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Bangladesh bowlers Arafat Sunny and Taskin Ahmed expressed hope that their bowling actions would be cleared after testing at the ICC-accredited Brisbane National Cricket Centre

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2016

Bangladesh bowlers Arafat Sunny and Taskin Ahmed expressed hope that their bowling actions would be cleared as they departed for Brisbane to undergo testing at the ICC-accredited Brisbane National Cricket Centre. Both bowlers were suspended from bowling in international cricket during the World T20 earlier this year.The duo, who will be accompanied by Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, will have a couple of days to train ahead of their tests on September 8. Taskin is set to appear for the biomechanics test at 10am, while Sunny will undergo his test at 2pm.The results of the tests will be made available within ten to twelve days, giving both bowlers the hope of appearing for Bangladesh in the upcoming series against Afghanistan and England.”We have been toiling hard for the last few months,” Sunny said. “The review committee, our coaching staff and team-mates have all inspired us. Our bowling actions are better. But there will be pressure as it is indeed a matter of an examination. Hopefully, if we can do our work properly, we will come back to international cricket.”Taskin struck a more upbeat note, and hoped the hard work he had put in since April would pay off.”We are going with a positive mindset,” Taskin said. “We are, of course, excited and optimistic that we will come back with positive results. We seek everyone’s blessings so that we can return to international cricket from the next home series. I believe we have put enough effort in the last four to five months.”The coach and local experts have supported us. In the last four months, [Mahbub Ali] Zaki sir worked with me. Our head coach will be there with us. Hopefully it will give additional inspiration. The senior players also supported us mentally. We will breeze through the test if the blessings from all are with us.”Taskin and Sunny were both reported for suspect bowling actions during the World T20, and were suspended following a test at an ICC-accredited centre in Chennai.

Subrata Banerjee, the former international umpire, has died at the age of 71 in Kolkata

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Aug-2016Subrata Banerjee, the former international umpire, died at the age of 71 in Kolkata. Banerjee officiated in men’s and women’s international matches, as well as in age group tournaments, and stood in a women’s Test match.Banerjee had a 15-year career at the international level, where he officiated in 13 ODIs. He made his international debut in November, 1983, in an ODI between India and West Indies in Baroda. His last international appearance came in May, 1998, in a match between India and Kenya in Gwalior.Banerjee, son of Sunil Banerjee, the former Test umpire, also stood in 64 first-class matches, besides serving as a television umpire in ODIs, and a reserve umpire in a Test between India and England in Mohali in 2001.Banerjee worked as an umpire coach for the BCCI in addition to serving as an umpire’s educator.

Glenn Maxwell has conceded that his batting form warranted being axed from Australia’s ODI side, and he is determined to make the most of his opportunity for red-ball cricket with Australia A

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-2016Glenn Maxwell has conceded that his batting form warranted being axed from Australia’s ODI side, and is determined instead to make the most of his opportunity for some red-ball cricket with Australia A. Despite being named Australia’s ODI cricketer of the year in January, Maxwell has been cut from the squad for the upcoming series in Sri Lanka.National selector Rod Marsh said Maxwell had been given “a lot of chances” and lacked the consistency to justify ongoing selection in the ODI batting order. Since the end of the home one-day summer, Maxwell has batted seven times in ODIs for scores of 0, 6, 0, 0, 3, 46*, and 4. In the past year, Maxwell has 396 ODI runs at 28.28 and 11 wickets at 39.45.Instead of being part of the Sri Lanka tour, Maxwell joined the Australia A squad in Queensland and scored 0 and 38 in the first four-day game against South Africa A in Brisbane. The series has now moved on to Townsville for the second red-ball fixture.”I think I’ve taken it pretty well,” Maxwell told reporters in Townsville. “Having this opportunity at the same time probably softens the blow a little bit. It gives you an opportunity to prove them wrong or show them that you really want to be back in there. It gives you an opportunity to play games of cricket in July and August, which other people don’t have. So it is a big silver lining having these games.”If you look at my last 10 one-dayers, I didn’t score enough runs. As they’ve always said, if you’re in that top six, you’re a batting allrounder first. I probably didn’t make as many runs as I would have liked. It would have been nice to have been in Sri Lanka with the spinning conditions and get a bit more of a chance with the ball, but I had to make more runs when I had the opportunity. I fully take responsibility for that.”Maxwell said he was happy to have the chance at some first-class cricket, a format that has provided him with consistent results over the past few years, but limited opportunities due to his regular commitments in the shorter formats for Australia.”I’ve been in really good form with that over the last few years,” Maxwell said of first-class cricket. “It has been a really consistent format for me, statistically my best format, which people don’t seem to quite grasp very well.”Maxwell will stay on with Australia A for the quadrangular one-day series that follows the four-day game against South Africa A. India A and Australia’s National Performance Squad round out the teams in the one-day competition.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has told sporting director Dan Ashworth to bring Bayer Leverkusen forward Moussa Diaby to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Diaby to Newcastle?

The France international arrived at the BayArena back in 2019 and has since gone on to make 165 appearances, becoming a regular feature of Xabi Alonso's first-team, where he's majorly impressed this season as his side's top-performing offensive player and third overall with a match rating of 7.18, which has caught the eye of the northeast hierarchy, but not for the first time.

SportBILD recently reported that the Magpies were keen to strike a deal for the 23-year-old in January, but at the time, the Bundesliga outfit weren't willing to sanction his sale considering that he still has another two years remaining on his contract. The St. James' Park side, however, are now targeting the winger once again, as per the same outlet, and are among the favourites to secure his services, with the player himself even admitting that it's "fun when many clubs are interested in you".

According to Football Insider, Newcastle's sporting director Ashworth and his fellow chiefs have been "instructed" to sign Diaby by Howe, who also wants Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney and Leicester City midfielder James Maddison as part of a triple transfer swoop. The Magpies boss is looking to "prioritise" three "marquee" deals for the targets mentioned, with the trio at the "head" of the club's summer wishlist.

PIF are expected to "prepare" to back their manager in the market, who has highlighted the above candidates as players that can "slot straight into his starting XI and improve it". United's coach has personally "presented" his targets to Ashworth and has "requested" that he "pulls out all the stops" to bring them to St. James'.

Where would Diaby fit in at Newcastle?

Newcastle forward Allan Saint-Maximin has been heavily linked with an exit at the end of the season, so should he depart, Diaby would be the perfect long-term placement having been dubbed a "dangerous" winger by SC Freiburg star Nils Petersen.

The Champions and Europa League participant has clocked up 90 goal contributions (49 goals and 47 assists) in 165 appearances at Bayer Leverkusen and is a real standout performer in the final third. The £38k-per-week ace has recorded 97 shot-creating actions, 82 crosses and 65 shots so far this season, which are higher than any of his teammates, as per FBRef.

Finally, Diaby would bring wonderful versatility to the northeast with his ability to operate in seven various positions, including anywhere across the frontline, which will no doubt be yet another attractive attribute to Howe, so this really is a no-brainer of a deal to complete should the opportunity present itself.

Liverpool have made their “first contact” with Premier League rivals Chelsea regarding a deal for Mason Mount, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

What's the latest on Mount to Liverpool?

The Blues playmaker isn’t out of contract until next summer but he’s already facing an uncertain future having rejected a new deal to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge. Bayern Munich were recently linked with a move for the 24-year-old who was reportedly considering forming a reunion with his ex-manager Thomas Tuchel but it’s predominantly been the Reds that have emerged as his top potential suitor should he be on the move at the end of the season.

Football Insider have reported that the England international is a huge admirer of Jurgen Klopp and that he would indeed be open to completing the switch to Anfield, and it sounds like FSG have capitalised on this by taking the first official step towards a move.

Taking to Twitter, Galetti revealed that Liverpool have now held initial discussions with Chelsea to discover what they feel it will take to get a deal for their academy graduate #over the line during the upcoming window. He wrote:

“#Liverpool are interested in Mason #Mount: first contact with #Chelsea for preliminary info already done. A new MF is a priority for this summer: in addition to the #CFC player, on the #LFC's list there are #Rice, #MilinkovicSavic and #Caicedo.”

Would Mount be a good signing for Liverpool?

Jordan Henderson isn’t getting any younger (32) so Liverpool need someone with similar qualities to succeed him for the long-term, and having been lauded a “leader” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Mount would be the perfect candidate.

The Nike-sponsored star has posted 70 goal contributions (33 goals and 37 assists) in 192 Chelsea senior appearances and ranks in the 93rd percentile for most progressive passes, highlighting his desire to create and put away chances in the final third.

The Portsmouth-born ace would also add plenty of versatility to the side having operated in seven different positions since the start of his career where he’s comfortable playing anywhere across the frontline alongside in a variety of roles in the centre.

The £76k-p/w talent knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having helped the Blues secure three first-team trophies, including the Champions League, so would match the winning mentality of the current squad already on Merseyside.

Tottenham Hotspur want to open talks with Julian Nagelsmann about taking over as manager, in light of the recent departure of Antonio Conte, according to a report.

What are the latest manager rumours from Tottenham?

Tottenham's interim boss, Cristian Stellini, will be given the opportunity to be in charge until the end of the season, but there are four or five managers on the shortlist to take permanent charge at the end of the campaign, as reported by Fabrizio Romano.

At one stage, Marco Silva was reported to be in pole position to take over, while last week Brentford's Thomas Frank was said to be the frontrunner for the job, so it is clear there are multiple people under consideration by chairman Daniel Levy. After Nagelsmann was sacked by Bayern Munich, Tottenham ended their interest in Roberto De Zerbi, instead making the German their priority target, with the club's hierarchy viewing him as an elite-level manager.

Now, as per a report from The Daily Mail, the Lilywhites could be set to formalise their interest in the former Bayern boss, as Levy wishes to personally speak to him about the now-vacant position. The club have drawn up a list of potential options as they look to land a replacement in the summer, with Mauricio Pochettino also said to be in the frame, although there is some opposition to his appointment internally.

Other names linked with the job include the likes of Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner, and his preference for a three-at-the-back system with wing-backs could be a consideration, as the club have spent heavily to bolster those positions in recent times.

Would Julian Nagelsmann work at Tottenham?

The 35-year-old is reportedly open to talks about replacing Conte, but he may want a short period of time to decide on his next role, and with Stellini set to be installed as manager until the end of the season, taking over in the summer could be of great appeal.

Hailed as "fantastic" by sections of the media, the German won three trophies during his time with Bayern, and from the outside his sacking appears very harsh.

The reigning Bundesliga champions are through to the last eight of the Champions League, having defeated Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 over two legs, while they are just one point behind league-leaders Borussia Dortmund domestically. While he does not have prior experience in the Premier League, Nagelsmann is a top young manager, with a proven track record of winning trophies, and he would be a very exciting appointment for Tottenham.

Tottenham Hotspur's reported managerial target Roberto De Zerbi is believed to have a summer release clause in his contract at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Who do Spurs want as their next manager?

The north London club relieved Antonio Conte of his duties over the weekend after a string of underwhelming results culminated in a fiery press conference from the Italian after their draw against Southampton.

A number of managers are believed to have been shortlisted by the director of football Fabio Paratici, which is said to have included De Zerbi.

However, a fresh face has emerged as one of the frontrunners over the last week following the dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann from his role at Bayern Munich.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has revealed the current Brighton coach could become available in the summer for Spurs, with his contract holding a release clause:

"This is my information, and I can tell you what I know – I know there are different reports on the story. But from what I understand, there is a way out for Roberto De Zerbi from Brighton at the end of the season.

"Many can call that as a release clause. Many can call that as a compensation formula. Many can call that as a private agreement, but from what I understand, there is in the contract of Roberto De Zerbi and his staff, only for the summer – so not valid in March, in April, in May, but only in the summer period – the possibility for Roberto De Zerbi to leave Brighton, in case a club will pay that money.

"I'm told that this amount of money is more than the reported £10m. So it's something more than this."

Would De Zerbi be a good fit for Spurs?

Since joining the Seagulls, De Zerbi has done a stellar job, which sees Brighton sitting just seven points off Tottenham in the table whilst holding three games in hand over the north Londoners.

De Zerbi's side have also outshone Tottenham in the FA Cup having made it to the semi-finals where they will face Manchester United at Wembley Stadium.

However, there may be some concerns as to whether De Zerbi would be able to replicate his impressive record over to a club like Spurs where there are bigger egos to contend with.

Brighton remains a selling club despite their impressive 2022/23 campaign with their recruitment showing the likes of Tottenham up over recent years.

However, managing at a club with a bigger reputation and players of a bigger stature can prove a difficult transition as has been the case with Graham Potter at Chelsea.

On the other hand, it has to be noted Mauricio Pochettino made a similar transition from Southampton back in 2014 and his tenure at the club will be looked back on as one of the best in the club's history.

But it does seem as if Spurs may have to wait until the summer to appoint their permanent manager but they would have to be sure on De Zerbi if they were to pull the trigger.

Since Pochettino's departure, there has been a managerial merry-go-round in north London and fans will not want to see another manager come and go within the space of the next two years.

De Zerbi has still not had a full season of managing in the Premier League so there is certainly some risk linked with his potential appointment.

"His impact in England will be massive," said Pep Guardiola and praise of that magnitude could be an encouraging sign of what he could potentially do at Spurs.

Transfer expert Steve Kay says Arsenal would ‘prefer’ to sign Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi over Brighton & Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo this summer.

The Lowdown: Arsenal in ‘pole position’

It has been reported that Arsenal are in ‘pole position’ to sign Zubimendi this summer, after missing out on him in the January transfer window.

They were reportedly willing to pay his £52.5m release clause, but he did not want to leave Sociedad midway through the season.

The Gunners also had two bids rejected for Caicedo in January, the second thought to be worth £70m, while West Ham United’s Declan Rice has been linked with an £100m move to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

The Latest: Zubimendi over Caicedo

Taking to Twitter, Kay says that Mikel Arteta’s side would ‘prefer’ to sign Zubimendi over Caicedo alongside Rice this summer:

“Arsenal would prefer to sign Martin #Zubimendi over Moises Caicedo in the upcoming summer window alongside midfielder Declan Rice.

“#AFC tried to sign the Sociedad player in January before #Caicedo but he wanted to keep loyal to the Spanish club until the end of the season.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Caicedo may be unattainable this summer, having just signed a new contract that could keep him at Brighton until 2027.

Thus, Zubimendi would be a perfect alternative to help bolster up Arsenal’s midfield alongside top target Rice.

Lauded as a ‘special‘ midfielder by journalist Sid Lowe, who compares him to midfield legend Xabi Alonso, the Spaniard has also been labelled as the ‘new Sergio Busquets‘ in comparison to Barcelona’s midfield dynamo.

Compared with all midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, Zubimendi ranks in the 91st percentile for aerials won per match, as well as in the 86th for clearances and 72nd for interceptions (FBRef), showing how effective he can be defensively, and under a former Spanish midfielder in Arteta, the 24-year-old could really blossom into one of the best.

Should West Ham lose to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, it could be curtains for under-pressure manager David Moyes, but the Hammers might be relying on another side sacking their manager in their search for a potential replacement.

Graham Potter has failed to impress in his stint at Chelsea, despite Todd Boehly funding some eye-watering transfer deals in January and time could be running out for the former Brighton manager at Stamford Bridge, which West Ham will no doubt be keeping their eye on.

Could Potter replace Moyes at West Ham?

According to Claret and Hugh, West Ham would be one of the first clubs in for the 47-year-old should he face the sack at Chelsea, with his successes at Brighton, Swansea City and Ostersunds FK clearly still meaning that he is held in high regard by those in the Premier League.

The Hammers dropped into the relegation places last weekend after the defeat against Tottenham Hotspur but it seems as if Moyes’ successes last season are also playing a big part in his keeping the job at the London Stadium.

Chelsea legend John Terry will certainly have given his seal of approval when the Blues replaced Thomas Tuchel with Potter earlier in the season, as he tweeted in August, saying:

“How good is Graham Potter? I love how Brighton play and he has to be one of the best young managers around. Ticks every box for me.”

Could Potter keep West Ham away from relegation?

While Potter has struggled since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, he has managed 1.56 points per game in all competitions, while Moyes has mustered just 1.47 points per game, which is also skewed by his perfect record in the FA Cup and Europa Conference League.

A record of 0.87 points per game in the Premier League could be enough to get the Hammers relegated this season so hiring a forward-thinking, attack-minded coach such as Potter could be the catalyst in turning West Ham’s season around.

There is little doubt that the Hammers bolstered their squad with quality in the summer and in January and yet the performances compared to last season have been poor, which suggests that the blame lies with the manager.

Potter has shown what he can do at Brighton on a low budget, having spent just £140m over four transfer windows in a two-year period between 2019 and 2020 to finish no lower than 12th in that time.

With that record in mind, a change at the helm at the London Stadium could provide the necessary boost to keep the Hammers well away from relegation trouble this season.

Therefore, those at West Ham will surely be hoping that Potter gets the sack at Stamford Bridge, and it would not be a surprise to see the Hammers follow their London rivals should the 47-year-old become available as a potential replacement for Moyes.

Aston Villa made a terrific decision prior to the break for the 2022 World Cup as they appointed Unai Emery to replace Steven Gerrard in the dugout.

The Villans have won five of his eight Premier League matches in charge, drawing one and losing two, after the club had won three of their first 13 matches in the division.

This shows that the Spaniard has had a significant, immediate, impact on the results in the top flight and is pushing the team in the right direction as they compete for a place in the top half of the table.

One player who is massively benefiting from the former Arsenal coach’s management is central midfielder Douglas Luiz, who is thriving in the middle of the park.

The £75k-per-week Brazilian maestro had recorded a Sofascore rating of 7.1 or higher in six of his first 16 matches of the campaign – prior to the World Cup break. Since Villa resumed competitive fixtures, Luiz has produced performances worthy of a score of 7.1 or higher in six of his seven appearances for the club, with journalist John Townley claiming the magician has “excelled”.

He has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.39 in all competitions since returning from the break and his seasonal average in the Premier League is 7.04 – the highest in the squad.

Luiz has been in phenomenal form and Emery could be on his way to unearthing his next Marco Verratti in midfield, after the manager worked with the Italy international at Paris Saint-German – playing him in 81 matches.

The PSG dynamo scored five goals and assisted 15 in those games and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.32 – whilst making 1.4 key passes and 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game – in Ligue 1 during the 2017/18 campaign for Emery.

Verratti also completed a whopping 91% of his attempted passes in the French top-flight and this shows that the Italian gem was a brilliant midfielder for the current Villa boss, as he made contributions at both ends of the pitch whilst maintaining a high-performance level.

Luiz’s recent form indicates that he has the quality to reach those levels with the Brazilian talent proving to boast a similar style of play to the PSG star, based on his statistics this term.

The gem has completed 89% or more of his passes in six of his last seven outings and is currently averaging 3.0 tackles and interceptions and 1.3 key passes per match over the course of the league season.

Like Verratti, Luiz regularly wins possession back for his team and is then able to use his quality on the ball to create opportunities for his teammates – without being a liability with his passing.

Therefore, Emery could unearth his next version of the PSG maestro by helping the Villa midfielder, who Ty Bracey once dubbed “unreal”, to maintain his current performance level in the long term.