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Cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha and the captain of the team will also be part of the three-man on-tour selection panel that picks the final XI for each match

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Jan-2018

Sri Lanka Cricket has agreed to make head coach Chandika Hathurusingha an official selector-on-tour, alongside cricket manager Asanka Gurusinha and the captain of the side.Hathurusingha will not play an official role in selecting the squad for a series – that role will continue to be fulfilled by the existing selection panel headed by Graham Labrooy. However, once a squad has been chosen, Hathurusingha, Gurusinha and the captain will form the three-man on-tour selection panel that picks the final XI for each match.Further resolutions adopted at the SLC EGM

The establishment of an eight-member School Cricket committee within SLC. The president of that committee will also become a member of SLC’s executive committee.
The appointment of Air Commodore Roshan Biyawela to the position of SLC general secretary, replacing Mohan de Silva, who in turn was appointed vice-president in charge of domestic cricket. The reshuffle was to fill the void left by the resignation of Jayantha Dharmadasa.
Resolutions defeated:
Extension of SLC office-bearers’ term to four years (currently at two years)

This new selection protocol, which was ratified by SLC’s extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Sunday, is something of a compromise. Hathurusingha had wanted to be a selector – a position he had enjoyed as head coach of Bangladesh. Sri Lanka’s Sports Law, however, prevents a head coach of a national team from simultaneously functioning as a selector of that team. Making him a selector-on-tour is SLC’s attempt to grant Hathurusingha the power he desires, without falling foul of the law.”Mr. Hathurusingha had lengthy discussions with us, and we found that if we are to demand a high quality of performance, we have to give him 100% backing,” SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said. “Sometimes a coach might tell a player: ‘Go out and get 20 runs in the next one or two overs,’ and they might get out. If you look only at the statistics, that player might be dropped. But if the selectors are aware of the situation, and the coach says, ‘He got out because I told him to get these runs,” then [that player will get more support]. That is our thinking – to give the coach that muscle. If you expect one of the top coaches to come and help us out, we must give him the backing.”Although this is the first time a Sri Lanka coach has been granted official selection powers (at least in a limited sense), Hathurusingha is not the head of the on-tour selection panel. That power remains with cricket manager Gurusinha, who has more-or-less functioned as the most powerful selector-on-tour since being appointed by SLC last year. Gurusinha is also a member of the selection panel that picks the wider squad.”The tour manager is the chairman of selectors on tour – that’s as per our board’s constitution,” Sumathipala said. “That is not just peculiar to our national team, it’s across all our age-group sides as well. The manager is the one who reports to us and has to justify the selections to the board. As such, the manager has that power.”Hathurusingha’s first assignment with the side will be the forthcoming tri-series in Bangladesh, which features Zimbabwe in addition to the hosts. The captain for that series (who will also now function as an on-tour selector), will be named on January 9.Sri Lanka selectors: Graham Labrooy (chairman), Jeryl Woutersz, Gamini Wickremasinghe, Sajith Fernando, Asanka GurusinhaSri Lanka selectors-on-tour: Asanka Gurusinha (chairman), Chandika Hathurusingha, [team captain].

Mikel Arteta will be delighted with his Arsenal squad at present having taken seven points from nine at the start of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign, along with defeating Manchester City on penalties in the Community Shield.

The north London outfit came second in the top-flight last term after spending six seasons languishing below the top four, with the club's Spanish manager making astute, well-placed moves on the transfer front to revitalise the Emirates ship.

While the side feels more balanced and refined, news has filtered in this week of interest in Brentford striker Ivan Toney, as Arteta and co look to add another dimension to the squad.

What's the latest on Ivan Toney to Arsenal?

According to The Times, Arsenal and Tottenham are both interested in signing Toney from the Bees in January, with the prolific talisman currently suspended until the new year following a breach of FA betting rules.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

The report states that Thomas Frank's side would only grant his departure if their £80m valuation is met, but the Gunners will be emboldened by the knowledge that Brentford are braced for bids and accept they might lose their star man.

How good is Ivan Toney?

The one-cap England international has been described as possessing the "mindset of a lion" by Frank, with such a claim corroborated by a simply tremendous record on the pitch over the past several seasons.

After plundering 33 goals as Brentford secured promotion to the Premier League in 2020/21, Toney recorded a 12-goal season in the top flight before following up those exploits last year with 20 strikes from 33 matches.

Praised as a "monster" by Manchester United content creator Ryan Haber, the 27-year-old recorded an impressive average Sofascore rating of 7.25 last year, complementing his strike record with 2.8 shots per game and creating 12 big chances across the campaign, which illustrates his prowess as a multi-dimensional focal frontman, not just an endpoint in attacking transition.

This is particularly impressive when considering that the sharpshooter created twice the amount of chances Gabriel Jesus made last term, with the Brazilian renowned for his dynamic creativity.

With Toney at the centre of the frontline, Bukayo Saka could well ascend to the next level, with the prodigious right-winger's skill set likely blending seamlessly with the Brentford forward's.

Saka was immense last year, scoring 14 goals and assisting 11 more in the Premier League, earning praise for his dynamism and "electric" presence by Statman Dave.

The £195k-per-week phenom ranks among the top 18% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 17% for assists, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 4% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, as per FBref.

With Saka darting into the danger area and thriving through his directness and creativity, the "sensational" Toney – as he has been called by Simon Stone – could bounce off such a frightening talent.

And while Arteta will be content with his team and the options at his disposal, the club will likely intensify their attention on Brentford's star man if negotiations regarding the exorbitant price tag prove promising.

Tottenham Hotspur’s striker search continues despite claiming their first win under Ange Postecoglou, with one recurring name sure to have fans worried…

Who else are Tottenham signing this summer?

With Harry Kane having starred on his Bundesliga debut for Bayern Munich, scoring and assisting, the Lilywhites’ clash with Manchester United drew added pressure as they sought to build on their opening-day draw at Brentford.

It’s fair to say that they more than dispelled the frustrations regarding the sale of the England captain, with an emphatic 2-0 win in front of a rampant home crowd.

However, the clash was marred by the underperformance of RIcharlison, whose anonymity has seemingly spurred them back into the market. His 6.4 Sofascore rating was the lowest of any starter from Postecoglou's side.

As such, Italian outlet Calciomercato even suggested on Friday that they have entered talks to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

It is expected that the west London outfit will command a fee of just €45m (£38m) for his services, which marks a monumental loss that the Blues are set to make, given he was signed for £97.5m back in 2021.

How good is Romelu Lukaku?

Whilst there are numerous reasons to avoid the potential acquisition of the hulking Belgian, there is one comparison that can be made which would turn fans away from this swoop.

Despite being contracted to Chelsea, the 30-year-old has most recently spent a year on loan at Inter Milan, having only recently moved to Stamford Bridge from Italy.

Given that Antonio Conte had impressed at the Nerazzuri before joining Spurs, this link will be a frightening reminder of a torrid era and one of the club’s darkest years in recent history.

With their abysmal football aside, it was the Italian’s tendency to lash out in press conferences that truly led to the end of his stay in north London.

The former statement is supported by pundit Danny Murphy, who lambasted his style back in March: “It’s time now. He has been overpaid and underachieved. He hasn’t delivered. They sneaked into the top four last season because Arsenal threw it away. Tottenham have been in the top four many times, so that’s hardly an overachievement.

“They’ve gone out of the League Cup to Forest, FA Cup to Sheffield United, he’s causing chaos at least two or three times a season with his attitude. The football’s generally turgid, and nobody’s enjoying watching it”.

In fact, the sacking of the 54-year-old only came after one such explosive interview, where he took issue with the club, the players and the hierarchy.

One particularly damning quote from that press conference read: "They don't want to play under pressure, they don't want to play under stress. It is easy in this way. Tottenham's story is this. 20 years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here? I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench. You risk to disrupt the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment.”

Worryingly, Lukaku has also had a penchant for these outbursts in high-profile settings, first pushing an exit from Everton before lambasting Manchester United years after his exit.

Then, most recently, whilst still employed by Chelsea he admitted he would have preferred to have stayed at the San Siro that summer he made his switch.

It is this history of jumping ship that led to journalist Ben Grounds outlining his reputation as a “mercenary”, as a similar troublemaker to how Conte was.

Even with his off-field antics aside, it could be argued that his best days are way behind him now anyway, with little reason for his purchase.

He only scored ten Serie A goals last season, having been forced out on loan after notching just eight Premier League goals upon his return to west London.

Given how vocal Postecoglou has remained with his admiration for Richarlison, despite his failures in front of goal, there is even less reason to make such a lucrative risk:

“He works hard for the team and a lot of what he does, does not get seen. His pressing, his runs. Sometimes he does not get the ball but he is always making those runs and he is a constant nuisance for defenders. I have said before that I really like Richy”.

With a preference for a hard worker, alongside Lukaku’s similarities with the villainous Conte, there is seemingly little reason to bring in the underwhelming forward.

The eighth-wicket pair blunt West Indies for 48.4 overs on final day after Raza heroics; visitors clinch series 1-0

The Report by Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo02-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAFPZimbabwe’s battling rearguard secured a draw in the second Test at Queens Sports Club, but West Indies still took the series 1-0, their first Test series win under Jason Holder. Sikandar Raza’s 89 and Regis Chakabva’s 71 not out formed the backbone of their effort on the final day. Their obduracy was matched by Graeme Cremer, the captain, who blunted 150 deliveries for his 28 not out when both sides shook hands and settled for a draw at the start of the mandatory overs.Raza, who also scored 80 in the first innings, became the second player in history after Jacques Kallis to pass 80 twice and take five wickets in a Test, was named Man of the Match. Devendra Bishoo, with 13 wickets across two Tests, was named Man of the Series.While the match ended very tamely in the afternoon, West Indies had been probing with both seam and spin for much of the day, with wickets shared around. But neither the old ball nor the new could prise a limpet-like Chakabva from the crease, and he added an unbroken 91 with Cremer to stall West Indies’ push for victory.Chakabva played and missed several deliveries during the day and even ducked into a Holder bouncer that never got above waist height, but his defence held firm when it really mattered and bad balls were met with confident strokes. It had been eight innings – and almost three years – since he last passed fifty in a Test match, and this knock, which stretched on for almost 64 overs, will go some way towards securing his place in the side for their next Test against South Africa.The hosts were also buoyed by Raza’s gritty innings, which stretched for more than five hours and 203 deliveries before he inside edged a Holder inswinger onto his stumps. During a brave, battling knock Raza survived an lbw decision given against him and a withering blow to the knee, cobbling together stands of 98 with PJ Moor, 28 with Malcolm Waller and 38 with Chakabva.Much of his work with Moor came on Wednesday, and the pair had had added just four runs to their partnership when West Indies broke through almost first thing this morning. Holder positioned Shai Hope at gully, having noticed the angled bat that Moor was playing with. The plan worked to perfection, Moor guiding a length delivery straight to the fielder to depart for 42, Zimbabwe 144 for 5.A nervous starter, Waller settled in against the quicks, but the introduction of spin quickly brought another wicket. Coming around the stumps and landing a ball in the rough outside leg, Bishoo ripped one across him and a tame poke presented an easy catch to Jermaine Blackwood at slip.Zimbabwe were 172 for 6 when Waller fell an hour or so before lunch and the new ball was available, but as was the case in Zimbabwe’s first innings West Indies decided not to take it straight away. There was still significant movement and inconsistent bounce for the quicks, and the softening old ball also ensured that neither Raza nor Chakabva could get full value for all their shots.Raza, who had survived a West Indies review in the morning, used a review of his own to reverse an lbw decision against him five overs into his partnership with Chakabva. Roach was by this time getting the old ball to reverse alarmingly, and hooped one past Raza’s hopping glance to strike him on the left knee roll. Roach bellowed an appeal, and Dharmasena gave it out almost immediately, but the review showed the ball missing leg stump. In the same over Roach snaked a waspish delivery in viciously to strike Raza on the inner knee. He was able to continue batting, but hobbled his way through to lunch.At the other end, Chakabva opened his account from his 14th delivery, and swiped a brace of boundaries when Bishoo dropped short. He showed some uncertainty outside off stump against the genuine pace of Gabriel, but did enough to survive and keep stretching out Zimbabwe’s lead.West Indies did finally take the new ball in the over before lunch, and Holder used it to break breach Raza’s defences just after the interval. Playing the wrong line to one that jagged in to him, Raza had his off stump disturbed. A window had opened for West Indies with Zimbabwe tottering at 210 for 7, with the better part of two sessions remaining.But West Indies had used up all their reviews trying to get rid of Raza, and this detail gained crucial importance as the afternoon wore on. First, Cremer gloved a bouncer from Holder onto his shoulder, the chance being pouched by a leaping Dowrich, but the appeal was turned down.Then, ten minutes before tea, Roston Chase zipped one in to Cremer’s pads, but the appeal lacked conviction and umpire Kumar Dharmasena wasn’t convinced. Replays showed three reds on the ball tracker. Moments before the tea interval, Chase once again struck Cremer on the pad, but again it was given not out and West Indies could do nothing about the decision.Cremer made the most of the chances, soaking up well over 100 deliveries, and after tea it soon became apparent that the match was drifting inexorably towards a draw. Kraigg Brathwaite, Blackwood and Kieran Powell took over bowling duties from a tired attack, and with shadows lengthening the captains got together and decided to bring a hard-fought Test to an end.

Durham are in danger of becoming the doormats of the north group in the NatWest T20 Blast after Nottinghamshire wiped the floor with them

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-2017
ScorecardRiki Wessels saw Notts home•Getty Images

Durham are in danger of becoming the doormats of the north group in the NatWest T20 Blast after Nottinghamshire wiped the floor with them. Notts won by nine wickets with four overs to spare at Chester-le-Street against an inexperienced side who, after five games, remain on minus four points.Being obliged to start with that four-point deficit cannot have helped the morale of a side shorn of five players from the team which reached last year’s final.All out for 123 with 11 balls unused, there was no attempt to exert pressure as 18-year-old debutant Liam Trevaskis was asked to bowl the first over and Alex Hales hit the left-arm spinner for two fours.When Durham’s T20 skipper Paul Coughlin came on for the third over Hales twice drove him straight down the ground. With 15 coming off the over Hales set about finishing it as quickly as possible, only to be bowled for 44 when going down the pitch to Trevaskis in the seventh over.There were already 69 on the board and Riki Wessels was able to continue his good form by coasting to an unbeaten 49. Brendan Taylor finished the match with a six over long-on off Ryan Pringle to finish on 33 not out.Any chance of a contest looked remote from the moment Durham slipped to 8 for 2 after ten balls. They were briefly revived by Graham Clark with 41 off 27 balls, but from 54 for 2 Durham slipped to 65 for 6 with Samit Patel picking up three wickets.On the day he was awarded a full contract until the end of the 2019 season, Cameron Steel cut the first ball of the match, from Patel, for four. But after adding two singles he lifted left-arm seamer Luke Wood’s first ball to extra cover.Paul Collingwood was moved up to No. 3 but fell for nought, skying a pull off Wood to backward square leg. Clark cut, pulled and drove three fours in taking 15 off the first five balls of a Jake Ball over, only for Michael Richardson to bottom edge the sixth into his stumps.Patel was recalled and had Clark caught behind when aiming to leg. Jack Burnham’s fierce drive to extra cover was well held above his head by Dan Christian then Stuart Poynter played all round Patel’s next ball.Coughlin and Pringle could afford few risks but did well to add 39 before Pringle pulled Steven Mullaney straight to deep backward square. Smart work by Mullaney saw Coughlin run out and Barry McCarthy stumped by Tom Moores off Ish Sodi before last man Chris Rushworth lofted to mid-off.It was a tame end to a stuttering innings, leaving Nottinghamshire with a simple task to complete their third successive win.

Centuries from Alex Wakely and Rob Keogh gave Northamptonshire an excellent chance to pick up a fifth victory, this time against Leicestershire at Wantage Road

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-2017
ScorecardAlex Wakely will be confident of a final-day victory•Getty ImagesCenturies from Alex Wakely and Rob Keogh gave Northamptonshire an excellent chance to pick up a fifth victory in the Specsavers County Championship. They set Leicestershire 394 to win at Wantage Road but the visitors survived for 16 overs under the lights until the close of day three at 9.57pm, reaching 44 for 0.Both Wakely and Keogh made their first Championship centuries of the season as Northants quickly built up a big lead. They declared in perfect time with the skies dark enough to encourage the pink ball to swing but unlike on the first evening where the hosts took four wickets, they failed to find a breakthrough as Paul Horton and on-loan Surrey batsman Arun Harinath got through a very tricky period, several edges falling short of the slips cordon and strong lbw appeals from Richard Gleeson against Harinath and Azharullah against Horton turned down.Until the wicketless final hour, it was a perfect day for Northants. After a three hour delay due to a wet outfield, Wakely and Keogh resumed with their side 60 for 3 and the game still in the balance. But Leicestershire couldn’t swing the ball and didn’t bowl accurately enough to even contain Northants – 146 runs came in 28 overs before tea.Wakely suggested Northants would look to be positive before the start of play and was true to his word. He made half-centuries in the second innings of Northants’ previous two matches and here went past fifty again in 55 balls with five fours – only after being put down by Harinath at point on 44.He looked in excellent touch – rocking back to pull Dieter Klein over midwicket and lifting Rob Sayer’s off spin over long-on for six. A fierce cut against Matt Pillans raced to the cover point boundary to raise a century in 108 balls. Wakely was eventually caught at short third man for 112 trying to reserve sweep Sayer.With Keogh, Wakely shared 171 for the fourth wicket – a partnership that took the game away from Leicestershire, who bizarrely only used their strike bowler Klein for seven overs in the second innings.Keogh’s day began with a clip to fine leg for four and he played the shot of the match – a gorgeous extra-cover drive off Clint McKay – on his way to just a second Championship fifty of the season in 77 balls with seven fours.He then skipped down the pitch to lift Sayer over mid-off before sweeping the same bowler for another boundary in front of square. He took tea 70 not out and after the break was forced to work the bowling around against a defensive field, eventually going through to his seventh first-class century in 136 balls – a very pleasant innings and much-needed after a poor first half of the Championship season.

Sunrisers Hyderabad will be forced to rethink a settled combination with the return of Mustafizur Rahman, as they take on a charged-up Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede

The Preview by Varun Shetty11-Apr-2017Match factsMumbai Indians v Sunrisers Hyderabad
Mumbai, April 12, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)
2:26

Agarkar: Mustafizur as important as Malinga in IPL

Form guide

Mumbai Indians: beat Knight Riders by four wickets, lost to Supergiant by seven wickets

Sunrisers: beat Lions by nine wickets, beat RCB by 35 runs

Head-to-headLast season: Sunrisers won both home and away against Mumbai last year – David Warner scored an unbeaten 90 as they chased 143 in Hyderabad and their left-arm pacers took eight wickets to bowl Mumbai out for 92 in Visakhapatnam.Overall: It is 4-4 overall, but Mumbai have won both encounters at Wankhede – in 2013 and 2015.In the newsWe could see the Sunrisers make their first shuffle to a settled XI. Bangladesh medium-pacer Mustafizur Rahman has joined the squad and could be drafted straight back, considering his limited availability to them in this edition. Mustafizur alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan and Ashish Nehra is possibly the strongest bowling attack anyone can field at batting-friendly Wankhede.Mumbai have no injury concerns at the moment, apart from Ambati Rayudu who was stretchered off with a groin strain in their first match, against Pune. Head coach Mahela Jayawardene had said at the time that Rayudu would be out for at least ten days.Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga returned in their win against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday and has already made an impact. But it was left-hand batsman Nitish Rana who was at the forefront of that victory, scoring 50 off 29 balls to spearhead Mumbai’s chase of 179.The likely XIsMumbai Indians: 1 Jos Buttler, 2 Parthiv Patel (wk), 3 Rohit Sharma (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Krunal Pandya 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Jasprit Bumrah, 10 Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Lasith MalingaSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 David Warner (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Moises Henriques, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Naman Ojha (wk) , 7 Bipul Sharma/Vijay Shankar, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Ashish Nehra, 11 Mustafizur RahmanStats that matter In all T20 matches at the Wankhede since the start of 2016, the chasing team has lost only three out of 26 matches. The chasing team has won each of the last five IPL games at the venue. The two captains also have other reasons to chase: David Warner has seven fifties in nine innings while chasing since the start of IPL 2016, including his unbeaten 76 against Gujarat Lions in the last game. Rohit has five fifties in seven innings while chasing, during that same period. Lasith Malinga has dismissed Shikhar Dhawan four times in the IPL. Zaheer Khan and James Faulkner have also dismissed him four times. Since the start of IPL 2015, six of Rohit’s eight dismissals against spinners have been against legspinners and left-arm spinners. He might face Rashid Khan and Bipul Sharma in tandem in Wednesday’s game. Of the 88 wickets taken by Sunrisers’ bowlers in 2016, 75 were shared across their regular choice of five strike bowlers – Mustafizur, Bhuvneshwar, Nehra, Barinder Sran and Moises Henriques. Four of Rashid Khan’s five wickets this season have been bowled or lbw. Four of those five wickets have come in the first ten overs of the innings. He has conceded 31 runs off five overs in that phase of the innings. Mitchell McCleneghan’s short-ball strategy fetched him six wickets last season at an economy rate of more than 10. This year he has gone for 41 runs off 19 short balls, getting no wickets in the bargain.

Newcastle United have already completed their first summer signing with Sandro Tonali joining the club ahead of next season and now a new update has emerged on the club's next potential transfer target.

Will Newcastle sign Goncalo Inacio?

According to Football Insider, Newcastle remain keen on signing Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio this summer.

As per the report, the Magpies are hoping they can seal the deal for a cut-price fee instead of paying the talented centre-back's €60m (£51m) release clause.

It is claimed that Eddie Howe is keen to bolster key areas of his squad this summer to ensure Newcastle can compete in Europe and it is believed that Inacio is seen as a long-term investment for the club.

How good is Goncalo Inacio?

There is no doubt that Howe will be wanting to strengthen his squad ahead of the club's long-awaited return to Champions League football, and the acquisition of Tonali is a testament to the coach's desire to add some much-needed European experience.

Indeed, the likes of Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier, Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes have all earned opportunities to play on the elite European stage before their time at St James' Park, however, it would be advantageous to add more experience in key roles.

As a result, the signing of Inacio could not only be a great chance to add another player with Champions League experience but also offers Howe a youthful prospect he can develop and polish to become his next defensive prodigy.

Fabian Schar is now 31 years old and potentially reaching the latter stages of his career, so identifying a worthy successor in his role and a player who can form a successful centre-back partnership with Botman will be a priority for Howe in the not-so-distant future.

As per FBref, Inacio – hailed a "sensation" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig – ranks in the top 5% of his positional peers across the men's next eight leagues for shot-creating actions, successful take-ons, progressive carries, progressive passes, pass completion and assists, demonstrating that he is a confident ball-winner with no trouble providing attacking opportunities to his teammates.

Despite being only 21 years old, the Portuguese youngster has already tallied up 122 appearances for Sporting as a first-team regular and due to his impressive development has more recently earned a spot in his national team, with Roberto Martinez handing his debut to the defender in the UEFA Euro qualifying fixtures back in March 2023.

The left-footed Sporting star boasts several similarities to Botman in his style of play and when comparing their output last season the pair came close in a number of key attributes including aerial duels won (60.2% v 65.2%), tackles won (23 v 24), successful take-ons (85% v 100%) and pass completion (89.6% v 86.5%).

With that being said, it would be a no-brainer for Howe to bolster his defensive options this summer and bringing in a player like Inacio who has similar qualities to Botman could double up their threatening presence when playing out from the back and ultimately make the side unstoppable in their pursuit for success.

Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly remain in the chase for a teen sensation, in a player that could turn the fortunes in front of goal around for Julen Lopetegui.

The Midlands side were the Premier League’s lowest-scorers last season, and will aim to bolster the strike area this summer while remaining on a tight budget.

The Old Gold could achieve both by making a swoop for the latest link, in a deal that could prove to be an overwhelming success in years to come.

What’s the latest on Adama Bojang to Wolves

As reported by Evening Standard this week, Wolves remain in the race for The Gambia and Steve Biko FC striker Adama Bojang.

The striker is reportedly wanted by a ‘raft of European clubs’, with Wolves listed as one of five representing the Premier League.

Evening Standard revealed that the Gambian teenager is valued by Steve Biko FC at £2.6m, making him an attractive prospect for Wolves.

What could Adama Bojang offer to Wolves?

The 19-year-old’s agent is a name familiar to English football, with former Millwall and Plymouth Argyle striker Cherno Samba mentoring the young talent.

Speaking about his client via talkSPORT, the former player lauded the teen as being a starlet “destined for greatness”, making his journey one to watch in world football.

The youngster has rightfully earned his praise, shining in international competition so far this year acting as a talisman for The Gambia in both the U20 African Cup of Nations and the U20 World Cup.

Named in the U20 AFCON team of the tournament, Bojang led his team to a second-place finish in the competition, scoring four goals and assisting one in six games, via Sofascore.

A similar feat has been evident at the U20 World Cup, where the 19-year-old scored two goals in four games, averaging two shots on target per game for his country.

Hailed as an “insane talent” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the teenager could follow in the footsteps of a Premier League great, who was given a slim chance as a rotation player that allowed him to pass through a door that opened record-breaking status.

Harry Kane burst onto the scene in 2014 in his first full season in the Premier League, scoring 21 goals in 34 appearances for Spurs in a feat that redefined the meaning of taking your chance.

The now 29-year-old has never looked back from the campaign that he was nurtured into the first team by Mauricio Pochettino, and now leads as the club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 280 goals so far.

Kane’s story is an admirable one for rising stars to aim to follow, and with the England skipper listed as one of the players young Bojang “looks up to”, the Gambian is showing signs of having the potential to hit the ground running in the Premier League like his idol.

Lopetegui is desperate for a goalscorer, and in the 19-year-old he could deploy a hungry-to-succeed talent that undoubtedly has an innate eye for goal, as highlighted by his scoring records this year.

In giving such a young player creative freedom when leading the line, the Spaniard could unearth one of The Gambia’s biggest talents, in a side that isn’t short on creativity.

Molineux could pose to be the perfect place for the teenager to flourish, in an environment that could allow him to make a significant difference to his and Wolves’ future.

India offspinner R Ashwin has claimed the top ICC awards for 2015-16, having been named the ICC Cricketer of the Year and the Test Cricketer of the Year

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2016

India offspinner R Ashwin has claimed the top ICC awards for 2015-16, having been named the ICC Cricketer of the Year and the Test Cricketer of the Year. Ashwin is the third Indian, after Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Cricketer of the Year.Ashwin, currently the top-ranked Test bowler, had picked up 48 wickets and scored 336 runs in eight Tests during the ICC’s voting period from September 2015 to 2016, in addition to 27 wickets in 19 T20Is. In 2016 alone, he picked up 72 wickets in 12 Tests and became the second-fastest bowler to 200 wickets during the Kanpur match against New Zealand.Ashwin said he was overwhelmed by the recognition. “It’s a bit overwhelming and it is yet to sink in completely. At the same time I was expecting to land one but to end up with two awards was extremely special,” he said. “To be bracketed alongside Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar is indeed a matter of great pride.”I want to dedicate this award to my family who have been a pillar of strength. And not to forget all my teammates and coach Anil Kumble who push me to give my best with their support and guidance.”The offspinner rated his 7 for 83 in the Antigua Test against West Indies as the performance he enjoyed the most. That haul helped India to an innings-and-92-run win, and he finished the series as the leading wicket-taker with 17 dismissals. Another performance Ashwin rated highly was his knock of 118 in the first innings in St Lucia, which helped rescue India from 126 for 5 to 353. They went on to win the match by 237 runs. It was also Ashwin’s fourth Test hundred.South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock was named ODI Player of the Year. De Kock has been South Africa’s leading run-getter in ODIs since September last year, and tallied 793 runs in 16 ODIs during the voting period. Overall, since September 2015, he has scored 1175 runs in 22 matches in the format, with five centuries and three fifties, ahead of senior batsmen like Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla. One of de Kock’s most prolific phases came between October 2015 and February 2016, when he scored four centuries in six innings during the tour of India and the home series against England. He enjoyed the same form in the longest format, with five successive fifty-plus scores between August and November 2016. De Kock is the second South Africa player after AB de Villiers to win the award.West Indies allrounder Carlos Brathwaite’s match-defining 34 not out off 10 balls in the World T20 final against England earlier this year was named the T20 Performance of the Year. The allrounder, who took over as the T20 captain in August, sealed a second World T20 title for West Indies by slamming four successive sixes to end a chase of 156 in Kolkata.Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman was named Emerging Cricketer of the Year, having notched up impressive performances since his international debut in April 2015. The first Bangladesh cricketer to win an annual ICC award, Mustafizur picked up eight ODI wickets and 19 T20I wickets in the voting period.Afghanistan’s flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad won the Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year. He was the leading run-getter in the category, with 699 runs in 16 ODIs, 533 runs in 17 T20Is and 301 runs in the Intercontinental Cup matches.Earlier, New Zealand’s Suzie Bates had bagged the Women’s ODI and T20I Player-of-the-Year awards, while Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was given the Spirit of Cricket award. Marais Erasmus won the David Shepherd Trophy for the Best Umpire.