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Arsenal are “ready to let” forward Folarin Balogun leave the club this summer and they believe it will help them sign top targets, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Who will leave Arsenal this summer?

Supporters can expect serious transfer activity at the Emirates Stadium this summer as Gunners transfer chief Edu works on signing numerous players.

West Ham United star Declan Rice has been subject to bids from Arsenal as they battle treble-winners Man City for his signature, and the saga could well be one of their talking points of this transfer window.

Meanwhile, it is also believed that they’re actively pursuing a deal for Ajax defender Jurrien Timber, with positive talks ongoing behind-the-scenes as the player himself eyes a move to north London (Sky).

Southampton’s Romeo Lavia is being targeted as well, with Germany international Kai Havertz already joining Arsenal as their first signing of the summer.

Mikel Arteta’s side could spend around £200 million on fresh faces this summer, according to some media sources, so they’ll need to offload efficiently.

Of the players tipped to leave, there are a fair few, with Thomas Partey, Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Nuno Tavares, Sambi Lokonga and Granit Xhaka all linked with an exit (Goal).

Balogun, who dazzled on loan at Reims last season, could make way as well with a report by O’Rourke and Football Insider sharing news.

They claim that Arsenal are “ready to let” the forward leave this summer, hoping to collect around £35 million, and the club believe this transfer could help them sign top targets financially.

This comes after Balogun ruled out another loan move, with a well-placed source telling the site that he is ready to lay down roots at a permanent new club.

Who is Folarin Balogun?

The 21-year-old scored 21 goals and in 27 Ligue 1 appearances over 2022/2023 (WhoScored), all while notching a further two assists, potentially prompting Arsenal to demand that £35m fee.

French football expert Julien Laurens, writing on Twitter, heaped praise on Balogun for an outstanding performance against PSG at the Parc des Princes in January – calling him an “amazing talent”.

Based off these accolades, there should be no shortage of suitors.

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to revisit an old acquisition, seeking to make a questionable loan permanent.

What's the latest on Clement Lenglet to Tottenham Hotspur?

That's according to Spanish publication Sport, who suggest that Ange Postecoglou is keen to add Clement Lenglet to his squad for the foreseeable future, despite the French defender having struggled in north London.

The club have reportedly reaffirmed in recent months their satisfaction with his performances in a Spurs shirt, and therefore their willingness to strike a deal with Barcelona.

With three years left on his whopping £200k-per-week deal at the Spanish club, and the Catalan giants once again strapped for cash, they are seeking out a figure of around €12m (£10m) to recoup a portion of the €36m (£31m) they first invested.

Would Clement Lenglet be a smart signing for Tottenham Hotspur?

Whilst such a small fee would represent good value to add some depth to the squad, his performances for the Lilywhites were nothing short of abysmal in their most recent term.

Although it had been claimed so back in 2020, he really proved journalist Roy Nemer correct this season, who had branded him a "defensive liability". It could even be argued that the 27-year-old was even worse than Eric Dier, who acted as something of a lightning rod for criticism under Antonio Conte.

The England international may have been poor, but his 6.86 average rating was a far cry from the left-footed flop that Lenglet turned out to be. This figure was upheld by his 86% pass accuracy and 1.1 interceptions, 0.9 tackles and 3.3 clearances per game in the league, via Sofascore.

For comparison, the former Sevilla stopper saw his average rating plummet to 6.65, made worse due to his positional culpability and failure to dominate as expected. He would only muster 0.7 interceptions and 2.6 clearances per game in the league, also per Sofascore.

Even at the Nou Camp, his most recent year saw an average rating of 6.67 maintained too.

Despite this, it was the former Everton youth product that was most often lambasted, with talkSPORT pundit Darren Ambrose grouping him up with others who were "not good enough" for the club. He has become an easy target for ridicule in recent years.

It seems an easy excuse to rush at Dier for his failures, forgetting that the 29-year-old has been an ever-loyal servant to this club, making 361 appearances and enjoying some truly impressive spells. As recently as the 2021/22 season did he record a 7.01 average rating.

For all his shortcomings he at least deserves some credit, especially ahead of this loanee whom he actually outperformed during their most recent torrid campaign.

Lenglet could mark a bargain, but if he performs consistently like he did last term, at a level way below one of the club's most polarising figures, then it is a deal not even worth spending £10m on.

The 21-year-old has not played for the club since he was arrested in January 2022, and his future remains unclear

As it stands, Mason Greenwood is still a Manchester United player. He was included on their retained list for the 2023-24 season, and remains under contract until 2025. However, United are still in the process of completing an internal investigation to decide Greenwood's future. He was suspended by the club after being arrested on suspicion of rape and assault on January 30, 2022.

In October, Greenwood was arrested again over allegations he'd breached his bail conditions, and was subsequently charged with attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and controlling and coercive behaviour.

Greenwood was re-bailed at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court a month later and his trial date was set for November 2023. But on February 2, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that all charges against him had been dropped.

A few hours later, United released the following statement: "Manchester United notes the decision of the Crown Prosecution Service that all charges against Mason Greenwood have been dropped. The club will now conduct its own process before determining next steps. We will not make any further comment until that process is complete."

With the new season fast approaching, United are yet to conclude their investigation, buthas reported that a decision will be made before the end of July.

GETTYMan Utd staff 'split'

According to , United staff were "split" on whether Greenwood should be allowed to resume his career at Old Trafford when the internal investigation began. Some felt the club owed him a "duty of care" given the fact he has been on their books since the age of seven.

However, the report also stated that a "substantial portion" of staff "would be deeply unhappy" if Greenwood were to wear the famous red shirt again. Meanwhile, United manager Erik ten Hag was asked how he planned to deal with the situation.

“It’s really important but sometimes you get issues,” he told reporters. “Then as a club and team you have to deal with it. We have standards and values. We have to live along those high standards and values and that gives a base if you have a good culture and spirit. That’s our job, not to get distracted by anything. We are human beings and sometimes there are issues, we are not like robots, but we have to focus on our job."

AdvertisementWomen's team reaction

Some members of the United Women's team made it clear that they were "deeply uncomfortable" over Greenwood's potential return, after hearing an audio that was released on social media before his initial arrest – as per .

Their discomfort was shared by the founder of the United Women’s Supporters’ Club, Natalie Burrell. “I don’t think he should play again for Manchester United,” Burrell told . “It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. They need to make a statement and letting him back would be the worst thing they could do.

"It would set our club back in terms of what we’re trying to do with our women’s team and campaigns like Her Game Too, which are trying to encourage women to play and watch football. I just don’t want to see him training. I don’t want to see him in a (United) kit. I don’t want to see him ever coming out at Old Trafford again.”

GettyTV interview & therapy

By the start of March, United had begun mapping out a "phased process" for Greenwood's reintegration into the first-team squad as they considered all of their options – according to . This included encouraging the player to undertake a form of therapy, before a potentially more comprehensive rehabilitation.

The report added that Greenwood could also be challenged publicly on the events of the previous 18 months in a television interview. However, it was also stressed that this was merely one possibility, and that a parting of ways was also still under consideration.

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Getty ImagesLoan transfer talk

United reportedly received loan enquiries for Greenwood from several Turkish clubs after the criminal charges against him were dropped. The Turkish Football Federation announced that their winter transfer window had been extended until March 5 by FIFA following the deadly earthquake that hit the country on February 6.

No deal was pursued by United at that stage, but speculation only increased heading into April. Spanish outlet stated that AC Milan had identified Greenwood as a summer transfer target in a bid to bolster their attacking ranks.

The following month, reported that Juventus had made contact with Greenwood's representatives over a potential season-long loan deal. It was then said that United had begun actively looking for European clubs willing to take the forward on a temporary basis.

United's 2022-23 campaign ended without Greenwood seeing a single minute of action, but he then reportedly emerged on the radar of Jose Mourinho at Roma. It was the Portuguese that initially brought him into the senior ranks as coach of United in 2018, and claimed he had spoken to Greenwood's father about a reunion at Stadio Olimpico.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said his side were lucky to still have a chance at winning the three-match ODI series, after two close matches against Afghanistan

Mohammad Isam28-Sep-2016Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said his side were lucky to still have a chance at winning the three-match ODI series, after two close matches against Afghanistan. Bangladesh won the first ODI by seven runs, and lost the second match on Wednesday by two wickets as Afghanistan aced a tense chase of 209.”We simply played very bad cricket in the two matches,” Mashrafe said, in a flat response when asked what had gone wrong with the side. “We luckily won the first match or else we would have lost the series by now. We are very lucky that we still have a chance to win this series. Maybe if we can learn from our mistakes, we can win the series.”The home side have faced a few problems in their first ODI series since November 2015. In the second match, their top four batsmen all got starts but none of them scored more than 38. The middle order imploded against Afghanistan’s spinners and the bowlers faded when the opposition batsmen applied themselves. Mashrafe was disappointed Bangladesh had not managed to get a score of around 230-240.”Our top four scored more than 20 but got out before they could cross 38,” Mashrafe said. “The wicket was good for 230-240 but unfortunately we got out after getting set. In ODIs one can’t get out after getting set.”Although we bowled well and put a good effort, maybe we could have attacked more and perhaps restricted the runs. You can’t just blame one department. You have to blame the team.”Mashrafe also defended Mushfiqur Rahim, who missed a couple of chances behind the stumps during Afghanistan’s chase. Mushfiqur missed an edge from Najibullah Zadran off Mashrafe’s bowling, two balls after Bangladesh had broken the 107-run partnership between Asghar Stanikzai and Mohammad Nabi. Then, in the 47th over, Mushfiqur missed an easy stumping chance off debutant Mosaddek Hossain with Afghanistan needing another 13 runs. Najibullah was the beneficiary again, and was at least a foot outside the crease when Mushfiqur fluffed the opportunity.”Actually if you keep blaming him for this match it will become difficult. Maybe we probably lost a chance with the stumping but this happens in cricket,” he said. “I have never seen that he has a problem mentally with keeping or cricket in general. I don’t think you should only blame him.”He has taken better catches than this in tough situations. I don’t think we lost the game after that missed stumping. I think we should have done better beforehand,” he said.Mosaddek’s performance was the only bright spot for Bangladesh. On his ODI debut, the 20-year-old allrounder showed the temperament to bat with the tail-enders during the 43-run tenth-wicket partnership with Rubel Hossain and was unlucky not to get a fifty. His offspin gave Bangladesh two breakthroughs.”When I brought him into the bowling attack, obviously I thought of bringing [Mahmudullah] Riyad first, but then I thought Mosaddek did well with the bat so he must be confident,” Mashrafe said. “I think he did a lot better as a bowler than what I had seen of him before.”He had an outstanding innings with the bat. If the others could have helped him a bit then we could have won this match.”

by two wickets.
ScorecardPaul Collingwood’s Durham loved a return to cricket’s roots•Getty Images

This game ended with small eruptions of blue and yellow joy in front of the pavilion and on the railway side of Trafalgar Road. They were accompanied a larger and more boisterous outburst of triumph from Durham’s players in the dugout as Chris Rushworth cover-drove a Kyle Jarvis half-volley to the boundary, thus placing a seal on Durham’s two-wicket victory.But, no, the occasion in its proper sense did not end there. For Paul Collingwood and his players later threw their bags on the coach that had arrived to take them home and told the driver they were staying in Southport. They played cricket with some of Southport and Birkdale most junior players on the outfield and one just wished that Colin Graves, the chairman of the ECB, had been there to see it. Look, one could have said, this is what can happen when you take four-day cricket back to its roots. Now, would you like a pint, Colin?Having been invited to Southport the Durham players did not overstay their welcome. They won the match, had a few drinks and regaled the Southport and Birkdale members with “Blaydon Races”, many, many verses of it, and then “American Pie” and “I’m Gonna Be”.On a golden evening when players made common cause with those who watched them, photographs were taken amid the rich choruses. It made a wonderful tuneful conclusion to the sweetest of weeks. Then the Durham players asked if they could come back to Southport next year.Suddenly summer is in full sail and she has a following wind.Of course the eagerness of Durham’s players to return may be something to do with the fact of their victory. Yet Lancashire’s players were also deeply appreciative of everything that this outground experience had offered them and they will certainly return for the county has a three-year staging agreement at Trafalgar Road.All spectators can hope is that the match is as stuffed with delights as the 2016 game managed to be. The final day began with the visitors needing 247 to win and when Collingwood’s side were 170 for 2, it looked that this might be a match to deviate from the pattern of damp-palmed tension which had characterised games between these sides.Even when Jack Burnham was leg before to a full length ball from Simon Kerrigan, few reckoned the match was about to be blown off course. After all, Burnham had made 52 and he had looked increasingly comfortable as he lifted both Steven Croft and Kerrigan for sixes.Lancashire did not look like taking wickets. “Bang, bang, bang,” said the players on the ground as they encouraged each other. But it did not happen. Then Keaton Jennings, after cutting and pulling his way to 82 off 140 balls in this season when even warm-ups are welcome preludes to success, skied a pull off Tom Smith. The wicketkeeper, Tom Moores, tottered under it, shielded his eyes and clung on. In Smith’s next over Michael Richardson perished down the leg side. 175 for 5. Ho hum.Enter Durham’s captain to warm and respectful applause.For all his 40 years, his 68 Tests and his trademark jig-and-squat as he goes out to bat Paul Collingwood still marches to the wicket with the air of a no-nonsense PE teacher on the way to sort out trouble in the playground. You know the sort, the type who announces himself with: “I don’t care who started it but I know who’s going to finish it.”For nigh on two decades Collingwood has been playing this sort of role in Durham cricket, ending collapses, calming mayhem. But not on this occasion. For he was pinned on the back foot by Smith having made only 4, and when the same bowler had Paul Coughlin quite brilliantly caught by Moores diving to his right, Durham were 195 for 7, still 52 short of victory. This glorious match was back in the hazard.Moores’s third catch was his best but in its way hardly better than that mighty skier which he could hardly see but still pouched to remove Jennings. For his part, Smith was in the middle of an eight-over spell in which he took four wickets for 12 runs and would finish with five for 25.But it was another 19-year-old in this game filled with promising young cricketers who then share in the stand which all but decided the match. Until he took a couple of wickets on the third afternoon, Adam Hickey had enjoyed – or not enjoyed – a quiet first-class debut, Now, he walked out to join Ben Stokes, who had already deposited Simon Kerrigan over the railway line and into Dover Road.As Hickey later explained, the two batsmen calmed things down before tea before going on the attack when the players returned. In truth, by this stage, with Durham on 197 for 7, the spectators needed the tea break as much as the players. On the resumption Stokes hit two more sixes over deep midwicket off Kerrigan and Hickey lifted Kyle Jarvis onto the roof of the pavilion with a much mightier blow.Steven Croft rotated his bowlers but the game was gone. Or was it? Suddenly Hickey called Stokes for a quick single and the England all-rounder was run out for 36 at the bowler’s end. Four runs needed. Rushworth dealt with business and another county match at Trafalgar Road was over.And all this drama followed an morning session which was as tense as was expected. Lancashire savoured the first success as early as the sixth ball of the day when Mark Stoneman played across the line to one from Jarvis which pitched middle and leg only to hold its line and take him on the pad. Durham responded by taking 26 off Nathan Buck’s four overs, forcing Croft to call Smith into the attack.Another good fourth-day crowd was held by the cricket and the ground grew in stillness broken only by the action in the middle. The houses on Harrod Drive became such as might be painted by Hopper, the trees as by Pissarro at Osny or Pontoise.Necessity, though, benefited Lancashire as Smith squared up Scott Borthwick, whose previous three innings against Lancashire had been 134, 103 not out and 64. The left-hander was caught in the gully by Alviro Petersen for 28 so that more or less qualified as under-achievement.Failures of any sort have been thin on the ground this extraordinary week. And the thing is that while Southport and Birkdale may be very special, it is not unique. There are many clubs who would welcome first-class counties and all they are looking for is the chance to put on a show.Outground cricket is enjoyed by spectators and appreciated by players. Amid the entirely understandable desire to maximise the revenue from other formats, someone should think a little more about taking the game back to the people who are its lifeblood.

Aston Villa signing Manchester City full-back Kyle Walker could take them to the 'next level' under Unai Emery, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

What's the latest transfer news involving Kyle Walker?

As per Football Insider, Aston Villa are said to be keen on signing Walker from Manchester City this summer as Unai Emery eyes further reinforcements to bolster his squad.

The report states that the Villans' hierarchy are ready to back the Spaniard in the transfer market due to the impressive job he has done since taking over at Villa Park, with Walker believed to be 'firmly on the club’s radar' with the off-season approaching.

Aston Villa are not the only club interested in signing Walker. The Times have claimed that AC Milan are also keeping an eye on his situation after he fell out of favour under Citizens' boss Pep Guardiola.

Capology understands that the 32-year-old earns £160,000 per week at Manchester City and has one more year left until his deal expires in 2024.

Walker has made 28 appearances in all competitions for Manchester City this season, registering one assist, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist O'Rourke thinks that Walker would be a high-profile signing for Villa and also believes that many clubs will be keen on trying to secure his services.

O'Rourke told FFC: "I think it would just show the progress the club are making under Unai Emery right now. They're in the market for types of players like Kyle Walker and he could be somebody who could maybe take Villa to that next level with his experience and his class as well.

'If he's surplus to requirements at Man City, I'm sure there'd be a number of clubs that would be willing to sign the England international."

Would Kyle Walker be a good signing for Aston Villa?

Walker has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt and would be a solid addition to the fold under Emery as the Villans continue to improve on the field.

Ashley Young is getting on in age while Matty Cash has struggled with injuries of late, indicating that Aston Villa may need to enter the market to bolster the right-back area this summer.

In the Premier League, the Sheffield-born full-back has successfully recovered the ball 86 times this term, demonstrating his ability to outpace his opponent and retrieve possession for his side regularly.

Moving forward, Aston Villa bringing Walker in from Manchester City could prove to be a savvy piece of business by the West Midlands-based outfit.

It’s no secret to say that Chelsea have enjoyed splashing the cash throughout the years in order to generate success. On the whole, it appears to have worked fairly well, with the Blues winning two Champions League titles and five Premier League crowns to go alongside a handful of other honours.

Big-money signings such as Didier Drogba, Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante have all powered the club to glory during their respective spells at the Stamford Bridge side, yet not every transfer has been successful, with some bordering on the wasteful side that rinsed the club for very little impact on the pitch.

Antonio Conte won a league title and FA Cup as Chelsea manager and re-established them following a woeful 2015/16 campaign, yet he had a few shockers in the transfer window.

Shelling out £33m for Belgian striker Michy Batshuayi not long after he took charge in the summer of 2016 would certainly be classed as one of those shockers considering his poor goal return.

Where is Michy Batshuayi now?

On the surface, the 22-year-old looked like an excellent prospect who could further develop at Chelsea and eventually turn into a first-team star.

He had scored 23 goals for Marseille the season before and had even represented Belgium at the European Championships in 2016, scoring against Hungary, suggesting he had a bright future ahead of him at both club and international level.

The striker netted 11 goals during his first campaign at the Blues, scoring the title-winning goal against West Bromwich Albion in May 2017, and it looked as though it was £33m well spent.

He would go on to score just another 16 goals for the club after that title campaign, spending time on loan at the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Crystal Palace and Besiktas while failing to convince the likes of Frank Lampard, Maurizio Sarri and Thomas Tuchel he deserved a place in the starting XI.

Dubbed “ruthless” by BBC Sport football writer Phil McNulty at the 2022 World Cup, he had left Chelsea at the start of the campaign to join Fenerbahçe on a free transfer, meaning the club had lost a staggering sum on the player.

The 50-cap striker enjoyed a strong enough start to life in the Premier League, however, he couldn’t quite force his way into a regular fixture in the starting XI and what looked like a wonderful investment back in 2016 soon turned out to be an expensive nightmare.

Everton have a steady and rich flow of talent cascading from Finch Farm academy and could have their latest gem in homegrown centre-back Jack Tierney.

Notably, Anthony Gordon rose from the youth ranks and recently played a starring role in Everton's past several seasons, subject to a £45m transfer to Newcastle United last January.

Similarly, Ross Barkley was heralded for his early performances on Merseyside before completing a £15m transfer to Chelsea in 2018, while a certain former star named Wayne Rooney also commenced his illustrious career at Goodison Park.

The club might be floundering at present, two points and two places above the Premier League relegation zone after avoiding the drop in the closing weeks last season, but the assurance of further talent continually cropping up provides manager Sean Dyche with comfort that he can craft a team capable of flourishing higher up the table over the coming years.

Dyche is renowned for his defensive organisation and structured managerial approach, and as such he will be paying close attention to the exploits of Tierney, who will be pushing for an increase in his role at the club as he continues his development.

Who is Jack Tierney?

The 18-year-old Tierney has made 12 appearances for the U18 outfit this term to continue from an impressive preceding breakout year that saw him forge 16 outings, scoring one goal and wearing the captain's armband on two occasions.

According to Everton's official website, Tierney is a "commanding" defender and a lifelong Evertonian, hailing former Toffees captain Phil Jagielka as his footballing inspiration.

Such a 'commanding' approach will be one of the main attractions in the eyes of Dyche, who recently explained to the Coaches Voice the principles of his philosophy and provided insight into his man-management and prowess in tactical awareness from a defensive standpoint.

Effectively, there are scant few managers an aspiring centre-back would wish to kickstart their career under, and Tierney must absorb the fruits of his boss' labour to set himself in good stead to flourish among the seniors at Everton when the time comes.

Praised by reporter Jack Beesley for his "crucial" reading of the game earlier this season, Tierney has the tools for a successful Blues career, and as the cogs fall into place he could even surpass the expectations of Everton centre-back Jarrard Branthwaite, who is flourishing out on loan with PSV Eindhoven.

Signing for the Toffees in January 2020 for just £1m from Carlisle, the 20-year-old has made 13 appearances for his outfit, scoring one goal, before being loaned out to the Eredivisie last summer, where he has enjoyed a fruitful spell and forged 29 displays thus far, scoring four goals and registering an assist.

Hailed by former manager Carlo Ancelotti as a "really skilful defender with a lot of ability", Branthwaite will be pushing for a role in Dyche's set-up next season, and while he looks to be a genuine prospect, Tierney could surpass his potential by harnessing his 'commanding' leadership skills and becoming the centrepiece of the Everton project.

Manchester United are reportedly ready to make a move to sign Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio.

The Lowdown: Arsenal display

Inacio is only 21 years of age but has already made more than 100 senior appearances for Sporting. One of those came against Arsenal in the Europa League on Thursday, with the Portugal international turning out in a back three.

He was Sporting’s best-rated defender in the 2-2 draw, as per SofaScore, scoring against Mikel Arteta’s side in the first half. Inacio even created a big chance, completed two tackles and won five duels, with his display catching the eye at Old Trafford.

The Latest: Transfer news

Sports Witness relayed an update from Correo da Manha Weekend regarding Inacio and United.

They claimed that the Red Devils are ready to make a move for the defender following his performance, with Sporting aware of the interest and looking for €35m (£31m).

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-11/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Agent Bruno?

Inacio actually shares the same agent as Bruno Fernandes, so the United star could well look to speak with his fellow countryman about a move to Manchester.

He appears to be going from strength to strength and has been hailed as a ‘sensation’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, so a move could be a wise one by United both in the short and long run.

Who knows, he could be viewed as a potential replacement for Harry Maguire, who has fallen out of favour under Erik ten Hag and has recently been linked with a move to PSG, so it could be worth keeping an eye on Inacio over the coming months.

The Associates can compete with Test teamsThere were three victories and one tie for Associates over Test teams in the tournament. Scotland beat Afghanistan and tied their group game against Zimbabwe; Hong Kong upset Afghanistan in the group stages; and then UAE, ranked 14th in the ICC ODI rankings, beat Zimbabwe in a crunch Super Six game, knocking them out of the tournament. The tournament was more competitive than many expected, with 13 victories for lower-ranked teams against higher-ranked ones and every team winning at least one game.This meant there were no easy rides to the World Cup. Before the tournament, West Indies were heavy favourites to qualify, with Zimbabwe and Afghanistan expected to duel for the second qualifying spot. But West Indies were left staring at an early exit when they fell behind in a tight Super Six game against Scotland – they eventually won by five runs on the DLS method. Afghanistan just about made it to the Super Six round after two losses to Associates in the group stages. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s tie against Scotland and shock loss to UAE left them out of the World Cup for the first time since their first appearance in 1983.Nepal’s win over PNG and Hong Kong’s loss to Netherlands secured them ODI status•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Nepal’s remarkable rise culminates in ODI statusAs recently as 2010, Nepal were playing in the sixth tier of world cricket. In less than a decade, they have risen to become one of 16 teams with official ODI status. They made the final step in the World Cup Qualifier, beating Hong Kong to finish fourth in their group and then Papua New Guinea in a playoff match to guarantee an eighth-place finish and with it ODI status. They will now be an ODI team until at least 2022, and while this does not guarantee fixtures against Full Members, it is a remarkable achievement.Crowds prove cricket is still alive in ZimbabweIt has been 15 years since Zimbabwe hosted a major ICC tournament, and there has been a steady decline in their cricket since, causing concern over the future of the sport there. But the crowds throughout the World Cup Qualifiers ranged from encouraging to vociferous, especially when the home side was in action. Attendances were so good, tournament organizers were forced to move a crucial game between Zimbabwe and Scotland from the smaller Bulawayo Athletic Club to the better-equipped Queens Sports Club. They were rewarded with a thrilling tie.With a number of games not being televised, fans took to social media to give a sense of the atmosphere at the grounds during Zimbabwe’s games. Merna Cremer, wife of Zimbabwean captain Graeme Cremer, became a minor celebrity among cricket fans when she live-tweeted scores from the Scotland game during a long powercut at the ground, a period when nobody, not even the ICC, had updates to share.Playing conditions come under scrutinySince not every game was being televised, the ICC decided not to implement the DRS during the tournament, despite there being World Cup spots at stake. Scotland were left bemused after two crucial decisions went against them and played a significant role in their narrowly missing out on qualification.Another questionable move was not having reserve days for any of the matches. The tournament was played in the middle of Zimbabwe’s wet season, and both the West Indies-Scotland and Zimbabwe-UAE Super Six games were affected by rain. Interestingly, Scotland had qualified for the 2015 World Cup after winning a crucial Super Six game on a reserve day, but were denied by the lack of one this time around. The ICC’s decision to cut the number of teams in the World Cup from 14 to 10 had already caused disgruntlement among lower-ranked teams and Associates, and that this tournament did not have some of the playing conditions other ICC events do only heightened that ire.