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Mitchell Marsh’s injury will see Australia making a mandatory change in their batting line-up ahead of the third Test between India and the visitors in Ranchi

Daniel Brettig13-Mar-20170:53

Quick Facts – Marcus Stoinis

One of the quirks of international cricket can be the pitting of two players from the same state for the same role even though the pair may take on quite different posts in domestic ranks. Throw in an argument within the same state over who should bat where and the identity of Australia’s new No. 6 batsman becomes even more fascinating.Ahead of the pivotal third Border-Gavaskar Test in Ranchi, Australia’s selectors seem to be pondering one of the Victorians Marcus Stoinis or Glenn Maxwell for the No. 6 batting position in place of the injured Mitchell Marsh and ahead of the wicketkeeper Matthew Wade – another Bushranger. While Maxwell has the advantage of being part of the touring squad for the entire trip so far, Stoinis seems a smoother replacement for Marsh given his all-round skills and strong seam bowling.Maxwell was not even in the Victorian Shield side at the start of the summer, having been dropped seemingly as a result of his unsuccessful attempt to move north to New South Wales during pre-season. When he did return, runs were not so easy to come by, though one innings of 81 illustrated his qualities. A tally of 129 runs at 25.80, batting largely at Nos. 6 and 7, underwhelms.Stoinis, meanwhile, has been the Bushrangers’ preferred choice at No. 3 for several seasons and has done so with some distinction – until this season. In seven matches he has tallied a mere 197 at 17.90, making his highest score of 46 in his most recent match against Western Australia in Alice Springs. Much has been made of Stoinis’ improved bowling in the past 12 months, but as a batsman only his breakout 146 in an ODI against New Zealand at Eden Park last month has provided a reminder of the composure and power that led Victoria to pick him at first drop in the first place.Wade, Victoria’s captain, has watched Stoinis closely over several seasons. “He has developed beautifully,” Wade said. “He has batted at No. 3 for Victoria over a three or four-year period now and averaged quite high in first class cricket. I think he’s only got improvement, I said that to him before he got picked in the one day team in New Zealand and we saw what he did there.Marcus Stoinis got Matthew Wade’s vote of confidence•Cricket Australia/Getty Images”He’s not a finished product that’s for sure. He’ll come in and play a really strong role for us if we need him but he’ll improve playing each game at international level. No one expects people to come in and start dominating international cricket from ball one, but he’ll improve from game to game that he gets at international level.”In terms of roles, Wade acknowledged that Stoinis’ use in the top order had been devised partly to help his chances of international selection. “I think he’s a very strong batter. Obviously batting No. 3 in Shield cricket has placed him in a really good spot to play an allround role for Australia,” Wade said. “He can bat anywhere in the order.’But the last couple of years we’ve seen improvements from his bowling. [Playing for] Australia A he really, really took the pace off. He knocked off a couple of their big players in that series so I think the last couple of years that’s probably what the selectors have seen a bit more in him. They always knew he was a really strong batter, but his bowling has improved out of sight the last few years.”Stoinis and Wade, of course, have been two of the batsmen coming in earlier in the Bushrangers’ order than Maxwell, a point he raised earlier in the season and was subsequently fined as a result. At the time, Steven Smith said Maxwell’s comment that it was “painful” to be batting below Wade in the Bushrangers order had been highly disrespectful.”I think probably batting below the wicketkeeper is also a bit painful as well,” Maxwell had said. “I think the wicketkeeper should be batting at seven unless you’re trying to squeeze an extra bowler into your line-up.”That same week, the coach Darren Lehmann had retorted to questions about Maxwell’s possible Test selection with the words: “Are you going to pick a bloke who hasn’t made a hundred in two years?”Given all that history, it was perhaps not so surprising that Wade was unsure how Maxwell would bat if given the nod to rejoin the Test team in Ranchi.”In Test cricket, you’ve got to show defence first, obviously,” he said. “But I’ve got no idea how Glenn’s going to come out and play if he gets the opportunity, that’s probably a question you would have to ask him. But in Test cricket, your game is built around defence at times, but I’m not sure how he’ll play if he comes out.”As it stands, the selectors seem left to choose between Maxwell, and an alternative in Stoinis who hasn’t made a Sheffield Shield half-century this season. The apparently least likely option is to recall Usman Khawaja, a player with far more recent runs behind him.

Arsenal are reportedly interested in Fenerbahce ace Arda Guler, as Mikel Arteta bids to bolster his squad this summer following a title-challenging season.

The talk of the Gunners’ transfer window so far has focused on the future of Declan Rice, however, Edu could be eyeing more than just one midfield upgrade ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

With Champions League football confirmed for next term, it’s integral that the north Londoners introduced reinforcements to remain on Manchester City’s tails and produce a fight among Europe’s greatest.

Hailed as the ‘Turkish Messi’ by local media in Turkey, relayed by talkSPORT, Arsenal could land a generational talent in Guler, with the Gunners leading the race according to Football Insider.

Transfer expert Pete O’Rourke claimed via the site that Arsenal had leapfrogged fellow Premier League side Newcastle United in the bid to secure the teenager's signature, adding that Arteta’s side are ‘seriously exploring’ a deal.

The 18-year-old penned a new deal with the Turkish giants last year, with a release clause of just €17.5m (£15m) included.

What could Arda Guler offer to Arsenal?

In 20 total appearances in the Super Lig this season, Guler has shone playing among seasoned professionals in Turkey at just 18 years of age.

In his breakthrough campaign, the Ankara-born gem contributed to seven goals, scoring four and assisting three in playing an average of 46 minutes per game, as per Sofascore.

Hailed as “magical” by members of the media, the teenager could blossom under the guidance of Arteta, who has thrived in nurturing his young side that went toe-to-toe with treble winners Manchester City last season.

While Guler was the standout performer for his side last term, as per Sofascore, Arsenal’s skipper Martin Odegaard was a dominant influence on the Gunners, as highlighted by being named the club’s player of the season.

Playing in the same role as the Norwegian, Arteta could teach the Turkish superstar a valuable lesson in the art of playing in the Premier League, potentially even unearthing his next version of Odegaard in the process.

There is evidence to suggest that the duo could form a formidable force in midfield, attributable to their creative exploits in their respective campaigns, with the 24-year-old skipper averaging 2.1 key passes per game, a rate almost identical to the Fenerbahce ace’s two.

Learning the ropes at Real Madrid at the tender age of 16, Arsenal’s captain could be the perfect mentor for the teenager with his fellow left-fotter in Guler breaking through at a similar age. However, the youngster could also return the favour by aiding the £120k-per-week wizard's game.

Lauded a “sensation” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the teenager could give Odegaard added creative freedom as conveyed through his assured presence on the ball.

As per Sofascore, Guler maintained a stellar pass completion rate of 85%, while creating seven big chances in his debut season in the Super Lig.

The two talents could fuse to bolster each other's game, for the greater good of the Gunners who could see their attacking midfield set for years to come.

Azhar Ali’s position as captain of the ODI side seems to be under threat after Pakistan’s 4-1 defeat in Australia

Umar Farooq26-Jan-2017Azhar Ali is likely to be removed as Pakistan’s ODI captain after his side lost the series in Australia 4-1. Pakistan were beaten in the final ODI in Adelaide, slumping to the same score line they had suffered in England last year, and the PCB is keen to use it as an opportunity to replace Azhar with the T20 captain, Sarfraz Ahmed.The move, ESPNcricinfo understands, could be the precursor to eventually appointing a single captain for all formats, though any such decision will have to wait until the Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq takes a call on his future.Leadership issues were discussed in a meeting in Lahore during the fourth ODI of this series by PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Mushtaq Ahmed, the head coach at the National Cricket Academy. They are thought to be united in their belief that Sarfraz should take over the ODI captaincy but will wait until Misbah retires to name a new Test captain.They differ as to whether Pakistan should move ahead with a single captain, but if they do go down that route it could mean that Azhar is overlooked as the Test successor to Misbah; Azhar is the Test vice-captain and, in Misbah’s absence, led Pakistan recently in a Test against New Zealand in Hamilton. It could also mean the end of an experiment begun after the 2015 World Cup, when, for the first time, Pakistan had three different captains – Shahid Afridi was then the T20 captain.If Azhar is axed, it will end a difficult tenure that began right after the 2015 World Cup. He was not in the squad for that tournament and had, in fact, not featured in an ODI since January 2013. What he did have going for him was a secure position in the Test side, and good form in List A cricket: in the domestic Pentangular Cup that season he was the leading scorer with 302 runs at an average of 60.40 and strike rate of 86.28. In the President’s Gold Cup, he scored 234 runs at a strike rate of 86.98.Under Azhar’s leadership, Pakistan’s slipped to a record-low ninth in the ODI rankings. They have since risen one place to at least be in the running for direct qualification to the 2019 World Cup, but they only scraped into this year’s Champions Trophy. Much of their decline in the limited-overs formats has been building for some time, but it has become much starker under Azhar.Pakistan have won only five out of ten bilateral series under Azhar, two of them against Zimbabwe, and one each against Ireland, Sri Lanka and West Indies. In all, Pakistan won 12 and lost 18 games.The PCB has been thinking of removing Azhar for some time. In September last year, following a 4-1 thumping in England, Shaharyar had asked Azhar to consider stepping down. Azhar decided to stay on, however, and led Pakistan to a 3-0 whitewash of West Indies in the UAE. That win left the PCB no choice but to retain him for the Australia tour. A day before the first Test in Brisbane, however, Shaharyar again raised concerns, telling ESPNcricinfo that Azhar’s place in the ODI side was on shaky ground and that they were considering replacing him.Azhar’s individual performances have not been poor in that time – he has scored 1152 runs at 37.19. He has expanded his limited-overs game, evident in the improvement of his strike rate. In his first 14 ODIs between 2011 and 2013, his strike rate was 64.84 – during his captaincy that jumped to 79.90. However, that improvement might not be enough to save his place as captain, or even in the side. Last year, Pakistan Super League franchise Lahore Qalanders also removed Azhar from the captaincy.What the PCB will be weighing up is the potential impact such a move could have on his position in the Test side. He was Pakistan’s most prolific batsman last year, scoring a hundred in England, a triple hundred in Dubai and then crowning it off with a double at the MCG in the Boxing Day Test; he scored more runs in a three-Test series in Australia than any Pakistan batsman before him.

ScorecardTom Curran in action for Surrey [file photo]•Getty Images

Tom Curran and Jack Leach combined to spark a spectacular UAE collapse at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium as England Lions took a 2-0 lead in their three-match one-day series.Curran took 5 for 16 to follow a handy 40 with the bat, and Leach ended with 3 for 7 from 6.2 overs as the UAE lost their last nine wickets for 27 inside 14 overs. They face a final match on Monday with the series settled.The home team seemed to be heading for a comfortable win to square the series at 63 for 1 after the Lions had struggled to 190 all out with 15 balls of their innings remaining.But after Lancashire’s Liam Livingstone had broken the UAE’s second-wicket stand with some occasional offspin, as Ghulam Shabber pulled him to Keaton Jennings at midwicket, Leach and his Somerset team-mate Craig Overton piled on the pressure.Leach had Shaiman Anwar caught at the third attempt by Joe Clarke, and Overton then produced an athletic piece of fielding to run out Mohammed Qasim from short fine leg.Then Curran, who had taken the first wicket in a lively four-over opening spell, returned for the 23rd over, and proved irresistible in a burst of 4 for 9 in four overs.”You have some days in your career that stand out and I’ll remember this: taking five wickets for the England Lions,” said the 21-year-old, who is relishing his return to Dubai with the Lions after starring in their T20 victory over Pakistan A last December.”They had a bit of a partnership but we stayed calm, and when I came back for a second spell I had a chat with the skipper and we said let’s go for it.That skipper, Keaton Jennings, will now fly to India to join the senior England squad ahead of the fourth Test in Mumbai.Leach took the key wicket of Rohan Mustafa, the UAE opener who was seventh out for 45, caught off a top-edged sweep.The Lions made five changes from the team who won the first match of the series on Thursday, with Leach, James Fuller, Nick Gubbins and Tom Helm making their debuts.But Jennings lost his second toss as captain, and after losing Gubbins to a top-edged pull in the fourth over the captain fell for 21 in the 11th, edging a catch to the UAE wicketkeeper, the Lions were 48 for 2.Tom Alsop, the Hampshire youngster making his second Lions appearance, responded positively by hitting seven boundaries in an innings of 44 from 46 balls.But wickets continued to fall steadily, with Clarke, Livingstone and Ben Foakes all out cheaply to leave the Lions tottering at 90 for 6.Then Fuller joined Curran in a sensible seventh-wicket stand of 53 in 13 overs that was to prove crucial later on. After Fuller went for 35 from 49 balls, Overton joined Curran to hit 23 from 35 balls including the only two sixes of the innings, before the innings quickly subsided.”I want to make the most of the time out here to work really hard on my batting,” added Curran. “I’ve been given the responsibility of batting at No. 7 and I really enjoyed it. I was just disappointed to get out when I was ready to pull the trigger.”Kevin Shine, the ECB’s fast-bowling coach who is part of the Lions staff in Dubai, praised Curran for “bowling with pace, skill and aggression to turn the game”.Shine also highlighted “an assured debut” for Helm, the Middlesex quick, who was fast-tracked into the Lions team from the Pace Programme having impressed in the nets in Dubai.

A wrap of all the Group B matches from the fourth round of 2016-17 Ranji Trophy matches on October 29, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2016Stuart Binny’s ninth first-class century – a 158-ball 156 – gave Karnataka an opportunity to push for full points after they took a 245-run lead over Assam at the Bandra Kurla Complex ground in Mumbai. Assam went to stumps on 48 for 1, with Gokul Sharma, the captain, and Rahul Hazarika at the crease.Assam made early inroads to pick up three quick wickets, including those of overnight centurions Robin Uthappa (128) and Karun Nair (145), whose third-wicket stand was worth 265. Assam were left frustrated, however, as Binny forged two century stands – 131 for the seventh wicket with Shreyas Gopal and 105 for the sixth wicket with CM Gautam (73) – to help post 570. Arup Das, the medium-pacer, was Assam’s best bowler, taking 4 for 86.After suffering an innings loss against Karnataka last week, Delhi put themselves in a position to inflict a heavy defeat on Odisha in Mohali. Delhi’s seventh and eighth-wicket pairs added a total of 212 before Gautam Gambhir, who top-scored with 147, declared the innings on 495 for 8 to open up a 258-run advantage. Odisha were tottering at 109 for 4 in the second innings, and needed 149 more to make Delhi bat again. Ishant Sharma, playing his second competitive match after recovering from chikungunya, picked up two wickets.Delhi, who resumed on 351 for 7 in response to Odisha’s 237, were driven by a 156-run eighth-wicket stand between Milind Kumar and Manan Sharma. Milind, who registered a pair in the previous game, brought up his second first-class century and was unbeaten on 106, while Manan recorded his highest first-class score of 81. He was dismissed by left-arm spinner Dhiraj Singh, who took 4 for 84. In reply, Govinda Podder, Odisha’s captain, was unbeaten on 52 and stood between Delhi and a second outright win this season.Rajasthan were left to rue a batting collapse that had them 299 for 8 at stumps, in response to Maharashtra’s 461 in Hyderabad. Each of the top six batsmen got starts, with opener Manendar Singh’s 63 the top score. Resuming on the third day from 76 for 2, they lost Ashok Menaria, the captain, for 42 to expose the middle order. Mahipal Lomror (32) and Siddarth Dobal (59) held the fort briefly before Maharashtra’s spinners, Akshay Darekar and Chirag Khurana, opened up the game by picking four wickets between them. Chetan Bist, the wicketkeeper who retired hurt on 13 after being hit on the helmet by a Mohsin Sayyed bouncer, returned and was 43 not out at stumps.An improved batting performance in the second innings brightened Vidarbha’s hopes of salvaging one point against Jharkhand in Wayanad. Opener Sanjay Ramaswamy made 102, while three others – Faiz Fazal, Aditya Shanware and Ravi Jangid – made half-centuries as Vidarbha, ended the day on 315 for 3. They had been bowled out for 105 in the first innings and had conceded a 257-run lead. The unbroken fourth-wicket stand between Shanware and Jangid was worth 85.

Chelsea will push for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo after dropping out of the race to sign Manuel Ugarte, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Moises Caicedo?

As per The Telegraph, Brighton are set to demand around £70 million before sanctioning the sale of Caicedo in the summer transfer window, with multiple Premier League clubs said to be in the race for his signature.

The report states that Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United have a concrete interest in the Ecuador international; however, Liverpool could also join the chasing pack to try and sign the £60k-a-week ace.

Football London claim that Chelsea are 'confident' that they can strike a deal with Brighton to sign Caicedo, though there is an acknowledgement that the Seagulls are in a 'strong position' to negotiate with the west London outfit.

Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia and Borussia Monchengladbach man Manu Kone have also been shortlisted at Stamford Bridge as potential midfield targets.

Chelsea look set for a change of the guard in midfield heading into next term, with the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher and N'Golo Kante all being linked with a fresh start elsewhere.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has detailed that Chelsea have always been on the tail of Caicedo, even throughout their failed pursuit of Ugarte, who looks set to join Paris Saint-Germain.

Jones said: “I don’t think it’s even a case of getting back of the Caicedo trail, they’ve already been on it. The whole time the Ugarte thing has been going on, Caicedo is still the one I’ve been hearing more about. I’ve always expected that Chelsea would go for Caicedo.”

Would Moises Caicedo be a good signing for Chelsea?

Caicedo, who has been described by De Zerbi as a "top player" who can "play anywhere", enjoyed a fantastic 2022/23 campaign for Brighton and has all the qualities of an all-action midfielder that would add some bite to the Chelsea engine room.

All in, the 21-year-old made 43 appearances in all competitions with his current employers, registering a goal and a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.

The Ecuador international also racked up 2.7 tackles per match and a pass success rate of 88.8% in the Premier League, showing that he is strong in the tackle and comfortable in possession, as per WhoScored.

FBRef show that Caicedo has excelled when compared to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions regarding interceptions, having made 1.61 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the 11th percentile for this metric.

Chelsea look like a side that will aim to prioritise signing players who can make an impact for years to come and Caicedo would fit the bill as an exciting addition to inspire the Stamford Bridge faithful.

Michael Klinger stayed put when Sussex’s debutant Christian Davies thought he had caught him on 29. The umpires ruled in his favour. He went on to an unbeaten century

Will Macpherson13-Aug-2016
ScorecardMichael Klinger chose not to walk – and finished with an unbeaten century•Getty Images

When Michael Klinger punched Steve Magoffin to backward point, and the Sussex debutant Christian Davis dived forward, appearing to take a very fine low catch, he had 29. But as the fielders celebrated a wicket that would have left Gloucestershire reeling at 92 for five, Klinger was not for moving. He chose to leave the umpires to decide if the ball had carried and, after a lengthy conference, they decided he should stay. Sussex’s fielders initially appeared dumbfounded, but their lips loosened just in time for the exchange of some terse words.Klinger, almost inevitably, was still there at the close with a century to his name, with his team in the ascendancy after a disastrous start on a pitch he had elected to bat first on. On fine margins do such games turn.Sussex were within their rights to grumble (just as Klinger had been within his to stand his ground), but by day’s end they had let their outstanding start go to waste. Steve Magoffin, trotting in from the Sea End, had looked the force of old, picking up the Gloucestershire top three in his first six overs, and Jofra Archer had forced Hamish Marshall to edge to Chris Jordan, who took a fine catch at slip; Gloucestershire were ruinously placed at 34 for four.Magoffin took upwards of 28% of Sussex’s wickets during his first four years at the club, but his influence – on pitches often unkind to his art – has appeared to slightly wane this season, even if he still went into this game with his 25 wickets coming at 29. He was immediately into his work here, however, with his line, length and lots of lift making life uncomfortable for Gloucestershire. Will Tavare was bowled playing across the line, while Graeme van Buuren and Chris Dent pushed and were caught behind; the ball after the latter fell, Danny Briggs parried a very hard chance from Marshall in the gully. Never mind, Archer’s pace did for him shortly after.But then came some vintage Klinger fare; his driving was perfectly precise and his judgment outside off stump perfect, while he was always alive to the possibility of a single. On a day when the outside edge was beaten plenty, it is hard to recall the beaten blade being his. His contentious reprieve was his sole false stroke. He never really needed to put his foot down, but late in the day there was a nonchalant flick for six over midwicket and his cuts had more purpose too.”Given the position he went in on,” reflected his coach, Richard Dawson, “it was a massive achievement to be there at the end. He just took it ball by ball. He’s a soldier, he just carries on going. He’s a consistent person, the way he trains, he’s very honest, he wants to succeed and is hungry and wants to make big runs. If he gets low scores, he doesn’t let it get him down. It’s very simple – he knows his strengths and he sticks to them, and the bottom line is that he’s a quality bloke.”Klinger anchored three vital stands. First, 133 with Phil Mustard, playing his first innings of note for Gloucestershire, a typically roistering affair full of punchy cuts and beautiful off-drives, before he was bowled trying to slog Briggs. Then there was 62 with Jack Taylor, who never fully settled as he looked to open up the offside and, after Taylor and Benny Howell fell in quick succession, an unbeaten 109 with Craig Miles, who had an aggressive half-century by the close of play.It was during the stand with Miles that Sussex seemed to rather drop their bundle. Twice, four overthrows whistled away to the fence and, on a pitch where the new ball is key (as evidenced by Magoffin first thing), their performance with the second one was profligate. As the seamers inexplicably dug the ball in, Ben Brown had to be at his most athletic behind the stumps, and still 18 byes slipped through. Miles, to his credit, batted like a man auditioning for a promotion, accumulating adroitly then feasting on Sussex’s flagging seamers late on.”It was a niggly day, and one of the most difficult to watch this season,” said Sussex’s coach Mark Davis, “because we were in a good position and it didn’t quite go our way on occasions too. We weren’t good enough to make our own luck. The new ball is key on this pitch because the ball is getting soft quickly and when it does get soft it gets harder to get people out. We didn’t bowl well enough with it.”On Klinger’s reprieve, Davis veered on the side of diplomacy. “The umpires are there to make a decision, they made that decision and we have to move on,” he said. “It’s done, it’s massively frustrating – I thought it just went straight to backward point and the umpires conferred and that was that. It’s game-changing, and certainly day-changing. It is what it is, that happens in sport, and we’ve got to move on.”He was right, the umpires had made a game-changing decision. But he also knew that going into day two, his side had plenty to bemoan besides Klinger’s prosperous pardon.

Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez is keen to join Real Madrid who are ready to table an offer to sign him this summer, according to reports.

What's the latest on Alvarez's future?

The Sky Blues forward first put pen to paper at the Etihad Stadium in January 2022, and after completing the rest of that season out on loan at River Plate, as per Transfermarkt, returned to the club and is now in his full debut season in the Premier League, having made 43 appearances to date.

In March, the Argentine signed a one-year contract extension which keeps him working with Pep Guardiola until at least 2028, but his future has always felt uncertain considering that he's the manager's second-choice up top and has been kept out of the team by Erling Haaland.

The Calchin native has made just nine top-flight starts this season compared to the Norwegian's 30, with 17 of his appearances having been as a substitute when brought off the bench, so it's clear that he's down the pecking order, and one admirer in particular are reportedly looking to capitalise on that by prising him away during the upcoming window.

According to Spanish reports (via Sport Witness), Real Madrid have "identified" Alvarez as a potential "heir" for Karim Benzema at the Bernabeu Stadium. Carlo Ancelotti is looking for a younger striker to succeed the veteran and believes that the 23-year-old would "fit in" to his squad.

The Los Blancos are ready to "go all out" to secure his services, and whilst Man City "don't plan to part ways" with him, it's stated that his suitor are "willing to do what is necessary" to tempt him. The La Liga giants are "prepared to make an attractive offer" to do this, and it's claimed that they are hopeful that his "desire to join" will aid them in completing a deal in the summer.

Should Man City keep or sell Alvarez?

Man City will understandably view Haaland as their first-choice striker, but Alvarez has been dubbed an “electric” talent by scout Jacek Kulig and he’s still a great alternative to have in the building, so Guardiola should definitely retain his services beyond the summer.

The Sky Blues forward, who pockets £100k-per-week, has posted 20 goal contributions (15 goals and five assists) in 43 appearances since joining and is currently averaging 1.4 shots per league game, highlighting how prolific he can be when given the chance to play.

Alvarez also brings wonderful versatility to the squad having operated in five various positions this season alone under the boss, including everywhere across the frontline and even in attacking midfield, so for all of the potential that he has to offer, it would seem ridiculous to cash in just months after he committed to extending his stay even further.

‘Origin of leak not from ICC’

: The ICC commended Brendon McCullum two years ago – and continues to do so today – for his brave, courageous and principled stand against corruption in cricket. The ICC also understood and shared his dismay at the leak of his confidential statement, which prompted a thorough and detailed investigation by the ICC. While the probe proved that the origin of the leak was not from within the ICC, it failed to establish beyond doubt the actual source. Nevertheless, the ICC has already put strong measures in place to ensure this type of incident is never repeated.
In 2014 (and unrelated to the leak of confidential information), a comprehensive review of the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit was carried out to review its processes, functions and resources. The review was conducted by the ICC’s Integrity Working Party (IWP), which included independent corruption experts. All the recommendations of the IWP were reviewed and adopted by the ICC Board during the 2015 ICC Annual Conference in Barbados.
Every event or incident provides an organisation with opportunities to review its structures and measure its operations against best practice. This is exactly what the ICC has done in this particular case – it believes the outcome has been processes, procedures and resources which have been further bolstered and strengthened.
The ICC reconfirms that it is doing absolutely everything in its power to fight the threat of corruption in the sport and will continue to do so. It also reaffirms its commitment to gain and retain the complete trust of cricketers, and to work in close cooperation with all stakeholders in cricket.

Ravi Sawani, the former general manager of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), has questioned the remarks made by the former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who termed the approach of the anti-corruption watchdog “casual”.Delivering the MCC Spirit of Cricket lecture at Lord’s on Monday, McCullum, who gave match-fixing evidence against his former team-mate Chris Cairns at Southwark Crown Court in London last year, said he felt the ACSU’s evidence-gathering had to be “much more thorough, more professional”.In his testimony during Cairns’ perjury trial, McCullum had said that, on the eve of New Zealand’s first match of the 2011 World Cup, he and Daniel Vettori, then captain, had gone to the hotel room of the ACSU representative John Rhodes to report the approaches that Cairns had allegedly made in 2008, when McCullum was playing the inaugural season of the IPL in India. McCullum recollected Rhodes taking notes but not recording their conversation.According to McCullum, Rhodes said his notes would “probably end up” at the bottom of the file. “When I made my first statement to the ICC, my impression was that it would be put in the bottom draw and never see the light of day again. No attempt was made to elicit a full and comprehensive statement from me on that occasion,” McCullum told the audience at the lecture.Cairns, who retired from international cricket in 2006, had been part of the un-sanctioned Indian Cricket League in 2008, the tournament which gave rise to the allegations of which he was subsequently acquitted. However, Sawani said the ACSU could not have used McCullum’s statement against Cairns since the ICL did not fall under the ICC umbrella.”We could not have used any part of what McCullum had told us against Chris Cairns in any manner because Chris Cairns was not under the ICC jurisdiction at that moment,” Sawani told ESPNcricinfo.”He [Cairns] was accused of doing something when he was part of the ICL operations. As per the ACSU code Cairns had not done anything in any ICC-controlled match so there was no necessity for us to prosecute Chris Cairns. Also, because we had taken a decision not to prosecute McCullum for the delay in reporting an approach, there was no requirement for recording McCullum’s statement in a detailed manner.”After speaking to Rhodes, McCullum made detailed statements to the ACSU and the Metropolitan Police in London in 2014. The Metropolitan Police, McCullum said, was “streets ahead in terms of professionalism” compared to the ACSU. Sawani, however, disagreed with McCullum.”The Met Police recorded his statement to criminally prosecute Chris Cairns and his lawyer [who was also acquitted] for certain offences as per the English law and obviously they went into great details as to what happened and exactly what was the cause of the statement that he had made and what happened thereafter,” Sawani said. “It had to be evidence recorded as per the procedure prescribed in English criminal law and then used during criminal proceedings.”According to Sawani, the ACSU took a well-deliberated decision not to punish McCullum for his failure to report the approach three years after Cairns allegedly made it.”I took that decision that no action need be taken against Brendon McCullum,” Sawani said. “McCullum was stating something three years late about an incident. No action was taken even though technically it was an offence. The player himself had come forward to report an approach about which we were not aware and it would have been stupid on our part to punish him for that.”Later in 2014, McCullum’s second statement to the ICC was leaked in the . McCullum said he still did not know how his statement had found its way into the paper, and if anyone had been held accountable.”To report an approach and to give evidence requires considerable courage – players deserve much better,” McCullum said. “How can the game’s governing body expect players to co-operate with it when it is then responsible for leaking confidential statements to the media?”However, Sawani denied that anyone within the ACSU would have divulged any details to an outsider, adding that there were others present in the room each time McCullum recorded a statement.”McCullum himself admitted this,” Sawani said, “when he said ‘I had told other people about Cairns’ approaches – one of them was my captain and friend, Dan Vettori’. There were many possibilities. The truth is out there somewhere and only Ed Hawkins [Daily Mail reporter] can say from where he sourced extracts of that statement.”

Manchester United reporter Samuel Luckhurst hit out at Jadon Sancho during the club’s 3-0 Europa League defeat to Sevilla on Thursday evening.

What did Luckhurst have to say about Sancho?

Erik ten Hag was missing some key players through injury and suspension for the trip to Spain, however, the Red Devils never got going in the second leg.

Errors from David de Gea and Harry Maguire allowed the hosts to get in front early on and they never looked back. The pair both came in for criticism in the media, however, Sancho, making his 31st appearance of the season, also came in for scrutiny. The winger was brought off for Marcus Rashford at the interval, and Luckhurst wasn’t impressed with the former of the two England internationals.

Luckhurst, chief reporter for The Manchester Evening News, provided updates throughout the evening on Twitter. During the first half, he said that the winger was playing “like someone who knows he’s on borrowed time”.

The reporter posted at half-time that Sancho was “hiding” and gave him a 2/10 in his player ratings after the game, adding that he slowed the visitors down whenever he was on the ball.

What did the stats say about Sancho?

As per SofaScore, Sancho recorded a match rating of 6.70/10, slightly higher than the United average of 6.61/10. however, he had just 30 touches of the ball, fewer than both De Gea and Maguire.

The attacker lost possession on seven occasions, was second-best in four of his seven duels and didn’t attempt a cross or shot all evening. Sancho did complete three dribbles and made two key passes, however, right-winger Antony made four key passes, with Sancho’s display not impressing Luckhurst in the slightest.