him as "half Havertz and half Kaka", while he also ranks in the 89th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 in the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Although the move to AC Milan has not worked out thus far, the £49k-per-week maestro is still very young, and a move elsewhere could be what he needs to reinvigorate his career.

If De Ketelaere can reignite his form from his time with Club Brugge, scoring 14 and assisting seven in 33 league appearances during the 2021-22 campaign, he could be an excellent signing for Leeds.

Sri Lanka lack depth in their fast-bowling battery, coach Graham Ford said, after two frontline quicks left the tour of England with injury, and a third was reported for a suspect action. 

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Jun-2016Sri Lanka lack depth in their fast-bowling battery, coach Graham Ford said, after two frontline quicks left the tour of England with injury, and a third was reported for a suspect action.Shaminda Eranga is scheduled to undergo a biomechanics test at Loughborough on Monday after he was reported following the Test at Chester-le-Street. Though he is likely to be free to play the Lord’s Test – before the results of his test are known – Sri Lanka may opt to save him the extra scrutiny by fielding another bowler in his place.The selectors will consider handing a debut to 29-year-old left-armer Chaminda Bandara, who is said to swing the ball at a lively pace, but has scarce A team experience. The team’s fast bowling stocks have been repeatedly depleted by injury over the past three years. On this tour they have lost Dhammika Prasad and Dushmantha Chameera to injury.”Maybe it’s a little alarming that perhaps we don’t have the depth that we were hoping that we would have at this stage, in the fast bowling department,” Ford said. “That’s a project for the future, because there are those injuries around fast bowlers. I did see some exciting Under-19 bowling before we came out here to England. I’m sure there are talented boys and if they’re looked after properly, we should have a decent unit of fast bowlers.”If Eranga does not play at Lord’s, Sri Lanka would have effectively lost their best quick of 2015 (Prasad), their fastest bowler (Chameera), and the only quick with over 10 Tests’ experience and a bowling average south of 40 (Eranga). It has left a lot on the plate of fast-bowling coach Champaka Ramanayake.”It is a challenge, because Dhammika was the star of the show last time Sri Lanka toured England,” Ford said. “He was the one that bowls the right length and was able to swing the ball both ways. The rest of the guys tend to swing it out more than anything else. And then we lost that extra pace that Dushmantha brings.”From a firepower point of view we are perhaps not where we want to be. But we do have a bowling unit that can bowl with discipline, hit their areas, and find other ways of creating pressure. Champaka has been working very hard with them on that. We’ve had periods where we have created that pressure and stuck to it pretty well. But then we’ve had other periods when we haven’t been like that, which shows that we’re very much a work-in-progress.”Bandara and Kusal Perera have now joined the squad in London ahead of the third Test, but had their arrival delayed because of visa hurdles. Both men only joined the team in the last 48 hours. Perera had been added to the squad as early as May 22, and as such, had his arrival delayed by about 10 days by the visa process. Ford suggested the delay had been a disadvantage.”If you’re coming to different conditions, the sooner they get used to those conditions the better. The delay wasn’t ideal. But now they’re here they’re going pretty well. Hopefully they have done some good work at home before they got here.”Sri Lanka dropped several key catches across both Tests, with both Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow reprieved en route to scores of over 140. The team’s catching had been poor in the World T20 and in the previous Test series as well. Ford said systemic changes were required to raise fielding standards in the long term.”The players have worked like crazy, but at the board level we’ve talked about how if you want to have a good fielding side, you have to make sure there’s real solid coaching in the fielding department at the emerging player level. By the time they get to international cricket they should be good fielders.”We need somebody at the Under-17, Under-19, development and emerging players having regular fielding sessions. They would have done so many good drills that they’re not scared of the ball and not scared to dive. They would watch the ball while they’re diving.”You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. You can’t flick a switch. You can’t have them playing for Sri Lanka and in a couple of fielding sessions turn them into brilliant fielders. We want to be known as a nation that produces really good fielders. In the levels below we’ve got to get the work done.”

Manchester United could sign Benjamin Sesko in a complex deal this summer to strengthen their forward line, journalist Dean Jones has suggested.

What is Benjamin Sesko's current situation?

Sesko is currently on the books of RB Salzburg and plies his trade in the Austrian Bundesliga; however, he sealed an agreement to join their sister club RB Leipzig from 2023/24 onwards for a fee of £20 million, as per The Sun.

Nevertheless, ESPN reported that Sesko could still head elsewhere if another club are willing to stump up a higher offer to buy out RB Leipzig.

90min have revealed that both Manchester United and Newcastle United are keen on signing the 19-year-old and recently sent scouts to watch him perform in RB Salzburg's 2-0 victory over Sturm Graz, where he got himself on the scoresheet.

RB Leipzig could stand to make a handy profit on their investment before Sesko has even played a game for the club as interest continues to grow in his services.

Sesko – hailed "special" by Manuel Veth – has made 37 appearances for RB Salzburg in all competitions, notching 16 goals and three assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Writing in his column for GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has given some insight into where Manchester United fit into the picture as a potential destination for Sesko.

Jones suggested: "Manchester United have been on the scene here longer than Newcastle and sources with knowledge of the situation seem genuine about the fact they could try to sign him sooner rather than later. I would rate them as being ahead of Newcastle in that sense.

"It is a strange situation to be pursuing a player who has a transfer already pending – but that £20million switch between RB clubs could still lead to a good business deal, even if United were to go in at over double that value."

What other strikers have Manchester United been linked with recently?

Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane has been extensively linked to the Red Devils over the last few months. However, the Daily Star have claimed that club officials are keen to avoid a transfer saga and may turn their attention towards alternative targets if Spurs chairman Daniel Levy drags out negotiations.

As per Football Insider, Napoli frontman Victor Osimhen is also a target for Manchester United, though Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Real Madrid are all keen on his services.

Sport Bild have also signalled that Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani is wanted at Old Trafford, with their interest in the Frenchman said to be the 'most concrete' so far out of all his suitors.

With Manchester United hoping to seal Champions League qualification this term, it looks like they may have a brand new striker to spearhead the attack heading into 2023/24.

And landing a spot in the elite European competition could certainly offer them more buying power both in terms of their ability to spend and how attractive they come across to the respective targets.

Newcastle United have received an approach regarding the summer availability of Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui, according to reports.

What's the latest on Mazraoui's future?

The Morocco international first arrived at the Allianz Arena in July 2022 on a free transfer from Ajax, but his debut season in Germany hasn’t gone as well as he would have no doubt hoped upon putting pen to paper.

The Bavarians star has been significantly out of favour having made just six starts in the Bundesliga this season, and has so far only recorded one outing under Thomas Tuchel since he was appointed following the departure of Julian Nagelsmann. Despite his contract not expiring for another three years, he could therefore already be considering a move elsewhere, and should that be the case, he won’t be short of any potential suitors in the Premier League.

The Magpies are long-term admirers of the 25-year-old having been initially linked with him two years ago, but bigger clubs were better placed to sign him at the time. Now though, the northeast outfit have been given the perfect opportunity to take a second bite of the cherry and are in a better position to compete with their rivals…

According to 90min, Newcastle, Manchester United, Wolves, Arsenal, West Ham United and Crystal Palace have all been “alerted” to Mazraoui’s availability by his personal representatives. PIF and Eddie Howe are set to be “kept informed” of the right-back’s transfer situation in the weeks and months ahead, but the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid have also been “told” that he could be on the market at the end of the season.

Where would Mazraoui fit in at Newcastle?

Newcastle will eventually need to recruit for life after Kieran Trippier who isn’t getting any younger (32), and as a full-back who “cannot be defended” when flying forward, according to ESPN analyst Arnold Bruggink, Mazraoui would be the ideal long-term successor.

The Leiderdorp native is strong in defence having won 71 per cent of his tackles this season but is also a threat down the flank having posted 48 goal contributions (26 assists and 22 goals) throughout his career to date.

The £132k-per-week ace, who has the flexibility to operate in a remarkable eight different positions across the field, additionally knows what it takes to be successful having got his hands on seven senior titles since bursting onto the scene, so would enhance the winning mentality of the squad already at St. James’ Park.

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has been left shocked after Mikel Arteta admitted his Arsenal team were "too comfortable" in their recent draw.

What did Arteta say after the Arsenal match?

It was a hugely disappointing afternoon for the Gunners on Sunday as their hopes of winning the Premier League took a big blow.

Things started to so well for the north London side as they raced to a two-goal lead against West Ham United after just ten minutes.

Indeed, Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard fired Arsenal ahead but Arteta's men seemed to lose focus and Said Benrahma netted a penalty to get his side back into the game.

In the second half, Bukayo Saka then missed a penalty only minutes before Jarrod Bowen scored to level the game at 2-2.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, Arteta seemed to admit his team were complacent, saying: "I think so. Too comfortable just playing around them. And when a team is there [for the taking], you have to take that opportunity. We gave them hope.

When talking on BBC Radio Show 606, Sutton seemed surprised that the 41-year-old manager would accept that.

Indeed, the pundit explained (1:00): "Last couple of games they've let two-goal leads slip, haven't they? And oh look, It's so disappointing.

"What I thought was interesting. Did you hear the Arteta interview, he said they were too comfortable.

"I cannot believe he said that.”

Have Arsenal bottled the league?

Seeing as the Gunners also were 2-0 up at Anfield last week but were pegged back by Liverpool and saw that game end 2-2 as well, it's been a frustrating period for the club.

Indeed, as per the official Premier League website, it's the first time Arsenal have given up a two-goal lead in consecutive Premier League matches, making them only the fifth side to do so in the competition's history.

As a result, Arteta and co are now only four points ahead of Manchester City, despite having played one game more than their title rivals.

Even so, most fans would have bitten your hand off at the start of the season if they'd been offered the chance to be top of the league with just seven games left to play.

What's more, they've now gone nine league games without losing, winning seven and drawing two – so it's hardly been a collapse.

With that in mind, however, things finish, the season should be considered as a campaign where Arsenal have greatly surpassed expectations.

But if they don't win the title, these last two games may well be viewed as turning points.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Davinson Sanchez could be sold in the summer with the Colombian defender open to an exit from north London.

Why did Spurs fans boos Sanchez?

It was another disappointing outing from the Lilywhites on the weekend as their push for a spot inside the top four received another blow after Bournemouth came to town.

Despite playing yet another relegation-battling side and yet again taking the lead, Spurs crumbled and the visitors were able to take all three points.

And Gary O'Neil's side did so in dramatic fashion with Dango Ouattara scoring a last-minute goal to seal all three points for the Cherries.

However, amid the disappointment for Spurs, there was one player who had an afternoon even worse than the rest of his teammates and that was Sanchez.

The Colombian replaced the injured Clement Lenglet and was almost immediately involved in the first goal for the visitors.

Having then failed to deal with his man in the second half in the lead up to Bournemouth's second of the afternoon, the home crowd turned and let their frustrations be heard.

Sanchez was booed by his own fans every time he touched the ball and was removed by Cristain Stellini after just 23 minutes of action on the pitch.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Alasdair Gold has claimed the Colombian has been open to leaving Spurs for a while now with the summer window on the horizon:

(37:20) "Sanchez, from what I understand, for the last few summers especially has been absolutely open to leaving. Because he wants regular game time. He does. But I just think no club has ever offered the sum of money that would get Spurs' interest."

Did Sanchez deserve to be booed by his own fans?

There will be a debate as to whether fans should boo a player on their own them regardless of the situation and there will be divided opinions in this case.

It certainly was an afternoon to forget for Sanchez who was making his 15th league appearance of the campaign (via Transfermarkt).

There is a lot of frustration among the fans in N17 currently and a lot of that is being directed at Daniel Levy with sections of the fanbase letting their anger be known.

And perhaps some of that anger spilt over onto Sanchez in the heat of the moment on the weekend.

After all, this is a player who is now nearly six years deep into life in north London and has proven a significant amount of money invested for a player who has failed to nail down a spot in the starting XI.

Perhaps the biggest frustration surrounding the £65k-per-week defender is his evident struggle to enter a game and provide immediate cover in defence.

It was seen on Saturday and in the game against Everton where his arrival on the pitch caused major concerns for what is already a shaky Spurs defence.

With Everton having been surprisingly inactive in the January transfer window, new boss Sean Dyche has been forced to try and get the best out of those already at the club in order to help steer the Toffees away from danger.

While Premier League survival is still no guarantee, a run of four games without defeat has raised hopes regarding the Merseysiders' ability to avoid relegation, with the former Burnley head coach clearly working his magic in his new home.

Among those to have benefitted from the Englishman's arrival is midfield maestro, Abdoulaye Doucoure, with the 30-year-old having been "reborn" since the change in the dugout, according to writer Peter Guy, after previously falling out of favour under Frank Lampard.

Although the former Watford man did somewhat spoil his recent upturn in fortunes by picking up a needless red card against Tottenham Hotspur last time out, prior to that the Frenchman had provided four goal involvements in just four top-flight games, having played "very well" of late, according to his manager.

The experienced ace is not alone in having enjoyed a real renaissance in recent months, however, with Michael Keane – who worked under Dyche at Turf Moor – having also undergone a "significant glow up" following the appointment of his former boss, according to the Echo's Chris Beesley.

Who has Dyche improved at Everton?

Much like Doucoure, the 30-year-old had also been cast out during Lampard's tenure, having made just a solitary, 22-minute appearance in the league prior to eventually returning to the starting lineup in the defeat to Arsenal last month.

Despite being on the receiving end of a 4-0 thrashing at the Emirates, Keane's return from out in the cold has coincided with Everton's recent unbeaten run, having now started each of the last five top-flight games, alongside ex-Clarets colleague, James Tarkowski.

As the player himself only recently admitted, he had found the lack of game time under Lampard "hard to swallow" having received no real guidance from the Chelsea icon on how to force his way back into the team, with that leading to reports regarding a possible loan exit ahead of the January window.

Thankfully, as far as the Toffees are concerned, that departure never came to pass, with the one-time Manchester United man now looking likely to be a key figure in the end-of-season run-in, having been hailed for being "on fire in training" by Dyche.

That praise had come following the £80k-per-week machine's thunderous late strike to secure a draw at home to Spurs on Monday night, with that surprise stunner having capped an eventful night for the centre-back, after earlier giving away a penalty.

While that error may be of concern to Toffees supporters, the manner in which the Stockport native was able to swiftly atone for his mistake was impressive indeed, with that seemingly an indication of Keane's renewed confidence at Goodison Park.

As the 6 foot 3 man admitted, he has been rather "lucky" to see his former manager walk through the door, although the player himself deserves credit for more than taking his chance to impress.

Everton look to restart their fight for survival tonight, as they play host to a managerless Tottenham Hotspur at a floodlit Goodison Park.

The night is set for a sensational atmosphere on Merseyside, as they seek to follow up on a fine result at Stamford Bridge before the break.

Since Sean Dyche’s arrival at the club, there are only six teams who have accumulated more points than his new side. It is fair to say that the former Burnley man has certainly masterminded a speedy turnaround.

However, with a tough clash away to Manchester United on the horizon, it arguably makes it even more imperative that they get something out of tonight’s fixture.

That draw with Chelsea will likely still be fresh in the mind of the management team, who will make the necessary changes to ensure another fine result can be gained.

How could Everton line up against Spurs?

Pickford (GK); Patterson (RB), Keane (CB), Tarkowski (CB), Mykolenko (LB); McNeil (RM), Onana (CM), Gueye (CM), Doucoure (CM), Gray (LM); Simms (ST).

Football FanCast predicts that Dyche will make three changes from that fine night in west London, retaining that solid 4-5-1 shape that has brought them such success.

Jordan Pickford will remain in between the sticks, fresh from another successful international break where he further solidified himself as England’s number one.

He will sit behind a back four that could see changes on the flanks; one somewhat enforced and one preferential.

With Seamus Coleman’s minor injury sustained on international duty, plus his age, it could be expected that the Irish captain finally drops out for the youthful exuberance of Nathan Patterson.

The £28k-per-week youngster also made his comeback from a long-term injury for Scotland and offers an injection of dynamism that has somewhat been lacking down that right flank. Writer Peter Guy had even suggested that he was an “absolute diamond” earlier in the campaign, as he starred defensively in their home draw with Liverpool.

Vitaliy Mykolenko could also earn a recall after recovering from illness, to retain his preferred role ahead of the stand-in Ben Godfrey.

Michael Keane and James Tarkowski will almost definitely retain their spots.

Also expected to stay unchanged is the midfield three, with Abdoulaye Doucoure, Amadou Onana and Idrissa Gueye hoping to dominate the engine room battle.

With his late equaliser against Chelsea, it feels impossible that Ellis Simms does not earn a start today. His introduction would have seen Demarai Gray drop to the bench, had his recent spike in work rate not proven him more than able to deputise in a classic Dyche wide role.

Given Alex Iwobi’s struggles out wide, he could drop out in favour of such a move. Dwight McNeil will start on the opposite flank, hoping to continue his remarkably rich vein of form.