The BCB has requested its Afghanistan counterpart to postpone next month’s white-ball series in Greater Noida, and asked for the games to be played as soon as “the two boards find a window”, ESPNcricinfo has learnt.The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had proposed three ODIs and three T20Is in late July, sending the BCB match dates – between July 25 and August 6 – too. It was a revised schedule after the tour initially also included two Tests.The BCB felt that the weather in that part of India at that time wouldn’t be ideal for an international series. June to September is usually considered off-season in the subcontinent because of the monsoons. The BCB had earlier postponed the series keeping in mind the workload management of its players.Bangladesh’s next assignment is a two-Test series in Pakistan from mid-August, the schedule for which hasn’t been announced yet. Many of the Test players will get busy playing red-ball matches ahead of this series as part of the preparations. They will play three internal matches in Chattogram and Sylhet, followed by four four-day matches against Pakistan Shaheens in Darwin and later in Pakistan.Later, Bangladesh will also go to India to play two Tests and three T20Is from September 19 to October 12. It will be followed by two Tests at home against South Africa, followed by a full tour of the West Indies that includes two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is in November and December.That workload is the reason why the BCB was always reluctant for the two Tests against Afghanistan. They had also postponed one Test against Zimbabwe earlier this year, turning that tour into five T20Is in May. Bangladesh will complete their World Test Championship cycle by December 2024.

It’s pretty easy to point out where Arsenal need to strengthen this summer: attack.

However, while the primary focus of the fans might be on who Mikel Arteta and Co could bring in up top, and understandably so, it’s arguably just as crucial that the club improve their wing options.

The North Londoners need a proven leftwinger who can come in and help alleviate the attacking burden placed upon Bukayo Saka off the right.

Fortunately, that seems to be the case, as reports have now linked Arsenal to an international who has been compared to the incredible Rodrygo and Lamine Yamal.

Arsenal's winger search

With Arsenal’s left-wing issues being impossible to ignore this season, the club have unsurprisingly been linked with a host of brilliant wide talents in recent weeks, such as Antoine Semenyo and the afformentioned Rodrygo.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former enjoyed a brilliant campaign with Bournemouth this year, racking up a tally of 13 goals and seven assists in 42 appearances, which helps to explain the hefty £70m price tag placed on his head.

Likewise, the Real Madrid star enjoyed a relatively good year in Spain, scoring 14 goals and providing ten assists in 51 games, although with a price tag of up to £85m, the club might want to look for cheaper alternatives, like Leroy Sane.

Yes, according to a recent report from Turkey, Arsenal have not only maintained their intense interest in the Bayern Munich star but are planning to “make a formal offer” for him today.

It could be a clever bit of business from the Gunners, as, thanks to his contract with FC Hollywood expiring this month, the German international would be available on a free.

It might not be the most exciting transfer of all time, but it’s one Arteta and Co should push to complete, as on top of his undeniable quality, the former Manchester City star has also won comparisons to Yamal and Rodrygo.

How Sane compares to Rodrygo & Yamal

Before we look at a couple of the reasons why Arsenal might want to, and should, sign Sane this summer, it’s essential to address these comparisons to Yamal and Rodrygo and where they have come from.

In both cases, they stem from FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues and came to the conclusion that the Spaniard – who has been utterly superb this year – has been the eighth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the German for the last 365 days.

Then, when looking at purely the Champions League from this season, FBref concluded that the Brazilian was the third most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Bayern ace in this year’s competition.

Expected Assists

0.34

0.37

Key Passes

1.98

2.02

Live Passes

47.5

47.2

Switches

0.11

0.13

Tackles Won

0.82

0.88

Blocks

0.44

0.38

The best way to understand how these conclusions were reached is to take a closer look at the metrics in which the players are similar, and in the case of the Barcelona gem, that included things like expected assists, key and live passes and more, all per 90.

In Real Madrid star’s case, the metrics include things like non-penalty expected goals, aerial duels won, tackles, blocks, carries into the penalty area, and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.25

0.3

Expected Assists

0.14

0.16

Aerial Duels Won

0.56

0.52

Tackles

1.97

1.86

Blocks

1.27

1.24

Interceptions

0.42

0.41

Carries into the Penalty Area

2.25

2.27

Now, while being compared to two of the most exciting wingers on the planet should already be encouraging enough, there are a couple of other reasons the Gunners should be going out to sign the “incredible” Bayern ace, as dubbed by Pep Guardiola, as soon as possible.

The first is that even though his game time was somewhat restricted this season, he remained a potent threat, both in terms of scoring goals and creating them.

For example, in 45 appearances, totalling just 2376 minutes, the 29-year-old dynamo was able to score 13 goals and provide six assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.36 games, or more crucially, every 125.05 minutes.

Finally, on top of everything else, the Essen-born star is a proven winner, having picked up two Premier Leagues with City and then four in Germany, which is just the sort of player Arteta should be adding to his talented but sometimes a little naive squad.

Ultimately, given his ability, track record and the calibre of players he is still being compared to, signing Sane for nothing this summer feels like a total no-brainer for Arsenal.

Twist: "Extraordinary" £60m+ star now plans to snub Man Utd to join Arsenal

The Gunners have received a boost in their pursuit of a forward, who Andrea Berta has already held talks to sign.

1 ByDominic Lund Jun 8, 2025

Newcastle United are finally making headway in the summer transfer window, with their long-game efforts to sign Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga finally coming to fruition.

The Tricky Trees don’t want to sell the right-sided forward, whose pacy and creative style of play has proved so instrumental in qualifying for European football against the odds, but then Newcastle have tabled a series of offers and are getting close to sealing the deal.

Though Eddie Howe will have been delighted with his side’s Premier League campaign last term, winning the Carabao Cup besides, there’s no question that improvements are needed. Newcastle have been trying to add some depth, but have been foiled in recent weeks.

Newcastle pushing to complete deals

Newcastle have been buffeted by setbacks in recent weeks, failing to convince Chelsea-signed Joao Pedro to join them after missing out on Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

The latter has signed for Manchester United, while Brentford’s talisman has expressed his desire to move to Old Trafford this summer.

However, that could all change with Elanga. Although saying that, PIF won’t want more misery, and according to Sky Sports, are exploring a move for PSV Eindhoven’s Johan Bakayoko as a contingency.

Bakayoko, 22, was wanted by Liverpool in a £43m deal last summer, and bears the thrilling approach which could see Howe hit the jackpot with a right-sided signing.

Why Newcastle want Johan Bakayoko

Though Elanga has established himself as one of the most exciting young wingers in the Premier League, he’s only scored 11 times across 82 matches for Nottingham Forest, assisting 21 further goals.

In Bakayoko, Newcastle could sign themselves a player of greater sharpness in the final third, one who could yet reach a much higher level.

The Belgium international has made 131 appearances for PSV since graduating from the club’s youth academy, scoring 33 goals and supplying 22 assists for his teammates.

His recent Eredivisie campaign left something to be desired, but he has still demonstrated over the past couple of years an aptitude that puts him up there with the world’s most exciting prospects.

Johan Bakayoko’s Last Two Eredivisie Seasons

Stats (* per game)

23/24

24/25

Matches (starts)

33 (29)

30 (17)

Goals

12

9

Assists

9

1

Shots (on target)*

2.9 (1.0)

2.0 (0.9)

Big chances missed

7

6

Pass completion

87%

86%

Big chances created

12

4

Key passes*

2.1

1.2

Dribbles*

2.8

1.6

Ball recoveries*

3.4

2.0

Tackles + interceptions*

1.3

0.9

Duels won*

4.7

2.8

Stats via Sofascore

Bakayoko’s development might have been stunted somewhat over the past year, but there’s no doubt that he’s one of the most exciting young wingers around, with a prolific potential which could see him eclipse Elanga, who is a talented player in his own right.

One theme across both Bakayoko’s league terms has been his keen-edged striking skills, with journalist Antonio Mango singling out his “clinical” qualities.

Partner this with his athleticism and playmaking and you’ve got yourself a winger who could become one of the finest in the business, worldwide.

Praised for an “insane” amount of talent by analyst Ben Mattinson, Bakayoko might be an unpolished gem but he is still a diamond of a prospect, one who could prove to be an upgrade on Elanga in the long run.

After all, he ranked among the top 6% of positional peers in the Netherlands’ top flight last year for goals scored, the top 2% for progressive carries and the top 7% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

With Jacob Murphy playing so industriously for Howe, this might be the perfect move to make, adding depth and competition with a player who could skyrocket over the coming years.

Related Howe's next Tonali: Newcastle preparing bid for £43m "monster"

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Jul 4, 2025

Fast bowler blows West Indies tail away with scintillating spell of 5 for 7 in 21 balls

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jul-2024Mark Wood’s pivotal five-wicket haul on the final day of England’s 3-0 Test sweep against West Indies comes as a belated reward for his gut-busting work throughout the series, captain Ben Stokes says.Having missed the first Test, Wood’s memorable spell of searing pace in the second at Trent Bridge netted him just two wickets for the match, but an incisive six-over spell after lunch on the third day at Edgbaston swung the match entirely in England’s favour, quite literally. His combination of pace and reverse-swing saw him take West Indies’ last five wickets in the space of 21 balls and gave him figures of 5 for 40 from 14 overs, to add to his 2 for 52 from West Indies’ first innings.It also meant England needed just 82 runs in their second innings to win the match, Stokes’s unbeaten 57 off 28 balls and Ben Duckett’s 25 off 16 taking them past the target in just 7.2 overs for a 10-wicket victory.Related

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“The rewards that he got there I think was sort of later than he actually deserved to get them,” Stokes said of Wood at the post-match presentation. “The effort that he always puts in when he wears his England shirt is just phenomenal. He’s got the heart of a lion and that little 45 minutes to an hour period there when he had the ball is exactly what you want as a captain.”Fast, extremely skilful, and he really blew the game open there for us, but he was just phenomenal. I’m just extremely happy for him. He definitely deserved more than what he got, but it’s great to see him walk off with a five-for.”Player of the Match Wood admitted his haul came as a “bit of relief”.”At lunchtime I was down and frustrated, but I focused on the skills side of things,” Wood said. “The first wicket got me in the game, gave a lot of confidence and I went from there. I think you have to adapt to the conditions. My role in the team is to bowl fast. Hopefully I can do that for the rest of the summer.”But Stokes emphasised Wood’s importance to the team.”Woody knows how much he affects the game from the other end,” Stokes said. “He might not always get the rewards bowling as fast as he does and as skilful as he does. He puts so much pressure onto the two guys out in the middle, and it might be the other bloke who gets the wicket at the other end. That spell this afternoon was just phenomenal. It just looked like he was going to take a wicket every ball and obviously when the ball’s reverse swinging at 93 miles an hour, it’s definitely going to be a lot harder.”Stokes was also delighted with England Player of the Series Gus Atkinson who took 22 wickets at an average of 16.22 for the series, which comprised the first three matches of his fledgling Test career, and with Jamie Smith, who fell five runs shy of a maiden century in England’s first innings at Edgbaston, playing just his third Test after scoring 70 on debut at Lord’s. Smith’s 95 in Birmingham was crucial after England had stumbled to 54 for 5 in their first innings.”Gus and Jamie, what a first series in international cricket for those two,” Stokes said. “Gus’s debut just couldn’t have gone any better, taking 12 in the game, but I think even then he’s just improved every single spell he’s come on.”He’s been exposed to different conditions from Lords, slightly flatter wickets where it’s easier for batting, and then this week, slower wicket, but the ball started to reverse and he showed the skills he had there. It’s great to be able to throw the ball to two guys who have high pace, but with extreme skill.”Jamie Smith, I know he’s played some exceptional knocks, but as a keeper, you want to be unnoticed and I think behind the stumps he’s been absolutely exceptional. He’s grown into that number seven role without any experience whatsoever, and he’s just filtered into this team absolutely perfect. I’m really happy for those two.”Stokes also acknowledged that England’s performances in this series marked a refinement of their Bazball ethos, even if scoring 87 off just 44 balls in the run-chase harked back to its earlier incarnations.”You look at where we were in this game, we were 50 for 5,” Stokes said. “Eighteen months, or two years ago, we might have responded to that situation in sort of a one-dimensional way, but now every person who goes out when we’re under the pressure knows what’s expected of them and what’s expected of them is to go out there and play what best suits them to assess the situation. Always obviously looking to put pressure back onto the opposition, but just being smart with your choices.”I don’t think we should underestimate this win as a side, but also as fans. West Indies put up a pretty decent total. We were 50 for 5 and then to come back and win in three days, I think that’s absolutely exceptional and it’s credit to where the team has progressed from when me and Brendon [McCullum] had taken over. So this is a very, very good win.”One down side for England was the news that Zak Crawley had suffered a fractured finger while fielding earlier in the day. The injury paved the way for Stokes to smash the fastest fifty by an England Test batter opening in his place but the longer term impact was unknown amid suggestions Crawley may have to undergo surgery.

Newcastle United have “begun discussions” with a Premier League “leader” over a move to St James’ Park this summer, according to a new transfer report.

Centre-back a priority for Newcastle this summer

The Magpies are eyeing new signings all over the pitch, from James Trafford in goal to Anthony Elanga out wide, but a new centre-back is vital before the new season gets underway.

A freshness is required in that area of the pitch, especially with the likes of Fabian Schar and Dan Burn not getting any younger, and Marc Guehi is seemingly a front-runner to come in and bolster the options at Eddie Howe’s disposal. A £70m move to St James’ continues to be mooted.

The England international is far from the only defender being mentioned as an option for Newcastle, though, with Marseille ace Leonardo Balerdi linked with a summer switch to the Magpies.

Similarly, Atalanta central defender Giorgi Scalvini has also been toured as a potential signing for Howe before next season gets underway, and now another name has been thrown into the hat.

Newcastle in talks to sign Premier League "leader"

According to a fresh update from RMC Sport [via Sport Witness], Newcastle are among the clubs to have “begun discussions” with Axel Disasi over a summer move to the club.

The Magpies’ interest is described as being “particularly” strong, with the Chelsea defender valued at around £25.8m by his current club.

Disasi is another good option for Newcastle this summer, even though the jury may be out on him slightly more than someone like Guehi.

The Frenchman was deemed surplus to requirements by Chelsea last season, hence him being loaned out to Aston Villa midway through the campaign, but he is a player with plenty to admire in his game.

Appearances

7

Starts

5

Minutes played

488

Clearances per game

2.6

Aerial duel wins per game

1.1

Tackles per game

1.1

Pass completion rate

89.1%

Goals

0

The 27-year-old Disasi has won five caps for France, which is no mean feat, considering some of the elite centre-backs representing Les Bleus currently, including William Saliba, Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano. Meanwhile, journalist Nizaar Kinsella has hailed him as a “leader”, while Jamie Carragher lauded one performance from him last year.

Now back at Chelsea, it seems unlikely that he has a future there, with the above report stating that he has an “exit ticket” out of Stamford Bridge, and he could be a cheaper option than Guehi for Newcastle, albeit also being more of a gamble.

Newcastle likely to see £30m bid accepted to sign a Scalvini upgrade

Eddie Howe is keen to bolster his defence this summer at Newcastle United.

1 ByRoss Kilvington Jul 7, 2025

At 27, he is at a good point in his career to be an instant success, though, so the Magpies signing him would be far from a disaster.

أعرب النمساوي، ديفيد ألابا، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد، عن سعادته بعد اطمئنانه على حالته البدنية عقب مباراة النمسا أمام البونسة والهرسك، ضمن منافسات تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

وشارك ألابا أساسيًا في المباراة حتى الدقيقة 79 والتي انتهت بفوز منتخب بلاده أمام البوسنة والهرسك بنتيجة 2/1، بالمباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات كأس العالم 2026.

ألابا من المقرر أن ينتهي عقده مع نادي ريال مدريد بنهاية الموسم الحالي، ولم يتم التوصل إلى أي اتفاق بين الطرفين حتى الآن حول توقيع عقد جديد.

وعانى ألابا الأمرين من لعنة الإصابات والتي أبعدته كثيرًا عن تشكيلة ريال مدريد للعديد من المباريات، كما تعرض الدولي النمساوي لإصابة في الرباط الصليبي من قبل والتي أثرت كثيرًا على مستواه.

اقرأ أيضًا | ألابا يكشف حقيقة رحيله عن ريال مدريد

وقال ألابا في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “أكملت جميع حصصي التدريبية مع ريال مدريد في الأسابيع الأخيرة، مر وقت طويل منذ آخر مرة لعبت فيها طول هذه المدة، وأشعر أنني في حالة جيدة جدًا”.

وأكمل: “أما بالنسبة لأدائي، فقد كان متوسطًا إلى جيد جدًا، تم الاتفاق على أنني سألعب حوالي 60 دقيقة، كان من المهم جدًا للياقتي البدنية أن أحصل على بعض الوقت للعب”.

وأردف: “حافظنا على هدوئنا في بعض الأوقات التي كان من الممكن أن تتجه فيها المشاعر بشكل مختلف”.

وأتم: “من حيث الجودة والإمكانيات والعمق، ربما نكون أفضل منتخب وطني على الإطلاق، إنه حلم كبير ليس لي وحدي بل للبلد بأكمله، وسنبذل قصارى جهدنا لتحقيقه، إذا كانت ركبتي بخير، فسيكون كل شيء أسهل بالتأكيد”.

Manchester United will be adding further signings to their attacking arsenal before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September, after they agreed a deal to sign Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Man Utd in talks to sign Premier League attacker

Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg recently claimed that the Red Devils are in talks with Brentford over a deal to sign Bryan Mbeumo to bolster their attack.

The reporter claimed that the club already have a “verbal agreement” in place with the 25-year-old wing wizard, but that they are also facing competition from Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs recently confirmed the appointment of Thomas Frank, who managed Mbeumo with the Bees, and they are hoping that he can convince the forward to make the switch to North London.

The Cameroon international played in an inside right position for Brentford in the 2024/25 campaign and could compete for one of the two number ten positions in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system alongside Cunha.

Mbeumo delivered 20 goals and seven assists in the Premier League for the Bees, which shows that he has the quality to hit the ground running at Old Trafford, and could provide the team with a boost offensively.

United would not be done there, though, as the Red Devils are also looking to sign a new centre-forward on top of Cunha and possibly Mbeumo.

Man Utd remain keen on Amorim favourite

According to Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United have been making calls in recent weeks in an attempt to sign Sporting number nine Viktor Gyokeres.

The reporter claims, however, that it is going to be a difficult deal for the Red Devils to get over the line because the Sweden international’s priority is to secure a transfer to Arsenal.

Romano states that the Gunners are currently assessing their options, as they look to sign a new striker, and adds that RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko is also on their radar.

This means that Gyokeres signing for Arsenal is far from guaranteed, as it remains to be seen what they are going to do in that position, which means that the door is still slightly ajar for United.

In fact, Romano claims that the Red Devils “remain keen” on the former Coventry City centre-forward, despite their belief that a move is unlikely at this stage, due to his preference to sign for the Gunners.

In April, football statistician Spencer Mossman described him as a “lethal” striker who is possibly “the best finisher in the world”, which highlights the kind of quality United could get if they land a deal for the Swedish star.

xG

30.95

25.37 (Mo Salah)

Goals

39

29 (Mo Salah)

xG differential

+8.05

+7.74 (Bryan Mbeumo)

Minutes per goal

72

89 (Jhon Duran)

Goals + assists

46

47 (Mo Salah)

As you can see in the table above, Gyokeres certainly has the potential to be the best finisher in the Premier League next season, as he outperformed his xG by more than any player in the English top-flight did.

The Sweden international, who also scored ten more league goals than any other player in England’s top tier, was on fire for Sporting in the 2024/25 campaign and could, therefore, be a fantastic signing for United if they can turn the odds around and beat Arsenal to his signature.

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Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is leaving no stone unturned in his pursuit of top quality to reinforce Mikel Arteta’s ranks, ahead of another Premier League title challenge.

Berta to offer "emerging star" in Arsenal swap deal for near-£70m signing

The Italian really wants to bring him to N5.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 9, 2025

The Gunners, amid their ongoing talks to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP, which could be done fairly soon after the player agreed personal terms, are also attempting to bolster other positions in the attacking third.

Gyokeres could be joined by Chelsea’s Noni Madueke, with the England international, like Gyokeres, also already agreeing his contractual package.

Interestingly, and what is a very exciting prospect for Arsenal supporters, a move for Madueke or any other left-wing target is independent of their potential deal for Crystal Palace forward Eberechi Eze.

The £100,000-per-week star has reportedly held “positive talks” over joining Arsenal (ESPN), and some reports suggest that Berta is determined to sign Eze. Journalist Rahman Osman also reported in The Sun earlier this week that Berta could offer Palace an “emerging star” as a makeweight to sweeten talks for Eze, but the Eagles are holding out for his £68 million release clause.

Football Transfers provided another update on the ongoing saga this morning.

Berta to hold Wednesday talks with Crystal Palace over signing Eze

The outlet states that Berta will personally hold “Wednesday” talks with Palace over signing Eze, with club-to-club talks seemingly poised to take place today.

Football Transfers relay that Eze wants to join Arsenal, and these negotiations will apparently be centered around how Arsenal would structure the payments of Eze’s release clause, so it appears the north Londoners could steadily be giving in to Palace’s demands.

Not much else is said with regard to the 27-year-old, but Berta is showing no sign of slowing down in his pursuit of Eze, so this could be one to watch in the coming days.

The former QPR star could make a sensational return to the Emirates, 14 years after he was released by the Arsenal academy, and it is clear as day why Berta is reportedly very keen to strike a homecoming.

Eze bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions for Palace last season – scoring the FA Cup-final winning goal against Man City to end their history-long wait for a major trophy – and 2024/2025 was by no means his only heroic campaign at Selhurst Park.

Sky Sports report that the attacking midfielder would come in to complement Martin Odegaard, but Eze’s versatility means he’s capable of reinforcing Arteta’s wise areas too.

Whether to retain or discontinue the Impact Player rule, as well as possibly increasing the number of uncapped players on each IPL team’s retention list feature on the agenda of a meeting between the IPL and the ten franchises, to take place on Wednesday. The closed-door meeting will take place at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai with the franchises represented by members of their ownership teams.Other significant points up for discussion are: have the mega auction every five years instead of the existing three; reinstating the right-to-match (RTM) card option at auctions; the availability (or lack thereof) of overseas players; and a fix on the total number of retentions.All these points have been framed by the IPL after its chief operating officer, Hemang Amin, met various franchises over the past few months seeking feedback ahead of finalising next year’s mega auction.

Impact Player – abolish or retain?

There were eight 250-plus totals in IPL 2024 including the highest in the tournament’s history – 287, which Sunrisers Hyderabad plundered against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Pundits and team officials agreed the six-hitting spree, especially in the powerplay segment, was a consequence of the Impact Player rule, introduced in IPL 2023, which allowed teams to pick an extra specialist batter or bowler based on the game situation. Nine of the ten highest totals in IPL history have been recorded since the Impact Player rule was introduced.The original motive of this rule was to allow more Indian players, especially the uncapped ones, to get exposure. However, Rohit Sharma, India’s Test and ODI captain, said he was not a big fan of the rule because it would hold back the “development” of allrounders, a skillset that is not easily available in Indian T20 cricket. This view is also shared by a few franchises and one of them told ESPNcricinfo that it had informed the IPL it would be in favour of scrapping the rule.The question for the IPL, though, is whether the bigger totals are contributing to the overall enhancement of their product and whether the fans like it. Or not.13:31

Runorder: Is the mega auction good for the IPL?

Increase uncapped retentions

Ahead of the 2022 mega auction, the IPL allowed the eight original franchises to retain a maximum of two uncapped Indian players and the two new teams – Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants – could have one each. However, with these players putting in consistent performances, and with the franchises devoting a lot of resources to scout them and develop their game, a change may be coming.It is learned that the franchises have put forward some suggestions to Amin, one of which is to either create a special allowance within the main retention pool for uncapped talent or increase the number of RTM cards, with which a team can match the winning bid at the auction for a player they had on their rolls till the previous season and bring him back in.

Incremental performance pay

During discussions, the IPL is understood to have told the franchises about the need to incentivise players financially considering the teams were getting bigger money than before. One of the reasons behind the IPL’s proposal could be that it wants to better the salary of a player who was bought at his base price at the auction and was then retained at the same price even though his stature has grown since.The IPL is believed to have recommended paying players a match fee, but an immediate counter came from several franchises: what about the players who sit on the bench? Currently, as part of their contract, a player gets a discretionary fee from the franchise’s overall auction purse based on where the team finished the previous season. This number is set by the IPL. One of the suggestions given to the IPL is that instead of a match fee it would be better to finalise the amount to be put in the incentive pot, which the franchise could use at its discretion to reward their performers.Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc both went for over INR 20 crore at the last mini auction•KKR Knight Club

Overseas players

There are various proposals franchises have put forth concerning the overseas players. At least one franchise has told the IPL that there should be no restriction on the number of overseas players it can retain so long as it is within the retention cap. So, if the IPL allows five overall retentions, then the franchise said it should be able to fill all the slots with overseas players if they want.Franchises have also told the IPL that they believe overseas players have been exploiting mini auctions to get record sums of money. Some of these players, the franchises believe, have avoided mega auctions where the purse is evenly spread with various teams looking to build from the ground up and therefore be more mindful about how much money they spend on a single player. At mini auctions, since teams usually have a core already in place, they are able to go all guns blazing for that one player who will complete the make-up of the side. One suggestion on the table is whether the IPL should make it mandatory for overseas players to register for mega auctions.According to a franchise head, the IPL is also looking to impose a bidding cap at mini auctions. This will be based on the amount that a franchise will set aside for its No. 1 retention pick ahead of the mega auctions. Bidding at mini auctions cannot go past that number.For example, if INR 20 crore is what the IPL decides a franchise must pay its highest retained player before a mega auction, then at the mini auction the highest bid cannot exceed that. If there are teams still willing to bid more for that player, then, the franchises have suggested, the option of a silent tie-breaker should come into play.The silent tie-breaker was a method utilised in earlier IPL auctions. Devised in 2010, the tie-breaker was designed to be used in smaller auctions, where there is a smaller purse, to break a deadlock. In the IPL’s history, three players have been bought via the tie-breaker rule: Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians) and Shane Bond (Kolkata Knight Riders) in 2010, and Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings) in 2012.Those privy to Wednesday’s meeting point out that while all the recommendations and proposals are likely to be put forth at the meeting, there is no confirmation on whether IPL will announce its final decision on these matters right away.

Lancashire scrape into triple-figures but Luis Reece, Brooke Guest make short work of chase

ECB Reporters Network31-Jul-2024

Pat Brown recorded his second five-wicket haul in List A cricket•MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Pat Brown recorded his best one-day figures as Derbyshire thrashed Lancashire by nine wickets in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup match at Derby.Brown took 5 for 37 in six overs to bowl the visitors out for 99 in 20 overs while Zak Chappell and Harry Moore each claimed two wickets.The highest score for Lancashire was extras at 19 with only three players, one of them Andrew Flintoff’s 16-year-old son Rocky, making double figures.Derbyshire easily reached their target, ending on 100 for 1 in the 20th over with Luis Reece 52 not out to celebrate a third victory in Group A which boosts their chances of making the knock-out stages while Lancashire suffered a third defeat.Lancashire had no answer to Derbyshire’s pace attack and never recovered from losing three wickets in the first seven overs.Sam Conners trapped Harry Singh lbw before Chappell struck twice in his fourth over to leave the visitors on 27 for 3.Josh Bohannon was defeated by one that came back to clip the top of off stump and George Bell was lbw half forward to a full ball for 18.Flintoff played one dismissive pull to the ropes but was hit on the helmet trying to take on a short ball from Chappell in the ninth over.Although he was able to continue, he fell to another short delivery as Lancashire lost two wickets in Brown’s first over.Indian all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer marked his debut with two glorious drives for four off Moore but then pulled Brown into the hands of deep mid-wicket.Given Lancashire’s position, it was a poor decision by an international player and Flintoff fell into the same trap when he skied another Brown short ball to reduce his side to 55 for 5.The procession continued with Chris Green missing a big drive at Moore and Tom Aspinwall caught behind off Brown.who bowled Jack Blatherwick with a full ball in his next over.After Moore had George Balderson caught behind, Brown bowled Charlie Barnard to complete the rout.It was now a question of how quickly Derbyshire would wrap up victory and Reece pressed the accelerator with two sixes off Blatherwick in the fourth over.Reece and Harry Came shared a double century opening stand against Middlesex on Saturday but this time they were parted in the 8th over when Singh took a smart one-handed catch at second slip off Blatherwick to send back Came.But there was little else for Lancashire to enjoy on a chastening day as Reece and Brooke Guest with an unbeaten 37 added 65 to put the seal on an impressive Derbyshire display.