The Mumbai Cricket Association has decided to file an intervention application before the Supreme Court to highlight the “difficulties and inconsistencies” in the Lodha Committee’s report, making it potentially the first member unit of the BCCI to seek cl

Arun Venugopal22-Feb-2016

The Mumbai Cricket Association has decided to file an intervention application before the Supreme Court to highlight the “difficulties and inconsistencies” in the Lodha Committee’s report, making it potentially the first member unit of the BCCI to seek clarity on the committee’s recommendations. According to an MCA official, the key concerns highlighted in the application are the age limit of 70 for the office bearers, the cooling off period between terms in office, and bringing state associations under the purview of the RTI.Should the recommendations be accepted in their present form, it will become untenable for the incumbent president, Sharad Pawar, who is well over 70, to continue in office. MCA vice-president Ashish Shelar said the association was seeking advice from the Supreme Court on the implementation of the recommendations. “There is no objection. There are some difficulties about implementing [the recommendations] which we will point out to the court,” Shelar told ESPNcricinfo.”Right now the existence of MCA itself is in question [because of the one-state, one-vote recommendation], we will ask the guidance from the court on how to deal with it. We are doing that [pointing out that MCA is the oldest body in the state].”It has also emerged that many other member units, including the KSCA, TNCA and the Cricket Club of India, are likely to follow suit and file similar applications in the coming days. An official of the CCI, which according to the Lodha report has “no cause” to be treated as a Full Member, said after the SGM on Friday that it was contemplating an intervention application. “Our contributions to the BCCI over the years have been significant,” he said. “We will present our arguments to the Supreme Court.”The TNCA, it is learnt, is likely to be among the last few associations to make the intervention plea. “We are going to wait for associations like Mumbai and Maharashtra to make the first move,” a TNCA source said. “Because of the whole CSK episode we don’t want to be seen by the court to be in the forefront in opposing [the recommendations].”Meanwhile, the BCCI is expected to file its affidavit – one that will point out the “anomalies and difficulties” encountered in implementing the recommendations – in the next few days. According to a source privy to the goings on at the SGM on Friday, the BCCI was required to submit the affidavit “around February 25 or 26,” about a week before the deadline of March 3 that the Supreme Court had given for the BCCI to inform if it could implement the Lodha report.The source also said that the BCCI had encouraged its member units to file intervention applications to the Supreme Court, as each member had specific concerns that needed to be raised individually. BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur had in fact said after the SGM that the board could not stop the state associations from filing pleas to the Supreme Court.In an oral submission before the Supreme court on January 25, the Cricket Association of Bihar, the original petitioner, had sought a full implementation of the Lodha report.The BCCI’s legal counsel said the board found certain anomalies in the report and needed more time to further review the recommendations. Justice TS Thakur dismissed the request for any extension, and said the court was going to accept the Lodha report completely and implement it if the BCCI did not inform the court before the March 3 deadline.The Lodha committee, appointed by the Supreme Court in January 2015, recommended a complete overhaul of Indian cricket. Its report covered every aspect of the game with special focus on the BCCI’s administrative and governance structures and the issue of transparency.

West Ham United proved that they are very much still in a relegation battle this season as they were thumped 5-1 at home by Newcastle United on Wednesday night, in a game which could potentially spell the end for David Moyes.

The pressure will surely now be ramped up on the Scottish manager after an embarrassing home defeat which leaves the Hammers only out of the bottom three on goal difference.

How did West Ham against Newcastle play out?

Although West Ham could have opened the scoring early on when Bruno Guimaraes hit his own post, it was one-way traffic for most of the 90 minutes.

Callum Wilson headed in from Allan Saint-Maximin’s cross to continue his fine run of form against the Hammers before Joelinton made it two after exploiting a Sunday League-esque defensive line from Moyes’ side.

Kurt Zouma gave the home side hope just before half-time after heading in Jarrod Bowen’s corner but any dreams of a comeback were quelled by Nayef Aguerd as he miscontrolled a simple pass, with Jacob Murphy robbing him of possession and squaring for Wilson for his second.

West Ham weren’t done there as Lukasz Fabianski gifted Alexander Isak the fourth.

The Polish ‘keeper made an inexplicable howler as he unnecessarily came flying out of his goal, only to fluff his lines and present the Swedish forward with an empty net to find.

That was before Joelinton compounded the home side’s misery by firing in a fifth, which the Hammers shot-stopper arguably could have kept out.

Who was West Ham’s worst performer against Newcastle?

There are plenty of names to choose from when deciding upon the Hammers’ worst player against the Toon, as individual errors from Aguerd and Fabianski were crucial in the visitors taking all three points.

However, there was another completely anonymous display from Tomas Soucek in West Ham’s midfield, with the Czech Republic international barely touching the ball in his 65 minutes on the pitch.

As per Sofascore, the former Slavia Prague man would earn a woeful 6.3/10 rating for his performance, with only Emerson, Bowen, Fabianski and Aguerd rated lower from the West Ham players to feature in the game.

Despite his role as a midfielder, the 28-year-old simply let the game pass him by, as he managed just 13 touches of the ball and eight passes in his time on the pitch, with Fabianski managing 31 touches by comparison.

This has been the story of Soucek’s season as he possesses the 16th-best pass average in West Ham’s squad, but he has averaged 27 passes per game in the top flight, which emphasises just how little influence he had against a dominant Newcastle side on Wednesday.

Unsurprisingly, the £65k-per-week midfielder’s woeful display caught the eye of journalists on Twitter, with Barry Collins writing:

“What the hell has happened to Tomas Soucek? An absolute shadow of the player that arrived. Has zero presence.”

David Rivers suggested that Moyes’ faith in Soucek was a stackable offence in itself, suggesting that his decision to keep playing the out-of-form West Ham man was “becoming comical.”

Although fingers will naturally be pointed at Fabianski and Aguerd for their shocking mistakes, Soucek completely went missing again. Indeed, he simply isn’t fulfilling his role as a midfielder, as a return of no shots, no key passes, no dribbles and no tackles represents a horrific all-round display.

Transfer expert Dean Jones says that Arsenal are eyeing up a potential move for Southampton right-back Kyle Walker-Peters.

The Lowdown: Former Tottenham player…

Indeed, Walker-Peters came through the academy at Tottenham Hotspur, and made 24 appearances in total at senior level.

He has since moved to Southampton, and plays with former Gunners star Theo Walcott, as well as Arsenal loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Indeed, it would be interesting to see Walker-Peters move to the Emirates Stadium.

The Latest: Arsenal interest

Writing in his column for GiveMeSport, Mikel Arteta’s team are looking to potentially explore signing players that could be relegated from the Premier League, with as many as nine teams currently at risk of dropping down to the Championship.

Walker-Peters is one of the players in their sights, in case the Saints go down.

The Verdict: Extra versatility

Walker-Peters would be a great squad player for Arsenal, considering that he is equally as comfortable playing at left-back as well as right-back.

Hailed as ‘fantastic’ since joining Southampton by pundit Micah Richards, the Englishman ranks highly among his team-mates for average tackles, dribbles and crosses per Premier League game so far this season.

The Gunners have had injuries in full-back areas this term, with Oleksandr Zinchenko having missed 12 matches in total, while Takehiro Tomiyasu has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Having already gained plenty of Premier League experience at the age of 25, Walker-Peters would be an ideal player to come in as cover for next term, especially if Arsenal are fighting on four fronts, assuming that they qualify for the UEFA Champions League via their league position.

Australia will consider bringing Aaron Finch back into the side to face Bangladesh despite Usman Khawaja’s solid opening innings in the loss to New Zealand in Dharamsala

Melinda Farrell20-Mar-2016Australia will consider bringing Aaron Finch back into the side to face Bangladesh despite Usman Khawaja’s solid opening innings in the loss to New Zealand in Dharamsala.Khawaja made a free-flowing 38 off 27 balls before being run out pushing for a second with David Warner, but coach Darren Lehman is sticking to the policy of flexible selection, which could see several changes made to the Australian XI in Bangalore for Monday’s game.”[Khawaja] played beautifully, he played beautifully,” Lehmann said. “It’s not unfortunate [he was run out], he can say no. He’s just got to get better at running between the wickets, all the little things we didn’t do well enough.”He played beautifully, but it depends. We’ve got Bangladesh in Bangalore, so work out what the best option is for that game and play it from there.”Lehmann spoke glowingly of Finch, lauding the “brilliant” manner in which he handled the news of his omission for Australia’s opening match.”He has been fantastic,” Lehmann said. “He has been unbelievable. We only made the final decision when we arrived. One final look at the conditions, the wicket and the weather and that’s what we decided but he’s been brilliant. Can’t speak highly enough of him.”Lehmann echoed the sentiments of captain Steven Smith after New Zealand’s eight-run victory, blaming Australia’s batting through the middle overs for the loss but struggled to put his finger on the reason behind their poor shot selection.”Smith, Warner, Maxwell, Marsh, the whole lot of them – they need to be smarter,” he said. “They know that. They don’t mean to play the shots they play. At the end of the day we’ve just got to be better. We had a really good start. We should close that game out. Not comfortably, but we should close it out from 1 for 50.”I don’t know [why they didn’t play smarter], you’d have to ask them. They’re out there batting. Also understand it’s a pressurised game. It’s easy for us sitting back watching in the media box or as a coach, so it’s pressurised out there and the wicket was slow and spun and that’s what we’re going to get.”But we’ve got to be better at finishing those sort of scenarios. As long as they learn and understand the pressures of World Cup cricket and now knock-out cricket. Basically you lose, you’re out for us. Can’t explain why we played how we played after six overs but as long as they get better at it.”Australia’s preparations for their vital match against Bangladesh – although they consider every game to be do-or-die from here on – weren’t helped by the dreadful weather in Dharamsala on Saturday. Massive hailstorms and treacherous icy roads prevented the team leaving their high-altitude hotel as scheduled, with roads blocked and their morning chartered flight unable to land at Dharamsala airport.While they were eventually able to reschedule travel arrangements and arrived in Bangalore in the evening, it was hardly helpful with such a tight turnaround and Australia can ill-afford any further slips in this tournament.”Every game is a must-win when it is such a short tournament and you have to win three out of four,” Lehmann said. “You want to win the first game and get the tournament off on the right note. But at the end of the day we have still got to beat Bangladesh, we have still got to beat Pakistan we’ve still got to beat India, so you’ve got to win enough games and if you do that you qualify.”That is the great nature of the tournament. It is so quick you haven’t got too much time to think about it.”

Newcastle United are interested in a deal to bring Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy to St. James’ Park, according to reports.

What's the latest on Mendy's future?

Eddie Howe currently has Matt Targett, Jamal Lewis and Paul Dummett as his left-back options, but having played Dan Burn there for the majority of the season, is reportedly on the hunt for a new first-choice, with Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney one name to have been linked.

Mendy isn’t out of contract at the Santiago Bernabeu until 2025 but has fallen out of favour under Carlo Ancelotti having recorded just 14 La Liga starts since the beginning of the season. The Magpies target hasn’t been helped by his spell on the sidelines though having missed 14 matches with an unspecified muscle injury meaning that he hasn’t had the chance to make his mark due to his absence.

According to Spanish reports (via CaughtOffside), Premier League clubs Newcastle, Arsenal and Manchester City are all “keen on signing” Mendy ahead of the new term. Madrid could potentially look to sanction his sale for a fee of approximately €60m (£52m) in the summer, and whilst it’s unknown whether the northeast outfit could afford this price, it’s stated that he would be a “quality acquisition” for Howe.

Should Newcastle splash the cash on Mendy?

Mendy has been hailed an “incredible” left-back by Manchester United defender Raphael Varane and Newcastle should absolutely empty their pockets to sign him. In full, his former Real Madrid teammate said:

“It's incredible the physical strength he has. He is adapting very well and allows us to chain great efforts in the games. It’s strength in the defence but it helps us a lot in all facets of the game.”

The Los Blancos star has registered 23 assists and scored ten goals since the start of his career whilst ranking in the 99th percentile for pass completion, displaying his strong link-up play and desire to attack down the flank. The FS Management client would also provide Howe with plenty of versatility having operated at centre-back, right-back and on the left side of the midfield outside of his natural left-back position which is a useful attribute to have should any unexpected injuries occur.

Finally, Mendy would bring a winning mentality to Tyneside having secured eight trophies at both club and international level, including the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup, so matches the ambitious and positive-thinking mindset of the squad already at St. James’ Park.

Chelsea have spent a king's ransom on the transfer front since the arrival of new owner Todd Boehly last year but will continue to tinker away this summer, and Barcelona phenom Raphinha has been distinguished.

What's the latest on Raphinha to Chelsea?

Last summer, Chelsea were homing in on a £55m transfer for Raphinha after taking the lead in the race, ahead of Arsenal and Barcelona, before the La Liga giants stole in at the eleventh hour and snagged the ace from Blues clutches.

La Blaugrana's financial troubles have been well documented this term, and a score of players are at risk of transfer as the club looks to balance the books, with Raphinha at the epicentre of the strife.

And now, according to journalist Simon Phillips, speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the Blues remain interested in the 26-year-old.

He said: "Yeah, this is one to watch for sure. I was told months ago that Chelsea were still keeping tabs on Raphinha, even after he joined Barcelona. He was fairly close to joining Chelsea at one point before Barcelona came in.

“Many at Chelsea still like him. Obviously, he chose Barcelona, they were his dream and he made that pretty clear publicly as well, but Chelsea have still been there."

Who could Raphinha replace at Chelsea?

The "magician" – as once heralded by former teammate Dan James – was superlative for the Whites as they cemented their stature in the Premier League after promotion from the second tier.

The 5 foot 9 machine scored 11 goals and supplied three assists in the English top-flight last year, imperative as Leeds staved off the threat of relegation.

This season, Raphinha has only started 15 times in La Liga but has collected nine goals and nine assists apiece across all competitions, continuing his Midas touch in front of goal at Elland Road and now growing into his skin as a prolific outlet.

As per FBref, the £212k-per-week phenom ranks among the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers for total shots, the top 14% for attempted passes and the top 8% for progressive passes received per 90, which illustrates a dynamic, rounded skill set and efficacy in both direct and supporting offensive roles.

He would be the optimum replacement for Hakim Ziyech, who has not always been a regular presence in the starting line-up since his £33m move from Ajax in 2020, this season failing to score and registering just one assist from 19 appearances, also agonisingly seeing a winter transfer to Paris Saint-Germain fail to materialise due to a deadline day error.

The £100k-per-week Ziyech ranks among the top 4% of positional peers for total shots and the top 6% for attempted passes per 90, mirroring Raphinha's approach from his right-wing berth, who would seamlessly integrate into manager Graham Potter's squad in the Moroccan's stead.

Whether Boehly and his team would be able to whittle down the price for the 16-cap star remains to be seen, but given Chelsea's affluence and willingness to spend the big bucks under their American owner, parting with roughly £600m since last summer, Raphinha's name could well be chalked into Blues books in short time.

Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, has hinted at sweeping changes in Pakistan’s entire management, following the team’s early exit in the Asia Cup. Shaharyar has formed a special committee, which includes former T20 captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, to monitor Pakistan’s performance and examine the selection process for the upcoming World Twenty20*. Shakil Sheikh, who heads the PCB’s cricket committee, will chair the special committee, which also includes PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmad and former chief selector Iqbal Qasim. Shaharyar, however, insisted that Shahid Afridi will remain captain of the T20 side unless he himself pulls out.Pakistan lost their opening match of the Asia Cup to India, beat UAE convincingly, only to bow out of the tournament after defeat at the hands of Bangladesh. More worryingly for the team, Pakistan’s batting issues resurfaced in Bangladesh, with three wickets falling during the Powerplay in each game.”It wasn’t just a matter of disappointment but it was a painful experience to watch Pakistan play like that,” Shaharyar said. “The performance was very poor other then few individuals’ performances, but I can assure that accountability is inevitable and whoever is responsible has to answer. Changes are important in the electoral process and leadership but we have to sit and think wisely. We are not going to make anyone a scapegoat or do the witch hunt but whatever we will do, it will be done with clarity.”Afridi’s role as captain came under scrutiny after Pakistan controversially dropped Wahab Riaz for Anwar Ali in the game against Bangladesh, ESPNcricinfo understands. It was also observed that Afridi was missing from training sessions and skipped meetings with the coaching staff.”I understand there is a lot of criticism but I am not going to change anything one week before the major tournament in India,” Shaharyar said. “Afridi will remain captain unless he himself pulls out of the job. He has been serving Pakistan from the last 15 years. There are problems in his captaincy which can’t be mended and especially at a time when his career is about to be end.”Also, we don’t want to disregard the longest serving players of Pakistan cricket. So, I am not going to push a panic button and take any decision in haste. This is not my style. Some changes you will see will be done before we play our first matches in World T20 and other important changes will be done after the tournament.”Pakistan have already rejigged their original 15-man squad ahead of the Asia Cup and World T20 by adding Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Sami and Khalid Latif. After the Asia Cup debacle, Shaharyar hinted at another wave of change, with the new ICC regulations allowing teams to change their squads before the start of the tournament.ESPNcricinfo understands that the selectors are considering dropping Khurram Manzoor, whose inclusion did not impress Waqar Younis, for the excluded Ahmed Shehzad. It is also understood that one of the senior members of the team management touched upon Salman Butt’s name, mentioning his utility after he was the second-highest run-getter in the recently-concluded National One-Day Cup, where he finished with 536 runs at 107.20.Manzoor’s controversial selection was cited as a “judgement error” by Shaharyar. “It wasn’t an unfair call but I did show my reservation. Haroon Rashid made his point that Khurram is the best they have for the opening slot as there is no alternative. I was told that he was in form and has scored enough runs for Pakistan A team but eventually he failed at the top. But I can assure you that ahead of the World T20 there will be changes in selection as we will have time to change.”* March 4, 1106 GMT. The news report was updated to include information regarding the special committee

Arsenal were rocked by the news this week that Takehiro Tomiyasu will miss the rest of the season, in what is undoubtedly a blow to Mikel Arteta's hopes of bringing the Premier League title to the Emirates.

The Japan international's time at Arsenal has sadly been an injury-prone and inconsistent one but the Spanish manager could ditch the right-back for academy talent Brooke Norton-Cuffy next season.

Who is Brooke Norton-Cuffy?

Having progressed through Arsenal's academy, Norton-Cuffy would sign his first professional deal at the age of just 17, having made his debut for the U23s at the age of just 16.

With 36 appearances for the academy under his belt, the talented right-back would get his first taste of senior football on loan with Lincoln City last season and caught the eye with the Imps, making 17 appearances in League One, contributing one goal and one assist.

BBC Radio Lincoln’s commentator Rob Makepeace was full of praise for the youngster's ability, attitude and potential when speaking to Football.London last summer, saying: “He’s got everything there for him, he’s got a good head on his shoulders which is always a good attribute to have as a young footballer, he’s got the ability, the skill and the physicality to cope and it will just be about getting games under his belt next season.

"I think he’s got all the attributes to make it to the top, it’s just about getting the game time and you never know what will happen in his career.

"For Brooke, I think it’s going to be a crucial couple of years, but I think he’s one of those players who has got a really good chance of making it.”

Arsenal certainly felt he was ready for the step-up, and he joined Rotherham in the first half of the Championship season, before being recalled and sent back out on loan, this time to playoff-chasing Coventry City.

Still just 19, the right-back now has 51 senior appearances to his name in League One and the Championship, which suggests that little will stand in his way when it comes to making it in the Premier League with Arsenal in the future.

Considering Tomiyasu's injury problems, as well as the impressive form of Ben White, the latter has managed just six starts in the Premier League so far this campaign. Thus, Arteta could be looking to get rid of the former Bologna man in the near future, certainly if he continues to prove an unreliable option in his defence.

Fortunately, the Spaniard looks to have the ideal long-term replacement in Norton-Cuffy, as in his time at Rotherham, he averaged more aerials won, more tackles and more shots per game than Tomiyasu has in the Premier League this season.

Leigh Kasperek’s outstanding bowling performance of 3-0-7-4 set up an easy win for New Zealand Women over Australia Women in the first T20 at the Basin Reserve

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2016
ScorecardLeigh Kasperek cut through Australia’s middle order•Getty Images

Offspinner Leigh Kasperek’s outstanding bowling performance of 3-0-7-4 set up an easy win for New Zealand Women over Australia Women in the first T20 at the Basin Reserve.Australia were at a comfortable 54 for 1 in the tenth over when Kasperek wrecked the visitors’ middle order by picking up four quick wickets – two each in two consecutive overs. On the second and last ball of the tenth over, she got the huge wickets of Ellyse Perry and Meg Lanning, both of whom were stumped. She followed that up by sending back Alex Blackwell and Alyssa Healy on the first and fifth ball of the 12th over; and by the end of the next over, Australia were 71 for 6. Jess Jonassen then came in and scored 17 to push the visitors towards 100, but fell with the score at 95. Australia eventually made it to 113 for 7 thanks to Erin Osborne’s unbeaten 17 at No. 8.Captain Suzie Bates gave the hosts a strong start in their chase with a quick 33. The support roles were played by Sara McGlashan and Amy Satterthwaite, both of whom scored 22. Despite Australia’s timely strikes, Bates and McGlashan’s brisk scoring always kept New Zealand ahead in the chase. Katey Martin sealed the win in 18.3 overs after her side had lost Bates, McGlashan and Satterthwaite by the 17th over.

Tottenham Hotspur still have Vincent Kompany on their managerial shortlist despite him leading Burnley to promotion over the weekend.

When will Spurs hire a new manager?

The Lilywhites now have eight games remaining in their 2022/23 Premier League campaign and the prospect of playing Champions League football remains in the balance.

Cristian Stellini has been named the club's interim manager until the end of the campaign, however, pressure from the fans is growing on the board to make an appointment.

Spurs may have returned to winning ways on the weekend with victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, but the points came with a huge dose of fortune from a dreadful officiating display.

And during the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, large sections of the fanbase inside the north London stadium voiced their wish to see Mauricio Pochettino return to the dugout.

This came just days after the Tottenham fans who travelled to Goodison Park also sung the Argentine's song from his time with the Lilywhites.

However, speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has insisted Kompany remains a target for Daniel Levy after he enjoyed recent success with the Championship outfit, Burnley:

(1:40) "But Vincent Kompany, he is highly rated by people into Manchester City. But on Vincent Kompany I already told you a few days ago and I'm still saying here that, from what I understand, he is one of the names considered by Tottenham for the future head coach for the long term project.

"Now there is Cristian Stellini as caretaker manager, but we know they want a new coach for the long-term project. And Vincent Kompany is one of five names they have in the list."

Would Kompany leave Burnley for Spurs?

On Friday, the Clarets secured promotion back to the Premier League in their first attempt since being relegated from the top flight last season.

On top of their promotion success, Kompany's men look set to go on an get their hands on the Championship table as they hold an 11-point advantage on second spot.

So there will be natural questions as to whether the Belgian would be willing to walk away from something which he has evidently made a huge impact on.

That is, obviously, why Spurs are believed to be looking at the 37-year-old as a potential candidate, but it will throw up a huge risk for the Belgian.

There is a belief the former centre-back could be on the radar of Manchester City for the future as a potential replacement for Pep Guardiola.

And a step up so soon to Tottenham could potentially put that move back to the Etihad Stadium at risk.

We have previously seen something similar happen with Steven Gerrard who left his success at Rangers for a move to Aston Villa.

It is believed Gerrard was expected to become Jurgen Klopp's eventual replacement, however, his failings in the Premier League has surely put that move under huge doubt.

This could certainly happen to Kompany if he was to move to Spurs with the north London club showing very few signs of stability ahead of the foreseeable future.