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Liverpool star Cody Gakpo has admitted there is "pressure" surrounding the title race ahead of a crucial clash against Newcastle United.

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Gakpo key player for LiverpoolOne year since arrivalOpens up on title race pressureGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The 24-year-old Netherlands international has claimed although there is pressure ahead of hosting the Magpies at Anfield, he and his Liverpool team-mates are preparing in the same way and are ready for the test.

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Speaking ahead of the upcoming clash against Newcastle, Gakpo also talked up the collective spirit in the Liverpool camp. "I think we are doing really good from the beginning of the season and we have a good group," he told the official Liverpool website. "This game, even though we are in first place, we just go into this game like it's a really important game – like every other game.Of course it brings pressure to be in the top position in the league but I think we don't see it like that. We are just really focused on that one game we have to play in that moment, and I think that's also a strength of the team.

"They [Newcastle] have a really good team. Obviously we have to work really hard, we have to fight together, stick together even through the difficult moments maybe that will come in the game – hopefully not but it's a world-class team as well.It's hopefully going to be a great game with us on top at the end."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Gakpo arrived at Liverpool in the January transfer window for around £36 million ($46m), and he is now approaching a year at the club ahead of the game on New Year's Day.

The versatile forward has made just under 50 appearances for the Reds in the short time he has been on Merseyside, as he looks to secure his first bit of silverware at the club in the near future, further outlining why he is remaining focused when commenting on a possible title race in 2024.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR GAKPO?

Gakpo, as well as other players in the team such as Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, will all have to step-up in the coming weeks as they prepare to lose star-man Mohamed Salah to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Liverpool will play their final fixture with the Egyptian against Newcastle, before he jets off to the Ivory Coast to join up with his international team-mates. Following his departure, Gakpo will need to prepare for an FA Cup meeting against Arsenal and a Premier League game against Fulham.

Chelsea take on Liverpool in the Premier League on Tuesday evening, just two days after Graham Potter was sacked at Stamford Bridge.

The former Brighton boss struggled throughout his tenure with the Blues and his fate was sealed by the 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa last weekend, with interim manager Bruno Saltor in charge for the visit of Liverpool tonight.

If the Spaniard wants to avoid following in the footsteps of his predecessor, then he must consider dropping Mykhailo Mudryk after the January signing produced another shocking performance against Unai Emery's side last time out.

Should Chelsea drop Mudryk vs Liverpool?

Mudryk was perhaps always going to be a risky signing for the Blues given he was untested in England and had made just 44 senior appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk, contributing 12 goals and 17 assists.

However, Todd Boehly still invested £88.5m to bring the 22-year-old to the Premier League and for that sort of money, you would expect the winger to have an instant impact and help fire Chelsea up the table.

The £97k-per-week winger made just eight appearances under Potter before his sacking late last week, in which he contributed no goals and just one assist, averaging a woeful 6.21 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the top flight, which ranks him as the 30th-best performer in Chelsea's squad.

Despite his poor start to life at Stamford Bridge, Potter opted to start the young winger against Villa but the Ukraine international arguably played a big part in his sacking, as he first failed to square the ball to Kai Havertz for a tap-in, before hitting a tame effort straight at Emiliano Martinez when through on goal.

Former Premier League striker Tony Cascarino was less than impressed with Mudryk's performance against Villa and criticised him on talkSPORT.

He said: "Ok he had a couple of chances and didn't take them. That happens. But since he's come, he's looked like he hasn't got a clue what is happening around him."

In the Champions League with Shakhtar earlier in the season, Mudryk was averaging 1.5 shots, 0.8 key passes and 1.7 dribbles per game but in the Premier League thus far he has mustered just 0.9 shots, 0.3 key passes and 0.3 dribbles per game, which emphasises that he hasn't lived up to his potential.

While a number of Boehly's signings have also flopped, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang completely ostracised under Potter, at least the Gabon striker had Premier League pedigree and didn't arrive for an eye-watering amount of money.

Aubameyang has at least found the net too, albeit on just three occasions, while averaging a fractionally better WhoScored match rating of 6.39. That is still woeful, but not quite as bad as Mudryk.

The early signs from the flanker are that Chelsea could be stuck with a player that isn't cut out for the Premier League until his contract expires in 2031, so if Bruno wants to get off to a good start at Stamford Bridge, he must drop the Ukrainian against Liverpool tonight.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Roger Ibanez, with AS Roma set to lower their asking price, according to reports from Italy.

What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?

Tottenham have already started work on bringing in a new defender, with it recently being reported they have submitted a £19m bid for Galatasaray's Victor Nelsson, although they may have to slightly increase their offer to tempt the Turkish side into a sale.

Personal terms with Nelsson have already been agreed, meaning a move may not be far away, however the Dane is not the only defender Spurs have their eye on, with journalist Rudy Galetti reporting they are "tracking" Villarreal's Pau Torres.

Incoming manager Ange Postecoglou reportedly does not view Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez as valuable assets, with the duo poised to depart this summer, meaning the manager may be tasked with bringing in multiple new centre-backs.

Another player who has been linked with a switch to north London is Roma's Ibanez, with reports from Italy previously detailing the Italian club are set to demand €40m (£34m) to sanction his departure in the upcoming window.

However, the defender has made it clear he wants to leave, and the Serie A side have now lowered their asking price to €30m (£26m), in what could be a real boost for Tottenham.

The 24-year-old is popular in the Premier League, and AS Roma may be forced into making a sale before the end of June, as they need to make sure they abide by Financial Fair Play rules.

Is Ibanez joining Tottenham?

Considering Tottenham only want to spend €20m (£17m) on the Brazilian, Roma's current asking price may still be considered too high, however they may be able to use Roma's ongoing financial situation to lower the price even further.

The opportunity to sign the centre-back for a cut-price fee would surely be attractive to the Lilywhites, considering how well he performed in the Serie A last season, averaging two interceptions per game, the second-highest figure in the entire league.

Hailed as "untouchable" by manager Jose Mourinho, the Roma star ranks in the 82nd percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and in the 81st for non-penalty goals, indicating he also poses an attacking threat.

Even if Tottenham have to fork out £26m for Ibanez, he could be a quality addition to the squad, and it is very good news that Roma have lowered their asking price before the window has even officially opened.

Brett Lee is probably the only Australian who has welcomed the retirements of McGrath and Warne and is thriving in an environment where he is the alpha male

Peter English at the Gabba03-Feb-2008
Brett Lee: Basking in the limelight © Getty Images
Brett Lee now bowls like a man with nothing to prove. The shadows of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne have gone and the only clouds on his mind in Brisbane were the leaky ones above the Gabba. A parent of a toddler, Lee is also the head of Australia’s bowling family and is becoming more relaxed about the responsibility with every innings.Australia’s attack included a debutant in Ashley Noffke and Mitchell Johnson, who has played 26 matches, was the only other one backing up from the Test series. Lee was not concerned by his lack of big-name help and against an opponent with similarly fresh faces he showed why he is the big daddy.This is the point Lee has wanted to reach since making his international debut nine years ago. He gets the new ball, comes back mid-innings to mop up or blast out and returns at the finish to create more damage. There is never any question over his end and when Ricky Ponting wants a wicket it is Lee who takes the ball. Throughout the Tests he was there when Ponting needed him and he has started the CB Series in the same way.The only thing Lee could not control was the weather, which prevented him from earning the victory his bowling deserved. In between taking 5 for 27 he ran across to support Noffke during his early expensive overs and tapped a batsman in apology after almost running into him. The downscaling of hostilities since Sydney actually suits Lee and does not result in any loss of bowling venom. Without needing to think about what to say to a batsman, he can concentrate more on how to remove them.There was no generosity shown to the debutant Manoj Tiwary as he was attacked with a series of shorter deliveries. Tiwary did well to avoid a couple of dangerous balls aimed around head height, but he was so sure of getting another that he could not deal with a fuller one and was bowled off his pad. At the end of the over Lee was given a rest, his four-over second spell costing only 11 runs and including two wickets. India had threatened to come back after losing their experienced openers, but when Lee removed Rohit Sharma and Tiwary three wickets had fallen for three runs.Sachin Tendulkar also miscalculated Lee in the final over of his opening collection, pushing back too far and stepping on his stumps. The new and old were taken care of along with a couple of wickets in the last over of the innings and the upshot was Lee’s seventh career five-wicket haul.Lee is probably the only Australian who has welcomed the retirements of McGrath and Warne and is thriving in an environment where he is the alpha maleThe rest of Lee’s fast-bowling family had a mixed day. Nathan Bracken was expensive after his early breakthrough while Noffke recovered well from giving up 27 runs in his opening four overs. Like Noffke, Johnson was playing on his home ground and he would have had something to cheer two overs earlier if Australia’s slips fielders were on message.Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting both dropped chances off Gautam Gambhir within three balls, but Johnson recovered to trap the batsman in front. He remained a threat and gave up only 33 runs in nine overs, although all the serious danger came from Lee until Ishant Sharma stormed through after another rain break.Given limited opportunities, Sharma was the only bowler to match Lee’s potency in a brief spell where he weaved the ball on a surface freshened by the extra moisture. James Hopes’ off stump was lost and Michael Clarke was welcomed with a hit in the chest. Sitting in the dressing room Lee would have been impressed with the discomfort caused for the batsmen.The conditions were steamy, the ball became slippery and the bowlers had many excuses for things not working. Lee did not need any and excelled despite the heat, the rain interruptions and the new-look India.To reach this level he needed to look around the field and not see any safety nets. Lee is probably the only Australian who has welcomed the retirements of McGrath and Warne and is thriving in an environment where he is the alpha male. Now when he stands at the top of his run he is no longer confused over his position. This is Lee’s team as well as Ponting’s.

Tom Harrison, the chief executive of the ECB, has given the clearest indication yet that Ben Stokes could be back in England’s Ashes squad sooner rather than later

Andrew Miller07-Nov-2017Tom Harrison, the chief executive of the ECB, has given the clearest indication yet that Ben Stokes could be back in England’s plans sooner rather than later, after admitting that the board was keen to “rehabilitate reputations on the field” in the wake of Stokes’ arrest in Bristol in September.With just over a fortnight to go until the first Test at Brisbane on November 23, Harrison conceded that the ECB had been forced into a “holding pattern” as it awaits news as to whether Stokes will be charged by Avon and Somerset Police for his alleged actions outside Mbargo nightclub on September 25.And though a board spokesman sought to downplay rumours, emanating from the Australian media, that a police update could come as soon as Wednesday, it seems increasingly clear that England are refusing to discount a recall for their star allrounder, who was made unavailable for selection after appearing to be caught on camera throwing punches at two men in a street brawl.”What happened was wrong, there’s no question about that,” said Harrison, speaking at the Deltatre Sport Industry Breakfast Club in London. “You don’t want to see your sport in that position and there are consequences of that. We’re in a holding pattern at the minute.”There’s a process with the police and then a disciplinary process. As you’ll appreciate, these things take time and that’s the pattern we’re in at the moment.”The question of Stokes’ availability has been made ever more pressing for England’s tour party following confirmation that his designated replacement, Steven Finn, has been ruled out of the rest of the tour after sustaining a knee injury.Finn suffered a tear to his left knee cartilage while batting on the first day of middle practice, and was unable to recover despite an injection. England have called up Tom Curran as a replacement but, along with the impending arrival of the England Lions squad to shadow the senior squad, there is still a need for clarity as they formulate their Ashes plans.With an internal ECB disciplinary process underway, but taking its lead from the police investigation, further reports suggest that – should Stokes escape police charges – he could be facing a two-Test suspension, which would make him available for the third Test at Perth, starting on December 14. However, Harrison refused to be drawn on any timeframes.”It’s complicated,” Harrison said. “We can’t go into any kind of detail about police matters, but there are serious issues that the game has to face and we have to get it right.”We have to get that balance between censure and support absolutely right. I think cricket’s response to this will show the value of the game in the best light.”Having been through a difficult moment, I think we’ll see the very best of cricket come out. We are blessed with a group of outstanding characters in the men and women’s game. They are great ambassadors for the game and this is very much an isolated incident and an aberration.”I think we will quickly recover to a place where the game is seen as doing its best to rehabilitate reputations on the field, and try to get Ben and Alex [Hales] back to a place where fans are really behind them, trying to do what they do best.”

It looks as if Mason Mount may not be the only midfield addition at Manchester United this summer, with the Red Devils reportedly eyeing a move for Southampton sensation, Romeo Lavia.

What's the latest on Lavia to Man United?

According to 90min, the Old Trafford outfit are still seemingly keen on strengthening in the centre of the park despite the recent £60m capture of Mount, with young Lavia said to be among the options being considered by Erik ten Hag.

While the report suggests that the signing of a new striker and goalkeeper remains the 'priority' for the former Ajax boss ahead of next season, a move for a player like the Belgian teenager – who has been valued at around £50m – could also be considered.

This comes amid a similar piece from Manchester Evening News which also revealed that Ten Hag is contemplating whether to make a second midfield signing, with the 19-year-old maestro believed to be being 'monitored' at present.

Who is Romeo Lavia?

The former Manchester City youth star – who made the move to St Mary's on a £14m deal last summer – was arguably one of the breakout stars of the 2022/23 campaign despite his side's eventual relegation, having been tipped to be a "top player" in the future by international colleague, Kevin De Bruyne.

Also regarded as a potential "leader" for his country and for a top Premier League club in the years to come – in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig – Lavia has already made a strong impression during his embryonic senior career, having also earned notable praise from United legend Paul Scholes last season:

"He has got a pass in his locker and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in-front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there."

As has previously been suggested, Ten Hag is believed to view the youngster as a potential successor to experienced Brazilian, Casemiro, in that defensive midfield role at the Theatre of Dreams, with further midfield depth also needed amid the uncertainty surrounding the futures of both Fred and Scott McTominay.

To be able to bring in such a highly-regarded wonderkid could have the adverse effect of harming one of United's own teenage gems, however, in the form of Kobbie Mainoo, with the 18-year-old Englishman potentially set to see his chances of game time hampered as a result of Lavia's possible arrival.

The "exceptional" talent – as described by MEN journalist Steven Railston – enjoyed a handful of outings in Ten Hag's senior set-up last term, with the expectation being that he will earn a permanent promotion to the first-team ranks moving forward.

A midfielder by trade – who operated in a deeper role in front of the back four during the club's glorious FA Youth Cup run in the 2021/22 season – Mainoo may then find that pathway blocked by the addition of Lavia, with it likely that the United boss would be more prone to handing minutes to a £50m, marquee signing, rather than a promising academy talent.

Of course, there may be hope for the Stockport native to ply his trade in a more advanced midfield berth, although the increased competition that would be provided by the Southampton star's arrival could prove to be bad news for his development.

Jadon Sancho has reactivated his Instagram account ahead of his return to Borussia Dortmund on loan from Manchester United.

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Sancho already in DortmundReturns to Instagram just hours after landingLoan deal set to be announcedWHAT HAPPENED?

The 23-year-old has already flown to Germany before his impending move to the Black & Yellows. And immediately upon his return, Sancho reactivated his Instagram account which he had to deactivate due to a row with Erik ten Hag for his'scapegoat' remark that left him exiled from all first-team facilities since August.

He has deleted all former posts and teased his imminent move to Dortmund on his display picture with an image from his earlier stint at Signal Iduna Park.

@sanchooo10 Instagram

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It will be a straight short-term loan with no-buy option, which means that Sancho will return to Manchester in the summer. He had been training with the academy players at Carrington to keep himself fit and ready for a fresh challenge after it was made abundantly clear that he had no future at Old Trafford.

DID YOU KNOW?

Jadon Sancho is the only player since 2004-05 who has scored and assisted at least 15 goals each within a single Bundesliga season, doing so in 2019-20 (17 goals and 16 assists).

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Sancho is set for his medical at Dortmund before re-signing with his former employers until the end of the campaign. It remains to be seen if Sancho is handed a run-out on Saturday by coach Edin Terzic against Darmstadt in the Bundesliga or if he is made to wait until January 20 to get back to competitive action against Koln at RheinEnergie Stadion.

The visitors, buoyed by the return of Angelo Mathews, Asela Gunaratne and Danushka Gunathilaka, seek to improve a woeful 2017 ODI record

The Preview by Sidharth Monga09-Dec-20175:12

Agarkar: Sri Lanka need leaders to show the way forward

Big pictureSri Lanka can breathe easy. And not just because they are out of Delhi. Virat Kohli will not be breaking any more records on the rest of their tour. That’s where the good news ends, though. The last time Sri Lanka played ODIs in India, India’s new captain Rohit Sharma scored 264. Also the most successful IPL captain, Rohit, now gets to lead India in limited-overs cricket as Kohli rests, but the onus is on Sri Lanka to make this series less tedious than the speculation around Kohli’s wedding.An indication of how unsure Sri Lanka are in ODI cricket is that until recently, their new captain Thisara Perera struggled to find a place in the side. Visiting India for ODIs is a daunting task at the best of times, and when you are on a 12-match losing streak and when India are on a seven-series winning streak, even miracles might not be enough. A more realistic target for Sri Lanka is to deny India a whitewash, which is what they need to become the No. 1 side in ODIs again.Normally, winning the toss and chasing in dewy grounds would be Sri Lanka’s best chance to deny India, but the two matches in India’s north, likely to be severely affected by dew, will begin two hours earlier than usual. That said, India will not want to take Sri Lanka lightly, especially with the return of Angelo Mathews, Danushka Gunathilaka and Asela Gunaratne.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India: WWLWL
Sri Lanka: LLLLLIn the spotlightAn opportunity to bat in the India top order – with Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit and Kohli – doesn’t come easy. The next three ODIs are an invitation for someone to stake a strong claim. Might it be another chance for Ajinkya Rahane, who has scored runs as an opener but hasn’t done enough to dispel the notion that he struggles to push on once the ball gets softer? Might this be an opportunity for Shreyas Iyer to get a decent run in India’s limited-overs sides? Or will Dinesh Karthik present a case to become India’s long-term No. 4?AFPNiroshan Dickwella can often get away with intemperate batting in Tests, but in ODIs he has to play a more important, more responsible role. He is Sri Lanka’s second-highest run-getter this year, and one of only three players from Sri Lanka to have played more than 20 matches this year. How well he goes at the top of the order will often determine how well Sri Lanka go.Team newsRahane is the frontrunner to take Kohli’s place in the XI with the other ODI specialists slotting right back in. Kedar Jadhav is injured, which probably means a toss up between Manish Pandey and Shreyas Iyer for a middle-order spot.*India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt.), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 Manish Pandey/Shreyas Iyer, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav/Axar Patel, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalSri Lanka’s Delhi Test saviour Dhananjaya de Silva, who scored the highest fourth-innings score by a visiting batsman in India despite illness and injury, will not be fit for the first ODI. Gunaratne, who injured his hand during the first Test on India’s tour of Sri Lanka, should regain his middle-order spot now that he is fit. Sri Lanka’s second-highest wicket-taker this year, Suranga Lakmal, is available too. They will also be boosted by the availability of Mathews to bowl a few overs.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Sadeera Samarawickrama/Kusal Perera/Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Thisara Perera (capt.), 7 Asela Gunaratne 8 Chaturanga de Silva/Sachith Pathirana/Dushmantha Chameera, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Nuwan Pradeep, 11 Akila DananjayaPitch and conditionsThe first-innings scores in the only three ODIs in Dharamsala have swung wildly between 190 and 330, making it hard to predict the typical nature of the surface. Usually, though, the only demon ODI tracks in India hold is slowness, which is not always the issue in Dharamsala. Thisara said it was a good batting pitch.Stats and trivia The last major team Sri Lanka beat in an ODI was India, in the Champions Trophy earlier this year. Sri Lanka have been whitewashed 5-0 three times this year. Angelo Mathews needs 88 runs to become the 10th Sri Lankan to 5000 ODI runs. He will be the slowest Sri Lankan to the mark. Sri Lanka last won an ODI in India in the World Cup of 2011. They last beat India in India in 2009. Since then, their record in India has been 1-8.Quotes”We have a couple of players who have come from injury. Balanced side at the moment. Hopefully we can do something special, I hope.”
*The preview was updated after the news of Kedar Jadhav’s injury came in.

A second ODI loss to Zimbabwe in the ongoing series, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews conceded, has put his captaincy under significant pressure, and he hinted that he is unsure if he will lead the side in the next World Cup

Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Jul-2017Angelo Mathews is unsure whether he will be Sri Lanka’s captain at the 2019 World Cup, after leading his side to a second loss against Zimbabwe in the ongoing five-match series. The defeat, Mathews conceded, put his captaincy under significant pressure. His comments came after Zimbabwe chased down a revised target of 219 – deduced via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method – in the fourth ODI, after Sri Lanka had made 300.”There’s a lot of pressure on all of us, and as a captain there is a lot of pressure on me as well,” Mathews said after the loss in Hambantota. “In these games, where our batsmen have done well, our bowlers didn’t perform well – both in this match, and in the first one we lost. Our fielding also hasn’t been good at times. Against Zimbabwe, we need to play better than this. If we score 300 and still lose here, there is a big shortcoming.”Mathews’ record as ODI captain since the last World Cup isn’t exactly awful: the team has won 12 matches to the 15 they have lost under his watch. However, during that time, their only series wins under Mathews have been against West Indies at home, and Ireland, away. They have lost one away series apiece to England and New Zealand, and one home series to Australia and Pakistan each. Besides, there is now a risk of losing a home series to 11th-ranked Zimbabwe, who have tied the ongoing series 2-2.”I don’t know if I will be going to the 2019 World Cup as captain,” Mathews said. “Our batsmen are doing well, but sometimes there’s no consistency in our fielding – we don’t do well sometimes. But with the players that we have, we can win these matches. We lost these matches because our bowling wasn’t good. We have to solve this problem quickly.”If Sri Lanka perform poorly in the forthcoming ODIs against India (in August and September), there is also the chance of the team not being able to gain automatic entry for the 2019 World Cup. At present, Sri Lanka are on the eighth position, with 92 rating points. They must stay ahead of West Indies, who are currently on 78 rating points, in order to avoid going through a separate qualification procedure for the next World Cup.Considering this was the second instance in the series when Sri Lanka failed to defend 300 or more, Mathews was forthright in stating his discontent over the lack of sting in the performance of the bowlers.”After scoring 300, how many times can you lose a game?” You know, we had enough runs on the board. [It’s] unfortunate the rain had to intervene, but still, we had the bowling attack to defend it. The first ten overs we gave away a lot of runs, also the rain intervened and the last ten overs we didn’t bowl that well.”We actually didn’t know the rain might come in, but the wicket was extremely dry this morning. So we all thought it’s going to start slowing more and more once the day goes on. We saw in the last game also that the ball started turning after the first 20 overs, in the second half especially. So, I thought if we bat first and bat well, we have the spinners to defend it.”Mathews also made the point that Sri Lanka’s attack was a diminished one. Nuwan Pradeep, who has recently been the best bowler in the side, picked up a niggle in the third ODI, and is being rested in order to ensure he can be fit for the four Test matches over the next eight weeks. Suranga Lakmal was also made unavailable by illness.”In our bowling we are facing problems – Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal are injured,” Mathews said. “We have to manage our bowlers’ workloads as well. We’ve got a lot of cricket coming up. We have to balance managing workloads and winning the matches in front of us.”

A reduction in the number of board members and limits on director terms could see ECB president Giles Clarke step down next year

George Dobell04-Nov-2017Giles Clarke’s long spell at the ECB looks set to end in 2018 due to changes in the governance of the sport.Clarke, currently the ECB’s first president, has been on the board of the organisation since 2005 and, between 2007 and 2015, was its chairman. But with the ECB set to reduce the size of its board from 13 to a maximum of 12 (and quite possibly 10) and introduce maximum term limits, it seems certain Clarke, now aged 64, will stand aside in the next few months.To comply with the governance requirements of UK Sport and Sport England, the ECB will shortly introduce a term limit of nine years (three terms of three years) for directors, while it will also be obliged to have a minimum of 30% of each gender on the board. At present, only two of the ECB’s 13 directors are women. While there is some scope for a director staying in position for 12 years if they are “appointed as chair… or to a senior position on an international federation” – Clarke qualifies on both counts – it will shortly become necessary for a director to have a break of four years before serving on the board again.The ECB has previously opposed any reduction in the size of the board suggesting that to do so would pose a threat to its “operational effectiveness”. They have also claimed that the “highly complex nature of the business” necessitated longer periods in office.The changes will be enshrined in the ECB’s amended Articles of Association – sent to counties this week and scheduled to be agreed in December and ratified at the AGM in April 2018 – alongside a raft of other adaptations. Among them will be an end to the system where the first-class counties (and the MCC) elect a chairman. It will instead be left to the board to elect one.Clarke might charitably be said to have polarised opinions during his spell at the ECB. While he oversaw an influx of money into the game – money that helped improve facilities for spectators and players and contributed to a period of much-improved results on the pitch – he also presided over a period when cricket’s relevance diminished in the public consciousness and gained an ever-more-elitist reputation. Clarke also deserves credit for his support of women’s cricket, disability cricket and, more latterly, Pakistan cricket though his attempts to backtrack on his role on the ‘Big Three’ takeover at the ICC convinced few.The ECB also intends to introduce a Regulatory Committee in the coming weeks. Increasingly anxious about government scrutiny of governance in sport – ECB chairman Colin Graves recently described it as “the most important issue for our sport” in a letter to the counties – the committee is intended, in Graves’ words, to “ensure that we are properly protecting ourselves in relation to integrity matters”.The committee will be chaired by Nick Coward, who has previously been CEO of the British Horseracing Authority and General Secretary of the Premier League, and also include three independent members, two senior ECB executives and an independent member from the ECB board.