The one-off Test between India and Bangladesh next month has been pushed back by one day

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2017The one-off Test between India and Bangladesh next month has been pushed back by one day. It was originally supposed to start on February 8, but the BCCI have opted for a late change to the schedule. The game, now, would span Thursday to Monday instead of Wednesday to Sunday.”The Test was originally meant to start on a Wednesday. So we thought it would be better on all fronts if it starts on a Thursday and we could get crowds in for the Test,” a BCCI official said.Bangladesh return home from their tour of New Zealand on January 26 and after a short break would travel to India on February 1. It was also understood that they would play a three-day warm-up match against India A from February 3 in Hyderabad, although it won’t be at the same ground as the Test match.Although Bangladesh have toured India four times – 1990, 1998, 2006 and 2016 – they have never played Test cricket or even a bilateral series in the country. India were their opposition in their inaugural Test in 2000 and have toured Bangladesh to play them in the longest format in 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2015.

Tottenham Hotspur are likely to be looking forward to the start of a new era under manager Ange Postecoglou, with the treble-winning coach having been tasked with shifting the doom and gloom that has surrounded N17 of late.

If the Greek-Aussie is to successfully oversee a change in fortunes in north London, however, he will need to be handed the tools to do so, with notable incomings likely to be required if the 57-year-old is to put his stamp on the first-team squad.

According to 90min, the ex-Celtic man has already approved the pursuit of a new centre-back addition ahead of the upcoming summer window, with Manchester City star, Aymeric Laporte believed to be among those that the Lilywhites are considering.

The 29-year-old has reportedly been offered to Spurs after falling out of favour at the Etihad, with the Spain international – who could command a fee of around £40m – having been restricted to just 12 Premier League appearances in 2022/23.

Having previously been hailed as the "best left central defender in the world" by City boss Pep Guardiola, the five-time Premier League winner could no doubt bring some quality and experience to Postecoglou's ranks.

If, however, the new Spurs boss is looking for a more youthful, long-term option at the heart of the defence, he could well find a dream alternative to Laporte in the form of Roma's Roger Ibanez.

Who is Roger Ibanez?

The 24-year-old centre-back has been a central figure for the Serie A side since joining on an initial loan deal from Atalanta back in the summer of 2020, with recent reports in Italy having suggested that Tottenham are now leading the race for the Brazilian's signature.

The belief is that the Italian outfit could be open to selling the two-cap international this summer in order to help balance the books, with a fee of around €40m (£34m) having been suggested with just two years left to run on his existing deal.

Much like Laporte – who stands at 6 foot 2 – the 6 foot 1 ace is an imposing presence in the defensive unit at the Stadio Olimpico, having typically operated on the left of a back three during his time under current boss, Jose Mourinho.

Lauded as "untouchable" by the former Spurs head coach, Ibanez has showcased his ball-winning prowess of late as he ranks in the top 3% among his European peers for tackles made as well as in the top 18% for interceptions, while Laporte, by contrast, ranks in just the bottom 1% and the bottom 3% for those same two metrics, respectively.

While perhaps not quite as adept at playing out from the back as the City ace – who ranks in the top 1% for both progressive carries and progressive passes – the one-time Fluminense man is still comfortable on the ball as he ranks in the top 23% for successful take-ons, a better record than that of his counterpart (bottom 38%).

Ibanez would also offer the benefit of his superior threat in an attacking sense as he ranks in the top 8% for total shots and in the top 19% for non-penalty goals, while Laporte ranks in just the top 20% for total shots and the bottom 20% for non-penalty goals.

With the latter man also enduring his fair share of injury woes in recent years during his time in England, it could well be the case that the Roma rock represents an ideal alternative for Postecoglou and co.

Aston Villa remain interested in signing Marseille midfielder Matteo Guendouzi in the summer transfer window, according to a new update.

Have Villa been linked with Guendouzi?

The £42,000-a-week Frenchman has been linked with a move to Villa Park a number of times in the past year or so, with Unai Emery of course managing the player back when he was in charge of Arsenal.

Guendouzi was a regular for Marseille throughout the 2022/23 season, making 33 appearances in Ligue 1 – admittedly, only 25 of those were starts – and he also featured for 79 minutes of action for France at the 2022 World Cup.

The former Arsenal man's current deal runs until the summer of 2025, meaning Marseille are slowly running out of time to receive the highest possible amount of money for his services. For that reason, it could be that they sanction a move in the upcoming transfer window, with the player himself potentially wanting a fresh challenge, too.

It looks as though the 24-year-old is still firmly on Villa's radar, with a new update emerging that suggests his future could lie back in the Premier League.

What's the latest transfer news on Guendouzi?

According to Le10 Sport [via Sport Witness], Guendouzi has started to "ask questions" about his future, following what ended up being an up-and-down season for him, having only completed one full 90 minutes in April, May and June combined.

That being said, the report also states that Marseille "don’t seem to be ready to close the door" when it comes to selling him, but Villa are "ready to welcome" him to the club, as are Newcastle United, Juventus and Inter Milan.

Guendouzi could be a strong signing by Villa, not coming in as a definite starter every week but providing much-needed competition for places, as Emery's side prepare to play in the UEFA Europa Conference League next season.

He has proven Premier League experience, having played 57 times in the competition during his Arsenal days, and he has also been hailed as "fantastic" by Gary Neville. At 24, he remains a young footballer who should only continue to develop in the coming years, and he would come in as a younger alternative to someone like John McGinn, easing his workload across four different competitions in the process.

An 88.6% pass completion rate in the Champions League in 2022/23 highlights Guendouzi's technical ability, and he also accomplished in a defensive sense, averaging 1.2 tackles per game in Ligue 1.

David Warner overtook AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli on the ICC’s ODI rankings to become the top-ranked ODI batsman for the first time in his career

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jan-2017Australia batsman David Warner has leapt to the top spot in the ICC ODI rankings, a result of a sensational run in the format since the start of 2016. Warner has scored 1755 runs in 28 ODIs since early last year at an average of 65 and a strike-rate of 106.94, including nine hundreds and four fifties. Warner became the No. 1 ODI batsman for the first time in his career, overtaking AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli.He capped the home ODI summer with a career-best 179 off just 128 balls in the fifth match in Adelaide, leading Australia to a 4-1 series win against Pakistan. Warner also won the Allan Border Medal for the second consecutive year and bagged the ODI Player of the Year title at the function, too. “It is a huge year for one-day cricket with the ICC Champions Trophy later this year and I am hoping I can take my good form into that tournament and help Australia lift the trophy for the third time,” Warner said.Pakistan batsman Babar Azam broke into the top 10 for the first time, gaining five spots to finish tenth. Azam also had a stellar year in ODIs: he has struck 938 runs in 16 games since the start of 2016, including three consecutive hundreds against West Indies in October.Azam became the joint-fastest batsman to 1000 ODI runs, reaching the landmark in 21 innings, equaling Sir Viv Richards’ record. He also became only the second Pakistan batsman to hit an ODI century against Australia in Australia, when he struck 100 in the fifth game in Adelaide.In the ODI bowlers rankings, Australia quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood made significant jumps after the Pakistan series. Starc moved up to second spot, from fourth, after picking up 15 wickets in the home ODI summer. In seven matches, he returned an average of 19.06 and an economy rate of just 4.67. Hazlewood jumped five places to fifth spot. He took 13 wickets in seven ODIs at an average of 23.46 and an economy rate of 4.70.After their 4-1 series loss against Australia, Pakistan continued to remain in danger of failing to directly qualify for the 2019 World Cup. They are currently in eighth place, two ranking points behind Bangladesh. Hosts England and the other top-seven sides as on September 30, 2017 will receive direct qualification for the event.

Mohammad Nabi’s successful bid in the IPL auction lit up the ACB headquarters in Kabul after the first two Afghan players had gone unsold in the auction in Bangalore

Peter Della Penna20-Feb-20172:20

‘Nabi, Rashid deserve this chance’ – Moody

Afghanistan allrounder Mohammad Nabi could hardly contain his emotions upon becoming the first player from his country to secure an IPL deal, going for his base price of INR 30 lakhs to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Nabi previously played in the Bangladesh Premier League and Pakistan Super League, but said that getting a chance to go to the IPL would be entirely different.

Nabi, Rashid will represent Associates’ brilliance – Stanikzai

Afghanistan Cricket Board chief executive Shafiq Stanikzai has said the successful bids gained by allrounder Mohammad Nabi and legspinner Rashid Khan at the IPL auction on Monday should be a banner moment that all of Associate cricket can celebrate. Stanikzai was optimistic that the successful bids for the duo, apart from UAE batsman Chirag Suri going to Gujarat Lions, may open up more opportunities in the near future for the top six of Associate cricket such as Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea and Scotland.
“Especially the top six Associate nations, every team has the individual brilliance and they deserve to be at the elite level of cricket, especially at the events like IPL, BPL, PSL, Big Bash or County Cricket,” Stanikzai said. “I would say Nabi and Rashid can represent the Associate world in the IPL, and if they do well, it proves our mark that we have some individual brilliance in these top six Associate teams who are playing at the World Cricket League Championship as well as Ireland and Afghanistan at a high performance level.”

“This is the happiest day in my life,” Nabi told ESPNcricinfo from Zimbabwe, where Afghanistan are currently playing a five-match ODI series. “I’m very happy [Sunrisers Hyderabad] picked me. A little bit of happiness tears came into my eyes as well when I was selected. It was my dream to play in the IPL and for my dream to come true, that’s why I was so happy at that moment.”Nabi woke up at 5.30am in Harare for his prayers right around the time the auction began, and followed the action on a web stream alone in his hotel room. He said he “couldn’t control my feelings” when his name first came up on the screen, followed by a bid from Sunrisers management.Equally pleased for Nabi was Afghanistan Cricket Board chief executive Shafiq Stanikzai, who Nabi says was one of the first to congratulate him. Stanikzai said 150 staffers had gathered at the ACB headquarters in Kabul to watch the auction and that the mood was initially dampened when the first two Afghanistan players – captain Asghar Stanikzai and ICC Associate & Affiliate Player of the Year Mohammad Shahzad – received no bids. But all that changed when Nabi was picked, a moment Shafiq described as “third time lucky”, followed shortly by the signing of Rashid Khan.”I leaped from my chair when the first bid was made for Nabi,” Shafiq said. The shouts in other ACB offices only grew louder during the bidding war for Rashid. Shafiq felt having both players make it into the IPL may prove to be a transcendent moment for cricket in the country.”It is huge, not only for Afghanistan cricket but for the entire nation. Since cricket is the number one sport in the nation, we are on the verge of increasing our participants and making parents allow their children to invest their time more in cricket. This is a huge morale boost and motive for cricket to emerge more.”Such achievements are giving us more energy and more motivation that we are right in our appeals and our application at ICC level that we want to become a Test nation and a Full Member. The IPL is the No. 1 T20 league in the world, and playing with the likes of David Warner and some of the other greats, being mentored by Muttiah Muralitharan and VVS Laxman, we are quite hopeful and very sure that both of them will perform better and will be ones to look at in the IPL.”Nabi said there may now be increased expectations on him to perform. However, he was hopeful that his BPL and PSL experience would help him, and was looking forward to sharing a change room led by Warner.”I think there’s a little bit of pressure,” Nabi said. “The IPL is big, but I have played a few times in the BPL and once at the PSL. It has given me a lot of experience, and , it will not be difficult to play at the IPL. Maybe the first two games, there will be a little bit of pressure, but after that I hope to play well in the league.”After the BPL, I played PSL first time and it was my dream to play with Kevin Pietersen in the same team. I think I was lucky to be the first Afghanistan player selected in the IPL auction. It’s a dream to get to play with big names like Warner, Williamson, Yuvraj, Jordan and Mustafizur and also a nice coach in Tom Moody and Laxman. Playing with those big names and experiencing that, it will help me in my career and also to share the experience with my team-mates back home.”Having a familiar face in Rashid alongside him may ease that pressure as well. Nabi tweeted his enthusiasm at Rashid’s bid and said the 18-year-old legspinner’s presence on the global stage to lead the next generation of talent shows where Afghanistan’s cricket is heading.”It’s good news that Rashid also was selected in the same team,” Nabi said. “He’s a nice guy, nice cricketer and also a nice human being. He is elite, and maybe he is showing the whole world there is a rising star in Afghanistan, so I’m very happy he is my team-mate in the IPL.”Afghanistan cricket have a lot of achievements from the last few years. We’re in Zimbabwe and have won the first two games in this series. It’s good for the Sunrisers that Rashid will be there and it means that Afghanistan’s future is very bright that this kind of youngster is coming through quickly and shining in front of the world. It’s a bright and proud future for cricket in Afghanistan.”

This will be the second Test series Mathews has missed over a six-month span, with multiple leg injuries also having prevented him from touring Zimbabwe in October and November.

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Feb-2017Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has been ruled out of the Test series against Bangladesh as the hamstring injury that has ailed him since January 22 continues to pose problems. Sri Lanka’s selectors are expected to name the Test squad on Tuesday, and with it, the replacement captain.This will be the second Test series Mathews has missed over a six-month span, with multiple leg injuries also having prevented him from touring Zimbabwe in October and November. He had played a substantial amount of cricket in the two years leading up to this period, representing Sri Lanka in all three formats, as well as leading the team in the 2015 World Cup, in last year’s World T20, and in Tests.Rangana Herath had filled in as captain during the Zimbabwe Test series, and it is possible he will be picked for the role again. However, regular vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal – who had also missed the Zimbabwe tour through injury – may also be considered for the captaincy in this series. Upul Tharanga, who led Sri Lanka in the recent ODIs against South Africa and the T20s in Australia, represents a third option. Neither Chandimal or Tharanga have previously led Sri Lanka in a Test.The first Test starts in Galle from March 7, before the action moves to the P Sara Oval, from March 15.A Sri Lanka Cricket release said Mathews was “likely” to be available for the ODI and T20 series that follow the Tests.

Former Hyderabad wicketkeeper Ibrahim Khaleel is one of three former first-class players to be invited to a USA selection camp from March 16 to 19 in Houston, Texas. The purpose of the camp is to pick a 14-man squad to tour Uganda in May for WCL Division Three matches.Khaleel, 34, last represented Hyderabad in January 2015, having played 57 first-class matches in the Ranji Trophy since his debut in 2002. He has been playing league cricket in Chicago for the past several summers and was identified by selectors at an ICC Regional Combine held in Chicago last May.It was understood that Khaleel has not yet met the eligibility threshold – a non-citizen can represent his resident country provided he has spent a minimum of 183 days per year over four consecutive years prior to a tournament – but would be immediately eligible if he were to secure a US passport. According to a source, Khaleel currently has US permanent residency status and was in the latter stages of obtaining US citizenship.Roy Silva, the Sri Lankan batsman who played 87 first-class matches, and Camilus Alexander, the former Windward Islands legspinner, were also called up to the selection camp.Silva, 36, played his last first-class match for Colombo CC in March 2013 and has been a heavy scorer in the Georgia and Florida leagues since moving to the USA. Alexander, 35, was the leading wicket-taker at the USACA T20 National Championship in 2014 while playing for the South East Region. Both would be eligible to play for USA under the ICC’s four-year deemed national rule.The 19 players from the camp are expected to link up with a training squad of 31, which had been assembled prior to USA’s title-winning run at WCL Division Four.The other talking point was the potential returns of offspinner Abhimanyu Rajp, batsman Charan Singh and left-arm spinning allrounder Mrunal Patel. Rajp and Charan last played for USA during the Auty Cup tours to Canada in 2013 and 2011 respectively while Mrunal had been part of the team that went to Ireland in 2015 for the World T20 qualifier.Four recent USA Under-19 representatives will be part of the camp as well. New York batsman Randall Wilson is a strong contender for a batting spot after solid performances at the ICC’s Regional Combine in New York last June and a half-century against a touring MCC side in September. Batsmen Gauranshu Sharma, Sagar Patel and Tohidul Islam were the other former U-19 players up for selection.Danial Ahmed (left) was unavailable while Timroy Allen (right) has issues over taking time off work•Peter Della Penna

“When considering players to add to the trial, the [selection] panel wanted to predominantly focus on youth players, young guys who stood out at Combines last year or in previous USA U-19 teams,” selection chairman Ricardo Powell said in a press release. “It will be good to give them some additional exposure in this environment. Those young players are accompanied by a couple more experienced players who have been consistent performers in the US and abroad.”The large number of invitees was partly because seven of the most recent USA squad members were unavailable, including four who were a part of either the Division Four squad or the one for their previous assignment, the Auty Cup. Fast bowlers Hammad Shahid and David Pieters, and allrounder Srini Santhanam have been ruled out due to injury while seamer Aman Lobana and left-arm spinner Danial Ahmed were unavailable.Shahid’s absence was the biggest blow. He had taken three wickets in two matches, with an exemplary economy rate of 3.55 in the Auty Cup last October. He had a strong chance of being among the final 14 to play in Uganda but sustained a torn posterior cruciate knee ligament (PCL) during a recent training session and was expected to be out for up to three months.Santhanam had surgery on his right shoulder in December and cannot play cricket at least until the second half of 2017. Pieters, who has yet to debut for USA, tore a meniscus at a trial match in Florida last August ahead of Division Four. Subsequent tests revealed cartilage damage in his right knee. After going under the knife for a second time last week, he has been ruled out of action indefinitely.There were doubts over batsman Alex Amsterdam and allrounder Timroy Allen attending the camp as well. Both spent a month in Barbados with the ICC Americas squad at the WICB Regional Super50 in January and February, making it difficult for them to take more time off work again, especially considering the team would be away from home for up to three weeks for the Division Three tour. Allen, one of USA’s most valuable assets, was recently retained by Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL draft.A six-day pre-tour to South Africa has been organised for USA before they land in Uganda for the start of the matches on May 23. In addition to the hosts, USA will be competing against Canada, Malaysia, Oman and Singapore in the next phase of the qualification process for the 2019 World Cup. The top two finishers at Division Three advance to Division Two, expected to be held in late 2017 or early 2018. It is the last step prior to the 2018 World Cup Qualifier, currently slated for Bangladesh in April 2018.

Aston Villa have been linked to a La Liga ace as the transfer window officially opens, as Unai Emery looks to bolster his squad this summer.

The Villa and Spain connection is looking likely to extend, not just on the field but in the business room too, as Sevilla sporting director Monchi is set to join the club as per reports.

The latest player linked to Villa Park already has a strong relationship with Emery, and could cause his former manager a potential headache for selection.

What’s the latest on Nicolas Jackson to Aston Villa?

As reported by GIVEMESPORT when speaking to journalist Ryan Taylor last week, Aston Villa are interested in Villarreal forward Nicolas Jackson.

An update from Rudy Galetti this week reinforced Taylor’s speculation, claiming that the Villans are “really interested” in the striker.

The 21-year-old almost secured a Premier League move in January, however, he failed a medical at Bournemouth due to concerns over a hamstring injury.

The reported fee at the time was in the region of £20m.

What could Nicolas Jackson offer Aston Villa?

Having been hailed as being one of the Yellow Submarine’s “jewels” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the versatile attacker has thrived since graduating from the club’s academy.

It was Emery that decided to pull the forward from the academy to the first team, seeing his potential in a move that paid off for all parties involved.

Across 26 LaLiga appearances this season, the Senegalese ace has contributed to 16 goals, scoring 12 and assisting four in a delightful individual campaign to introduce himself to senior football, via FBref.

Goals haven’t been his only strength, making him a player identified as a potential target to follow his former coach to Villa Park in an environment where he could flourish even further.

The free-flowing football that the four-time Europa League winner encourages his side to play in the Premier League could suit Jackson, as well as current frontline leader Ollie Watkins.

After scoring 15 goals this term, the Englishman has found his stride playing in Emery’s set-up and could become part of a deadly partnership alongside the 21-year-old should he make the move.

When speaking to The Athletic in April, the Spaniard revealed his plans to sign a second striker this summer to either play alongside or alternate with Watkins, statistics suggest that the LaLiga gem could be the perfect fit for the 27-year-old.

While the duo are both impressive in the final third, they have slightly opposing strengths that indicate that a perfect partnership could be formed.

When comparing the two via FBref in their respective leagues this season, the Villarreal star proves to have more of an impact in carrying and creating play than the Englishman, averaging 2.25 progressive carries to his 1.44 per 90.

A similar pattern is evident when comparing the rate of successful take-ons that the pair average per 90, with Jackson recording 1.30 to Watkins’ 0.52 suggesting that he could be a useful partner in generating chances.

Lauded as “extraordinary” by manager Quique Setien, the 21-year-old gem could add a more dynamic approach in the final third to the Villa ace, who is slightly more effective in front of goal, averaging 1.3 shots on target per game to Jackson’s 0.9.

Their two strengths combined could create a deadly duo for Emery to lead his line with, the Villans will hope that the faith shown by the Spaniard to develop the player in Villarreal could well be repaid in the Midlands.

ESPNcricinfo’s wrap of the third day of the Sheffield Shield match between Tasmania and South Australia in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Callum Ferguson top scored with 90•Getty Images

Callum Ferguson and Tom Cooper were instrumental in setting Tasmania a target of 300 for victory in Hobart, where South Australia must win to have any chance of making the Sheffield Shield final. The Redbacks began the third day at 0 for 69 and were dismissed in the final over the day for 406, an innings that was based around a 173-run fifth-wicket stand between Ferguson and Cooper.Opener Jake Weatherald fell early for 28 to the bowling of Sam Rainbird, before debutant John Dalton was caught behind for 71 off fellow first-gamer Gabe Bell, the Tasmania fast bowler who finished with 4 for 97 and seven wickets for the match. South Australia’s hopes faded when Bell snared both Travis Head and Jake Lehmann for single-figure scores to leave the total at 4 for 120.But Ferguson and Cooper then settled in for a long stay before Cooper was eventually caught behind for 83. Ferguson had the opportunity to push for his second century in consecutive matches but instead was caught behind off Rainbird for 90. However, there were still plenty of runs to come, with Adam Zampa striking 63 to lift the total to 406.

Tim Ream admits that the “unique experience” of captaining the USMNT in his home town of St. Louis has given him memories to last a lifetime.

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Skippered his country in friendly dateEnjoyed a comfortable winWatched on by friends and familyWHAT HAPPENED?

The 35-year-old defender – who fills the armband for Premier League employers Fulham – was given the honour of leading the United States out during a friendly date against Uzbekistan. That contest took place at CITYPARK Stadium in what was once Ream’s backyard growing up.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THEY SAID

Ream skippered his side to a 4-0 victory on the day and is delighted to have experienced something that few players – even those in his privileged position – get to enjoy over the course of a career. He has told : “It was a unique experience. I don’t know how many guys have had the opportunity to captain their national team in their home town. For me, to be able to do that – obviously represent a country, but then you break it down even more and you represent friends, family, ex team-mates, coaches that have helped you along the way – so to be able to have that opportunity was a special moment within a lot of special moments in a career. It’s one I will be able to cherish for a long time.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Ream helped to ensure that he had plenty of support in St. Louis, with pre-camp ticket duty paying off. He added: “I made it clear when I went that I was going for work, for training and to do my job. Doing the lap that we do after, I saw a lot of familiar faces – even picking them out in a crowd. I know from talking to friends and family afterwards that there were a lot of people there watching and enjoying the game.”

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Getty Images/GOALWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Ream, who is committed to a contract at Fulham through to next summer and is setting his sights on gracing a home World Cup in 2026 when the United States takes on co-hosting duties, is now back in club action with Fulham and is readying himself for a London derby date with Crystal Palace on Saturday.