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Taking nothing away from the young captain, Graeme Smith said South Africa could have looked at JP Duminy, Hashim Amla or AB de Villiers to stand in as captain for the ODIs

Gaurav Kalra in Johannesburg19-Feb-20184:08

South Africa ‘piled’ Markram under pressure – Smith

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith believes Aiden Markram’s appointment as interim captain for the ODIs against India was “not the right decision,” and hopes that his confidence hasn’t taken a dent after the home team was comprehensively beaten 5-1.Smith, who was himself handed the captaincy as a 22-year old after South Africa’s early exit from the 2003 World Cup, said 23-year old Markram, who had only played two ODIs before he was thrust into the role, should have been allowed to “grow, develop and become a strong player.” Markram made 8, 32, 22, 32 and 24 in five innings as captain, and finished the series with 127 runs at an average of just over 21.”I don’t think it was the right decision,” Smith told ESPNcricinfo at Wanderers. “Everyone has been talking about his leadership. Probably coming from me that doesn’t make sense because I got given the job at a very young age. I think it was an interim thing, not a full-time thing. I would have rather have had him find his place, find his feet within the one-day set-up, try and get runs behind him. South Africa need players to step up and perform.”I think in the short term, with AB coming in after three games he could have stepped in, and they could have looked at Duminy or Amla in the first couple and allowed someone like Markram just to settle. One, he was batting out of position at No. 4 at the start of the series, something he had to come to terms with, and then you’ve piled him under pressure not only on his own game but also as a captain. He would have gained a lot experience-wise but let’s just hope his confidence hasn’t taken a dent.”His performances since the start of his career say that he can bat at this level. He’s obviously got the leadership credentials from Under-19, he’s spoken highly as a personality and as a person mature for his age. But I just think allowing him to grow and develop and become a strong player within the line-up, we are talking about the next-tier of cricketers. There’s a drop-off between maybe four or five senior players and the next tier. So, allow those guys to develop.”What was disappointing for me was that I don’t think the other senior players stepped up around him – the Amlas, Duminys, Millers, those guys just never got it going from a performance perspective, an intensity perspective. They needed to get behind and lead the way almost.”BCCISouth Africa began the ODI series against India as the world’s top-ranked team and on a 17-match winning streak at home. However, injuries to key players such as Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock at various points in the series meant they were never at full strength against a strong Indian outfit. The batting was further exposed against India’s wristspinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, who combined to take 33 wickets in the series. Watching the South Africa batsmen succumb from a distance, Smith said they were done in by a lack of planning in their approach against the two spinners.”You got to wonder what the chat was about in the changeroom and how they go about it,” Smith said. “Obviously two world-class spinners, Chahal and Kuldeep, excellent finds for India. It’s just great to see some spin come back into the game. The mystery spinners had left the game for a period of time – the Ajmals, Warnes, Muralitharans, there’s been a little bit of a gap. So, it’s great to see two guys like that come into the game, it makes the game really interesting to watch.”South Africa really had no thought, no plan B or C. It was really just dot ball, dot ball, ‘okay let’s have a swing.’ There was no real plan, let’s try to build a partnership, it was almost like as the partnership builds it gets slightly easier and South Africa never found a way to do that.”Before the series began, the buzzword emerging from the South African camp was “Vision 2019,” with the team’s leadership group speaking publicly about its intention to give players exposure in an attempt to find the best mix for the 2019 World Cup in England. Smith said this setback against India could be a “good thing” for South Africa, provided they draw the right lessons from it.”If the leadership strategically gets the thinking right, gets the tactics right and involves the right kinds of players, I think this can be a good thing for South Africa,” he said. “They’ve exposed a few more players to the international game, they have a few more players to look at and think okay, ‘how can I position that guy there, okay he looks like he might have something’ and they’ve had some exposure.”In the long run, there’s still enough time for the World Cup to think this potentially could be a good thing. But that is only if Faf and Ottis [Gibson] and the selection panel get their head in the right place and strategically pick. Once the likes of de Villiers, Faf himself and de Kock are back fit, how do they put a line up together that’s going to win a World Cup.”

An update has emerged on Manchester United and their plans to bolster the playing squad with a new left-back before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Manchester United transfer news?

According to the Daily Mail, Erik ten Hag is eyeing up a swoop to land Rico Henry from Premier League rivals Brentford ahead of Friday night's deadline.

The report claims that the club are keen to sign another player in that position due to the muscle injury sustained by first-choice Luke Shaw, who is now expected to be out of action for a number of months.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

It states that the Red Devils have made initial checks over a potential deal to sign the Bees full-back, who is said to be in contention for a maiden England call-up during the upcoming international break.

However, the Daily Mail have not revealed how much it would cost to snap the 26-year-old dynamo up from Thomas Frank's side or how open to a deal the club are.

How good is Rico Henry?

The former Walsall star could be a dream replacement for Shaw, whilst the England international is out injured, as he has started the current season in sublime form.

Henry has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.23 across the first three games of the Premier League campaign and has showcased his ability in and out of possession down the left flank.

The £35k-per-week ace has been on fire on the ball with 1.7 key passes per game and two 'big chances' created for his teammates in just three appearances, which has been rewarded with one assist.

No Manchester United defender managed more than Shaw's 1.1 key passes per match in the top-flight last term and Bruno Fernandes (3.2) was the only player in any position who produced more than 1.7 per outing.

The possible England international has also completed two dribbles per clash and been successful with 86% of his attempts to take on the opposition, which shows that the talented dynamo has excelled at driving his team up the pitch by beating opponents with his dribbling ability.

Shaw, on the other hand, is not as impressive in this area as he produced 0.5 dribbles per match during the 2022/23 Premier League campaign with a success rate of 45%.

This suggests that the Brentford gem, who has racked up 74 top-flight appearances to date, could be an outstanding creative threat for Ten Hag if he is able to carry on his excellent form, as a dribbler and a creator, this season.

Henry, who was described as being "fantastic" defensively by his Bees boss, has also displayed his qualities off the ball with 5.3 duels won per game at a success rate of 53%.

Whereas, Shaw came out on top in 4.6 battles per outing last term and won 56% of his physical contests, which suggests that the pair could offer a similar level of strength out of possession.

Therefore, the emerging United target, who still has room to grow and improve at the age of 26, could be a perfect replacement for his compatriot as he is already performing to a high level in the Premier League and could hit the ground running over the coming weeks, should he make the switch to Old Trafford before Friday's deadline.

Following the death of his father, the Australia allrounder believes he has found fresh perspective on the game and is no longer so rushed by it all

Daniel Brettig12-Jan-2018Marcus Stoinis was the archetypal young man in a hurry. In returning to international cricket after the death of his father, he believes he has found fresh perspective on the game to no longer be so rushed about it all.As Australia’s limited-overs team works to rebuild towards next year’s World Cup after a poor 2017, Stoinis is a key part of their plans following a series of staunch displays with the bat in particular. He will take this journey, though, while cherishing every moment, following the loss of his father to Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma during the Sheffield Shield segment of the season that preceded the Ashes.At 28, Stoinis has been a player with promise for some years, ever since moving across from Western Australia to Victoria to further his chances of playing at the highest level, earning the respect of players like Chris Rogers and more recently the Australian captain Steven Smith. He now finds himself playing alongside a mentor in Cameron White, while he went through the experience of his father’s illness and death with team-mates like Adam Zampa close by his side. All this, Stoinis thinks, has helped him see the game through a different lens.”My perspective has changed, for sure,” Stoinis said in Melbourne, where Australia’s training was restricted by wet weather. “Obviously the experiences you go through change your perspective as you go through life. Cricket for me is quite a lot more enjoyable than it has been in the past, I’ve probably been in a rush for a number of reasons to get things done in cricket.”For the moment, it’s become a lot more fun and I’ve realised it is a family for me. When I found out about dad, I had Adam Zampa there sitting on the boundary with me and we sat there for about half-an-hour. And I’m sharing these games with him now. We stand next to each other every national anthem. I’ve got some bloody good friends and I’m having some fun doing it.”I don’t know if ‘not taking it too seriously’ is the right way to put it, but it’s more just understanding that you’re there to enjoy it and you’re there to perform as well as you can, in front of some unbelievable crowds. You’ve got opportunities that so many people are dreaming of and you’ve been dreaming of for a long time. Once you get there you’ve got to remember to enjoy that.”For White to be recalled for his first match since 2015 was a delight to Stoinis, not only as a former state team-mate but also as someone who had gone out of his way to ensure the allrounder would make the right developmental steps. “He’s one of the smartest players in Australian cricket if not international cricket,” Stoinis said. “He took me under the wing seven years ago when he didn’t have to.”As soon as I stepped into the Victorian change rooms, he was probably the main person that helped show me the ropes. We trained together, I remember, six years ago in pre-season. Every morning he’d send me a message saying what are we doing this morning, why are we doing it, what are you looking to get out of it, so it’s no wonder why he’s so good. I’m stoked for him to have the chance to get back in the Aussie colours.”Another source of advice and help has been Stoinis’ Melbourne Stars team-mate Kevin Pietersen, who has added his own spin on the world of international cricket. “He’s been unbelievable for me,” Stoinis said. “He’s been unbelievably generous with his time and he hasn’t needed to be. That’s probably been over the last 12 months that we’ve built a stronger relationship and have had continual conversations about cricket and perspective. He’s been through everything, from the front page to the back page of the paper. He’s a smart cricketer – there’s a reason why he’s as good as he is. He’s been good for me.”All these factors have helped Stoinis to believe he is now in prime position to make an Australian berth his own after he was in, out and back into the ODI team in 2017, excelling in New Zealand then curiously being left out of the team for the Champions Trophy, only to resume impressively in New Zealand when others struggled and, in the cases of Glenn Maxwell and Matthew Wade, paid for it with their places. The Australians convened with a team meeting on Thursday afternoon and have discussed their plans for the series, leaving Stoinis to note how markedly different this young group feels when lined up against the vanquished and weary group he linked up with after the 2015 Ashes in England.”That was an interesting tour, it was the same sort of thing – we played the Ashes series but in England, we lost, so coming into the team was a very different dynamic to what it is now,” Stoinis said. “It shows how hard the Ashes series are on the players and the scrutiny they get. So it was a different dynamic then.”A couple of guys retired, a couple of guys were about to retire, they lost the Ashes… Whereas now we’ve just won the Ashes, it’s a young team, there’s been people coming into the team, people doing well, so it’s the complete opposite. I got my chance [in 2015], only played the two games then didn’t see international colours for a long time after that. I sort of fell like I might’ve missed a couple of games there for my career, but that’s all right.”I think it’s a bit of everything [now] – finding a consistent playing group will be No. 1 and, understandably, we’re building towards a World Cup so trying to find the right mix, trying to get players playing the right role that suits their game and suits the team. As much as you want to win every single game, I think they’re building towards a bigger picture.”

Aston Villa are preparing a bid to sign Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso this summer, and a new report has revealed his club’s stance on sanctioning his sale to the Midlands.

How old is Marcos Alonso?

Alonso is 32 years of age and moved to Camp Nou last summer on a free transfer from Chelsea after six years at Stamford Bridge, as per Transfermarkt, but he didn’t make the instant impact he would have hoped having been handed just 11 La Liga starts during his debut season under Xavi, whilst being brought off the bench on 13 occasions.

The Spaniard’s contract is also set to expire in less than a year meaning that the ongoing window is his side’s perfect opportunity to cash in should they not want to risk losing him for free, and that could happen because his future is currently extremely uncertain.

The Blaugrana left-back is reportedly one of three players that hasn’t been registered to play yet this term due to financial issues behind the scenes, and whilst the same outlet claim that his manager has reassured him that he wants him to stay, the fact that he’s temporarily been pushed out of the picture points towards an exit.

Are Aston Villa signing Marcos Alonso?

According to AS (via TEAMtalk), Aston Villa are “ready to make a firm offer” for Alonso this summer.

Barcelona are “willing to sell” the full-back before the market closes due to them being set to sign Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo, and his potential availability has “caught” the attention of NSWE, Monchi and Unai Emery in the Midlands.

Xavi is “yet to give his green light” on a departure, but he “could be tempted” if a respectable proposal was put on the table.

Has Marcos Alonso won the Premier League?

During his time at Chelsea, Alonso did indeed win the Premier League back in 2017 alongside the likes of the Champions League and Europa League, so he knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the required level and could be a fantastic experienced recruit for Aston Villa.

Barcelona’s £102k-per-week earner also posted 47 goal contributions (26 goals and 21 assists) in 179 top-flight appearances, with his precision when whipping crosses into the opposition’s box having previously seen him hailed “sharp” by journalist Josh Bunting.

Read The Latest Aston Villa Transfer News HERE…

The Madrid native, who is naturally left-footed, is even a versatile operator with his ability to be deployed slightly higher up on the left side of the midfield and even on the left of a back three alongside his usual role, so he would be a great option for the boss to have in the building should cover be needed for any unexpected injuries.

Furthermore, Alonso has an excellent record against Villa having won all four of the head to head fixtures he’s been involved in, so if he can perform that well when he’s a member of the away side, just imagine what he’d be capable of when being managed under the guidance of Emery in this new exciting chapter for the club.

The two-member panel, in charge of BCCI, has submitted the new draft constitution in the Supreme Court, which is likely to take a final decision in January

Nagraj Gollapudi04-Dec-2017The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has effectively put aside objections raised by BCCI office-bearers and many of its members in its final draft of a new constitution. The CoA has, instead, stood firm by the Lodha Committee recommendations and, significantly, also called for a reduction in the powers of key board positions.The BCCI’s main objections to the raft of administrative changes put forward by the Lodha Committee have been to the one-state-one-vote recommendation, the three-year cooling-off period for administrators, and to a three-man selection panel.With respect to the one-state-one-vote recommendation and the strength of the men’s selection panel, the CoA has at least left the final call in the hands of the Supreme Court, which will take it up when it reconvenes in January.Just as significantly, the CoA has drawn up a constitution in which the powers of two of the most influential board posts – secretary and treasurer – have been clipped. Those have been ceded to the professional managers of the BCCI, an even more emphatic reminder that the essential concept of the Lodha recommendations was to separate management from policy.ESPNcricinfo lists out the views of the CoA on the major recommendations, as well as the reasoning behind them, in the new draft.1. One-state-one voteBoth the Lodha Committeee and the CoA agree that BCCI membership will be split into two types: Full and Associate. Full Members have voting rights, Associates do not. Both have approved that 30 states that can be Full Members and that every state will have only one vote.”Each State shall be represented by a state cricket association duly recognised by the BCCI and such associations shall be Full Members,” according to the draft. “No State shall have more than one Full Member at any given point of time.”In states with multiple current members, the Full Membership – and its rights and privileges – shall rotate annually among them. The basis of that rotation will be framed by the BCCI.The existing members who do not have voting power become Associate Members automatically.What this means
The biggest impact would be on state associations in Maharashtra and Gujarat. The state of Maharashtra comprises the associations of Maharashtra, Mumbai and Vidarbha; Gujarat has Gujarat, Saurashtra and Baroda.Also losing their voting rights will be Railways Sports Promotion Board, Services Sports Council Board, Association of Indian Universities, National Cricket Club (Kolkata) and Cricket Club of India.2. De-recognition of a MemberEvery state association will need to comply with the following rules, in addition to those listed originally by the Lodha Committee, as part of its constitution, failing which its membership and grants to it would be revoked:a) The governing body/managing committee of every state association will need to have one female representative along with two player representatives (one male, one female), in addition to a representative of the state’s accountant general’s office.b) Disqualified office bearers cannot return/stay in the state association as representatives/nominees, patrons, advisors or member of any committee/council.c) There will need to be a cooling-off period of three years after an office bearer has finished a term of three years. During this time he/she cannot return to the state association or the BCCI in any form.What this means
A majority of old hands like Niranjan Shah (currently serving as Saurashtra Cricket Association’s chief executive officer) will need to vacate their positions. Administrators like N Srinivasan, Rajeev Shukla, Anirudh Chaudhry, Amitabh Choudhury, CK Khanna, Jyotiraditya Scindia and a host of others cannot participate in meetings of the state association or the BCCI.BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary talks after the special general meeting•PTI 3. Term of an office bearerNo office bearer – whether in the BCCI or the state association – shall have consecutive terms. Further, once an office bearer has completed a term of three years he/she shall not be a member of the governing council or any committee for the next three years.4. Disqualification of an office bearerA person shall be disqualified from being an office bearer, a member of the governing council or any committee, or as a representative of the ICC or any similar organisation if he or she is not a citizen of India; has attained the age of 70 years; is declared to be insolvent or of unsound mind; is a Minister or government servant; holds any office or post in a sports or athletic association or federation apart from cricket; has been an office bearer of the BCCI for a cumulative period of 9 years; or has been charged by a court of law for having committed any criminal offence.5. Powers of the BCCI secretaryThe secretary, who effectively runs the daily operations of the BCCI under the old constitution, and is the signing authority on every issue, will not enjoy such powers. The CoA wants the daily management of the board to be handled by its chief executive officer.The secretary will still, however, sign the annual accounts and other financial statements of the BCCI, along with the president and treasurer.In a note to the court, the CoA explains that “all ministerial functions including the signing of contracts for and on behalf of the BCCI and carrying of correspondence in the name of the BCCI must be construed as day-to-day functioning of the BCCI and should be handled the CEO.”6. Powers of the BCCI treasurerThe treasurer will no longer be the final signing authority on daily financial matters. The Lodha Committee had recommended the treasurer should “make payments and incur expenditure out of the BCCI funds” as per the decisions of the Apex Council or any BCCI committee. However, the CoA has designated all such duties to the CEO.Also, the treasurer and the joint secretary/secretary cannot operate the BCCI bank account, which should be operated by “two authorised signatories designated by the Apex Council” from among the BCCI’s professional management.According to the CoA, designating the financial authority to the CEO and his team alone will bring in accountability and transparency. “The professional management is expected to be headed by a Chief Executive Officer, who must necessarily be in charge of ensuring all timely payments and efficient administration.”Transparency in payments, in duly audited manner, must satisfy all canons of accountability. This will ensure that no player or service provider or contractor has to seek any favours from any official of the BCCI and there would be total transparency in the matter of such payments.”What this means
It is a streamlining of the powers of two of the most influential positions in the BCCI – secretary and treasurer – who, under the old constitution, were part of or headed most of the BCCI committees. The secretary will not be the signing authority on any contracts the BCCI gets into while the treasurer will not be the authority signing of on daily financial matters of the BCCI.Vinod Rai, Diana Edulji and Vikram Limaye, the BCCI administrative panel appointed by the Supreme Court•AFP7. Apex CouncilOne of the powers delegated to the Apex Council by the Lodha Committee was to appoint BCCI representatives for ICC and Asian Cricket Council meetings. But the CoA has said this decision will now be taken by the General Body, the “supreme” committee under the new constitution.Since five of the nine councillors on the Apex Council are office bearers, the CoA did not want them to influence the appointment of the representative.What this means
The general body, which has a broader representation, can make a democratic choice without being influenced by lobbying.8. Ad breaksThe Lodha Committee had strongly recommended that a cricket match should be broadcast without any interruptions. It was part of the brief of the BCCI CEO to safeguard the interests of the viewer: “…to ensure that in all contracts for television and media rights, the interests of the public remain uncompromised, and full, unhindered broadcasts of all deliveries and their replays are shown with the screen offering a full and complete view without advertisement banners or margins, and to restrict commercial time only to the refreshment and other team breaks during and between innings.”However, the CoA has tweaked that clause and asked the CEO to simply “ensure that in all contracts for television and media rights, the interests of the public remain uncompromised, and full, unhindered broadcasts of all deliveries and their replays are shown.”The CoA agreed with BCCI management that the bulk of the board’s financial resources comes from television ad revenue and the CoA wants the BCCI to utilise the money to create infrastructure. But the CoA has pointed out that relaxing the norms does not mean live broadcasts get mobbed by advertisements.What this means
Commercial breaks are not going anywhere, as long as they do not impinge on any live broadcast.9. Selection panelThis is one of the three main recommendations the BCCI wanted the CoA and the court to take another look at. The BCCI has argued that both the vast volume of cricket and the number of teams and tournaments justifies a five-man panel.But the CoA has agreed with the Lodha Committee and said the men’s and junior selection panels should comprise three members, although the women’s selection panel should be five-person strong.What this means
The schedule for the three selectors will be monumental considering they would need to travel around the country during the domestic season.

Kusal Mendis, who was rested for the Test series, was not among the 16 men picked by the selection committee

Madushka Balasuriya05-Dec-2017Kusal Perera, who has not played international cricket since injuring himself in the Champions Trophy, is back in the Sri Lankan ODI squad for the three-match series against India starting December 10.Sri Lanka’s ODI squad

Thisara Perera (capt), Upul Tharanga, Danushka Gunathilaka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Chaturanga de Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachith Pathirana, Kusal Perera

Test captain Dinesh Chandimal did not find a place in the 16-member touring party. Neither did Kusal Mendis, who was rested for the Test series. Meanwhile, Asela Gunaratne, the allrounder who won big at the SLC annual awards last month, was included, having recovered from thumb surgery in July. Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep will get some game time as well after Sri Lanka preferred not to play him in the Test series as a means to manage his workload.Dhananjaya de Silva also returned to the squad, having not played ODI cricket since the Champions Trophy, on the back of impressive performances for the Sri Lanka A team, while the return of a fit-again Angelo Mathews will also be a boon to a side lacking in experience.Sadeera Samarawickrama retained his place in the squad having come in for the suspended Danushka Gunathilaka during the Pakistan tour. Gunathilaka sans suspension was also been included. The rest of the batting line-up is made up of captain Thisara Perera, wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, former captain Upul Tharanga, and Lahiru Thirimanne.Sri Lanka, meanwhile, look to have named their strongest possible pace attack, with Suranga Lakmal and Dushmantha Chameera joining the returning Pradeep, while Mathews and Thisara will also share the burden. However, there was no room for left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando.With the exclusion of legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay, Sri Lanka’s spin department might be a little light with Akila Dananjaya the only specialist spinner in the squad. However, the return of left-arm spinning allrounders Chaturanga de Silva and Sachith Pathirana could provide adequate cover.The players who are not already in India are expected to fly out in the early hours of Wednesday morning, after they were asked to disembark from the plane meant to fly them out to India on Monday. The SLC press release that included the squad had this as explanation: “due to delay in submitting the list of selected players to the ratification of the honourable minister as per regulations of the Sports Law owing to a long weekend, the selected players were unable to travel to India yesterday as was originally scheduled, and will depart today instead.”

Glasgow Rangers secured a 2-2 draw against PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their Champions League playoff round tie at Ibrox last night.

The result was a carbon copy of last years match as the sides shared the spoils in what was an end to end encounter in front of a typically raucous home crowd.

With a major financial boost on the line, Michael Beale, brought a few players back into the starting XI who had dropped to the bench for the League Cup win on Saturday, most notably Todd Cantwell and James Tavernier.

There was also a place on the bench for Rabbi Matondo, who shone against Greenock Morton, and he would go on to enjoy a solid cameo against the Dutch side.

Does Rabbi Matondo have a future at Rangers?

The Welsh winger scored no goals last term while grabbing just five assists, and it looked as though his time in Glasgow was going to be cut short.

Rangers Review journalist Euan Robertson said Matondo was their “bright spark” against Morton on the weekend, and he was perhaps unlucky to drop to the bench against PSV.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

His impact, however, was worth the wait. The tie was finely poised at 1-1 when the winger entered the fray with just over 20 minutes to go, injecting some much-needed pace into the Rangers attack.

He took four shots in total during his cameo while succeeding with four of his five dribbles and at one point, channelled his inner Lionel Messi to evade three defenders while dribbling into the box, but the move didn’t come to anything.

The 22-year-old also scored his first goal for the club after a stunning move, and it led Joshua Barrie to claim that “Matondo continues his redemption arc”, however, one of the finest players on the pitch was Cantwell.

How did Todd Cantwell perform vs PSV?

The former Norwich City maestro was sorely missed against Morton as the Gers lacked any sort of creativity throughout the midfield, but this was remedied last night.

The Englishman was deployed just behind Cyriel Dessers and Abdallah Sima in an attacking midfield role, and it proved to be a stroke of genius by Beale.

Despite taking just 41 touches during his time on the pitch, he made sure they all counted as he looked to link the midfield with the attack.

Cantwell succeeded with 100% of his dribbles while winning four out of his seven ground duels, suggesting that he used his physicality to good effect.

Barrie praised the 25-year-old at half-time for his contributions, saying:

“Despite that late goal, think Rangers still need to change something in possession/make the ball stick with the front two. Cantwell's been head and shoulders making something out of nothing on the ball with limited options.”

With some better defending, Rangers could have secured a famous win over the Eredivisie side, yet the performances of Matondo and Cantwell will have pleased Beale.

Does he stick or twist heading into the away leg?

With European group stage football guaranteed no matter the result, the manager will surely tell his team to go for the jugular in Eindhoven.

West Ham United have now turned their attention towards signing Bayer Leverkusen's Odilon Kossounou, as a potential alternative option to one of their major summer targets, according to a new report.

Who are West Ham signing this summer?

David Moyes is looking to strengthen the spine of his team this summer, following Declan Rice's departure, and Udinese midfielder Lazar Samardzic could follow Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse through the door in central midfield.

The Hammers could hijack Inter Milan's move for the maestro by offering a "more advantageous package", while Scott McTominay may also become an option, should Lucas Paqueta seal a move to Premier League champions Manchester City.

In terms of new attacking options, Montpellier's Elye Wahi is now emerging as a major target, with the Irons now "concretely positioned" to make a move, and Moyes is also still keen on strengthening his backline.

Read The Latest West Ham Transfer News HERE

According to a report from The Sun, West Ham's move for Harry Maguire is now stalling over personal terms, despite having a £30m bid accepted by Manchester United, and they are now running the rule over potential alternative options.

One such player is Kossounou, with the Hammers now lining up a £30m swoop for the Bayer Leverkusen defender, who sporting director Tim Steidten knows well from his time working for the Bundesliga club.

Leverkusen may also be open to a loan move, if a guaranteed buy option was included in the deal, with the 22-year-old emerging as a viable alternative to Maguire, who is considering whether to fight for his place at Old Trafford.

As it stands, Moyes' side are yet to make a bid for the Ivory Coast international, but that could change if the deal for the Man United defender falls through.

Is Harry Maguire joining West Ham?

The Telegraph have now reported the Irons are confident of wrapping up a deal for the England international, with Erik ten Hag signalling he is happy for his former skipper to leave, if he does not have the confidence to fight for his place.

As such, a move for Kossounou may not be necessary, but there are plenty of indications he could be a solid signing if Moyes decides he wants to bring in more than one centre-back this summer.

Lauded as having a "crazy amount of talent" by football scout Jacek Kulig, the Leverkusen defender is very comfortably driving the ball forward, ranking in the 93rd percentile for progressive carries, and the 84th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 in the past year.

There is still some work to do defensively, with the Ivorian being outperformed by Maguire on a number of key metrics, including aerials won, clearances and blocks per 90, but at the 22-years-old he is still very young, with plenty of room to develop further.

That said, although he has been routinely criticised by fans and the media alike, Maguire is probably the safer option, as he already has plenty of Premier League experience, and Moyes will be hoping to get the deal over the line at some point this week.

Mahedi Hasan and Rashid Khan returned combined figures of 4 for 34 in eight overs as Comilla defended 153 and rose to second on the table

The Report by Mohammad Isam18-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRaton Gomes/BCBComilla Victorians’ spin duo of Mahedi Hasan and Rashid Khan returned combined figures of 4 for 34 in eight overs to fire their team to a fourth successive win in the 2017-18 BPL and rise to second spot on the table. In a match whose value shot up simply by the presence of the number of marquee names, Comilla defended a total of 153 for 6 to beat Rangpur Riders by 14 runs in font of a packed Shere Bangla National Stadium.Rangpur were severely bolstered by the arrivals of Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum. But their explosive power at the top could not come to their aid in a chase of 154. Rashid, the 19-year old legspinner, struck with his second ball, trapping Gayle lbw and opening the gates, as Rangpur never quite recovered.Comilla’s innings was built around Imrul Kayes’ 32-ball 47 at the top, followed by a more sedate 41 off 34 balls from Marlon Samuels. Mashrafe Mortaza led his attack brilliantly, snaring 2 for 22 in four overs, while Thisara Perera’s 2 for 26 saw him become the Sri Lankan, after Lasith Malinga, to take 200 wickets in T20 cricket.Mashrafe calls the early shotsComilla boast a top four that can pack quite a punch, but for all their hitting prowess, Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das and Jos Buttler combined for a total of 33 runs and fell well inside the first half of their innings. Rubel Hossain struck first when he got rid of Tamim Iqbal after getting spanked for a brace of fours earlier in the over. Mashrafe then struck twice in three balls. First, Liton Das desperately charged down and swung clumsily to lose his middle stump. Then, with the second ball of his next over, Mashrafe had Buttler trapped in front of middle and off after the batsman looked to play across the line. Comilla were reduced to 55 for 3 in the ninth over.Kayes keeps Comilla tickingFrom 55 for 3, Kayes and Samuels steered them to 100, adding 45 runs for the fourth wicket. Kayes’ knock wasn’t the most convincing one, but it served its purpose and set Comilla up nicely for the slog overs. He went on to become Thisara Perera’s 200th scalp, when somelate reverse swing took out his leg stump.Samuels continued to find the boundary at timely intervals, before he too fell to Perera, reaching out to a wide yorker and nicking off to the keeper. Samuels struck four fours and a six in his knock. Mohammad Saifuddin launched the final over of the innings with a six and a four against Rubel as Comilla pinched 14 runs off it and crossed the 150 mark.Gayle and McCullum’s rocky startPerhaps the biggest talking point heading into this game was Gayle and McCullum joining forces at the top of the order for Rangpur. While the duo would make for a potent partnership on most days, Comilla chose to counter them by opening the bowling with the off-spin of Mahedi. The young offspinner pinged Gayle’s pad with the first ball he bowled to the left-hander. Though it looked dead plumb to the naked eye, umpire Ranmore Martinsez refused to budge despite Comilla desperately pleading with him. Replays later showed that the ball was heading towards Gayle’s legstump.Mahedi’s first over had cost just 1, but Brendon McCullum reversed the pressure on Comilla by crunching a six and a four in the next over, off Al-Amin Hossain. Mahedi was then denied a wicket for a second time when McCullum got down to sweep him and the ball just about shaved his legstump. Two deliveries after that, Hasan Ali had Gayle dropped off his bowling when Liton Das failed to latch on to a catch after running back. With Gayle punishing Hasan for three fours in the over, it seemed as though Comilla would be left to pay a heavy price for the lapses.Rashid, Mahedi rip through RangpurRashid Khan’s introduction immediately added a sense of eagerness to the game. The potential of a contest between two of the heaviest hitters and the opposition’s most wily bowler was exciting. Two balls were all it took for Rashid to come out on top of that one as he got one to skid into Gayle’s pads. Gayle, however, wasn’t second-time lucky as the umpire gave him out despite the ball having pitched outside leg. Two balls later, he had Kusal Perera sweeping at a googly and top-edge to backward square leg.Mahedi followed it up with a double-strike of his own in the next over. McCullum charged down to a length ball and got nowhere to the pitch of the delivery to be stumped. Shahriar Nafees had his off-stump flattened with one that gripped and turned, and Rangpur had lost four wickets in eight balls.Laboured consolidationRavi Bopara survived on 1 when Kayes couldn’t hold on to a spectacular effort at first slip. Thereafter, he and Mohammad Mithun got down to rebuilding Rangpur’s innings, although Comilla’s bowlers greatly slowed things down. By the time the partnership was broken, when Mithun drove Al-Amin Hossain straight to Tamim at extra cover, they had added 67. But in the face of a mounting required rate, the partnership did not have its desired impact, as Rangpur were left requiring 55 runs off the remaining 28 balls.

Fulham aren’t resting on their laurels this summer as they look to take that next step up the Premier League table. They may miss out on target though, a highly regarded Premier League youngster, and here is why, as per Dharmesh Sheth when he spoke to GIVEMESPORT.

So, what's going on at Fulham?

Fulham went above and beyond expectations last season as they came tenth in the Premier League table. The man at the helm was Marco Silva who has recently been linked with a move away from the English capital.

Silva was the subject of interest from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli at a ridiculous price of £35 million across two years, as per The Guardian.

The Portuguese manager isn’t the only man with the chance to move to the Middle East as star striker Alexsandr Mitrovic was also garnering similar attentions. His future is up in the air still whilst Raul Jimenez was brought in from Wolverhampton Wanderers to add further depth in that position.

Premier League youngster Callum Hudson-Odoi is another name who has been linked with the Fulham switch, a deal which would of course see him have to travel very little distance over from Chelsea.

The Evening Standard reported on the chances of Hudson-Odoi arriving at Craven Cottage ahead of the new season, but Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth paints a less rosy picture.

What has Dharmesh Sheth got to say on the transfer front?

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth told GIVEMESPORT exactly what the difference is between Chelsea and Fulham when it comes to the valuation of Callum Hudson-Odoi.

"One player we talked about before, Fred, but another player that they're edging closer to signing is Hudson-Odoi as well, from Chelsea. Talks are continuing.

"Still a gap in valuation on the fee, but a lot of that deal, I'm told, has been agreed in principle. Personal terms not expected to be a problem. It's just that all important fee now.

"He's entered the final year of his contract, hence why Fulham probably want to pay a little bit less. I think there's a willingness from all parties to get the deal done, it's just whether they can close that gap on the fee."

What other business are Fulham pursuing?

Willian has been at the heart of a lot of reporting regarding whether he will return to Fulham or not. A new deal was recently announced but it could all go sour if The Guardian’s report is to be believed. The former Chelsea and Arsenal man has “agreed personal terms with Saudi club Al-Shabab and has already communicated to Fulham and the manager, Marco Silva, his intention to leave and begin a new chapter in his career.”

Another name, also a winger, that has been regularly spoken about in the same breath as the Cottagers is Demarai Gray. The Everton man has been angling for a move away from Goodison Park for a while now and he is chosen destination is West London.

Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the Jamaican international had agreed terms with Fulham as Silva’s side look to build on a very impressive 2022/23 campaign.