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Ben Stokes’ phenomenal century for Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL will have spin-off benefits for England’s Champions Trophy campaign, says Eoin Morgan

Andrew Miller03-May-20172:19

Hogg: Stokes’ innings the best of the tournament so far

Ben Stokes’ phenomenal century for Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL will have spin-off benefits for England’s Champions Trophy campaign, says Eoin Morgan, the one-day captain, who feels the ECB’s belated change of attitude towards overseas leagues has finally been vindicated.Stokes, who became the most expensive overseas signing in IPL history when RPS picked him up for £1.7million at the IPL auction in February, went a long way towards justifying that price tag with a blistering innings of 103 not out from 63 balls against Gujarat Lions at Pune, a performance that rescued his side from 10 for 3 and delivered a five-wicket win with one ball to spare.As a measure of Stokes’ dominance, the next highest score in RPS’s innings of 167 for 5 was 26 from 33 balls from MS Dhoni, with whom Stokes added 76 for the fifth wicket. After the match, RPS’s captain, Steven Smith, hailed Stokes as a “a perfect fit for our team”.Morgan, who has been a long-standing advocate of greater English involvement at the IPL, believes that Stokes will head into the Champions Trophy next month with his confidence sky-high, thanks to the quality of his performance, as well as the calibre of the players with whom he has been mixing for the past four weeks.”It was absolutely incredible,” Morgan said. “You look at why guys go and play in tournaments like this, and it is so that they can produce performances like Ben’s, and sit in the same team as the Australian captain and an Indian legend, and out-perform them.”It builds a huge amount of confidence and it’s a huge stepping block for us as England cricketers because the huge challenge as a professional cricketer is to get to where you aspire to be, and gain the confidence through that to do it again and again. It is a game that’s played in the mind.”Although the Champions Trophy will be played over 50 overs, not 20, Morgan has no doubt about Stokes’ ability to transfer his form to a longer format.”It just proves he can compete with the best,” Morgan said. “Fifty-over cricket has come a long way. The similarities with T20 aren’t that far away, and rubbing shoulders with the best names in the world, outperforming them and growing in confidence playing with them, are two things he’ll have in abundance when he comes back. It makes us grow as a group knowing that we have a player who is potentially the best in the world.”Ben Stokes’ century lit up the IPL•BCCIMorgan himself has had a less auspicious campaign in this year’s IPL. He flew back from India on Monday to prepare for this week’s ODI series against Ireland, having played just three matches in four weeks for Kings XI Punjab, with a top score of 26.However, unlike Surrey’s Jason Roy, who has opted to cut short his stint with Gujarat Lions and gain 50-over match practice in the Royal London Cup, Morgan plans to return to India next week. His hopes of selection in the coming weeks will be improved by the impending recall of the squad’s contingent of South African players ahead of the Champions Trophy, among them the hard-hitting David Miller.”We’ve a lot of overseas players at the moment so competition for places is tough, but the dynamic will change. I think Jason is a bit further away from playing at the moment, but it’s a decision that we’ve made, and he’s comfortable with what he needs and how he’ll get it.”But now that he is back in the country, and with the first of two ODIs against Ireland taking place in Bristol on Friday, Morgan is impatient to get England’s international summer underway.”It’s very exciting, and it’s something we’ve been looking forward to for quite a while now. I wish it would hurry up and come round, but once we start playing these games it’ll fly round.”I think we are definitely in with a shout [for the Champions Trophy],” he added. “We have all the attributes to go and win the tournament but it’s a ruthless competition, you need to win pretty much every game from group stage and straight through.”It’s come at an important time for us. And it’ll be a good gauge of where we are at as a side. We’ve done a lot of great stuff up until now, but we still have a long way to go before [the] 2019 [World Cup].”

Manchester United are still in talks to sign Atalanta forward Rasmus Hojlund, according to Sky Sports.

Are Man United signing Rasmus Hojlund?

The Red Devils look set for a busy summer window despite the ongoing takeover saga at Old Trafford. It is believed that the club’s summer recruitment won’t be affected by the results of any takeover, with enough cash available to Erik ten Hag to invest in the team, although Financial Fair Play rules will limit what can be spent.

Mason Mount has officially become the first summer signing ahead of the new season, with the England midfielder joining from Chelsea in a deal worth £60m.

More additions appear to be on the cards, including a new goalkeeper and forward. David de Gea is out of contract at Old Trafford, which has led to plenty of speculation regarding Inter Milan’s Andre Onana. Manchester United had a £34m bid plus £5m in add-ons rejected by the Serie A side, although Fabrizio Romano has claimed a deal remains on for the Cameroon international.

In attack, Antony Martial has reportedly been put up for sale, with Atalanta’s Hojlund linked with a move to England. It was believed last month that Ten Hag even video-called the player ahead of a possible transfer. The Denmark international is thought to be keen on making the move to Old Trafford, and a further update has emerged.

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to provide a Man United transfer update. He said that a gap in valuation for Onana remains and the Red Devils are still in talks over a move for Hojlund.

“Manchester United bid worth €45m now in for Inter Milan keeper Andre Onana as per Laurie Whitwell. Gap in valuation exists – but feeling is it can be closed. United still looking at alternatives. Talks continue with Atalanta over striker Rasmus Hojlund.”

How much could Man United pay for Hojlund?

Hojlund is a left-footed striker who has been described as “scary quick” by journalist Sacha Pisani. The 20-year-old has only been with Atalanta for 12 months but appears to have made an impact, contributing to 14 goals in 34 games and being compared to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.

It is believed that those at Old Trafford would be willing to pay £51.5m for the forward who has no experience in the Premier League. Something that could help United in a potential deal is Hojlund wanting the move, and he revealed earlier this year that he is a “huge” Red Devils supporter.

"Now that you ask, I will not hide the fact that I am a huge Manchester United fan.

"So personally, it would be one of the biggest things for me, but of course that doesn’t mean that I would turn down other big clubs if the offers come at some point."

He appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €45m Transfermarkt valuation, and by the looks of things, he could be United’s answer in attack in both the short and long term in another big-money transfer.

Mashrafe Mortaza has announced his retirement from T20 internationals during the toss of the first T20I between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Colombo

Mohammad Isam04-Apr-2017Mashrafe Mortaza has announced his retirement from T20 internationals during the toss of the first T20I between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Colombo. Mashrafe said that the current series would be his last in the format.”This is going to be my last T20 series for Bangladesh,” Mashrafe told Dean Jones, who asked the Bangladesh captain if the rumours were true. “I would like to thank BCB, my family and friends, team-mates and coaching staff. I would also like to thank my fans who really supported me in the last 15-16 years.”Mashrafe’s official Facebook page soon carried a statement that said: “It has been a great honor for me to represent Bangladesh in T20I for more than 10 years. I believe that this team is currently a balanced one & there are some promising young stars. There were some bad & some good days as well. I always tried to make my fans happy. I am very sorry to each and every fan for not being able to make them happy in every match. Right now as a team we are playing good cricket. I am sure Bangladesh will keep on playing good cricket in the days to come.”This is high time for me to say good-bye to T20 format so that many youngsters can get the opportunity to showcase their talent and thus BCB can nurture them for the future. Let me congratulate the new Captain in advance & I am sure the best is yet to come.”Mashrafe has led Bangladesh in the most number of T20Is, winning nine of those 26 matches. He played 52 games before Tuesday’s match, having taken 39 wickets at 37.56. He had taken one four-wicket haul in the format, against Ireland in Belfast in 2012. He was also a handy bat down the order, having struck 23 sixes in 37 innings.ESPNcricinfo has learned that Mashrafe had informed the team’s senior players first, and then the rest of the team. There were talks recently around the team and BCB management about infusing fresh blood in the T20 line-up and making the team lead with Shakib Al Hasan, after Bangladesh lost 0-3 to New Zealand in a T20 series in January. Bangladesh’s 259-run defeat in the Galle Test last month also prompted a lot of speculation about major team changes across different formats.Mashrafe will continue as the ODI captain and his next assignment is a tri-series in Ireland, involving New Zealand as the third team. From there, Bangladesh will head to England to play the Champions Trophy in June.

In a battle between two underperforming teams, Gujarat Lions host Rising Pune Supergiant

The Preview by Annesha Ghosh13-Apr-2017Match factsGujarat Lions v Rising Pune Supergiant
Rajkot, April 14, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Form guide

Rising Pune Supergiant (seventh): lost to Delhi Daredevils by 97 runs , lost to Kings XI Punjab by 6 wickets, beat Mumbai Indians by 7 wickets

Lions (eighth): lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 9 wickets, lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by ten wickets

Head to head
Last season: Lions won both matches last season and did so by chasing targets of 164 in Rajkot and 196 in Pune.In the newsRavindra Jadeja joined the Lions squad on Wednesday and is expected to get his IPL 2017 campaign underway at his home ground, having missed the first two games to a finger injury. Lions, however, will continue to miss the injured Dwayne Bravo, even though he had taken part in the team’s practice session on Wednesday.Assessing MS Dhoni’s waning prowess in the shortest-format of the game, former India captain Sourav Ganguly has expressed his reservations about the Pune wicketkeeper being “a good T20 player” any longer.Lions’ overseas combination is set to be revamped, with either James Faulkner or Andrew Tye making their way into the XI to beef up a bowling attack that has picked up only one wicket in two matches.For Rising Pune, Steven Smith has recovered from an upset stomach that kept him out of the clash against Sunrisers. Manoj Tiwary, who also missed the last game following his father’s death, has re-joined the squad.The likely XIsRising Pune Supergiant: 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Mayank Agarwal, 3 Steven Smith 4 Ben Stokes, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Manoj Tiwary, 7 Rajat Bhatia, 8 Adam Zampa, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Imran Tahir, 11 Ashok Dinda/Shardul ThakurGujarat Lions: 1 Jason Roy, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Suresh Raina (capt), 4 Aaron Finch, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 James Faulkner, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Tejas Baroka/Basil Thampi, 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Shivil KaushikStats that matter Suresh Raina, who has hit the third-highest number of sixes in the history of the IPL, has hit just two sixes off 185 balls he has faced in Rajkot. Among the 41 instances in T20 cricket where he has registered a fifty-plus score, he has failed to hit a six on only two occasions – both of them in Rajkot. Smith has struck only 34 runs with two fours off the 39 balls he has faced against Jadeja in the IPL. He has also fallen to Jadeja four times in eight innings. No other bowler has dismissed Smith more than twice. Lions have lost four out of six times in Rajkot. Additionally, while visiting batsmen have struck eight half-centuries and one hundred, Lions batsmen have managed to hit only five fifties. Before coming into the IPL, Dinesh Karthik had amassed 1872 runs – the second most after Cheteshwar Pujara – across all formats in the 2016-17 season in India. Of the 12 matches played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Ground, the team chasing has won five of six games, scoring at an average of 52.66 per wicket. A run rate in excess of nine has been instrumental in four of those five successful chases being closed out before the 19th over. Despite topping the points table after the league stage, Lions had the second-worst net run-rate last year. Having lost their first two games by ten and nine wickets this season, they have the worst so far this time too. Lions boast the least impressive economy rates in the Powerplay and middle (overs 7-15) this season, having conceded 11.00 and 10.26 runs per over in these two phases. (They have bowled only three balls in the end overs (16-20), conceding nine runs.) Pune have struggled upfront and towards the end, but they have the second-best economy, 7.11, in the middle overs among all teams.

Napoli are "not far away" from reaching Wolverhampton Wanderers' asking price for their English centreback Maximilian Kilman after their initial bid of £30m was rejected, claims Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam.

Wolverhampton Wanderers transfer news – What's the latest on Max Kilman?

It hasn't been the start to the summer transfer window that fans of the Old Gold would've been hoping for, with the only incoming of note being Boubacar Traore, who signed a permanent deal after impressing on loan last year, whilst there have been some fairly major outgoings.

Last month the club announced the departure of club captain Ruben Neves, who, after six years with Wolves, was joining Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal in a deal worth £47m.

On top of that, the club have sold Conor Coady to Leicester City for £7.5m and seen Adama Traore, Diego Costa and Joao Moutinho all leave for free.

This lack of spending and inability to keep players is partly due to the club's precarious financial position after spending significant amounts of money over the last few years without seeing much return.

Now there could be one more name out the door at Molineux this month as Serie A champions Napoli have made Wolves defender Kilman one of their primary targets to replace the outgoing Kim Min-jae, per Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam.

McAdam explained the situation on Sky Sports News (via Football Daily), saying:

"The spotlight is on another defender in Max Kilman, they have rejected an offer from Napoli for Kilman, we understand the offer to be around £30m, Wolves value him at £35m plus. So Napoli not far away, they're losing Kim Min-jae to Bayern Munich, so they need to replace him, and they have identified Max Kilman as the one to do that."

How good is Max Kilman?

To employ one of football's most famous phrases, it was a season of two halves for Wolves last year. The Midlands side looked destined for the drop when they were rock bottom of the league going into the World Cup break, but the arrival of Julen Lopetegui saw them fight back in the second half of the year, eventually finishing in 13th place, seven points above 18th.

Kilman was one of the team's key figures last year and one of the players that helped drag them back into good form.

According to WhoScored, the 23-year-old averaged a respectable match rating of 6.63 across his 37 Premier League starts, winning 2.3 aerial duals a match and achieving a pass completion rate of 83.4.

His regular and reliable performances for the Old Gold have also won him plaudits from the greats in the game, with Pep Guardiola hailing the Englishman as "quality" in 2022.

If he really is on his way to Naples this summer, it could make what was already looking like a tough season next year into something much worse for Lopetegui's side.

Tottenham Hotspur are now leading the race to sign Leicester City star James Maddison as manager Ange Postecoglou looks to craft a team capable of competing at the top of the Premier League.

What's the latest on James Maddison to Spurs?

That's according to The Athletic, who claim that the 26-year-old is closing on a move to Tottenham, with Fabrizio Romano corroborating the news with claims that chairman Daniel Levy has now "agreed personal terms", with negotiations "finally advancing."

Spurs are hoping to sign the England international for a fixed fee of £40m plus additional add-ons, while the Foxes are holding out for £60m, which is considered exorbitant given the club's relegation from the top-flight and Maddison having just one year left on his current deal.

Newcastle United have also been heavily linked with a move after failing with a £50m bid last summer, but after agreeing a €70m (61m) deal for AC Milan maestro Sandro Tonali, Postecoglou has the lead in the pursuit for the coveted midfielder.

How good is James Maddison?

It has been a period of uncertainty and strife in the Lilywhites camp, with the exit of Antonio Conte marking the fourth managerial dismissal in as many years; Postecoglou's recent appointment was incisive, there is no doubt about that, but whether the attractive philosophy of the Australian boss can be aptly implemented remains to be seen.

The club's interminable wait for silverware continues, but to exacerbate this knowledge, Tottenham's eighth-placed finish in the Premier League has resulted in a failure to qualify for European football for the first time since 2009, and the outfit is crying out for some energy and inspiration.

Enter Maddison. The £110k-per-week ace has been described as a "magician" by Statman Dave and rightly so – the three-cap Englishman posted an impressive return of ten goals and nine assists from just 28 starts in the top division despite Leicester's tepid exit, and he is now fated to return after retaining his merit amid a turbulent campaign.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 13% for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for progressive passes and the top 17% for tackles per 90.

An all-encompassing scope, and one which could play into Postecoglou's hands as he injects a fresh facet into the side, especially given that the "world-class" pro – as Gareth Southgate has dubbed him – could serve up a slice of creativity unseen at Tottenham for some time.

Talisman Harry Kane is one of the most dynamic forwards around, ranking among the top 4% of forwards for progressive passes and the top 10% for shot-creating actions per 90, also plundering 32 strikes last season for good merit.

And Son Heung-min, who has been so imperious on the left wing down the N17 since his £22m arrival from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015, scoring 145 goals and supplying 80 assists from 372 matches, could also benefit immensely from Maddison's signing.

It's been an inauspicious year for Tottenham, and it's been a subpar year for Son, with the South Korean badly out of sorts until the latter phase of the year, albeit ending the season with 14 goals and six assists.

The 30-year-old forward did also end the Premier League season with an average of 1.8 key passes per game and eight big chances created, as per Sofascore, with his key pass metric the highest in the Tottenham squad. However, by placing Maddison into the fold as the creative centrepiece, Son could yet find the full scale of his prolific edge again.

In fact, the Foxes star is a great deal more creative than the South Korean, with Maddison averaging 2.3 key passes per game and creating 12 big chances, which trumps anyone in Spurs' squad and could allow Son to focus on the standout facet of his craft: his striking prowess.

Son can also only rank in the bottom 14% in Europe for progressive passes, the bottom 38% for assists and the bottom 49% for shot-creating actions, to underline how the Tottenham target eclipses him with regards to creativity.

Indeed, Maddison would open a melange of opportunities for Postecoglou's squad, and he simply has to be signed to ensure that a return to prominence is forthcoming.

Rilee Rossouw and Sarfraz Ahmed combined for the second biggest stand in PSL history to spearhead a seven-wicket win for Quetta Gladiators over Karachi Kings

The Report By Danyal Rasool11-Feb-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:20

Watch – Rossouw, Sarfraz fifties flatten Karachi

In a nutshellA 130-run partnership between Rilee Rossouw and Sarfraz Ahmed – the second highest in PSL history – saw Quetta Gladiators beat the Karachi Kings by seven wickets. The pair came together with the Gladiators tottering at 30 for 3 in the fifth over but they combined power hitting with composure, not to mention superb running between the wickets. It was a chanceless stand, a masterclass in how to deal with pressure and gradually take control of a game.On Friday, Mohammad Amir was the Kings’ most impressive opening bowler. This time his opening partner Sohail Khan took up the mantle, bowling a consistently good length on the off stump line, seaming the ball away from the right-hander. It wouldn’t have been out of place on the first morning of a Test match. He got his rewards, dismissing Ahmed Shehzad, Kevin Pietersen and Asad Shafiq in the space of four balls only for momentum to be stolen back by Rossouw and Sarfraz.Karachi had earlier started off quite cautiously. Chris Gayle scratched out an unconvincing 11 and Kumar Sangakkara searching for form holed out to extra cover for 25. By the end of the fourteenth over, they were 87 for 3. From there, they were never going to get a par score, and only poor death bowling by last year’s finalists – Tymal Mills excepted – took Karachi to their final total of 159. But Rossouw and Sarfraz saw to it that it wouldn’t be enough.Where the match was wonWhile the Gladiators fourth wicket partnership was impressive enough, it only really began to pose a threat after a moment Karachi only had themselves to blame. Five balls into the ninth over of the Quetta innings, a no-ball was called because the Kings’ didn’t have enough fielders inside the circle. That bit of self-inflicted harm was punished severely, Rossouw launching the free hit for six over midwicket. The final ball met the same fate as a good over suddenly went for 19. The asking rate came under eight and the batsmen had all the answers.The men that won itRossouw, who was so impressive against Lahore on Friday in holding Quetta’s innings together, was the main architect again, albeit in a more destructive manner. Forty runs came off his first 21 balls before the former South African international slowed down as Quetta’s captain Sarfraz began to find his timing.The pair’s running between the wickets is especially worth pointing out. Pressure was regularly placed on Karachi’s fielders and several ones were converted into twos. At no stage did it look like a wicket was about to fall, from the moment the pair got together right to the last delivery, a full toss which Rossouw dispatched to the extra cover boundary.1:23

WATCH – Rossouw’s match-winning 76*

Tidy Tymal MillsThe only phase where Quetta looked like being outplayed was between overs 14 and 19 of the Karachi innings. From 87 in 14, Sangakkara’s men plundered 64 runs off the next five overs, taking advantage of wayward – and frankly bizarre – lines and lengths from Quetta’s bowlers.At one point, it looked like they might even get to 170. They might have done were it not for Mills, who more than justified his T20 reputation with a superb spell by varying his pace and line regularly to finish with 2 for 21 in four overs. That included a disciplined final over which yielded just eight runs and ensured Karachi’s total didn’t get out of hand.Moment of the matchIt is often said Quetta do not have superstars in their lineup, relying instead on team performances. There is one glaring exception to that of course in the form of Pietersen. However, when he came in today at 23 for 1, he edged the first ball from Sohail to the wicketkeeper. It was a poor shot first up against the seaming ball and it left him with three runs in two matches. Other teams might struggle in the absence of a contribution from such an instrumental player, but Quetta have still managed to win both their games, showing there might be something in their reputation of being a team rather than just a collection of individuals.Where they standQuetta are the only team to still boast a 100 percent record and sit at the top of the table on four points. Karachi, conversely, are the only side to lose both their games and sit at the bottom of the league. This defeat means Karachi Kings have lost 9 of their 11 PSL matches with their only wins coming against Lahore Qalandars.

On the eve of his 100th Test match, Hashim Amla felt neither pride nor pleasure at his achievement, but pressure over the disappointments he had stacked up in the lead-up to the match

Firdose Moonda at the Wanderers12-Jan-20172:39

‘Scoring runs my focus, not razzmatazz’ – Amla

On the eve of his 100th Test match, Hashim Amla felt neither pride nor pleasure at his achievement, but pressure over the disappointments he had stacked up in the lead-up to the match. Amla had gone a whole year – 13 innings – without a hundred and ten across two tours without so much as a fifty. There were questions about how much longer he would play; how much longer he play. There were murmurs that the magic was gone. And there was his single-minded mission to show that it wasn’t.For that reason, Amla asked not to become the centre of attention. He opted out of a media engagement in the lead-up, despite a cacophony of calls for him to appear and eventually only agreed to a photo opportunity on the morning of the game. Even then, he looked like he had a lot on his mind and putting a Test cap for the 100th time was not one of them.”I wanted to have a quiet build up to this game,” he said after becoming the eighth player to score a century in his 100th Test. “There was a bit of frustration that I have been not getting runs in the last couple of games and not contributing to the team’s success. I wanted to my focus as true as possible. No side attractions, no razzmatazz, I had a more important thing and that was to try and work on my game. I needed to score runs.”Not wanted to, needed to.Amla did not reveal whether AB de Villiers’ imminent return to action – it could be as early as the third T20 against Sri Lanka later this month and it seems certain to be for the New Zealand tour which starts in mid-February – had anything to do with his need but that hardly matters. This was about him, the man many have called South Africa’s rock, and whether they could lean on him again.To solidify, Amla went back to basics. After the Australia tour, which he admitted was “not a good tour for me” he sought out the advice of one of his first coaches, Phil Russell. What they worked on is top secret, but it may have been temperament, rather than technique because today Amla batted in the concentration bubble that seemed to have burst.He survived the tough early period during which Sri Lanka’ seamers were at their best. “When I first got in they bowled really well to us. As a right-hander it seemed like they got their lines better to us up front. But on this type of wicket, you’re never in,” Amla said.And then he survived a drop, as he has so many times before. “The element of fortune is extremely important. When you get dropped, you think I am going to try and bat on but before I got dropped I didn’t think let me get dropped so I can bat on,” he joked. Amla’s early struggles were in complete contrast to JP Duminy, who batted with such ease it seemed he was on a different surface. Duminy outscored Amla and played a potentially career-saving innings of his own which was a perfect foil to Amla and is deserving of much more praise than it will get. Amla offered some.”With JP, what we’ve noticed is that when he’s on song he’s a beautiful player to watch,” Amla said. “His judgement is great, his timing is immaculate and it’s always a pleasure to bat with him. Everybody is happy that he’s got 100. He’s finding that consistency and he’s doing really well.”Apart from the two centuries this was also South Africa’s day because of the way they ground Sri Lanka down to lay the platform for a series sweep. On a surface with a significant tinge of green and with an all-pace attack, South Africa may have been tempted to put the opposition on and do damage immediately but Amla explained they think batting is going to get tougher, which it makes it all the more important that his runs came when they did.”We batted first, thinking about day four and five. It will be difficult to bat on. We saw with the new ball, a lot of nip and it’s still shaping. It’s a challenging wicket.”

Celtic have agreed a deal with Brighton & Hove Albion for versatile youngster Ronan Ferns, according to reports.

What’s the latest Celtic transfer news involving Ferns?

Ferns, regarded by Celtic's coaching staff as a hugely promising talent and earning himself a reputation as a future star, is primarily a centre-back but can also play in midfield if required.

However, the 16-year-old’s future in Glasgow has been up in the air in recent months, with Brighton making an offer for his services back in April. The Seagulls were chasing a quick deal for the Scotland youth international, and it looks as if there has been a breakthrough when it comes to a transfer.

Writing for The Daily Record in their live transfer blog on Thursday (09:26), Scott Burns provided an update on Ferns’ future, which looks like it will be on the south coast, describing it as a blow to those at Celtic Park.

“Brighton have agreed a £250,000 deal to sign Celtic youngster Ronan Ferns. The Scotland youth defender will join the Premier League outfit this summer.

“Ferns, who can also play midfield, had come through the Celtic youth ranks but hadn’t signed professional forms. It meant that the Seagulls were able to make their move for the 16-year-old. It was a blow for the Hoops who were keen to keep Ferns. Celtic would have been entitled to training compensation but have now cut a deal that will also see them get further add-ons. Ferns will join Brighton’s under-23 and development squad in the first instance.”

Who could Celtic sign this summer?

Ferns looks like he is on course to become the latest Celtic teenager to leave for the Premier League, but it does look as if the Parkhead board are chasing additions to Brendan Rodgers’ senior side ahead oof the 2023/24 season.

According to reports, Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi is a target at Celtic Park, whereas Norwegian playmaker Odin Thiago Holm has now been confirmed as the first Celtic signing of Rodgers' second tenure in charge, signing a five-year deal after undergoing a medical in London on Wednesday.

As well as new midfielders, a Celtic bid has also been submitted to sign right-winger Yang Hyun-jun from Gangwon FC. It could well be a busy few months ahead of Rodgers’ second tenure in charge, but by the looks of it, Ferns will be ending his association with the Hoops, aiming to make the grade in England instead.

Alviro Petersen, the former South Africa opener, has been banned for two years by CSA after admitting to 13 breaches of the anti-corruption code in relation to the 2015-16 domestic T20 match-fixing scandal

Firdose Moonda21-Dec-2016Alviro Petersen, the former South Africa opener, has been banned for two years by CSA after admitting to 13 breaches of the anti-corruption code in relation to the 2015-16 domestic T20 match-fixing scandal.’Unusual and pressured circumstances’ – Petersen

Alviro Petersen said on Thursday that the events which gave rise to the charges to which he pleaded guilty took place under “pressured and unusual circumstances”.
In a statement through his lawyer Robin Twaddle, Petersen said that he had “reported his knowledge of the corruption before the events that led to the charges against him took place and that he assisted the anti-corruption officer during the investigation, to the point that he gave him information and details of a possible fix that was going to happen hours before a game”.
He also said that he had approached a player who had received money from the fixers to try and convince him to report his involvement, under instructions from the CSA’s anti-corruption officer.
The statement said that, “Whilst he took part in discussions that were initiated by Gulam Bodi and certain fixers, these discussions took place at a time when Alviro knew that the fixing scandal was under investigation and he (Alviro) was convinced that the fixing operation would be shut down imminently. Knowing that match fixing is controlled by criminal gangs, Alviro feared for his and his family’s safety at the time, to the point where he engaged a bodyguard while playing for the Lions last season.”

Among Petersen’s transgressions are four counts of failing to disclose details of an approach to engage in corrupt conduct; four of failing to disclose evidence of another participant breaching the code; four of failing to cooperate with the investigators by not providing accurate and complete information; and one of concealing and destroying information relevant to the investigation. CSA has withdrawn charges relating to fixing or contriving to fix any matches and accepting or offering any bribes.Petersen apologised for his actions and vowed he had no intention of fixing matches. “I would like to apologise to my family, friends, the public who are fans of the game of cricket, my team mates, Gauteng cricket, Lions cricket and especially to Cricket South Africa for my actions. At the time that the meetings with Bodi and the fixers happened, I never had any intention of fixing matches or taking money,” he said.”I now deeply regret having participated in these meetings and not to have immediately reported them to the authorities as I am obliged to do. I understand that I need to take personal responsibility for my actions and I accept the punishment that CSA has imposed on me. I hope that other players will learn from my experience and be better prepared if they find themselves in the situation that I was in, and that my punishment will serve as a deterrent. I also want to thank my family, friends and my legal team for their unwavering support and guidance during the last few months.”Petersen is the sixth player and third international to be sanctioned after Gulam Bodi, Thami Tsolekile, Ethy Mbhalati, Pumi Matshikwe and Jean Symes were banned for between seven and 20 years for their roles in the saga. The investigation remains ongoing.Petersen’s ban prevents him from being involved in any capacity for any international or domestic match, or having any other kind of function in cricket organised by CSA, the ICC or any other national federation. Most recently, Petersen has played for South African franchise Lions, for Lancashire in county cricket, was employed as a commentator for the public broadcaster, SABC, and ran a charitable foundation. He will be unable to do any of the first three of those until November 12, 2018, two years from the date he was charged.Petersen was formally charged after rejecting a plea bargain from CSA and gearing up to play for Lions in the domestic T20. He issued a statement through his lawyer, Robin Twaddle, in which he admitted to “playing along” with those involved in the scandal but denied any wrongdoing. Petersen claimed the ACSU was aware of his discussions and meeting with the players.Although Petersen’s exact involvement has not been disclosed, CSA indicated his most serious breach was not reporting approaches in full.”He is obliged under the code to have disclosed various approaches that were made to him to engage in corrupt activities,” Haroon Lorgat, CSA CEO, said in a statement. “While having provided certain information to the investigators he had also withheld and concealed certain material information, such as the meetings with Bodi and certain fixers.”CSA has confirmed that Bodi acted as the intermediary for international betting syndicates and approached certain players “with a view engaging in fixing activities”, according to the statement. CSA has maintained no actual fixing was carried out in the 2015-16 Ram Slam.However, it has not been able to declare its inquiry complete. Petersen, in his statement after the charges were made public, said he knew of at least one other player who had not been charged. The independent chairperson of CSA’s ACU, Bernard Ngoepe, a former judge, said the body will continue working to conclude the matter. “We are still finalising certain aspects of the investigation and we will not stop until we are fully satisfied that we have exhausted every lead and scrutinised every aspect relating to this matter. As we have stated previously, any form of corruption in the game will be dealt with severely. We will leave no stone unturned in this investigation.”