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1st Youth Test with Sri Lanka headed for rain-affected draw at Wormsley

ECB Reporters Network10-Jul-2024Young Lions opener Freddie McCann fell just short of a second century of the summer against Sri Lanka U19s in the rain-affected first Men’s Youth Test at Wormsley.McCann was stumped on 92 after sharing a 160-run second-wicket partnership with Keshana Fonseka that ensured a strong response with the bat after Sri Lanka were all out for 324.Sri Lanka U19s captain Dinuru Kalupahana had earlier reached his maiden international century with Surrey Academy quick Alex French the pick of the England U19s bowlers with 81 for four.The hosts lost three late wickets, with captain Hamza Shaikh and Noah Thain quickly following McCann back to the pavilion, but Fonseka stood firm as they closed on 193 for four and with a bit of work to do with one day remaining.McCann hit a record-breaking 174, from just 139 balls, to help secure victory in the second Youth ODI at Hove last week and again dominated the tourists bowling scoring a near run-a-ball half-century.England had lost Jaydn Denly early, pulling Nathan Caldera straight at Praveen Maneesha, but McCann and Fonseka then took centre stage as they scored at better than four runs an over.McCann, who signed his first professional deal at Nottinghamshire last November, appeared set for three figures but was undone when a Vihas Thewmika delivery kept low as he advanced down the wicket.Shaikh followed soon after when he picked out Sheshan Marasinghe off Thewmika before Thain played back to a Maneesha ball that also kept slightly low and skidded into his stumps.Fonseka remained unbeaten on 72, alongside new man and Lancashire team-mate Rocky Flintoff, to leave England U19s 131 runs behind at the close.Sri Lanka captain Kalupahana was the star of the first half of the day to post his milestone century. The 19-year-old looked comfortable in the conditions, typified by the stroke that brought up his century as he eased French backward of point and to the rope.Kalupahana celebrated the milestone by racing towards his team-mates and leaping into the air.The skipper had shared a 99-run stand with Diniru Abeywickramasingha, who became the first of five batsmen caught in the ring during the day when he mis-timed a drive to Flintoff in front of point.Leicestershire’s Alex Green then claimed the prize wicket of Kalupahana with the first ball of his new spell – the second time he has done that in the game – trapped lbw on the crease.Thain enticed Thewmika to drive to Flintoff at wide mid-on after a 45-run eighth-wicket stand with Caldera, who was last man out when he too mis-hit a drive that Shaikh held to hand French his fourth wicket.

Aston Villa are in a position where they may need to sell players to meet the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules and there is plenty of contention surrounding their situation from fans, pundits and journalists alike.

Aston Villa's PSR situation and who may leave the club this summer

In short, Aston Villa are one of the Premier League’s most at-risk clubs with PSR heading towards the deadline on June 30th. Per The Athletic’s projection, they can only lose £15 million in 2024/25 to remain within regulatory boundaries.

Unai Emery’s men have recorded a pre-tax loss of £206.2 million in the last two years, which is the highest deficit across the top-flight in that time and leaves the Birmingham-based outfit in danger of punishment.

Big money sales such as Jhon Duran leaving for Al Nassr and Leon Bailey’s anticipated move to Saudi Arabian outfit Neom SC have left hope that the Villans can evade any form of penalty.

However, they are teetering on the brink and their failure to qualify for Champions League football ended up being a massive setback, especially when Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio’s expensive loan deals formed part of their bid to secure a place despite already treading water in their efforts to balance the books.

There have been suggestions that Aston Villa could sell stakes in their women’s team to make ends meet, an option that remains active following a failed bill to cancel that practice after Chelsea flipped £90 million in losses to a £128 million profit in 2024.

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He could be on the move.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 5, 2025

Losing a maximum of £105 million over three rolling years is the limit for Premier League clubs in order to comply. Still, not everyone is happy at the rules that their clubs have to abide by to evade sanctions.

Journalist fumes at Aston Villa PSR latest

Taking to social media platform X, iNews correspondent Mark Douglas vented his frustration at Aston Villa’s need to sell and made the point that Newcastle United have suffered a similar fate in their efforts to progress as a club.

Admittedly, PSR has become a controversial topic among football fans for a number of reasons, with some feeling that the traditional ‘Big Six’ clubs are protected more than others due to the ease in making ‘pure profit’ sales or by filing via subsidiaries of their PLC’s entity.

Regulation is critical to promote fairness, though there are clear elements in the current system that leave a lot to be desired. Aston Villa find themselves in a frustrating situation and will need to meticulously ensure they don’t fall foul of the authorities.

Others will argue their wage to revenue ratio is a problem, brought on by decisions such as paying £227,500 of Marcus Rashford’s salary weekly during his stay. Either way, the rise of PSR over the last few years has become a contentious issue and continues to limit the progression of those attempting to challenge the traditional order.

Nottingham Forest are set for a quick summer turnaround and are now closing in on a triple signing to bolster squad depth at the City Ground, according to a report.

Nottingham Forest eye extra bodies to juggle upcoming schedule

Despite a valiant push for a top-five finish and subsequent Champions League qualification, Nuno Espirito Santo will be the first to admit that his side ran out of steam towards the end of the Premier League season.

Two wins in their final six top-flight matches wasn’t enough to guarantee a shot at Europe’s elite competition, but a place in the Europa Conference League was still a magnificent outcome in the end all things considered.

Nevertheless, making sure they have enough to go the distance now appears to be the priority ahead of next term, and the Tricky Trees’ pursuit of Manchester City star Jack Grealish could grease the wheels for an exciting ride over the next few months.

On the flip side, Morgan Gibbs-White is reportedly wanted by the Citizens as part of a swap deal involving both England internationals, illustrating that high-profile interest in key performers is never far away after a campaign to remember.

Nuno has made it clear that a new winger could be brought in at the City Ground, judging by recent signals, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Lee Kang-in and Freiburg wide-man Ritsu Doan also in the discussion.

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Rennes captain Adrien Truffert could come in to widen Nottingham Forest’s pool of options at left-back. On the same token, centre-back could be an area where work occurs amid links to Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah.

Wasting no time on recruitment, the Tricky Trees are now close to a triple deal that could see both their forward line and rearguard concerns addressed.

Nottingham Forest poised to sign trio of Botafogo stars

According to The Athletic, Nottingham Forest are set to sign Igor Jesus, Jair Cunha and Cuiabano from Botafogo in a triple deal to kickstart a busy summer in the East Midlands.

Jesus is a striker by trade and can also operate on either flank, while Jair is a central defender and Cuiabano is a left-back capable of roaming further forward when needed.

Nottingham Forest-linked trio’s statistics in 2025 – all competitions

Igor Jesus

Jair Cunha

Cuiabano

Appearances – 23

Appearances – 17

Appearances – 21

Goals – 7

Goals – 0

Goals – 2

Assists – 1

Assists – 1

Assists – 3

Labelled the “complete package” by Tim Vickery, Jesus has been capped four times by Brazil and is the star performer of the trio, as Sky Sports report he is “one of the most exciting strikers in South America”.

Brighton & Hove Albion saw two bids turned down for Cuiabano earlier this year, but he too appears poised for a move to the City Ground. Off the back of Botafogo’s title-winning success last term, Nottingham Forest have spied an opportunity to offer three of their key assets a shot at Premier League stardom, which many will herald as astute business if even two of them hit the ground running next term.

Looking to get their summer business started as soon as possible, the 49ers have now reportedly opened talks with a relegated Premier League defender for Leeds United who is set to become a free agent next month.

Farke receives Leeds backing

After winning the Championship title and earning promotion back to the Premier League, there were some reports that suggested Leeds were ready to part ways with Daniel Farke. Those have since been put to bed by chairman Paraag Marathe however, who took the chance to end any speculation in the middle of the Whites’ recent title celebrations.

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Leeds United are preparing a move to land a star who would be perfect alongside Ao Tanaka.

ByEthan Lamb May 14, 2025

Marathe told reporters: “I’m very excited to run it back with Daniel and collaborate with him. I’m under no illusions that it is going to be easy. The past two seasons the three promoted teams came straight back down but we have something they don’t have, we have Daniel Farke first of all. I have ended the speculation. He is my man.”

That backing looks set to continue into the summer transfer window too, with reports already coming thick and fast regarding several potential targets. Among those already mentioned are both Beto and Caoimhin Kelleher. Two players who could be on the move from opposite ends of Merseyside, Beto and Kelleher could go from bitter rivals to teammates this summer.

Kelleher would be a particularly important incoming amid Leeds’ goalkeeping struggles at the end of the season. By signing the Irishman, those at Elland Road would finally have their replacement for Illan Meslier, who made one mistake too many throughout the campaign and even found himself dropped for Karl Darlow in the closing weeks.

It’s not just Kelleher and Beto who have reportedly made the 49ers’ shortlist, however. The American owners have also seemingly set their sights on a bargain deal to sign a relegated star this summer.

Leeds open talks to sign Walker-Peters

According to transfer reporter Graeme Bailey, the 49ers are now in talks to sign Kyle Walker-Peters when his contract expires at Southampton at the end of next month to make him a free agent.

Bailey told Leeds United News when asked about the full-back: “I’m told no decision just yet. Leeds have had contact, but as we know they’re one of many clubs to be in touch with him. West Ham, Spurs, Everton… there’s loads. And some foreign clubs are lurking too. Can Leeds get him? Of course. But from what I can make out it’s going to be tough.”

Whilst it has been deemed a tough deal for those at Elland Road to pull off, the 49ers certainly seem in an ambitious move and there’s no denying just how much of a bargain they could land by signing Walker-Peters this summer.

Meanwhile, on a personal note, the experienced right-back should be desperate to receive another chance in the Premier League after a disastrous campaign at St Mary’s. Although dubbed “great” by former manager Russell Martin in pre-season, Walker-Peters has since started 32 of his side’s 36 games in a season that saw them become one of the worst sides in Premier League history.

Bournemouth star Dean Huijsen has decided where he wants to go this summer, with Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Arsenal all circling and ready to offer him an alternative Premier League move.

Dean Huijsen wanted by Premier League rivals after excellent campaign

Signed for just £12.8 million from Juventus last summer, Bournemouth stand to make a major profit off his signature after Huijsen’s very impressive debut season on the south coast.

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The 19-year-old has started all of Bournemouth’s Premier League games since early December, partnering the likes of Marcos Senesi and Illia Zabarnyi to great effect, and even scored crucial goals against the likes of Spurs and Man United in that time.

Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth

8.36

Bournemouth 0-0 Crystal Palace

8.11

Bournemouth 1-0 Tottenham

8.09

Newcastle United 1-4 Bournemouth

7.85

Bournemouth 1-0 Everton

7.52

via WhoScored

The teenager is one of Spain’s most exciting defensive prospects, and his performances in the English top flight earned him a call-up to the national team recently, where he was handed his first senior caps against the Netherlands in their two-legged UEFA Nations League quarter-final.

Huijsen even bagged an assist during Spain’s second match against the Netherlands, which they went on to win via a penalty shootout, with the young centre-back making his mark for both club and country.

His growing reputation has prompted serious interest from big sides, including Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal.

According to The Athletic, Tottenham held talks with Huijsen’s representatives this week. It is also believed that Chelsea are expected to make a “big push” for Huijsen’s signature this summer (Simon Phillips), while Arsenal are thought to have made contact as well (David Ornstein).

All three sides appear to be serious contenders for the ex-Juventus starlet’s signature, but a major threat for the English trio looms in the form of Real Madrid.

Dean Huijsen decides next club amid Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal interest

According to reports in Spain, Huijsen has already decided whether he’ll join Tottenham, Chelsea or Arsenal – and all three sides are set to be disappointed.

Despite them all reaching out to his agents (David Ornstein), it is Real Madrid who are in pole position to seal an agreement as things stand, as it is claimed by a Spanish media source that Huijsen has his eyes firmly on a move to the Bernabeu.

The former Serie A gem is apparently “clear” that he wants to sign for Real this summer, dealing a blow to Premier League suitors unless they can somehow sway Huijsen’s hand.

News of his £50 million release clause appears to have reached Los Blancos president Florentino Perez, who may be aware there is a golden opportunity to reinforce Real’s central defensive options.

“He is one of the highest quality prospects in European football at this age level,” said Fenerbache boss Jose Mourinho last year.

“He will be a great footballer in the future, he has great confidence in himself.”

A primer on Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana

Hemant Brar20-Nov-20242:21

Manjrekar’s XI: Abhimanyu to open, Jurel at No.3

Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal got column inches in Hindi and Punjabi in Australian newspapers. But what about some of the lesser-known players in the Indian side? Here is a primer on four of them who could feature in the first Test in Perth.Devdutt PadikkalPadikkal, 24, is a tall left-hand batter who plays for Karnataka in domestic cricket. He was not part of the original squad but a thumb injury to Shubman Gill has opened the door for him. He made his Test debut against England in Dharamsala in March and scored 65 from No. 4 in India’s only innings. He is yet to play another Test but has plenty of domestic experience. He has played 40 first-class games and scored 2677 runs at an average of 42.49. While he has batted everywhere from No. 1 to No. 6, his best has come at No. 3: 1247 runs at 51.95 and four of his six hundreds. It bodes well for India as he is likely to bat one-down if Gill is unavailable.Related

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Recent form: In September, Padikkal struck three half-centuries in three Duleep Trophy games with a best of 92. However, in the other three innings, he was dismissed for single-digit scores. More recently, he was India A’s highest run-getter against Australia A. He scored 151 runs in four innings, a patient 88 in the second innings in Mackay being the standout knock.Training watch: Padikkal spent considerable time in the nets on Tuesday and Wednesday. He looked good, in particular, when he had a chance to go on the front foot and play check-drives. During the fielding drills, he was part of the slip cordon.Dhruv Jurel is a frontrunner for the No. 6 spot in Perth•AFPDhruv JurelLike his father, Jurel wanted to join the army before he fell in love with cricket. He first made headlines by scoring 249 for Uttar Pradesh against Nagaland in Ranji Trophy 2022-23. But it was his exploits as a finisher for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2023 that put him in the reckoning for the national team. Earlier this year, in only his second Test, he scored 90 and 39 not out against England in Ranchi and bagged the Player-of-the-Match award. In all, he has played 21 first-class games and scored 1223 runs at an average of 48.92.Recent form: In the only Duleep Trophy game he played, Jurel scored 2 and 0 but was impressive behind the stumps, taking eight catches across two innings. He then made 93 against Mumbai in the Irani Cup. But it was his performance against Australia A that helped him jump the queue. He looked the best batter across both sides during his 80 and 68 in the second unofficial Test in Melbourne. Supposed to be a back-up for Rishabh Pant, he is now being considered as a pure batter in the lower middle order ahead of Sarfaraz Khan.Training watch: Like Padikkal, Jurel too practised with the first set of batters on Tuesday and stood either in slips or at gully while fielding. He had another long stint with the bat on Wednesday, which was centred around playing close to the body and dulling the threat of back-of-a-length bowling.Nitish Kumar Reddy has got the backing of the team management•Getty ImagesNitish Kumar ReddyAt 21, Reddy is the youngest member of India’s squad. A seam-bowling allrounder from Andhra Pradesh, Reddy made his first-class debut in 2019-20 but his numbers in the format do not exude much confidence. After 23 games, he has 779 runs at an average of 21.05 and 56 wickets at 26.98. He is in the side because of his potential and T20 performances. Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024, he scored 303 runs at a strike rate of 142.92 and took three wickets. It resulted in a T20I debut for India in October. In his second T20I, he smashed 74 off 34 balls and took 2 for 23. Can he translate that into red-ball cricket?Recent form: The signs have not been great. In three of the four innings against Australia A, he was bounced out three times. With the ball, he took just one wicket from 31 overs. But he has the backing of the team management. On Wednesday, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said he could hold one end up as a fourth seamer with his wicket-to-wicket bowling.Training watch: Reddy bowled a lot on Tuesday, something he may have to do if he debuts during this tour. On Wednesday, his ramp shot was a chef’s kiss.Will Harshit Rana get a chance?•Getty ImagesHarshit RanaUncapped Rana, who will turn 23 next month, is another seam-bowling allrounder in the Indian side. If Reddy’s stronger suit is batting, Rana’s is bowling. He can bowl fast, hit the deck hard, and has pace variations. His IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, identified his talent before his domestic side, Delhi. He was the joint-fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2024 and played a key role in KKR lifting the trophy. In ten first-class games, he has 43 wickets at 24.00 and 469 runs at 42.63. He has also scored a hundred in the format – an unbeaten 122 off just 86 balls that included nine sixes, albeit it came against a weak North-East Zone side.Recent form: He picked up two four-wicket hauls in two games in the Duleep Trophy and followed it with a fifty and a five-for against Assam in the Ranji Trophy. He was not part of the red-ball series against Australia A but, in his own words, the attitude he plays with is “similar to Australia’s”.Training watch: Rana did not bowl much on Tuesday but was a lot more involved on Wednesday. It is easy to see the logic behind India having him here. He puts a lot of effort behind the ball and, on a responsive pitch, is likely to get a lot of it back.

He does not have a remarkable individual record in the role and will want to take this performance as a launching pad for something special

Sidharth Monga16-Apr-20233:38

Bishop: Great to see Indian players like Shahrukh finish matches

During the innings break, M Shahrukh Khan was interviewed by the official broadcaster. He ended the interview by rubbing his hand on the grass and showing the camera “quite a bit” of dew, which had made batting easier as the game progressed. He expected a straightforward chase after the Punjab Kings bowlers – thanks in no small measure to his two-take catches at the boundary – had restricted hosts Lucknow Super Giants to 159.The ground staff must have run the rope and undertaken other dew treatments during that break, which resulted in the pitch retaining some of the difficulty at the start of the chase. Almost an hour and a half later, Shahrukh walked in with 38 runs still required in 4.1 overs and four wickets in hand.Related

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Ravi Bishnoi, for some reason underutilised by Super Giants behind the two fingerspinners Krishnappa Gowtham and Krunal Pandya, was using the bigger leg-side boundary beautifully with his natural turn in to the right-hand batters.Shahrukh does not make sense if you look at traditional metrics. He has never scored a fifty in T20 cricket. Yet this was his 24th IPL match in two seasons and a bit. He has played 45 other matches. He averages 19.02 and strikes at 130.87. His average innings is a 14-ball 19. Yet he gets picked by his state side and his IPL side regularly as a specialist batter.That is hard data. Visual data of Shahrukh suggests a batter who bats lower down the order, doesn’t get many balls to face and tends to go for it from ball one. Yet, if that doesn’t translate into cold numbers, it points towards execution inefficiency.Ball one on the night for him was from Mark Wood, who at that point had figures of 2.5-0-16-1. He had time to visualise it because the previous wicket had brought on a time-out. Shahrukh’s response was just a natural reaction to the ball. It was in the slot, it deserved to be hit, and he hit it over long-on for six. It is credit to him, and the team management, that Shahrukh had no encumbrance that might come with an unremarkable individual record.Shahrukh Khan’s 10-ball 23 sealed the win for Punjab Kings•BCCIShahrukh told the same commentators later that all he wanted was to be blank and react to the ball, which is what he trains for. “I just wanted to keep my mindset really simple,” Shahrukh said. “I just wanted to react to the ball. I think my practice is paying off. I am reacting properly at practice to each and every ball I play. That’s the reason it’s paying off here.”Shahrukh said his starting point is to hit straight, and if the ball is not there, still try to hit it but adjust accordingly. “[That’s because] I am powerful,” he said. “If I go too cheeky, I don’t think it will work for me. So, I just have one thing on my mind. I look to play straight. If anything is here and there, I try and adjust. It’s good that it’s paying off, though.”To his credit, Bishnoi – bowling the last over because he was not introduced until the 15th over – bowled such a length that Shahrukh could neither hit him down the ground nor go inside-out for five of the six balls he bowled to Shahrukh. It was to what would be the last ball of the match Shahrukh managed to go to wide long-off, the shorter side.Shahrukh’s 23 off 10 drew praise from Player of the Match, Sikandar Raza, who got frustrated with Bishnoi’s bowling and ended up holing out. “When I got out, there were a few demons in my head,” Raza said. “Credit to Shahrukh for the way he finished the game. It would have been nice to get a fifty but had we not won, I don’t think I would have felt this good. Much, much credit goes to Shahrukh for finishing the game the way he did.”It will be a moment of relief for Shahrukh that he has managed to carry his side through to a win. He has won only one Player-of-the-Match award. For an IPL team to be backing him so, Shahrukh surely has the skill and the attitude for this format? He will want to take this performance as a launching pad for something special because this format and IPL teams aren’t really known for patience.

Club takes steps to better reflect the community it serves but admits there’s more work to be done

George Dobell29-Apr-2021Almost the first time Shozair Ali bowled with a leather ball was at his Warwickshire trial. He had been spotted playing parks cricket in Birmingham – in Calthorpe Park, actually; just 200 metres or so from Edgbaston – a few weeks earlier. Little more than a year later, he was representing England Under-15 at Lord’s.Things didn’t work out for Shozair. Not how he had originally hoped, anyway. Although he went on to play for England in the 2012 U-19 World Cup in Australia – he opened the bowling with Reece Topley in a couple of games – he suffered a series of injuries that curtailed his progress. After one first-class game, he accepted his future was in coaching.His story is revealing, though. It suggests there is much talent outside the traditional pathways. And it reminds us of the challenge the likes of Shozair face in competing for selection alongside kids who may have benefitted from excellent facilities and coaching throughout their development years.To hear him talk, it’s also clear he would have benefitted from some mentorship within the sport. As he puts it, “I was used to turning up five minutes before the game in trainers and black socks. Coming to Warwickshire was an eye-opener. There are lots of things I wish I’d known earlier.”Related

• Surrey's African-Caribbean Engagement programme launches as charity after funding boost

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Shozair is back at the Edgbaston indoor centre to help run the Ramadan League. The scheme, run by Warwickshire Cricket Board and Chance to Shine Street, sees cricketers between the ages of 16-18 invited to take part in a league on Tuesday and Friday nights during Ramadan. Participation and travel is free – pre-booked taxis are provided – and the six-a-side games take place between 10pm to midnight. The hope is the scheme can be extended to adults when Covid restrictions are lifted.Great, you may be thinking. But what’s the big deal?Well, the issue is Warwickshire has a modest record in terms of inclusivity. While Kabir and Moeen Ali both developed, in part, at the club, both also felt the need to go elsewhere to find opportunity. By the time the 2020 season finished, there was no non-white player or senior coach upon the staff. For a club based in multicultural Birmingham, that feels like a failure to reflect or utilise the community it serves. It’s telling that there are PSL kits visible among those playing in the Ramadan League; there’s no sign of a Warwickshire, Birmingham Bears, Birmingham Phoenix or even England one.Not all the issues are historic, either. Only a few months ago, a young man named Ismail Mohammed (Moeen’s nephew) left Warwickshire’s pathway for Worcestershire’s bemoaning a lack of opportunities in Birmingham. It raised the question whether, 15-years after Moeen made the same journey, anything had changed.But acknowledging a problem is surely the first step of solving it. And Warwickshire do accept they have to do better.”We are acutely aware that there is a lot of work still to be done,” the club’s new chief executive, Stuart Cain, says. “Understanding how we can help the communities we serve in Birmingham and further afield is crucial.”We are making progress. Initiatives such as Chance to Shine Street Cricket and the African Caribbean Engagement (ACE) Programme are helping us break down barriers across the city’s diverse communities and we are continuing to invest more in our community programmes each year.”It is interesting he should mention the ACE programme. Whatever the challenges facing the Asian cricket-playing community in Birmingham, things for the African-Caribbean cricket-playing community are far more bleak. Indeed, calling it a ‘community’ may be misleading. It is almost non-existent. In the last year that Warwickshire were able to conduct trials, around 800 children attended. One of them identified as having African-Caribbean heritage.For this reason, ACE can’t operate in Birmingham as it does in London. When the charity ran open sessions at The Kia Oval, almost 100 people turned up. In Birmingham the expectation is nobody would attend.Handsworth CC, in Birmingham, still has a reputation as a ‘Black’ club. And you can understand why: not so long ago, its status was such that West Indies teams used to visit as part of their England tours.Now 90 percent of the players in the club’s youth teams are of Asian heritage, and 75 percent of the players in the second and third teams are, too. “There are a few Black players in the first team, but they aren’t young,” Eaton Gordon, a stalwart of both the club and the Cricket Board, says. “The enthusiasm of the Asian community is fantastic and welcome. But the situation for African-Caribbean cricket in Birmingham is… well, it’s terrible.”Eaton Gordon: “The situation for African-Caribbean cricket in Birmingham is… well, it’s terrible.”•Sam Bagnall, Warwickshire CCCWe know some of the reasons for this decline. We know about the decline of West Indies cricket; we know about the costs of the disappearance of free-to-air cricket on television. Anecdotal evidence suggests there has been a dilution of interest in the sport as first-generation immigrants become second and third generation. It’s not all anybody’s fault.But it meant that, when ACE held its first events in Birmingham last week, it involved coaches going into primary schools to provide kids with what was often their first experience of cricket. There is a very real concern that we have left this issue too long. The plant may not be ailing; it might be dead.Maybe that is too downbeat. Certainly as you watch the passion and skill of the boys involved in the Ramadan League, it’s hard not to be carried away with their enthusiasm. This isn’t just a photo-shoot, either. Warwickshire now have scouts monitoring the parks leagues, with some of the finals played at Edgbaston, while similar sessions are being carried out for young women in Coventry and Birmingham. Shozair, alongside several pathway coaches, is now available as a mentor for those following in his footsteps. Every member of the 2021 Warwickshire academy is of Asian heritage.And maybe some of the kids involved in the Ramadan League will break through. There’s Manan Janjua, for example, who five-years ago lived in Norway but has hopes of selection for the Warwickshire age-group sides as a leg-spinner alongside his dreams of a career in medicine. There’s Hamza Abbas, a burly all-rounder from Lozells, who has just become involved in the sessions and looks a talented lad.Hamza Abbas bowls as Eaton Gordon, the WCB Community Cricket Development Manager, looks on•Sam Bagnall, Warwickshire CCCAnd there are several others, some of whom have “never left their own postcode before” in the words of one coach, who are enjoying the teamwork and friendly competition and may now feel this club in the middle of the city welcomes and values them. They don’t have to turn professional to have fulfilling cricketing lives. But perhaps, with the advice of Shozair and a sense that the club will do all it can to help, one or two can find a way through. The unifying, healing powers of sport are real.But we do have to be realistic. Thirty percent of people playing recreational cricket in England and Wales identify as South Asian in origin. At professional level, the figure falls to around five percent. Over the last 20 years or so, Warwickshire have reaffirmed their commitment to inclusivity several times. A succession of chief executives have made similar comments to Cain. They’ve all meant it, too.But by running this scheme – and several others besides – Warwickshire are attempting to demonstrate that the game and the club have changed. They are demonstrating they won’t just operate on their own terms and that they will respect the customs and beliefs of the audience with which they want to engage. They’re trying.Is it going to change the world? Not on its own, no. We need a culture change. We need more cricket broadcast free-to-air and an end to the system whereby talented youngsters are charged for their involvement in county pathways. At present, the best players are required to pay something around £300 for the coaching and clothing.But what’s that line about the journey of a thousand miles? Something about it starting with a single step. Warwickshire has a long way to go in this area. But it does feel as if the club is, at last, heading in the right direction.

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A 1ª rodada do Brasileirão chegou ao fim, e os torcedores elegeram o craque dos jogos de estreia da competição. A redação do Lance! separou quatro destaques das 10 partidas iniciais do Campeonato Brasileiro para que os fãs votassem.

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Mateus Carvalho, do Vasco, Ganso, do Fluminense, Canobbio, do Athletico, e Fernando, do Internacional, foram os candidatos. Em votação realizada no Canal de Whatsapp do Lance!, os torcedores elegeram o atacante do Furacão como o melhor jogador da primeira rodada do Brasileirão, com 54% dos votos.

Cannobio foi o destaque da goleada de 4 a 0 do Athletico sobre o Cuiabá, na Arena da Baixada, no domingo (14). O uruguaio contribuiu com um gol e uma assistência na partida, além de ter sido extremamente participativo até ser substituído, já nos momentos finais do confronto. Por isso, foi eleito o craque da galera da 1ª rodada na votação do Lance!.

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Quem ficou em segundo lugar na enquete foi Mateus Carvalho, do Vasco, com 28% dos votos. O jovem volante marcou um os gols do Cruz-Maltino e controlou o meio-campo na vitória sobre Grêmio. Ganso, do Fluminense, ficou com 10% da votação, enquanto Fernando, do Internacional, teve 8%. Você pode deixar sua opinião na publicação abaixo, via Instagram do Lance!.

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West Bromwich Albion are back in action in the Championship this evening as they prepare to travel to St. Mary’s to take on an in-form Southampton side.

The Saints, now led by Tonda Eckert, have won five of their last six matches in the division, beating Birmingham City 3-1 in their most recent outing.

Ryan Mason will have to make some tweaks to his side after they were beaten 3-1 by QPR at Loftus Road on Saturday, and Josh Maja is one star who could lose his place in the XI.

Why Ryan Mason should drop Josh Maja for West Brom

The Nigeria international was given a starting berth for the trip to West London after he came off the bench to provide an assist in the 3-2 comeback win over Swansea in the previous game.

Unfortunately, though, the former Sunderland centre-forward was unable to build on that assist with another strong performance, as he struggled against QPR.

Maja joined Aune Heggebo to form a front two for the Baggies in London, but was unable to provide much of a threat at the top end of the pitch in a drab loss.

Vs QPR

Josh Maja

Minutes

64

Shots

1

Touches

20

Possession lost

8x

Key passes

0

Duels won

2/5

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old attacker offered very little in the final third and was wasteful with his use of the ball, only retaining possession 12 times from his 20 touches.

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With this in mind, Mason should ruthlessly ditch the striker from the starting line-up to bring Isaac Price back into the starting line-up as a number ten against Southampton.

Why West Brom should unleash Isaac Price against Southampton

The Northern Ireland international should be brought back into the side for multiple reasons, and not only for the attacking quality that he can provide.

As a natural attacking midfielder, Price replacing Maja could make West Brom more difficult to play through than they were in a 4-4-2 shape against QPR, as the youngster can drop into a midfield three, making it a 4-5-1 out of possession, which Maja would not be comfortable doing.

This is why bringing the former Standard Liege talent into the team could make a lot of sense for tactical reasons, ahead of a clash with an in-form Southampton team that will be expected to be on the front foot.

Of course, Price should also come into the starting XI because he has the potential to offer more quality to the side at the top end of the pitch than Maja does.

The 22-year-old star, who was described as a “breath of fresh air” by Chris Brunt, has been more effective than the Nigerian centre-forward with his play in and out of possession in the Championship so far this season.

25/26 Championship

Maja

Price

Appearances

17

19

xG

1.88

4.65

Goals

1

5

Key passes per game

0.4

1.4

Big chances created

0

3

Assists

1

2

Duel success rate

36%

49%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Price has scored four more goals, outperforming his xG, and created chances for the team on a far more regular basis than Maja.

These statistics suggest that the Northern Irish talent is far more likely to be a difference-maker in the final third against Southampton this evening, which is why he should be given the nod from the start in the hope that he can make an impact at St. Mary’s.

Their respective success rate in duels also further backs up the belief that Price would be the better option out of the two for West Brom’s plan out of possession, as he is better in his physical battles against opposition players.

Given that Southampton have won five of their last six games, the Baggies will need to roll up their sleeves and put in a lot of fight to come away from Hampshire with some points, and Price seems more likely to be effective in that situation.

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Therefore, Mason must ruthlessly drop Maja from the starting line-up, after one match, to bring Price back into the side in an attempt to secure a positive result against Southampton this evening.