The captain’s 28-ball 49 helped the side to a formidable total before the spinner picked up three wickets to restrict Ireland

The Report by Hemant Brar08-Mar-2020

Asghar Afghan swings one across the line•AFP

Asghar Afghan scored a 28-ball 49 to lift Afghanistan to 184 for 4 before Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s three-wicket haul restricted Ireland to 163 for 6 in the second T20I in Greater Noida. The 21-run victory meant Afghanistan now have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Afghanistan had a slow start after opting to bat as their openers Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz struggled for the timing on a sluggish pitch. The Ireland seamers also didn’t allow any room to Zazai who eventually fell to legspinner Gareth Delany for a 33-ball 28.Gurbaz used his feet against Delany to hit a couple of sixes but despite that Afghanistan were 85 for 2 after 13 overs. Asghar, who too was struggling to find the middle of the bat till then, suddenly starting connecting his hits. He struck six, four and four off successive Boyd Rankin deliveries to take the side past 100 in the 14th over.Craig Young was the next to suffer. Asghar smashed him for two fours and two sixes as the 16th over of the innings produced 25 runs. Going for another big hit, Asghar holed out to long-on and fell one short of his fifty. Najibullah Zadran and Gulbadin Naib hit two sixes each in the final over as take Afghanistan to a formidable total.After giving away 99 runs in the last seven overs, Ireland started their chase positively before Mujeeb dismissed Kevin O’Brien and Paul Stirling to reduce them to 37 for 2. Andy Balbirnie and Harry Tector kept finding the boundaries though and took Ireland to 90 for 3 after ten overs.Then, Rashid Khan was introduced to the attack. After conceding five in his first over, he dismissed Balbirnie in the next for a 35-ball 46. From the other end, Nabi too didn’t allow any easy runs. As a result, Ireland were left needing 51 from the last four overs.Tector took 12 off the first three balls of the 17th over, bowled by Mujeeb, but the bowler came back strongly. He not only bowled the next three balls dots but also got rid of Tector.Ireland needed 26 from the final over – Afghanistan too had got 26 from their 20th – but Shapoor Zadran conceded only four to seal the match and the series.

Leeds United have hit the jackpot many times over the years in regards to cashing in on players for significant fees, including Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips in recent times.

In the summer of 2022, former sporting director Victor Orta sold them both to Barcelona and Manchester City respectively, and the Whites were subsequently relegated at the end of that season.

The Cityzens swooped in to sign Phillips for an initial fee of £42m, with a further £3m in potential add-ons, which was a huge fee for a player who had come through the academy system and, therefore, did not cost Leeds a penny to sign.

He is not the first player to come through the youth setup before being sold for a significant amount of money, though, as David Batty followed the same path during the 1990s, and was sold for more than Phillips if you adjust for the inflation of transfer fees in football.

David Batty's first spell at Leeds

The central midfielder came up through the U18s side to join the first-team during the late 1980s and helped the team to win promotion to the top-flight from the Second Division during the 1889/90 season.

His first year of top tier football came during the 1990/91 term, as the talented gem made 37 First Division (pre-Premier League) appearances.

Batty then played at least 30 top-flight matches in each of the following two seasons at Elland Road, winning the First Division title in 1991/92, including 30 in the inaugural Premier League campaign.

1991/92 First Division	David Batty (Leeds)
Appearances	40
Goals	2
Assists	0
Minutes played	3,584
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the academy graduate was a crucial player for the club throughout the title-winning term, with 89.6 minutes played per game on average.

His fantastic performances for Leeds over the years convinced Blackburn Rovers to swoop in to secure his services for a mouth-watering fee in January 1994.

How much Blackburn paid for David Batty in 2024 money

As per Totally Money, Blackburn splashed out a fee of £3.4m to sign the combative central midfielder from the Yorkshire-based outfit ahead of the second half of the 1993/94 campaign.

If you adjust for the inflation of transfer fees in football, per Totally Money's index, over the subsequent years, that fee would have been worth a staggering £52.6m in today's money.

This shows that Batty's huge move to Ewood Park was more valuable to Leeds at the time than Phillips' £45m move to Manchester City was in 2022.

It cost £0 for the Whites to sign the impressive star, given he came through the academy, and then they went on to sell him for a gigantic fee, relative to the time.

Batty then won the Premier League title with Blackburn during the 1994/95 campaign and went on to play for Newcastle before a return to Leeds in January 1999 for a fee of £5.7m – that would be worth £24.9m in today's money – and he ended his career at Elland Road.

The club, therefore, struck gold with the 1990s star as they made a huge amount of money on his services and enjoyed his talents during a top-flight title-winning campaign after bringing him through the youth teams.

Crystal Palace are enjoying a spectacular end to the Premier League season under new coach Oliver Glasner.

The Austrian has seen his side beat Newcastle United, West Ham United and, most impressively, Liverpool in the last four games, and since he was appointed in February, the Eagles have lost just three league games, one of which was against Manchester City.

In all, things look to be on the up and up at Selhurst Park, and one of the players benefiting most from the club's change of fortune is French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who is more than repaying his manager's faith in him and making the wages paid out to previous strikers at the club look absurd.

Jean-Philippe Mateta's Palace career in numbers

The Eagles first signed Mateta on an initial 18-month loan from Bundesliga outfit Mainz in January 2021 but made the deal permanent for around £9m in February the following year.

While the 6 foot 4 forward hasn't ever been particularly bad for the South Londoners, it would probably be fair to describe much of his time at Selhurst Park as underwhelming. Before this season, he had scored just ten goals and provided a single assist in 67 appearances.

However, this year, the 26-year-old has finally shown the kind of form that piqued Palace's interest in the first place, scoring 14 goals and providing five assists in 36 games, meaning that he's averaging a goal involvement every other game.

Mateta's record for Palace this season

Competition

Premier League

FA Cup

League Cup

Appearances

34

2

2

Goals

11

0

3

Assists

4

0

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.44

0.00

1.5

All Stats via Transfermarkt

This reliable output has seen him become Glasner's first choice in attack, and he's started every game following the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss' arrival, more than justifying his £50k-per-week wages in the process, which isn't something that can be said about a former Palace striker and flop.

How much Connor Wickham cost Crystal Palace

The former striker in question is 31-year-old Connor Wickham, who joined Alan Pardew's Palace for around £9m in August 2015 following a mixed – if not underwhelming – season for Sunderland in which he scored six goals and provided one assist in 40 appearances.

Despite his mediocre return for the Black Cats, the Englishman was handed a relatively hefty wage packet worth around £60k-per-week, making him the joint third-highest earner at the club for the 2015/16 season, behind only Emmanuel Adebayor and Yohan Cabaye.

The Hereford-born forward's first season in red and blue was a mixed one. His return of six goals and three assists in 24 appearances wasn't too bad, but he would miss 17 games through injury, and unfortunately for all involved, he would continue to be plagued by injury for the rest of his time south of the river.

In all, the former Ipswich Town gem would miss a whopping 143 games across the six years he spent as a Palace player – including the season he spent on loan with Sheffield Wednesday – while scoring 11 goals and providing five assists in 50 appearances.

Therefore, when adding his £9m transfer fee to the £16.8m he earned in wages during the five seasons he spent at Selhurst Park, he cost Crystal Palace £25.8m, or £516k-per-appearance, £2.3m-per-goal, or £5.1m-per-assist.

The finances of Connor Wickham's Crystal Palace Deal

Transfer Fee

£9m

Wages (Total)

£60k (£16.8m)

Total Cost

£25.8m

Appearances

50

Cost per Appearance

£516k

Goals

11

Cost per Goal

£2.3m

Assists

5

Cost per Assist

£5.1m

Goal Involvements

16

Cost per Goal Involvement

£1.6m

All Stats via Transfermarkt & All Wages via Capology

Ultimately, while Wickham was undeniably unlucky when it came to injuries, it would be impossible to describe his time at Palace as anything other than a failure, and by extension, his transfer was a flop.

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Sheffield Wednesday star Bambo Diaby is set to return for his side's crucial Championship clash with West Brom this weekend, acting as a big boost for Danny Rohl.

Sheffield Wednesday buoyant after huge win

The Owls faced one of their most important games of the season on Sunday afternoon, making the trip to Blackburn Rovers for a massive clash at the bottom of the table.

It proved to be a memorable day at the office for Wednesday, who picked up a priceless 3-1 victory over their rivals, taking the lead through Josh Windass' stunning lobbed opener from distance. Blackburn may have pegged the visitors back before half-time, but Marvin Johnson fired Rohl's side ahead in the second half before goalkeepers Aynsley Pears' calamitous own goal secured the three points.

It means that the Owls are now out of the Championship relegation zone with just two matches remaining, with their next assignment coming at home to West Brom on Saturday afternoon. It is another enormous occasion at Hillsborough, in what is a crucial game for both sides, as the Baggies look to finish in the playoff positions this season.

In order for Wednesday to secure another big win, they will need as many key players available as possible, and one such figure has delivered a significant update regarding his fitness.

Diaby hands Sheffield Wednesday huge injury boost

Taking to X on Monday, centre-back Bambo Diaby confirmed that he is fine after picking up an injury against Blackburn, initially leading to concerns surrounding his involvement in the West Brom game: "I’m fine and we won a crucial game, so it’s a pretty good day. Thanks for the messages."

This is great news for Wednesday, with the 26-year-old an important figure at the heart of the defence, making 26 starts in the Championship this season and averaging three clearances per game. On Sunday, the Spaniard won four out of five aerial duels during his short 41-minute stay on the pitch, as well as out of three ground duels, and he also enjoyed an 83% pass completion rate.

Diaby has drawn plenty of praise throughout his time in England, with Preston manager Ryan Lowe lauding him back in 2022, saying: "He has been an unbelievable character around the place. He has been a breath of fresh air; he has got to learn loads and needs to keep working hard with what we're trying to do. I thought today he was calm and composed; he asked me what calmness was the other day."

Admittedly, Diaby is not always a definite starter with strong options at the back for Rohl, but he should be in contention to start at home to West Brom, especially with Michael Ihiekwe a potential doubt after leaving the field with a leg injury of his own over the weekend.

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ByKelan Sarson Apr 22, 2024

The former Preston man has shown that he is a reliable performer when he is involved, and playing a big role in the last couple of matches could help etch his name into Wednesday folklore.

Newcastle United could be set for a new arrival at St James' Park this summer, but there won't be anyone joining the first-team or even the coaching staff under boss Eddie Howe.

The Magpies are looking to replace their Sporting Director, Dan Ashworth, with the 53-year-old currently on gardening leave amid interest from Manchester United, who are looking to overhaul their staff behind the scenes.

It was reported a couple of months ago that Ashworth confirmed his desire to join the Red Devils, but there is no deal in place for him to leave the club and join up with Erik ten Hag's side.

Despite this, the Daily Mail confirmed that Crystal Palace man Dougie Freedman is on the Magpies' final shortlist to replace Ashworth – with United also interested in tempting the 49-year-old to Old Trafford.

The former Palace striker was present at Selhurst Park in midweek, as Newcastle fell to a 2-0 defeat against the Eagles, with members of the Magpies hierarchy, including co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi also in attendance.

Freedman has gained a fantastic reputation for his domestic dealings in the transfer market, recommending the likes of Marc Guehi, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, with the trio set to make the club a lot of money after their successive stints at the club – the latter duo mooted to depart for £60m plus each.

There's no denying, that despite the investment from the Saudi PIF, the Magpies squad needs an overhaul, with the Palace chief fitting the bill, especially given his recent successes in the market.

That being said, here are three players who Freedman could send packing immediately, should he take over the Sporting Director role at St James' Park…

1 Callum Wilson

Striker Callum Wilson has often had to settle as Newcastle's second-choice option behind Alexander Isak, understandable given the Swede's record of 21 goals in all competitions so far this campaign.

The former Bournemouth forward has only featured 23 times this season and just three times in 2024, managing to score on eight occasions.

He made his return from injury off the bench in midweek, but he was unable to make any impact and turn the game into the Magpies' favour after Jean-Philippe Mateta's double.

Wilson has undoubtedly been a fantastic servant to the club since his £20m from Bournemouth back in 2020, scoring 46 times in 105 appearances for the club, but he's been unable to showcase his talents this season after his constant injury issues.

He's been sidelined by two different hamstring issues, whilst a calf injury saw him miss a further two months, before suffering a chest injury upon his return in the 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest in February.

The striker, who earns a reported £46k-per-week, as per Capology, is now 32 years old and his constant setbacks this season have prevented the forward from putting consistent runs together in the first-team – with his longest run of games without injury being just a lowly six.

He only has one year left on his current deal at the club, with Wilson turning 33 before the end of next season. That being said, Freedman should look to move him on this summer to avoid losing him for nothing, with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal previously linked with a move for the forward.

2 Miguel Almiron

After his sensational goalscoring run during last season, which saw the attacker score eight goals in just nine Premier League games, Miguel Almiron has failed to replicate any of his good form under Howe this campaign.

He's featured 29 times in the Premier League this campaign, scoring on just three occasions – and like Wilson, has struggled for fitness during key parts of the season.

The Paraguayan suffered a knee injury in the sensational comeback win against West Ham United and has failed to feature since, with the attacker missing the last four league outings.

With the club undoubtedly looking to strengthen this summer, Almiron may find himself a victim of the club's huge investment, losing his first-team spot, but potentially being sold altogether.

Almiron, who earns £60k-per-week at St James' Park as per Spotrac, was linked with a £30m move to join Al Shabab in Saudi Arabia back in January. Talk surrounding the 30-year-old's potential move to the Middle East came around after Newcastle's current chief executive Darren Eales suggested that the club must sell players before making any major signings due to the constraints of FFP.

The forward – who has also been mooted for an exit this summer – remains under contract at St James' Park until 2026, but Freedman may choose to sell him during the summer after his disappointing campaign, allowing the potential new Sporting Director to work his magic in the window.

3 Yankuba Minteh

Despite only arriving at Newcastle last summer, winger Yankuba Minteh could be set for a move away from Tyneside despite not making a single appearance for the club, as per The Telegraph.

The 19-year-old Gambian has scored nine times and produced five assists in his 25 appearances on loan at Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, as he looks to gain valuable first-team experience.

The youngster has scored more goals than Almiron this season, but he could also suffer the same fate as the Paraguayan this summer, with the forward potentially allowing the club to make a quick profit and invest in other areas of the squad.

Minteh, who only earns a reported £4.2k-per-week, as per Capology, has been previously linked with Italian side Napoli ahead of the summer window, but any deal could depend on Freedman's arrival on Tyneside this summer.

He certainly possesses a lot of quality as demonstrated during his stint away from Newcastle this season, but given Freedman's success in identifying brilliant young talents, the Gambian may have to make way to allow the 49-year-old to work his magic at St James' Park.

With £110k-per-week worth of talent there for the Magpies to move on, such funds could be valuable as the club seek to strengthen moving forward.

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Newcastle United could sanction the exit of a "unique" St James' Park hero in the summer transfer window, according to a key update regarding his future.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies secured an excellent 4-0 win at home to Tottenham on Saturday, jumping to sixth place in the Premier League at the time, ahead of what is hopefully a positive end to the season. Regardless of what happens in the remaining weeks of the campaign, a number of new signings are needed in the summer, with more depth required.

Newcastle have been linked with a move for Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen, and the 21-year-old appears to be seen as a replacement for Martin Dubravka. Meanwhile, Aaron Ramsdale is an option to join from Arsenal, providing stiff competition for Nick Pope between the sticks.

Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone has also emerged as a potential target for Eddie Howe, with the Magpies seen as unexpected candidates to snap him up in the coming months. The 22-year-old has enjoyed a solid season in the Bundesliga, starting 15 matches and averaging 1.8 tackles per game.

Newcastle are also believed to be interested in signing Billy Gilmour, too, with the Scotland international currently at Brighton, proving to be a strong performer in the middle of the park.

This could also be a summer that sees plenty of big names heading out of the St James' Park exit door, however, and there has been a development regarding one such player.

Newcastle planning to accept Almiron offer

According to a new report from Football Insider, Newcastle could be happy to sell Miguel Almiron this summer, having failed to complete a move to Saudi Arabia during the January transfer window.

The report says that the Paraguayan "could leave" the Magpies at the end of the season, and "clubs are expected to look at the forward as a potential target". Newcastle are actually "set to accept an appropriate offer", it is added.

This summer does feel like the natural time to bring an end to Almiron's time at Newcastle, with the wide attacker now 30 years of age and arguably not quite the force he was. That is outlined by a tally of just three goals in 29 Premier League outings this season, compared to 11 in the competition last time around.

The £60,000-a-week attacker has still been a good servant overall, though, netting 30 times in total and being hailed by Howe earlier this season, with the Magpies boss saying:

"He’s (Almiron) a unique footballer. I don’t think there’s anyone better at doing what he does – all energy, all action. I’d like to see his physical stats today because I’m sure they’d be through the roof. The quality he showed with his finish was very reminiscent of some of the goals he scored last year. It’s a great return to form for Miggy – he’s such an important player for us."

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Almiron is contracted to Newcastle until 2026, so this upcoming window is arguably the last good chance to receive a healthy fee for him, rather than losing him on the cheap further down the line.

The fast-bowling legend says Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope can lift the team to a bright future

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Apr-2020Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer and Shai Hope. These three men from three different islands in the Caribbean are the reason Michael Holding can see “light at the end of the tunnel” for West Indies cricket, which he feels can once again become a global force if the young talent is nurtured properly.”I see light at the end of the tunnel because I see talent,” Holding said on the Mason & Guest podcast, aired on Tuesday. “It is a matter now if we can garner that talent, if we can produce the best of that talent, and then produce, of course, a good team. Because individual talent ain’t gonna go as far as a good team with a good team spirit and a good management structure around that team.”Holding said the reason he was confident about Pooran, Hetmyer and Hope being the flagbearers of a bright West Indies future was that they could be picked in most teams around the world right now.”Most people can look at teams and look at people and say, ‘Yeah, that guy looks as if he knows what he is doing.’ And I can call three names immediately that I think have a lot of talent in the batting department. Pooran, Hetmyer, Hope. Anyone going to tell me that three guys cannot bat? And there are others, but I am picking those three because those three I think are the most talented in the last two-three years. It’s now about making sure that these guys exhibit the right discipline to get the best out of themselves. And I’m absolutely sure that there are other youngsters around the Caribbean that can come around that nucleus and give us a good team.”When I look at cricketers I look at who amongst these guys can make to other teams around the world. That is how I look to see that we have talent. And those three guys I think can make most teams around the world as batsmen.”Part of Clive Lloyd’s world-beating West Indies side in the 1970s and 80s, Holding watched Caribbean cricket’s subsequent downfall in the first decade of the 21st century, especially in Test cricket. In the 2000s, West Indies played 108 Tests, winning 18 and losing 59 with a win-loss ratio of 0.305. In the 2010s, their win-loss ratio improved to 0.511 with 22 wins and 43 losses in 83 Tests.Jason Holder, the Test captain, has been the backbone of West Indies’ gradual rise in the longest format. Along with being the leading Test allrounder in the ICC’s Test rankings, Holder is third on the bowling rankings, where team-mates Kemar Roach, at 11th, and Shannon Gabriel, at 19th, also occupy the top 20.Shimron Hetmyer can send the ball a long way•BCCIAmong Pooran, Hetmyer and Hope, only Pooran, 24, is yet to play Test cricket but has already shown the potential to be one of the better finishers in limited-overs cricket. Hetmyer, who is the youngest among the three at 23, has featured in 16 Tests. Although he does not have a century in Test cricket, he has also been singled out by Lloyd as one to watch out for.Hope, who is 26, is the most experienced of the three, having played 31 Tests and scored two centuries, both of which came in West Indies’ historic series-levelling victory at Headingley in 2017. Hope’s twin centuries in that Test made him the youngest West Indies player to achieve the feat, beating Gordon Greenidge’s record.According to Holding, one big difference between his era and the current one was that modern West Indies teams did not have the burden of carrying the hopes of the Caribbean public, something Lloyd’s team had to carry. Today’s players, Holding said, were vested in self-pride. “The pressure is not there to prove yourself so much now as it was before. It’s now just a matter of each individual, your own pride of performance, which I think creates less of a significance of the player himself.”But when you know the millions of people are looking at you to give them that extra impetus to get up in the morning to feel that worth and feeling they are a significant part of this entire world that just makes you lift yourself a little bit more. I don’t think these guys are made up any different from us, but they are growing up in a different world.”Holding emphasised that cricket administrators across the Caribbean islands needed to make sure they were “not just looking to build cricketers, but we must look beyond that”.Holding gave an example from his playing days when former Barbados prime minister Errol Barrow addressed the West Indies squad at the invitation of Rudi Webster, who was the team manager at the time. Holding recollected that despite being “big men”, each player left “as if they had grasped, as if they learnt something” about wider life.Holding suggested Cricket West Indies could look at helping the young talent become psychologically adept by inviting former players and mentors from other walks of life. “The focus now is not so much about representing the millions of people; the focus now is more about representing yourself and the immediate people around you. So as I said, it’s up to us, the older folk, whether you are a board member or a respected person around the Caribbean, to help in that regard. That is why I was suggesting the talks by well-respected people around the Caribbean to talk to these kids because that’s a very important part of building the team and team psyche.”Incidentally, the current CWI administration led by former West Indies team manager Ricky Skerritt (president) and Kishore Shallow (vice-president) has plans to engage the former Caribbean greats to mentor players across the teams. In a review published this month at the completion of one year in office, the Skerritt-Shallow leadership group said it was looking to create a legends-oriented ‘Cricket First’ advisory group subject to the financial resources. “Such a group will make relevant and insightful recommendations on cricket-specific matters, and be engaged for other constructive purposes such as fund-raising, sponsor appearances, and player mentoring,” CWI said in the review.

علق وائل جمعة، أسطورة كرة القدم المصرية على تصريحات الدولي المصري محمد صلاح نجم فريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي ليفربول، والتي أثارت الجدل مؤخرًا.

ليفربول حتى الآن لم يقدم لـ محمد صلاح أي عرض بشأن تجديد العقد، الذي من المفترض أن ينتهي في يونيو المقبل، وهو ما أكد عليه مو في تصريحاته.

تلك التصريحات التي أطلقها محمد صلاح، جعلت هناك انقسامًا كبيرًا بين لاعبي الريدز السابقين، حيث انتقده جيمي كاراجر، والتزم إيان راش الحياد، قبل أن يتحدث مايكل أوين ويشير إلى أن المصري يرغب في الاستمرار لمدة 3 سنوات، ليظهر وائل جمعة أيضًا رد فعله.

وقال الصخرة في تصريحات أثناء تواجده في الأستوديو التحليلي لمباراة ليفربول وريال مدريد في دوري أبطال أوروبا: “أرى أن محمد صلاح يستحق التقدر والتكريم”.

طالع أيضًا.. تشكيل ليفربول أمام ريال مدريد في دوري أبطال أوروبا.. محمد صلاح يقود الهجوم

وأضاف وائل جمعة: “يمكنك أن ترى أين ليفربول بدون مساهمات محمد صلاح في المواسم السبعة الماضية، بدونه ليفربول سيكون في الخمس فرق الأخيرة في الدوري الإنجليزي”.

وواصل: “لابد وأن تكون هناك احترافية في مفاوضات تجديد عقده، إذا كانت هناك رغبة من محمد صلاح في التجديد، لماذا ليس الآن، لأنه لا يوجد أفضل من صلاح في ليفربول”.

وأشار: “ما قام به محمد صلاح في مسيرته مع ليفربول، يتجاوز أسماء أساطير في الدوري الإنجليزي، لكن هناك تفضيل من الجماهير الإنجليزية للاعبين أصحاب جنسياتهم، مثل جيرارد ولامبارد، ولكن محمد تجاوزهما”.

واختتم: “محمد صلاح يحافظ على جسده، وفي الوقت المناسب قرر توجيه رسالة للنادي، ليحافظ على حقوقه، لأنه يرى بأنه يستحق تقدير أكبر”.

Key points from the government’s guidance as sport comes to terms with a ‘new normal’

George Dobell13-May-2020The return of international cricket came a step closer on Wednesday, as the UK government outlined its plans for a resumption of training as the nation comes to terms with its ‘new normal’. In the hope of both minimising the risk to players and support staff as well as attempting to minimise the pressure the return of elite sport could place on the wider community and the healthcare sector, in particular, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) has, in partnership with Public Health England (PHE) and various sports governing bodies, issued protocols – “recommended minimum practice,” as they put it – that must be observed. Here ESPNcricinfo examines the main points in the document.The guidelines are split into two steps. As a first step, training will consist of “a return to a level of organised individual programme training in a defined performance facility while adhering to the government social distancing advice.” That means individuals will be expected to train either on their own or, more realistically, in the same net area or gym but while observing current social distancing.It is understood players will be expected to report to their nearest county ground – travel to training venues is permitted under this step – where they will meet (at a safe distance) one coach and one medic, equipped in full personal protective equipment (PPE).A progression to step two will only occur when Public Health England (PHE) decide it is safe to do so. At this stage, it is unwise to try and put a firm date on that, but it could well be the start of June.This step will be characterised by the allowance of ‘social clustering’ within the training environment where small groups of athletes and staff will be able to interact in much closer contact. In football this is understood to include tackling, so it is reasonable to conclude that, in cricket terms, it will include fielding in close formation – such as slip catching – and closer contact with the coaching team.ALSO READ: Reservations about playing during pandemic ‘won’t be held against you’ – ButtlerThe ECB (and any venues used as training centres) will be expected to appoint both an Accountable Officer and a Covid-19 medical officer who will take the lead in managing the sport’s adherence with government guidelines. The medical officer will also be expected to oversee the return to training of anyone who has either had or had symptoms of the virus.A risk assessment – and risk mitigation plan – must be completed before the resumption of first-step training. Among the issues to be included in this is ensuring all players and support staff are “formally appraised of the risks and all mitigating steps being taken” while “a clear position” must be defined on how those “deemed vulnerable” or in a household with vulnerable members, interacts with the training environment.Additionally, this assessment will have to outline how Covid-19 screening will take place before each entry to the training environment. This will include “a questionnaire and temperature check as a minimum.”Protocols on managing anyone who “becomes symptomatic at the venue” will also be required, as will the supply of full PPE for the relevant medical staff.And while the ECB will be expected to ensure an “appropriate level of medical staffing” and access to emergency assistance, they will also be expected to reduce the risk of burden to the National Health Service. These plans will also need to detail how equipment will be suitably disinfected.Joe Root heads out to bat in the nets•Getty Images

Other factors to be included are measures to maintain “social distancing and appropriate hygiene measures” in the training environment, determining maximum capacity levels and how the area will be cleaned between uses.The ECB (and host venues) will also be expected to brief players (and support staff) thoroughly ahead of any return to training and then allow them to opt out without any consequences.The ECB are also expected to communicate any updates on protocols in a timely and clear manner. These support staff are understood to include drivers, caters, cleaners and security officers. Written consent will need to be provided to confirm that all involved have actively opted into involvement in the process.If a known or suspected case of Covid-19 should occur in the training environment, the individual in question will be placed in isolation. Anyone who has been in contact with them will also be expected to isolate in line with government advice. At present, that states that anyone displaying symptoms should isolate for at least seven days even if those symptoms do not reoccur or worsen and that, if you have been in close contact with someone displaying the symptoms, you should “stay home” for 14 days.Anyone deemed “clinically extremely vulnerable” should not engage in training – or any support activity – outside their own home. Nobody beyond the players and those staff deemed essential will be allowed to enter the training site.Meanwhile, venues utilised for training centres must not compromise any ongoing usage of their facility by the NHS (or other key workers) in an attempt to facilitate the resumption of training. The venues will require deep cleaning before the arrival of players or staff and before and after each session they are present and between sessions if more than one team is in attendance. All cleaning staff will require appropriate levels of training and PPE.A single liaison officer will need to be appointed by each venue, each day to ensure a single interaction point between teams and venues. Interaction should be kept to an essential level.

CWI has approved West Indies’ scheduled tour of England in principle following a meeting via teleconference on Thursday. The Test series, part of the World Test Championship, was originally slated to start on June 4 but was pushed back because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The boards are now looking at an early July start, with the West Indies team arriving in June and isolating prior to the series, which, if it goes ahead, will be played behind closed doors.The board’s formal approval came days after CWI chief executive Johnny Grave told ESPNcricinfo that he was “increasingly confident” that the tour would take place. A CWI statement said the decision was made after detailed discussions between its medical representatives and those of the ECB, including plans around logistics and creating a bio-secure environment during the tour.With the UK government on Saturday* releasing stage three guidance for the resumption of elite sport, which permits the return of competition from June 1, the tour now awaits approvals from the various national governments in the Caribbean region for player and staff movement via chartered planes. Players and staff would be screened regularly through the tour as part of comprehensive ECB “bio-security” planning.The decision follows weeks of discussions between the two boards, including a phase where CWI wasn’t as confident as they have been this past week, given the marked difference in Covid-19 cases between the two regions. But the ECB’s safety plans have changed the CWI’s mind.The proposed schedule for West Indies’ tour of England•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“What has changed is the ECB have got more confident that they’ve got a robust and safe plan to deal with cricket in a biosecure environment behind closed doors,” Grave had said during the interview. “Our medical team are getting more confident and comfortable with those plans. Our players and support staff who we have met with [on conference calls] are beginning to understand what a seven-week tour behind closed doors might look like.”Subject to a negative Covid-19 test result, the squad is expected to be chartered to Antigua from various parts of the Caribbean, following which they will fly together to the UK. Upon getting there, the team will spend three weeks in their quarantine and training facility.The CWI statement said that the board “is now in the process of seeking to put all of the approvals and logistics in place within the Caribbean, including seeking permission from the various National Governments to facilitate the movement of players and support staff, using private charter planes and conducting medical screenings and individual COVID-19 testing for all members of the touring party”.”If someone tests positive at any stage in the tour they would be removed from the main squad and will be placed into isolation within the biosecure environment and will be treated by the team doctor along with the other on-site medical support staff,” Grave said. “Should any player have more serious symptoms, they will be treated in hospital at pre-arranged facilities.”It is also expected that player replacement during a match, along the lines of a concussion substitute, will be mulled by the ICC cricket committee when it meets in June.*1900 BST – This story was updated following the UK government announcement