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Madan Lal and Surinder Khanna both lose out; Shashi Khanna, the wife of the BCCI acting president, was also unsuccessful in the elections

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jul-2018Veteran television journalist Rajat Sharma will be the new president of the Delhi District Cricket Association, after winning the elections at the Annual General Meeting on Saturday.Full list of DDCA office bearers after the AGM

President: Rajat Sharma
Vice-President: Rakesh Kumar Bansal
Secretary: Vinod Kumar Tihara
Joint Secretary: Ranjan Manchanda
Treasurer: Om Prakash Sharma
First-class Cricket Director: Sanjay Bhardwaj
Women Director: Renu Khanna
DDCA Directors: Alok Mittal, Apurv Jain, Nitin Gupta, Shiv Nandan Sharma, Sudhir Kumar Aggarwal

Sharma beat Madan Lal, the former India allrounder and member of the World Cup-winning team in 1983, to the post. He secured 1521 votes, while Lal got 1004, with the remaining 266 votes going to others in the fray.Another former cricketer, Surinder Khanna, was also unsuccessful. He lost to Sanjay Bhardwaj in the contest for the first-class cricket director of DDCA. Surinder, a wicketkeeper-batsman, played 10 ODIs for India and 106 first-class matches overall. He has the distinction of scoring a century in each innings of the Ranji Trophy final in 1978-79, against Karnataka, to give Delhi their first Ranji title. Bhardwaj is also a former first-class cricketer, though he played only five matches in the late 1980s.Meanwhile, Shashi Khanna, the wife of the acting BCCI president CK Khanna, lost to Rakesh Kumar Bansal for the vice-president’s post. Bansal got 1364 votes to her 1086.In other decisions, the balance sheets for the financial years 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 were all passed with more than 94% of the members in each case.The DDCA also appointed Justice Badar Durrez Ahmad, a former Chief Justice of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court, as the Ombudsman.

Leeds United could be set to lose one of their senior players next summer alongside Sam Greenwood, who has been linked with leaving the club for good at the end of his loan spell.

Leeds departures 2023

At Elland Road, Daniel Farke and the 49ers sanctioned the permanent exits of Tyler Adams, Rodrigo, Tyler Roberts, Adam Forshaw and Joel Robles over the summer, but there were also ten other players to depart on loan for the remainder of the season.

The Whites gave the green light for Robin Koch, Brenden Aaronson, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, Cody Drameh, Sonny Perkins and Greenwood to hit the road, and the latter has recently been the subject of an interesting claim.

According to The Athletic, Middlesbrough have an option to buy the attacking midfielder turned forward for just £1.5m next summer so there’s a strong possibility that he could depart should he impress during his time at the Riverside Stadium, and it seems he's not the only one who may never play for Leeds again.

In the Bundesliga, Maximilian Wober put pen to paper on a season-long loan at Borussia Monchengladbach and it’s fair to say that the centre-back has made a fantastic start to life in Germany, having established himself as Gerardo Seoane’s overall best-performing player with a match rating of 7.12 (WhoScored – Borussia Monchengladbach squad statistics).

Maximilian Wober transfer update…

Speaking to German outlet BILD (via Football League World) with a transfer update on Maximilian Wober, Borussia Monchengladbach’s sporting director Nils Schmadtke delivered his verdict on the defender’s performances so far:

“A warrior. That’s why we signed him. Max is a guy who radiates something. Max enjoys defending and fighting duels. That’s exactly what we need. He is a leader, a leader".

Further asked about the possibility of signing him permanently next summer, he added: “Everything in it's own time.”

How much did Leeds pay for Maximilian Wober?

According to Sky Sports, Leeds paid a reported £11m for Wober when he joined from RB Salzburg in January, and he was already showing positive signs of what he’s capable of before he left, but he’s arguably made an even better start to life at Borussia Monchengladbach.

The Austria international currently ranks in the 98th percentile for blocks by players in his position (FBRef – Wober statistics), and he's made 15 tackles so far this season which is more than any of his fellow teammates (FBRef – Borussia Monchengladbach squad statistics), highlighting that he’s not afraid to put his body on the line and get stuck into challenges.

The Yorkshire outfit’s 25-year-old has also provided two assists in seven league appearances this term, so he’s even been making an impact at the opposite end of the pitch, with the influence that he has on a side having previously seen him described as a “leader” by former boss Jesse Marsch.

Furthermore, Wober has the versatility to operate at left-back and higher up on both the left side and in defensive midfield alongside his usual role at the heart of the backline, so the club should do everything they can to retain his services beyond next summer if possible.

Barcelona captain Sergi Roberto has added to Xavi's injury problems ahead of Tuesday's crunch Champions League tie with Napoli.

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Roberto unlikely to start against NapoliMidfielder lacking match sharpnessClub only has three midfielders availableWHAT HAPPENED?

Roberto had been tipped to start in midfield against Napoli as Barca are without Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Gavi due to injury. However, according to Mundo Deportivo, the plan will not be actualized when the Blaugrana take the field on Tuesday evening due to the Spaniard lacking match sharpness. The situation means Xavi only has three fit senior midfielders available in Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu and Fermin Lopez.

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Barcelona have struggled all season long with fitness problems, particularly in midfield. The club has only seen four players avoid any injuries so far this season in the form of Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu, Fermin Lopez and Inaki Pena.

Only recently, the club suffered a double injury blow when they lost De Jong and Pedri in the first half of their clash against Athletic Club at San Mames.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Roberto received the green light from the medical team before the first leg against Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, however, the 32-year-old hasn't actually featured yet due to a lack of sharpness.

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WHAT NEXT FOR ROBERTO?

The lack of match sharpness may force academy graduate to stay on the bench at least for the start of the game on Tuesday, March 12. However, Xavi may look to bring on the experienced midfielder in the clash in the second half depending on the context of the game.

Virat Kohli knew that if India’s batsmen could stand up and fight, they had the bowling to win the Test and keep the series alive

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2018India were behind by 2-0 going into the Trent Bridge Test, but it seems there wasn’t too much panic in the dressing room. After sealing an emphatic 203-run victory, that kept India alive in the series, Virat Kohli revealed that the only thing the team was concentrating on was “putting runs on the board” because “the bowlers were doing so well”.”We only spoke about the fact that we were outplayed in only one Test out of the last five overseas, which was at Lord’s and there was no need for us to change anything because Birmingham was close,” he said at the post-match presentation. “As a batting group, we spoke about how the bowlers are doing so well and if we just stepped up as batsmen we will definitely be on top and that’s exactly what we did.”

We dominated the game because we put runs on the board and then the bowlers were waiting and ready as always

India made 329 in the first innings, having overcome a tough period in the morning to make runs in the sunshine. Then in a reversal of events from the last Test, the clouds returned when it was England’s turn to bat. Harnessing the help on offer, Hardik Pandya picked up five wickets in six overs to bundle the hosts out for 161.”The bowling group was eager to take 20 wickets again. It was just a question of as batsmen what we can do to provide them with that cushion of going hard at the opposition and that’s exactly what we did in this game. When both skills come together with slip catching, you win Test matches and I’m really happy to see everyone taking the responsibility at the right time. Couldn’t have come at a better time for us.”James Anderson shakes hands with Virat Kohli after the match•Getty ImagesAn important contributor to the victory was India’s vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane. He came out to bat on the back of a string of low scores – 15. 2. 19 and 13 – but changed the “complex of the game” with a fine half-century, his first in 14 innings.”Jinx was very clear with his mindset. That’s something that we really love about him. He’s very positive in his set up. He prepares that way and when he goes out and plays like that he’s very attractive to watch and he changed the whole complex of the game. Exactly what he did. We just kept talking about how we need to keep building a strong and a big partnership and just march on from there. It was all about getting stuck in, not throwing our wicket away, having that patience to grind out the opposition. They’re a quality bowling attack but you need patience grit and determination to score against them. I think Jinx in the first innings and Puji in the second showed that immensely.Kohli and Rahane put on 159 runs in 40.2 overs and then tagged in the bowlers and this time it was Jasprit Bumrah’s turn. Long considered a white-ball specialist, he broke through England’s resistance in the second innings dismissing the centurion Jos Buttler and hastening India’s rush to victory with figures of 5 for 85.”We dominated the game because we put runs on the board and then the bowlers were waiting and ready as always. Someone like Bumrah stepping in, Pandya taking five, Ishant experienced as always, Shami running in as well, Ash as well with his injury bowled so well.”The most pleasing thing for me to see in the morning was the four fastest bowlers in the series so far have been all Indians. That’s something that we’re really proud of. We’ve worked on our fitness levels. We’ve worked one our mindsets and we’re just eager to go out there and make a play for the team. Cutting down any loose deliveries or loose phases. We want the opposition to bat well to get runs, not gift them any. So these guys are getting into that kind of mindset as they’re playing more and more Test cricket. It’s just such a delight to watch guys running in and going hard at the batsmen because as batsmen you understand how hard it is to get Test runs and you want to make it as hard for the opposition as well and these guys are doing it beautifully.”

Bayern Munich will reportedly let Joshua Kimmich leave the club in the summer, with as many as five European clubs already interested.

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Bayern to let Kimmich leaveNo progress on contract talksFive European giants vying for signatureWHAT HAPPENED?

The German midfielder sees his contract at Bayern expire in 2025 with no progress as yet of an extension. As a result, Florian Plettenberg of reports that the midfielder is thought to be exploring his options this summer. Furthermore, Plettenberg states that Bayern would be willing to sell Kimmich should a "suitable offer" arrive.

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Kimmich is vastly experienced and is one of the world's best in his position, and at 29 years old he still has plenty to offer at the highest level. As a result, news of his potential departure has sent alarm bells ringing across Europe. Plettenberg lists Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Barcelona as all interested, with some reportedly having already made contact with the midfielder.

DID YOU KNOW?

While Kimmich could become hot property in the summer, Plettenberg notes that not all top-level clubs will move for him. He singles out Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain as not currently being in the race for the Germany international.

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getty imagesWHAT NEXT FOR KIMMICH?

While European giants circle there is still, of course, the possibility that an agreement may be reached with Bayern over a contract renewal. Should those talks fall through, however, the Bavarian giants will likely want a healthy return on a player who has become a club legend since signing for €8.5 million (£7.2m/$9.2m) in 2015.

Tottenham Hotspur remain one of only two unbeaten sides in the Premier League at this point in the season. The Lilywhites, alongside North London rivals Arsenal, have got off to a blistering start, defeating the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool. With every week, the appointment of Ange Postecoglou looks more and more like Daniel Levy's first act of genius since welcoming Mauricio Pochettino all those years ago.

Whilst in a position of strength, Spurs must take advantage, both on and off the pitch. On the pitch, they have the chance to begin the cycle of creating history. Meanwhile, away from the flawless turf at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, they could return to the transfer market to welcome one particular rising star.

Spurs transfer news

Spurs' start becomes all the more impressive when you consider the exit of record goalscorer Harry Kane in the summer. The England international swapped North London for Bayern Munich in the hope of finally ending his search for silverware. His former club, meanwhile, spent their newfound riches on the arrivals of players such as James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, and Micky van de Ven.

Now, however, the latest Kerem Akturkoglu transfer news suggests that Levy could make his move for the winger. According to Milliyet, Spurs sent scouts to watch the Galatasaray man in his side's 2-1 victory over Besiktas in the Turkish Super Lig. The Premier League side were reportedly not alone in their scouting, however, with Atletico Madrid also sending officials to watch Akturkoglu.

It remains to be seen whether Spurs will push ahead with a deal to sign the 25-year-old. If the scout reports come back and highlight a number of positives, then he may well find himself on Levy's shortlist for either January or next summer's transfer window.

Who is Kerem Akturkoglu?

Now 25, Akturkoglu's appearances have seen him become Mr Consistent at Galatasaray. He has featured in 129 of his last 133 possible matches for both his club and the Turkish national team. Availability can mean more than most traits these days, too, given the incredible number of games that sides play week in, week out. The winger has the ability to go with that injury-free run, too.

Akturkoglu's stats also speak for themselves. The winger has gotten off to a flying start for Galatasaray on that front this season, recording 12 goal involvements in just 17 games, having scored five and assisted a further seven. It is the type of numbers that Maddison has been applauded for at Spurs, which only makes the mind wonder just how clinical both the England international and current Spurs target could be together.

Postecoglou certainly has a lot to think about if Levy is willing to sanction a deal. As things stand, Richarlison and Johnson share the role on the left of the attacking quartet in North London, but the arrival of Akturkoglu could change that. The Galatasaray man has more than done enough so far this season to warrant a move in the next two transfer windows, so it could be one to watch.

Jack Grealish has brutally mocked his Manchester City team-mate Bernardo Silva after the victory against Newcastle United in the FA Cup.

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City beat NewcastleSilva nets deflected braceGrealish mocks Portuguese team-mate WHAT HAPPENED?

City glided past Eddie Howe's side and into the FA Cup semi-final thanks to a brace from Silva on the evening. The Portuguese playmaker opened the scoring in the 13th minute and then doubled his tally for the afternoon just after the half hour mark, however each strike benefitted from a deflection on its way in.

In response, Grealish suggested that the two goals should be taken away from his team-mate, taking to social media to joke about the brace.

Advertisement@JackGrealish InstagramWHAT GREALISH SAID

Speaking on his personal social media account, where he posted a picture of the match-winner on his Instagram story, Grealish added the following caption: "They were not his goals!! They were own goals!!"

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Grealish made his return to the match-day squad during this fixture – but did not feature off the bench – after missing the last three games due to a groin injury. The former Aston Villa man was forced off in the first half against Luton Town at the beginning of March – and had missed two games prior to this.

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Getty WHAT NEXT FOR GREALISH?

Grealish will be hoping he can now make a return to the City starting line-up during the run in, as they look to secure glory in the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League this season.

A tough clash against current league leaders Arsenal awaits in their next fixture, although this will arrive after the international break (March 31).

Reactions from current and former players after a sensational, see-sawing Test at Edgbaston

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-20181:45

A brilliant advert for Test cricket – Root

It’s lovely. It’s the favourite format for me. It’s the best format in cricket. We absolutely love playing Test cricket. People watching it as well should love it equally. They understand the game and there’s nothing better than testing yourself over five days against top quality opposition and I’m sure every player playing Test cricket will vouch for that as well.
Anyone who says it’s dead can just come and watch it on repeat.
I have dreamt of this growing up. Playing Test cricket, in front of these big crowds, with all these players I’ve seen growing up. Stokesy, Jimmy, Broady, I’m just trying to learn a bit every day.

Who would waste there time watching Test Match Cricket ehh,especially with @CurranSM coming on the scene,what a game for the youngster #gun

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) August 4, 2018

What a Test match

— Eoin Morgan (@Eoin16) August 4, 2018

#TestCricket – enough said!

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) August 4, 2018

What a test match @edgbaston yet again! Congrats to the boys! Ridiculous win in the end! @englandcricket

— Chris Woakes (@chriswoakes) August 4, 2018

Test cricket Congrats @englandcricket and @root66

— Heather Knight (@Heatherknight55) August 4, 2018

You just don’t get atmospheres like this in the White ball game … #ENDvIND

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) August 4, 2018

That’s been a fantastic 3 days & 1 session .. Loved every single minute .. 2 teams giving it everything .. hope we have 4 more Tests exactly the same .. A Great 4 day Test Match !!! #ENDvIND

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) August 4, 2018

Cut test matches to 4 days, speed up over rates, have more bowler friendly surfaces and put cricket back on terrestrial tv and we ll have more great games like that one! Great win England and what a game for S Curran.

— Chris Tremlett (@ChrisTremlett33) August 4, 2018

Still early days in the Daniel Farke era at Leeds United, the former Norwich City boss is still getting to know his squad, and has only just guided them into form, winning three of their last five Championship games. We are now beginning to find out the manager's preferred side, and any player outside of that may just begin to worry about their future at Elland Road.

If the Whites do earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, some big decisions could be needed from not only the management, but the players, too, particularly those struggling for minutes. And that could include one particular youngster, who reportedly wants to sign a new contract.

Leeds United contract news

The international break came at a frustrating time for Leeds, given that they were finally showing signs of life in England's second tier and now momentum is halted. On their return, Farke's side square off against his former club Norwich City in a crucial promotion six-pointer – these are the games that Leeds should be winning if they want to mark themselves out as promotion favourites.

Meanwhile, off the pitch, a report has claimed that Jamie Shackleton wants to sign a new contract at Elland Road, but an exit hasn't been ruled out. Graham Smyth wrote in The Yorkshire Evening Post: "Shackleton would clearly love nothing more than to remain at Leeds beyond the end of his current contract next summer but if the Whites are to be promoted will he play in the Premier League?

“At some point, if Shackleton wants to be as ever-present in a team as Phillips was at Leeds prior to his exit, then following his old pal out the door might be a necessary step."

How has Shackleton performed for Leeds this season?

As things stand, Shackleton's game time is inconsistent at Elland Road. The midfielder has featured in seven of Leeds' 11 Championship fixtures this season, starting in six, and that could get worse if the Yorkshire club earn promotion back to the Premier League this season. At 24-years-old, too, he is at an important stage of his career, when minutes on the pitch matter more than anything.

When Leeds were in the top flight last season, of course, Shackleton was on loan at Millwall, where he was a consistent starter. Eventually, Farke may just fall back on his midfielder's Championship experience to help his side, especially given the fact that he previously admitted his love for the 24-year-old.

When at his best, the Leeds man has earned plenty of praise, including from Danny Mills at the start of his career, who told Football Insider: "Shackleton has done very well when he’s played for Leeds. He’s quick, tenacious, drives forward with the ball and can see a pass. He can slot into the midfield area next season, no problem. If you have him and Kalvin Phillips, you need someone creative alongside them.”

With that said, whilst it remains to be seen whether Shackleton puts pen to paper on a new deal, with his current contract expiring next summer, his focus will be on earning a consistent place in Farke's side.

The former captain smashed 144, including a last-wicket stand with Tamim Iqbal who came out to bat with a broken hand, to lift Bangladesh to a winning total

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando15-Sep-2018
1:01

Maharoof: SL need specialist batsmen, not allrounders

Mushfiqur Rahim’s sublime 144 hauled Bangladesh kicking and screaming to 261, then a fired-up Mashrafe Mortaza set in motion a Sri Lanka collapse, and the first match of the Asia Cup soon turned into a thrashing – Bangladesh claiming victory by 137 runs, after Sri Lanka crashed to 69 for 7, then 124 all out.A third Bangladesh senior had also played an impressive role in the victory. Tamim Iqbal faced only four deliveries in all, but he had crucially come out to bat again with a broken wrist – which he had sustained in the second over – with nine wickets down. Mushfiqur made spectacular use of his teammate’s bravery, hitting a further three fours and three sixes, as 32 runs were added to the team total, lifting Bangladesh from a modest score to a competitive one.Though his contribution was eventually drowned out by those of Bangladesh’s experienced players, one Sri Lanka old-timer also had an outstanding outing. Lasith Malinga, playing his first international in a year, shook off the rust, struck twice in his first over, and finished with 4 for 23 from 10 overs, to suggest that his one-day career was far from done yet. Had his teammates held all their catches, Malinga might have wreaked even more damage. He should have had Mohammad Mithun – who went on to make 63 in a 131-run stand with Mushfiqur – caught at mid on for one, if Angelo Mathews had held the catch while diving forward. In general, Sri Lanka were woeful in the field, spilling no fewer than four catches, including two off Mushfiqur, who was reprieved on 10 and 85. For the umpteenth time in the last three years, their catching can be said to have cost Sri Lanka a one-dayer.Though perhaps it is their batting that was the worse suit on this evening (it’s often difficult to work out which discipline was the worst with this Sri Lanka ODI team). Kusal Mendis – opening in place of Danushka Gunathilaka – was Bangladesh’s first victim, when he got himself trapped in front of the stumps the first ball he faced. Upul Tharanga had been storming away at the other end, and looked good for a big innings, until, typically, he suddenly played a poor shot. Attempting to steer a Mashrafe delivery to third man, Tharanga only managed to play it on to his stumps. Mashrafe would have a second important wicket soon after – nailing Dhananjaya de Silva in front of the stumps for a duck, with de Silva going on to waste Sri Lanka’s review. The review could potentially have saved Kusal Perera later on.Mushfiqur Rahim celebrates after reaching his sixth ODI century•ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP/Getty ImagesIn general, this was not an evening of good decision-making from Sri Lanka’s batsmen. Kusal Perera’s lbw (he had actually got a thin inside edge to that ball from Mehidy Hasan) left the team 38 for 4, not long before Angelo Mathews compounded Sri Lanka’s woes by running out Dasun Shanaka as the pair attempted a painstaking recovery. Thisara Perera holed out soon enough, and Mathews was himself dismissed for 16 off 34 balls – trapped lbw by Rubel Hossain. That Sri Lanka even survived into the 36th over and made as many as 124 was down to a plucky tail, who hung around, despite the target being clearly out of their reach. Even the tail’s efforts were not enough to prevent a record though – this victory was Bangladesh’s biggest in terms of runs, away from home.Although Mushfiqur had a little luck early on – having been dropped in the 10th over – his was nevertheless a terrific innings. He had begun slowly, playing out a maiden against the red-hot Malinga, before later producing Bangladesh’s first boundary of the match, off the last ball of the eighth over. He built steadily alongside Mithun, taking an especial liking to Sri Lanka’s finger-spinners, often venturing down the track to them, sometimes to hit boundaries.Although after Mithun fell, Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain followed in quick succession, Mushfiqur batted efficiently with the tail, looking for boundaries at the start of each over, and singles towards the end. Despite his best efforts, the lower order batsmen continued to perish, however, and Bangladesh found themselves nine down in the 47th over, which should have been the end of their innings given one of their batsmen had suffered a fractured wrist earlier in the innings.Tamim, though, made the courageous decision to bat again, with his bottom hand in a cast. He hid that injured left hand behind his body, and rode out a Suranga Lakmal ball at his ribs, to hand the strike over to Mushfiqur, who didn’t disappoint. Mushfiqur moved expertly around the crease to smoke a spate of valuable late boundaries, moving past his previous best ODI score of 117, while twice making sure to take a single off the last ball of the over, to ensure Tamim did not have to face another ball. Mushfiqur had hit successive sixes off the first two balls of the final over, bowled by Thisara Perera, before he holed out attempting a third six. His valiant hand would turn out to be more than enough for Bangladesh to claim an important first victory in the tournament.