Following the Supreme Court’s latest order, the BCCI is likely to postpone the bidding process for the IPL television and digital rights

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Oct-2016

The BCCI is likely to defer the bidding process for the IPL television and digital rights, which had been scheduled to open in Mumbai on October 25, in wake of the fresh order from the Supreme Court on Friday.The court order had directed the BCCI to route all tenders and contracts through the Lodha Committee. The committee has not yet decided when it will conduct its next meeting to decide its next step following the court order. It is understood that the BCCI has contacted the committee, which has not yet responded to the board; the BCCI needs to wait for its approval. If the BCCI decides to go ahead with the bidding process without the committee’s backing, it will be in danger of being in contempt of court.Within hours of the court pronouncing the order, BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke sent an email to the Lodha Committee seeking direction on whether the IPL bids could be held next Tuesday. It is understood that BCCI also sent the committee all necessary details, including the paperwork submitted by the 18 bidders that had bought the invitation to tender (ITT) document.”We have sought advice from the Lodha Committee,” a senior BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo. The BCCI is already prepared for the bidding process to be postponed. The board official said that even if the committee were to give it the nod, the BCCI would be faced with “logistical” issues to conduct the bidding on Tuesday.According to the official, once the BCCI validated the 18 companies that had bought the ITT, it needed to send them an agreement. “First you issue the agreement. Then there are two rounds of clarifications. After the clarifications some points change and you revise the agreement. The revised agreement did not go out yesterday after the court judgement.”If they say go ahead, we will do that on October 25. But it would be a very big challenge for the board. So we will just change the date by one or two days.” The official said the board had not updated the 18 companies yet on the schedule, and would do so only after it heard from the Lodha Committee.In the order, the court had also asked the committee to appoint an independent auditor to oversee all existing and future finance-related issues, tenders and contracts of the board. The court also asked the committee to set a “threshold value” for contracts; whenever that limit was exceeded, the BCCI would need to seek approval from the Lodha panel before moving ahead in the particular matter.Shirke, in his email, had also asked the committee if the independent auditor would also be present for the bidding process. “We don’t know what the threshold value is. We don’t know who the auditor is. So we have submitted all the papers [relating to the tender] to them. And we await the directive from the committee now,” the official said.In September, the BCCI announced it would invite bidders to participate in an open-tender process to secure IPL rights for the next cycle starting 2018. With the IPL’s worth having soared astronomically over its nine seasons, and keeping in mind the changing trends in business dynamics, the BCCI had split the media rights into three categories: Indian subcontinent television rights, India subcontinent digital rights and Rest of the World media rights. Among those who bought the ITT were non-television players Facebook, Twitter, Amazon and Reliance Jio.The case stems from the IPL 2013 fixing scandal. The court had initially appointed the Lodha Committee to determine appropriate punishments for those involved, and propose changes to the BCCI’s functioning to ensure best practices. In July the court accepted the majority of the committee’s recommendations, covering wide-ranging aspects of Indian cricket at the central and state level, making it binding on the BCCI to implement them. The BCCI has since questioned the benefits of some of these reforms – particularly the “one state, one vote” policy, the age cap on board officials, and the cap and cooling off periods on their terms in office – and missed some deadlines for their implementation, prompting the Lodha Committee and the Supreme Court to pursue the matter.

As Manchester United look to strengthen this summer, the major priorities for manager Erik ten Hag appear to be the signing of a new number nine and central midfielder, with the Dutchman seemingly hoping to improve the spine of his team ahead of next season.

With regard to midfield additions, Manchester Evening News reported earlier this season that the Red Devils were considering a fresh approach for Borussia Dortmund starlet, Jude Bellingham, with the England international having previously snubbed United's advances back in 2020.

Any potential move for the 19-year-old now appears almost impossible following the news that Real Madrid have reached an agreement with the Bundesliga side regarding a €100m (£86m) deal for the teenager, with the former Birmingham City man looking all but set to be plying his trade in the Spanish capital next season.

To have missed out on a player who is "going to be the best midfielder in the world" – according to Three Lions colleague, Phil Foden – is undoubtedly a blow for the Old Trafford outfit, with Ten Hag needing to find another midfield solution over the coming weeks and months.

The 53-year-old could already be lining up a perfect alternative to the Dortmund ace, however, in the form of Leon Goretzka, with the Bayern Munich machine believed to be a target for the Carabao Cup winners, according to reports in his native Germany.

Should Man United sign Goretzka?

The signing of the £301k-per-week maestro could allow Ten Hag to find his own version of Bellingham, with the two Bundesliga stars said to share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities, as per FBref.

That likeness between the 6 foot 2 German and his English counterpart – who is also a towering figure at 6 foot 1 – is not just due to their physical stature, with the pair able to make a stellar impact at both ends of the pitch.

That is showcased by the duo's defensive strength, with Goretzka ranking in the top 3% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for blocks made, while Bellingham ranks in the top 7% in that regard.

Equally, the two men also have the desire to bomb forward and get involved in the final third, with Goretzka averaging 2.2 touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 across the last 365 days, while Bellingham is only slightly ahead as he averages 3.6 touches per 90 for the same metric.

With the latter man a player who can "do absolutely everything" – according to United legend Gary Neville – the Bayern ace is also something of an all-action star in his own right, with former boss Julian Nagelsmann describing him as "one of the best box-to-box players in Europe".

Much like Bellingham – who has 24 goals and 25 assists to his name in 132 games for his current side – the former Schalke man also possesses an "incredible goal threat", according to Nagelsmann, having registered 34 goals and 35 assists in 179 games for the Bavarian giants.

While the Bochum native is less of a long-term option having turned 28 earlier this year – in contrast to the teenage Bellingham – his similar attributes to that of the Madrid-bound superstar should make him a perfect fit for Ten Hag at the Theatre of Dreams.

Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae this summer – and the South Korean could replace £60m flop Marc Cucurella at Stamford Bridge.

Would Kim Min-Jae be a good signing for Chelsea?

According to 90min, Napoli could be forced to sell the powerful centre-back this summer, with Chelsea among those interested in bringing him to the Premier League.

Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are all also thought to be in the running, while Chelsea are said to have sent scouts to watch the 26-year-old play this month – and could bring him to Stamford Bridge for as little as €45m (£39m) due to a release clause in his contract, which is only eligible in the first two weeks of the upcoming transfer window.

Since joining from Fenerbahce last summer, the six foot three defender has gone on to make 34 appearances in Serie A for Luciano Spalletti's side, contributing two goals and two assists with a superb 7.10 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Reece James is currently ranked as the top performer at Stamford Bridge with a 7.07 average rating, which emphasises just how impressive Kim has been in his first season in Italy.

He also averaged a 7.20 rating in the Champions League as Napoli reached the quarter-finals, so clearly has what it takes to play at the very top level.

Former Manchester United man Park Ji-sung was full of praise for his compatriot earlier in the campaign, saying:

"Extraordinary, what a talent. He took the right step by going to play in Turkey and showed himself ready to take a step forward. He didn't come directly to Italy but step by step, so he grew up and there is no doubt that he is doing extraordinary things, as a technical leader and personality in Naples".

Teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also dubbed him as an "iron barrel" and described him as one of the best in the world, so he could certainly be a quality addition to Chelsea's squad this summer if he can live up to that praise.

Could Kim Min-Jae replace Cucurella at Chelsea?

One concern for Todd Boehly is the number of defensive options already at Stamford Bridge but if he were able to complete a deal for the former Beijing Guoan star, perhaps it could see Cucurella moved on.

The Spanish defender joined from Brighton last summer but has endured a difficult first season in west London, with WhoScored ranking him as the 15th-best performer in Chelsea's squad.

Often utilised as a left-sided centre-back, Cucurella hasn't looked comfortable at all in recent months and his lack of defensive awareness was cruelly exposed in the Champions League defeat against Real Madrid.

Given the competition for places at Chelsea and Boehly's demands for a better 2023/24 season, the 24-year-old is surely a prime candidate to be moved on this summer, especially if it can fund a move for Kim.

The South Korean has averaged far more interceptions, clearances and blocks per game than Cucurella so far this term, so would be a far more natural centre-back for Mauricio Pochettino to have at Stamford Bridge, making him a fine target Boehly should definitely try to sign.

Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League on Sunday afternoon as they fell to a disappointing 4-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, on a day when they simply had to win.

Players at Elland Road were unsurprisingly booed off on a shocking end to a dreadful campaign, with Sam Allardyce's appointment doing little to stem the run of terrible results and schoolboy defending, as the Yorkshire outfit shipped 11 goals in just four games under the experienced Englishman.

While it will be difficult for Leeds fans to pick out any positives from a nightmare day at Elland Road, the performance of Adam Forshaw was a promising one on what was likely to be his final appearance at the club.

How did Forshaw play against Tottenham Hotspur?

The 31-year-old, who is out of contract next month, has spent much of the campaign sidelined through injury but showed his quality on a day when many Leeds players simply failed to show up.

As per Sofascore, the Englishman would earn a solid 7/10 rating for his performance, which was the joint-best of any Leeds player to feature in the game, with Georginio Rutter also earning a 7/10 from the bench after contributing the assist for Jack Harrison's second half goal.

The £20k-per-week asset saw plenty of the ball on Sunday afternoon, registering 93 touches and completing 54/62 passes, which was a dramatic increase on his season average of 18.4 passes per game.

The former Middlesbrough man also contributed four key passes, which again is a significant increase on his season average of 0.7 key passes per game, and suggests that he was the chief creator on Sunday afternoon from midfield.

He could hardly be blamed for Leeds' defensive woes against an inspired Harry Kane, as he also contributed two tackles and one interception, which suggests that he was one of few players to actually do their job on the final day.

It was no surprise therefore that during BT Sport's coverage of the game, Gary McAllister described him as Leeds' "best player" and suggested that he was the only one who had "stood up" for the Yorkshire outfit in the first half.

While Leeds' multi-million signings showed little to no fight, Forshaw was one who put his all into the game, and it may just make the incoming manager consider whether he is worth a new short-term deal this summer, as he can leave Elland Road tonight with his head held high.

كشف البلجيكي إيدين هازارد، اللاعب السابق لـ ريال مدريد وتشيلسي، سبب زيادة وزنه في الفترة الأخيرة قبل اعتزاله كرة القدم مع النادي الملكي.

إيدين هازارد انضم إلى ريال مدريد في صيف 2019 قادمًا من تشيلسي، ولم يتمكن من إثبات نفسه بسبب الإصابات العديدة التي تعرض لها خلال مسيرته مع النادي الملكي.

طالع أيضًا.. تقارير فرنسية إسبانية: مبابي لم يوقع بعد على عقود ريال مدريد

وعانى هازارد من زيادة الوزن في ريال مدريد، وتلقى العديد من الانتقادات حول ذلك، خاصة في الأشهر الأولى من الموسم.

كشف هازارد عن السبب وراء ذلك في تصريحات خلال بودكاست مع زميله السابق في تشيلسي جون أوبي ميكيل، وقال: “نعم هذا صحيح، كل صيف كنت أكتسب أربعة أو خمسة كيلوجرامات لأنني كنت في إجازة”.

وأضاف: “خلال الموسم تحافظ على نوعية الأكل ومعدل الركض، ولكن في الإجازة لا تطلب مني أن أفعل أي شيء لأنني أستمتع بالتواجد مع عائلتي والذهاب إلى الشاطئ، لا تطلب مني الركض والتدريب خلال تلك الأسابيع الثلاثة أو الأربعة”.

وأكمل: “إذا نظرت طوال مسيرتي المهنية، فإن الشهر الأول من الموسم، هو الذي كنت أفكر فيه أنه مجرد البداية، ثم من سبتمبر وأكتوبر كنت أطير مثل الفراشة، لأنني أتدرب بجدية وأحاول جاهدًا تقديم كل شيء من أجل فريقي”.

وأشار لاعب تشيلسي الأسبق: “كنت أعرف أن وزني زائد، ولا أنظر للانتقادات كثيرًا، لأنني كما قلت لك، لا يمكنني أن أتخلى عن حريتي في الإجازة، نحن في بلجيكا نحب البيرة، كنت أتناولها ولكن ليس كل يوم، في بعض الأحيان فقط عندما أقدم مباراة جيدة وأكون سعيدًا بما قدمته”.

هازارد اعتزل كرة القدم في أكتوبر 2023، بعدما تم فسخ عقده مع ريال مدريد قبل موسم من نهايته، ورغم ارتباطه بالعديد من الأندية السعودية والأمريكية، لكن البلجيكي قرر إنهاء مسيرته المهنية.

Cape Cobras captain Omphile Ramela has been suspended from their next Sunfoil Series match against Dolphins on November 3. He was found guilty of breaching CSA’s code of conduct during a match against Knights on October 11, after team-mate Zubayr Hamza was given out handled the ball.Ramela had run foul of clause 6.3.1 (f) – “using language/ a gesture that is seriously obscene, offensive or insulting to another participant or a spectator”. Should he repeat the offence over the next year, he will be suspended for another game.”I have taken into account the fact that Mr Ramela admitted the offence and has accepted that his behaviour was inappropriate,” CSA Disciplinary Commissioner, Professor Rian Cloete, said.”I am satisfied that the appropriate penalty in respect of this offence, which is a level 2 offence, is a suspension for two matches, of which one (1) match is suspended for one calendar year.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been offered the chance to sign Man United defender Harry Maguire this summer, according to broadcast giant ESPN.

Who could Spurs sign this summer?

Ange Postecoglou's arrival at Spurs marks the end of chairman Daniel Levy's long and drawn out search for Antonio Conte's replacement, a task that lasted over two months.

The Australian arrives in north London off the back of a domestic treble triumph with former club Celtic, and Levy held plenty of praise for him in a recent interview with Tottenham's official website.

“Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play" said Levy."He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our Club. We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead."

Attention now turns to the transfer market as Spurs aim to back the 57-year-old with star signings, and according to reports, central defensive reinforcements are certainly on their agenda.

Spurs have been linked with moves for Man City star Aymeric Laporte, Wolves defender Max Kilman and Maguire to name a few, while the Lilywhites are also seeking to strengthen in midfield.

However, defence seems like a priority, with Maguire being repeatedly mentioned in the last few days.

Now, according to broadcast giant ESPN, there has been an update – with their reporter James Olley claiming Spurs have been "offered the chance to explore a deal" for him.

The Red Devils are apparently willing to give the green-light for Maguire to leave this window as Tottenham and West Ham get handed the chance to do business.

However, wages could be a potential stumbling block, as the former Leicester City star is thought to earn in the region of £200,000-per-week.

Who is Harry Maguire?

While there have been question marks surrounding his form under Erik te Hag, Maguire is a capable centre-back on his day and regularly impresses for England at international level.

Harry Redknapp is a big fan, having called the 30-year-old a "proper defender" amid what has been a regrettable season for him overall.

Ten Hag has even held praise for Maguire in some parts, drawing attention to his improved form towards the back end of 2022/2023.

"I'm really happy with the progress that Harry is making in this moment," ten Hag said in March."He's more dominant and dictating, he's taking more initiative on the training pitch and I think also in the Real Betis game, he showed leadership, especially in those aspects of initiative and dictating of the game."

West Indies captain Jason Holder has praised Kraigg Brathwaite for showing the qualities “we have been asking for in the dressing room” during his 142 off 318 balls

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Nov-2016West Indies captain Jason Holder has praised Kraigg Brathwaite for showing the qualities “we have been asking for in the dressing room” during his 142 off 318 balls, an innings in which he carried his bat and gave his team a 56-run lead in Sharjah.Holder went on to take three wickets early in Pakistan’s second innings, and they were four down before they wiped out the deficit. He put that performance down to the motivation Brathwaite had given West Indies, and predicted that the opener would go on to play 100 Tests.”He showed great character, great composure, great faith,” Holder said of Brathwaite. “It was very inspirational for me and gave me the energy to go and do what we did in the end.”I have played a lot of cricket with Brathwaite – Under-13, 15, 17 and 19, and now senior cricket. He has scored a lot of runs in junior cricket. He has already played 30-odd Test matches and he has been the mainstay in terms of opening partnerships. I have no doubt in Braithwaite, who has shown the world what he can bring. If he can remain consistent, he will definitely play 100-plus Test matches.”After Brathwaite secured the lead, Holder consolidated the advantage by taking out Sami Aslam, Asad Shafiq and Younis Khan inside the first 20 overs, reducing Pakistan to 41 for 3. They were ahead by only 31 at stumps, with six wickets in hand.”We knew there’s just limited time in the last session, so we wanted to just give it our all,” Holder told . “Fortunately for me, I was able to get some balls to lift off a good length, which took the edge or the gloves. Fortunately, we had some luck in this session. I think we put ourselves in a good position because of this session.”When asked about offspinner Roston Chase bowling 13 of the first 39 overs in Pakistan’s second innings, while Devendra Bishoo bowled only two, Holder said the legspinner had a big job to do on the fourth day.”As the pitch wears out, Bishoo will come into the picture. He has a big job to do for us tomorrow,” Holder said. “The plan is to just keep rotating bowlers.”It was important to be disciplined and get wickets, and not allow them to get away from us with the runs. Roston was outstanding in the first innings. He has done a tremendous job for us since he has come into the team, so we’ve given him that responsibility.”Holder was concerned about the bounce in the pitch, but said that if it did not become variable, a target of around 200 was achievable.”It’s important to keep them under pressure in the first hour. We just have to continue to maintain the intensity. We all have to really toil for the wickets. We are very happy with the situation but we need to start well tomorrow.”

Chelsea forward Kai Havertz could ‘definitely thrive’ at Stamford Bridge under new boss Mauricio Pochettino, transfer insider Dean Jones has told Football FanCast.

Chelsea news – What’s the latest on Kai Havertz?

Despite scoring ‘that’ famous goal in Portugal to help the Blues win the Champions League in May 2021, life in west London hasn’t gone entirely to plan for Havertz.

The former Bayer Leverkusen star made the £72m switch to England with a lofty reputation and price tag, but he has generally failed to live up to the expectations many had for him.

The last few weeks have seen several transfer rumours linking the German with a move away from the two-time European champions.

Just this week, it was reported in the German publication BILD that Spanish giants Real Madrid were considering the player, as he is a ‘dream player’ for coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has also reported that “Chelsea and Kai Havertz are on the same page”, and the Blues hierarchy is “prepared to let him leave.”

However, not everyone is on the same page, and some think that the 6 foot 4 forward can rediscover his form at Stamford Bridge.

What has Dean Jones said about Kai Havertz and Chelsea?

Jones thinks the coaching of Mauricio Pochettino might be just what the Aachen-born dynamo needs to fulfil his massive potential in England and stresses that despite the rumours, Chelsea aren’t exactly desperate to be rid of the player this summer.

Speaking to Football FanCast, the journalist said:

“Think of how Pochettino sides have played in the past, someone like Kai Havertz could definitely thrive, and Chelsea aren’t desperate to get rid of him. I think that’s important to point out.

“He was signed in line with being potentially one of the best forwards in the world over the next five, six years. They still believe he can become that in the right system.”

Should Chelsea keep Kai Havertz at Stamford Bridge?

This depends on the figures involved in any potential deal to move the player on.

Should Real Madrid come in and pay the reported fee of £75m, per Evening Standard, the club should probably cut their losses and move on, especially after their increased spending over the last year.

However, if there are no buyers at that price point, it might be best to give Pochettino a chance to try and improve the player, especially since his underlying numbers aren’t that bad.

According to FBref, when compared to other attacking midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, Havertz sits in the top 8% for non-penalty expected goals and the top 9% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area per 90.

Whilst not exceptional, there is clearly a foundation there for the former Tottenham Hotspur manager to work with.

Although it comes four months after the due date. The ICC said they were aware of the delay but have not immediately commented on the news of ZC’s finalised accounts

Firdose Moonda28-Oct-2016

Zimbabwe Cricket is ready to submit its 2015 audit to the ICC, almost four months later than it was due. In accordance with ICC rules all Full Members must file an unqualified audit within six months of the end of its financial year. That was the end of June for ZC, but it has taken them until the end of October to finalise the audit.In a statement, ZC said it “was satisfied with the audit process and subsequently recommended the adoption of the audited accounts to the Special General Meeting (SGM). Delegates to the SGM, after considering the financial records, adopted the audited accounts.”The ICC confirmed they were aware of delays in ZC’s audit and that they were in regular communication with the board. However, the ICC did not immediately comment on the news of ZC’s finalised accounts.Three weeks ago, ESPNcricinfo reported that some members of the board had raised concerns about the figures in an initial audit, with particular scrutiny on US$5.2 million in tour expenses. The amount was thought to be inflated because most of Zimbabwe’s incoming tours were paid for in other ways.The accounts were rejected by ZC, and its auditors, HLB Zimbabwe, distanced themselves from the report saying they were still waiting for information from the board in order to complete the audit.ZC now claim to have “worked closely with its auditors who satisfactorily concluded the exercise.”