Aaron Finch took 30 off one over from David Wiese and equalled Surrey’s sixes record to ensure victory over Sussex in a vital NatWest Blast encounter

ECB Reporters Network13-Aug-2017Australian Aaron Finch revived Surrey’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the NatWest T20 Blast with a brutal hundred against Sussex at the Kia Oval.Finch muscled his way to an unbeaten 114 – his third hundred in the format – to help set up victory by 17 runs against Sussex Sharks in front of a crowd of 13,229.Aaron Finch soaks up the applause after a brutal hundred•Getty Images

The 30-year-old equalled the Surrey record of seven sixes in a T20 innings held by Mark Ramprakash, striking four of them in a remarkable assault on David Wiese in the 18th over.Finch cleared the ropes off four successive deliveries – two over midwicket and two over long-off – before hitting the last balls for four in an over which yielded 30 runs and transformed the Surrey innings.Finch and Jason Roy, whose 50 was his highest score in this season’s Blast, had posted 91 in the first ten overs, but Surrey only added 31 in the next five as Chris Jordan, whose four overs cost just 19 runs, and leg-spinner Will Beer (1 for 23) dragged Sussex back into contention.Then Finch launched his withering assault on Wiese as Surrey plundered 71 off the last five overs to get them to 193 for 2.Finch finished on 114 off 64 balls with seven fours and seven sixes, the other three struck during the Powerplay. Roy cleared the ropes four times in a 33-ball half-century before holing out to deep mid-wicket.Finch oils his ‘rusty gate’

Aaron Finch, Surrey batsman: “It was in the back of my mind to try and bat through because on that surface I knew I could do some damage at the end.
“I knew David Wiese was going to bowl slower deliveries into the wicket. He got them a touch too full and I was able to swing through the line, whereas a few overs before I was swinging like a rusty gate and couldn’t make contact with them! That over really broke the game open for us.
“We seem to play our best cricket when our backs are against the wall. We have two games left and hopefully two wins will get us into the top four.”

A target of 194 was always going to be tough to get on a pitch already used twice this summer during the Champions Trophy but Chris Nash kept Sussex’s hopes alive with his fifth half-century in this season’s Blast.The opener struck 53 off 38 balls, with five fours and two sixes, but after he was caught on the long-on boundary in the 14th over Sussex’s chase fizzled out, although Jordan and Jofra Archer added an unbeaten 39 at the end.Nash played well without being able to match Finch’s power and while he and Stiaan van Zyl were adding 48 in 29 balls for the second wicket Sussex had a chance.But van Zyl was caught at deep mid-wicket for 29 off Gareth Batty’s first ball and it turned into a profitable afternoon for Surrey’s captain.Batty bowled his left-arm spin adroitly on a pitch giving him some assistance to finish with 4 for 24 including the key wickets of Nash, Ross Taylor, whose 11 continued a disappointing run of scores for the Sussex captain, and former Surrey player Laurie Evans (6).Taylor’s side must now beat Essex at Hove on Friday to have any chance of squeezing into the last four while Surrey will probably need to win both their remaining games. Both are among five counties locked on 12 points in the table.

In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Vinod Rai, chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators, believes the BCCI is running out of time in its objections to the Lodha reforms

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Jul-2017File photo – Vinod Rai: “I am not frustrated. I am just saying the writ of the court must run.”•Getty Images

A year since the seminal judgment and we are where we started. How do you look at the current situation?
I will speak only from January 30. I (CoA) cannot look into what happened before that. The Supreme Court tried to implement the reforms till January 30. But that did not take place for whatever reasons. Then we were appointed. Our mandate was to implement the recommendations of the Lodha Committee as approved by the Supreme Court on July 18, 2016. How do we ensure that mandate is fulfilled? We can ensure that mandate is fulfilled only by making the BCCI’s special general body meeting (SGM) pass a resolution (to adopt the new constitution and reforms). Isn’t it? If that could have been done by January 30, then we would not have been required.Since the verdict was thrust onto them, they did not agree so I tried to build consensus (among BCCI members). I told them you have said withdraw the order, but the Supreme Court would not withdraw it since it has passed the judgment. I asked the BCCI members to narrow down the parts of the order that were hurting them, but please adopt the new constitution. And then appeal to the court asking to look at the shortlist of recommendations again.I asked them not to defy the court, be obedient to the verdict and if you have some genuine problems bring it to the notice of the court. That is why I held the meeting (with the state associations) before the SGMs (on June 6 and June 25). I was impressing upon them the fact that if you adopt the constitution you get onto the right side of the court. Then you point out X & Y are practical difficulties and hence cannot be implemented.This attempt failed due to the intransigence of a couple of people with vested interests who could sway the others.Since they once again decided to ignore the Supreme Court order in the June 26 SGM, we had no option but to tell the court (through the status report) of all our efforts and all that had transpired.Because I don’t have the power to thrust the constitution on them, I can’t force them to adopt the new constitution. So if anybody says why couldn’t the CoA implement it, how can I implement it when the court itself has not been able to do that? We have now told the court that we have tried, I can’t implement because they are intransigent and because of a few disruptive elements. I just laid it bare.So your patience has been tested?
It is not patience. My consensus-building efforts did not fructify. I am not frustrated. I am just saying the writ of the court must run.Would it help if the court gave you powers or passed a clear judgment at its next hearing?
I have told the court to issue an order under Article 142 of the Constitution of India, and issue direction to the Registrar of the Tamil Nadu government to register the new BCCI constitution.So the sooner the court issues that order, the easier your job would get?
Yes because the court could not succeed in persuading them to pass the constitution. Then the court asked us to do it. We have tried our best to persuade them, build the consensus. Now that they have not agreed, I have sought the direction of the court.Would it be helpful if the court finally takes a hard stance on the issue?
Article 142 says: “Enforcement of the decrees and orders of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass such decree or make such order as is necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter pending before it and make it enforceable throughout the territory of India.”The court need only pass an order enforcing its own decree. No one else can do that.Last week the BCCI trimmed its reservations to three recommendations. What is your view?
As far as I am concerned now it is just too late. Everything is a closed issue. It just too late. Now, I have made my recommendation to the court. The court will examine it on September 5. If it gives me the order on September 5 I will convene the SGM first, adopt the new constitution. And, as per the constitution, convene the AGM to elect the office-bearers and close the CoA’s tenure latest by October 31. I continue to stick by my schedule.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Sporting CP forward Youssef Chermiti, as Julen Lopetegui bids to replenish his strike options this summer.

The Spaniard will have a number of targets to strengthen his side in the transfer window, however not many are deemed as important as recruiting forwards, with the Old Gold ending last season as the Premier League’s lowest-scorers.

Could Wolves sign Youssef Chermiti?

As reported by Portuguese outlet Record earlier this week, representatives of Wolves were present during Sporting’s pre-season friendly against Genk to watch Chermiti.

The report adds that there have been ‘exploratory contacts’ to the forward, who could be sold for a fee in the region of €20m (£17m), with a 20% figure of a future sale added.

There’s no clarity that the contact has come from Wolves, however, with scouts present and a potential deal available far cheaper than his €80m (£69m) release clause, the move could be smart for the Midlands side.

How good is Youssef Chermiti?

Having once been lauded as a “superb prospect” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the teenager has impressed in his rise through the ranks at Sporting.

Deployed as a centre-forward, the youngster adds a strong presence to the front line due to his goal-poaching ability and colossus 6 foot 4 structure.

For Wolves, the youngster could be the perfect summer signing, considering the problems the club have had in the final third under Lopetegui so far.

In 38 Premier League games last term, the Old Gold scored just 31 goals, highlighting the importance of capturing a goalscorer this summer.

At 19, Chermiti has asserted himself as a popular figure in the first team of his boyhood club, making 16 Primeira Liga appearances last season in which he scored three goals and assisted twice.

Averaging 0.54 non-penalty xG per 90, the Portuguese starlet has shown strong potential in leading the line, making him a possibly strong acquisition for Lopetegui to chase.

Wolves’ forwards last term scored just four goals between them, with Raul Jimenez failing to score, Diego Costa netting once and Hee-Chan Hwang scoring three in the entire Premier League season.

Introducing a young forward with the hunger to take his career to the next level could be a fundamental move for Molienux, who are beginning to phase into the next steps of their journey to developing their squad under Lopetegui.

Noted by The Scouting App as being a stand-out player for his ‘great physicality, explosiveness, sense of goal and eccentricity’, the 19-year-old could be a breath of fresh air at Wolves if given the license to showcase his talents as the favoured forward.

The youngster could fit in well at Molineux, taking into consideration the level of talent around him, with the likes of Matheus Nunes and Matheus Cunha being players of high intensity and skill in the final third.

Nunes is a player the teenager is familiar with, due to their paths crossing at Sporting prior to his move to Wolves, making him a potential suitor to play around due to their knowledge of each other's approach to play.

Lopetegui must recruit a forward this summer, in the bid to not only bolster Wolves’ outlet in front of goal but to encourage a rise in performance of others in the side, who are desperate to see their creativity amount to more in the coming season.

Everton are in desperate need of another new attacker, and time is running out to find one before they begin their Premier League campaign at home to Fulham in two-and-a-half weeks' time.

Who are Everton's current forwards?

The Toffees already have a hugely talented forward in Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but the England international's fitness problems were once again a major issue last season as he was restricted to just 15 Premier League starts.

Neal Maupay, a £15m signing from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer, was tasked with filling in for Calvert-Lewin but ended the campaign with one goal and no assists in 27 league appearances.

Dwight McNeil offered some much-needed quality out wide during the run-in, which ultimately ended with the Toffees avoiding the drop, while Arnaut Danjuma has recently joined on loan from Villarreal to provide further competition to Demarai Gray.

It is clear to see why Sean Dyche is eager to bring in another forward, and with a move for Almeria's El Bilal Toure now looking bleak, it may well be that Salernitana's Boulaye Dia is the Merseyside outfit's priority target.

According to reports from La Citta di Salerno this week, Everton are ready to offer €25m (£21m) and Maupay for the Senegal international in a player-plus-cash offer, which could be enough to tempt the Serie A side to cash in.

How many goals has Boulaye Dia scored?

Dia has played – and scored – in three of Europe's top five leagues, having netted 24 times in Ligue 1 for Reims, five times for Villarreal in LaLiga and 16 times in 33 Serie A games for Salernitana last season.

It was during his time at Reims that Dia first caught the attention of many, with Senegal team-mate Sadio Mane stating two years ago that he had been "really impressed" by his compatriot and did not expect him to stay with the French club for long.

So that proved, and after a short spell in Spain, Dia is now doing his thing in Italy. The 26-year-old scored 16 goals in 33 Serie A games last season, seeing him ranked among the top 16% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues for non-penalty goals scored in 2022-23, as per FBref.

Dia also set up six goals, ranking him in the top 14% for assists, showing that he is more than just a goalscorer – something that could see him form a solid partnership with Calvert-Lewin, assuming the latter can stay fit.

Interestingly, the one area Dia lacks is where Calvert-Lewin thrives, meaning they could easily feed off each other. The Salernitana star was among the bottom 14% of forwards in terms of aerial duels won last term (0.71 per 90); Calvert-Lewin was in the top 8% (5.10 per 90).

Some may suggest Dia and Calvert-Lewin simply cannot be shoehorned into the same side, but it would be a similar dynamic that fierce rivals Liverpool used so well for many years with Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Mane in attack.

Indeed, Dia is very alike Mane in a number of areas, not least their ability to score regularly. For example, Mane bagged 16 goals in 34 league games in his final season with Liverpool – the same number that his compatriot scored in one game less for Salernitana last time out.

As Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT last year, Dia is a "handful" for defenders and a forward with "real goal potential", which has earned him strong comparisons with Mane.

Having shown he can score in France, Spain and Italy, Dia may now be given the chance to follow further in Mane's steps by doing so in the Premier League.

Tom Curran almost stole victory for Surrey•Getty Images

Aneurin Donald’s brilliant 76 off 40 balls shone out under the Kia Oval floodlights as Glamorgan strengthened their position at the top of the NatWest T20 Blast’s South Group table by squeezing past Surrey by six runs in front of a crowd of 21,256.But Tom Curran almost stole the match for Surrey at the death, his remarkable 51 not out from 27 balls making a mockery of 48 runs being required from the last three overs to overhaul Glamorgan’s 181 for 6. In the end, having hit the second ball of Michael Hogan’s final over for six to bring the equation down to nine from four balls, Curran was foxed by two slower balls from the veteran Australian seamer which he swung at and missed.A scampered two from the penultimate ball left Curran, who hit three sixes and three fours, needing seven from the last ball. He hit it into the offside, opted not to run but still walked off to an ovation for a courageous attempt to achieve the seemingly impossible with Surrey finishing on 175 for 7.Donald, still only 20, hit two sixes and 11 fours in his T20-best as he and the prolific Colin Ingram, who scored 42 from 31 balls with three sixes, swept Glamorgan towards their eventual total by adding 95 in just 8.3 overs for the second wicket after they had opted to bat first.It was Glamorgan’s fifth win of the group stage and took them to 14 points while Surrey, who have now lost four of their ten games, remain on 10 points.Glamorgan captain Jacques Rudolph praised Donald’s batting plus Michael Hogan’s nerve in the thrilling final over.”Tom Curran did incredibly well to get them so close, and there is so much noise out there in front of a crowd of that size that it’s difficult to communicate,” he said. “But Michael kept his cool after the second ball six and showed his experience to switch to around the wicket and bowl two vital dot balls. It was a brave decision.”Aneurin batted brilliantly up front and it was a pretty solid batting performance although we might have got 20 runs more after the start we got.”Surrey’s chase did not start well, with Jason Roy nicking the first ball of the innings, from Lukas Carey, to the keeper but Mark Stoneman joined Aaron Finch in a stand of 64 in six overs before carving to deep midwicket in Graham Wagg’s first over to go for a useful 21-ball 34.Finch, who had got off the mark by swinging Michael Hogan for six from his first ball, and who also hit Marchant de Lange for six, reached 33 from 22 balls before mishitting Ingram’s occasional legspin straight to long on in the eighth over, and Surrey’s decline continued as Moises Henriques and Sam Curran were both held in the deep.Aneurin Donald helped keep Glamorgan top of South Group•Getty Images

From 84 for 3 after ten overs, Surrey slid to 101 for 6 as Rikki Clarke could only score 6 on his Surrey return before becoming one of de Lange’s three victims.Ollie Pope, caught at midwicket off de Lange, scored a sparkling 26 and Surrey’s hopes rose further when Tom Curran swung Hogan for six in an 18th over costing 16 runs and also containing fours by both Curran and Stuart Meaker.That left 32 needed from the last two overs, and Curran immediately swatted Graham Wagg’s left arm seam over wide midwicket for six. Riding his luck, with an inside-edged four to fine leg, Curran ensured that 15 came from the over – setting up the superb finish.When Glamorgan batted, Donald was quickly into his stride, pulling for six the fourth ball of the innings from Jade Dernbach – and the second ball he faced – before taking three fours from Sam Curran’s opening over with a lovely straight drive, a paddle-pull to wide long leg and then a crashing drive through extra cover.Another flipped four, off Dernbach, followed before the wicket of Jacques Rudolph slowed Glamorgan for a while. From 30 for no wicket after three overs, they could only score 46 for 1 from the initial six-over Powerplay after Roy leapt to take a brilliant catch at backward point to send back Rudolph for 4.The bowler was Clarke, who has rejoined his first county Surrey, for whom he played from 2002 to 2007. Initially, the move is on loan from Warwickshire ahead of a permanent move from next season, with Dom Sibley already going the other way in a reciprocal deal, and 35-year-old allrounder Clarke struck with his fifth ball in the fourth over. His first two overs cost only eight runs and he finished with 1 for 23.Ingram, however, still managed to hit his first ball, from Clarke, for four and he was soon pulling Tom Curran for four and launching Gareth Batty’s offspin for six in the eighth over. Another six arrived when Ingram pulled the younger Curran out of the ground beyond the Peter May Stand as the Welsh county reached the halfway mark at 87 for 1.Batty was then plundered for 22 in an over by Donald, with three leg-side fours and a smeared six being followed by a delicate lap for four by the youngster from the last ball of the 11th over.A four and straight six by Ingram off Henriques’s medium pace quickly followed but the rollicking second wicket stand ended in the 13th over when Donald skied paceman Meaker to midwicket.Ingram went six balls later, cutting Henriques to point, and three more wickets fell in the final overs as Glamorgan’s middle-order sought to add as many as they could. David Miller’s 24 from 19 balls included a last over six off a Tom Curran full toss the ball before he fell attempting to clear long-on, while Wagg also swung Clarke for six.

أكد محمد صلاح مدرب الزمالك السابق، أنه يثق في قدرة الأهلي والزمالك على الوصول إلى نهائي بطولتي دوري أبطال إفريقيا وكأس الكونفدرالية.

الزمالك كان قد تعادل سلبيًا أمام دريمز الغاني، في مواجهة الذهاب لدور نصف النهائي من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية التي أقيمت اليوم الأحد بالقاهرة، على أن تقام مباراة العودة في غانا، الأحد المقبل 28 أبريل.

وقال صلاح خلال تصريحات عبر برنامج “الريمونتادا” المذاع على قناة “المحور”: “يجب على الزمالك أخذ الأمور بجدية في بطولة الكونفدرالية، الاجتهاد يكون أكثر من ذلك بكثير وأيضاً الرغبة في المكسب”.

طالع.. فيديو | هيثم فاروق: غياب زيزو مؤثر.. وألوم على لاعب الزمالك بعد التعادل مع دريمز

وأضاف: “سيف الجزيري لم يقدم أداءً جيدًا، لاعب يلعب في 5 أيام مباراة جيدة وأخرى غير جيدة، شيء يقلق، إبراهيما نداي كان أفضل لاعب في المباراة وهو رجل المباراة”.

وأكمل: “الزمالك سيتأهل للنهائي ويتوج بالكونفدرالية، دريمز فريق أقل من المتوسط، لو دخل مرماه هدف أو هدفين سينهار”.

وأتم: “أثق وأبصم على أن الأهلي سيصل لنهائي إفريقيا ويحصد اللقب”.

وكان الأهلي تعادل سلبيًا مع مازيمبي الكونغولي، في مباراة ذهاب نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا بالكونغو، على أن تلعب مواجهة العودة في القاهرة يوم الجمعة 26 أبريل.

Manchester United are reportedly close to signing defender Jonny Evans on a one-year deal following a successful pre-season spell.

Are Man United signing Jonny Evans?

The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag have already brought in two players so far this summer in Mason Mount and Andre Onana from Chelsea and Inter Milan.

A third big-money signing in Atalanta centre-forward Rasmus Hojlund is all but complete, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that the player has completed a medical and the first part of his media duties, with documents to be completed today.

Another player who was brought in over the summer was Evans, with Ten Hag saying he allowed the 35-year-old to initially come in and train while searching for a new club.

"I know him for a long time, so I know his place was here, in Manchester.

"He came to train with us, to work on his fitness, and when I said: yeah, not all the players are in – internationals are out, still having their break, so I thought it was a good idea to help each other out. Jonny can work on his fitness and he can help us out."

However, Evans then penned a short-term deal which allowed him to feature in friendlies against Lyon and Wrexham, and by the looks of things, a new deal appears to be close which would see him become a United player for the 2023/24 season.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

The Belfast Telegraph shared an update regarding Man United and Evans on Tuesday evening. The report states that the Red Devils and Ten Hag have been impressed with the player who has exceeded expectations, and that he is set to sign a 12-month contract at Old Trafford.

They also shared comments from Steven Davis, who played alongside Evans for Northern Ireland, admitting he wouldn’t be surprised if the defender, who doesn't have a weak foot, earned himself a longer stay.

"Having played with him for so many years I know the quality he possesses and what he brings with his experience to a dressing room.

"I'm sure that was noticed quite early on having been away from the club for a few years. I wouldn't put it past him extending his stay there beyond pre-season. I think we were all surprised when Man United let him go because whenever you play with him and see the quality he has first hand, it is a player every one rates very highly."

Who else could Man United sign?

Evans, hailed as "intelligent" by Brendan Rodgers, could well provide more cover at centre-back for Ten Hag as the season goes on, with Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez seemingly the first-choice pairing ahead of the new season.

Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly could leave before the window closes, which could leave Evans and Victor Lindelof as potential experienced back-up options. However, Man United may not stop there when it comes to new signings, with another new midfielder thought to be on the cards.

Reports have claimed that Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat is close to a £26m move to Old Trafford to reunite with Ten Hag, so that could be the next focus after deals for Hojlund and Evans, meaning it could be a busy month both on and off the pitch.

The Championship campaign officially kicks off in just over two weeks and Sunderland still have time to make further additions to their squad.

Who do Sunderland start their season against?

Tony Mowbray's side start their season with a match against Ipswich Town at the Stadium of Light and are likely to be without centre-forward Ross Stewart.

The Scotland international is reportedly set to miss the clash through injury as he continues to recover from an Achilles issue.

This means that the head coach does not currently have a senior number nine to call upon ahead of the opening day, which is why he must dip into the market within the next two weeks to sign a striker.

One reported transfer target for the second-tier outfit in that position is Bologna centre-forward Sydney van Hooijdonk, who just spent the season on loan at Heerenveen.

How good is Sydney van Hooijdonk?

The 23-year-old gem could be an excellent player for Sunderland as his form throughout the 2022/23 campaign suggests that he has the potential to be a reliable scorer for the club.

Mowbray could land winger Jack Clarke a dream partner on the pitch for the upcoming season as the former Tottenham Hotspur winger may end up with a striker who has the quality to make the most of the chances he creates.

Van Hooijdonk plundered 16 goals in 20 Eredivisie starts for Heerenveen, which came after the exciting dynamo found the back of the net six times in 13 Dutch top-flight outings during the first six months of his 18-month loan.

Meanwhile, No Sunderland player scored more than 14 Championship goals last season and only two players hit double figures.

This suggests that the Bologna prospect, who was once dubbed "prolific" by scout Jacek Kulig, could add a much-needed goal threat through the middle of the pitch for Mowbray.

He could, therefore, be perfect for Clarke as his ability to score goals on a regular basis, if it translates over from Dutch football, makes him a dream target for the former Leeds United prodigy.

The English wizard enjoyed a sublime run of form last term. The talented ace averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 across 45 Championship matches and contributed with an impressive number of goals and assists.

Only Stewart (10) and Amad Diallo (14), who has since returned to Manchester United following his loan spell on Wearside, scored more league goals for the club than Clarke (nine) did.

Creatively, the 22-year-old magician was outstanding for Sunderland.

He assisted a whopping 12 league goals for the Black Cats, which was five more than any other player, and produced 1.7 key passes per game – the most within the squad.

In fact, no player in the entire Championship assisted more goals than Clarke did last season, although Viktor Gyokeres also assisted 12 strikes for Coventry prior to his move to Sporting in Portugal.

Now, imagine the £17k-per-week hotshot consistently creating big opportunities for van Hooijdonk, who scored 35 goals in 41 U19 matches for NEC Breda during his youth career, to find the back of the net.

They could be a dream pairing who are able to strike fear into defenders next season, due to the potential link-up that they could have in the final third.

Tottenham Hotspur could finally be set to secure an heir to an old favourite of theirs, perfecting Ange Postecoglou's new-look midfield in the process.

Who are Tottenham Hotspur signing this summer?

With James Maddison the star new addition thus far, supplemented by the signings of Manor Solomon and Guglielmo Vicario, it seems that the Lilywhites are heading in the right direction towards building a brighter future.

However, it could certainly still be worth borrowing some ideals from the sole successful regime in recent memory though, taking a leaf out of Mauricio Pochettino's book by emulating his main men to prop up the new regime.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Of those stars of the past, few compare to Mousa Dembele, who held down the engine room with relentless power and endless grace for seven fine years. However, there is one star on the market who does boast frightening similarities both in physical profile and play style.

Sofyan Amrabat has been touted with an exit from Fiorentina ever since his exceptional World Cup, and it is Spurs who too are reportedly interested in making the Moroccan general the heir to their Belgian maestro.

He is expected to cost around €40m (£34m), per transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

How good is Sofyan Amrabat?

Whilst those performances on the world stage still stand as the apex of his career thus far, he has impressed for his club too across four years in Italy.

The 26-year-old managed a 6.86 average rating in Serie A last season, buoyed by his 90% pass accuracy, 75% dribble success and 1.3 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

When comparing that to Dembele's best year in north London, arguably throughout the 2015/16 campaign, it is clear that the similarities begin to shine through.

After all, they are both a couple of tough-tackling 6 foot 1 midfield stars, with the class to retain possession but also turn defence into attack in an instant.

During that Premier League term, the 36-year-old ace recorded a 7.41 average rating, with just four goal contributions, a 90% pass accuracy, a 92% dribble success rate, one key pass and 3.6 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

It was such form that led Pochettino to compare his key man to some of the greats he had met, claiming:

"I always say to him, ‘Mousa, when I write my book, you will be one of my genius players that I have been lucky enough to meet.

"One was Maradona; also Ronaldinho, Okocha and Iván de la Peña – he was a genius, too – and then Mousa. We always tell Mousa that if we had taken him at 18 or 19, he would have become one of the best players in the world."

Perhaps Postecoglou could now be credited with engineering that rise to the apex of world football with Amrabat, especially given that he has already received widespread praise of his own for that recent World Cup run. Journalist Carlo Garganese even noted:

"Amrabat the best centre midfielder in the tournament. MONSTER."

He too has that genius within him which is just waiting to be unleashed, with only flashes of it having been shown thus far in his career despite his ranking within the top 8% for progressive passes per 90 when compared to other midfielders across Europe.

Perhaps a switch to north London could see him truly look to Dembele as the benchmark, emulating the stylish flair that made him much more than your average defensive midfielder.

A ready reckoner ahead of the media rights auction on September 4, where 24 companies could be in the fray as bidders

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Sep-2017Is the Indian Premier League the most lucrative property in global cricket?The answer will be revealed on September 4 when the BCCI conducts the auction for the IPL media rights. The bidding will take place in Mumbai, with some of the biggest names in global business set to vie for various rights of a tournament that has already realigned the boundaries of cricket in unpredictable ways during its ten years of existence.Here is a ready reckoner to the bidding process, the bidders and the different rights being auctioned.How many bidders are there?A total of 24 bidders bought the bid document, including Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, Yahoo, Reliance Jio, Star India, Sony Pictures, Discovery, Sky, British Telecom and ESPN Digital Media.The growth of the league can be measured through the diversity of the bidders as well as the number of companies that have shown interest. In 2008, when the IPL was conceived, about six companies bought the bid document for the first rights cycle. All were television entities and, eventually, only two qualified for the bid – the Sony-World Sports Group alliance and Nimbus.How many categories of rights will be auctioned on Monday?Previously, the BCCI, which owns the IPL, had sold the rights only for three categories: India television rights, India digital rights and rest of the world. However, on Monday, a set of seven rights will be open for bidding. For the Indian market, bids are divided into television and digital; then there will be separate bids for the USA, Europe, Middle East, Africa regions and the rest of the world. For these five markets, the bids include both television and digital rights.How will the bidding process work?The rights will be awarded to the highest bidder in each category. An interested party or a consortium can even make a global bid (for all seven categories) – if their bid is the highest, they will earn the rights.The winner in each category will be determined by matching the bids which will be presented in a sealed envelope. In May, the BCCI had decided to retain the tender process which it said was the most transparent way to award the rights as opposed to e-auction. Recently the Supreme Court, too, struck down a petition favoring the e-auction. The BCCI was against the e-auction mainly because of the danger of bidders walking out once they realised they had reached their limit with the bid figures being publicly displayed. In a tender process, the bidder just gets one chance and has to commit to a figure they can put in the envelope.What is the duration of the rights?All rights have a five-year span: 2018-2022.Why a five-year cycle, considering the previous television rights were for 10 years?According to Rahul Johri, the BCCI’s chief executive officer, 10 years is “too long” a period to commit in an industry that is dynamic. Previously, when the BCCI sold the television rights for 10 years, the IPL had not yet established itself. “It was a new property and it needed a long-term commitment,” Johri said. “But now the world is changing so fast, so from both the rights seller’s point of view and rights buyer’s point of view, five years is a good term. A lot of companies do a five-year plan. So it is a more realistic way to go.”ESPNcricinfo LtdWhich category could attract the most competition?In the Indian market, television rights will remain the prime target as it is the “most valuable” property. In 2008, WSG bagged the television rights for the Indian market for a 10-year cycle (2008-2017) for $918 million. A year later, Sony bought those rights for $1.63 billion.What is the likely worth of television rights in the Indian subcontinent?
Johri will not speculate, but is optimistic the number could be quite high considering the BCCI recently sold the India team sponsorship rights and the IPL title sponsorship for large sums. Smartphone manufacturer OPPO Mobiles India bought the team sponsorship rights for a five-year period, beginning April 2017, for about $166 million, edging out Vivo, another mobile phone manufacturer. Vivo, however, trumped Oppo by retaining the IPL title sponsorship rights (2018-22) for approximately $341 million, a 454% increase over the price paid for the same rights in 2012. “The IPL is one of the most viewed properties in the world. The IPL is a disruptive property. When the IPL is on, the world watches only IPL,” Johri said.How fierce is the competition for digital rights likely to be?
An increasing number of viewers are turning to digital platforms for sports coverage. With Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, Discovery Sports, Yahoo and BAMTech (an American internet video provider) aiming to leverage this audience, there could be fierce bidding among them and local providers like Reliance Jio, Star India and Sony. Star India was the previous rights holders for digital rights globally, having paid close to INR 303 crore for a three-year period of 2015-17. These digital behemoths are challenging traditional broadcasters by venturing into sports broadcasting. Amazon recently won the UK rights for showcasing all the major Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tournaments while BAMTech has been streaming Major League Baseball for a few years now.