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Mike Dodds' interim spell in charge of Sunderland looks to have ended in a whimper rather than a bang, the Black Cats losing 1-0 to Bristol City last time out with the Tyne and Wear side now gearing up to announce Tony Mowbray's successor imminently.

Mowbray's successor looks as though it could be former Rangers and QPR manager Michael Beale, a potential appointment met with many detractors owing to the 43-year-old's recent failures with the Gers and the fact he walked out on the Hoops just months into his tenure at Loftus Road to move to Ibrox.

Failing to get a deal over the line to secure the services of a left-field manager from afar in both Will Still and Kim Hellberg, Beale could still freshen things up and give the entire Sunderland squad a boost on his suspected arrival.

Jewison Bennette in particular will welcome the new appointment, a fresh set of eyes in the dug-out who could give the dynamic Costa Rican forward more first-team opportunities at the Stadium of Light soon.

Frozen out by Mowbray, the 19-year-old has shown glimpses of his quality for the Black Cats when used sporadically in the past.

Jewison Bennette's numbers for Sunderland

Rumoured to be loaned out in the coming transfer window, owing to just 79 minutes of senior action, Beale could give Bennette a lifeline by playing him in the first team more.

Described as a "flamboyant winger" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig on social media, Bennette has shone in patches on rare senior occasions for the Black Cats.

This season, the 19-year-old tricky attacker entertained the Sunderland masses with a dazzling cameo versus Southampton in a comprehensive early campaign 5-0 win.

Bennette had a part to play in adding more salt to the Saints' wound, only amassing seven touches – as per Sofascore – but assisting Chris Rigg's goal late into the game to make the scoreline even more embarrassing for Russell Martin's visitors.

Skilfully taking it past two Southampton defenders with outrageous showboating, his cross after pulling off the skills was also floated in expertly for Sunderland's 16-year-old midfielder to head home.

Bennette is yet to experience more first-team action this season, but has been impressive in the Premier League 2 during his short time at the Stadium of Light too – scoring two goals and assisting a further four from ten U21 appearances to date.

The bold left winger could be given a chance to impress in the first-team fold under Beale however, who has previously enhanced players in that very position at other clubs he's managed.

Why Bennette could benefit from Beale

In his previous job post at QPR, the divisive 43-year-old got the best out of former Arsenal man Chris Willock down the flanks who plays where Bennette operates.

Willock would become a man possessed under Beale, scoring six goals and picking up one assist under Beale's guidance in west London before Rangers came calling.

The goal output dried up after for QPR's number seven without the 43-year-old in the dug-out, only helping himself to one more assist during the entire rest of the 2022-23 season with zero goals scored.

Football journalist Jack Austwicke described Bennette as "hungry" and having a desire to "want to learn earlier in the year when speaking to Football League World, and so the Costa Rican forward will hope he can push on and advance his game under new potential Black Cats boss Beale by showing his eagerness and willingness to make strides.

Bennette won't come in and displace the likes of Jack Clarke – the ex-Leeds United winger into double figures for the season already with ten goals – but the new Sunderland manager will want to utilise his squad more effectively than Mowbray.

He can start that by giving Bennette far more first-team chances, hoping to work his Willock magic on the promising attacker.

The Premier League bears witness every year to the stars of the future making their debuts and also wily veterans at the other end of the spectrum.

Players young and old make their presence felt on English shores whether it be goalkeepers in their 40s such as Brad Friedel, Mark Schwarzer and Jens Lehmann or teenagers like Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri getting a runout at just 15 last season.

With this in mind, Football FanCast has ranked the Premier League clubs from the oldest squads to the youngest, as per Transfermarkt.

Data correct as of 20th October 2023.

20 Fulham – 28.5 years

Marco Silva’s Fulham take the crown for being the oldest squad in the Premier League for the 2023/24 season thus far.

28-year-old Aleksandar Mitrovic left for Al-Hilal, with Shane Duffy and Anthony Knockaert amongst the Cottagers over 30 to also recently depart the club.

Meanwhile, Raul Jimenez joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers at the age of 32 was the oldest arrival at Craven Cottage, showing that Fulham have always boasted an older squad as opposed to this being a new phenomenon.

Tim Ream and Willian are the oldest two members at 36 and 35 respectively.

19 West Ham United – 28.1 years

Remaining in London, West Ham United are another club who are known for having several experienced heads in their side, particularly in defence.

James Ward-Prowse was their oldest signing of the summer at 28, whereas Declan Rice and Gianluca Scamacca left the club, both of whom are 24.

Lukasz Fabianski is currently one of the oldest players in the league, with the Polish goalkeeper having turned 38 back in April.

18 Newcastle United – 26.7 years

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle are next, with their average age of just under 27 one of the league's highest.

Selling 31-year-old Chris Wood and 32-year-old Karl Darlow, combined with the youthful new arrivals hasn’t done much to move the Magpies any further down this particular list.

No one at St. James’ Park is particularly old but it all adds up, with 10 players being 30-plus – four of them goalkeepers.

17 Crystal Palace – 26.7 years

Crystal Palace follow a similar trend with the defensive trio of James Tomkins, Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne having been about a bit.

With Roy Hodgson at the helm, the Eagles are led into battle by the oldest-ever manager in the Premier League and the average age of their squad is fairly high too at 26.7, the same as that of Newcastle. They do, however, have a slightly smaller squad than the Magpies.

16 Luton Town – 26.4 years

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany is the only man in charge in the Premier League younger than 40-year-old Hatters chief Rob Edwards.

Luton Town’s average age, meanwhile, is 26.4 – with their summer business being very mixed once again.

Ross Barkley and Thomas Kaminski have arrived, who are 29 and 30 respectively, whilst Tahith Chong and Ryan Giles are both only 23.

Goalkeepers do tend to be on the older side as that is represented by Tim Krul being the oldest in the squad at 35, plus James Shea is close behind at 32.

15 Nottingham Forest – 26.4 years

Ibrahim Sangare (25), Murillo (21), Nicolas Dominguez (25), Matt Turner (29) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (22) have arrived at the City Ground and gone straight into Steve Cooper’s starting XI, with the American goalkeeper being the only player over their average age of 26.4.

There has been so much turnover for Nottingham Forest in the last couple of years that it is a struggle to keep up to date.

One thing we do know is that Wayne Hennessey and Harry Arter are amongst the oldest players in the squad, bringing the average up, even though they rarely feature on the field.

14 Everton – 26.3 years

52-year-old Sean Dyche is near enough double the average age of his squad, with Everton coming next at 26.3 years.

Youssef Chermiti has joined from Sporting CP and is just 19, while the signing of Ashley Young on a free transfer from Aston Villa makes him an outlier at 38.

A similar picture is painted when it comes to the outgoings, as 36-year-old Asmir Begovic joined Queens Park Rangers whilst Tom Cannon (20) and Ellis Simms (22) were amongst the youngsters to depart, signing for Leicester City and Coventry City respectively.

13 Manchester United – 26.3 years

Finishing comfortably mid-table in these rankings are an indifferent Manchester United side.

The signings of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Jonny Evans haven’t done the Red Devils any favours when it comes to the average age of their squad.

It currently sits at 26.3 with the aforementioned trio pulling that way up alongside 37-year-old goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

12 Brighton & Hove Albion – 26.2 years

Brighton and Hove Albion’s average age is marginally lower than that of Manchester United's and that can only have been lowered by their summer signings.

Five of their eight arrivals were 21 or younger, including Joao Pedro and Ansu Fati. Meanwhile, James Milner is at the opposite end of the spectrum, bringing a wealth of experience to the midfield at 37.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Milner is therefore the oldest player at the Amex, although he is closely followed by former Liverpool teammate Adam Lallana at 35.

11 Aston Villa – 26 years

Placing in 11th of this particular table are Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, even though they parted ways with the aforementioned Ashley Young.

Young may have left, but so did Cameron Archer and Jaden Philogene, both 21, with their destinations being Sheffield United and Hull City respectively.

Their average age comes in at 26 on the dot.

England star Lauren James has been lauded for her 'unique ability' by Chelsea team-mate Erin Cuthbert after starring in a 3-1 win over Arsenal.

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James stole the show in Arsenal routResult puts Chelsea three points clear in title raceBlues' team-mate explains star's free roleWHAT HAPPENED?

James broke the deadlock and generally stole the show for the Blues in a huge 3-1 result on Friday night that put them six points clear of their London rivals in the Women's Super League title race. Chelsea were without three centre forwards for this game due to injuries but James filled the position well with a free-roaming role in which she wreaked havoc.

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Speaking to after the game, midfielder Cuthbert said of James' role: "We let Lauren do her own thing because on the ball, she can produce something out of nothing and she has that unique ability. I think for me, it is just keeping her defensively in check and narrow, keeping the spaces close, but when she gets the ball, she’s free to do whatever she wants and she is such a talented player."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea are looking to secure a fifth successive WSL title this year and they are in pole position to do so, sitting three points clear of Manchester City ahead of their clash with Brighton on Sunday. The win over Arsenal not only boosted their hopes, it also probably killed the Gunners', with there just six league games to go.

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James has been in such good form this season that she could well end it with the Golden Boot. Only Man City's Bunny Shaw has scored more than her in the WSL, with 15 goals to the England star's 13.

Two dashing innings – a confident 87 off 117 from Kusal Mendis, and a stroke filled 62 off 70 from Niroshan Dickwella – propelled Sri Lanka to a 287-run lead in St Lucia, edging them ahead in the Test

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Jun-2018CWI MediaTwo dashing innings – a confident 87 off 117 from Kusal Mendis, and a stroke filled 62 off 70 from Niroshan Dickwella – propelled Sri Lanka to a 287-run lead in St Lucia, edging them ahead in this match. Although Shannon Gabriel bowled spiritedly through the fourth day, collecting figures of 6 for 57 to take his match haul to 11 for 116, Sri Lanka still have two wickets remaining in their second innings. Only twice in this century have West Indies chased a higher score for victory. That the visitors found themselves in such a healthy position is a testament to their fight on day four, having found themselves effectively four wickets down with a lead of only one run, in the first hour of play.Two big partnerships built this Sri Lanka innings. The first was the 117-run fifth-wicket stand between Mendis and a lucky Dinesh Chandimal, who could have been out twice on his way to 39 off 112 balls. The second was the 99-run association between Dickwella and Roshen Silva, after Mendis and Chandimal had fallen within 10 overs of one another. Silva made his first significant score of the series, hitting 48 off 115, while Mendis and Dickwella batted more aggressively at the other end. Both Silva and Dickwella were out to the second new ball, but late in the day, Suranga Lakmal and Akila Dananjaya put on a useful unbeaten partnership amounting to 27. As that second new ball is only nine overs old, however, West Indies will hope to knock out the last two wickets before the lead stretches to 300 on the fifth morning.Gabriel has been the best bowler in the series by a distance, and Cricket West Indies’ recent decision to switch to the Dukes cricket ball appears to be suiting him well. He sometimes attempted to intimidate the batsmen, sending plenty at the ribs and at the throat, but it was the ball that he seamed in from outside off stump that brought him the most joy on day four. He struck nightwatchman Kasun Rajitha in front of the stumps in his first over of the day, then bowled Mendis off an inside edge much later. Roshen Silva was also out to a ball that bounced and nipped back at him more than he expected – Shane Dowrich snatching a tough chance close to the ground after Silva had gloved it.Only Dananjaya de Silva and Dickwella got out to Gabriel deliveries pitched on fuller lengths. Dananjaya was caught at slip attempting an expansive drive – the ball seaming away to take the outside edge. Dickwella merely slapped a full ball into the hands of mid-off, after Gabriel had pitched on a leg stump line.Where during his Trinidad hundred Mendis had had reprieves early in his innings, in this knock he was secure and polished. In the morning, he thwarted Gabriel’s short deliveries, defused Miguel Cummins and Roach, while taking a particular liking to Devendra Bishoo’s legspin, which he hit for 18 off 13 balls. As usual, he favoured the sweep to the spinners, and scored all but 12 of his total runs through the legside, the most attractive of his strokes an elegant push off Roach through mid-on for four early in the day. After lunch, he was especially confident. He whipped Roach over the leg side for six on two occasions, and swivel-pulled Jason Holder to the midwicket boundary for four. Some of the pressure he exerted on the bowlers through his positive approach had sucked some venom out of the West Indies effort, especially earlier in the day.Dickwella had a slightly easier task, not having to face the newer ball, but his innings was nevertheless important, after he had arrived at the crease with Sri Lanka in some peril. He scored most of his runs in the arc between third man and cover, audaciously carving two boundaries over the slip cordon whenever he was given some width. But even though he struck at 89, less than half of Dickwella’s runs came from boundaries. The big shots may have been the most memorable, but this was an innings held together by sharp singles and twos.Of the two supporting acts, Silva was better than Chandimal in this innings. For the first time in Caribbean, Silva managed to ride that sharp bounce that the West Indies quicks tend to generate, and stuck around while Dickwella scored more quickly at the other end. Chandimal was also reticent, only hitting a single boundary in an innings that stretched to 112 deliveries. He should have been out twice in one Gabriel over in the last half hour of the first session. First, he was struck in front of the stumps, but the appeal was turned down because two noises were heard. As it turned out, the second noise was the ball hitting his back pad, and had West Indies reviewed, they would have had Chandimal out for 21. Two balls later, Gabriel sent a bouncer at his throat and had Chandimal caught at gully. But thanks to Kusal Mendis, who had watched Gabriel overstep and prompted the umpire to check the front foot, Chandimal survived.All this, after West Indies had threatened to run away with this Test with their early-morning surge. Inside the first seven overs of the day, they had taken three wickets – those of Rajitha, de Silva and Mahela Udawatte. Having had Sri Lanka 47 for 4, they will perhaps be disappointed that the score has now swelled to 334 for 8.

Aston Villa boss Carla Ward believes player-coach relationships should be a sackable offence after allegations came to light at Leicester last week.

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Leicester investigating manager KirkFollows allegations of player-coach relationshipVilla boss believes anyone guilty should be sackedWHAT HAPPENED?

Foxes manager Willie Kirk was not on the touchline for his team's FA Cup quarter-final win over Liverpool on Saturday after being suspended by the club while it investigates allegations of a relationship with one of his players.

"Willie Kirk is assisting the club with an internal process, the outcomes of which will be determined in due course," Leicester said in a statement. Kirk has not been found guilty and the investigation is ongoing.

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Asked about player-coach relationships in her press conference on Thursday, Villa boss Ward said: "Our job and our duty is to protect players, first and foremost, so to cross that line is unacceptable and it can’t happen. It makes me very angry because we’re here to set an environment, a comfortable place that people come to work, where they feel safe, where they feel backed, where they feel looked after. I just don’t understand anyone who crosses that line. The game is professionalised.

"When you talk about where does the line get drawn, I think it’s very simple, when the game got professionalised, you can’t cross that line. There’s talk of pre-professionalised, there was a social aspect. When I was a player, it was a very social aspect, but now we’re talking about levels that it’s parent-teacher in my opinion. You can’t do it."

Asked if it should be a sackable offence, Ward's response was a clear "yes".

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There have been a number of high-profile cases of player-coach relationships in the women's game in England, with former Lionesses boss Mark Sampson sacked in 2017 after it emerged that he previously had a relationship with a player at Bristol Academy. Jonathan Morgan, formerly of Leicester, was also sacked by Sheffield United last month once the club learned he had a relationship with a player when in charge of the Foxes.

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Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall also commented on the issues regarding player-coach relationships in the women's game on Thursday, telling reporters at his press conference: "I think it’s very inappropriate for a number of reasons. It’s a clear no with relationships between player and manager. I think if you look in women’s football, when you look in the past there is no doubt if you look and read in NWSL for example, there is major issues within the game and there have been major issues in the past as well which probably, unfortunately, tells you there still are issues at some places. That concerns me from a player welfare perspective and I absolutely think that governing bodies, leagues, clubs, associations need to be strong on that. I do think it's very inappropriate."

Asked what those governing bodies could implement, Eidevall added: “In most situations it would be like, do you have whistle-blower mechanisms in place? What different ways of communicating do you have if you feel that inappropriate things are going on in the environment you are in? Or are you in a closed environment where you feel you don’t have any good way out? That’s just to make sure that players in this instance have the relevant communication ways to be able to report if anything inappropriate is going on. That could be inappropriate relationships but it could also be other things. It’s safeguarding and making sure people are safe."

Zimbabwe have been somewhat unsettled, and they’ll need their batsmen to come good in a must-win second ODI

Liam Brickhill23-Oct-2018Big PictureBangladesh have been finding ways to win even as their top order has struggled this year. They’ve won nine out of 15 ODIs since January, but 2018 hasn’t been good for their top four.Barring the final of the Asia Cup, the last time a Bangladesh opening pair lasted the first ten overs of an ODI innings was back in January, in the third match of the tri-nation series. In the 13 ODIs since, the openers have repeatedly failed to get through the Powerplay unscathed, and during the Asia Cup they were two or three down inside the first ten in every game apart from the final against India.It was a familiar story in their series opener against Zimbabwe – Liton Das survived an early run-out chance and a catch that was ruled not out by the TV umpire only to spoon a catch to mid-off, Fazle Mahmud fended at a lifter for a duck on debut, and Bangladesh’s middle order was under severe pressure early on.As they close in on their sixth World Cup appearance, all this points to a pressing question: who is going to open with Tamim Iqbal? Imrul Kayes’ career-best ton did his chances no harm, while Anamul Haque has fallen out of favour, Soumya Sarkar and Nazmul Hossain Shanto struggled at the Asia Cup, and while Liton registered his maiden ODI century in that final he has struggled for consistency. His partner in that game was Mehidy Hasan, but that is an experiment unlikely to be repeated in the long term. Heading into the second ODI against Zimbabwe, the hosts are searching for consistency at the top.So are the visitors. Zimbabwe have trialled seven different opening combinations in ODIs this year, and while the Solomon Mire-Hamilton Masakadza combo seems to be their favoured one, it hasn’t been helped by Mire’s indifferent form. He is averaging 14.77 in ODIs this year, without a fifty, while Masakadza has strung together several 20s recently but hasn’t been able to convert his starts. The difference for Zimbabwe is that, unlike Bangladesh, they have not been able to recover through the middle order or land the killer blow with the ball, and have won just five of 24 ODIs this year.Form guideBangladesh: WLWWL (Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe: LLLLLIn the spotlightBrendan Taylor has scored more runs than anyone else against Bangladesh in ODIs, and despite missing Zimbabwe’s mid-year assignment against Pakistan he is still his country’s leading run-scorer in ODIs this year. But he’s not passed fifty since his 138 against West Indies at the World Cup Qualifiers in March, and in five of the eight limited-overs innings he’s played since then, he’s been out to spin. Zimbabwe desperately need Taylor to play to the potential of his statistics if they are to keep the series alive.Mustafizur Rahman only took one wicket in the opening match, but the waspish menace of his spells meant that Bangladesh retained control throughout Zimbabwe’s chase. He was the most economical of the home attack, racking up 36 dot balls as Zimbabwe sought simply to see him off. He also seemed to have added a little more zip through the air, and it was easy to see why he is Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs this year.Team newsRubel Hossain is fit but Bangladesh are unlikely to go for four pacers in their playing XI. The team management could also think of Nazmul Hossain Shanto in place of Fazle Mahmud.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Liton Das, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Fazle Mahmud, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza, 10 Nazmul Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanAn out-of-sorts Mire will probably sit out for Cephas Zhuwao once again, and Zimbabwe may look to firm up their batting with the inclusion of Tarisai Musakanda.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Cephas Zhuwao, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Brendan Taylor (wk), 5 Sikandar Raza, 6 Sean Williams, 7 Peter Moor/Tarisai Musakanda, 8 Donald Tiripano, 9 Brandon Mavuta, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Tendai ChataraPitch and conditionsChasing sides have won four out of seven day-night games at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium where pitches are reputed to be batting-friendly. The weather is likely to be dry on Wednesday, and dew could be a factor.Stats and triviaBangladesh have never lost an ODI to Zimbabwe at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium. The teams have played five completed ODIs at the ground.Brendan Taylor is the only Zimbabwe batsman to have made an ODI century at this ground.No bowler has taken an ODI five-for here, though Shakib Al Hasan has come close twice with four-wicket hauls.Quotes”You have to shuffle according to the situation in ODIs. Everybody is on their toes that they can bat anywhere from three to five.”
“Mushfiqur made nearly 150 against Sri Lanka, almost a hundred against Pakistan so he should have scored 200 against Zimbabwe. Mustafizur should have taken five or six wickets. But cricket doesn’t work that way.”

India’s young batting star dropped his pants on debut, missed the team bus countless times, and has an obsession with a certain number

Nagraj Gollapudi04-Jun-2009<!–So, what did you buy with your IPL prize money?
I haven’t got the money yet, but I will be investing it in buying some real estate in Mumbai. –>Tell us something we don’t know about you.
People think I’m quiet, but that’s not the case.Are you lazy?
Yes. I love to sleep.Have you ever missed the team bus?
Quite a few times. I even did it during the IPL, with Deccan Chargers. And I’ve been penalised many times. At times I have ended up paying my day’s perks for the entire day’s meals [for the team] whenever I’ve missed the India bus.Talking about food, we’ve heard you love eating eggs?
Yes, once I ate 25 fried eggs at one go.Who’s a batsman you would pay to watch?
Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. I enjoy watching left-handers.You’re an avid collector of t-shirts, apparently?
I picked up 10 Ed Hardy t-shirts on my last trip to Australia, two years ago.Do you have any autographed souvenirs?
I got two of my bats signed by every team member after we won the 2007 World Twenty20 and the CB Series in Australia in 2008. Both were amazing victories and I wanted something to remember them by.What’s the one thing you never forget to pack when going on a tour?
My boxers!Is it true you have this thing about the number five?
It is my lucky number. I like to stay in rooms whose numbers add up to five, for example.What’s the one thing you always take with you wherever you go?
I was gifted a small idol, and I always keep that close.Do you have any treasured mementos from early in your career?
I still have the Vampire bat with which I scored the first century of my life. That was when I was 12.When you were younger, was there anything you wanted to own when you were grown up?
I like BMWs. I even used to collect posters and stickers of them. As a teenager I would tell my friends that one day I would own one. Luckily, I now own a white BMW 5 series.What do hotel rooms need to make them more enjoyable?
They should have big bathtubs, not just showers.What has been the most embarrassing moment of your career?
On my first tour, in Ireland, I had to slide to stop the ball on the ropes. But in the process my trousers slid down too and the crowd had a good laugh. I was all red behind the ears with my pants down.Describe yourself in a few words?
Tough and easy going.What’s the drink you celebrate victory with?
Champagne.What’s been the best compliment you’ve received?
Adam Gilchrist said during this IPL: “You are one of the big talents, not only for India but in world cricket. You are going to be one of the brightest stars in the future.” I couldn’t stop feeling nice.

Trent Woodhill appointed as consultant as ECB finetune plans for new competition in 2020

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2018The latest plans for the ECB’s new 100-ball competition, due to be introduced in 2020, could involve 20 five-ball overs, instead of the traditional six, to be bowled in blocks of ten deliveries from each end.The reports of a rejigged format come after the ECB were forced to ditch their original notion of 15 six-ball overs and a single ten-delivery final over following strong opposition from the Professional Cricketers’ Association.Instead, the fielding captain could now be given the option to retain a given bowler for ten deliveries in a row if they are performing well.The proposals are being fine-tuned by an ECB steering group, chaired by Clare Connor, with the reduction in end-changes allowing the game to be further sped up – a significant factor in the original framing of the competition, with ECB research suggesting that new audiences are put off by the length of time that matches take to be completed.Under these revised regulations, all matches can be expected to fit comfortably into a two-and-a-half hour window from 6.30pm to 9pm.The notion of bowling consecutive overs from the same end, while radical, is not unheard of in English cricket, with many parks leagues in England and Wales adopting such a policy to hasten the progress of evening matches.According to the , trial matches for the new competition are expected to take place in September, with Trent Bridge earmarked for the men’s teams and Loughborough for the women. Nottinghamshire have no home fixtures scheduled between September 14-23.To help lay the groundwork from a playing perspective, the ECB have hired Trent Woodhill, the general manager of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Melbourne Stars, as a consultant on a one-month contract.Renowned as an innovative thinker, Woodhill has previously worked as a batting coach with Pakistan and was John Wright’s assistant with New Zealand between 2010 and 2012. His varied career also includes stints as an analyst at Surrey and working in junior cricket in New South Wales, and his input will be sought on the operational elements of franchise cricket.Woodhill met with England Lions players at New Road on Wednesday, and is expected to speak to county directors of cricket over the next few weeks.

It would mark Smith’s first cricket since the ball-tampering controversy in Cape Town which led to him being stripped of the captaincy and suspended for 12 months

Peter Della Penna24-May-2018Suspended former Australia captain Steven Smith has been named as one of ten marquee players for the proposed Global T20 Canada league set to start at the end of June in Toronto.If the competition takes place as planned, it would mark Smith’s first cricket since the ball-tampering controversy in Cape Town which led to him being stripped of the captaincy and suspended from international, state and Big Bash action for 12 months.

Canada is ready to welcome the galaxy of stars. @canadiancricket #cricketcomeshome pic.twitter.com/ukK8cqxVM4

— GT20 Canada (@Gt20Canada) May 24, 2018

The other players punished after the Cape Town incident – Cameron Bancroft and David Warner – had previously confirmed their comeback plans. Bancroft was given dispensation to play in Western Australia’s Premier Cricket league while Warner is set to turn out for his Sydney club side Randwick Petersham.Along with Smith, the other marquee names announced include fellow Australian Chris Lynn, Pakistani allrounder Shahid Afridi, Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga, South African batsman David Miller and five West Indians: Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo. In addition, several marquee coaches were also announced including Phil Simmons, Tom Moody and Heath Streak.The marquee names will be taken in the first two rounds of the 16-round player draft scheduled for May 26 with a total of 80 players chosen. ESPNcricinfo sources have stated that pre-assigned draft salary slots will start at USD100,000 for the first round marquee names and bottom out at USD3,000 in the final round.Global T20 Canada tournament director and former Barbados Tridents chief executive Jason Harper announced at the league’s media launch event in Toronto on Thursday that over 1,500 players have signed up to be in the draft pool for later this month. Conflicting information provided by Global T20 Canada’s web site and press releases have mentioned one of three possible dates for the draft: May 26, 30 or 31. Sources have told ESPNcricinfo that players who signed up had to set a reserve price for the draft, similar to the CPL and they cannot be drafted in a lower priced round than their reserve price.Even though the league has announced six teams, only five franchises will take part of the draft: Toronto Nationals, who hold the first pick in the draft; Vancouver Knights, Winnipeg Hawks, Montreal Tigers and the Edmonton Royals, who were originally named the Ottawa Royals in previous information posted on the Global T20 Canada website. The sixth team will be a Caribbean All-Stars side consisting of West Indian domestic players but none of the marquee West Indies players in the draft will be part of that squad.The entire tournament will take place at Maple Leaf Cricket Club located in King City, Ontario, a small rural village 25 miles north of downtown Toronto.Maple Leaf CC has no permanent seats or television facilities, meaning a temporary structures will need to be installed over the next five weeks to create the 7000 seat stadium structure that has been advertised on the league website in time for the first match scheduled for June 28. The tournament final is set for July 15, the same day as the FIFA World Cup Final in Moscow.

After spending time in the wilderness following the fiasco at The Oval in 2006, Darrell Hair is back. And it’s evoking some reactions

20-Mar-2008

Comeback of the year: Hair is in business again © Getty Images
“We’ve got nothing personal against the man. Mr Hair has undergone rehabilitation over the last six months. I wouldn’t like to speculate specifically about Pakistan, but I would say that the [ICC] management have been instructed to deal appropriately with this area.”
“I am terribly shocked and disgusted at the news … Hair was at fault but he is reinstated like a hero. The PCB needs to learn a lesson from the Indian board. See how they backed their players in Australia recently on contentious issues.”
“He should never have been reinstated after committing so many gross irregularities during the Oval Test. The ICC board decided beyond doubt Hair’s conduct was not up to the mark. This man violated his responsibilities as a senior umpire. How the ICC can restore him is hard to comprehend … It is a slap on the face of Pakistan cricket.”
“There would be so much of bad blood between him and the team [Pakistan] and so forth because he was proven wrong in that match and it was a very, very serious blot on cricket.”
“The decision of Hair’s recall shows Pakistan’s lack of presence at international forums … It shows that the international community is ready to walk over Pakistan whenever they want.”
“My commitment to cricket and umpiring is as strong as ever and I wish to get back on to the field as soon as possible.””He’s good to talk to on the pitch, he’s very good with the players. Darrell does get the majority of the decisions right on the pitch, which is what you want.”
“We’re pleased to see Darrell back. Cricket Australia has always had a view that he is, in a technical sense, an excellent umpire, one of the best two or three in the world.
“His position will be reviewed in a year’s time, as is the case with all of the other umpires who are coming to the end of their contracts at that stage. Mr Hair is a very good and a very competent umpire. He has had time away from the coalface and umpired other activities.”
“Darrell Hair over time seems to polarise opinion, but a lot of his supporters will feel it is justified to bring him back and that he was unjustly kept on the sidelines in the first place.”
“I am on the ICC now. I am not the same guy who would speak out on something like this issue … I cannot comment.”
“All in all this might be an ideal moment to move into the portly Australian umpire flammable effigy business.”
Guardian