BCB director Khaled Mahmud, who put forward Chandika Hathurusingha’s name for Bangladesh coach in 2014, says he was as surprised as anyone by the news of his resignation letter

Mohammad Isam10-Nov-2017Coach Chandika Hathurusingha’s resignation has taken Bangladesh cricket by complete surprise. His letter of resignation became public knowledge only on Thursday, nearly four weeks after he had actually sent the letter to the BCB.BCB director Khaled Mahmud, the former Bangladesh captain who had put forward Hathurusingha’s name at the time of his appointment in 2014, said that even he was taken aback by the news. Mahmud’s short trip to South Africa from October 12 to 16, it has been speculated, was an attempt by the BCB to pacify Hathurusingha soon after he had submitted his resignation letter, but Mahmud has denied such an attempt was made.”It came as a surprise to me,” Mahmud said. “I was in South Africa for five days. We didn’t have any such conversations. It is now uncertain whether he will be here. I heard that he has resigned, but I don’t know why. I have a great relationship working with him for the past two and a half years. But he didn’t tell me anything.”His phone was switched off last night. I think we will get in touch with him soon. He is a positive person. I am hoping we will find out what has happened, from him. Everything was going well despite our performance in the South Africa tour. We have an important series ahead of us – so his departure at this time will hurt us.”Faruque Ahmed, who resigned as chief selector in 2016 following the BCB’s decision to change the selection policy, said that Hathurusingha’s resignation wasn’t a professional move, given that Bangladesh were planning towards the 2019 World Cup. “I didn’t like the timing of his resignation,” Faruque said. “Success, criticism and the media are all part of the deal. You will get appreciation when the team is doing well and, similarly, you will get criticism when you are not doing well.”His handling of the resignation wasn’t professional. His contract ran till the 2019 World Cup, so he should have informed the board of his intentions. His contract made him one of the highest-paid coaches in world cricket, and he had added authority too.”Bangladesh had one bad series in the middle of considerable success. Someone with a strong personality like him wasn’t expected to leave in this manner, when the team didn’t have a good tour.”

Jaffer, Ramaswamy help Vidarbha dominate, Bengal’s Abhishek Raman one short of second 150 plus score this season

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2017

Sanjay Ramaswamy extended his impressive form this season, scoring 87 as Vidarbha were in line for the first innings lead after Goa posted 239 in Porvorim. After a half-century stand with Faiz Fazal, Ramaswamy put together 117 with Wasim Jaffer before falling to Darshan Misal’s slow left-arm spin. Vidarbha ended the day on 199 for 2, with Jaffer (70*) and Shalabh Shrivastava (9*) at the crease.Openers Abhishek Raman and Abhimanyu Easwaran’s 222-run partnership underpinned Bengal’s dominance as they posted 309 for 3 in response to Punjab’s 147 in Amritsar.Resuming from 76 for no loss, the openers lasted till the 67th over, before Easwaran (117 off 215 balls) was dismissed by seamer Siddarth Kaul, who also went on to remove Sudip Chatterjee within the next two overs. Shreevats Goswami (29*) and Raman battled to help Bengal recover from another loss, that of captain Manoj Tiwary. Bengal went to stumps with Raman one run shy of his second 150-plus score this season.Seamers dominated on the second day in Raipur as Services folded for 272 against Chhattisgarh. Shahnawaz Hussain’s five-for, along with two apiece from Pankaj Rao and PR Sinha, lead the rout for the hosts, despite a middle-order resistance from Services’ left-hander Vikas Hathwala (76 off 84 balls).In their second innings, Chhattisgarh finished on 24 for no loss at stumps, trailing by 118 runs, with Siddharth Chandrakar (5*) and Abhimanyu Chauhan (14*) at the crease. Opener Rishabh Tiwary retired hurt for one run after facing five balls.

Wesley Fofana remains in the infancy of his career but has endured rotten injury luck at Chelsea.

Before the Blues pre-season tour to the United States, the 22-year-old gem underwent anterior cruciate ligament surgery which is set to rule him out of action for several months.

Still new to the dugout, Mauricio Pochettino poignantly reflected on the news, saying:

“We feel all so sad. All we can do is help him. We know it's a tough injury but we hope he can be as soon as possible with the team."

The Argentine added he "hopes" Fofana can play this season but believes that it could be “difficult.”

However, in Fofana’s unfortunate absence, academy product Bashir Humphreys featured heavily across the globe, alerting Pochettino to his frightening potential.

Who is Bashir Humphreys?

The Exeter-born defender signed a scholarship with Chelsea in July 2019 and at the beginning of the 2020/21 season, he captained Ed Brand’s U18 side.

In October 2021 he sealed his first professional contract with the West Londoners and made 23 appearances across all academy competitions, including a debut at development level. His deal was extended until 2024 and he became more integrated with the first team.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

The 20-year-old titan often trained with Graham Potter’s team following a series of defensive injuries at the end of 2022 and made his senior debut in an FA Cup game against Manchester City.

Following this, the youngster moved to Germany, joining Bundesliga 2 side Paderborn on loan until the end of the season. Humphreys made 13 appearances, averaging the second-most blocks per game (0.6) and the fourth-most interceptions (1.1) in the squad.

How good is Bashir Humphreys?

This summer, Nizaar Kinsella revealed that Pochettino was “very impressed” by the centre-back’s pre-season form, as he featured in every game as Chelsea went undefeated.

Moreover, only Christopher Nkunku, Raheem Sterling, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Conor Gallagher accumulated more minutes in the former Tottenham Hotspur coach’s first few games at the helm.

Therefore, according to the Evening Standard, the 2021 Champions League winners are in talks with Humphreys over a new contract before sending him out on loan, with Coventry City as one of the interested parties.

Meanwhile, Fofana only joined Chelsea for £75m last summer, but recurring injuries have massively blighted his development. In his debut season in the English capital, the Frenchman managed just 17 starts in all competitions, spending more time on the sidelines (20 games) through a previous knee issue.

This was also a theme at Leicester, where he was absent from August 2021-March 2022 with a fibula fracture.

The £200k-per-week titan is clearly wondrously talented, with teammate Ben Chilwell predicting him to have a “massive future” at Stamford Bridge. However, his dismal fitness record is worrying and three separate long-term injuries at his age cast serious doubt over the true validity of the left-back's claim.

If Humphreys can pinpoint some consistency on loan in the manner that Levi Colwill or Ian Maatsen did last season, then he could be on course for regular minutes next year, at the expense of Fofana.

Axel Disasi has already been recently added to the ranks to compensate for Fofana and with Humphreys currently blossoming into a composed, mature and astute defender, it could create fierce competition for starting spots in the coming months.

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to swoop in and repeat a recent success under their new boss…

Is James Ward-Prowse leaving Southampton?

Despite West Ham United being the side seemingly in command to secure the signing of James Ward-Prowse, complications arose that scuppered a deal seemingly progressing smoothly.

As such, the Daily Star are now suggesting that the Lilywhites are seeking to prey on that hesitancy, hijacking David Moyes’ move with a bigger bid.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

The report states that Ange Postecoglou’s outfit are much more likely to match Southampton’s £40m valuation than the Hammers, who could only muster up a £25m bid recently.

Spurs have been watching the English midfielder for months now.

How many goals has James Ward-Prowse scored for Southampton?

The Saints skipper has been a Premier League stalwart ever since his promotion to the first team in 2011, rising through their academy to feature 410 for the senior squad.

During this period, in which the south coast club have starred and suffered across the last decade, the 28-year-old maestro has remained a reliable and constantly outstanding figure in the engine room of every manager to pass through their doors.

As such, even last year during their eventual relegation, he still managed 11 goals and five assists across all competitions.

Nathan Jones, who oversaw a portion of that campaign, hailed his midfield mastermind: “He's been outstanding. When I arrived at the club my first conversation with him was ten minutes after he didn't get picked for the England squad.

“Since that moment, he's been absolutely world-class for me. For me, the way he's been around it and the way he reacted – we're seeing his performances now that are motivated and driven.”

Capable of dictating from deep or operating as an attacking midfielder, Ward-Prowse would arguably be the perfect technician to fit within Postecoglou’s system, which often requires two hard-working and attack-minded no.8s.

With 55 goals and 54 assists during his time at the St Mary’s, alongside the 85% pass accuracy, two key passes and 1.7 tackles per game (via Sofascore) he posted last year in the Premier League, he further emphasises such a suggestion.

Not only that but by swooping from Southampton yet again, it could emulate the success earned when Jose Mourinho tempted Pierre-Emile Hojjberg to join the north London outfit back in 2020.

The Danish enforcer moved for just £15m and has since featured 145 times for the club. And yet, after three fine years of service, they could now be set to make a profit on the 28-year-old, as Atletico Madrid continue to push for his services.

Given his last two seasons have seen him maintain a 7.11 and 7.19 average rating in the league, ranking him within Spurs’ top-five performers in both years, it is fair to say his acquisition marked a masterclass from Daniel Levy for a pleasant change, which could get even better as they push him towards an exit and usher in an exciting future under the new management.

Perhaps Ward-Prowse could have a similarly influential effect, helping to provoke a new, brighter era for the club, with his dynamism and attacking impetus key in instigating that change.

تحدث أشرف نصار رئيس نادي البنك الأهلي، عن ما يتردد بشأن إقالة تامر مصطفى بعد نتائج الفريق في الفترة الأخيرة.

وتعادل البنك الأهلي مع فيوتشر بهدف لمثله، على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي، في الجولة 22 من بطولة الدوري المصري.

وقال أشرف نصار في تصريحات عبر قناة “المحور”: “رفضنا فكرة رحيل طارق مصطفى عن البنك الأهلي، هدفنا دعم الفريق في المواجهات المقبلة”.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | التعادل الإيجابي يحسم مباراة فيوتشر والبنك الأهلي في الدوري المصري

وأضاف: “شوقي غريب مدرب قدير ويشرف أي فريق، لكننا لم نطرح اسمه، لا يوجد ما يدعو للتغيير في الجهاز الفني، لدينا جهاز فني قدير، ونحن في أشد الحاجة للاستقرار، والفريق يخوض مباريات الدور الثاني، وفرق كبيرة في أوروبا تتعرض لهذه النتائج”.

وأتم: “كريم حسن شحاتة لديه أسبابه لكي يأخذ القرار بتقديم استقالته، واحترمنا رغبته في الرحيل، ونتمنى له التوفيق في قراره”.

Celtic are set for a 'crucial' period of the transfer window as Brendan Rodgers looks to acquire new talent and retain key assets at Parkhead, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest news involving Celtic?

The Hoops have been active in the market as Rodgers looks to maintain dominance in Scotland alongside making strides in the Champions League and have brought in six arrivals in the form of Gustaf Lagerbielke, Odin Thiago Holm, Maik Nawrocki, Marco Tilio, Kwon Hyeok-kyu and Yang Hyun-jun, as per Transfermarkt.

Celtic have started the Scottish Premiership campaign in dominant fashion following their domestic clean sweep last term, defeating Ross County 4-2 and claiming a 3-1 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie in their opening two league matches, as per Sky Sports.

Retaining key assets will be an important part of Celtic's summer transfer business and the club have moved to open talks with Reo Hatate and Liel Abada over extending their deals at Parkhead, as per The Daily Record.

Club captain Callum McGregor, star striker Kyogo Furuhashi and Japan international Daizen Maeda have all penned extensions at the Celtic that will tie them to the club for the long-term future.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano has stated that Celtic will place importance on keeping their best players at Parkhead alongside making further inroads to secure arrivals in the latter stages of the window.

Romano stated: “The next few days and weeks are going to be important for Celtic to keep their players at the club. This is crucial, and they know that after the Starfelt deal with Celta Vigo, it’s important for them to keep the players at the club, and then we will see the next moves at the end of the window.”

Who could Celtic sign and who could leave the club this summer?

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has taken to Twitter X to detail that Celtic are keen on Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Daniel Podence, stating the following: "Celtic are keen on Wolves winger Daniel Podence. He has one year left on his contract & wasn’t included in the squad last night. Wolves want around £12m, but it’s understood Celtic see room for negotiation, if they make an approach."

According to The Northern Echo, the Hoops are believed to be readying a 'formal approach' for Newcastle United outcast Ryan Fraser, who is out of the picture at St James' Park alongside Republic of Ireland international Jeff Hendrick and Isaac Hayden.

Fraser has been training with Newcastle United's second string and Celtic boss Rodgers has identified him as a 'viable target' to strengthen the wide areas.

Nantes full-back Quentin Merlin is also on the radar at Parkhead and has been scouted by Celtic on several occasions; however, it is said that the French youth international will cost in the region of £7 million, according to Mailplus.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier is reportedly a target for Celtic, though they will have to fend off competition from the likes of Crystal Palace, AS Monaco, Sporting Clube de Portugal and Saudi Pro League outfit Al Nassr, as per 90min.

Steven Smith, Australia’s captain, may have called for his side to reopen a few English scars when the Ashes get underway at Brisbane later this month, but the man who, four years ago, inflicted more physical and mental pain on England’s cricketers than any other player won’t be adding to that grief on this tour.Mitchell Johnson, whose 37-wicket haul in 2013-14 was the impetus behind Australia’s 5-0 Ashes whitewash, has declined an offer to play for a Western Australia XI in England’s two-day warm-up at the WACA that gets underway on Saturday.Johnson, who turned 36 today, retired from Test cricket in 2015 with a tally of 313 wickets at 28.40 to his name. However, he remains a fixture in Australia’s Big Bash League, and returned the most economical figures in the tournament’s history last season, claiming 3 for 3 in the semi-final against Melbourne Stars.His record against England at the WACA was particularly formidable, with 15 wickets at 14.80 in two Test wins, including a memorable haul of 6 for 38 in a series-levelling win in 2010-11.However, according to a report in the West Australian, Johnson has opted out of using England’s first match of the tour to warm up for the BBL, which gets underway in December.Had Johnson come out of mothballs for this match, it would have revived memories of England’s traditional tour-opener at Lilac Hill in the 1990s, when another great former Western Australia fast bowler, Dennis Lillee, used to charge in for one more tilt at the Poms. In 1994-95, at the age of 55, Lillee dismissed both Mike Atherton and Graeme Hick in single figures.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em sua terceira temporada no comando do Fortaleza, Rogério Ceni é um dos técnicos mais cobiçados do mercado brasileiro e convive com especulações a respeito de transferências.

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Nesta terça-feira, o presidente do Leão, Marcelo Paz, abriu o jogo no programa ‘Seleção SporTV e confirmou que o Atlético-MG manifestou o desejo de contar com treinador em janeiro.

‘O presidente do Atlético-MG me falou ano passado que tinha interesse no Rogério Ceni, que pretendia contar com o Rogério. Isso é ético. Os dirigentes se conhecem’.

Além disso, no bate-papo, o executivo afirmou que outros clubes procuraram Rogério Ceni nesta temporada, mas preferiu não revelar nomes.

‘Por questão de confiança ao Rogério não vou citar nomes. Se ele quiser, ele fala’, concluiu.

ScorecardA rejuvenated Rashid Khan routed the UAE middle and lower order, claiming 5 for 29 in his 12.3-over spell on the final day to propel Afghanistan to a 10-wicket win that secured the country’s second Intercontinental Cup title.After taking Man-of-the-Match honors in Afghanistan’s previous I-Cup win over Hong Kong, Rashid repeated the feat after taking match figures of 8 for 152 as his side claimed the full 20 points on offer to finish 12 points above the second-placed Ireland. Both countries are now set to enter the Test world with Ireland’s first Test coming against Pakistan in Malahide in May 2018 while Afghanistan are targetting a possible date with Zimbabwe early next year.Despite going wicketless in 21 overs on day three in the face of an obdurate 146-run stand by Rohan Mustafa and Chirag Suri, Rashid’s appeals began to bear fruit on the final morning. With three men around the bat, Saqlain Haider prodded an inside edge off the pad to Javed Ahmadi who juggled momentarily before trapping the ball in between his legs at short leg to secure Rashid’s first wicket 11 overs into the day.Rameez Shahzad fought gamely to prop up the UAE middle order and stretch the game as much as possible, sweeping regularly for boundaries against Rashid and Zahir Khan. But Zahir finally managed to suck Rameez forward for an edge clipped to Mohammad Nabi at first slip. Still, UAE looked like they would make Afghanistan bat again and perhaps even fight for a draw with 17 runs needed and five wickets in hand heading into the last over before lunch.But Rashid produced a sensational over, taking three wickets either side of the interval. Muhammad Usman inside edged a flat-footed poke onto his stumps for 28. Ahmed Raza survived loud appeals for lbw on his first ball at the crease, but groped forward again next ball to edge to Nabi at slip. Lunch was taken and first ball after resumption, Amjad Javed prodded down the wrong line and was trapped in front for Rashid’s third wicket in four balls.Afghanistan suddenly looked favorites to complete their fifth straight innings victory of the tournament but some lusty hoicks over the leg side by Adnan Mufti ensured Afghanistan faced a nominal target. Mufti eventually fended an edge to wicketkeeper Afsar Zazai to give Nabi his second wicket of the innings. Rashid needed just two balls to defeat No. 11 Amir Hayat with a googly for his fifth wicket of the innings. Remarkably, it meant Rashid has completed a five-wicket haul in each of his four first-class matches so far since making his four-day debut against England Lions last December.With Afghanistan needing only 19, UAE put up little fight as the first delivery of the innings bowled by Hayat was a wide and not long after in the third over Ihsanullah was put down on 5 off Hayat at second slip. Ihsanullah eventually hit the winning boundary in the sixth over off Ahmed Raza with a swipe to midwicket.While Afghanistan had stormed the pitch 11 months earlier in the UAE after defeating Ireland by 10 wickets in front of 15,000 fans in the final of the Desert T20 Challenge, their celebrations on this occasion were a bit more muted. But the 500 fans who turned out on this occasion were fully embraced to be part of the celebrations as captain Asghar Stanikzai passed the Intercontinental Cup silverware into the crowd. Having proven themselves against the best of the Associate world in multi-day cricket, a greater test awaits.

Arsenal have made significant changes already this summer, with players both coming and going as Mikel Arteta bids to improve on his side’s rise to being title contenders last season.

The Spaniard and Edu have welcomed over £200m worth of talent this window, with Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and David Raya bolstering the depth and quality within the squad.

Despite starting the season with a maximum six points out of six, the Gunners are expected to see more movement at the club before the end of the transfer window, with speculation pointing the north Londoners to a host of talent.

Who could Arsenal sign this summer?

In recent weeks, Arteta’s side have been linked primarily with defensive names, following the devastating blow to Timber just 50 minutes into the Premier League season.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

The Dutchman will be out for a case of months as he nurses an anterior cruciate ligament injury, as the Express listed Crystal Palace colossus Marc Guehi and Bayer Leverkusen titan Edmond Tapsoba among potential options.

There has also been speculation of movement in the midfield, with FootballTransfers hinting earlier this month that Arsenal could weigh up a move for Inter Milan star Nicolo Barella.

The report claims that the club had ‘indications’ that the 26-year-old could be ‘open to a move’, in a move that could cost around £80m with that being the price Inter value their player at.

What is Nicolo Barella’s playing style?

Having once been lauded as a “warrior” by his former manager Antonio Conte, Barella is identifiable as a typical box-to-box midfielder, with a skill set covering both the defensive and offensive tasks in the engine room.

Last season in Serie A, the Inter gem netted six goals and registered six assists for the Nerazzurri, as well as averaging an impressive 1.6 key passes per game to showcase just how efficient he can be in the final third from midfield.

In terms of playmaking, the Cagliari-born sensation orchestrated things in the middle of the park for Inter, averaging a mammoth 7.37 progressive passes per 90 in last term's league campaign, asserting his importance in the squad.

For Arsenal, links to Barella could be an exciting and ambitious prospect, especially with reference to the club’s progression as a squad, with a host of deadwood already exported this summer, with more expected to depart.

One name that is rumoured to be close to the exit is midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, who had an underwhelming half-season loan spell at Crystal Palace, in which he found himself as an unused substitute for eight out of the 10 final games for the Eagles, via Sofascore.

Offloading the Belgian could be a strong move for the Gunners, especially if it allowed room for a signing in the calibre of Barella to replace him.

While it’s somewhat unfair to compare the Italian to the 23-year-old, the change in personnel could represent a far bigger narrative at the Emirates, in what is a positive change in tide.

The 26-year-old machine has begun the season with Inter, having already rejected a Premier League move to Newcastle United earlier in the window, which makes interest from Arsenal questionable as to how it could prevail.

There is, however, no doubt of the Serie A gem’s quality and the level of performance he could bring to north London, so Edu Gaspar and the club's recruitment staff must look to seal this signing as a serious statement of intent towards their ambition this season, and letting Lokonga leave could open a clear path for Barella in Arteta's first-team squad.