All posts by h716a5.icu

BCB chief Nazmul Hassan has said that the issues India have with the ICC’s proposed revenue model need to be sorted as a “weaker BCCI means weaker Bangladesh”

12-Apr-2017BCB chief Nazmul Hassan has said that the issues India have with the ICC’s proposed revenue model need to be sorted as a “weaker BCCI means weaker Bangladesh”.The BCB chief, who is also a part of ICC working group, met the BCCI’s Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai in Delhi today, to discuss issues related to the ICC board meeting later this month.”Everybody is trying to find a middle path to solve [the revenue structure problem] in a more amicable manner,” Hassan said after his meeting with the CoA, according to PTI. “We don’t want any member country to get hurt. Especially India as they have always supported us. If India becomes weak, we also become weak.”However, Hassan is an advocate of equitable distribution of ICC revenue. “I was a party to the decision when N Srinivasan was there [as ICC head] and the Big Three concept was mooted. Look, I believe we need a more equitable distribution but that certainly doesn’t mean you take away India’s share. No, no that’s not what we want.”Hassan said there was still a need, though, to help member countries which are going through financial crises.Asked about the proposed changes to the ICC’s governance structure, Hassan said different member countries had different issues with it. “Not all of us had agreed on the governance structure. There are a lot of issues that others don’t agree and there are some with which we don’t agree. That’s why it was placed at the ICC board meeting for everybody’s observation.”Hassan said both the BCCI and the BCB have submitted their observations on the governance issue with the ICC. He said the BCB discussed its reservations with the CoA. “The COA put forth their point on what their concerns on revenue model and governance structure are, while we also told them why we are supporting a few issues and not all. We will meet again and want more countries to join us,” he said.Hassan also met ICC chairman Shashank Manohar in Nagpur before his meeting with the CoA in Delhi. Hassan is part of the five-man ICC steering group lead by Manohar, which prepared the new draft constitution, which will be discussed at the second quarterly meeting of the ICC board later this month in Dubai.Hassan said the steering group will be meeting before the ICC meetings to discuss the responses filed by various Full Member boards on the draft constitution. According to Hassan, he met Manohar to discuss a possible date for the steering group’s meeting. “We are trying to find a suitable date because there are lot of recommendations from various boards. [If] we have to incorporate changes, we need to change the governance structure and finalise it before the next [ICC] board meeting.”Rai told PTI that many ICC-member directors had met with the CoA recently. David Peever (Cricket Australia, chairman), Haroon Lorgat (Cricket South Africa, CEO), Tavengwa Mukuhlani (Zimbabwe Cricket, chairman), Thilanga Sumathipala (Sri Lanka Cricket, president), Dave Cameron (WICB, president) and Associate representative Imran Khawaja were in India to meet the CoA in the last few weeks, Rai said.Asked if he was hopeful that other Full Member boards would agree with the viewpoint expressed by the the CoA last month on its reservations regarding the ICC’s draft constituion, Rai said he was optimistic. “I am very confident as we have proposed a formula that will be acceptable to everyone. It is a win-win situation where the Indian cricket board will not lose out on anything and every other board will benefit from the model. In the last two weeks, discussions with every board head who has come to India has been fruitful.”

Former Arsenal, Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fàbregas recently announced his retirement from professional football.The World Cup-winning Spaniard has had done incredible things throughout his illustrious career, so Football Fancast has decided to highlight 10 memorable moments as a footballer.How many of these do you remember?

Four assists v Blackburn Rovers

On 4th October, 2009 at the Emirates Stadium, Fàbregas registered four assists in one match whilst scoring a sensational goal of his own.

The La Masia youth product captained the Gunners to a 6-2 victory over Blackburn Rovers and etched himself into Premier League history, becoming only the third player to provide four assists in a single game.

The record still stands today and only seven players have managed to achieve the phenomenal feat.

Assisting the World Cup winner

Does it get much bigger than this? Assisting the winning goal in a World Cup final…

Fàbregas, Spain’s No 10, delicately controlled a loose ball before playing a perfectly weighted pass to Andrés Iniesta, who powered home a half-volley past Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg in the 116th minute, sending the Johannesburg crowd into raptures.

It marked the crowning moment during a golden era of Spanish football, after winning the UEFA European Championship in Austria two years prior.

That assist on his Chelsea debut

After completing a £30m move from Barcelona, Fàbregas starred at Turf Moor on his Chelsea debut, laying on two assists and putting the rest of the league on red alert. Jose Mourinho’s men brushed aside Burnley with ease, winning 3-1 and setting an early precedent in a season that led to a Premier League title.

Chelsea’s second goal was simply masterful. Pure football at its finest. Fàbregas cut open the Burnley defence with one pass before the onrushing André Schürrle clinically finished a quite mesmeric move.

Dethroning Vieira v Juventus

The 2006 Champions League quarter-final between Arsenal and Juventus was billed as Patrick Vieira’s homecoming, and a lot was made of the midfield battle between Vieira and the young Fàbregas.

The Spaniard was only 18 at the time, but he was already viewed as the Frenchman’s replacement, who departed the previous summer.

In a classic encounter between the master and the apprentice, Fàbregas gave his predecessor the run-around, and contributed with a goal and an assist on the night, beating the Turin titans 2-0 at Highbury.

Swearing on camera after winning the title

Celebrations were in full flow at The Hawthorns, after Chelsea sealed the title with a 1-0 victory under the stewardship of manager Antonio Conte.

Live in a televised interview, the elated Fàbregas let slip an expletive, to Gary Cahill’s amusement, and in many ways, it displayed his complete authenticity as he described his love for football.

Not quite what the broadcasters would’ve wanted to hear, but it was a refreshing moment for viewers.

Scoring from kick-off v Spurs

Arsenal, having just scored to go 1-0 to the good, stunned their north London rivals from the restart. Fàbregas pounced on a deflected Wilson Palacios pass and drove through the Tottenham midfield before nipping it past Ledley King and finishing off a wonderful solo effort.

It’s easy to forget quite how fast the Spaniard was. His acceleration and quick feet probably aren’t traits he’s remembered for, but certainly, in his earlier career, he had them in abundance.

Reaching 100 assists

On the final day of 2016, Fàbregas became, at that time, the fourth player in Premier League history to register 100 assists. He also became the fastest (293 appearances) player to reach that landmark, beating Ryan Giggs’ previous record of 367 appearances.

The two-time Premier League winner still ranks as the second-highest (111) assist maker in the league’s history, further showing the difficulty of such achievement.

He also notes it as one of his favourite memories in a Chelsea shirt.

Crucial winner v QPR

A late 88th-minute winner at Loftus Road restored Chelsea’s seven-point lead at the top of the table and provided a great deal of relief for Blues fans after nearly dropping points against relegation-threatened QPR.

Fàbregas came up trumps and delivered a crucial side-footed finish past Rob Green, who was beaten by the pace of the shot.

Captain John Terry led buoyant celebrations after the full-time whistle in what felt like a monumental moment in a pressurising title race.

Throwing pizza at Fergie

On 24th October, 2004, Manchester United defeated Arsenal 2-0 at Old Trafford to end their 49-game unbeaten run. Chaos unused in the tunnel afterwards, but the most notable event of the brawl involved a slice of pizza…

17-year-old Fàbregas, who was at the back of the conflict, launched a slice of pizza in frustration but wasn’t aware of where it landed. He later discovered it hit Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson directly in the face, who wasn’t best pleased, to say the least.

The famous match was later dubbed ‘Battle of the Buffet’, or alternatively ‘Pizzagate’.

Broken leg penalty v Barcelona (March 2010)

During a Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona in 2010, Fàbregas scored a penalty to level the scores – breaking his leg in the process…

The Gunners skipper later admitted he was playing off pure adrenaline.

“The adrenaline must have been flowing through me so strongly because I didn’t feel any pain as I smashed the ball past Victor Valdes. But as soon as I ran to collect the ball to take it back to the centre-spot, I was in agony,” Fàbregas said.

He also added he didn’t know whether he sustained the injury the week prior.

“Some people think I may have even broken the leg against Birmingham a week earlier – and, to be honest, I just don’t know. Yes, it’s exactly the same spot but I didn’t go into the game against Barcelona thinking ‘My leg’s broken’.”

The Trinidad quartet of Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons and Samuel Badree has been picked by the West Indies selectors to play in the T20 segment of the limited-overs series against Pakistan

Colin Benjamin17-Mar-2017The Trinidad quartet of Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons and Samuel Badree has been picked by the West Indies selectors to play in the T20 segment of the limited-overs series against Pakistan. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the four players are part of a squad picked for the first two contests of the four-match series.The T20 series starts on March 26 in Barbados with the following three matches to be played in Trinidad on March 30, April 1 and 2.It is understood that all the four players were informed on their selection on Wednesday, by WICB selection committee head Courtney Browne. It is not clear whether the four will feature in the final two games of the T20 series, which will end three days before the IPL begins. All the four players are part of various franchises in the IPL.West Indies’ last T20 series was also against Pakistan, in the UAE last September.With the exception of Simmons, the players in question all featured, although West Indies lost the three-match series 3-0. Simmons has not played for West Indies since featuring in the two-match T20 series against India last August in Fort Lauderdale.Based on the WICB policy to pick only players who featured in the Regional Super50, none of the four players are expected be available for selection for the ODI segment of the Pakistan series which follows the T20 series. Although the senior WICB staff comprising team director Jimmy Adams and chief selector Courtney Browne have indicated that the board is likely to review its selection policy, it is fair to assume that none between Pollard, Narine, Simmons and Badree will be picked for the three-match ODI series.Despite his lean recent form, Carlos Brathwaite is expected to lead West Indies in the T20 series against Pakistan. It remains to be seen whether the selectors would bring back former West Indies captain Darren Sammy, whose last assignment was winning the World T20 crown in Kolkata last year. Sammy was instrumental in Peshawar Zalmi winning the PSL earlier this month and says he has not yet given up hope of making a West Indies comeback in limited-overs cricket.”I’m only retired from Test cricket,” Sammy said after participating in the recently concluded Hong Kong T20 Blitz. “I’m not retired from limited-overs cricket. I’m available for selection. We have a series coming up against Pakistan, [I’m] available for that and wherever my services are needed.”

Chelsea are still pushing to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo and have a free run at him this summer, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is Caicedo signing for Chelsea?

The Blues are desperately in need of bolstering their midfield ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season, especially with experienced pair N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic moving on this season.

Enzo Fernandez has proven to be an excellent signing, having arrived in the January transfer window and been one of the few positives from a dreadful season at Stamford Bridge, but more reinforcements are now required.

It looks as though Caicedo is Chelsea's primary transfer target in the coming weeks, with the 21-year-old standing out as one of Brighton's best players in 2022/23, averaging 2.7 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game in the league, as well as 1.2 key pass per match.

While the Seagulls star is clearly a highly-rated young football with a potentially huge career ahead of him, it does look as though the race to sign him has narrowed down recently, acting as a significant boost to the Blues.

What's the latest on Caicedo to Chelsea?

Speaking to Caught Offside, Jacobs gave a positive update regarding Chelsea's pursuit of Caicedo this summer, suggesting they are the front-runners to snap him up:

"Chelsea are pushing, there is not necessarily a direct rival yet, but there could still be a twist and it will be interesting to see what the price is.

"We’re hearing at the Brighton end £100m+ but from my understanding, there is a verbal agreement between Caicedo and De Zerbi that says he can go for a fair offer and the Caicedo camp made it clear before he signed a new deal after January – that fair deal is basically the Tchouameni package and that is about £70m plus add-ons.

"I think Chelsea or another suitor might be able to get a deal there. Arsenal are not looking at Caicedo at this point but that could change if Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey go and Manchester United were never realistically going to be able to come in for Caicedo."

This is an exciting update from a Chelsea perspective, with Caicedo surely looking highly likely to be plying his trade at Stamford Bridge from next season onwards.

Granted, the Ecuador international is going to cost a lot of money, but the funds are seemingly there to make new signings this summer, especially if the club manager to dispose of some of the dead wood, easing the wage bill in the process.

Caicedo has been lauded by former Chelsea and Brighton manager Graham Potter in the past, which further highlights what an exciting addition he would be, with the Englishman saying of him last August:

"It doesn’t surprise me that people are looking at him because he is playing at a fantastic level. As soon as you do research on him you realise he is a top kid, great person, young, playing in the Premier League, has all the attributes to play at the very, very highest level."

Ramachandra Guha, one of the four members of the Committee of Administrators, has said the KSCA would insult the awardees if the state body boycotted the BCCI awards on March 8

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2017Ramachandra Guha, a member of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), has appealed to the KSCA to reconsider its “ill-advised” decision to boycott the annual BCCI awards and the MAK Pataudi Memorial Lecture on Wednesday evening (March 8) in Bengaluru. Guha further said the state body would insult the awardees – present and past – by abstaining from the function.”You have thereby insulted the great cricketers who have won the award this year, including the Karnataka cricketer Shanta Rangaswamy, the first to get the woman’s award,” Guha wrote in an email addressed to KSCA president Sanjay Desai. “You have also insulted the awards themselves, and you have insulted all past awardees, including EAS Prasanna, GR Viswanath, BS Chandrasekhar, Syed Kirmani and all the greats from Karnataka that [KSCA secretary] Sudhakar Rao and you played with.”KSCA member hits back at Guha

The KSCA, in a statement signed by managing committee member Ashok Raghavan, responded to Ramachandra Guha’s comments on the association’s awards boycott, tagging his comments “despicable”. The statement said Guha was taking his job on the Committee of Administrators “far too seriously”, and that the member would continue to make “submissions every time when the [CoA] cross the line of authority either by way of their action or their words”.
“Your above remarks per se are uncalled for, unnecessary, disdainful, disparaging, despicable and condemnable to say the least,” the statement said. “I being the member of the Managing Committee, who has spent considerable time and energy in carrying out my duties… which is strictly honorary in nature, do not deserve such uncharitable remarks. I respectfully submit that I do not need a certificate from you or from anybody else for that matter, about my extent of love for cricket or lust for power as I personally know the hours I have spent in the Association for its betterment and smooth administration.
“… As a person of public repute far larger than me it is expected that you should have been more mature, measured and sensitive in your remarks… From your statements in the press it appears that you are taking your job far too seriously and making comments without even understanding the other point of view.
“… It is needless to state that the Apex Court has found some merit in your good self to bestow you with the onerous responsibility of a Member of the [CoA] and it would only be fitting if you could carry the confidence reposed in you by the Apex Court with maturity and wisdom.”

Guha called the decision to boycott the functions “foolish and petty”, and said it would send a message that the KSCA put its opposition to the reforms ahead of honouring cricketers. “Please do reconsider. Think of the message it will send – that KSCA hates reforms in cricket administration so much that it does not even wish to honour its own great cricketers. Do act like gentlemen and come join in the celebration of cricket and cricketers,” he said in the email accessed by ESPNcricinfo.BCCI CEO Rahul Johri had earlier invited state associations for the fifth Pataudi Lecture, to be delivered by former India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer, and the board’s annual awards. However, the last paragraph of the invitation – “Kindly note that the committee of administrators is constrained to convey that only those office bearers who are qualified as per the Supreme Court orders are expected to attend the function” – struck a raw nerve with the KSCA.In its reply dated March 3, the KSCA said it would be a “humiliation to the very cricketing fraternity” to accept the invitation with constraints and restrictions. “It may seem very rude or undiplomatic, however, looking at the last paragraph of your invitation, we would like to ascertain that we are also constrained not to acknowledge, thank or even remotely think of attending this function,” the two-page mail, signed by Desai and Rao, said.Desai and Rao had also accused the CoA of treating cricketers and administrators shabbily. “Administrators and Cricketers who have contributed their time and energy and also have sacrificed immensely for the development of game over decades are being treated so shabbily by the Committee of Administrators as though all of them are of doubtful integrity,” their reply had said.Many state associations, who are likely to follow KSCA’s lead and stay away from the awards, have been critical of the CoA “overstepping” its role defined by the Supreme Court. Last week, these associations, barring Vidarbha and Tripura, sent the CoA separate emails saying they would not comply with its directives till they got clarification from the Supreme Court on aspects like eligibility of an office bearer.

Tottenham Hotspur are "shortly" set to make a bid for Leicester City star James Maddison, according to journalist Scott Wilson of The Northern Echo.

Who will Spurs sign this summer?

Ange Postecoglou's pending arrival at Spurs, with the Australian officially starting work on July 1, has also marked the dawn of a new era and the return of attacking football.

This comes after Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte arguably encouraged a more pragmatic approach before him, so Postecoglou could be a popular choice among some supporters.

Chairman Daniel Levy, who has since brought in the £17.2 million Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario as Postecoglou's first singing, is also chasing centre-back options and an attacking midfield player.

Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba, Juventus defender Gleison Bremer and Man United's Harry Maguire are just some of the options to plug Tottenham's leaky defence.

Meanwhile, media sources in the last few weeks have detailed that Spurs are in a race with Newcastle to sign Maddison from Leicester.

The Foxes playmaker dazzled under both Brendan Rodgers and Dean Smith last season, becoming their shining light during an otherwise dismal relegation campaign at the King Power.

Maddison has been linked with a move to Spurs since last year, with reports at the time claiming he is more than open to joining the Lilywhites.

This may be amplified following Leicester's drop to the Championship, and according to Wilson of The Echo, Tottenham are "set to make their move" for the 26-year-old "shortly".

It is believed this will "complicate" matters for league rivals Newcastle as Maddison is already out of their price range this summer, unless they manage to offload certain squad members.

What's been said about James Maddison?

The Englishman registered an exceptional 19 goal contributions (10 goals, nine assists) in the league alone over 2022/2023, all while attempting more shots at goal and key passes per 90 than any other Leicester player (WhoScored).

Danny Murphy, speaking to talkSPORT last year, also claimed that Maddison is far above is current level – hailing the "super talent" who is naturally a "Champions League player".

“He’s a super talent, the only question mark over James Maddison is his application and sometimes his attitude, but his talent is up there.

“Is he good enough? Yes. He’s a Champions League player. He has all of the qualities needed to play Champions League and international football.”

Diana Edulji, the former India women’s captain, knew she was in the reckoning for the panel as Gopal Subramanium, the amicus curiae, had asked if she would be interested in such a role

Arun Venugopal30-Jan-2017In the afternoon, Diana Edulji had almost given up hope of anything definitive emerging from the Supreme Court hearing where a panel of administrators was due to be appointed. The former India women’s captain knew she was in the reckoning as Gopal Subramanium, the amicus curiae, had asked if she would be interested in such a role. But, while Edulji admitted to a tinge of expectation, the adjournment of last week’s hearing had made her “sceptical”. Now, she had seen no news of the hearing on television for nearly two hours and was going to turn it off when the phone rang.”I got a call from one of the channels congratulating me. I said, ‘There is no breaking news anywhere.’ Then suddenly, every channel started carrying the story one after the other,” Edulji told ESPNcricinfo. “Given the number of twists and turns this case has been taking, I was a little sceptical. This time also it [a decision] didn’t come up till 3.45 or 4pm. When the first time it didn’t happen [during the earlier hearing], I didn’t go deeper into it. I left it to God – if it is due for me, I will accept it. If it doesn’t come also, I am okay.”Edulji, who has played 20 Tests and 34 ODIs between 1976 and 1993, is the only cricketer on the four-member committee which also includes Vinod Rai, the former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Ramachandra Guha, the historian and cricket writer, and Vikram Limaye, managing director and CEO of IDFC (Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation). She is also a part of the four-member steering committee, led by former union home secretary GK Pillai, that has been tasked with the responsibility of setting up a players’ association.Edulji felt her presence in the interim committee of administrators was symbolic of what the Lodha reforms aimed to achieve. “It is a very good thing because what I have wanted [to do], now I am in a position to implement it, if that is the role that is given to us,” she said. “I first thought it was the steering committee and the players’ association, but this is a bigger and more prestigious role given, that I am the only player in India to be nominated by the Supreme Court. I hope I will live up to the expectations.”Edulji hadn’t spoken with her colleagues yet – “I don’t even have their numbers” – and wasn’t sure about the nature of her role with the terms of reference of the panel yet to be issued. While she was aware it wouldn’t be an easy job, she was confident her experience as sports officer in the Western Railways would serve her well.”I was administrating 40 games and 40 teams there. Right from the recruitment to the promotions, to the practice sessions, to the departmental tournaments, everything was looked after,” she said. “It was a huge job but a very satisfying job. Tomorrow [January 31], I complete one year of my retirement – so this is my third innings, I would say.”Edulji also said she was prepared to handle the mudslinging – a possible occupational hazard of being an administrator, even if on a short-term basis – that might come her way. “I am quite used to it,” she said, adding that she would rather work “amicably” and hoped to be a bridge between the old administration and the new era.It helped that former board secretary Ajay Shirke and veteran administrator Niranjan Shah were among the first people to congratulate her. “In fact all MCA [Mumbai Cricket Association] office-bearers rang me up,” she said. “I immediately left for MCA. I wanted to be with them at this moment, because they have been so nice with me.”I got a message from the [BCCI] CEO, Mr Rahul Johri, congratulating me and looking forward to working with me. That was a good sign also. Because I am the only player, it may just work out in my favour, [everybody] may co-operate with me.”

Chelsea's pursuit of Mike Maignan may have received a huge helping hand, with the Italian media, via Tribal Football, reporting that the player has refused to discuss fresh terms with AC Milan and could now leave.

How good is Mike Maignan?

The shot-stopper currently plays in Italy and has slowly established himself as Milan's first-choice option inbetween the sticks, despite having only played for the side for two seasons now.

In his first campaign in Serie A, he helped them to a league title with only 21 goals conceded in 32 games, but his minutes tailed off in 2022/23 due to an injury. In that most recent season, he played on 22 occasions and conceded 21 again, as the side dipped to fourth in the standings.

Even though his playing time fell, he still ranks as one of the best in his position across Europe. When you compare Maignan to othe 'keepers across the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues, his 50% save rate for penalty kicks puts him in the 92nd percentile there while his rate of goals against puts him comfortably in the 89th percentile.

What's the latest transfer news on Maignan?

Despite being successful so far in Milan, reports from the Italian media, via Tribal Football, suggest that the player will not be agreeing a new contract at San Siro, or even engage in talks with them.

That could mean he is available on a deal this summer, with Premier League sides Chelsea and Man United ready to pounce to bring in the 27-year-old and the player himself keen to explore something new.

Whilst he wouldn't be cheap – the asking price for the shot-stopper could be a whopping 70 million Euros (or £60m) – it appears as though a deal is doable. That is because interested parties such as the Blues are being told by intermediaries to go in with a formal bid.

Maignan has been praised for his performances in Italy with AC Milan over the last few years, with football journalist Josh Bunting for example calling the player "impressive" in the past.

His aforementioned stats certainly back that up and if he did make the move to Chelsea, then it would surely help solidify their backline given their struggles in the goalkeeper department this season.

James Sutherland has stated that pregnancy policies around women cricketers will be addressed in the current round of MOU negotiations with the ACA

Daniel Brettig16-Dec-2016James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has stated that pregnancy policies around the nation’s women cricketers will be addressed in the current round of MOU negotiations with the Australian Cricketers Association, though he asserted his comfort with a system that presently requires players to declare their maternal status when signing a contract.Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act states that it is unlawful to ask a potential employee if they are pregnant, yet women signing to play in CA competitions are asked to state whether or not they are, in one of the clauses of their standard contracts. Both Sutherland and the team performance manager Pat Howard stated this was purely a health and safety measure.However Sutherland, when pressed on the issue during an interview on , said that CA would work with the ACA to ensure the terms and conditions for female cricketers would be reviewed during the present round of talks to ensure the next agreement was in line with “best practice” for female athletes. It has been suggested – in keeping with the health and safety element – that women be permitted to declare whether they are pregnant or not to the relevant CA or state medical officer without the need for a clause in the contract itself, thus maintaining doctor-patient confidentiality.”The critical thing here is that it’s a health and safety issue,” Sutherland said. “So it’s understood that a woman can declare herself pregnant, but the extension of that is we know they have taken medical advice, so if they continue to play then everyone’s aware and we can secure their safety.”That doesn’t mean the woman cannot sign the contract. We need them to declare that they can continue to play, adhering to medical advice. All we’re saying is they need to say they are, so that everyone understands. They can take their own advice on continuing to play from a medical professional, but also so that our medical staff are aware so we can support them in that situation. That’s the intention – it’s not to stop a pregnant woman from playing.”There are different stages of pregnancy, it’s a matter of disclosure and understanding and then working with the individual to make choices along the way and being offered that support. We haven’t had someone say they’re pregnant at the time of signing. We have had someone fall pregnant in their contract period, and they decided at a certain point that they wouldn’t continue to play, and we paid out their contract for the remainder of the period.”Sutherland’s 15-year-old daughter, Annabel, is a contracted player with Melbourne Renegades, and he stated he was comfortable with her operating under these regulations. “Yes, because what is important here is health and safety,” he said, “and if she was carrying a baby, the health and safety of that baby.”Quite apart from pregnancy policy, Australia’s female cricketers are presently not eligible for the sort of paid maternity leave mandatory even for CA’s own employees. Issues have also been raised around players relocating from their home states for the Women’s Big Bash League. Sutherland conceded that gender equity in cricket was still some way from being fully realised.James Sutherland acknowledged that cricket was some way off achieving gender equity•Getty Images”I think across the board from grassroots up, I don’t think gender equity is there in cricket,” he said. “That’s something that as an administration body, as administrators, we are determined to chase in the states and territories. We want there to be equal opportunity for girls to play our sport as there is for boys.”But this is to some extent pioneering stuff. It’s not easy. There are challenges, because clubs and organisations are set up to play cricket on a certain amount of ovals. We’re needing to find places for girls to play and getting to find volunteers and resources around girls teams to allow them to have a great experience playing cricket. It’s not that easy, we’re determined to make sure it changes.”We had great success with clubs and organisations, with the increased funding for girls to basically increase the number of girls’ teams playing across the country. A number of new organisations and competitions have started up this year. We’re thrilled with that response, but in some ways that’s affirmative action to change the landscape and create the opportunities that weren’t previously there.”Negotiations with the ACA continue.

Arsenal have shifted their focus onto another Premier League star amid long-standing interest in Declan Rice…

What's the latest on Kai Havertz to Arsenal?

That's according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter to offer a fresh transfer target of interest to Mikel Arteta.

He wrote:

"Arsenal are in talks to sign Kai Havertz after positive contacts on player side — he’s keen on the move. Chelsea want around £75m for Havertz now, Arsenal will not pay that amount. Real Madrid talks currently off. Arsenal priority: bid for Declan Rice soon".

Whilst this deal seems far from completion, it marks the start of a startling saga that has seemingly developed from nowhere. Edu seems keen on bolstering his striking options, given Gabriel Jesus' injury woes from the previous term.

The German international has just two years left on his £150k-per-week deal, which could tempt Chelsea to sanction an exit below the aforementioned valuation.

Could Kai Havertz replicate any Arsenal legends?

With a tall slender body but a grace and comfort on the ball, Havertz is something of a physical marvel as an attacking threat.

Having risen to prominence in his homeland, starring for Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen, the 24-year-old notched 18 goals and assisted a further nine in his final year before moving to Stamford Bridge. Frank Lampard saw fit to unload £71m to tempt the youngster to join.

His goalscoring prowess was unlike most other number tens, and yet he has found himself somewhat lost among the vast managerial upheaval in West London.

Despite recording 47 goal contributions across those three years, including a goal in their Champions League final triumph, pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has still questioned his place in this side, noting:

"Look at Havertz. I mean, he saw two managers off. He's not doing anything. He's not a No 9, he's not a No 10. He's not holding the ball up, he's not scoring goals."

Perhaps a move to north London, where the conditions are far more favourable, could see him finally realise the immense potential that has gone awry.

After all, his physique does resemble that of a former Emirates favourite Robin van Persie, as well as the goalscoring talents of his past having matched some seasons of the lethal Dutchman. For example, during the 2018/19 campaign, Havertz scored 17 league goals from a no.10 sort of role.

Meanwhile, across his sprawling career in England, the former Manchester United striker would score 18 or more in three separate campaigns, often hitting double figures in the league too.

This, combined with their shared technique and quality left foot makes them all the more similar, as Thomas Tuchel outlined:

"I see a bit of Dennis Bergkamp, Robin Van Persie, [Dimitar] Berbatov kind of player. He can play in the half position because he has good runs, but also feels free from the nine and creates overload to one side."

Although his career has not yet panned out as planned, Arteta has already proven his ability to make something out of nothing with his current Arsenal project.

The Emirates could well be a perfect new home to transform Havertz into the player many thought he would become.