Shahid Afridi has joined Karachi Kings as “president”, according to the franchise

Umar Farooq07-Apr-2017

Shahid Afridi has joined Karachi Kings as “president”, according to the franchise. He is likely to feature for the team as a player, too, in the third edition of Pakistan Super League in 2018, though this is yet to be confirmed; the PSL’s trading window ahead of the next edition is yet to open. Last month Afridi had announced on Twitter that he had left Peshawar Zalmi after two years with the franchise.ESPNcricinfo understands that Afridi is likely to be traded between Peshawar and Karachi as part of the formalities later this year. For now, Karachi Kings owner Salman Iqbal confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Afridi had joined his franchise as president.Afridi had tweeted on March 25 that he was “announcing my end of service as president & player of Peshawar Zalmi Team due to my personal reasons”. He said it was “time for another” team. Following his tweets, Peshawar’s owner, Javed Afridi, told ESPNcricinfo that he was “clueless” in the matter. Later, it was learnt that Afridi had parted ways from the franchise over disagreements with the owner.”There are things that I don’t want to bring in media but Javed’s vision has changed with the time,” Afridi said on a TV show on Geo News. “I don’t want to become a hindrance to Javed’s goal and vision, because I have my own foundation and a lot of other things. So I can not fullfil his commitments and want to focus on my things as well. I wanted to announce it after the PSL final, but I had couple of commitments with Zalmi, so I waited for the right time.”Afridi, who is based in Karachi but was born in Khyber Agency, had talked about the importance of Peshawar Zalmi to his local region, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a day before his Twitter announcment. “We have not created the Peshawar Zalmi team to play just a month’s cricket in the PSL and then sit at home,” Afridi had said. “Our work goes beyond the cricket field and we want to change the lives of the underprivileged in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”Peshawar Zalmi won the PSL title in 2017, defeating Quetta Gladiators in the final held at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Afridi had missed the final with a finger injury that he picked up during the playoffs in the UAE. In all, in ten matches in PSL 2017, he had scored 177 runs at 25.28 with a strike rate of 173.52, and taken two wickets with an economy rate of 6.75. He had captained the franchise in the inaugural edition of the tournament, before handing over to Darren Sammy this year.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has made it 'very clear' to Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount that he is a 'priority target' at Old Trafford this summer, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

According to reports, United have already had two initial bids for the England international turned down by the Londoners.

However, another bid is expected to land shortly with the Red Devils are still considered as being the side that are in pole position to sign the £80k-a-week ace.

Nevertheless, Simon Jones, who is a journalist for the Daily Mail, has delivered another update in his Transfer Confidential that may worry Manchester United fans, revealing that their pursuit of Mount has now put them in a position where Ten Hag might need to choose between signing a high-profile striker or goalkeeper this summer, as their budget won't allow them to strengthen both positions.

Tottenham Hotspur talisman Harry Kane was also a target for the Red Devils previously; however, any move to bring in the 29-year-old now looks to be off the table.

Manchester United star Luke Shaw spoke about Mount when asked if they had been in contact in an interview cited by METRO while on international duty, stating:

"Yeah, obviously he’s not here [Mount was injured]. I think it’s all just a bit of banter really, obviously we have a joke and a laugh about it. I am not too sure what goes on behind the scenes; it’s to do with the club really.

"But of course when we’re here and together we have a joke about it but like I said I don’t know too much what’s going on."

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, renowned journalist Romano has signalled that Manchester United have communicated their vision to Mount at Old Trafford.

Romano stated: "They believe that this is kind of a strategy game, so let's see if Chelsea will change their position on the price in the next few weeks.

"Manchester United have sent very clear messages to the player in recent days, telling him they want him and that he is considered a priority target."

How did Mason Mount fare at Chelsea in 2022/23?

Mount endured an inconsistent campaign for Chelsea, in all honesty, though he still showed flashes of quality in a collectively underwhelming time of things at Stamford Bridge.

As per Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old made 35 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea, registering three goals and six assists in the process.

WhoScored detail that Mount had no problem trying to force the issue for Chelsea and showed bravery when on the ball, completing 1.3 key passes on average per match in the Premier League.

According to FBRef, Mount was a handy presence in the engine room with regard to chance provision and successfully mastered 83 shot-creating actions over the course of the term.

Being handed a fresh opportunity somewhere else to show his capabilities may be the best option for the Portsmouth-born ace's career moving forward and Ten Hag could potentially take him to the next level at Old Trafford.

There has been a further update in Liverpool's pursuit to sign Federico Chiesa, with reports from Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, stating that the Reds will stump up the player's wage demands and are ready to step up their interest in the player.

How many goals has Federico Chiesa scored?

The forward has struggled with injuries over the last 12 months or so, and that has meant his form and his gametime has slightly tailed off for current club Juventus. He could manage only six league starts for the Turin outfit over the course of the 2022/23 season for example and whilst he did play in 21 games overall, he had to make do with largely substitute appearances. It meant that, in total, he had only 9.5 lots of 90 minutes over the course of the entire campaign – his worst ever amount in a season.

In spite of this, Chiesa still managed to score two goals and bag five assists. Whilst not quite hitting the heights of his peak Juventus days or his time at Fiorentina, it shows that he is still capable of hitting the back of the net and creating things offensively when he is match fit and able to get onto the field. Juve though have struggled this season and with the club slumping to seventh – and missing out on the Champions League – it appears he may now be sold on.

Are Liverpool signing Chiesa?

One of the teams most interested in snapping up the Italy international is Liverpool. The Premier League side are reportedly willing to offer up to £34m to try and bring the winger in this summer, although that comes well below the Serie A side's valuation of him.

Now, according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport via Sport Witness, this interest from the Reds is hotting up, with the side ready to not only stump up the player's huge wage demands of 8 million Euros (or £6.8m) a year but also preparing to make a "concrete" bid for his services next week.

It even adds that Jurgen Klopp is a big fan of the move, stating that he is a "great sponsor" for the deal being done. They've had "big manouveres" with the player's agent, so things are already happening behind the scenes it seems.

He's a player that is viewed as having a lot of talent in the eyes of media members. Football journalist Josh Bunting stated that Chiesa is a "real difference maker" and has been "one of the most exciting players around" for some time, while former Itlay striker Antonio Di Natale is a huge fan of the player, praising his unpredictability in posession and drive for improvement.

If Chiesa can get back to full fitness and play regularly again then, he could be a real asset to any club – and it appears that the club closest to signing him may just be Liverpool.

Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a move for another defender very soon, if reports are to be believed…

What's the latest on Edmond Tapsoba to Tottenham Hotspur?

The latest comes from transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter to offer a short summation on Ange Postecoglou's pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen ace Edmond Tapsoba.

Regarding the north London outfit, he simply wrote: "Edmond Tapsoba, top of the list as talks will take place in the next days."

Given other reports are suggesting the German outfit will command a fee of around £61m, this could prove a lucrative move for the Lilywhites to make. However, if Daniel Levy is to truly back his new manager, these are the kinds of deals he must push through to progress his club back into the big time.

How good is Edmond Tapsoba?

Many will likely be aware of this towering Burkina Faso international for his work in Germany since his 2020 move. It has not taken long to establish himself as one of the Bundesliga's top centre-backs, with journalist Raphael Honigstein even writing: "Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba has been outstanding since arriving in late, late January. Meet Edmond Tapsoba, the Bundesliga’s new sensation."

The figures support the 6 foot 4 titan's prominence as a skilful modern-day defender, but he maintains the necessary defensive steel that could complement Cristian Romero well within a new-look system at Spurs.

In fact, when compared to others in his position across Europe, Tapsoba ranks in the top 5% for progressive passes and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90, with his potential new teammate also noted on his 'similar players' list.

The comparisons between the two as creative stars will likely please Postecoglou, whose whole philosophy is embroiled in playing out from the back with confidence.

To further emphasise this quality in possession, the defender actually admitted to modelling his game around John Stones, who has arguably redefined what it means to be a ball-playing defender.

Tapsoba told The Athletic: "John Stones, at Everton. I really enjoyed watching him, he made a huge impression on me. His manner on the ball, and the way he played with the ball. I loved that. I still go back to Stones when it comes to playing in a certain style."

Combining this fleet-footed philosophy with the steel of the World Cup winner could be a match made in heaven,

Whilst his 1.1 interceptions, 1.5 tackles and three clearances per game in the German league (via Sofascore) might not be the most exceptional, when accumulated alongside Romero's figures in these categories (1.6 tackles, 2.5 tackles, 3.6 clearances per game in the league), the two could blend well and cover each other's weaknesses.

It is therefore no surprise that Tapsoba remains so high on the list of the Spurs hierarchy, who would surely thrive with these two impressive, aggressive and technically proficient titans at the heart of their defence.

Finding suitable purches on a slow pitch in Colombo was only possible while the shine remained on the ball, said Sri Lanka’s left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo17-Mar-2017The new ball remained key to the spinners’ menace on this P Sara deck, said Lakshan Sandakan, after he took 4 for 140 in the Colombo Test.Sri Lanka were not particularly effective with either the first or second new ball, taking most of their wickets after the shine had worn off. But they did raise some close lbw shouts, and drew several mistakes from the batsmen, both early in Bangladesh’s innings and soon after taking the second new ball. Rangana Herath emerged with the innings’ best figures, wiping out the tail to finish with 4 for 82 while seam bowler Suranga Lakmal took 2 for 90, and though Dilruwan Perera did not make a breakthrough, he bowled his 33 overs with good control.”The wicket became a bit slow, and when the newness of the ball goes, there’s nothing much from the pitch,” Sandakan said. “You have to toil a bit here and work hard. Rangana and Dilruwan [Perera] bowled in good spots and put good pressure on them, and that’s why we were able to get them out. Suranga [Lakmal] also bowled really well, because it’s not a pitch that favours quicks and he did his job really well. If you keep the ball as new as possible, I think the spinners have a good chance here.”It was Sandakan who dismissed Bangladesh’s top-scorer Shakib Al Hasan in the afternoon session, but he could have had him out for 11 had a catch at deep square leg been held. A couple of chances had gone down off Sandakan’s bowling in the first Test in Galle as well, but he was philosophical about the misses. “Having a catch dropped [is] not a new thing for a bowler. Whether you play club cricket or school cricket, catches can be missed. Maybe the catch goes up because it’s a very good ball so I try to look at it as a positive and keep trying to bowl good balls.”In addition to the dropped catch off Sandakan, Sri Lanka also spilled a chance off Lakmal, missed a straightforward run-out, and were uncharacteristically sloppy on the field.Adding to Sandakan’s problems was a difficulty bowling to a right-left batting combination. He conceded 4.24 per over as Shakib, the left-hander, forged partnerships of 92 and 131 with right-handers Mushfiqur Rahim and Mosaddek Hossain.”Changing according to whether the batsman is a left-hander or right-hander is a bit difficult for me, with the way my action is. But we need to be focused on where to bowl to batsmen. I think if you can bowl straight, you’ll be able to do something. Whether I bowl the googly or the chinaman or whatever, if I pitch it in the right place, I think I have a good chance – it doesn’t really matter whether he’s right or left handed.”

Tottenham Hotspur remain focused on their top summer target, with an update suggesting steady progress continues to be made…

What's the latest on James Maddison to Tottenham Hotspur?

Taking to his Twitter, it was once again transfer guru Fabrizio Romano who offered the latest update on Ange Postecoglou's pursuit of James Maddison.

The Leicester City maestro remains embroiled in this transfer tussle between Spurs and Newcastle United, but with the latter having moved on to other targets, it leaves the former in the driving seat for the man valued at over £50m by his club.

The Italian journalist wrote on Saturday afternoon: "Tottenham will push again for James Maddison next week — he remains the priority target for Postecoglou in that position."

Could James Maddison take Heung-min Son's place?

One of the few feel-good stories that have surrounded the Lilywhites in recent years has been the partnership struck up between Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

As a quality creator and finisher, and an often-unstoppable speedy winger, the two struck up a bond that captured the imagination, even surpassing Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba for goals exchanged between the pair.

The South Korean has recorded 225 goal contributions across his 372 games in north London, yet saw a notable downturn last term that will leave Postecoglou with cause for concern.

Having notched 23 goals and a further 17 in the two respective seasons before the last, he would only muster ten league strikes most recently, leaving the England captain to shoulder most of the burden. His 30 goals marked an immense feat, as he took this weak side on his back.

However, he cannot be allowed to continue as the sole offensive threat.

The acquisition of Maddison could supplement his compatriot once again, especially given the 26-year-old managed 19 goal contributions in a Foxes side that fell to the drop. He too has shown his quality in a struggling outfit.

His ability to score and supplement from deep could see him ignite a new partnership in north London, where instead of speed being the main asset, a focus on technical excellence is preferred.

Either of these two creative stars could drop deep to pick out their advancing teammate, with whoever finds themself on the finishing end of the move likely to record an easy goal.

The former Norwich City star would likely prefer the former role, given Statman Dave's suggestion that he is a "magician". With 2.3 key passes and 1.7 successful dribbles per game last term too, a record better than Son's 1.8 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per match, this is a notion only emphasised further.

As the South Korean reaches the twilight years of his career, poised to turn 31 next month, Maddison is instead only just entering his prime years. He and Kane could replace one already legendary partnership with a new, fresh dynamic, to lay the foundations for Postecoglou's hopeful tenure.

Kusal Perera made a roaring return to Sri Lankan colours, cracking 77 off 53 balls to lead the hosts on a successful hunt of Bangladesh’s 155 for 6

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsUpul Tharanga and Kusal Perera struck a 65-run opening stand•Associated PressKusal Perera made a roaring return to Sri Lankan colours, cracking 77 off 53 balls to lead the hosts on a successful hunt of Bangladesh’s 155 for 6. That Sri Lanka had so few to chase was partly the work of Sri Lanka’s bowlers, who made breakthroughs whenever a partnership threatened, though they were helped to that end by off-colour Bangladesh batting.Mashrafe Mortaza, who as it turned out, was playing his penultimate game in the format, was by a distance the visitors’ best bowler. He claimed 2 for 32 from his four overs, and only one other bowler – Taskin Ahmed – mustered a breakthrough. Sri Lanka sauntered to the target with seven balls and six wickets to spare.This match was Kusal’s first international since his unseemly Test outing in Port Elizabeth, for which he was dropped from the Test XI, then subsequently axed from the limited-overs squads altogether. Having returned to national reckoning via good innings for Sri Lanka A, Kusal outlined his value to Sri Lanka in an innings that showcased a little batting nous as well as characteristic brutality. The bludgeoned drives and whipped pick-up shots over midwicket did eventually come, but not before he had laid low for the first four overs; and the big shots were, in any case, well devised as well as nicely executed. Instead of trying to clear fielders as Kusal often does, he strove to hit even his most ambitious shots into gaps.Over-rate fine for Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka were found to be one over short of their target in the first T20I, and have been fined by the ICC. While captain Upul Tharanga was fined 20% of his match fee, the rest of the team were fined 10%.

Having made only 5 off his first eight balls, Kusal smoked four fours and a six off his next seven, to help move Sri Lanka to 57 for none at the end of the Powerplay. Upul Tharanga, who had given the innings its initial impetus, departed in the seventh over, but Kusal stayed long enough to almost see the chase through. He reached his fifty off 31 balls, and when he fell in the penultimate over, Sri Lanka needed only nine runs, which they would proceed to gather over the next four balls. Seekkuge Prasanna was not out with 22 off 12 at the close.Though their bowlers responded poorly to Kusal’s shellacking, Bangladesh may reflect that it was with the bat that they made the more substantial mistakes. They had flown to 57 for 1 after five overs, for example, but then Sabbir Rahman ran a poor line to get himself run out, and Soumya Sarkar holed out in the same Vikum Sanjaya over. Suddenly, at 57 for 3, all that momentum they had developed was surrendered.Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan fell playing expansive shots to slow bowlers, who should, in fact, have been less effective on this track, which retained a little grass and had been rolled until hard. Mosaddek Hossain and Mahmudullah put on 57 off 42 together to lift their side from 82 for 5, but could not quite crack enough runs through the back-end of the innings to lift Bangladesh to a winning score.Lasith Malinga was especially good through this period, giving away seven and eight in his last two overs, in which he took the wicket of Mahmudullah with a searing yorker, having also done the same to Tamim Iqbal with the second ball of the match.Rain before play had delayed the start by 45 minutes, but no overs were lost.

CA chief executive James Sutherland said on Monday that the board is confident the tour will take place given the feedback it has received from its government agencies

Mohammad Isam11-May-2017

Cricket Australia will send a security team to Bangladesh next week as part of the process to finalise arrangements for the team’s tour in August-September. Nizamuddin Chowdhury, CEO of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, has said CA will take a call on going ahead with the tour based on the report of the security team.”Teams like Australia, England and India have certain standard pre-tour activities,” Chowdhury said on May 6. “Going by that, Cricket Australia will send a team in the middle of this month. They will check the security arrangements and assess other opportunities. These are standard practices that always take place. Only after this visit can their board officially give them the green signal to come here.”CA chief executive James Sutherland said on Monday that the board is confident the tour will take place given the feedback it has received from its government agencies.”We’re just working through all the details,” Sutherland said. “I’m very pleased to be at a stage of really fine-tuning the detail – there are still some things that we need to work through just to lock down on security.”Once our hosts have locked in dates and the schedule, then from us it’s all systems go, subject to any security concerns we might have. From all the research we’ve done and the work we’ve done with [the Department of] Foreign Affairs and others through government agencies, we’re confident the tour will take place.”Earlier this month, BCB president Nazmul Hassan had said that his CA counterpart David Peever had personally assured him of Australia’s participation in the two-Test series during last month’s ICC meeting in Dubai.Australia are scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on August 18. The tour will begin with a practice match in Chittagong from August 22 to 24, followed by the first Test from August 27 to 31, also in Chittagong, and the second Test from September 4 to 9 in Mirpur.

Making his IPL debut on Friday, Gujarat Lions fast bowler Andrew Tye gave ample evidence of why the knuckle ball is the most potent delivery in his repertoire. He came on to bowl the final over of the Powerplay, after Rising Pune Supergiant had raced to 60 for 1 in five overs, and stalled the opposition by conceding four runs and taking the wicket of a well-set Rahul Tripathi. He returned in the 13th over to pick up Ben Stokes’ wicket and, charged with bowling the 18th and 20th overs, Tye gave away only 10 runs and took a hat-trick in the final over.Over 60% of Tye’s deliveries were knuckle balls bowled at slower than 120 kph, and he got four of his five wickets off that delivery. The only bowler to take a hat-trick and five-for on IPL debut, Tye’s 5 for 17 was crucial in giving Lions the first win of the season. The hat-trick was his second of 2017, the first coming for the Perth Scorchers in a Big Bash League match against the Brisbane Heat.”It has probably taken me five-six years to get to the stage where it [the knuckle ball] is today,” Tye told “I have practised it hard and have practised with the right intent. Now, it is my most powerful weapon in T20 cricket.”Unlike the hat-trick I took in the Big Bash, I actually knew it was a hat-trick ball. It came out perfectly as sometimes you try too hard and it just doesn’t go right. You always go back to your run-up and think ‘What ball am I going to bowl?’ I had decided I’d bowl a slower ball before I ran in. I was able to get it on the stump and the batsman missed it.”Although his debut came only on Friday, Tye isn’t exactly new to the IPL scene, having spent two seasons on the sidelines of franchises. Bought by Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2015 auction, and by Gujarat Lions a year later, Tye spent a considerable amount of time bowling to international batsmen in the nets and this, he believes, has allowed his game to develop quite well.”Even if you are not playing, India is a great place to develop your game and learn from the best players in the world. Playing with the international players and the Indian players, my cricket has really come on. It only leads to the development of your game.”This morning our Coach Hodgy (Brad Hodge) told me ‘Get set to play. You’re definitely playing’. To get a wicket in the first over settled me down. I came here with nothing to lose. When you’ve waited that long for a chance, you got to take it. I was happy the way I came out and performed tonight.”

Zinedine Zidane continues to be linked with Manchester United, but Louis Saha is not convinced that the legendary Frenchman would want the job.

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Questions being asked of Dutch coachReal Madrid legend still out of workHas avoided English jobs in the pastWHAT HAPPENED?

There is not a vacancy to be filled in the Old Trafford dugout at present, with Erik ten Hag still calling the shots. Questions have, however, been asked of how long the Dutchman will be sticking around for as United scratch around for consistency in Premier League and Champions League.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Former Real Madrid boss Zidane has been mooted as a potential United boss in the past, and figures prominently in current betting markets, but ex-Red Devils striker Saha has – speaking in association with – told GOAL when asked if the World Cup winner would be interested in a prominent English post: “Zinedine Zidane has been linked with Manchester United before but he’s a legend of the game and he’s willing to take his time. He’s had a lot of opportunities, with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and we heard his name with United before. I’ve seen reports that he might not be willing to come to the Premier League, so I'd be surprised if things have changed in that sense. Manchester United are still one of the biggest attractions but it’s a difficult place to come and have the success that we’re all looking for. That’s the biggest challenge, and whether he wants it is up to him.”

WHAT THEY SAID

Ten Hag is under contract until 2025 and did deliver Carabao Cup glory for United last season. Quizzed on whether he should fear the sack if collective performances do not improve, Saha added: "Being a manager of Manchester United, you have to accept the pressure of being sacked. That’s the reality of being manager of Manchester United, especially when you’re not playing well. Big managers before Erik ten Hag have come in and been sacked.

"But last year, Ten Hag came in and changed a lot of things but now there’s some frustration which we saw with other managers. He has to be aware of that and I'm sure he is. There won’t be any surprises, even if he somehow manages to create Ten Hag mania, it always comes down to results. Even Sir Alex Ferguson was under pressure at United, and that’s a normal position that Ten Hag will just have to get used to. He has to get points in the league and the Champions League as well as getting the team back on track because at the moment, it’s not quite there."

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United are sat eighth in the Premier League as things stand, with 15 points collected from nine games, while they finally got off the mark in Europe last time out when edging out FC Copenhagen 1-0 – with Andre Onana required to save a stoppage-time penalty in that contest.