All posts by h716a5.icu

The proposal could end a revenue sharing model between the board and the players that has stood for 19 years

Daniel Brettig21-Mar-2017Australia’s cricketers are considering the formal payment MOU offer announced by Cricket Australia (CA) on Tuesday, as the board pushes on with its attempt to break up the fixed percentage of revenue share agreement that has existed since 1998.While CA have agreed with the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) to include women in a single MOU for the first time, the remainder of the offer stays broadly in line with the initial pay submission presented to the players late last year. Talks have so far been the most fractious since the ACA was formed 20 years ago. The offer was formally submitted to the ACA this afternoon.The proposed changes

Total pay increases to A$419 million for 2017-22, from the current A$311 million

Average women’s pay increases by more than 125%, to A$179,000 a year from A$79,000 for international cricketers; it is A$52,000 from A$22,000 for domestic cricketers

Average international men’s central contract to rise to A$816,000 by 2021-22, with match fees up to an average of A$1.45 million from A$1.16 million in 2016-17

Average domestic men’s payments to rise to A$235,000 by 2021-22, up from A$199,000 in 2016-17

Minimum and average hourly pay will be the same for men and women domestic cricketers

Identical match fees for Women’s National Cricket League and Matador Cup

James Sutherland, the CA chief executive, heralded measures such as equal hourly rates of pay for male and female domestic players, an increase for women of 125% next to their current deals. He also outlined the overall increase in player remuneration from A$311 million over the current MOU period (2012-17) to A$419 million over the next MOU (2017-2022).”We are pleased that the Australian Cricketers Association agrees with us that women, for the first time, should be part of the MOU, and we have proposed a financial model that has gender equity at its heart,” Sutherland said.”Under the proposal, women will receive an immediate average pay increase of more than 125%. As a result, our international women cricketers will see their average pay increase from A$79,000 to A$179,000, as of July 1 this year. By 2021, we expect to see our international women cricketers earning an average of A$210,000.”And our state female cricketers, playing both WNCL [Women’s National Cricket League] and WBBL [Women’s Big Bash League], will see their average remuneration more than double from A$22,000 to A$52,000 this year. Under this offer, we will achieve gender equity by ensuring that the minimum and average hourly pay will be the same for state men and women in 2017/18. In addition, match fees for the WNCL and the Matador Cup will be exactly the same: a one-day game for a state cricketer is worth the same to both men and women.”We are also introducing, for the first time, prize money for the WNCL of A$258,000 and the WBBL of A$309,000 this coming summer.”The Australia’s women cricketers’ fees – those who play international cricket – have increased by 125% to A$ 179,000•Getty ImagesOne of the most hotly-contested aspects of the initial CA submission was that only the top male players deserved a fixed share of the game’s revenue because they helped provide most of windfall from international matches. Sutherland indicated that CA wanted to offer guaranteed minimums to the players while keeping any blue sky amounts over and above projections for funding other aspects of the game.CA’s figures come with the asterisk that the next round of television rights deals, both for Australian and overseas markets, are resolved over the next 15 months. Sutherland indicated that even if the revenue raised by these deals turned out to be comfortably above current projections, only international players would be entitled to a share in the upside.”We have placed the emphasis on increasing the guaranteed amount that the men will receive, rather than rely on any projected increase in revenue,” Sutherland said. “We understand that the ACA prefers the status quo, but CA believes that the model devised in the 1990s, which is based on a fixed percentage of revenue, has served its intended purpose – to make Australia’s cricketers some of the best paid sportspeople in the country.”It was a means to an end, not something that has to hold us back from providing players with financial certainty, a fair deal for all players including women, and the flexibility to invest in the grassroots of the game.”This is a landmark agreement. We are now looking forward to sitting down with the ACA to work through the details and we are confident we will be able to announce a completed agreement before June 30.”Another pillar of past MOU agreements was CA’s provision of an annual grant to fund the ACA, something the board openly questioned in their initial submission. Sutherland declined to indicate whether this was being maintained in the new offer.”That’s something that is in the detail of the proposal, I don’t want to go into that right now,” he said. “It’s something we can talk about later on. In the first instance we see that as a matter for the members and the ACA to consider and we can talk through that detail in the future.”Both Sutherland and the ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson have spent time with the Test team in India in recent days. The players have so far been united in their rejection of any attempts to break up the revenue sharing model, and have also rebuffed CA’s efforts to negotiate directly with the players rather than the ACA.The national captains Steven Smith and Meg Lanning co-signed a letter to Sutherland to this effect in December after talks broke down. While they have resumed in the new year, the two parties remain a long way apart. Nicholson said that the ACA was positive about some elements of the pay offer, but also stated that much of its detail still needed to be digested before the players respond.”There is a lot of fine print to examine and a lot more forecast information still needed by the players,” he said. “Like all such proposals the devil is always in the details. For the moment, what can be said is that this proposal shows a number of promising signs that indicate that CA has been taking the ACA’s lead on various key points from our MOU submission.”However, with a lack of detail in the terms and conditions that underpin this proposal, the ACA will continue to seek clarification from CA and advise the players on this accordingly. The ACA will respond more fully in the coming weeks.”Australia’s looming series decider with India in Dharamsala should ensure that there will be little further jousting until the Test match concludes.

Liverpool’s summer transfer window so far has been pretty much perfect. They’ve welcomed Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, as they finally start to rebuild their midfield ahead of next season.

It’s been maybe too good to be true, however. Too perfect. And that’s where the future of Thiago Alcantara enters the mix to add a flavour of negativity. The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona man has just one year left on his contract and is a firm fan favourite.

Injury issues have slightly limited his Anfield career at times, but when fully fit, Thiago remains one of the most important players at the club. At 32, though, his Liverpool future has come into question.

What’s the latest on Thiago and Liverpool?

As things stand, Liverpool do not plan to offer Thiago a new contract upon the expiration of his current deal next summer, according to The Athletic.

Meanwhile, reports back in April suggest that the Spaniard is on Barcelona’s shortlist this summer, meaning that a return to his boyhood club could be on the cards. According to Diario AS, via the Liverpool Echo, Thiago was on the La Liga club’s five-man list of targets a few months ago.

Having just signed Ilkay Gundogan, however, a move for Thiago could be unlikely this summer, especially since he’ll be leaving Liverpool on a free deal next summer, as things stand.

As also noted in The Athletic, Saudi Arabia can never be ruled out these days, either, considering club’s spending power this summer, attracting players nearing retirement, and even a couple of players in their prime currently.

Thiago removes Liverpool from Instagram bio

Amid speculation over his future, Liverpool fans spotted that Thiago has removed the club from his Instagram bio in what is potentially an alarming clue, regarding what’s next.

Given that the Reds have already welcomed two midfielders this summer, too, with interest also in Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, as per Fabrizio Romano, Thiago may not play such a large role at Anfield next season.

His injury issues mean that, despite his quality, Klopp can’t look to him for reliability. And that could have played a huge part in reportedly opting out of extending the midfielder’s current deal.

Thiago remains a fan favourite at the club, though, and his experience on and off the pitch could yet prove vital, especially as younger players arrive. Either way, it looks set to continue being a busy summer for the Reds ahead of the next campaign.

Arsenal could potentially have "two more" signings to come this summer after deals for Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Jurrien Timber are all tied up, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Arsenal transfer news – who else are the club targeting?

Arsenal have already made a huge splash in the transfer window this summer, with their £105m bid for Declan Rice reportedly accepted by West Ham United, pending discussions over the deal's structure.

The North Londoners have also just announced their first signing of the summer, German international Havertz, from cross-city rivals Chelsea.

The deal cost a reported £65m, which puts the dynamic midfielder second – soon to be third – on Arsenal's list of most expensive transfers ever.

However, Mikel Arteta hasn't neglected the defence as a €45m/48 (£39m/41) deal to bring Ajax's exciting Jurrien Timber to the Emirates looks to be coming to a successful conclusion, per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

In past windows, this would represent a stunning level of spending for a club synonymous with penny-pinching during the Emirates era, yet Edu and Co. might only be getting started.

What has Dean Jones said about Arsenal's transfer plans?

Jones was clear that despite the club already spending big this summer, he has heard information suggesting that they have plans to spend more.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said: "I expect Arsenal to put their foot on the ball after they get these next two signings through the door. It's been an intense period trying to tie up Havertz, Timber and Rice, but they are in a very good place now, and my information is that more signings will be coming — but not just yet.

"They will start getting the players in for pre-season and then assess how, when and where they attack the market further. It wouldn't surprise me if there are two more to come — but not yet."

Before this summer, who were Arsenal's five most expensive signings ever?

The Gunners look like they are about to blow their previous spending records out of the water this summer, but who were the priciest players to don the famous red and white beforehand?

In fifth place is Gabriel Jesus, who joined the club from now title rivals Manchester City in the summer of 2022 for just £45m.

The Brazilian enjoyed a great first season in North London, and had it not been for his knee injury at the World Cup, he would have likely ended the season on more than the 11 goals he did.

At number four, Alexandre Lacazette who arrived in 2017 from French outfit Lyon for a hefty £46.5m.

Despite ending his time at the club with a rather slender goal tally of just 54 goals in 158 Premier League appearances, the Frenchman was a player fans respected for his tireless hold-up play, and since his return to Lyon, he has found his scoring form again.

Ben White holds the third spot, the £50m man that had his fair share of detractors upon his move to the club in 2021, detractors that have likely changed their tune by now.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion man played his first season for the club in his natural position at centre-half but was moved out to right-back upon the introduction of William Saliba, a position he has since flourished in.

Claiming the silver medal is former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who cost the club £56m after joining in the January transfer window of 2018.

While things may have ended poorly for the former Dortmund star at the Emirates when he was in form, he was nigh unstoppable.

In just 163 games for the club, the Gabon international racked up 98 goals and 21 assists, forming a particularly potent duo with Lacazette.

Unfortunately, first place in this list goes to a player that has to be described as somewhat of a flop, Nicolas Pepe.

The Ivorian winger joined the Gunners from Lille in the summer of 2019 for a club record fee of £72m, and despite showing occasional glimpses of brilliance, he never reached the potential so many had hoped he would under Arteta.

Dinesh Chandimal struck an unbeaten 190 off 253 balls in a drawn two-day game between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Cricket President’s XI in Moratuwa

Andrew Fidel Fernando03-Mar-2017
ScorecardDinesh Chandimal ended a poor run of form with a century•AFPDinesh Chandimal has made a strong return to runs, while Bangladesh seam bowlers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman made promising starts to their tour of Sri Lanka as well, in the two-day practice match in Moratuwa.Chandimal’s 190 not out off 253 balls followed a chastening tour of South Africa in which his highest score in 12 international innings was 36. He had been omitted from the ODI XI towards the end of that tour, and was later told by chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya that he should “go back to club cricket” in order to “work his game out”.Though there was little doubt he would feature in the Test XI – especially in a series with Bangladesh, whom he averages 128.33 against – this long occupation of the crease will have Sri Lanka feeling much happier about what remains an inexperienced top order. Chandimal struck seven sixes and 21 fours in the innings, after he had kept wicket the previous day. Despite Niroshan Dickwella’s presence in the Test squad, Chandimal is likely to bat at No. 6 and keep wickets in the first Test as well.Mustafizur was the most economical of the Bangladesh bowlers, conceding only 28 runs from his 12 overs, while claiming the scalps of opener Ron Chandraguptha and Leo Fransisco. Taskin was more penetrative: he took two new-ball wickets in his second over of the day, then returned later on to dismiss the highly-rated Roshen Silva. He finished with figures of 3 for 41 from 11 overs.Twenty-year-old Tamil Union allrounder Chamika Karunaratne also hit an unbeaten fifty late in match, after he had claimed three wickets on day one. The SLC President’s XI ended the day on 403 for 7 compared to Bangladesh’s 391 for 7 declared.Both teams scored their runs at more than four an over – an indication that this had been a particularly batting-friendly track. The surfaces awaiting Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at Galle and the P Sara Oval are almost certain to be more treacherous.

Sri Lanka sense they could have enjoyed even more success in the shortest format had wet weather not thwarted them in the opening encounter.

Firdose Moonda at Newlands25-Jan-2017Though thrilled with their first series win in South Africa, in any format, Sri Lanka sense they could have enjoyed even more success in the shortest format had wet weather not thwarted them in the opening encounter.”We could have won the series 3-0. It was in our hands in the first T20 but we lost it unfortunately,” Niroshan Dickwella, the man of the series, said afterwards. “In the other two matches we were cool and calm, we held our nerve and we played well. That was the main reason we won the other two games. The first one was a ten-over match because of the rain but I think we could have won the series 3-0.”Sri Lanka were beaten by 19 runs in a shortened match on Friday but came back to win by three wickets and five wickets in Johannesburg and Cape Town, where they showed their ability to pull off a chase. At the Wanderers, they left it to the last over to hunt down a below-par score of 114 but, at Newlands, they were more assured in pulling off their second-highest successful chase. The incremental improvements, especially in the batting line-up, have been a major factor in their adjustment to the conditions, albeit those conditions have changed in that they offer less of an examination in the shorter formats.”The wickets are better. In the Test series, the wickets were quite greenish and the ball swings a lot. In the T20 series, they prepared better wickets for the batting team. The better batting team wins hopefully,” Dickwella said. “In this series, the three wickets were pretty much batting wickets so that’s why it’s easier for us now.”Sri Lanka still need to confront their weaknesses against the moving ball on spicy surfaces, but that is an issue for another day. For now, they are looking forward to more batsmen-friendly conditions in the ODIs, which they will enter with a sense of self-belief. “It’s a great confidence booster. Winning against a big team like South Africa is big. The whole team is backing up our strengths now. We are going to play well in the one-day series as well,” Dickwella said.Some of the strategies that Sri Lanka will focus on in the next two days range from how to tackle the mid-section of a 50-over game to how to cope without their regular captain, Angelo Mathews, who is out of the rest of the tour. Upul Tharanga, who partnered Dickwella at the top in this match, will take over and Dickwella is confident the team will respond well to his leadership.”It’s a big loss for us to have to play without our captain but we have done well without him so far,” Dickwella said. “We will discuss how to handle the middle overs after the Powerplay in one-day games and also the bowling. Bowlers will be bowling good length balls, rather than trying different things like in a T20. We are looking forward to the one-day series.”

Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a summer move for Juventus centre-back Gleison Bremer, according to a recent report from The Telegraph.

Which defenders could Tottenham sign?

Tottenham have set their sights on several targets to bolster their backline, with Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba emerging as an option, and 90min report the Burkina Faso international would be willing to make the switch to north London.

However, a number of other Premier League clubs are interested in the Leverkusen star, so Spurs could end up turning their attentions elsewhere, with Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas detailing that Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo is being "considered."

Bremer has been a long-term target for the Lilywhites, with reports from last summer naming them as potential suitors while he still played for Torino, however, he eventually ended up signing for Juventus, in a deal worth €41m (£34.8m).

After just over a year with the Turin club, the defender may already be on the move, with reliable journalist Mike McGrath of The Telegraph reporting Tottenham are watching how his situation develops this summer, as Ange Postecoglou continues to assess targets to strengthen his backline.

The Brazilian has a number of other admirers in the Premier League, so there may be fierce competition for his signature, if he is made available for a move this summer, with Juventus expecting several outgoings.

According to sources, an approach for the 26-year-old is not expected until later in the window, when the situation regarding his future becomes more clear.

Who is Gleison Bremer?

The Brazil international made his breakthrough in his home country with Atletico Mineiro, before making the switch to Torino, where he made a name for himself over the course of several seasons, making 110 appearances for the Serie A side.

With 19 goals to his name in his career so far, it is clear the 6 foot 2 titan can pose a major attacking threat, however his defensive attributes are most important, and he does not disappoint in that regard.

Over the past year, the £154k-per-week star places in the 88th percentile for blocks, and in the 81st for aerials won per 90, showcasing his defensive acumen, and he was ranked by Sofascore as Juventus' third-best performing player in the Serie A last term.

Hailed as a "monster" by members of the media, Bremer could be an excellent addition to Postecoglou's squad, and Tottenham should continue to monitor how his situation develops with Juventus in the coming weeks.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their efforts to bolster their defensive options ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…

What's the latest on Charlie Cresswell to Rangers?

According to Football League World, the Light Blues have had an offer turned down by English Championship side Leeds United for centre-back Charlie Cresswell.

The report claims that the Gers made a bid for the Millwall loanee's services, although the fee remains undisclosed at this time, and it was not enough to tempt the Whites into cashing in on the young talent.

It states that Michael Beale is interested in signing the 20-year-old enforcer, whose contract at Elland Road runs until 2025, and it now remains to be seen whether or not the Scottish giants will return with a second proposal.

Rangers have been busy in the transfer market this summer as they have already confirmed four new arrivals ahead of next season; including Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell, and Sam Lammers.

Three of those players, with Lammers being the exception, are coming up from England, and Cresswell is the latest gem from Beale's home country to be targeted.

Who is Charlie Cresswell?

The central defender, who was once hailed as "unbelievable" by Leeds presenter Joe Wainman, is a talented young player who is coming off the back of an impressive campaign in the Championship on loan at Millwall.

Despite his young age, Cresswell, whose heading ability was lauded as "powerful" by journalist Josh Bunting, proved himself to be capable of delivering consistently excellent performances in the second tier of English football.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13 across 28 league appearances for the Lions and used his strength to win 60% of his individual duels, which shows that the towering 6 foot 3 colossus was able to dominate opposition forwards on a regular basis and that his youthful inexperience did not make him a liability from a physical perspective.

Connor Goldson, meanwhile, (7.29) was the only Rangers centre-back to average a higher average Sofascore rating than the English machine in the Scottish Premiership last term. This indicates that the Whites prospect is already performing at a level that could be an upgrade on Beale's other defensive options outside of Goldson.

The 20-year-old titan, who made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game, also has Premier League experience. Cresswell won 65% of his contests across five top-flight outings for Leeds in 21/22 as a teenager, which highlights how highly rated he is within the walls at Elland Road.

Therefore, this bid being rejected by the Championship side is a blow for Beale as the young battler has the potential to be an excellent signing for the Light Blues.

Eoin Morgan, England’s one-day captain, says that his family were “very offended” by the criticism that he received after withdrawing from the tour of Bangladesh

Arun Venugopal in Mumbai09-Jan-20171:47

‘Don’t regret’ skipping Bangladesh tour – Morgan

Eoin Morgan, England’s one-day captain, says that his family were “very offended” by the criticism that he received after withdrawing from the tour of Bangladesh on security grounds last year, but has expressed his excitement at returning to national colours with a heavy diet of white-ball cricket in the build-up to the Champions Trophy in June.Morgan, 30, has not played for England since the visit of Pakistan in September last year, after he and Alex Hales chose not to travel to Bangladesh for a three-match ODI series in October, following terror attacks in the country earlier in the year.Although Andrew Strauss, the managing director of England cricket, had assured the players that there would be “no consequences” for missing the tour, there was a considerable backlash in the English media over Morgan’s failure to lead his side from the front, especially in light of the unprecedented levels of security granted to the team.Morgan, however, maintained that he didn’t regret the decision, insisting that he had been unaffected by the furore even if his family were less comfortable with the backlash.”My way of dealing with it was to get away from things, which I did,” he told BBC Radio. “My family saw a lot of it and were very offended, but that is part and parcel of being in the limelight.”As a decision, I am very comfortable with [it] and it’s a decision I considered all consequences when I did, and sitting here or sitting at home, wherever I would have been sitting, I’d have been very comfortable with it.”Eoin Morgan found his form for Sydney Thunder in the BBL last week•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesIn Morgan’s absence, Jos Buttler led England to a hard-fought 2-1 series win, and the regular skipper was full of praise for the manner in which his stand-in had stepped into the breach.”I think he [Buttler] really enjoyed the leadership role within the group,” Morgan said during his earlier press conference. “The proof was in the performances. I thought he was outstanding [in] the way senior players reacted, Ben Stokes in particular. In the first game when Ben played a screamer on a wicket that wasn’t that easy for us to come on and start the series. The younger guys reacted well and the senior guys led the way.”While Morgan believes, with some justification, that his success in leading England’s revival in white-ball cricket has earned him some leeway with the selectors, his absence in Bangladesh not only came at the end of a year in which he averaged less than 30 in 25 matches across all formats, it offered an opportunity for other candidates to stake a claim to a middle-order berth.In particular, Jonny Bairstow and Sam Billings can expect a fair hearing ahead of the Champions Trophy, while Ben Duckett, who scored two fifties in Bangladesh, was deemed by coach Trevor Bayliss to have been “desperately unlucky” to miss out on the limited-overs tour to India.”We’ve a couple of series in the next five-six months which is going to be a big part in our lead up towards the [Champions Trophy],” he said. “It is exciting that we’ve only white-ball cricket between now and then. The major part of that is getting some cricket under my belt in the run into the series, which I’ve managed to do. I am really excited, and everybody within the group is as excited as I am.”If there were any doubts about Morgan’s current form and focus, then his sign-off performance for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League last week was a good indicator. His final innings before departing for India was an unbeaten 50-ball 71 that culminated in a match-winning last-ball six. Despite that, however, he knows not to take his England place for granted.”Nothing is a certainty. Absolutely nothing,” he said. “I’d like to think that things have gone pretty well for us, and over a small period of time we have had a little bit of success, like I have added. But, again we have a fantastic group of players – very talented, very driven and they want to do well.Right up there in the “little bit of success” were England’s series wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh. After England had made 444 against Pakistan in Trent Bridge, Hales said he had to pinch himself in disbelief. Morgan believed England’s mindset had remained positive in the past as well, but their recent consistency had caught even him by surprise.”I think before we played a game together as a group, which was just under two years ago now, there’s always that nerves and anticipation about what’s to come,” he said. “I think the general mindset and attitude in which we went about our business was the right way, but the skill level doesn’t always deliver behind that. I’ve been surprised that the level of skill and consistency we’ve shown between now and then… I think it is impressive.”Everybody within the group, and how well we’ve grown and learnt in that time, has been accelerated by the bit of success. Obviously, playing abroad is different challenge, a challenge which everybody is looking forward to. India is a great place to come and win the series. It means that much more because they are very, very good at home.”The scars of the drubbing in the Test series, he felt, wouldn’t have a bearing on this team. “I think they are very motivated individually. Regardless of which format has been played first, the side has generally improved as the tour has gone on. Since the side has been together, there has been no backlash or repercussions from any performance earlier in the tour. I don’t expect it to have any effect.”

A Chelsea fan has serenaded American owner Todd Boehly having been left excited by the recent managerial appointment of Mauricio Pochettino.

What’s the latest on Todd Boehly and Chelsea?

Back in May 2021, the 49-year-old billionaire led a consortium which completed a £4.25bn takeover of the Blues, ending Roman Abramovich’s 19-year ownership of the club.

While some may have expected a period of calmness to follow under the new ownership as they adapted to life owning a Premier League club, quite the opposite has happened.

Indeed, from that moment up until the end of the most recent January transfer window, Chelsea have spent a reported £556m on transfer under Boehly and more will no doubt be spent in the coming weeks and months.

What’s more, Thomas Tuchel was fired, as was his replacement Graham Potter, while Frank Lampard was questionably reappointed in a disastrous spell as interim boss – and now Pochettino has been handed the reins.

The Argentinian has a big job on his hands as he looks to steady the ship that sunk all the way down to 12th in the Premier League last season.

At least, though, it seems some supporters are more than excited for the new era and have high hopes for what Pochettino can achieve at Stamford Bridge.

In footage circulated on Twitter, a fan in Riyadh – the capital of Saudi Arabia – sang to Boehly and then told the American that Chelsea will win the league with their new head coach.

What is the Benoit Badiashile song at Chelsea?

Despite all the chaos and disappointment that has swept over Stamford Bridge since the 49-year-old arrived, this fan was delighted to meet the club’s owner.

He even sang a terrace song: “Todd Boehly went to France in a Lamborghini, brought us back a centre-back, Benoit Badiashile!”

The supporter then said: “I promise you Todd, that we’re going to get the league with Mauricio Pochettino,” to which Boehly replied: “Yes, Pochettino is going to be great.”

All in all, it seems as though there certainly are high expectations for Pochettino to bring back the glory days to Chelsea. Only time will tell whether the Argentinian will deliver, or end up suffering the same fate as Tuchel and Potter.

Zafar Ansari has joined Stuart Broad as an injury doubt ahead of the third Test after both players missed training in Mohali on Thursday

George Dobell in Mohali24-Nov-2016Zafar Ansari has joined Stuart Broad as an injury doubt ahead of the third Test after both players missed training in Mohali on Thursday.While the England management have yet to confirm anything, it seems Broad has almost no chance of playing. He sustained a foot injury on the opening day of the Visakhapatnam Test and has been hobbling around in a moon boot in recent days.Ansari’s situation is less clear. He has recovered from the illness that troubled him in Vizag, but is still struggling with a sore back. He will have to prove his fitness in training on Friday if he is to have any chance of playing in the Test that starts on Saturday. Fellow spinner Gareth Batty is therefore likely to come back into the side if Ansari is ruled out.Any thoughts that England may have had of playing an extra seamer were surely scotched by a first look at the Test pitch in Mohali. Dry, cracked and shaved, there is nothing in it to suggest a fourth seamer would be a lot of use.That is not ideal, though. Batty, like Moeen Ali, is an offspinner and, against an India line-up packed with right-handers, the left-arm option that Ansari provided could be missed.There is another option. England could pick an extra batsman, allowing them to retain Ben Duckett – they are keen not to dent his confidence – and find a place for Jos Buttler. Moeen Ali would probably be moved back down to No. 8, with Chris Woakes at nine and Adil Rashid at ten, but it is England’s batting that has let them down and, in the cooler climate of Mohali – think of a pleasant day in England in May – there is less need for a sixth bowler to share the workload.It is unlikely they will adopt such an approach. Alastair Cook likes the balance of an attack that contains three seamers and three spinners and, with a couple of those spinners a little more inconsistent than he would like, the insurance policy of the extra bowler is understandable. It is more likely that Moeen – ultimate utility player that he is – will be asked to fill yet another hole and bat at No. 4.You wonder if Moeen’s low maintenance demeanour and innate modesty sometimes count against him; it is hard to think of a player who has been shunted up and down the order as often. If he bats at No. 4 in Mohali, No. 3 will be the only position in the top nine he has not filled.One man who looks certain to play in Mohali is Woakes. England missed him in Vizag, most notably with the bat, but also with the ball. As well as developing great accuracy – he hardly bowled a poor delivery in Rajkot – he has also developed into England’s quickest bowler with a bouncer than can trouble the best of them; just ask Cheteshwar Pujara. In his absence, it was mainly left to Ben Stokes to test the India batsmen with the short ball.Chris Woakes bowled impressively at Rajkot before being rested for the second Test•AFPWoakes is about as far from the archetypal image of a raging, snorting fast bowler as you could meet. He modestly admits that his late development of pace has rendered him the fastest bowler in the team for “the first time since I was 12” and said the first thing he thinks when he hits a batsman is wanting to make sure he’s okay. While he claims he was disappointed to be rotated out of the team for the second Test, it is hard to imagine him unleashing much more than a quiet “tut” of disapproval at the decision. Besides, he says he feels fresher for the break.He was asked – inevitably – about England’s method of shining the ball. And, equally inevitably, he steered a diplomatic course between expressing some sympathy for Faf du Plessis and some understanding of the margins that exist between sucking on a sweet to generate saliva and directly applying the sweet to the ball. A future in diplomacy awaits.”If you’re placing a sweet on the ball that is obviously against the rules,” Woakes said. “But everything else seems to be a little bit of a grey area. We won’t be changing anything we do when we go out there this week. There’s always cameras on you, there always have been, so there’s nothing we need to change.”Hashim Amla said he had chewing gum in his mouth pretty much all day. Is that deemed as wrong and as cheating? I think it needs to be clarified exactly what the problem is.”At drinks breaks, guys have sweets or mints just to freshen up and keep the energy going, but nothing from a sweet is allowed to go on a ball so therefore we don’t do that. It’s just a sugar boost really. Gatorade has sugar in it as well. We take those drinks on board and then lick our [finger] and put that on the ball. Is that classed as a sugary substance going on the ball? I don’t know.”Of more concern to England is how to bowl to Virat Kohli. While Pujara has scored heavily in the first two Tests as well, it is Kohli who is keeping England awake at night. He looks magnificent and, in the second innings at Rajkot and Vizag, a class above anyone else from either side. In the past, England have been able to deal with him with lateral movement and good control. But there is little movement here and Kohli looks an improved player. These are still three Tests to play, but he could well prove to be the difference between the sides in this series.”His first 30 balls will be crucial,” Woakes said. “Because once he gets in, it’s hard to get him out. But I feel like the teams are fairly evenly matched. I know they are in their own conditions and they are good in their own conditions but I don’t think they’re out of reach.”