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The teams set to start the tri-series on Monday are Bangladesh and Zimbabwe but much of the focus at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Sunday was on Chandika Hathurusingha who returned to Mirpur after his acrimonious exit as Bangladesh coach last year.In the Sri Lankan camp now, Hathurusingha was speaking publicly in Bangladesh for the first time since he quit as their coach and there were bound to be questions about that. In particular focus was his resignation which reportedly came in the middle of Bangladesh’s tour of South Africa but was announced a month later by the BCB. The building excitement, however, gave way to one cool response after another.”I am excited to be back again in Bangladesh. I am looking forward to the series.””I think it is very challenging for us. Bangladesh has been really competitive at home lately.””Unfortunately, I am not going to go into details about my professional commitment or my dealings with BCB. So I can’t answer that.”Then came a minor slip-up, when he said “we” when referring to Bangladesh but quickly clarified which “we” he was talking about.”We haven’t lost a series, one series, in the last two and half years. When I say ‘we’, I mean Bangladesh. They have been playing good cricket in ODIs. They know their roles and game plan well. It is a big challenge for any team to play here,” Hathurusingha said.Only once his tone touched a higher note, when he was asked if it was irresponsible of him to quit in the middle of Bangladesh’s tour to South Africa. He said it wasn’t.Although Hathurusingha returned to Dhaka in December to tie up loose ends with the BCB, it is understood he did not submit a written report and board president Nazmul Hassan said that the coach’s decision to quit was prompted by the BCB allowing Shakib Al Hasan to rest during the South Africa Test series.The only time Hathurusingha spoke to the media during that tour was before the first Test, which prompted questions about his accountability to the Bangladesh fans who looked to him for answers after every thrashing on that winless tour. Hathurusingha remained steadfast with silence, only sending the BCB his resignation letter after the Test series, and not returning to Bangladesh for a debriefing.Ultimately, it was Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh’s ODI captain, who eased the situation by giving Hathurusingha his due but at the same time pointing out how many of the players also did their jobs properly to bring Bangladesh the success.”Our dressing room has big-hearted players. On behalf of the Bangladesh players, I salute Hathurusingha,” Mashrafe said on Sunday. “We had success under him. I have no problem in giving him credit but the player did the job in the 22 yards.”The coach didn’t have to do anything special to Tamim, Mushfiqur, Shakib or Mustafizur. They did it themselves, and ultimately took on the pressure. When Mahmudullah made that hundred against New Zealand, I didn’t think anyone had to guide him through that innings. He performed according to his ability.”We backed the coach 100%, and we will keep backing the current coaching staff – Richard Halsall (interim coach), Sujon (Khaled Mahmud Sujon, the technical director). They are going to do the same, with full professionalism. But good luck to Hathu. We are more concerned about ourselves right now.”Some may expect Mashrafe’s statement to end all questions to and about Hathurusingha, but it is unlikely to be the case. The Bangladesh media is huge, and this is only the start of Sri Lanka’s tour.

Bowlers dominated as 15 wickets fell on day one of the Sheffield Shield match between Tasmania and Queensland in Hobart.

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2017
ScorecardMatthew Wade brought out the paddle sweep frequently•Getty Images

Test incumbents Matthew Wade and Matt Renshaw both fell cheaply as ball dominated bat on day one of the Sheffield Shield match between Tasmania and Queensland in wintry conditions at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.After the captain George Bailey chose to bat first, the Tigers could improve only marginally on being shot out for 63 by Western Australia in round one, cobbling together 186 in the face of six wickets for the accurate seam and swing of Michael Neser. Wade, who needed a score to keep up in the race for Ashes wicketkeeping duties, was bowled by Luke Feldman for nine.Renshaw, who has also been struggling for runs in recent times though not considered as doubtful to play at the Gabba as Wade has been, could only make it to one before edging Jackson Bird, another Test contender, to Alex Doolan in the slips. Former Test opener Joe Burns was also out cheaply, Marnus Labuschagne was run out by a brilliant Jordan Silk direct hit, and the captain Usman Khawaja made it as far as 27 before edging Sam Rainbird and giving Wade his first catch of the game.Gabe Bell then chimed in to pin Sam Truloff lbw, leaving Jack Wildermuth and Jimmy Peirson with plenty of work to do if they are to gain parity with the hosts’ first innings on day two.

Tottenham Hotspur are now "betting heavily" on FC Porto striker Mehdi Taremi as a replacement for Harry Kane, having already tabled an offer of €24m (£21m), however the Portuguese side are holding out for €30m (£26m), according to reports.

What's the latest on Harry Kane's future?

Bayern Munich have seen another offer rejected for Kane, so time may be running out for the German champions to sign the striker, as he wants to have his future sorted before Tottenham's Premier League opener against Brentford on Sunday.

Ange Postecoglou has recently told the media that he also wants a decision to be made sooner rather than later, in order to have clarity about where he needs to strengthen his squad ahead of the new season, but the striker's future remains up in the air.

The Lilywhites can now sit patiently and see if Bayern were being genuine about their third offer being the final one, though they will of course need to line up potential replacements in case the Bavarians come back and meet the price tag all of a sudden.

Read The Latest Tottenham Transfer News HERE

As such, the Lilywhites haveallegedly now made an offer of €24m (£21m) for Taremi, just shy of Porto's asking price of €30m (£26m), according to reports from Portugal (via Sport Witness).

The striker has "always" desired to play in England, but Porto will not make his departure easy, and he is protected by the €60m (£52m) release clause included in his contract, although his deal is due to expire next year.

Jorge Mendes is intermediating the talks between Tottenham and Porto, delivering the first bid, and it seems as though the north Londoners only need to increase their offer by £5m to secure the Iranian's signature.

Who is Mehdi Taremi?

The 31-year-old forward started out in his homeland of Iran, but it is with Porto where he has started to make a real name for himself, weighing in with an outstanding 31 goals and ten assists for the Portuguese side in all competitions last season.

Seven of those goal contributions came in the Champions League, indicating the Iran international, who has 33 goals for his country, is very much capable of competing at the highest level, and he has received high praise from members of the media.

Back in March, journalist Zach Lowy claimed the 6 foot 1 striker could be "the best Asian player in football right now", as a result of Heung-Min Son's poor form last season, and he could be a very good signing at around £26m, despite his age.

That said, Taremi is unlikely to be a long-term replacement for Kane, and there may be some concerns over the fact that he is still yet to play in one of Europe's "top five" leagues at this stage of his career.

If Spurs do lose their captain this summer, it is important they re-invest the money they receive on another top striker, and it is unclear whether the FC Porto striker is truly in that bracket.

اختتمت اليوم الخميس مباريات الجولة العشرين من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز “دوري النيل”، وذلك بخوض مواجهتين.

وتمكن الزمالك من الفوز على نظيره البنك الأهلي بهدف دون رد، سجله أحمد سيد زيزو، وذلك بالمباراة التي أقيمت على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي

وفي مباراة أخرى أقيمت في الوقت ذاته، سقط فريق فيوتشر في فخ التعادل السلبي أمام طلائع الجيش، وذلك على أرضية استاد السلام.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | الفار يلغي هدف الزمالك الثاني أمام البنك الأهلي

وفي مباراة أقيمت أمس الأربعاء حقق الأهلي الفوز على الإسماعيلي بنتيجة 2-1، بالمواجهة التي جمعت بينهما على ملعب برج العرب بالإسكندرية.

وأحرز ثنائية الأهلي، بيرسي تاو وأمام عاشور، فيما سجل للإسماعيلي عبد الرحمن مجدي.

ويتربع حسام أشرف مهاجم بلدية المحلة، على عرش ترتيب هدافي بطولة الدوري، برصيد 11 هدفًا، ويأتي مابولولو لاعب الاتحاد ثانياً ولديه 9 أهداف. ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري 

1- حسام أشرف (بلدية المحلة): 11 هدفًا.

2- مابولولو (الاتحاد السكندري): 9 أهداف.

3- أحمد بلحاج (سيراميكا كليوباترا)، مصطفى زيكو (زد)- 8 أهداف: 8 أهداف.

4- أحمد سيد زيزو (الزمالك)، محمد سالم (المقاولون العرب): 7 أهداف.

5- – أحمد قندوسي (سيراميكا كليوباترا)، حسام حسن (سموحة)، ميدو جابر (المصري)، كريم بامبو (البنك الأهلي): 6 أهداف

Everton are believed to have made contact with Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma over a summer move to the club, according to a fresh transfer claim.

What is the latest Arnaut Danjuma transfer news?

The 26-year-old, who earned £45,000 per week while on loan last year, is someone whose future could be up in the air during the current transfer window.

During his time at Spurs, Danjuma scored once in nine Premier League appearances and also netted twice in La Liga prior to joining on a temporary basis back in January. While the Dutchman's current deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, it could be that Villarreal are willing to move him on this summer if they fail to see a long-term future for him at the club.

Everton have been linked with a move for the winger as they look to bolster their attacking options ahead of the 2023/24 season – Spurs pipped them to his signature back in the January window – and a new update has now emerged regarding their pursuit of him.

Could Everton sign Arnaut Danjuma?

According to Football Insider, the Blues have contacted Danjuma over a summer switch to Goodison Park, with a loan move again mooted:

"Everton have made contact with Villarreal about signing winger Arnaut Danjuma this summer.

"Everton are hoping to sign two forwards before the end of the summer transfer window."

This is an exciting update from an Everton perspective, with wide attacking options badly needed this summer in order to provide Sean Dyche with more firepower in the final third.

The Blues scored just 34 goals in 38 Premier League matches in 2022/23, outlining how important it is for new signings to come and boost that area of the pitch as the club look to avoid a third straight relegation battle.

In Danjuma, Everton would be signing someone with experience in two of Europe's top five leagues, with the Dutchman scoring 12 goals in 33 appearances in La Liga, not to mention bagging two strikes in six caps for a talented Netherlands team that features the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong and Cody Gakpo, to name just a few of their top players.

At 26, the Villarreal ace would also be coming in at a good point in his career, having gained enough experience to be a well-rounded footballer. Indeed, pundit Kevin Phillips has described him as a "nightmare for defenders", highlighting the attacking threat that he possesses – but also that he still potentially has four or five years left in his prime.

Whether he will be keen to join a side that has battled at the wrong end of the Premier League table in recent times remains to be seen, though the fact that he was previously close to signing could suggest this may not be a problem.

In that case, it may simply come down to Dyche convincing Danjuma that this is the right project for him to spearhead following the Toffees' dramatic final-day survival last term.

Glamorgan ended the second day of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at St. Helen’s in Swansea on 225 for 6, a first innings deficit of 117

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2017
ScorecardAneurin Donald made a half-century to keep Glamorgan afloat•Getty ImagesGlamorgan ended the second day of their Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at St. Helen’s in Swansea on 225 for 6, a first innings deficit of 117.Due to a combination of rain and bad light – in stark contrast to the first day – no play was possible before lunch. However, when play got underway just before 2.30pm, Glamorgan’s openers Jacques Rudolph and Nick Selman came out showing a real attacking intent, reaching 23 without loss inside the third over.Things quickly changed, however, when Selman played a loose shot to Cameron Steel at point off Chris Rushworth. The Australian-born youngster was unable to rediscover the form which led to his first first-class century at St. Helen’s last year, when he carried his bat on his way to 122 against Northamptonshire, the first Glamorgan batsman to do so since Matthew Elliott at Cardiff in 2004.A second wicket soon followed, Rudolph finding Paul Collingwood in the slips, Glamorgan finding themselves 39 for 2. Colin Ingram joined Will Bragg at the crease needing just 39 to reach 1,000 runs across all formats this season. The South African fell 21 runs short of the milestone, giving Collingwood a second catch at slip off Coughlin for 18.More composure was evident with Aneurin Donald and Bragg at the crease, before the latter needlessly skied one to Rushworth at mid-on off James Weighell’s bowling and Glamorgan were once again struggling at 92 for 4. New batsman David Lloyd could have gone third ball, but a simple chance went begging for Ryan Pringle at slip.Having restricted Glamorgan to 112 for 4 at tea, it took just 10 balls into the final session for Durham to pick up their fifth wicket, as David Lloyd was removed by ul Collingwood at slip off Paul Coughlin for 16.Donald had reached his half-century off 74 balls before a one-handed mid-wicket catch by Keaton Jennings off James Weighell brought an end to a 42-run partnership.Andrew Salter joined Chris Cooke at the crease and an unbeaten partnership of 58 saw Glamorgan through to the close of play after the latter had reached his half-century off 83 balls, having hit eight fours along the way.

Everton may be making a 'mistake' by bringing in free agent Ashley Young following his exit from Aston Villa at the end of last term, according to journalist Paul Brown.

Is Ashley Young set to join Everton?

Barring any last-minute hitch, it looks as if Young will be Sean Dyche's first signing of the summer transfer window at Goodison Park as the former Burnley boss looks to add to his thin Everton squad.

As per Sky Sports, Young is set for a medical today at Everton and could join his prospective new teammates this week in a pre-season training camp in Switzerland, where they will face Stade Nyonnais in a friendly match on Friday.

Young, who earned £50,000 per week at Aston Villa, is expected to join on a 12-month deal with the option of an extra year, providing some competition across both full-back positions and significant Premier League experience.

Luton Town also spoke to Young about the possibility of a deal at Kenilworth Road and the 38-year-old also encountered interest from Saudi Arabia in his services before choosing to join Everton, as per BBC Sport.

Carrying a wealth of top-level nous, Young has won top-flight titles in England and Italy with Manchester United and Inter Milan during his career.

Nevertheless, journalist Brown thinks that Everton signing Young could be a 'mistake' at Goodison Park as Dyche edges closer to making his first signing of the window.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Brown stated: "I could see why Sean Dyche might be interested in bringing Ashley Young to Everton. His experience and what he's done in the game would be important maybe in the dressing room.

"But, I think it might be a mistake for Everton to bring in a player of that age. When a club has little money to spend, it's hard to justify bringing in someone who's not going to have any sell-on value and isn't going to be around really for the long-term."

Would signing Ashley Young be a mistake for Everton?

Realistically, the fact that Everton are close to adding a 38-year-old free agent this summer is a direct consequence of their financial situation.

The Toffees will need to be reliant on free agents and loan signings to make up the numbers and are operating a sell-to-buy policy, as per Football Insider.

As per The Daily Mail, Everton are in special measures with the Premier League due to recording losses exceeding £370 million over the last three years.

Despite this, Young himself could prove to be a valuable asset given his versatility and he impressed for Aston Villa in 2022/23, contributing with 32 appearances across all competitions and scoring once, as shown on Transfermarkt.

WhoScored show that Young was a solid presence in the Villans' backline, completing 2.1 clearances and winning 1.7 tackles per match in the English top-flight.

Of course, Young isn't exactly a glamorous signing, taking into account his age and lack of sell-on value; however, his wisdom around the dressing room and relatively steady level of performance could prove to be invaluable at Goodison Park in 2023/24.

Everton need to operate on a shoestring budget due to their financial restraints and finding bargains in the market will be a route the club will have to go down as they prepare for the new season.

Josko Gvardiol has fully agreed personal terms with Manchester City and negotiations between the clubs over a fee are now very advanced as well.

How much will Gvardiol cost?

Gvardiol won't be cheap due to him showing outstanding ability at the highest level of the game at just 21-years-old. With a market value of €75million (£64.5m), even a deal on the low end of what RB Leipzig could ask for will require City chiefs to open their wallet.

While the higher reports have seen the German side asking for around €100m (£86m), a figure that would make him the most expensive defender ever, any sale would represent a huge profit on the €18.8m (£16m) which Leipzig spent on the Croatian in the summer of 2021.

It has previously been reported that Gvardiol is "keen to join" the treble winners according to journalist Rudy Galetti, and according to CalcioMercato, via Sport Witness, he is now a step closer to the move transpiring.

The report discloses that the versatile centre-back has a total "agreement" with the Blues over personal terms. Adding to this, all that is needed now is to complete the negotiations over a fee, which are said to be "already very advanced".

This likely means a transfer for Gvardiol should be expected sooner rather than later as Pep Guardiola looks to continue his incredible success for the blue side of Manchester.

How good is Gvardiol?

Being a young player who is already playing at such a high level, Gvardiol has had his flowers given to him multiple times already.

BBC Sport's Zach Lowy labelled Gvardiol as a "Rolls-Royce of a defender" at the World Cup last year, continuing: "20 years old and the best player on the pitch in a match that featured Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modrić…sensational center back."

This wasn't the only example of high praise, with Gvardiol's national team boss Zlatko Dalic singing his praises throughout the winter tournament.

Dalic said: “Gvardiol is the best centre-back in the world. To play this maturely, it’s amazing. The way he plays, with what elegance he carries the ball.”

Meanwhile, football talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed the 6 foot 1 Croatian as the "[Erling] Haaland of defenders", likely due to his mixture of physical dominance, technical ability, promising potential and already demonstrated his class at a high level.

Should City complete a deal for Gvardiol, he would definitely be of the required standard to slot in and improve Guardiola's champions – a scary prospect for the rest of the league.

Durham have confirmed the signing of South African batsmen Stephen Cook for the first half of the 2017 season

David Hopps23-Jan-2017

Durham have confirmed the signing of South Africa batsmen Stephen Cook for the first half of the 2017 season.Cook will sign as an overseas player, much to the relief of CSA as it contends with an influx of players into county cricket on Kolpak registrations, so ending their international careers, at least for the foreseeable future.Kyle Abbott (Hampshire), Hardus Viljoen (Derbyshire), Simon Harmer (Essex), Rilee Rossouw (Hampshire) and David Wiese and Stiaan van Zyl (Sussex) have all signed Kolpak deals, although last week Dean Elgar shunned the opportunity when he was confirmed on an overseas player deal with Somerset.For Cook to resist the lure of a Kolpak deal at the ripe old age of 34 – precisely when it is deemed most attractive – is particularly striking. Forced to wait until late in his career for a chance at international level, he is in no mood to concede it.Durham always pursued the overseas player route with Cook. Even if they had proposed a Kolpak option, which they did not, it is questionable whether the ECB would have allowed it. Since Durham were saved from administration by re-forming as a community interest club, with the ECB agreeing a £3.8m rescue package, the county can expect to be monitored closely by the central body for what is viewed as acceptable behaviour.As well as Championship matches for Durham, who were relegated to Division Two with a 48-point penalty, Cook will also play in the Royal London One-Day Cup before joining South Africa’s Test squad for the four-match series against England later in the summer.With two heavy top-order run-makers, Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick, moving to Surrey, and Calum MacLeod and the long-serving fringe batsman Gordon Muchall also released, Durham will be desperate for Cook to provide ballast as an opener.Cook burst on to the international scene and scored a century in his first Test innings against England last January, the last Test player to achieve the feat before his new Durham team-mate Keaton Jennings. He has already chalked up two further hundreds in a nine-match Test career, at an average of 41.Jon Lewis, Durham’s head coach, said: “We have been looking to add quality to the squad but also the right character to fit into the dressing room, and we have found someone who has both of those assets in Steve.”Our conversations have been very promising and he comes to us with a fine reputation, built not only through his short international career so far but throughout an excellent first-class record over many years in South Africa and we are looking forward to welcoming him into the changing room.”

Newcastle United are interested in burgeoning OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram, with the France international attracting mounting attention after his seasonal exploits.

What's the latest on Khephren Thuram to Newcastle?

That's according to iNews, who claim that with the Magpies looking to sign a midfielder this summer, Thuram is being considered alongside the more attack-minded Leicester City star James Maddison.

United will have to wage transfer battle against Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain if they want to capture the 22-year-old, who is valued at €40m (£34m), but boast a newfound stature among Europe's elite consolidated by qualifying for the Champions League this season.

An earlier report confirmed that Newcastle manager Eddie Howe and technical director Dan Ashworth have been 'tracking' the ace, and time is now of the essence with the summer market mere moments away.

How would Khephren Thuram perform at Newcastle?

Thuram has been in fine fettle this season and played a central role in his team's Ligue 1 campaign, with the side sitting in ninth place with just one match to play.

As per Sofascore, he has started 30 games and recorded an impressive average rating of 7.04, scoring two goals, providing four assists, completing 87% of his passes, averaging 1.1 shots and key passes per outing, and averaging 1.5 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game.

The one-cap France star has also succeeded with 60% of his dribbles this term, and certainly looks to wield the tools to be the progressive, all-encompassing force Howe desires to ensure this year's success remains intact.

He could thrive in the Magpies' centre, joining the robust fold and bringing his own distinctive aptitude as a "tenacious" machine, as remarked by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Imposing and dominant with the ball, Thuram ranks among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

He could be an incredible asset alongside Joelinton, with the striker-turned-conductor himself a destructive midfield presence, ranking among the top 11% of positional peers for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 5% for successful take-ons and the top 19% for progressive carries per 90, also a formidable defensive star and ranking among the top 11% for interceptions and the top 9% for blocks per 90.

Once hailed as "exceptional" by reporter Jordan Cronin for one recent stellar showing, the £85k-per-week star would be enhanced by Thuram's bouncing aura on the alternate side of the centre, emboldened by the composure of Bruno Guimaraes in the middle.

Securing Thuram would be yet another diligent step toward prominence at a level unseen on Tyneside for a considerable amount of time, and he would only heighten the expanding talent at Howe's disposal.