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The broadcaster wants independent assessment of the value of their rights which includes Tests and the BBL

Daniel Brettig06-Oct-2020Channel Seven is facing the prospect of being taken to court by Cricket Australia for breaching its contract with the governing body, having lodged documents seeking independent assessment of its deal with the Australian Chamber for International and Commercial Arbitration (ACICA) on Tuesday.Last week the broadcaster paid the remaining A$10 million it owed CA of the latest instalment as part of the A$1.18 billion broadcast deal signed alongside Foxtel in April 2018, backing down from an earlier threat to pay only A$15 million for the entire season of men’s and women’s internationals and BBL fixtures. Under the terms of its contract, Seven is required to pay A$75 million a season in three instalments of A$25 million, plus A$7 million in free advertising or “contra” for CA.Nevertheless the refusal to pay, despite a clear ability to do so, was a breach of terms between Seven and CA, after the network had spent most of the year agitating both in private and public for a major discount to its A$450 million contract to be the game’s free-to-air partner in Australia.Seven’s chief executive, James Warburton, has been a loud critic of CA since he reported on the organisation’s financial results for 2019-20 in August, and has pushed for an independent assessment of broadcast rights value ever since – a process CA has denied it must take part in.Officially, CA has acknowledged receipt of Seven’s intention to go to the ACICA, but the governing body chaired by Earl Eddings is reserving all rights to take the dispute to the Supreme Court of Victoria. Such an eventuality would be ugly, but there is now little respect between CA and Warburton in particular.The unseemly spectacle of Warburton publicly disparaging cricket, at a time when Seven’s financial reports had stated that the return of live sport would be part of helping the network’s recovery, has been observed by the Seven West Media board, chaired by the multibillionaire Kerry Stokes and also featuring the former Essendon chairman David Evans, who has served as the chair of CA’s own investment committee.Stokes and his son Ryan had been in the room alongside Worner when they agreed to the deal with CA a little more than 30 months ago, premised upon major event ratings expected to be reaped from the BBL in addition to Australia’s annual home Tests. Foxtel gained exclusive coverage of the men’s ODI and T20I teams, in addition to every ball of matches simulcast with Seven, while also winning digital rights to be utilised through its Kayo streaming service.Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and David Warner have rarely featured in the BBL due to Australia duty•Getty ImagesAt the time, Seven’s and Foxtel’s bid outstripped the incumbents Nine and Ten, which had been the longtime broadcaster of international cricket and the contemporary populariser of the BBL respectively. Ten, in particular, had offered more than A$900 million for the exclusive rights to all cricket before revising its bid to be the free-to-air partner alongside Foxtel for A$80 million per season, only to see its offer beaten by Seven for only an extra A$2 million a year.Since that time, the BBL has failed to deliver the sorts of audiences Seven had thought it might gain despite a bloated schedule of 14 games per team plus finals, with the amount of games compounding difficulties of scheduling and player availability. These have applied equally to prominent members of the Australia side such as David Warner and Mitchell Starc, and high profile overseas players who have preferred to play fewer games for more money in other domestic T20 leagues.Dissatisfied with broadcast audiences for the BBL despite steady improvement in television ratings for internationals even in a comparatively weak 2019-2020 summer schedule featuring Pakistan and New Zealand, Seven asked CA for a discount of around 40% of its fees as far back as March, just as the Covid-19 pandemic began to bite. Private talks went steadily downhill over the next few months, either side of Kevin Roberts’ removal as CA’s chief executive in June, before Warburton went public with his complaints in August.In a parallel process, CA is close to reaching terms for a revised deal with Foxtel, which was due to deliver around A$750 million of the overall deal over the same six-year period as Seven.”Cricket Australia this morning received a letter from Seven and is awaiting a response from ACICA,” a CA spokesman said. “CA looks forward to working with all its valued partners to deliver a safe and successful summer of women’s and men’s international and domestic cricket.”

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says the club are working with Conor Gallagher to "find a solution" to his future.

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Gallagher linked with summer exitReports he has been banished from first-teamUncertainty lingers over futureWHAT HAPPENED?

Gallagher's future has taken a number of twists and turns this summer. The midfielder is said to have rejected two contract offers from the Blues because of a disagreement over the length of the deal, while Atletico Madrid have had a bid accepted for his services. Nevertheless, he has yet to decide on an exit, and recent reports suggest he has been informed he will not be considered part of Chelsea's first-team squad if he stays.

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Per, Chelsea are determined to avoid Gallagher leaving on a free transfer when his contract expires next summer and, as a result, are looking to agree a sale. Tottenham have also been linked with an interest but have yet to match Atletico by tabling a bid.

WHAT MARESCA SAID

Maresca said: "The only thing I can say is I know he is in contact with the club to find a solution. The club offered him a new contract. But this is, at the moment, the only news I received."

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Chelsea play Manchester City in a pre-season friendly this weekend and will hope to find some degree of clarity over Gallagher's future soon. It does appear, however, that the midfielder will definitely be leaving Stamford Bridge before the start of the 2024-25 campaign.

In other news, they have hired a sports psychologist with an emphasis on mental conditioning

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-2020According to Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach Simon Katich, retaining the faith in young Indian players and wanting to get the right balance with respect to their overseas contingent are two aspects captain Virat Kohli has emphasised on.The Royal Challengers have three uncapped Indian players in batsmen Devdutt Padikkal, Pavan Deshpande and allrounder Shahbaz Ahmed. Twenty-year old Padikkal, who was retained ahead of the auction, is also the youngest of the lot. Both him and Ahmed are coming off breakthrough domestic seasons and could potentially lend the kind of balance that Kohli is looking for.”Once you see him [Kohli] up close and in person, you realise how calm and measured he is in terms of his thoughts to us with respect to the group [and] his knowledge of this group,” Katich said. “That’s the beauty from our point of view. Coming into this group with a fresh set of eyes, we had our own opinions on the squad. Being able to get his insight and information on the squad was great.”The other thing he’s got is passion and energy for this group, a real affinity. If you look back at the auction, we retained a lot of players despite the last few seasons not going to plan. The biggest change we’ve made is more so from the overseas contingent to try and balance the team. From that point of view, there’s a real belief from Virat that’s directed to this group and his backing of the local boys. That’s probably been the stand out thing for me.”On its part, the franchise has for the first time hired a sports psychologist, who is also part of the travelling contingent in the UAE. While there has been a lot of emphasis on mental conditioning for the overall squad, there has been a conscious effort to involve a lot with the younger players in particular. The Royal Challengers have also set up a digital platform for players, coaches and support staff to be in constant communication right through the pandemic.ALSO READ: AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Chris Morris link up with Virat Kohli & Co. in Dubai”We actually identified the need to have some mental skills within our support staff well before the pandemic happened,” team director Mike Hesson said. “We’re sort of ahead of the curve in respect to that with Dr. Chaitanya Sridhar coming onboard in January. We identified this would be something we needed to work on even in a normal IPL. We are well covered in that space. Yes, it’s not just players, it is [also] the support staff being away from their loved ones for such a long time [that] it is challenging for families. We are very fortunate these days with respect to Zoom and so forth. People at home are supportive of the fact that we are here to do a job. We need to help each other along the way over the next three months – it’ll be challenging times for everybody.”With the players completing their quarantine on Thursday, the team has a variety of net sessions, open wickets, match scenarios and intra-squad matches planned•BCCIKatich, meanwhile, stressed on the need for players to continue to embrace the uncertainties, while being able to prepare in the best possible way. “It’s a balancing act when you have a normal IPL in April-May,” Katich said. “This season presents a different challenge because the guys are jumping out of their skins, get out there, train and do their best after six months off. A number of overseas players have been training regularly in different parts of the world depending on the severity of lockdown.”But this challenge is more mental because cricketers aren’t used to having this much time off between games. The challenge is with younger players who are still learning their way and finding their routines. We have had to spend extra time over the last couple of months with them, using Dr Chaitanya Sridhar’s expertise.”With the players completing their week-long quarantine on Thursday, the team has a variety of net sessions, open wickets, match scenarios and intra-squad matches planned over the next three weeks at the ICC Academy. Outside of their training routine, and within the biobubble, Royal Challengers have also included tennis and basketball challenges as part of the “fun activities”, apart from dedicating a team room for indoor games and playstation.”Yeah, we’ve got some very creative people at RCB. So it all starts tomorrow night (Thursday) once we are released from quarantine,” Katich laughed. “We’ve got a few team activities in our sort of team room, a tennis court downstairs. There’s going to be some football and table tennis, so a bit of a competition created.”Obviously throughout the competition, we’ll have our social groups and units to keep the camaraderie in the group together. Obviously being in a bubble will be a challenge. At the same time, we’re also going to give the players the opportunity to make their own decision about how they socialise and things like that.At the end of the day, it is a long time to be together and sometimes, it is important for people to have time to themselves to gather their thoughts and prepare for games. We’ll have a mixture, it’ll be a good balance.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou wakes up this morning with one eye fixed on Aston Villa's trip to the Etihad Stadium to clash against champions Manchester City in the Premier League.

Villa are on the edge of top four, one place ahead of Spurs, but the fifth-placed side may yet rue the attacking bluntness that prevented them from securing all three points against West Ham United the day before, on Tuesday evening.

Whether it's a point gained or two points lost will be defined later down the line. Manchester United trail by nine points in sixth, albeit with a game in hand. The fifth spot in the Premier League may yet cement a Champions League spot through new UEFA co-efficient rankings, though that means rooting for rivals like Arsenal and the Hammers on the continent.

It was that man Brennan Johnson who got on the scoresheet to give Spurs a fast start to match his lightning pace, having turned in from close range after good work from loanee Timo Werner to get in behind and pump through a low cross.

Brennan Johnson's game vs West Ham in numbers

Johnson has not always found a starting berth easy to come by during his maiden campaign with the club, but Postecoglou clearly trusts the pacy Wales international and he has been rewarded with some stellar showings on the wing of late.

Minutes played

89'

Goals

1

Touches

50

Accurate passes

26/35 (79%)

Key passes

1

Dribble attempts

2/2

Duels won

2/6

Possession lost

17x

Against the Hammers, he was effective, continuing a promising run of form that is fast shaking off the doubters following his £47.5m move to Spurs from Nottingham Forest on transfer deadline day in August.

Now with four goals and three assists from ten top-flight matches (just five starts) since the new year, the 22-year-old is proving himself a valuable option and did so once again despite a lukewarm Lilywhites performance.

It left much to be desired heading into the business end of the campaign, with James Maddison one of the chief culprits after yet another indifferent display.

James Maddison's performance vs West Ham

Maddison has now entered a poor patch of form but he has showcased his high-level ability on enough occasions this term to quickly allay any fears that he is falling by the wayside in the final stretch of the season.

Postecoglou has previously hailed Maddison as one of the club's biggest "leaders" and this is reflected through both his conduct and quality on the field. Though he has definitely dipped recently and will need to pick himself back up quickly with so much on the line.

As per Sofascore, the 27-year-old completed 89% of his passes against West Ham, taking 72 touches, succeeding with two of his three attempted dribbles and winning five ground duels, also precisely placing all three of his crosses.

Despite this, the £170k-per-week phenom created just one key pass all evening, solemnly summing up the struggles his side were faced with at the London Stadium, having also lost the ball on 13 occasions.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, football.london's Alasdair Gold branded him with a 5/10 match rating and said: 'Some nice little turns and touches but another game he has struggled to grab by the scruff of the neck as he was doing earlier in the season.'

Something needs to change soon if Tottenham are to beat Aston Villa to that fourth and potentially final Champions League qualifying spot, and while it might seem unthinkable to some, Postecoglou might be inclined to drop his elite playmaker.

Why James Maddison could be dropped

It's dangerous territory when a player cultivates an air of invincibility, and that's not meant by performance on the pitch. Maddison is a wonderful midfielder, he's been the free-flowing machine behind Postecoglou's attacking verve.

In the Premier League this season, the England international has chalked up four goals and seven assists from 20 matches, completing 87% of his passes, creating nine big chances and averaging 2.3 key passes and 5.6 successful duels per game.

Moreover, he ranks among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 9% for passes attempted and the top 1% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

It's fair to say that there's no one quite like him down the N17, but that doesn't make him undroppable.

West Ham (A)

1-1 draw

5/10

Luton (H)

2-1 win

5/10

Fulham (A)

3-0 loss

3/10

Aston Villa (A)

4-0 win

8/10

Crystal Palace (H)

3-1 win

7/10

For example, Giovani Lo Celso has qualities that allow him to succeed in an attacking midfield position, but the best-placed stand-in would be Dejan Kulusevski, who has been out of sorts himself recently but brings energy and athleticism that could charge Tottenham's attack and sculpt it back into shape.

Admiring the Sweden international's distinctive attributes, Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir said: "Dejan Kulusevski really is a special special player. Works so hard, covers every blade of grass. Hell of an engine on him, and just so much heart."

Kulusevski has also created 12 big chances from 28 Premier League matches this term, crisp with an 82% pass success rate and also averaging 2.0 key passes and 4.1 ball recoveries per fixture.

While Kulusevski is principally a wide midfielder, barrelling up and down the right flank to send defenders in a spin and puncture backlines to open up space – space that, usually, allows Maddison to thrive through his playmaking prowess – he has filled in at No. 10 on occasion.

Maddison was positively electric after completing his £40m transfer from Leicester City last summer, winning the Premier League's Player of the Month award for August and leading those such as the Times' Henry Winter to describe him as a "nightmare for defenders."

But he's waned following a several-month-long ankle injury suffered back in November, understandably. Back in his absence, Kulusevski featured centrally, bagging a goal and assist apiece in matches against Manchester City and Nottingham Forest back in December.

Spurs could land their own Cole Palmer in "magic" £51m gem

Ange Postecoglou’s side would make a stunning statement of intent by getting this one over the line.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 1, 2024

He's not quite the elite creator that his English teammate is but there's no question that Kulusevski has skills that make him a good fit for life in the centre of the park – again – pushing and prodding into the final third.

This would also allow fleet-footed flankers Werner and Johnson to wreak chaos, with dynamic striker Heung-min Son bringing it all together, supplemented from behind by Kulusevski. It might just work out.

Arsenal are closing in on the €50 million (£42m/$54m) signing of Riccardo Calafiori, with the Italy international poised to undergo a medical.

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Defender has starred for club & countryReady for Premier League challengeSet to sign five-year deal with GunnersGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners have made the 22-year-old defender a top target for the summer window. Mikel Arteta is looking to further reinforce a unit that was the best in the Premier League last season, with Calafiori capable of operating at centre-half or left-back.

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He will be completing a switch to Emirates Stadium from Serie A side Bologna. Calafiori's stock has been on the rise for some time, as one of few Italian players to emerge from a forgettable Euro 2024 campaign with his reputation intact.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

According to transfer expert , Calafiori will undergo physical examinations this week. Once they have been completed, the Gunners will be in a position to add another player of considerable potential to their ranks. The defender has been left out of Bologna's pre-season tour, which is a telling sign.

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WHAT NEXT?

Calafiori is set to sign a five-year contract in north London that is worth around €4m per season. He will link up with Arsenal on their summer tour of North America, with the Gunners preparing to take in friendly dates with Bournemouth, Manchester United and Liverpool.

Phil Emery will join the likes of Mitchell Starc and Alyssa Healy for the Sport Stars Sleepout to raise money for the homeless

Daniel Brettig28-Jul-2020It would be difficult to find any individual who spent more time training, playing or celebrating at the SCG than Phil Emery. Across nearly 200 first-class and one day games for New South Wales between 1987 and 1999, many of them as captain, Emery became almost as synonymous with the grand old ground as the Members and Ladies stands that still give it among the most distinctive silhouettes in world cricket.Next week, however, Emery will find a new way of experiencing the SCG, by sleeping rough on its outfield as part of the Sport Stars Sleepout for the Chappell Foundation, an event held in an effort to raise money for the cause of youth homelessness in Australia. For Emery, the average figure of about 30,000 homeless Australians under the age of 25 on any given night is maddening.The onset of Covid-19 this year has capped the number of SCG sleepers for the third edition of the event at 32, but provides still more impetus to raise money for the cause. Emery, who over the past 20 years has built a business career in the insurance industry while also serving as chairman of the “Baggy Blues” New South Wales past players association, said he had been floored by the numbers when asked to take part by the foundation’s patron Greg Chappell.Emery will join the likes of Mitchell Starc, Alyssa Healy, Lisa Sthalekar, Steve O’Keefe, Russel Arnold, Stuart MacGill, Alex Blackwell and Daniel Hughes among cricketers taking part on Monday night. Donations, pledged to an individual sleeper, can be made here.”People never believe it, seeing the numbers it’s ridiculous. Hopefully we raise lots of money, increase awareness about the issue and we can do some good with it,” he said. “From sending out a message about it at 4 o’clock yesterday, I think at 6 o’clock I had A$2,200 in the space of two hours, of just people generously giving stuff straight away. Extremely generous, it’s great.”While the unchanging elements of the SCG have been a big part of its charm, Emery reflected on some of the hidden elements of the ground that he and other state teammates became well familiar with over the course of a career that featured three Sheffield Shield wins in 1990, 1993 and 1994 – the last two as captain.Phil Emery goes up in appeal, Sydney, March 27, 1993•Fairfax Media via Getty Images”It was funny, when you were playing it was like your second home,” he said. “There’s a bar now underneath the members bar, but it used to be like an underpass with a road that ran through it. We used to park in there in what would be the middle of the bar now. You were out there from pre-season in July, August, even just for fielding, and we used to train on the ground, so you’d spend an enormous amount of time on the field.”I first went onto the field when I was 11, and that was when the Sheridan Stand was there and the Brewongle and all the old concourse, the big hill, and the Paddington hill and all those things. Playing through the era when they took the hill away, I remember doing an interview with Tracey Holmes and I was facing the members stand on the ground, and she said ‘so what’s it going to be like playing without the hill’ and I went ‘what have they done’, and I turned around and there were bulldozers on it. I wasn’t paying that much attention back then!”As the son of the former Wallabies international Neville, Emery experienced the old precinct before the advent of the Sydney Football Stadium – currently being rebuilt – and redevelopment of the adjoining showgrounds into a studio complex.”Going back now, it’s still got the same feel to it with the Ladies Stand and the Members Stand, around the back, the nets are the same,” Emery said. “But when I was first there we had the No. 2 ground and I played a NSW Colts game there. You used to be able to walk through a little hole in the fence at the top and go through to the sports ground. I played a rugby grand final, my first year out of school in third grade on the sports ground. You had the showground oval, the SCG Nos 1 and 2 and the sports ground all in a row.”But it’s still a fabulous place, it’s just got an aura about it, it’s a big ground but it’s not the MCG. If you put the wicket in the middle its a biggish ground, but it’s intimate if that makes sense. The visitors’ dressing room has still got the split room between professionals out the back and the gentlemen out the front. That’s still there. The home dressing room’s changed a bit since I first went in it, there’s some mod cons in there, but the layout hasn’t changed really, and you wouldn’t change that for the world.”Fabulous feel in the old room, even the little windows and banister out the front where you sit outside. You’re not in a dungeon, you get natural light into the place. You can actually stand in the change room and watch the game – not the best view but the best place to be. You can walk out through the bar and then out to bat if you want. That sort of thing – it’s connected to the building, you’re not hidden away, and that’s part of its charm.”

Spain enjoyed a golden generation between 2008 and 2012, winning two European Championships and a World Cup. During that time, they arguably had some of the best players in world football, some of whom scored plenty of goals during their international careers.

But who is Spain's record goalscorer? Football FanCast has taken a look at the top La Roja scorers of all time, with a detailed view of the very best Spain has produced over the years…

All information correct as of 21st March 2024.

Rank

Player

Caps

Goals

1

David Villa

98

59

2

Raul

102

44

3

Fernando Torres

110

38

4

David Silva

125

35

5

Alvaro Morata

69

34

6

Fernando Hierro

89

29

7

Fernando Morientes

47

27

8

Emilio Butragueno

69

26

=9

Alfredo di Stefano

31

23

=9

Sergio Ramos

180

23

11

Julio Salinas

56

22

12

Michel

66

21

13

Telmo Zarra

20

20

14

Ferran Torres

40

18

15

Pedro

65

17

=16

Isidro Langara

12

16

=16

Luis Regueiro

25

16

=16

Pirri

41

16

=16

Xabi Alonso

116

16

=20

Santillana

56

15

=20

Santi Cazorla

81

15

=20

Cesc Fabregas

110

15

Here is a detailed look at Spain's top 10 goalscorers:

10 Sergio Ramos 23 goals (180 caps)

Centre-back Sergio Ramos is the most-capped player in Spain’s history, and he averaged a decent scoring record for a defender.

The Real Madrid icon retired from international duty in 2023 after winning three major tournaments during that golden period between 2008 and 2012. Eight of his 23 goals were scored from the penalty spot, and he actually missed four spot kicks which could’ve taken him higher in the list.

9 Alfredo di Stefano 23 goals (31 caps)

Alfredo di Stefano, another Real Madrid legend, also netted 23 goals for his country, but did so in an impressive 31 appearances.

The striker actually represented Argentina and Colombia during his career, and didn’t make his debut for Spain until the age of 31. He won the Ballon d'Or twice in 1957 and 1959, years in which he was scoring regularly for Spain.

8 Emilio Butragueno 26 goals (69 caps)

Forward Emilio Butragueno was actually Spain’s record goalscorer for a number of years, scoring 26 goals over an eight-year international career.

Nicknamed El Buitre, Butragueno, who came through Real Madrid’s academy, represented Spain in two World Cups and two European Championships, but never won a major tournament. He retired from international football in 1992 at the tender age of 29.

7 Fernando Morientes 27 goals (47 caps)

Striker Fernando Morientes made quite an impact on his Spain debut, scoring two goals inside five minutes against Sweden. He then went on to net a brace in his second and third caps against Northern Ireland and Bulgaria, making 1998 his most productive year in front of goal at international level.

The former Real Madrid and Liverpool forward also scored in two major tournaments, falling just shy of 50 caps.

6 Fernando Hierro 29 goals (89 caps)

A defender who could also play as a holding midfielder, Fernando Hierro had a brilliant goal record for his country. Trusted on free kicks and penalties, the Real Madrid icon scored eight of his 29 goals from 12 yards.

He returned to manage Spain in the 2018 World Cup, where they didn’t have as much luck from the spot, with La Roja losing a shootout against Russia in the last 16.

5 Alvaro Morata 34 goals (69 caps)

Current Spain captain Alvaro Morata currently sits in the top five, but may have his eyes on climbing the leaderboard before retiring.

The 31-year-old made his debut back in 2014 and scored seven goals for his country in the years 2016 and 2022. A UEFA Nations League winner, Morata will be hoping to add a European Championship or World Cup winners' medal to his collection as captain.

4 David Silva 35 goals (125 caps)

Known for being a creative attacking midfielder, David Silva also chipped in with an impressive 35 goals in 125 appearances.

In fact, the former Manchester City playmaker scored more goals than he registered assists (32) and played an important role in their two European Championship wins and World Cup triumph.

He retired from international football in 2018 and ended his club career in 2023.

3 Fernando Torres 38 goals (110 caps)

After progressing through Spain’s youth levels at a rapid pace, Fernando Torres made his senior debut as a teenager in 2003 and went on to enjoy a successful international career.

Nicknamed El Nino, Torres played for the likes of Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Chelsea at club level. He famously scored the winner for Spain and was named Player of the Match in the Euro 2008 final against Germany – the most important of his 38 international goals.

2 Raul 44 goals (102 caps)

After making waves as a teenager at Real Madrid, Raul made his Spain debut at the age of just 19 and went on to become La Roja’s all-time record goalscorer in 2003.

Raul played in five major tournaments but never took home a winners' medal, retiring in 2006 after playing more than 100 games. Unfortunately for him, Spain’s rise was just getting started upon his retirement, which involved a forward who would eventually overtake him at the top of the scoring charts.

1 David Villa 59 goals (98 caps)

Top of the charts is David Villa, who hit his prime in 2008 to help Spain to European Championship glory, years on after taking the famous No 7 shirt from Raul.

He scored 12 goals in 28 games prior to 2008, but Villa would go on to net 39 times over the next four years, also lifting the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. He retired from international football in 2014, but came back out of retirement in 2017 for a 98th cap against Italy.

Spinner cites change in Kolpak regulations for ending hopes of qualifying for England

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2020Simon Harmer believes that his hopes of qualifying to play Test cricket for England are over, but has not ruled out the possibility of a return to the South African set-up, after starring once again for Essex with 14 wickets against Surrey at Chelmsford.Harmer, 31, overcame an abductor strain to lift Essex clear at the top of the Bob Willis Trophy South Group, returning second-innings figures of 8 for 64 to complete a 169-run victory on the final afternoon.It was the third time in his first-class career that he has claimed 14 or more wickets in a match, a feat that no bowler has achieved since the Kent spinner, Derek Underwood, between 1967 and 1983.He has now claimed 230 wickets at 20.01 in his four seasons at Essex, including 18 five-wicket hauls and four ten-fors, but speaking after the match, he acknowledged that the UK’s impending exit from the European Union, and the changes to the Kolpak ruling that that will entail, have effectively ended his chances of qualifying to play for England.”I think so,” he said. “With the Kolpak ruling changing, as far as I know with clarity, the Kolpaks will fall away at the end of the year when England leaves the EU and therefore the door closes.”I have explored trying to get onto a different visa so that I can have more rights, in terms of buying property and a whole load of other things but I got a very stern no from Alan Fordham at the ECB. As far as I am concerned there is no future there.”Harmer played five Tests for South Africa in 2015 before joining the country’s exodus into the ranks of county cricket. However, with his status set to change to that of an overseas player from 2021 onwards, when all counties will be permitted two such registrations, there is still the outside prospect of him being reunited with his former countrymen.ALSO READ: Simon Harmer interview: ‘If you say English wickets don’t take spin in April, I want to prove you wrong'”It is a difficult question to answer,” he said. “There is a lot happening back in South Africa and I don’t know what the feeling is back home.”As far as I’m concerned, my main focus is with my employer which is Essex. I don’t look too far ahead and just try to do as well as I possibly can.”If other things happen and fall into place then what will be will be. I can only focus on myself, my own performances, on Essex and trying to contribute as I can to winning as many trophies as I possibly can. As a professional cricketer that’s what it all boils down to.”Harmer has already been an integral part of two County Championship victories in the space of three years, and last season he captained Essex’s T20 side to a thrilling final-ball victory against Worcestershire in the T20 Blast final, and even hit the winning runs.”There are a lot of teams with a lot of players that don’t win trophies and I think we are in a very special place as a team and I think we need to capitalise on that,” he said.”It is a once-in-a-generation thing and I think there is something very special brewing here at Essex with the players who are coming through with the players we already have. I think we can really be a dominant force in county cricket for a long time to come. That is my focus and I am quite excited about being a part of that and the rest of the noise is just noise.”Nevertheless, with South African cricket in a state of flux at the moment, Harmer said he would welcome the chance to sit down with CSA’s director of cricket Graeme Smith, and find out once and for all whether he has a chance of representing his country again.”Yeah, I think there needs to be an open-door policy from both sides and there needs to be commitment from both sides,” he said. “There is quite a bit that needs to happen but I am all for having discussions but for now it is a long way off.”There is a lot happening back home in South Africa to do with coronavirus. When is cricket going to get going again etc? I try to keep things short term and try and take care of the now. If you are doing the right things then perhaps bigger things might happen.”I am a believer in positive energy and putting positive energy into the universe, so whatever is meant to be will be.”

Many within Tottenham are seriously impressed with a teenage talent yet to make his debut, as reliable journalist Alasdair Gold explains this week.

Spurs aiming to grow academy under Postecoglou

Planning for the future is one of Spurs' key goals as a club over the next few seasons, as already stated by manager Ange Postecoglou.

£26m forward's camp contacted by Tottenham as Levy eyes bargain summer deal

He’s been in fine form this season.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 26, 2024

The north Londoners have already added exceptional talents to their roster, like Micky van de Ven and Brennan Johnson, while Lucas Bergvall is set to arrive in the summer after Spurs hijacked Barcelona's deal to sign him in the winter.

It is also believed that Tottenham are eyeing up the likes of AC Milan starlet Francesco Camarda and Club Brugge sensation Antonio Nusa, with Postecoglou aiming to make N17 a dream location for rising stars.

"Anyone who has watched us since I've joined will have seen the aspirations we have to be the kind of team we want to be," said Postecoglou on signing young players.

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"That's not just me saying it, we're actually doing it. OK, we're not the finished product by any stretch but we're giving young players an opportunity: Destiny, Pape and Micky [are] all guys in their early 20s who have already played significant roles.

"So we're building a team. From our perspective it's pleasing and hopefully we become a club which is a preferred destination for talented young players. I've said the other day, there aren't too many hidden gems around. Everyone knows who the talents are. Hopefully our point of difference.. I've always felt your football is your biggest selling point beyond anything else. Hopefully we're showing evidence of that which is helping us."

Closer to home, the likes of Alfie Dorrington and Jamie Donley have already earned glowing praise from Postecoglou as promising assets off the N17 production line.

Another who could be one to watch, according to reliable football.london journalist Alasdair Gold, is young goalkeeper Luca Gunter.

Many within Tottenham seriously impressed by Gunter

Writing a piece, Gold explains that many within Tottenham have been left really impressed by Gunter, who is yet to make his senior debut. The 19-year-old has been a regular for Spurs Under-21s, and has already been hailed by pundit John Wenham.

“He’s established himself as the top goalkeeper in the under 18s. Of the two keepers we have at that level, he is the standout," said Wenham to Football Insider in 2021.

"That’s further backed up by the fact he is the England goalkeeper for that level as well. Hopefully he can carry on impressing this season and he can have another full season of Under 18 football next season.

“The season after that, he could do a year with the Under 23s. By that point he will still only be 18. Then in 2023 or 2024, that is the prime time to get him out on loan.

“There is a long way to go before then so hopefully he keeps impressing at Hotspur Way. He’s one I’m really excited about."

Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds has told Mohamed Salah to "think about" a Red Dragons transfer as the Liverpool star's contract ticks down.

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Salah in last year of Liverpool contractReynolds sends message to EgyptianTold to "think about" Wrexham transferWHAT HAPPENED?

With Salah now in the last year of his Liverpool contract, speculation over his future continues to rumble on – although he appears set on playing for the Reds this season. Amid links with the Saudi Pro League, Hollywood actor Reynolds has sent a cheeky plea to the Egyptian international to join the League One side; while Hugh Jackman sang the praises of the 32-year-old.

AdvertisementWHAT RYAN REYNOLDS AND HUGH JACKMAN SAID

Ahead of promoting Deadpool & Wolverine, the duo were asked which Premier League footballer they would be.

Jackman said: "Mo Salah. I mean to be even in the same sentence as you is incredibly cool."

The Australian then read off a card: "Much like Salah, Jackman is renowned for his professionalism and dedication to his craft, delivering world class performances time and time again. Jackman has enjoyed a long and successful career in Hollywood with Salah also achieving sustained excellence over many years in the Premier League. Both are admired for their work ethic, consistency and longevity."

Reynolds interjected: "I feel Salah is getting a short shrift here. I feel like we could probably expound a bit more on his accomplishments. No, no, carry on with your vanity project."

Jackman later added: "I went to see you, while we were filming, play against Crystal Palace and I think you're awesome and amazing and please, please, please respond to my DM's."

Reynolds then said: "Ryan Reynolds, co chairman, Wrexham AFC. Mo you would be warmly embraced at the Racecourse Ground in North Wales."

Jackson added: "You wouldn't get a full 90 minutes but probably like 20 minutes every game," before Reynolds cheekily said: "All we need is five. Think about it."

(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Salah has done wonders for Liverpool since joining from Roma in 2017. During his time at Anfield he has helped the Reds win Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup titles but he could leave for free in 2025. While a Wrexham move is very unlikely, you can't knock Reynolds for trying.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Reynolds' Wrexham team continue their North America pre-season tour with a clash against Premier League side Chelsea this week, before taking on Major League Soccer outfit the Vancouver Whitecaps. Liverpool, meanwhile, are due to face Real Betis in a friendly clash this weekend.