Bellingham, Amrabat and five players Liverpool could sign in January

The Reds have already signed Cody Gakpo from PSV, but who could follow him through the door at Anfield?

It looks as if the January transfer window is going to be a busy one for Liverpool.

With the Cody Gakpo deal done, the Reds’ business is well underway as Jurgen Klopp looks to strengthen his squad for what looks like being a tense race for Champions League qualification.

Liverpool currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, but will be hoping to see their form pick up considerably in the second half of the campaign, and the arrival of some new faces in January could aid that process considerably.

But who might be on the agenda? GOAL takes a look at some potential targets for Klopp’s side…

Getty ImagesJude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)

It is no secret that Liverpool are desperate to convince England’s latest young superstar to come to Anfield, and it is understood that they, along with Real Madrid and Manchester City, are among the most serious contenders for Bellingham’s signature.

Nobody within the club is playing down the Reds’ interest, with Klopp speaking publicly about the Borussia Dortmund midfielder prior to Liverpool’s game with Aston Villa. “Just exceptional,” was his verdict.

A January move, to Liverpool or anywhere else, looks unlikely, with Dortmund still in the Champions League and Bellingham keen to leave the club on good terms, but a summer switch is undoubtedly on the cards.

As reported by GOAL, Madrid appear to be at the front of the queue, with the England international interested in a switch to the Bernabeu, but Liverpool still hold out hope that they can convince him to join them instead.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesEnzo Fernandez (Benfica)

Another midfielder heavily linked has been Fernandez, who was one of the stars of Argentina’s World Cup triumph.

The 21-year-old only joined Benfica last summer, but reports in Portugal suggest he is already ready to make the next step, with Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea – who have been reportedly already offered over £106 million ($128m) – all credited with an interest.

Liverpool sources have, unlike with Bellingham, dismissed suggestions they are close to agreeing a deal, and have even played down the club’s interest, but it looks likely that Fernandez will be on the move before too long.

GettyMoises Caicedo (Brighton)

It’s all about midfielders as far as Liverpool are concerned, with their defence well stocked and Gakpo’s arrival significantly boosting their attacking options.

Caicedo is one that has caught the eye, the Brighton and Ecuador star emerging as one of the up-and-coming players of the Premier League over the past 12 months.

Liverpool scouts have been suitably impressed, and Brighton’s policy of developing players to sell on – see also; Ben White, Yves Bissouma and Marc Cucurella – means they would be confident of getting him out of the Amex Stadium.

The fee, however, could be a stumbling block, with Brighton likely to demand more than £50 million ($60m) for the talented 21-year-old.

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GettySofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina)

The links with World Cup stars keep on coming, with Morocco’s Amrabat another to be heavily tipped for a move to Merseyside.

Amrabat, a specialist midfield destroyer as opposed to some of the all-rounders on this list, plays in Italy with Fiorentina and is valued at around £35m ($42m). At 26, he is approaching his prime and may feel the time has come to make a big move.

Whether Liverpool will be in the market, however, is another matter. With Fabinho very much established as their first-choice No.6, and with teenager Stefan Bajcetic emerging as a player with serious potential, their need for a player of Amrabat’s talents is less than it is for, say, a Bellingham or a Caicedo.

ICC to organise US player trials in eight cities

The ICC’s attempts to reform the cricket structure in the USA are taking another step forward with plans to hold player combine trials in eight cities from April through June

Peter Della Penna01-Apr-2016The ICC’s attempts to reform the cricket structure in the USA are taking another step forward with plans to hold player combine trials in eight cities from April through June. ICC Americas high performance consultant Tom Evans and former Australia fielding coach Mike Young will head the evaluation panel with other coaches from the West Indies Cricket Board and Cricket Australia also expected to take part in each city.Last September, a regional ICC Americas combine was held in Indianapolis, which offered nearly 100 men’s players from USA, Canada, Bermuda, Suriname, Cayman Islands and Argentina a chance to compete for a spot in a 15-man squad at the WICB Nagico Super50. Six players then went on to receive Caribbean Premier League contracts. The upcoming trials, though, are exclusively for USA players and will also contain evaluation opportunities for women’s and junior players as part of an overall revamp to the team selection processes being organised by the ICC.The USA women’s team has not played in an ICC regional qualification tournament since 2012, though a USA Women’s XI played two unofficial matches against Pakistan Women in Florida last November. The ICC census data has shown there are estimated to be about 100 active female players nationwide but Evans is hopeful that this trial will spur more interest.USA trial locations and dates

April 7-10: Los Angeles (men only)

April 14-17: San Francisco (women & U-17 only)

April 21-24: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

May 5-8: Houston

May 12-15: Chicago

May 19-22: Washington, D.C.

June 2-5: New Jersey (men only)

June 9-12: New York

“There’s been quite a lot of people who have said to us that women’s cricket is alive and well and that they should be provided more opportunities,” Evans told ESPNcricinfo. “This is an opportunity to get some momentum going for the women’s game. For any women who want to be part of the national set-up and part of cricket in the US in general, we would encourage them to be a part of this process.”While men’s and Under-17 boys’ applications have been strong for the first two April trial dates in California, Evans says that he has so far received 18 applications for the women’s trial in San Francisco, a number he described as “decent”. However, even though the official deadline for all applicants in San Francisco has passed, Evans says he is accepting late applications from female players to boost the talent pool.”We won’t turn away any girls, that’s for sure, because it’s a big focus,” Evans said. “We sort of know from what people say that northern California and New York are sort of the two main hubs for women’s cricket. If we got an overwhelming response for the combine, then we’d be rapt with that but we haven’t seen necessarily that there’s a huge number of female players across the country. We hope that will change.”As for the first men’s-only trial in Los Angeles, Evans said he was looking to cut down the 100+ applications to about 50 players to compete in the trial at Woodley Park in Los Angeles. The men’s tryouts are being organised with an eye to form a USA team for ICC WCL Division Four. Tim Anderson, the ICC’s head of global development, told stakeholders in a recent letter that the ICC was in discussions with city officials to host Division Four in Los Angeles later in the year.Though Evans would not commit to a specific number of players that they are looking to identify as part of a national talent pool for men’s, women’s and U-17, he said that the broad goal is to narrow down the field to somewhere between 20-30 players in each category. Subsequent squad trials are provisionally being targeted for later in the summer, particularly with the men’s team preparing for Division Four. Unlike last year’s Indianapolis combine, where the ICC invited applications for players aged 30 and under, there is no age limit for these trials.The structure of each four-day combine will also take into account the amateur status and work situations of most of the attendees. Each combine runs from Thursday to Sunday with the first two days comprising of fitness, agility and skills assessments at an indoor facility from 6 to 9 pm. On Saturdays and Sundays, a series of trial matches will be arranged based on the evaluations done over the first two days.Most of the trial matches being held over each four-day city combine will be Twenty20 games in order to evaluate as many players as possible. This is similar to how the Indianapolis trial was conducted last September to select a team for the 50-over Nagico tournament. Evans believes that process dispelled any doubts over the evaluation method and contends there are plenty of ways to identify skills in T20 for longer form success.”I think [Alex] Amsterdam was an example of that at the Indy combine who made runs but didn’t necessarily blaze the ball,” Evans said. “But he showed even within 20-over cricket batting for 10-15 overs that he would be a good 50-over cricketer because he had the ability to stay at the crease, looked to rotate the strike and when he was under pressure didn’t lose the plot.”You can still get a really good indication to guys’ suitability to different formats by just seeing them in match situations and we have some pretty experienced guys who are part of the coaching evaluation panel. If on a Sunday we’re clear on who some of the best players are, we might try and give them an extended opportunity to prove themselves in a slightly longer game, whether it’s 50 overs or 40 or 30.”

Franchises hunker down as brand value takes a hit

For Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, Tuesday’s judgement was far worse than the franchises expected and the initial reaction was to hunker down, close ranks and reflect on the situation rather than react

Arun Venugopal14-Jul-2015For Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, Tuesday’s judgement was far worse than the franchises expected and the initial reaction was to hunker down, close ranks and reflect on the situation rather than react. Speculation abounded in the absence of any official comment from either franchise, including rumours that suggested the franchises might be up for sale, but it seems whatever decisions are to be taken will be done after consideration and not in a knee-jerk manner.As the initial shock wore off concerns shifted to the huge hit the franchises’ brand identity would have taken. The immediate impact of Super Kings’ suspension, for instance, was felt in the stock market as India Cements’ share price dipped in the afternoon. Later in the day Aircel, one of Super Kings’ key sponsors, said in a statement that it was “reviewing our position in the matter [its association with the team].”One senior Super Kings official, however, said they had not once entertained thoughts of giving up the team. “You know, we have worked very hard to nurture the team over eight years,” he said. “Besides, will anyone even come up to buy the team now? We will never sell the team.”The official swiftly dismissed as rumour news of Super Kings appealing against the order. “All that you have been hearing and reading are rumours,” he said. “We haven’t taken any decision and neither will we arrive at anything without consulting our in-house legal counsel. We will be sitting down to discuss this in a day or two. The pros and cons of an appeal will have to be considered. We are not in a hurry.”The official, however, admitted that the outcome was “shattering.””We were trying to brace ourselves for this as everyone was talking about a possible suspension. But we didn’t expect to be suspended for two years. In that way, it has been very disappointing,” the official stated.The Royals management, meanwhile, were nervous ahead of the announcement in the morning, but slipped into a huddle soon after. It is understood they, too, are in consultation with their legal team to study the different aspects of the order.”I thought we would get away,” one Royals source said. “I don’t know whether it was the heart thinking or my head. So, the suspension was a bit of a shock.”The biggest impact, as the Super Kings official said, would be on the brand identity. George John, manager, marketing and operations, Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited, said it was too early to speculate on how much the team will be hurt on the sponsorship front. He, however, said sponsors had not abandoned them even in the wake of the 2013 spot-fixing scandal that saw top Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan being arrested.”We have never had any problem with our sponsors,” John told ESPNcricinfo. “They have always stood by us. They know what we stand for.”Brand consultant Harish Bijoor felt while the reputation of the two teams had corroded, advertisers and broadcasters were unlikely to pay a huge price. “They are all fair weather friends,” Bijoor said of advertisers and broadcasters. “Their money is totally protected, their contracts are reasonably waterproof to protect themselves against these things. Contracts are clean and sharp. The only people who suffer are the two franchise owners.”Please note that the recommendations are that these two teams don’t play for two years. It’s quite likely that many of the stars of these teams are likely to be figuring in other teams. Two or three teams, theoretically, might come into the IPL. End of the day, the net count of the matches will remain the same if not go up. Nobody loses except the franchises.”Bijoor said it was the end of the road for both Super Kings and Royals as brands, “even if not legally.” “Brands have morality elements. The real custodian of the brand is the viewer. The problem is this brand is not like EPL. It is not as old as a Manchester United is, or as old as a Chelsea is. And loyalties are portable. People will take their loyalties to a new brand. At the end of the day, nobody is wedded to a team as much as to a [MS] Dhoni or a [Suresh] Raina or a [Rahul] Dravid.”He suggested that the teams re-brand themselves if and when they come back into the league, either after the term of suspension or after a change in ownership: “Brands enjoy positive karma and negative karma. This is a bit of negative karma as far as these brands are concerned. Changing the name, the ownership, the entire ethos and putting together a set of corporate governance laws will change that. It has to be an amalgam of many things. It’s a brand restructuring guy’s delight.”

Taylor turns the clock back to revive form

Ross Taylor said he decided to turn back the clock in an attempt to rekindle his form, and the early signs are that the the move could pay off

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jun-2015Ross Taylor said he decided to unleash the shackles in an attempt to rekindle his form, and the early signs are that the move could pay off. He produced two counter-attacking innings during the second Test at Headingley then warmed up for the one-day series against England with 77 off 62 balls against Leicestershire.Taylor made a valuable, but scratchy 62 in the first innings at Lord’s, and admitted it was not really his style of batting. With another period of one-day cricket now upon New Zealand – following a short break after the England trip they tour South Africa in August – he is keen to bring some freedom back to his batting.He chipped in during New Zealand’s World Cup campaign – making a top score of 56 against Bangladesh – but did not produce a stand-out performance and had comfortably the lowest strike rate, 61.55, of all New Zealand’s batsmen.”I haven’t scored as many as I would have liked and I have made a conscious effort to express myself and get back to the way I want to play – to hit the ball like when I first played for New Zealand,” Taylor said after the warm-up match against Leicestershire.”You can go two ways, you can try to graft it out a bit which I did at Lord’s or try to play your shots as I did at Leeds and against Leicestershire. It was nice to get a few out of the middle and get some rhythm back.”Taylor does not have to go back too far to remember a golden run in his one-day career. Last year, he scored three hundreds in consecutive innings, which made him the first New Zealand batsman – and only seventh in history – to achieve that feat. Currently Taylor has 12 ODI hundreds, putting him second in the New Zealand all-time list behind Nathan Astle who made 16.He was barely needed with the bat last time New Zealand faced England in an ODI, at Wellington during the World Cup. Tim Southee’s 7 for 33 hustled out England for 123 before the hosts rattled off the runs in just 12.2 overs as Brendon McCullum struck 77 off 25 balls.It will be a very different-looking England side on show at Edgbaston on Tuesday with potentially just five survivors from the Wellington match, although one of them could be Steven Finn who was torn into by McCullum.”You’ve got to respect the opposition and after the way they performed in the World Cup they’ll want to put in a good performance,” Taylor said. “There are a lot of new faces we’ve not seen before. But hopefully we can start again, we have the confidence.”

Jesse Lingard offered support by Man Utd icon Patrice Evra after ex-England international posts another solo training video amid search for next club

Ex-Manchester United star Jesse Lingard has received words of encouragement from Patrice Evra after posting another video of a solo training session.

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Released by Forest at the end of last seasonSpent time with West Ham & El-EttifaqRemains a free agent heading into 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The former England international remains a free agent on the back of his release by Nottingham Forest at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. The 30-year-old playmaker would have expected to have found a new club by now, but contracts are proving hard to come by.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Lingard is doing his best to keep himself in shape, as he works with personal instructors, and will be eager to see his patience and persistence rewarded at some stage. He has spent time at Inter Miami’s training facility, while also taking in trial spells with West Ham and Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq.

WHAT EVRA SAID ABOUT LINGARD

Evra is among those urging Lingard to keep his head up, with the former United defender backing his one-time Old Trafford team-mate to find a new club in the not too distant future. Evra has responded to Lingard’s latest video on social media by saying: “Your time coming soon brother keep working hard.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR LINGARD?

Lingard struggled for form and fitness throughout his one-season stint at Forest, but he is a proven Premier League performer – with 232 appearances for United and 32 England caps to his name – and 2024 could be the year in which his career gets back on track.

Chopra plays long game as Bears opt for safety first

Warwickshire ultimately decided that much as they might have liked to leave Headingley with a win it was the long game that they were really interested in. Thus not losing became the priority that dictated their tactics on the final day

Jon Culley at Headingley29-Apr-2015
ScorecardAndy Hodd made a half-century to secure a draw for Yorkshire•Getty ImagesWarwickshire ultimately decided that much as they might have liked to leave Headingley with a win it was the long game that they were really interested in. Thus not losing became the priority that dictated their tactics on the final day, when captain Varun Chopra delayed his declaration just long enough to hand control of the outcome to Yorkshire, who after being on the back foot for much of the contest were content to emerge with a draw.The long game is the 2015 Championship, in which Warwickshire have ambitions to topple the incumbents, to whom they lost twice by an innings last season. This was an obvious chance, given Yorkshire’s long list of absentees and injured, to exact some revenge. But at the back of Chopra’s mind was the thought that, come September, he would not want to be dwelling on the defeat in April that cost him the title.Yet it was a negative approach that hardly helps when Championship cricket so wants to be exciting. They had Yorkshire on the back foot, the home side avoiding the follow-on but still trailing by 132 runs on first innings. Ian Westwood, with his second substantial innings of the match, turned that into a position from which his side could dictate.With an ace up his sleeve, too, in Jeetan Patel, the country’s best offspinner, it was a position from which they could have backed themselves, given Yorkshire’s belief in playing positive cricket. Dangle a carrot, and Yorkshire invariably go for it.To that end, the obvious moment to declare would have been lunch, when Yorkshire would have needed 303 from 76 overs. But how often, these days, does a captain set a team 300 at four an over? Chopra decided he could not take the risk. So the target instead grew to 352 and the time shrank to 68 overs, which interested Yorkshire for a while, less so once they lost four wickets.Patel did his stuff, a strong crosswind adding to the hazards facing his opponents, and he took three wickets in the space of 43 balls. But they included Cheteshwar Pujara and Andrew Gale in quick succession and that was enough to set Yorkshire’s thoughts towards defending. Although Jack Leaning was dropped on 21, there were no other scares and he and Andrew Hodd were able to negotiate the remaining overs successfully.Jason Gillespie, Yorkshire’s first-team coach, was clearly frustrated, although he accepted that Warwickshire’s tactics were their prerogative. “They played with a safety first element, trying to bat us out of the game and that’s fine,” he said. “That was the tactics they wanted to adopt and I’m not having a go at them. It was our fault that we were in that position in the game, that they were calling the shots.”But you would not see Yorkshire playing like that, we would look to be a lot more pro-active. We were going to have a crack even at the target we were set but it meant that we were comfortable enough if we lost a few wickets to be able to save the game. Once they set us that target, losing was not really on the cards for us.”It was indicative, perhaps, of the kind of tactics likely to waylay Yorkshire all season in their bid to defend their title. “There is something in that, yes,” Gillespie said. “But we will just have to find a method to counter it.”Tim Bresnan’s bowling was a pleasing feature for Yorkshire, but his contribution was eclipsed by the other offspinner in the game, James Middlebrook, who came out of retirement to dismiss Westwood twice, finishing with 5 for 82 and eight wickets in the match. But there will be no change of heart from the 37-year-old about his future. “It was great to know that I can still perform at this level and I was chuffed to make a contribution but there will be no change in my plans,” he said. “I’m focussed on umpiring now but it was fitting to be able to end my career here, and on a high note.”

'PSG is above any individual' – Luis Enrique insists all is 'normal' at French champions despite bombshell news of Kylian Mbappe exit

Luis Enrique insisted that "PSG is above any individual" and claimed all is "normal" with the manager being bombed with Kylian Mbappe exit queries.

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Mbappe will put an end to his PSG stintLikely to realise his wish of joining Real MadridEnrique says it's business as usual at clubWHAT HAPPENED?

Mbappe's decision to depart Paris Saint-Germain has sparked intense speculation, with Real Madrid reportedly poised to secure the French forward's signature. However, Enrique remained tight-lipped about the superstar forward's potential exit despite repeated attempts by journalists to get a reaction from the manager.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT LUIS ENRIQUE SAID

Speaking to reporters, Luis Enrique said: "We will continue to work. The team is above everyone, that is our message. The club is above any individuality."

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When he was further pressed about the atmosphere in training, the coach added: "It's the atmosphere in every training session before a match. It's normal training. Do I have any fears? No. You have to have personality to sit here. There are rumours around the club all the time, criticism, praise, controversy… Anyone who doesn't like it can't be here."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

While Real Madrid officials patiently await Mbappe's response to their reported offer, Enrique did his best to maintain his composure in front of the press. However, the manager is well aware that he needs to lead the imminent restructuring at the Parc des Princes after the departure of Mbappe with the Parisians set to delve into the market for attacking reinforcements this summer.

Eredivisie wonderkids: De Ligt, De Jong & 15 Under-21 talents to watch

The Ajax pair are dominating transfer rumours, but they are not the only exciting youngsters excelling in the Netherlands' top flight

With Ajax's Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt heavily linked to the likes of Barcelona and Manchester City, the Eredivisie has been thrown into the limelight in recent months.

The pair spearhead an exciting new generation in Dutch football, but they are well-backed by a whole host of young compatriots and still just a drop in the bucket of talent in the Netherlands' top flight.

From the top of the table right down to the bottom, from the Netherlands to Brazil and even Japan, here are 15 rising stars in a league where its trust in youth continues to be justified.

GettySteven Bergwijn (PSV, 21)It’s no surprise that PSV have a perfect record in the league this season as, in addition to Hirving Lozano’s contributions on the opposite wing, Steven Bergwijn has provided five goals and six assists. The skilful 21-year-old is a fantastic dribbler with incredible pace, all attributes that have earned him his first senior caps for the Netherlands and links with Liverpool and Manchester United.AdvertisementGettyMatthijs de Ligt (Ajax, 19)Matthijs de Ligt’s name will be familiar to many as it’s one linked with Manchester City, Juventus and Barcelona. The 19-year-old centre-back is a brilliant reader of play, a strong tackler and has an aerial presence that proves effective at both ends of the pitch. Mature beyond his years with technical ability that is typical of any Dutch defender, De Ligt is expected to earn his big-money move sooner rather than later.GettyRitsu Doan (Groningen, 20)Groningen desperately gathered together the funds to make Ritsu Doan’s loan deal permanent in the summer, and it’s clear to see why. The creative midfielder, who is also effective out wide, scored nine times and provided three assists in his debut season and, with Manchester City having shown an interest, it seems unlikely the Dutch club will keep their star man much longer.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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GettyKasper Dolberg (Ajax, 21)Recruited to Ajax by the same man who brought in Christian Eriksen and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kasper Dolberg is a ruthless finisher with excellent technique. His ability was abundantly clear in his 16 goals across 2016-17, before the Dane lost his place, and his confidence, last term. Dolberg is looking back to his best again though, despite injuries in pre-season, with five goals in five starts this year.

UAE coach criticises World Cup plans

UAE coach Aaqib Javed, a World Cup winner with Pakistan in 1992, has become the latest figure to voice dissent at ICC plans to reduce future tournaments to ten teams

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2015UAE coach Aaqib Javed, a World Cup winner with Pakistan in 1992, has become the latest figure to voice dissent at ICC plans to reduce future tournaments to ten teams.The 2019 World Cup is expected to feature the eight top-ranked nations – almost certainly Full Members – along with two other teams who will come through a qualifying tournament in Bangladesh. Ireland and Afghanistan have been given a theoretical pathway to an automatic spot by being included in the rankings system but there are doubts as to whether they will play enough ODIs to reach the top eight.The current tournament features four Associate nations in UAE, Ireland, Afghanistan and Scotland, following the same format as 2011. Four years ago, the ICC decided to trim the numbers but was met with a wave of resistance and ultimately reversed the decision.Earlier this month, ICC chief executive David Richardson said World Cups should feature “evenly matched teams”. So far in Australia and New Zealand, while there have been several mismatches between Full Members, Ireland have beaten West Indies, Scotland gave New Zealand a scare on the way to a three-wicket win, UAE ran Zimbabwe close and Afghanistan threatened a victory over Sri Lanka.”I think the gap is narrowing now and every Associate is pushing the Full Members,” Javed told UAE newspaper the . “I am really surprised by the decision the ICC already made that the next World Cup would be 10 teams.”Which 10 teams? If you look at the performances from some teams, their graph has been going down, like West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. I am not just talking about in this World Cup. Overall, what have they achieved in the past 10 years? Why can’t there be pressure on them to improve, or go down?”He echoed comments made before the tournament by Ireland’s Ed Joyce, who questioned why cricket was trying to shrink participation in its marquee event, while other sports are looking to expand theirs.”It is very unusual if you compare it to other sports,” Javed said. “Sports need competition and opportunities for every one. What is there for us in Associate cricket? Ireland have been doing so well for the past 10 years, but haven’t gained anything. When it comes to open series, nobody wants to play them. Nobody wants to play Associate teams.”Due to the nature of bilateral agreements and cricket’s crowded schedule, Associate nations have found fixtures against the big teams hard to come by. Javed said there should be “an actual punishment” for underperforming Full Members and suggested two ODI divisions of eight teams, with promotion and relegation.”If after two years there was promotion and relegation, how much interest would be created? This is not rocket science,” he said. “Who are the ICC protecting and why are they protecting them? Forget about audience, it is about competition. Once you are a Test nation, you are a Test nation forever, whatever you do. There is no pressure on them.”

Bangladeshis hit by Jeffers century

Mushfiqur Rahim and Nasir Hossain picked up important centuries to guide Bangladeshis to 377 for 7 when they declared. However, St Kitts & Nevis opener Shane Jeffers struck back with an attacking century of his own

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Sep-2014
ScorecardMushfiqur Rahim was more composed than Nasir Hossain, who made his first fifty-plus score since early June•WICB Media Photo/Randy BrooksMushfiqur Rahim and Nasir Hossain picked up important centuries on day two of Bangladesh’s warm-up game in Warner Park. But the day would not end well for the visitors after St Kitts & Nevis’ Shane Jeffers pummeled 118.Shivnarine Chanderpaul cruised to an unbeaten 70 as the bowlers struggled to put together a string of good overs. At stumps, the home side were 232 for 4 after Bangladesh had declared on 377 for 7.Mushfiqur was the first to reach the three-figure mark and remained not out on 106 off 170 balls, with eight fours and three sixes. Nasir managed his first fifty-plus score since early June, grinding out 100 off 153 balls. The pair added 191 runs for the seventh wicket but the moment Nasir got out, Mushfiqur placed the onus on his bowlers. But they did not respond well.Jeffers’ aggressive intent rattled them so much that by the time his opening partner Shaquille Martina was dismissed for 9, the total had swollen to 77 in 19 overs.Jeffers collected 22 fours and was finally dismissed for 118 off 131 balls, caught at deep midwicket by Mahmudllah off Shuvagata Hom. There was a wicket each for seamer Rubel Hossain and left-arm spinner Taijul Islam as well.

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