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ICC chief executive David Richardson has sympathised with Pakistan’s ongoing struggle to bring international cricket back to their country

Umar Farooq21-Sep-2016ICC chief executive David Richardson has sympathised with Pakistan’s ongoing struggle to bring international cricket back to their country. He was in Lahore on Wednesday to present Misbah-ul-Haq with the Test mace for Pakistan being ranked the No. 1 team in the world.Barring one series, Pakistan have not been able to host Full Members at home since the attack on a touring Sri Lankan team in Lahore in 2009. Zimbabwe had visited in 2015 for a limited-overs series, but during the second ODI on May 29, there had been a “suicide attack” on the outer edge of the three tiers of security that was in place. Zimbabwe left the country only after completing the tour though.”The fact is that ICC is keen for everybody to play international cricket, including Pakistan,” Richardson said. “The more teams we can have the better. However, circumstances around the world really have gotten quite difficult, from a security point of view and Pakistan has probably been the hardest hit than any other country. The ICC members have always tried to support Pakistan by making sure that they are willing to play Pakistan in the UAE and elsewhere to keep cricket going at least internationally even though it’s not in Pakistan.”On a personal level, Richardson felt the measures the PCB and the government have put in place made it safe for teams to come and play.”It’s actually quite easy for you to convince me that international cricket returns to Pakistan, but unfortunately it’s not me or the ICC that needs to be convinced,” Richardson said. “It’s the security experts, it’s the security consultants who are advising the players who are advising the teams and that’s really out of our control. I know that the Pakistan government and the PCB are doing whatever they can to try and persuade the people and make security situation better in Pakistan. Pretty soon we’ll get to a situation where teams are willing to play international cricket in Pakistan.”The PCB relies heavily on the government to arrange security for the visiting teams, but it has bought four bulletproof buses as part of the efforts to provide the “best possible” protection for players visiting the country.In this seven-year isolation, the PCB has suffered financially, having to arrange matches in the UAE and missing out on bilateral series against India. This prompted PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan to suggest the board should receive a “higher percentage of the income” from matches against India at ICC events. Richardson confirmed the ICC received the application and that it would be up for discussion in an upcoming meeting.”We take every application seriously on those lines,” he said. “It came late in the day [during ICC annual conference in July] but we will discuss it in the financial committee meeting next month in October and then in the board. ICC members are actually renewing the whole financial model of international cricket at the moment and certainly the PCB’s request will be considered.”

Manchester United moved to within just a point of securing Champions League qualification after edging past AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium this afternoon, with Erik ten Hag's men ending their recent away woes with a much-needed 1-0 win.

Having gone into the game with a rather grim record on the road this season – notably losing away to both West Ham United and Brighton and Hove Albion in recent times – the Red Devils made the perfect start this time around, with influential midfielder, Casemiro, producing a stunning, acrobatic finish from close range.

With United going on to ultimately labour to victory in what was a rather unconvincing, all-round display, the top-four hopefuls were left thankful for the "big performance" of the ex-Real Madrid man, according to The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell, as the Brazil international looked 'back to his best' – as per Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

Amid a battling, hard-fought encounter, the 31-year-old was a real effective presence at both ends of the pitch, notably winning nine duels on the day as a marker of his ball-winning prowess, as well as contributing three key passes as a sign of his creative quality.

The summer signing was not alone in having helped teammate David De Gea to a 17th Premier League clean sheet of the season, however, with centre-back star, Victor Lindelof also having been "excellent" on the south coast, in the words of Luckhurst.

How did Lindelof perform against Bournemouth?

With Lisandro Martinez out for the season – and with Harry Maguire resigned to a watching brief – Lindelof has stepped up as the consistent presence in the backline of late, having now made nine successive starts for Ten Hag's side.

The Sweden international appears to have particularly thrived amid the return of Raphael Varane from injury in recent games, with the aforementioned Whitwell stating that the pair "look good together" in the centre of defence.

While substitute Kieffer Moore did burst clear late on to produce a rare attempt on goal for the Cherries, that was one of few occasions in which the visitors looked like being breached, such was the commanding nature of both Varane and Lindelof's performance.

In the case of the latter man, the £120k-per-week machine may have only won five of his 11 total duels, although he was particularly adept at snuffing out the danger after making six clearances and registering three tackles.

The 79-touch ace – who also showed his composure on the ball after recording a 90% pass accuracy rate – was rewarded for his solid display with a 7.2 match rating, as per Sofascore, having been crucial in nudging the Old Trafford outfit ever closer to securing a place in Europe's premier competition.

With the FA Cup final looming, it looks likely to be the defensive axis of Varane and Lindelof that will be tasked with keeping a certain Erling Haaland quiet…

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSean Williams’ maiden Test century could not prevent Zimbabwe from crashing to defeat in the first match against New Zealand but it helped cushion the heavy innings loss. Williams, who took over after Craig Ervine reached his first fifty in the format, put on 118 for the seventh wicket with captain Graeme Cremer and the pair spent 33.2 overs together to frustrate New Zealand. Williams went on to hold the visitors at bay until 25 minutes before the tea break but once he was dismissed, Zimbabwe could not prevent the inevitable.New Zealand’s attack were kept on the field for longer than they may have expected, after they had Zimbabwe reeling at 17 for 4 and plucked a fifth scalp on the third evening. But the middle and lower order applied themselves well against swing from Tim Southee and Trent Boult, a short-ball barrage from Neil Wagner and spin from Ish Sodhi and Michael Santner, and took their innings deep to show improvement after their first-innings implosion.Zimbabwe began the final day with some momentum after Ervine resumed from an overnight score of 49. He reached his fifty off the second ball of the day but then played inside the line of a delivery from Boult and was given out caught behind by debutant umpire Michael Gough. Replays showed Ervine had not hit the ball and the noise was likely bat-pad.He was replaced by Williams, who got a rough decision in the first innings when he was caught off the helmet. Now battling flu, Williams, who wasn’t on the field for New Zealand’s innings, put his illness aside to play an authoritative knock, the most assured of his three-Test career.He began with a quartet of crisp drives off Southee and one off Boult, whose pace stayed in the upper 120s throughout the match. Kane Williamson tried to clog up his scoring area with two slips, two gullies, two short covers and a backward point but Williams was wise to the trick and responded with shots in the vacant leg side.With Southee and Boult unable to dislodge Williams, Williamson turned to first-innings hero Neil Wagner and gave him a license to attack. Wagner hit Cremer on the thigh pad, the left shoulder and eventually the left fore-arm, which Cremer broke earlier this year. The Zimbabwe captain, as he did with ball in hand, fought through it all.While Cremer content to hold his end, Williams profited off the short ball and brought out an audacious range of strokes, including a cheeky ramp off Wagner and sweetly timed sweeps. He used his feet, scored quickly, with his fifty coming off 63 balls, and found the boundary often – 11 times in the fifty and 21 in his entire innings.Williams took his partnership with Cremer to 100 runs with a straight dive and put himself into the nineties with a cut. His captain was not around to usher him to the century. Cremer was given out lbw by umpire Paul Reiffel to a Sodhi legbreak that hit him above the pad. The height made the decision questionable but Cremer had to go.Instead, Williams’ fellow sick-bed mate Regis Chakabva, whose tonsillitis meant he could not field, was at the other end when he outside edged a wrong ‘un to third man to bring up the fastest hundred by a Zimbabwean in Tests. Williams faced just 106 balls, one less than Neil Johnson.Although clearly affected by exertion after his illness, Williams did not let the landmark distract him from keeping Zimbabwe fighting for as long as possible. He watched as Chakabva was bowled around the legs by Tim Southee with the old ball, but then holed out to deep mid-wicket off Santner to end a courageous knock. Donald Tiripano was left to deal with the last rites, which came when he nicked off, with Zimbabwe five runs short of 300

Journalist Jacques Talbot has claimed that West Ham United have already triggered a contract extension for Aaron Cresswell.

What's the latest on Aaron Cresswell and his contract?

As per Transfermarkt, the defender's current deal is set to expire in the summer, June 2023. And recent reports suggest a deal could be in the works.

Indeed, as per Football Insider, sources in late April claimed Cresswell was close to landing a new contract at the London Stadium. The club will green-light an extension if David Moyes remains in charge.

Well, if the latest reporting is accurate, it seems this has already happened. Indeed, when talking on his YouTube channel, Talbot explained that it had been "triggered".

He said (3:33): “So I got a message about Aaron Cresswell: 'He is joining Everton at the end of the season'.

"I was like, Oh yeah?

"Like: 'He's bought a house up in Merseyside, he's going back.'

“But it's just one of them where you go to West Ham and they're like, 'No we've done a new deal to [20]24'.

"I don't even know if that's even out yet. But basically, they've triggered the extension for him.”

How much is Cresswell's contract worth?

Seeing as there is less doubt about Moyes leaving now – as the club look certain to avoid relegation and have gone deep into the Europa Conference League – it would make sense if one of his preferred players was to stick around a little longer.

After all, while now aged 33, Cresswell has still played regularly for the Hammers this term, with 35 appearances in all competitions.

Indeed Moyes has trusted him at the vital point in the club's campaign, starting the left-back in seven of the last eight league games as West Ham have got themselves out of relegation trouble.

With that being the case, it's easy to understand why the club have apparently extended his £50k-p/w contract for one more year.

With 28-year-old Emerson Palmieri also available as an option for the left-back role (with a contract until 2026), the extension for Cresswell mean's the club are pretty set in that area of the field.

Perhaps that sort of deal will allow the Irons to then go out and add strength to more pressing areas of the pitch. For instance, they could soon look a little short in the middle of the park with key man Declan Rice expected to leave this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur do boast some incredible talent, however, it is quality that has certainly been utilised in questionable ways.

With the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son in attack, most managers should have been able to quickly find the necessary additions to supplement such world-class talent.

However, with Antonio Conte the latest casualty of this doomed project, it marks yet another setback for the Lilywhites and their long-term vision.

With Cristian Stellini now overseeing the short-term and seeking to somehow get his side back into contention for those coveted top four spots, perhaps in an effort to freshen up a tired outfit who have endured real struggles under the recent bosses, the Italian, or whoever might take his spot, could look to his academy for an injection of youthful exuberance.

Of those in and around the setup, there are a few standout names who would be more than deserving of a call-up. However, in an effort to add more goals to this outfit, Dane Scarlett could perhaps be prioritised when his loan comes to a conclusion this summer.

Who is Dane Scarlett?

Having been at the club since 2020, the 19-year-old marksman has scored goals at every youth level he has featured in at Hotspur Way.

This was especially pertinent during the 2020/21 season, where the teenage sensation recorded 17 goals and four assists in 16 U18s Premier League games, before making the step-up to the Premier League 2 with a further three goals in five games.

Conte even admitted in February of last year that the forward was: "At this moment for sure the best prospect from the academy."

Clearly well-versed in finding the back of the net, this form culminated in the first of what has since been ten senior appearances for the first team. This is further indicative of how well-thought-of the youngster remains, and likely merited his move to Portsmouth for this season.

Earning his stripes and growing physically against a host of senior players, Scarlett has enjoyed 33 appearances in League One, scoring a less than impressive four goals, albeit while having to adjust to these new demands.

It is all these facets that will likely culminate in an increased involvement next season, to perhaps partner Kane.

The legendary marksman enjoyed a similar path to the one his future teammate is undertaking, enduring plenty of loans before bursting onto the scene as a regular goalscorer. The 29-year-old will likely have unlimited wisdom to offer Scarlett, which could help fast-track the career of such a talented asset.

Not only this, but the speed of the 5 foot 11 forward could mesh well with Spurs' record scorer, latching on to the searching balls that many of Kane's teammates have benefitted from.

This duo has the potential to petrify most defences, with one of the league's greatest mentoring one for the future.

Todd Boehly is reportedly ready to sanction a Chelsea deal for Napoli sensation Victor Osimhen and the Nigerian's potential arrival at Stamford Bridge could allow Graham Potter to finally unlock the best version of Kai Havertz.

Could Chelsea sign Osimhen?

Chelsea, like several other sides across Europe, have been regularly linked with signing Osimhen in recent months amid his incredible performances for Napoli in Serie A and the Champions League.

Evening Standard journalist Nizaar Kinsella has now suggested on Twitter that Chelsea are one of two serious clubs that are "ready to poach" the forward away from the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium this summer.

Manchester United are the other side credited with an interest in the 24-year-old forward, but any potential suitor could be forced to pay as much as €150m (£132m) if they want to land Napoli's main man ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Chelsea's need for a natural striker is clear, as they have mustered just 29 goals in the Premier League so far this season, with only seven sides scoring fewer, all of whom are currently embroiled in a closely-fought relegation battle at the bottom.

Osimhen's return of 21 goals and four assists in just 23 Serie A appearances this season suggests that he could be the man to fix that problem, as Potter's side look to challenge back at the top end of the table again next year.

Since joining from Lille in 2020, the Super Eagles striker has crashed in 53 goals and 14 assists in just 91 appearances, with his performance against Cagliari in 2021 seeing him described as "phenomenal" by former manager Walter Mazzarri.

Could Havertz benefit from Chelsea signing Osimhen?

Chelsea's top scorer so far this season is Havertz and the German boasts just seven goals in the Premier League, with the German maestro underperforming on his xG in all three of his seasons at Chelsea, having regularly overperformed during his time at Bayer Leverkusen.

There is no doubt that the 23-year-old still has the attributes and the potential to be a big player for Chelsea in the future but his record in front of goal suggests that he will never be the clinical striker that they require to be a success at the top of the Premier League.

Should Osimhen arrive at Stamford Bridge and lead the line, it could allow Havertz to drop into a more familiar attacking midfield role where he excelled at Leverkusen, with the Nigerian forward running the channels and winning the physical battles to allow the German more time on the ball to create opportunities.

Therefore, while £132m is obviously a huge amount of money for Boehly to invest, he could help Potter to finally unlock a more dangerous version of Havertz if he were to play alongside Osimhen in the Blues' attack.

Podcaster and football columnist Steven Clifford has claimed that Rangers genuinely did turn down the chance to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia amid recent reports.

What's the latest on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Rangers?

While speaking on the Go Radio Football Show (via Daily Record), former player Craig Moore recently stated that he tried to talk the |brox outfit into signing the winger before he ended up at Napoli this summer.

He explained that he initially tried to get the Georgian a move to the Premier League with Southampton, but when they couldn't sort a deal, he alerted Rangers about a possible loan that could then be made into a permanent transfer.

It seems like quite a remarkable story, but according to Clifford, the story is true and the Scottish Premiership side really did fail to make the most of what turned out to be an incredible opportunity.

Indeed, while speaking on The Rangers Review, he said: "So I know Craig Moore, he's a good lad. And I know this story, unfortunately…

"So this isn't something that he's magically made up just for the sake of being on the radio. I've actually seen things that prove it. So, undoubtedly, Craig Moore offered Rangers the opportunity.

"Were they interested, it would have been a loan to buy. Rangers could have got him for a year-to-18-months loan, then went from there. I think all parties were kind of keen.

"He was set to go to Southampton, that didn't work and it was a wee bit up in the air. So that's what Craig Moore does. He's an agent, obviously, but he brokers things and he walks in between the lines for clubs."

Why is everyone talking about Kvaratskhelia?

Seeing as Kvaratskhelia has since established himself as one of Europe's top players, it's certainly a blow for Rangers to learn how close they were to landing what would have been a brilliant transfer.

After all, he has scored 13 goals and provided 15 assists in 29 games this season as Napoli look set to win Serie A as well as going deep into the Champions League as they next face AC Milan in the quarter-finals.

In fact, such is the quality of the player, he is now tipped to be worth £80-90m by Moore even though he moved to Italy for just £10m in the summer.

It remains unclear as to who exactly turned down the deal at Ibrox, but the individual who made that final call will no doubt be feeling rather silly right now.

During his time at West Ham United, Felipe Anderson could polarise opinion. However, now that the 29-year-old is arguably outperforming his former team-mate Jarrod Bowen, David Moyes may well be regretting the Brazilian’s departure.

Should West Ham have sold Felipe Anderson?

The Hammers signed the tricky winger from Lazio in 2018 in a then club-record deal worth £36m but like many other attacking additions at the London Stadium, he perhaps failed to live up to expectations in the English capital.

In total, the former Brazil international made 73 appearances in West Ham colours, in which he contributed just 12 goals and 13 assists, the vast majority of which came in his debut Premier League campaign.

He struggled to replicate those numbers in his second season with the club, managing just one goal and four assists in 25 Premier League appearances before a loan move to Porto during the 2020/21 campaign.

Moyes felt that it was necessary to cash in on the winger as he targeted new signings in 2021 and Anderson was sold back to Lazio for just £4m, who were probably laughing all the way to the bank after making a £32m profit in what essentially constituted a three-year loan spell away from Italy.

Is Anderson better than Bowen?

Anderson has quickly rediscovered his goalscoring form with Maurizio Sarri’s side, notching 15 goals and 14 assists across the last two seasons, including six goals and three assists in Serie A so far this term.

This has helped him to earn a strong 7.05 rating from WhoScored for his performances in Italy’s top flight and ranks him a long way ahead of Bowen, who has struggled for form this season after a superb 2021/22 campaign.

The former Hull City man has just four goals and one assist in 23 Premier League appearances this season, with WhoScored awarding him a disappointing 6.70 rating for his performances in the top flight.

He has also averaged far fewer dribbles (0.7 vs 1.2), passes (20.2 vs 33.5) and tackles (1.3 vs two) per game than Anderson, which suggests that the Brazilian could still have offered plenty in Moyes’ side.

While the 29-year-old could have been criticised as being a flair player who didn’t work hard enough, the praise that he received from former Barcelona winger and Lazio team-mate Pedro in 2021 suggests that he was perhaps harshly judged and actually works just as hard off the ball as he does when in possession

Pedro said of the former Irons ace: “It is not easy today to interpret that role. Felipe Anderson played a perfect game, fighting, running, recovering balls, and doing all that had to be done.”

His goal return in his debut season in the Premier League suggests that Anderson was unfairly treated by Moyes; and considering his form compared with that of West Ham’s attackers this season, which sees the Hammers ranked as one of the lowest-scoring teams in the English top flight, perhaps the Irons manager is regretting his decision to sell the Brazilian so cheaply in 2021.

Crystal Palace are eyeing a move to bring Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi to the Premier League this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Reinforcements needed

The Selhurst Park outfit are the fifth joint-lowest scoring team in the division so far this season, so whilst Patrick Vieira has managed to steady the ship in the capital, the need for attacking reinforcements to take his side to that next level is evident.

Wilfried Zaha and Jordan Ayew will also both be out of contract at the end of the campaign meaning that the boss will have to find suitable replacements should the duo depart, and it sounds like the 28-year-old has been identified as an ideal candidate.

The Latest: Palace scouting Furuhashi

According to Football Insider, Palace are ‘keeping tabs’ on Furuhashi ahead of a potential move later in the summer where they are looking to make ‘multiple forward signings’.

The Eagles are ‘scouting’ several targets, with the Japanese international ‘one of those’ currently on their wishlist.

The Hoops, however, ‘do not want to lose’ their talisman and it’s reported that the interest from SE25 could ‘trigger’ the club into wanting to offer him a contract extension.

The Verdict: No-brainer

Furuhashi has been hailed for his ‘world-class’ goals by journalist Josh Bunting, and should the opportunity to sign him arise upon the conclusion of the 2022/23 term, Palace should grab it with both hands.

The Asics-sponsored star has clocked up 19 goals and two assists in just 23 Scottish Premiership appearances so far this season where he’s currently averaging 2.6 shots per game.

The Ikoma native would also provide Vieira with plenty of versatility considering he can operate on both flanks as well as at centre-forward, making this a no-brainer of a deal to complete.

Everton are ‘interested’ in completing a deal for Union Berlin forward Sheraldo Becker this summer, according to journalist Christian Falk.

The Lowdown: Looking to the future

The Toffees failed to make a single signing in January and so can now only target the free agent market until the summer, but Sean Dyche already appears to be planning for his first full window in charge.

The Suriname international’s contract with Urs Fischer’s side isn’t set to expire until 2025, but after being a standout performer throughout the first half of the 2022/23 season, has caught the eye of two clubs in particular from the Premier League.

The Latest: Everton eyeing Becker

According to Falk (via CaughtOffside), Everton, alongside top-flight rivals West Ham, are both considering a move for Becker later in the year, with a mystery bid having already been submitted by one of the two sides shortly before the deadline. He said:

“Both West Ham and Everton are interested in Sheraldo Becker. We’ve just had it confirmed that Union received a concrete offer on Monday, though it’s not immediately clear which of the two submitted it.

“Union, however, now have a chance to potentially secure Champions League football next year and they’re still in the cup, so that’s why they were reluctant to sell Sheraldo.

“But in the summer they know they could lose him. He’s got a contract that runs until 2025. I could imagine seeing him switch to the Premier League in the summer.”

The Verdict: Ideal candidate

Becker has been described as a ‘clinical’ and ‘creative’ attacker by journalist Josh Bunting, and he could be the ideal reinforcement that Everton have been missing so far this season.

According to WhoScored, the winger really stands out among Union’s best players – having attempted more shots at goal and key passes per 90 than any player in their squad.

The Amsterdam native already has eight goals and seven assists to his name across all competitions this term and has the versatility to play as a second striker as well as at centre-forward (Transfermarkt).

The Union Berlin star also ranks in the 96th percentile for most progressive carries per 90 minutes, highlighting his desire to get forward, which is exactly what the Merseyside outfit need in the final third.