Australia have conceded the No. 1 Test ranking to India after losing all three Tests on their tour of Sri Lanka
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Aug-20161:29
‘No.1 ranking just a short term incentive’ – Kohli
Australia have conceded the No. 1 Test ranking to India after losing all three Tests on their tour of Sri Lanka. Virat Kohli’s team – currently ahead of Pakistan by one point – must win the fourth Test against West Indies, beginning on August 18 in Trinidad, to retain their top ranking.Australia slipped to No. 3 after the 163-run defeat at the SSC; they had begun the series with 118 points but finished the contest just ahead of England, who also have 108 points at No. 4, on the ICC’s rankings.As a result of Australia being whitewashed 3-0, Pakistan have risen to No. 2, having drawn their four-Test tour of England 2-2. Should India fail to beat West Indies in Trinidad, Pakistan will become the No. 1 ranked Test side for the first time.Sri Lanka’s performance led to them over-taking South Africa to move into sixth place with 95 points. They had begun the home series against Australia at No. 7 with 85 points.ICC Test rankings 1 India (112 points), 2 Pakistan (111), 3 Australia (108), 4 England (108), 5 New Zealand (99), 6 Sri Lanka (95), 7 South Africa (92), 8 West Indies (65), 9 Bangladesh (57), 10 Zimbabwe (8)
TalkSport pundit Tony Cascarino has clamied that Arsenal plan on having more expectations of Emile Smith Rowe next season.
What is going on with Emile Smith Rowe?
It's been an off-season for the Englishman after injuries derailed the first half of his campaign, but he's failed to make any real impact on the team even when fit.
As a result, there has been talk in the media that he could be sold this summer. For instance, Charles Watts wrote for Goal: "The Hale End graduate may have barely featured this season, but he remains a massively popular with the fanbase.
"It’s clear, though, that he’s way down the pecking order under Arteta at present, and with Arsenal expected to bring in more than one midfield addition this summer, Smith Rowe could be deemed as expendable, should a decent offer arrive."
In the same article, he also mentioned Chelsea's Mason Mount could be a target for the Gunners this summer, as someone to potentially replace the 22-year-old in Mikel Arteta's plans.
While speaking about that possibility on the TalkSport YouTube channel, however, Cascarino dropped a hint that Arsenal may yet have big hopes for Smith Rowe.
He said: “The only thing I've heard of only thing is that there's a lot more expectation on Smith Rowe at Arsenal next year.
"Yeah, you know, would he [Mount] be challenging for that? Because Smith Rowe had a very strange season, a lot of injuries didn't quite get going. But there's a real talent there with Smith Rowe."
Will Arsenal give Smith Rowe another chance?
Alongside his small number of league appearances, it's even more worrying that Smith Rowe didn't even get much of a chance in the cup competitions.
Indeed, he played just once each in the Europa League, FA Cup, and didn't feature in the Carabao Cup (though that was due to injury).
And his fitness has been a real problem over the years, despite his young age, and so perhaps Arteta will be ruthless and decide he can't trust Smith Rowe's body even if he's got plenty of talent.
Emile Smith Rowe of Arsenal
Even so, the 22-year-old has a £40k-p/w contract that runs until 2026 so there is no real need to bin him off just yet and perhaps he's shown enough in the past to persist with.
As a club academy product, it's likely man fans will want him to get a second chance and maybe Arsenal will give him one more season to truly prove himself with extra reasonability next term – just as Cascarino suggests.
ExWHUEmployee has revealed that West Ham United will target domestic players in the summer transfer window if David Moyes is in charge.
What are the latest West Ham transfer rumours?
It's been a funny old season for the Hammers. What started out very slowly and looked potentially as though it could end its relegation, could now finish with sheer joy.
Indeed, the Irons have secured Premier League safety with ease, finishing 14th in the division, and have the Europa Conference League final to enjoy next month.
It's crazy how much the mood has changed in East London but maybe it's because their star signings have taken some time to adjust to life in England but have now hit their stride.
After all, the likes of Lucas Paqueta, Nayef Aguerd, and Thilo Kehrer arrived from overseas in the summer so it would make sense if they've taken time to find their best form in a new environment.
While discussing this on The West Ham Way podcast, Ex suggested that Moyes will look to sign players from England in the summer to help avoid similar issues occurring next term.
He explained (2:58): “I have been told if David Moyes remains the manager, the main focus is going to be on players with domestic experience over foreign signings.
"Although he has made it clear that if he feels that there's better value in the foreign signing than the domestic signing, then he will do whatever the best value is.
"Often people say you have to add British tax on to British signings or domestic-based signings because they tend to be more expensive than the foreign signings, when you're getting pretty much a like-for-like player.
“But they do want to sort of balance out that between the value and having domestic experience because I think they've pinpointed a lot of the reason a couple of players took their time to adjust to the league this year [is] because they hadn't played the league before."
How much could West Ham spend this summer?
With Declan Rice expected to leave this summer, the Irons could have somewhere in the region of £120m to spend on new signings.
This means, the club could potentially shop from any side in the world but if they do look closer to home, they can afford to sign players with a potential premium due to the "English tax" Ex refers to.
West Ham United'sDeclanRiceapplauds the fans during the lap of appreciation
Of course, though, it remains unclear if Moyes will even still be their manager. If he loses the final against Fiorentina, he could be sacked – having been under the threat of losing his job earlier on in the season – and a new manager could have completely different transfer ambitions.
Alex Lees sustained Yorkshire during a tricky opening day against Durham with a season’s best 132, passing 1000 first-class runs in the process
David Hopps at Headingley06-Sep-2016 ScorecardAlex Lees gave Yorkshire a strong platform at Headingley•Getty Images
Do it for Dizzy is not yet emblazoned across Headingley, but it seems an appropriate exhortation as the Championship season reaches its climax. Jason Gillespie is heading back to Australia at the end of the season and Yorkshire would love nothing better than to send him on his way with a hat-trick of Championship titles. He has become as popular as a coach as his fellow Australian, and good mate, Darren Lehmann was as a player and that is an achievement indeed.With three games remaining, Middlesex ahead by four points, and a potential winner-takes all finale between the two sides at Lord’s, Yorkshire’s minimal task is to match them over the next two games if that third title is to come to pass. Alex Lees sustained them during a tricky opening day against Durham with a season’s best 132, passing 1000 first-class runs in the process. Yorkshire’s 341 for 5 was a decent return in testing conditions against a Durham side that nevertheless looked over-reliant on its opening attack of Graham Onions and Chris Rushworth.Lees’ reputation as an England opener-in-waiting weakened during an unsuccessful 2015 so here was another innings that suggested his career is back on track, if with a disturbing tendency to jump the rails on occasions. He believes the experience has made his game tougher and given him “nuggets of information” that will help him through when the bad times return.”Everybody has down times,” he said, and to illustrate that fact he only had to look 22 yards away for the first half of the day as he shared an assertive second-wicket stand of 163 in 43 overs with Gary Ballance, one which scotched Durham’s hopes of making use of favourable bowling conditions.Lees finally fell driving a low full toss back to the offspinner Ryan Pringle. He retains his admirers, but as much as his wish to transfer pressure back to the bowlers is in keeping with the current crop of young openers, there have been too many ungainly moments, and rushes of blood, along the way to be mentioned in England despatches just yet. It is across the Pennines where England’s attention now resides with strong indications that they are prepared to take a punt on the admirable Haseeb Hameed for the Test tours of Bangladesh and India.Lees has only 81 fewer first-class runs, but he averages 43 as opposed to Hameed’s 53 and whereas Hameed’s defences seems to have been designed on principles drawn up by the North Korean border police, Lees can be a little bit too Green Channel for his own good. He played one headstrong wipe at Onions early in his innings that would have had Hameed consigning himself to a month’s solitary confinement in self-admonishment.That Lees is finishing the season strongly, however, asserts that here is a cricketer of strength of character. He was not yet 23 when he was awarded the Yorkshire captaincy in one-day cricket. Considering that tradition in the Broad Acres once had it that you were not old enough to be allowed a word in edgeways until you were at least 30, he has coped remarkably well. Imagine the pressure of explaining a fielding change to a member only to be told: “Speak when tha’s spoken to lad.”That captaincy brought promise, but no trophy – or as they prefer to describe it in Yorkshire: “Two lots of the treble messed up so far.” Under his leadership, Yorkshire suddenly discovered how to play Twenty20, got to Finals Day but lost in the semi-finals. A home semi-final over 50 overs provided another disappointment when Surrey outplayed them at Headingley in front of a lower crowd than expected. There were letters in the complaining their one-day cricket was still a mess, which suggests that many counties must be living in considerable depravity.For Yorkshire to find consolation in a third successive Championship, they will have to manage without their England duo of Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, who have been told to rest out the last three games in the Championship season. There were so many low-level grumbles around Headingley that one might have imagined the boilers were on the blink, but Root is a multi-format player with a bad back and, in particular, would benefit from a prolonged rest. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that there was an idealism in the grumbles because the commitment of Yorkshire – and others – to the Championship is keeping English cricket alive.Root, if he needs rest, should also be allowed to skip England’s one-day series in Bangladesh, although that decision would no doubt be influenced by politics as much as cricketing logic. With the tour surrounded by safety concerns, there will be a reluctance within the ECB to be accused of favouritism to certain players. The approved Yorkshire response to that, incidentally, would be to trust to cricketing logic and bugger what the rest of them think. England should follow that course.It was a sultry morning, but Yorkshire lost only one wicket to the new ball, Adam Lyth fending Onions to Keaton Jennings at gully, before Lees and Ballance took the game by the scruff. Ballance’s innings smacked of a game returning to good order ahead of the winter tour selections. It ended when he edged back to a length ball from Barry McCarthy and was caught at the wicket.The wicketkeeper was Paul Collingwood, who was forced to deputise because of a dislocated finger suffered by Michael Richardson. Richardson has only recently relinquished the gloves in a successful attempt to regain his batting form, but he had to take them when Stuart Poynter reported ill. Is there an outside chance that Phil Mustard could yet be summoned back from a loan spell at Gloucestershire for an end-of-season hero’s farewell? Some in Durham would love nothing better. As for Collingwood, it would be no surprise to learn that during the close season he has also been tasked with fixing the plumbing and painting the sightscreens.When Andrew Gale was bowled around his legs by Onions, there was a possibility that Yorkshire, at 190 for 3, could fritter away a dominant position. But Lees wore his responsibilities maturely, taking an hour to negotiate the 90s, a phase of the game in which he did not get much strike. He flicked a long hop from Pringle to the square leg boards to secure his third Championship hundred of the season – his first at Headingley since he also took one off Durham two years ago – before Jake Lehmann, with a half-century in his first appearance on a ground graced so often by his father, helped him restore Yorkshire’s superiority.
أعلن المدير الفني لفريق توتنهام، أنجي بوستيكوجلو، عدة أخبار سيئة قبل مواجهتهم المرتقبة ضد ولفرهامبتون في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
ويلتقي الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الخامسة والعشرين من الدوري الإنجليزي، يوم السبت.
وأوضح أنجي بوستيكوجلو أن الثنائي بيدرو بورو وديستني أودوجي سيغيبان عن مباراة الغد المرتقبة نتيجة الإصابة.
وقال أنجي بوستيكوجلو في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “مترو” الإنجليزية: “لقد تعرضنا لبعض الانتكاسات هذا الأسبوع”.
وأضاف: “عانى أودوجي من ضربة في الأسبوع الماضي وهو ليس مستعدًا للمشاركة غدًا، لا أعتقد أن هذا شيء خطير للغاية، نأمل ألا يغيب كذلك عن مباراة الأسبوع القادم”.
وواصل: “تعرض بيدرو للإجهاد في التدريبات، سنحصل على بعض المعلومات الإضافية ولكن ربما يستغرق الأمر بضعة أسابيع، آمل ألا يغيب الكثير من اللاعبين فيما بعد”.
ويُعد كل من بورو وأودوجي من العناصر الأساسية في خط هجوم بوستيكوجلو حتى الآن هذا الموسم، لكن الأسترالي كان أصر على أن غيابهما لن يؤثر على إعداده.
اقرأ أيضًا.. تليجراف توضح رد فعل توتنهام تجاه ارتباط بوستيكوجلو بخلافة كلوب في ليفربول
وتابع: “هذا لا يغير الطريقة التي نلعب بها، لكن أعتقد أنني قلت في الماضي إن اللاعب يجلب نوعًا من القدرة الفريدة الخاصة به في كل مركز”.
وأردف: “النظام لن يتغير ولن تتغير الطريقة التي نستعد بها، لكن اللاعبين المختلفين يجلبون سمات مختلفة، لقد كان بيدرو وأودوجي رائعين بالنسبة لنا هذا العام”.
وأوضح: “كلاهما يتحسن ولكن كما قلت إنهما في عداد الغائبين الآن، وستكون هناك فرصة لاثنين من اللاعبين الآخرين للدخول والتأكد من الحفاظ على المستويات التي حددناها حتى الآن”.
كما أكد بوستيكوجلو أيضًا أن الحارس الثاني فريزر فورستر سيقضي فترة طويلة على طاولة العلاج بعد تعرضه لكسر في قدمه، واستطرد: “من المحتمل أن يغيب لمدة شهرين”.
Chelsea have a long summer of player sales ahead of them after dramatically splashing the cash in recent windows, and one of those tipped for a potential exit is youth product Trevoh Chalobah, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
With Mateo Kovacic nearing a move to Premier League rivals Manchester City and N'Golo Kante seemingly the next big star to swap the English top-flight for the Saudi Pro League, the 23-year-old could be the another name to depart Stamford Bridge this summer.
What's the latest on Trevoh Chalobah?
Chalobah has been a Chelsea player since starting his youth career at the club in 2007, but with the uncertainty surrounding his future, he has been linked with a move to Inter Milan.
According to Football Insider, the Italian giants made initial enquiries about the possibility of a transfer for the 6 foot 4 defender back in January and have now moved things along by officially registering their interest with the West London club.
Despite spending his entire career thus far at the two-time European champions, the player himself is also 'keen to hold talks' with the blue side of Milan.
"He would be one of the names that I'd have on a list of potential exits, for sure," Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT before providing a further behind-the-scenes perspective from the club, he added:
"But I think that there are definitely people within the club that still admire him and think he is capable of playing at this level."
However, the Blues are in a place of relative strength with a potential deal, as Chalobah still has five years left to run on his £50k-per-week contract.
Internazionale could also be pulled into a bidding war over the player, as Brighton and Hove Albion have also been linked to the England youth international, who is currently valued at £33m by FootballTransfers.
Trevoh-Chalobah-Chelsea
Could Trevoh Chalobah fight for his place at Chelsea?
By all accounts, it does sound like the defensive "monster" – as once hailed by football scout Jacek Kulig – is set to leave Stamford Bridge in the summer, but should he stay and fight?
The first major obstacle in his way is the sheer number of defenders at the club, the sort that have cost the board a significant amount of money.
Wesley Fofana, for example, cost £75m last summer, Benoit Badiashile cost £35m in January, and the struggling Kalidou Koulibaly even cost around £33m.
Beyond those big-money signings, you also have the evergreen Thiago Silva, who has probably been the team's best defender despite moving on a free.
So there is a lot of competition, but how has Chalobah fared against them when he's played?
WhoScored has given the youngster an average rating of 6.47 in the league this year, which is a lot lower than the aforementioned quartet – Silva sits on 7.07, Badiashile on 6.91, Fofana on 6.90 and even Koulibaly hits 6.83.
Unfortunately, with even the much-criticised Koulibaly achieving a higher average rating in the league this year, a regular starting spot for Chalobah seems unlikely heading into next season under Pochettino.
Ultimately, it looks like a move to Serie A might be what's best for both parties, with Fikayo Tomori a fine example of what could happen should he take the plunge.
Chelsea could, in turn, profit from a player who doesn't get much game time, and Chalobah himself can get another chance to earn regular first-team football.
Following his side’s 3-0 defeat to India, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said he is disappointed but was thankful for the experience, which he felt would help the players take their game forward
Sidharth Monga in Indore11-Oct-20163:06
‘Ashwin is best in exposing conditions’ – Williamson
After losing all the Tests in a series they would have been hopeful of doing well in, Kane Williamson managed to retain some humour, but he knew his side was done in by a mix of difficult conditions for them, the quality of their opposition in those conditions, and their own lack of application at times. In packed schedules nowadays, you hardly get time to acclimatise, which means you don’t have too many second chances. The most disappointing aspect for New Zealand will be that when they got a surface in Indore that resembled classic Indian pitches, they couldn’t bat for long enough. It didn’t help that they never won a toss, and India always were in the ascendency.When asked about R Ashwin’s hold on him – the leading wicket-taker of the series took out Williamson all four times he batted – Williamson joked: “He didn’t get me out 27 times. He got a few other blokes out too.”On a serious note, Williamson did make a mention of the conditions. “He’s a good bowler,'” Williamson said of Ashwin. “We’re always learning playing internationals. I guess it’s a new thing, personally as well. Come over here with so much rough, which is nice to bowl into. I suppose I was a victim of it a few times. I guess, when you are put in that situation where you are dismissed in a similar situation, you are able to learn and try to improve from that. The conditions guys are exposed to, and the quality of bowling, in a backhanded way, we can be thankful for those experiences that help move your game forward.”Even before the season began, India had a good chance of going unbeaten through a long season of 13 home Tests. New Zealand, on paper, seemed the team likeliest to challenge India, which will now make India look invincible this season. Williamson, though, felt – and it did bring out some laughs – that the toss can be crucial in these conditions. The previous home season had a shift in the pitches India play on, and they have won all seven tosses since then.”Winning the toss would be helpful, I think,” Williamson said, when asked what advice he could give to the teams that are following him in India’s home season. “Which is a challenge in itself: South Africa lost every toss as well. Certainly have to be at your best. Whether you win the toss, lose the toss, India were far superior in this series. It depends on the surfaces. Every surface has been different in this series, they were different in the South Africa series. Whether it is a good one… it is important to spend time at the crease, creating pressure. Batting first would be nice. It would help, certainly, in being more competitive. This India side is a very good team, and they certainly know these conditions better than anyone.”Williamson said that while the conditions were more difficult when they batted in Indore, this was a pitch where they could have played more assured cricket. Speaking on finding the right balance between defence and attack, Williamson said: “It is a challenge, certainly on wickets very conducive to spin that make attacking tough as well. Sometimes, being positive when it is doing a little bit more is the way forward. It is up to the individual how they want to skin it, but in this Test, which was probably a little bit more like Test matches of old where it’s that war of attrition and you have to play long game like India showed, as opposed to Test matches prior, where 300 was a very good score, where you go out there and play positively and you get them before they get you, here was a little bit different.”They exploited conditions better than us. They played very patiently with the bat, and batting was not easy when it came our time. Not just because conditions had deteriorated, but the very good bowling attack they have. Important that we come away from here, although frustrated, having learnt a huge amount as a young group being exposed in these conditions.”Williamson didn’t shy away from giving India the credit and said he was disappointed his team couldn’t adapt quickly enough, but added that in conditions so challenging he felt the need to send players early for more experience.”The more you can play in these conditions, the better you’ll be,” Williamson said. “That has to be a given. The more experiences you get in any conditions, it is a good thing. People talk a lot about county cricket and then, when you go to England, you certainly are far more aware of what to expect. I suppose this is no different. If guys can have more experience in these conditions, it will certainly be helpful.”When asked if he felt his side had spent enough time here before the series, Williamson brought up the practical issue of the packed schedules. “I suppose there is always those discussions,” Williamson said. “Another tough point as well is that you are playing so much international cricket, it is tricky to get that extra preparation you would like. So, you are having to learn on the job a bit, which is the nature of the beast, but at the same time, it is an important thing. Whether it’s ‘A’ teams where guys are able to get extra time to come over, particularly in these conditions where you are playing more and more cricket. India’s home summer this year is 13 Test matches. So you are playing more and more in these conditions.”New Zealand now have the five-ODI series to look forward to, which will be played on flatter surfaces. Williamson hoped the team doesn’t carry the scars of losing the Tests into that series. “Disappointing to lose the Test series,” he said. “At the same time, the guys are looking forward to the change of format. It will be tough again. We know India are a very good side at that as well. It’s exciting. We know that wickets will more than likely be quite different again.”We have got to adapt. Go out and play with that freedom, knowing that when we do play with that freedom, we play our best cricket. There will be a little bit of scarring coming out of a three-nil Test defeat. Obviously winning is a lot better than losing. Unfortunately we have lost a few on the trot, but nice to have new personnel come in who are fresh and looking forward to the one-day series.”
Tottenham Hotspur's lacklustre season culminated in an eighth-place Premier League finish and a continuation of the absence of silverware that has plagued the north London outfit for the past 15 years.
News of Harry Kane's possible departure has been filtering in like an acrid smell over recent weeks too, with just one year left on the world-class talisman's contract and European giants reportedly pursuing the England captain.
Ange Postecoglou has left Celtic for a shot at steadying the Lilywhites ship, and now has the summer transfer market to rectify the mounting wrongs under chairman Daniel Levy as well as fashioning an outfit capable of competing at the top of the table and sustaining pursuits of silverware – a domestic cup run will surely be among the priorities next year.
One player who could help to return the club to greener grass is Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie, with the Ivorian titan failing to make his mark at Camp Nou this season and consequently being linked with a move away.
According to Spanish outlet AS, the 26-year-old, who is valued at €35m (£30m), could make the summer switch and earn a more prominent role with Spurs – one which could bear fruit for all involved parties.
Should Tottenham sign Franck Kessie?
Hailed as an "amazing player" by former Spurs shot-stopper Paul Robinson, Kessie's sensational performances for AC Milan in the 2021/22 campaign led to La Blaugrana snapping him up on a free, and while he perhaps hasn't taken to life in La Liga as anticipated, he remains a first-rate star.
As per Sofascore, he recorded an average Serie A rating of 7.07 as Milan won the Scudetto, scoring six goals, completing 88% of his passes, averaging 1.3 tackles per game and succeeding with 73% of his dribble attempts.
And while he has made 43 displays for Xavi's distinguished side this term, winning the league and scoring three goals and assists apiece, Kessie only started seven times in La Liga, as well as on three occasions in the Champions League – opening the door for an exit just one year into his contract.
As per FBref, the £149k-per-week ace still ranks among the top 27% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past 12 months for non-penalty goals, as well as the top 12% for touches in the attacking box and progressive passes received, which, if replicated in north London, could allow him to flourish at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a box-crashing midfield force, adding a new dimension to Postecoglou's budding system.
Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie.
Likened to former Spurs star Etienne Capoue by FBref's 'Similar Players' model, Tottenham could finally have a player in the mould of the aggressive Frenchman to transcend his two seasons at White Hart Lane, where he played just 36 times before being shipped off to Watford for around £6m in 2015.
Since conquering the Europa League with Villarreal and becoming an integral part of the Yellow Submarine's system, the 34-year-old was something of a late bloomer, but appears to boast many of the attributes Kessie does despite entering the twilight phase of his career.
Indeed, he ranks among the top 12% of midfielders for pass completion, the top 25% for non-penalty goals, the top 22% for progressive carries and the top 15% for successful take-ons per 90, with a striking similarity to the physicality and imposing demeanour on the pitch to that of Kessie.
Hailed as a "warrior" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 60-cap Ivory Coast international could be the perfect addition to an already robust midfield consisting of the likes of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur and Yves Bissouma, and Tottenham must sign to complete their midfield under Postecoglou.