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The series between India and Pakistan’s women’s teams, which counts towards ICC Women’s Championship points, is in major doubt

Umar Farooq16-Oct-2016

The series between India and Pakistan’s women’s teams, which counts towards ICC Women’s Championship points, is in major doubt. The two have till the end of October to play the series, but the BCCI has not responded to the PCB’s queries on the series since May with either a confirmation or rejection. If the series is not played, an ICC spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo that the matter of how the points will be awarded will be referred to the event’s technical committee. The PCB wants India to forfeit the six points available for the series if they do not agree to play.Pakistan is due to host India for this series, which is supposed to consist of three ODIs, and the PCB is open to holding the series in the UAE. Eight teams are part of the ICC Women’s Championship; the top four at the end of the championship, which runs over two and a half years, gain automatic entry into the 2017 Women’s World Cup in England. The bottom four will have to qualify via a ten-team qualification tournament in early 2017.”The two sides have until the end of this month to play the series, which has to be hosted by Pakistan,” the ICC spokesperson said. “If the series doesn’t go ahead, then the matter will be referred to the Event Technical Committee.”A BCCI official said the board has not made a decision on the matter yet, and that it would be binding on the Indian government’s call. “This is for the government to decide. The BCCI doesn’t have a say in this,” the official said. “We still have time to make a decision.”Cricketing ties between India and Pakistan are currently stalled, given the political tensions between the neighbours. The men’s teams have not played a bilateral series against each other since December-January 2012-13, when Pakistan visited India, but had met in various multi-team tournaments since then, including the World Cup, World T20, Champions Trophy and Asia Cup. The latest Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two boards in May 2014 featured six series from 2015 to 2023, but the series which was supposed to be played last December in the UAE was shelved; then, too, the BCCI had said it was up to the government to sanction the series.There have been two major instances of teams refusing to play matches due to non-cricketing reasons in the past, and both times those teams had to forfeit the points. In 1996 Wills World Cup, West Indies and Australia refused to send their teams to Sri Lanka due to security issues arising out of the civil war; points for both the games were awarded to Sri Lanka. In 2003 World Cup, England forfeited their match with Zimbabwe, and New Zealand forfeited their match with Kenya, both due to security concerns due to political unrest.In the ICC Women’s Championship, India currently sit sixth on the table with 13 points five points adrift of the top four. Pakistan are seventh with eight points. If the six points for the series are awarded to Pakistan, neither side will have a chance to directly qualify for the World Cup. Pakistan Women, regardless, are set to tour New Zealand for three ODIs in Nelson from November 13 to 17, counting towards the championship. It is understood the PCB wanted to play the India series ahead of this tour.India and Pakistan’s women’s teams are also scheduled to play the Asia Cup in Thailand between November 25 and December 5.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly in the running to sign Fiorentina sensation, Sofyan Amrabat this summer, with new boss Ange Postecoglou seemingly seeking to strengthen his midfield ranks ahead of next season.

What's the latest on Amrabat to Tottenham?

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, the 26-year-old is said to be among those who the ex-Celtic manager is targetting ahead of the upcoming window, with the Lilywhites attempting to 'overtake' their rival suitors in the race for the Morocco international's signature.

The report suggests that while the former Club Brugge ace has also spoken to Barcelona boss Xavi, regarding a potential move to Camp Nou, the north Londoners are seemingly intent on putting themselves at the front of the queue, with the likes of Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich also sniffing around.

The piece goes on to add that the Netherlands-born maestro – who has just a year left to run on his existing deal in Florence – could command a fee of around €30m (£26m), making him a potentially affordable option for Postecoglou and co.

Should Tottenham sign Sofyan Amrabat?

The signing of the in-demand ace – who was hailed as the "best centre midfielder" at the World Cup in Qatar by journalist Carlo Garganese – could well help Postecoglou to find a dream partner to current Spurs star, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

With the latter man offering a destructive and dominant force at the base of the midfield, having averaged 1.6 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game this season in the Premier League, Amrabat could well be a perfect foil due to his innate ball-playing prowess.

The one-time Utrecht ace notably ranks in the top 8% among his European peers for progressive passes as well as in the top 5% for pass completion as a marker of that ability to dictate play in the centre of the park, having also averaged a standout 90% pass accuracy rate in Serie A in 2022/23.

The 48-cap titan's quality was notably on show in the recent Europa Conference League final clash with West Ham United, with journalist Muhammad Butt writing that the Fiorentina gem had taken midfield counterpart, Declan Rice "to school" as a sign of his dominance, despite ending up on the losing side.

Hailed as "criminally underrated" by Butt in contrast to Rice – who could fetch around £92m this summer amid interest from Arsenal – the £32k-per-week star put on an "absolute clinic" in that showpiece tussle, according to writer Zach Lowy.

That outing notably saw Amrabat win nine duels and make 99 touches as a marker of his influence on the game, while the West Ham man, by contrast, won just five duels and was restricted to only 41 touches, as per Sofascore.

That ability to win back possession would suggest that the 6 foot 1 ace would also aid Hojbjerg in carrying out his defensive duties, having also averaged 1.3 tackles per game in Serie A this season.

While unlikely to offer much in an attacking sense – as he ranks in just the bottom 6% for touches in the opposition penalty area – Amrabat could then allow the current Spurs man the opportunity to get forward more freely, with the experienced Dane having bagged four goals and five assists in the league in 2022/23 to illustrate his attacking potential.

Although Postecoglou may have a fight on his hands to win the battle for the coveted ace's signature, it could be of real benefit to both himself – and to Hojbjerg – if a deal can be completed.

علق أحمد مجاهد رئيس اتحاد الكرة الأسبق، على فترة توليه المسؤولية خلال اللجنة المؤقتة لإدارة الجبلاية، موضحًا موقفه من الترشح في الانتخابات المقبلة.

وقال أحمد مجاهد في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة اون تايم سبورتس: “توليت رئاسة اتحاد الكرة سنة وشهر، عندما كنت جالسا مع المهندس هاني أبو ريدة مع مسؤولي فيفا من أجل اختيار لجنة لإدارة الاتحاد لحين إجراء الانتخابات”.

وتابع: “فجأة قالوا طالما أحمد مجاهد لن يترشح إذًا يتولى رئاسة اللجنة ويحل الأزمة، وأنا قلت إذا كنت سأتولى المسؤولية سأختار اثنين معي، الشواربي وأحمد حسام عوض، ولا يوجد ملف داخل الاتحاد إلا وكانا يعرفان عنه كل شيء”.

طالع | أحمد مجاهد يعلق على تعيينه مراقباً لنهائي كأس أمم إفريقيا.. ويصرح: العلاقة بين كاف والمغرب ليست تنافسية

وأكمل: “المجموعة الكبيرة في الاتحاد كانت تجتمع جتمع أكثر من ساعتين يوميا لمناقشة كل الملفات، والكل كان يقول رأيه، وجميعهم من أصحاب الخبرات، والأمر الثاني أنا جئت وأنا تحت القصف، الإعلام لم يكن يساندني، ولم أكن مدعوما، وهذا كان دافعا أن أعمل وأنا في كامل تركيزي حتى لا أخطئ”.

وبسؤاله هل ستدخل الانتخابات المُقبلة؟، أوضح: “أنا أخذت التدرج في الخبرة، لكن هناك أقدميات إذا أراد أحد من أصحاب الخبرة القدامى أن يترشح سأكون داعما له، ولن أترشح أمام جمال علام أو أي من القدامى، أنا أرى أن التدرج الطبيعي إذا لم يترشح أحد من القدامى سأترشح”.

Newcastle United have scheduled talks regarding a new long-term contract for Fabian Schar, according to reports.

Is Fabian Schar leaving Newcastle?

The Magpies centre-back first arrived in the Premier League from Deportivo de La Coruna back in 2018 and has since gone on to make a total of 141 appearances to date, establishing himself as a regular feature in Eddie Howe’s side having made 36 top-flight starts from 38 games last season.

The Switzerland international, however, will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the upcoming window could be the northeast outfit’s last chance to cash in, should they not want to extend his stay, nor risk losing him for free, but it sounds like they don’t plan on letting the 31-year-old go anywhere for the foreseeable future.

Are Newcastle giving Schar a new contract?

According to Football Insider, Newcastle, and by extension owners PIF, are “keen to discuss” fresh terms with Schar and plan to open talks over the summer in a bid to tie him down at St. James’ Park. PIF are not only hoping to “protect” the defender’s value, but also “reward” him for his excellent standard of performances under Howe.

The 6 foot 1 titan can begin talks regarding a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs as of January 2024 due to his situation, but the board are no doubt hoping that he will decide to commit his future to the long-term project in the black and white stripes.

Should Newcastle keep or sell Schar?

Newcastle are reportedly confident of agreeing a new long-term contract for Bruno Guimaraes, and having once been hailed a “solid” centre-back by journalist Josh Bunting, Schar is definitely another player that deserves to stay longer.

The Puma-sponsored colossus, who earns £40k-per-week, averaged 3.8 clearances and 3.1 aerial wins per top-flight game last season, via WhoScored, so was a real rock at the heart of the backline, but he can equally be a threat pushing up the pitch.

The Sports360 client, who has the versatility to operate in defensive midfield, ranks in the 99th percentile for three different statistics, including total number of shots, not to mention that he posted four goal contributions (three assists and one goal) last term in the Premier League.

The Magpies will know that Schar isn’t getting any younger, so there’s a chance that he could be offered more of a short-term deal, but regardless of the length of the contract, it’s still fully warranted for the positive impact he has on Howe’s side.

The match between India Blue and India Green laboured to a predictable draw in Greater Noida, as India Blue, who began the final day with a lead of 555, batted on until they were bowled out an hour from the dinner break

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsPragyan Ojha suffered a blow to the head and had to be stretchered off the field•PTI

The match between India Blue and India Green laboured to a predictable draw in Greater Noida, as India Blue, who began the fourth and final day with a lead of 555, chose not to declare and batted on until they were bowled out an hour from the dinner break. India Green, left with a target of 769, raced to 179 for 4 courtesy half-centuries from M Vijay (73) and Robin Uthappa (66) before the players shook hands as the match entered its final hour.India Blue collected three points, by virtue of their 470-run first-innings lead, and set up a final date with India Red. India Green ended their campaign with a solitary point, having lost outright to India Red in the tournament opener.Outplayed from the time they were asked to bowl first, India Green’s day was made worse by a freak head injury to Pragyan Ojha. Ojha, fielding at mid-on, got down to stop Pankaj Singh’s thwack, but the ball bounced unexpectedly and struck him on the side of his head. Ojha lay motionless, clutching his head, before being stretchered off. He was taken to a nearby multispeciality hospital and a neurosurgeon was consulted. Later in the day, the BCCI revealed that Ojha was safe, tweeting a picture of him on his hospital bed, flashing a smile and a thumbs-up.At the time of Ojha’s injury, India Blue were nine down. The day had begun with overnight batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Mayank Agarwal completing half-centuries, while Cheteshwar Pujara struck a brisk 31. Sheldon Jackson and Dinesh Karthik then came together for a fifth-wicket stand of 46. After Karthik’s dismissal for 57, Jackson took centrestage, and the first-innings centurion once again gave India Green a hard time, tonking six fours and five sixes. When Pankaj Singh was cleaned up by Shreyas Gopal, Jackson was unbeaten 79 off 77 balls. Shreyas ended with figures of 4 for 53.India Green’s batsmen decided to have some fun and their innings made for entertaining viewing. M Vijay set the tone with an edged boundary over gully off the very first ball of the innings, and the batsmen frequently stepped out and hit over the top. Jalaj Saxena did not last long with that approach, however, flashing at one outside off to be caught at point. Thereafter, Uthappa and Vijay added 116 for the second wicket off just 134 balls.The two took a liking to legspinner Karn Sharma, who offered them generous flight. They stepped down the track and heaved him either side of the wicket, frequently targeting long-on and long-off.Green’s batsmen had their share of luck, too. Karn put down a tough chance when Vijay hammered one straight back at him on 31. He was offered another life when Jackson misjudged a catch at extra-cover off the same bowler with Vijay on 46. The reprieves did not alter the second-wicket pair’s approach, however. Uthappa raised his half-century by creaming Abhimanyu Mithun through extra cover in the 21st over, and Vijay joined him less than three overs later, lofting Karn for a boundary through the same region.Karn, however, continued flighting the ball. He began finding turn too, and had Uthappa holing out to cover point, while Vijay picked out long-off.Parthiv Patel’s brief stay was ended by Parvez Rasool who got one to drift in and trap him lbw. Shortly thereafter, Gambhir decided he had had enough, and the players shook hands with Saurabh Tiwary unbeaten on 20, and Shreyas giving him company on 3.

تحدث عبد الرؤوف بن غيث لاعب فريق شباب بلوزداد الجزائري، عقب انتهاء مباراة الأهلي، التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

وتعادل الأهلي سلبيًا مع شباب بلوزداد الجزائري، على أرضية ملعب 5 يوليو بالعاصمة الجزائرية، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من دور المجموعات.

وقال عبد الرؤوف في تصريحات عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “أهدرنا فرصًا كبيرة في بداية المباراة، واجهنا فريقًا كبيرًا لديه حارس مرمى كان متواجدًا في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا العام الماضي”.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | وائل جمعة منتقدًا كولر: لا أعلم لماذا صبر على لاعب الأهلي.. وهناك مكسب وحيد

وأضاف: “الحظ لم يحالفنا، عرفنا نقطة ضعف الأهلي ولعبنا عليها وحصلنا على نقطة”.

وأتم: “المباراة المقبلة في تنزانيا وسنذهب من أجل أن نحقق نتيجة إيجابية، متبقي أمامنا مباراتين بست نقاط والحظوظ كلها متساوية”.

Pakistan have risen to No. 1 in the Test rankings for the first time. They have taken over the top position from India, following India’s washout against West Indies in Trinidad

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-20161:27

Pakistan’s journey to the top

Pakistan have risen to No. 1 in the ICC’s Test rankings for the first time. They took the top position from India, following India’s washed out Test against West Indies in Trinidad.The ICC Test table

1 Pakistan (111 rating points)
2 India (110)
3 Australia (108)
4 England (108)
5 New Zealand (99)
6 Sri Lanka (95)
7 South Africa (92)
8 West Indies (67)
9 Bangladesh (57)
10 Zimbabwe (8)

Pakistan had moved to No. 2 on the table last week, after drawing the Test series in England 2-2 and after Australia were whitewashed 3-0 in Sri Lanka. At the same time, India had moved to No. 1 after beating West Indies in the St Lucia Test to go 2-0 up in their four-match series; they needed to win the final Test, in Trinidad, to hold on to No. 1, but the match was drawn after weather and outfield issues forced play to be abandoned over four days.Last week was the second time in less than a year that Pakistan had moved to No. 2 on the rankings – the highest they had previously been since the current rankings system was put in place in 2003. They had featured at No. 2 for the first time in November 2015, after beating England 2-0 in the UAE.Their rise to No. 1 was built on the back of a run of unbeaten Test series since August 2014, when they were down at No. 6. Apart from the successes against England, they had also beaten Sri Lanka 2-1 in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh 1-0 in Bangladesh, and whitewashed Australia 2-0 in the UAE. Against New Zealand in the UAE in November 2014, the series during which Phillip Hughes died in Sydney, they had drawn 1-1.Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said he was “proud” to have his team at the top, but his focus remained on delivering consistently good performances going forward. “There is no greater feeling than to achieve the No. 1 ranking in the most traditional and purest format of the sport,” Misbah said. “This is what cricketers play for and want to achieve in their careers. It is a reward for something we had planned as a group a few years ago and have worked extremely hard to achieve it.”I want to compliment everyone who has been involved in the process, including all the players, the support personnel, the management, as well as our loyal fans and followers who remained committed to us and continued to back and support the side through the good and not-so-good days.”For us, the No. 1 ranking is not a destination but part of a journey. Our long-term objective and strategy is to remain competitive, continue to challenge the top sides with good cricket and once again become the most followed side like the Pakistan teams of yesteryears.”PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, much like former coach Waqar Younis, said credit for Pakistan’s achievement should go to Misbah. “The ascension to the top of the ICC Test rankings culminates an incredible journey for Pakistan,” Khan said. “This is a historic moment in our rich Test cricket history and the credit for this great achievement goes not only to this team but to all… coaches and support staff members who have represented Pakistan in recent years. Misbah-ul-Haq deserves special credit for his leadership through six crucial years.”The No. 1 rank has changed hands several times in 2016. In January, India took over from South Africa after South Africa were defeated 0-2 by England at home. In February, Australia climbed to No. 1 following their 2-0 win in New Zealand. They gave No. 1 back to India following their recent 0-3 loss in Sri Lanka, and then came India’s handover to Pakistan.The ICC’s ranking system takes into account matches played over the previous four years, with the oldest matches in the cycle being dropped every May. For the current cycle, matches played from May 2013 to April 2015 carry 50% weightage, while matches played since then carry 100% weightage. In May 2017, matches played between May 2013 and April 2014 will be dropped from the calculations, and those between May 2015 and April 2016 will have their weightage reduced to 50%.

Both Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano have provided an update on Manchester United’s pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

The Lowdown: De Jong contact

Erik ten Hag has already made a head start when it comes to summer transfer business at Old Trafford, holding a planning meeting in Amsterdam last week.

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He has now terminated his Ajax contract six weeks early in order to get going in England, and a reunion with De Jong seems to be high up on his agenda.

Contact has been made over a possible move and Barcelona’s financial situation may impact where De Jong is playing his football from next season.

The Latest: Updates

Romano took to Twitter on Tuesday, stating that Champions League football is a priority for De Jong next season. He did add that ‘United will try again’ and that Ten Hag would ‘love’ to change the midfielder’s mind over a transfer.

Plettenberg reacted to Romano’s post, believing a move to Old Trafford for De Jong ‘could become one of the biggest transfers in summer’, describing United’s pursuit as ‘hot’.

The Verdict: Marquee addition?

Midfielders will be needed at Old Trafford this summer, with Nemanja Matic set to leave and Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata all out of contract at the end of June.

De Jong could prove to be the marquee midfield signing as Barcelona would reportedly want around £85m for his services. Ten Hag would know how to get the best out of him following the pair’s successful relationship at Ajax, however, with Champions League football a priority, a transfer could be complicated.

Plettenberg has stated that it ‘could become one of the biggest transfers’ this summer, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if this dragged on over the coming months.

In other news: ‘Important’ Man Utd arrival now in ‘final stages’ after Ten Hag approves deal. 

Rangers rounded off their Premiership campaign with a comfortable 3-1 victory, ensuring that they go into their two finals next week on a positive note.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst majorly rotated his team from Wednesday night, resting the likes of James Tavernier and Allan McGregor ahead of the upcoming Europa League final next Wednesday.

The manager handed debuts to Adam Devine, with substitute appearances by Tony Weston and Cole McKinnon showing that Van Bronckhorst trusts the academy stars, and some could have bright futures at Ibrox.

This afternoon, Hearts took the lead through Peter Haring midway through the first half before Rangers fought back through forgotten man Cedric Itten and academy sensation Alex Lowry to head into the interval with a 2-1 lead.

The Light Blues scored a third goal late on, a first in senior football for McKinnon, to round off a straightforward win as the biggest week in the club’s recent history approaches.

While some of the precocious young talents made their mark today, one of the standout performers was a member of the Rangers old guard.

Steven Davis may be 37 years of age but he ran the show against Hearts today. In what may be his last league match for the club as his contracts ends over the summer, the veteran won six of his eight duels (75%), the joint-most of any Gers player, along with completing 63 of his 68 passes (93%).

Davis – who pundit Stephen Craigan once described as a “joy to watch” – also made six tackles and two interceptions, earning an overall performance rating of 7.4 on SofaScore, which was the joint-second highest in the team behind Lowry.

The 37-year-old midfielder could add a European medal in midweek when the Gers take on Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final, and what an end to a wonderful Rangers career it would be. A similar performance to today could go a long way to potentially inspiring Van Bronckhorst and co to glory in Seville on Wednesday night.

AND in other news, Wilson heading for big Rangers disaster on “ridiculous” £6.4k-p/w tank, GvB needs him…

Former Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho is said to be eyeing up a move for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Strong connections

The Portuguese coach signed the 26-year-old when he was in charge of the north London giants just under two years ago, and a matter of months after Mourinho was confirmed as the new manager at Roma, it was reported that the Dane wanted to join him at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Mirror have recently claimed that Hojbjerg is attracting interest from Spurs’ top-flight rivals Newcastle United, with the £100k-per-week star being ‘high’ on Eddie Howe’s wish list, but it seems that a Serie A reunion between the midfielder and his former boss might be on the cards.

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The Latest: Jones’ comments on Hojbjerg

When speaking during an interview about Hojbjerg’s future at Tottenham, Jones told GiveMeSport:

“One thing I’m hearing on Hojbjerg is that Jose Mourinho quite fancies taking him to Roma.

“Next season Jose intends to ask the board to back his vision as he thinks they can make a real push at the top of Serie A – and Hojbjerg could be a great asset.”

The Verdict: Hojbjerg should stay at Spurs

Despite having a successful spell under Mourinho, who once dubbed the 54-cap Denmark international a “phenomenal” player, Hojbjerg has since settled into life at Tottenham, particularly under Antonio Conte, under whom he has started all but two Premier League games this season.

Roma have already failed to secure a Champions League place for next season with the 59-year-old in the dugout, whereas the Lilywhites still very much have a chance of finishing in the Premier League top four come the end of May.

The 6 foot 1 maestro has proven to be one of Conte’s most consistent performers over the course of the Italian’s N17 tenure, and should he have ambitions of playing any kind of European football at the highest level in the future, the best option for him would be to remain in north London and hopefully enjoy more success with Spurs in years to come.

In other news… sources have shared a huge update on one of Tottenham’s summer transfer targets