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Hong Kong kickstarted their two-match T20 international series against Ireland with a 40-run win, made possible by Nizakat Khan’s half-century, followed by a collective effort from the bowlers

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Sep-2016
ScorecardHong Kong captain Babar Hayat scored 49 off 31 to help his side to a score of 169•Hong Kong CricketHong Kong kickstarted their two-match T20 international series against Ireland with a 40-run win, made possible by Nizakat Khan’s half-century and followed up by a collective effort from their medium pace attack.It’s Hong Kong’s second straight win in T20Is over Ireland, following up their dramatic five-run win defending 129 at Malahide in last summer’s World T20 Qualifier. Despite picking five debutants in a bid to rejuvenate their T20 lineup after a winless campaign at the 2016 World T20 in India, Ireland’s woes in the format continued again on Monday. Ireland has now gone five T20Is without a win, their last victory coming against UAE on February 14.Nizakat’s prior career-best in 19 T20Is entering Monday’s contest was 29 but given the opportunity to open the batting for the first time he responded in style with 62 off 43 balls. Six of his seven fours were struck through the off side while his two sixes were lofted over extra cover and long-on. He brought up his fifty in 35 balls when he took two runs from a dropped chance on 49 at long-on by Greg Thompson off of debutant legspinner Jacob Mulder, then punished the error by driving Mulder’s next ball for six back down the ground.Knocks of 49 off 31 balls from captain Babar Hayat and an unbeaten 29 from Ehsan Khan took Hong Kong to 169 for 5 after they elected to bat at Bready Cricket Club. Aizaz Khan, who opened the batting alongside Nizakat, then led the charge with the ball as his 3 for 10 in three overs helped bowl Ireland out for 129.Nizakat dominated an opening stand of 41 in 4.4 overs with Aizaz, the latter contributing just 5. He went on to add 56 more for the second wicket with Hayat before he was fooled by Mulder. Having committed to a premeditated shuffle away from leg stump, Nizakat continued with his shot to a ball pitched wide outside off by Mulder and produced a simple catch to cover. Babar made sure the tempo of the innings was maintained though, his 31-ball knock containing two fours and as many sixes, until his dismissal in the 17th over. Ehsan then ensured a strong finish to the innings with his 22-ball unbeaten knock that contained two fours and a six.Ireland’s bowlers shared the wickets equally with four different bowlers – Mulder, Andy McBrine, Craig Young and Kevin O’Brien – claiming one apiece while the fifth came courtesy of a runout in the field by Thompson. Mulder and McBrine were economical but Young and O’Brien were expensive, leaking 56 and 39 runs off their respective quotas. Four of Hong Kong’s five sixes in the innings came off of Young’s bowling.Ireland stuttered early in the chase and were reduced to 24 for 4 before the recovery started through a fifth-wicket stand of 59 between O’Brien (32) and Thompson, who top-scored with 44 on debut coming in at No. 6. They were the only two batsmen to make it past 15 in the Ireland innings, which was wrapped up in 19.3 overs.Aizaz found support from Hong Kong’s new-ball pair of Tanwir Afzal and Nadeem Ahmed. Former Hong Kong captain Afzal clean bowled Dave Rankin and Sean Terry in his opening spell while left-arm spinner Nadeem had Ireland captain William Porterfield caught at mid-off in the second over before coming back in a later spell to claim McBrine stumped for 10. Medium pacer Tanveer Ahmed also took two wickets while Ehsan’s offspin accounted for O’Brien.The second and final match in the series takes place on Tuesday at the same venue.

Tottenham Hotspur's latest setback in their manager search is reminiscent of their failure two years ago, presenter Terry Flewers has claimed.

What's going on with Spurs' manager search?

It was reported on Thursday that one of the club's main targets, Feyenoord manager Arne Slot, was to sign an extension with the Dutch side following a breakdown in talks with Tottenham.

Spurs have now ruled out Julian Nagelsmann as well as Slot, and former coach Mauricio Pochettino is heading to rivals Chelsea.

Speaking on The Football Terrace, Flewers questioned the state of the club, claiming that the current mess reminds him of their drawn-out and ultimately disastrous manager search two years ago.

"Looking at Tottenham, Arne Slot, [it was] only a few days ago reported that him and Luis Enrique were the front runners, they moved on to Slot, it was close, it was advancing," he stated.

"It now appears he's going to sign a new deal at Feyenoord very soon. This agreement has been met during a meeting yesterday according to Fabrizio Romano.

"Slots decision won't change he will stay and won't join Tottenham, essentially he's rejected Tottenham Hotspur. So that's Pochettino, Nagelsmann, Slot, Enrique. What is going on at Tottenham?

"They're even being rejected, again, by the way, this reminds me of two summers ago, when they ended up with Nuno [Espirito Santo]. They're being rejected by managers that their fans don't even want."

"What is going on at Tottenham Hotspur? They've got the best stadium in the country, maybe the best stadium in Europe. Revenue now surpassing that of Arsenal.

"Why that's significant, is because the idea of increasing your revenues, growing your stadium, is so that money is invested into the team to make you really compete at the top end of the table, compete not just for Champions League positions, with the ability to win it, with the ability to win trophies, growing towards challenging for Premier League titles.

"That's the point supposedly, yet all this extra money can't attract a manager."

Who could Spurs move for now?

Ange Postecoglou of Celtic is now reportedly being eyed up by Daniel Levy at Spurs, and the 57-year-old would join having won back-to-back titles in Scotland.

Postecoglou has earned rave reviews for his style of play, which has seen Celtic score 109 league goals in 34 games this season, and his eye for talent, with some of his signings scouted from lesser-known leagues.

However, could his recruitment style be replicated at a side who have the ambition of competing regularly in the Champions League?

And given he has no experience of managing inside the top five European leagues or even England itself, would this be a potential appointment that would again fail to excite the Spurs faith?

It remains to be seen whether the Australian could handle the step-up to the Premier League, but whoever Spurs appoint needs to be given time and resources this summer to rebuild the squad.

Watch more of The Football Terrace on YouTube now!

Manchester United are reportedly keen to add to Leeds United's recent relegation woes, amid reports that the Red Devils are hoping to poach one of their rivals' star players this summer…

What are the latest Man United transfer rumours?

According to Italian outlet, TuttoMercatoWeb, the Red Devils are said to be one of the 'illustrious suitors' who are eyeing a move for midfield maestro, Tyler Adams, with the report suggesting that Erik ten Hag would 'gladly' bring the American to Old Trafford.

This follows a previous report from Football Insider which suggested that United are among the teams who are interested in signing the 24-year-old ahead of next term, with the 36-cap ace looking destined for an exit after just a solitary season at Elland Road.

The piece adds that the former RB Leipzig man – who made the £20m move to Yorkshire last summer – would cost the Carabao Cup winners roughly £35m if a deal was to be agreed.

Who could Adams replace at Man United?

With Ten Hag evidently searching for a 'younger' midfield recruit – such as Adams – it could well spell the end for one of the club's more experienced figures, with Brazilian enigma, Fred, potentially set to be on his way this summer.

That's according to Manchester Evening News, who reported that the 30-year-old is a target for recent opponents, Fulham, with Cottagers' boss Marco Silva having been seen talking to the playmaker following Sunday's Old Trafford encounter.

The former Shakhtar Donetsk man has spent five years on the books at the Theatre of Dreams, although the £52m addition has fallen down the midfield pecking order of late, having started just two of the last 13 Premier League games since the 7-0 drubbing away to Liverpool.

That grim defeat at Anfield laid bare the £120k-per-week asset's woes as he was merely a 'non-entity', according to 90min's Jack Gallagher, with it perhaps no surprise that Ten Hag is believed to be keen to move him on this summer.

The addition of Adams, therefore, could well represent something of an upgrade on the diminutive menace, with the Leeds star having been hailed as "one of the best defensive midfielders in the league" by pundit, Noel Whelan.

Despite missing the last few months of the season through injury, the "aggressive" ace – as hailed by Whelan – still finished in joint-fourth in the division alongside Casemiro for tackles made (89), with that a marker of his ball-winning prowess.

Unsurprisingly, Adams ranks in the top 1% among those in his position across Europe's top five leagues for tackles made, with Fred slightly behind as he ranks in just the top 3% in that regard.

That superior defensive quality is also showcased by the fact that while the latter man won just 48% of his ground duels and 50% of his aerial duels in the 2022/23 campaign, the New York native averaged 55% and 64% for those same two metrics, respectively.

In an attacking sense, despite failing to register an assist this term, Adams did notably average one key pass per game as a marker of his creative ability in his deep-lying berth, with that superior to the current United man, who averaged just 0.9 key passes per game.

That brilliance both in and out of possession appears to suggest that Ten Hag would be wise to replace the 5 foot 7 midfielder with the Leeds sensation for next season.

USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake has said he is confident his side will produce a strong performance at WCL Division Four in Los Angeles next month, despite the team ‘not being used to the workload’

Peter Della Penna24-Sep-2016USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake has said he is confident his side will produce a strong performance at ICC WCL Division Four in Los Angeles next month, despite the team ‘not being used to the workload.’ After coming out of his first five-day national team camp with USA’s 22-man squad in Indianapolis this week, Dassanayake admitted there is still plenty of work to do but is encouraged by the initial progress he has seen.”We are still behind in all three departments and from the last three weeks I would say we have come actually at least a very decent way,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo at the conclusion of the five-day camp, which included a 50-over match against a touring Marylebone Cricket Club side.”Very proud of the boys. They put a lot of effort. These five days was very tough for them. Some of them are not used to this much workload but they would still fight, and went through the whole program. I think especially the areas we are looking for in the batting and I think some of them got it right. At least mentally they are prepared to get what we want.”Early on in the camp, the USA batsmen produced several tentative displays which began with their effort against the MCC when they were bowled out for 141 in 40 overs. However, a spirited bowling effort saw them restrict the MCC to just 94 in reply. As the camp wore on, Dassanayake said he felt the players started to become less nervous about making the final 14-man squad for Division Four and focused on playing freely and positively.”There are a few areas that I was concerned before I came here, especially the middle order, the fielding side and also the fitness part,” Dassanayake said. “But I think we have covered mostly those areas and the boys are very aware of the things they need to be working on in the next five to six weeks. Some of them are given programs to work on for the next couple of weeks.”Despite recent USA coaching regimes where the coach only worked with players during a tournament, Dassanayake said he will be traveling back and forth between New York and Los Angeles over the next five weeks leading into Division Four. Although some USA players may not be able to take time off work to get together in one central location, Dassanayake is committed to travelling to their home bases to focus on specific skills to lay the platform for success in Los Angeles.”Everyone is aware of what they need to do and now it’s about taking the responsibility and working on their own until we meet again, and then there’s the Auty Cup before the main tournament to check everybody where we stand again,” Dassanayake said. “After Auty Cup, we still have another couple of weeks to improve if we are behind in some areas. Like I said, we are on the right track to get everything done.”

Aston Villa are showing interest in winger Largie Ramazani this summer as Unai Emery looks to bolster his side with the challenges of European football to come next season.

What’s the latest on Largie Ramazani to Aston Villa?

According to Football Insider, the Villans are tracking the Almeria dynamo ahead of a potential move this summer, with the LaLiga outfit valuing one of their star assets at around £35m.

Emery could face stiff competition from fellow Premier League side Everton with regard to any move for the Belgian, and they have watched him closely this season as per the report.

With European football heading to Villa Park next term, this could be an advantage for the Midland side in their pursuit of the player.

Who is Largie Ramazani?

The 22-year-old gem has enjoyed a solid season in the Spanish top flight for Almeria, and he could play a starring role as they try to escape relegation, knowing that a victory against Espanyol today will maintain their La Liga status ahead of next term.

Across 32 league games, he has scored three times and grabbed one assist, which has included a goal and assist against Real Madrid, proving he can conjure up the goods when it really matters.

The interest in Ramazani could spell bad news for Philippe Coutinho, who has endured a torrid season for Villa.

Across 22 matches in all competitions, the Brazilian dud has scored just once, and this form could potentially lead him to depart the club after just one full season in the Midlands.

Ramazani would certainly prove to be a better option, especially judging by their respective statistics this term.

Not only has the former Manchester United youth player registered more goal contributions this season (four to one), but he also has more shots per 90 (2.52 to 2.4), goal-creating actions per 90 (0.13 to zero), successful take-on percentage (46.3% to 41.2%) and taken more touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (49 to 24).

This hugely suggests that he would be an upgrade on the current Villa midfielder ahead of next season as he clearly offers more in ways of attacking contributions.

Meanwhile, talent scout Jacek Kulig lauded the 22-year-old late last year, claiming that he is a “counter-attacking weapon” and has “electric pace and acceleration”, which could give Emery that added bit of dynamism, in comparison to the dwindling Brazilian, that could prove decisive next season.

If the Spaniard can move Coutinho on for a fee, then he should use some of the money towards making a move for Ramazani, as he clearly has the talent to take his game to the next level in the Premier League.

The BCCI has submitted an affidavit with the Supreme Court saying that 12 state associations have transferred funds received from the board between September 26 and October 1, 2016 to a term deposit

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Oct-2016The BCCI has submitted an affidavit with the Supreme Court saying that 12 state associations have transferred funds received from the board between September 26 and October 1, 2016, to a term deposit with a bank and will not utilise those amounts without further instructions from the court. Such an undertaking fulfils one of the conditions laid down by the Supreme Court in its interim order on October 7.The associations of Andhra, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Punjab, Saurashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh were those that sent letters and supporting documents to the BCCI saying they had set aside the amounts ranging from INR 16 crore to INR 19 crore each.The BCCI’s affidavit, dated October 24, was signed by its general manager, administration and game development, Ratnakar Shetty.On October 7, the Supreme Court was told during a hearing that the BCCI had disbursed “substantial sums” to state associations before putting in place a disbursement policy, which was one of the Lodha Committee recommendations the board had to adopt by September 30.The total amount in question was INR 2500 crore, which the BCCI had received as compensation from the broadcaster on account of termination of the Champions League T20, which was discontinued in 2015.The court then directed the state associations not to use the amounts received, and told the BCCI that no further money should be given unless the state association passed a resolution to implement the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.After a subsequent hearing on October 21, the states were told they had until December 3 to provide an affidavit stating their willingness to comply with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.

Tottenham Hotspur could well have the chance to make a summer move for Real Madrid defender, Ferland Mendy, albeit with the full-back's arrival set to be tied to the future of a current Spurs star…

What's the latest on Mendy to Tottenham?

According to Spanish outlet CadenaSER, the France international is reportedly one of the players who could be offered to the Lilywhites as part of the La Liga side's push to sign Harry Kane.

As per the report, the England skipper is viewed as 'one of the main candidates' to replace Karim Benzma at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the latter man only recently sealing a move to Saudi outfit, Al Ittihad.

The piece notes that with Madrid unwilling to spend more than €80m (£69) in their attempts to bring Kane to the Spanish capital, Carlo Ancelotti's side could offer a player such as Mendy as part of the deal.

Should Tottenham sign Ferland Mendy?

The 28-year-old – who signed from Lyon on a £47m deal back in 2019 – could potentially represent a notable upgrade on Ben Davies at left-back for Spurs, with the club reportedly willing to sanction the sale of the long-serving Welshman.

With the arrival of Ange Postecoglou in the dugout likely to see the north Londoners return to a flat back four – due to the 57-year-old's preferred 4-3-3 formation – a more suitable option will be needed in that role, ahead of Davies, with the latter man having typically operated as a wing-back or on the left of a back three this season.

As pundit Gabby Agbonlahor stated, the 30-year-old seemingly just "isn't good enough anymore" having been "struggling to put in top performances", hence the need to find an "upgrade in that position".

Turning to Mendy, therefore, could be just what Postecoglou is in need of, with the 5 foot 11 speedster potentially able to offer more defensively having averaged 1.2 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game from his 18 league outings this season, while Davies has averaged just 0.9 ad 0.6 for those same two metrics, respectively.

While the Frenchman has endured his fair share of injury woes in recent times, the £174k-per-week asset has been a particularly composed presence in the backline when he has featured as he ranks in the top 1% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for pass completion.

That knack for retaining possession does not appear to be shared by the current Spurs man, as the versatile dud ranks in just the top 27% among full-backs for that same metric, having been branded "so poor on the ball" by the aforementioned Agbonlahor following a recent outing.

As such, the signing of the Champions League-winning sensation – whose "physical strength" has been branded "incredible" by compatriot Raphael Varane – could be the Davies replacement that Tottenham are craving.

Although few Spurs supporters will relish the prospect of losing Kane this summer, there could be a small crumb of consolation if the 29-year-old's exit does lead to the addition of Mendy

In another example of tight schedules in modern cricket, Australia will play a T20I against Sri Lanka at home only a day before their first Test in India

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Oct-2016In another example of tight schedules in modern cricket, Australia will play a T20 international against Sri Lanka in Adelaide a day before their first Test in India begins on February 23.There is only a 15 to 16-hour gap between the end of the day-night fixture at the Adelaide Oval on February 22 and the start of the first day of the Test series at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Such a schedule means Australia will have to select entirely different squads for the three T20Is against Sri Lanka and the four Tests in India.”These are very significant decisions that actually change what it means to represent Australia,” the Australian Cricketers Association chief Alistair Nicholson told ESPNcricinfo. “The player’s view is that the best players should play for their country, and this is something we believe is echoed by the Australian public. If that is changing, then it poses the question: what does it mean for the value of the Australian cap?”This is not the first time Australia are moving from one series to another with a small gap in between. They finished a Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi on November 3, 2014, two days before a Twenty20 international against South Africa in Adelaide on November 5. None of the players who were part of the Test featured in the T20I.Australia tour of India schedule

First Test: Pune, February 23-27

Second Test: Bangalore, March 4-8

Third Test: Ranchi, March 16-20

Fourth Test: Dharamsala, March 25-29

The series against Australia will mark the end of India’s busy home season in 2016-17. After the first Test in Pune, the teams will move to Bangalore for the second Test from March 4 and then to Ranchi for the third from March 16. The final Test of the series is in Dharamsala from March 25.Pune, Dharamsala and Ranchi will be hosting their first Test matches, after Indore did the same against New Zealand recently. In the series against England, Visakhapatnam and Rajkot will host their first Tests.India will have a gap of 11 days before the first Test against Australia in Pune. Their only Test against Bangladesh is scheduled to end on February 12 in Hyderabad. Australia’s last Test before their tour of India is against Pakistan in Sydney from January 3 to 7.

Chelsea have joined the race to sign influential Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update.

Is Kim Min-jae leaving Napoli?

The 26-year-old enjoyed a wonderful season for Napoli, helping them win the Serie A title for the first time since 1990 and proving to be one of their most important players. Kim was an absolute rock at the heart of his side's defence, averaging 3.5 clearances per game across 35 league appearances, and it has seemingly made the rest of Europe sit up and take notice.

Manchester United have been continually linked with making a move for the £33,000-a-week South Korean, and it looks as though his future could lie away from Napoli beyond the summer.

With Chelsea looking to make key defensive signings in the upcoming transfer window, a new report has emerged that suggests Kim could be a target.

Are Chelsea keen on signing Kim Min-jae?

According to Foot Mercato [via Caught Offside], both the Blues and Newcastle United have entered the race to sign the 47-cap South Korea international, providing stiff competition for United in the process.

Chelsea are eyeing him as a more successful signing than Kalidou Koulibaly, who also arrived from Napoli last summer, but endured a fairly disappointing first season at Stamford Bridge and only started 20 out of 38 top flight games.

Kim could be a sensational signing by the Blues this summer, although the fact that they don't have European football to offer him is a clear drawback. That's something that both United and Newcastle can give him, which could put them ahead of the west Londoners in the queue.

Compatriot and former United midifelder Park Ji-sung has described the defender as "extraordinary" recently, adding that he is a "technical leader and personality", and he is someone who could transform a struggling Chelsea back-line moving forward.

While Koulibaly and Thiago Silva are both in their 30s, with the same also applying to Cesar Azpilicueta, Kim would be a younger option who can lead the troops for a number of years to come.

Strong both in and out of possession, Kim enjoyed an eye-catching 91% pass completion rate in Serie A last season, as well as averaging 3.6 clearance per match in the Champions League. There a few more impressive and in-form players in Europe in his position right now, so Chelsea snapping him up over their rivals would feel like a major coup.

Left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir said he tries to be a “team man” despite the frustration of missing out on wickets through dropped catches

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hamilton28-Nov-2016Mohammad Amir has had awful luck since he returned from suspension, having at least 11 catches go down off his bowling in Tests; but he had a sense of humour about his misfortune, and suggested the team suffers more from dropped catches than he does.Amir had four chances missed off his bowling in the ongoing Hamilton Test: two in the slips, one at midwicket, plus a difficult low catch that he himself dropped in his follow through. Catches off his bowling had also gone down through the mid-year Tests in England, and more recently against West Indies as well.”Yes, it affects the bowler when you run from 22 yards and your catch is dropped – you’re disappointed and frustrated,” Amir said. “But it affects the team more than the individual. I’ve been very unlucky, but I try to be a team man.”It’s difficult to keep count, but I think at least 12-13 catches have gone down off my bowling in Tests and about six-seven catches have been dropped in the shorter formats as well.”Chances were also missed off the bowling of Wahab Riaz on Monday, and the reprieves allowed New Zealand to shore up their dominant position in the match, hitting 313 for 5 declared in the second innings to set Pakistan 369 for victory. If Pakistan fail to win this Test, they will lose their No. 2 ranking – a fact Amir said will motivate them to attempt the target on day five.”The ranking is very important and we’ve achieved it after a lot of hard work,” he said. “In the last seven series, we’ve won about five. It’s very important for us. We like to be among the top teams in the world. Tomorrow there will be 98 overs to bowl, and the first session will be very important. If we can lay a platform, we’ll try to achieve the target. We’ll try to break the target up into smaller scores, and go about it that way.”New Zealand had taken a 55-run lead into the second innings, but Pakistan may still have put pressure on the hosts if they had taken quick wickets on day four. Many of Monday’s overs might have been bowled by legspinner Yasir Shah, had he been in the XI, but despite New Zealand’s eventual scoreline, Amir was confident the best side had been selected.”The decision to play four seamers was the correct one,” he said. “So far there’s been a very limited role for the spinners, so the decision to play four quicks was right. The track has improved for batting. The ball is coming onto the bat and it’s become easier to play shots. There’s a good possibility that we will bat well.”Having won the toss on a green-top, however, Amir said Pakistan should have been more clinical on the first and second days.”The score of 271 in the first innings when we bowled was on the higher side. We should have got them out for a lower score. Catches also went down – but that’s part of the game.”