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Spanning ten rounds, the Regional Four-Day Championship will have six regional franchises playing each other home and away, and West Indies’ selectors are on the look out for talent

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-2017Consistent batsmen and fast bowlers clocking more than 80mph are on the West Indies selectors’ wish list when the Regional Four-Day Championship begins on October 26.”Finding a few consistent batsmen is important, but what is also key for us is to unearth some young fast bowlers, so that we can add to the pool that we currently have, especially players that can clock in the high 80 to 90 mph range,” Courtney Browne, chairman of the Cricket West Indies selection panel, said. “So this upcoming regional season is key for players. There is an upcoming tour to the Caribbean by the England Lions early next year and such a high-profile ‘A’ Team tour has not happened in a number of years. It is where our players can showcase their talent and we can identify players for selection to our ‘A’ Team.”Spanning ten rounds, the Regional Four-Day Championship will have six regional franchises playing each other home and away. The teams are: Barbados Pride, Guyana Jaguars, Jamaica Scorpions, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Trinidad & Tobago Red Force and Windward Islands Volcanoes.Browne urged the players to focus on fitness and consistency in performance, should they harbour hopes of retaining their place, or breaking into, the West Indies side.”We would also like to urge players to work on their fitness and aim at achieving the fitness levels expected as our international teams have ramped up their fitness and conditioning work,” Browne said. “There are cases where players do perform and may not make it into the senior team as quickly as persons expect.”If there are players in the senior team that are already there, they have to be given a full opportunity and the emerging player will have to wait a bit longer than usual, rather than the chopping and changing approach. But we would urge them to continue to strive for consistency and show it over a longer period and not a one-off performance.”The tournament will be played in three phases – from October 26 to January 21 – with all matches starting on a Thursday. Six matches will be played with a pink ball under lights.”As selectors, we are happy with the length of the season,” Browne said. “We believe 10 matches in the #D4Day [the four-day championship] is a good yardstick for the players and for us.”

The left-arm spinner replaces Beth Langston in only change to the squad that clinched theWomen’s World Cup in July

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2017

Eighteen-year-old left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who made her ODI debut last year, has been named in the England women squad as they attempt to regain the Ashes, which begins in Australia on October 22. Ecclestone replaced medium-pacer Beth Langston as the only change to the squad that clinched the Women’s World Cup in July this year.”Sophie Ecclestone has finished school now and has had a great summer domestically,” England coach Mark Robinson said. “Her selection will provide another option to our attack.”England leave for Brisbane on October 7 for the multi-format series that starts with three ODIs. That will be followed by a day-night Test in Sydney, before the tour concludes with three T20Is.”Ashes tours don’t come around all too often, so it’s always a special opportunity,” England captain Heather Knight said. “Australia are going to be very strong opponents on their home soil, so we’ll have to be at our best, across all three formats.”England women squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Georgia Elwiss, Jenny Gunn, Alex Hartley, Danielle Hazell, Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole, Nat Sciver, Sarah Taylor (wk), Fran Wilson, Lauren Winfield, Danielle Wyatt

After India’s spin attack overwhelmed the West Indies batsmen with flight and guile, Smriti Mandhana made short work of the 184-run chase with a 108-ball 106

The Report by Annesha Ghosh29-Jun-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSmriti Mandhana hit 13 fours and two sixes in her unbeaten 108-ball 106•Getty ImagesAfter India’s spin attack overwhelmed the West Indies batsmen with flight and guile, Smriti Mandhana made short work of the 184-run chase with an unbeaten 108-ball 106. Her innings negated the stutter caused by the two early wickets lost in response to the pressure West Indies’ bowlers created with their fast, short-pitched bowling.Mandhana carried on from where she left off against England, bettering her 72-ball 90 with a second ODI century and a first in the World Cup. She hit 13 fours and two sixes, punishing anything short. With Mithali Raj, she steered the larger part of the chase, adding 108 runs for the third wicket, before Raj, four short of her eighth consecutive fifty, holed out to mid-off.Raj’s decision to bowl first failed to find much validation from her two frontline medium-pacers, Jhulan Goswami and Shikha Pandey, who shared the new ball between them for the first six overs. Even though Felicia Walters looked unsure while negotiating Goswami’s off-stump line, Hayley Matthews took the attack to both opening bowlers, hitting them for a combined six fours in 27 balls.On a moist pitch with a tinge of green, Raj turned to her spin spearhead, Ekta Bisht, in the seventh over. The left-arm orthodox bowler struck with her first ball, forcing an edge off Walters with generous flight outside off stump. The nick was adroitly pouched by Sushma Verma, the wicketkeeper, who effected three more dismissals in the game – all of them being stumpings.West Indies’ loss of their first wicket occured one ball after Harmanpreet Kaur – who already sported a heavily strapped right palm – went off the field having dislocated the ring finger of her left hand while diving at mid-off. Despite having to make up for Harmanpreet’s absence from the attack by bringing on Mona Meshram, who had last bowled in an ODI in 2013, India kept a tight leash on the scoring. Having taken 12.4 overs to add 40 for the second wicket with Stafanie Taylor, Matthews popped back a return catch to the offspinner Deepti Sharma.Taylor was run out seven balls later, and Deandra Dottin, the scorer of a 38-ball hundred in T20Is, crawled to 7 off 47 balls before holing out to long-on, to complete a wretched batting day for the two stars playing their 100th ODI.India, meanwhile, had Harmanpreet back on the field after being tended to by the physio, and she was introduced into the attack immediately. She snaffled Kyshona Knight in the 35th over to leave West Indies 91 for 6. Against the collective discipline of India’s spinners, led by Bisht and the legspinner Poonam Yadav, West Indies’ second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth-wicket partnerships together added only 62 off 169 balls.The reintroduction of pace, in the form of Goswami, in the 36th over, gave West Indies some respite. A slew of fielding errors further released the pressure the spinners had piled on. Bisht dropped two straightforward chances, letting off Anisa Mohammed on 0 and Afy Fletcher on 12, before the two went on to add 37 unbroken runs for the ninth wicket. Fletcher’s 36 not out and Shanel Daley’s 33 eventually lifted West Indies to 183.Shamilia Connell began West Indies’ defence by peppering Punam Raut with a flurry of short deliveries, and she gloved the fifth ball of the innings – a well-directed bouncer – to keeper Merissa Aguilleira, failing to connect cleanly with a hook. Deepti Sharma then kept to 6 off her first 22 balls, and was bowled trying to slog Taylor’s offspin in the eighth over as she succumbed to the pressure of the mounting dots.Mandhana and Raj, however, ensured there would be no more flutters in India’s chase.Having motored into the nineties, Mandhana suffered a few nerves: an awkward lofted drive on 93 was followed by a poorly executed pull next ball which lobbed in the air and flew straight to deep midwicket, only for Knight to put her down. A few words between overs from her batting partner Meshram appeared to calm Mandhana down, and she duly reached her hundred off her 105th ball, doing so in the same manner that had brought up her fifty against England: making room and lofting the ball over cover for four.Two balls later, an edge wide of short third man completed India’s victory.

Endrick is on the way to Real Madrid, with the 17-year-old wonderkid looking to follow in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo – his “biggest idol”.

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Teenage sensation heading to SpainBig things expected at Santiago BernabeuLooking to emulate all-time greatWHAT HAPPENED?

The 17-year-old wonderkid, who will make his way to Santiago Bernabeu when turning 18 in July 2024, is considered to be one of the most exciting talents in world football. Big things are expected of him in Spain alongside fellow Brazilians Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT ENDRICK SAID ABOUT RONALDO

Endrick has big boots to fill in Madrid, but he is ready to embrace the challenge of emulating Ronaldo’s efforts in the Spanish capital – with the Portuguese superstar considered to be a source of inspiration for every player in the game. Endrick has told of CR7: “He's my biggest idol, a player who broke all records by being an exemplary, dedicated player. He is more than an athlete, he is a guy that everyone should have as an example, because no matter the moment, he wants to be the best, he wants to win titles, he wants to achieve milestones, in addition to being a person who shows humility. He is a reference for any player who wants to go further in their career.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

La Liga boasts a rich history of Brazilian stars, with Endrick ready to write his own chapter in that star-studded sporting tale. He added on securing a big-money transfer during a visit to Europe that has offered him a taste of what to expect: “I've always wanted to play for Real Madrid, it's always been my priority, and now on this trip to Madrid I've been able to feel a little more closely what I'm going to find, the environment, my future team-mates, the facilities. I was very happy, but when we return to Brazil we will turn off this switch and turn on another one, as I have more of this first semester with Palmeiras to play and my objective is to win all the titles in which I participate.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ENDRICK?

Endrick has been a regular source of goals for Palmeiras, with his lack of experience being overcome in style, and has already earned two senior caps for Brazil – becoming their fourth-youngest player of all-time and youngest debutant in 57 years.

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has reminded the BCCI’s office bearers that it remains firmly in charge of the board’s administration and management. In a fresh directive issued on Thursday, it said the office bearers will function “subject to the supervision and control” of the CoA.Effectively the CoA has dismissed the office bearers’ decision to not heed to its directives after they were told they could not take any independent decisions.Over the past couple of weeks the BCCI office bearers – Amitabh Choudhary (acting secretary), Anirudh Chaudhry (treasurer) and CK Khanna (acting president) – have met the CoA on a few occasions, including on Wednesday, to the discuss the extent of their powers. The office bearers have insisted they are governed by the BCCI constitution, which allows them total control of the board.The office bearers have also called a special general body meeting (SGM) of the board on April 9 in Delhi to discuss the fallout of the various Supreme Court orders concerning the implementation of the Lodha Committee recommendations.The CoA is aware of the attempt by the office bearers to create a parallel power structure. To avoid any confusion, the CoA sent the directive to the office bearers and state associations on Thursday, which it said “supersedes” all its previous notices. “The existing office bearers and the CEO shall be bound to act in accordance with the directions of the Committee of Administrators and shall aid, assist and cooperate with the Committee of Administrators,” the COA said in a three-page directive.In another step that curtails their freedom, the office bearers as well as the various BCCI committees have been asked to inform the board’s chief executive officer Rahul Johri of any decisions they take and any meetings they call. Johri will then relay the information to the CoA. “All communications between the office bearers and any employees/retainers/consultants of the BCCI shall be copied to the CEO. The CEO shall keep the Committee of Administrators fully apprised of the actions being taken by the existing office bearers and may, for that purpose, call for any information/documents from any person that he considers necessary.”Going forward, the agenda of any board meeting would need to be sent to Johri as well. The person who chairs the meeting will also need to send the outcomes of the meeting to Johri on the same day it takes place.

Men’s cricket could return to the Commonwealth Games in 2026 if Birmingham wins the bid to be the host city.While women’s cricket will feature in the 2022 Games in Durban, men’s cricket has appeared only once. On that occasion, in Malaysia in 1998, the format was 50 overs per side (South Africa defeated Australia in the final). This time it would be played in the T20 format.Cricket is not currently one of the mandatory events incorporated into the Commonwealth Games but is on the list of optional sports that host cities have the power to add to their staging of the event as they see fit and with the support of the relevant sport’s governing body.While that cannot be guaranteed at this stage, the ICC agreed to the inclusion of women’s cricket in 2022 and is already working with the Commonwealth Games Federation on the successful staging of the event. The ICC is understood to be open to dialogue over the 2026 Games.Neil Snowball, the Warwickshire chief executive, is part of Birmingham’s bid team and has confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that cricket would be of interest if they are successful. Snowball was previously head of sports operations at the 2012 Olympics and chief operating officer of Rugby 2015, the organising committee behind the 2015 World Cup.The plan would be to stage the biggest games at Warwickshire’s home ground of Edgbaston, which is only a mile or so from the centre of Birmingham. Other games could be played at Warwickshire’s Portland Road ground (three miles from Edgbaston) and, perhaps, in neighbouring counties; Worcestershire’s picturesque New Road ground is only 33 miles away.Birmingham would also require ECB approval. But Andrew Strauss, the director of the England team, suggested the idea had his backing, though he did offer a note of caution. “Yes, I would be very supportive of that,” he said. “But it would not just be the ECB involved in such a decision.”That signals a change of heart from the ECB. The Commonwealth Games Federation invited the ICC to participate in the 2018 Games (to be staged in Gold Coast, Australia), but were rebuffed largely on the basis of the reluctance of individual boards – not least the ECB – to compromise their own lucrative schedules.Sixteen teams entered the 1998 Commonwealth Games, but England did not send a team as the competition clashed with the end of the domestic season. Seven of the then nine Test teams did, however, with Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and New Zealand among them. Scotland, Northern Ireland, Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, Jamaica, Canada, Malaysia, Kenya and Zimbabwe were the other participants.The current ECB management are more aware of the need to reengage the sport with a broader audience, however, and keen to spread the appeal of cricket both locally and globally.The example of Rugby Sevens is intriguing. After featuring in the 1998 Commonwealth Games, the sport eventually progressed until it debuted in the 2016 Olympics. While many obstacles remain before cricket could be realistically considered for the Olympics, the ECB’s change of heart would appear to have removed a substantial one and nudged the sport a little further in that direction. Rome had signalled a desire to host cricket at the 2024 Olympics, but has withdrawn from the bidding process.What stance India will take on the issue remains unclear. Anurag Thakur, the recently jettisoned president of the BCCI, had been seen as an impediment to cricket’s reintroduction into the Olympics (it was played in the 1900 Paris Olympics; Great Britain beat France in the only match) but is also a vice-president of the Indian Olympic Association and was recently elected as the Himachal Olympic Association president.Other cities expected to bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games include Liverpool, Edmonton in Canada and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. A decision on whether Liverpool or Birmingham will be put forward as England’s candidate will be made later this year. A final decision on the host venue is unlikely to be made before November 2019.

Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic is close to agreeing personal terms with Manchester City ahead of a summer transfer, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's the latest on Mateo Kovacic?

The 29-year-old has one year left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, and the potential arrival of Manuel Ugarte, following the January signing of Enzo Fernandez, means that he has become a more expendable asset at Chelsea.

Man City first registered their interest earlier this season, and it seems that a deal to bring the Croatia international to the Etihad Stadium is progressing well.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that the midfielder and City are close to an agreement on personal terms.

"The agreement between Mateo Kovacic and Manchester City over personal terms is really close," he stated.

"More will follow in the next days, Chelsea and Man City will speak so I will keep you posted. The deal is advanced, the agreement is close between the player and Man City, waiting on the two clubs but nothing will happen today."

Should Chelsea sell Kovacic?

With one year remaining on his deal, and Chelsea need to sell players to comply with financial fair play, Kovacic is a player who may have to be sacrificed regardless of whether incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino would like to keep him.

The £100k-per-week star made 37 appearances across all competitions this season, but drew criticism from Chelsea fans for some of his performances as the Blues suffered a disastrous campaign, finishing in the bottom half of the table.

City moving for Kovacic could be an indication that midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is set to depart, and they will be landing a vastly experienced player who has won multiple Champions League titles with Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Kovacic has made 221 appearances for Chelsea since joining in 2018, and could still be a useful asset under Pochettino alongside Ugarte and Fernandez, but if there is no sign of a new contract, then a sale this summer is the best possible outcome.

The Croatian ranks in the top ninth percentile of midfielders for progressive passes as per FBref, having also attempted on average 70 passes per game.

Failing to qualify for Europe means that Chelsea need to desperately trim their squad, and given their focus on younger players in the market, selling the 29-year-old suits all parties involved, as Kovacic will be able to play in the Champions League under Pep Guardiola.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are open to cashing in on Ruben Neves this summer should their £50m price tag be met, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

Is Ruben Neves leaving Wolves?

The Premier League veteran has made 253 appearances at Molineux since arriving back in 2017 and has even become club captain, but with his contract set to expire at the end of next season, Julen Lopetegui will be provided with his final big opportunity to cash in during the upcoming window.

The Old Gold midfielder has been his side’s second best-performing overall, defensive and offensive player this season with a WhoScored match rating of 6.95 so he won’t be short of potential suitors, and having publicly admitted that he wants to join a more high-profile team to achieve his dream of competing in the Champions League, an exit could be on the cards.

The Portuguese international has primarily been attracting interest from Liverpool, Manchester United and Barcelona in recent months, and if the following update is to be believed, it would appear that the former have ramped up their pursuit in the hope of reaching an agreement.

Are Liverpool signing Neves?

According to Football Insider, Liverpool have “asked to be kept informed” of Neves’ situation at Wolves who are “likely to cash in” if their £50m price tag is met. The Midlands skipper has already “made up his mind to quit” and said “farewell” to supporters during the club’s final home lap of honour. The Anfield outfit “continue to have a strong interest” in the 26-year-old and are expected to “keep tabs” on any developments that occur ahead of the 2023/24 term.

Should Wolves keep or sell Neves?

Whilst Wolves will be tempted to sell Neves should a big-money offer arrive, Lopetegui will know how much of an integral member of the squad he is having been dubbed a “beast” by former USA international Jimmy Conrad, so the boss needs to do everything he can to retain the services of his captain beyond the summer.

The World Cup participant is extremely strong in the natural defensive midfield aspect of his game, ranking in the 99th percentile for clearances and recording 79 tackles since the start of the term which is higher than any other of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef.

The Wanderers talisman, who is capable of playing at centre-back and slightly higher up in central midfield outside of his usual role, can also be a threat in the final third with seven top-flight goal contributions this season, so for someone who can positively impact the game at both ends of the pitch, it’s a no-brainer for the club to try and keep hold of their most prized asset.

West Indies coach Phil Simmons has been sacked due to “differences in culture and strategic approach”, the WICB has confirmed

Colin Benjamin and Nagraj Gollapudi13-Sep-20161:04

Simmons sacked as West Indies coach

West Indies coach Phil Simmons has been sacked due to “differences in culture and strategic approach”, the WICB has confirmed.Simmons, who moved into the role after the 2015 World Cup following a spell with Ireland, was informed about the termination of his contract on Tuesday by WICB chief executive Michael Muirhead shortly before the West Indies T20 squad was due to fly to the UAE to play Pakistan. The sacking came just six months after West Indies had won the World T20 in India.

Sammy’s reaction on Facebook

“If the blind leads the blind they are bound to fall in a pit,” former West Indies captain Darren Sammy said. He also called the WICB’s recent symposium of players and administrators in Florida a “publicity stunt”.
“So after the publicity stunt in Fort Lauderdale the first so call plan to move West Indies Cricket forward is to fire the coach just two days before a tour… just prove to me what I already knew. If the blind leads the blind they are bound to fall in a pit.”

For the Pakistan series, the WICB said the team would be under the supervision of former West Indies fast bowler Joel Garner, who is the team manager. He will work alongside the pair of assistant coaches Henderson Springer and Roddy Estwick.Despite the sudden nature of the announcement, the WICB said the decision to drop Simmons was taken at the board of directors meeting last weekend. The board confirmed the news of Simmons’ departure shortly after it was revealed by ESPNcricinfo.As for the reason behind the sacking, the WICB statement did not go into specifics. “In recent times, based on the public pronouncements of the coach and the approach internally, we have identified differences in culture and strategic approach. The WICB would therefore like to thank the coach for his contribution and wishes him the best in his future endeavours.”The lack of common ground between the parties had been clear for some time. Simmons’ journey as West Indies coach was never smooth once he made his thoughts public soon after not being allowed to pick what he felt was the best squad for the ODI series in Sri Lanka last year. Consequently the WICB suspended him before allowing him back to his role once both parties resolved to sort out matters amicably.In September last year, when the issue of selection reared its head again, Simmons had said: “The disappointing fact is that you can lose 3-2 in a vote-off but there is too much interference from outside in the selection of the ODI squad and it’s disappointing for me to know that in any aspect of life … [people would use] their position to get people into a squad; or in this case, get people left out of a squad. It is wrong and I don’t like it and that is my beef with the selection of the ODI team.”His reinstatement, the WICB said, was “conditioned upon” two criteria: “issuance to him of a letter of reprimand for his inappropriate public comments”, and his “making a public apology to the WICB and persons whom he may have offended.”The recent home Test series against India finished in a 2-0 defeat and under Simmons, West Indies won only one of 14 Tests, though that win was enough to draw a series against England last year. They showed glimpses of promise against India but ultimately fell to two heavy defeats – three of the nine losses while Simmons was coach were by an innings, two more by nine wickets, and two by more than 150 runs.It was suggested that former West Indies captain and current Kent coach Jimmy Adams was the replacement the WICB wanted, but sources close to Adams told ESPNcricinfo he was not interested.In less than six months since West Indies won their second World T20 title, the WICB has parted ways with three influential members of the team management, with Simmons following the pair of former captain Darren Sammy and bowling consultant Curtly Ambrose.Immediately after the World T20, the WICB relieved Ambrose from his role, which caught him by surprise. Then ahead of the two T20Is against India in Florida, the new selection panel led by Courtney Browne decided to remove Sammy as captain and replace him with Carlos Brathwaite.

Everton's financial issues are particularly startling given the lack of quality within their first team. Farhad Moshiri has somehow come to Merseyside and taken a side that has boasted Romelu Lukaku, John Stones and Ross Barkley, spent hundreds of millions, and turned that into Neal Maupay, Michael Keane and an archaic Idrissa Gana Gueye.

Whether they remain in the division or not, the latter of which would plunge the club into further disrepute, something drastic has to change with regard to their recruitment.

At one time the Toffees' U23s were regarded as the best in the country, having won the Premier League 2 twice across three seasons back in 2016. Yet the promotion of those players was scarce, and their careers stalled as a result. Their Iranian owner had been led astray by the shiny alternatives the transfer market could bring, stuttering the growth of numerous youngsters all at once.

Perhaps the main shift in focus, both to save money and to profit from this incredible academy they are blessed with, could be to look to promote youngsters with more regularity to fill places within the squad.

One example might be, instead of tying the permanently-injured Yerry Mina down to another contract or signing the underwhelming Conor Coady from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sean Dyche could look at Paul Tait's U21s and pluck someone ready for first-team action; someone like Ryan Astley.

Who is Ryan Astley?

Having been handed his debut in the U21s at the tender age of 16 by David Unsworth, putting in what he described as a "magnificent performance", the 21-year-old has since gone on to feature countless times for the various youth teams before earning his first taste of senior football.

Having spent this year on loan at Accrington Stanley, the League One club has proved a perfect fit for the promising Welshman, where the defender has made 32 appearances across all competitions, scoring four times.

A 6.77 average rating perhaps belies the importance of the youngster, who records on average 2.4 tackles, 3.1 clearances and 1.7 interceptions per game, via Sofascore, for a side that could be resigned for relegation.

Such experiences lower down the football pyramid, where each clash pits the centre-back against battle-hardened opposition, are sure to prepare the Wales youth international for the trials of England's top flight.

He even outlined back in 2020 just how much he'd grown, citing Unsworth as a vital factor in such progression: "He’s taught me the basics of how to defend the goal. He’s also helped me improve my game with and without the ball. He’s made me a more mature defender."

With a season in League One soon to be under his belt too, this claim is only exacerbated.

Although the reported £4.5m buy-out clause in Coady's loan deal is tempting, a 6.77 rating is no great improvement on Astley. Mina, meanwhile, has started just three league games all season and has a £120k-per-week contract that expires this summer.

If the club are truly interested in saving money and utilising their illustrious academy once again, then Dyche's first port of call after this season should be to ditch these two relics in favour of the potential future of their back line.