All posts by h79snht.top

Leeds United could face a losing battle this summer to keep Crysencio Summerville rooted in West Yorkshire, especially if the Whites slip up in their hunt to achieve promotion out of the Championship.

The Dutchman, who won the Championship Player of the Season at the recent EFL awards, has been electric for Daniel Farke's promotion-chasers all campaign long with 18 goals and nine assists tallied up from 43 games in all competitions.

The major downside to this excellent season for Summerville from Leeds' perspective is that it will make a number of clubs from higher-up places want a piece of the 22-year-old, with newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen reportedly keen.

Farke and Co could look long-term with Summerville's successor if the former Feyenoord man does relocate in the summer to pastures new, with this exciting Whites youngster itching for some first-team chances.

Joe Snowdon's statistics at youth level

One name on everybody's lips at the moment in the youth structure at Leeds is 20-year-old midfield sensation Joe Snowdon, who has been starring in the Premier League 2 set-up this season for the U21s.

Capable of playing down both wings, and even filling in as a striker from time to time, Snowdon shone down Summerville's trusted left-hand side last time out when the U21s confidently beat Derby County 3-0.

His first appearance down the opposite flank he usually hugs for Leeds – with five of his starts coming down the right wing – will certainly not be his last based on his showing against the Rams, firing in two goals in the emphatic victory.

The Whites could now be tempted into moulding Snowdon into a natural left winger now, the flexible 20-year-old tipped to have a bright future at Elland Road.

Leeds will know they will have to offer Snowdon a new deal soon however, with his contract up in June, if they are to see the promising talent flourish fully in West Yorkshire and become their next Summerville.

Snowdon could be the next Summerville

It's not a completely wild suggestion that Snowdon, who is yet to taste any first-team action for Leeds as an untested senior player, can – with time – become as impactful as the Dutchman has been.

Farke has shown this season frequently that he is unafraid to give youngsters time to grow and develop, demonstrated in Archie Gray's unbelievable progression from being a wide-eyed and unknown teenager to now being a constant starter under the German this campaign.

Gray has also been an example of a player Farke has become infatuated with owing to his versatility being key, the 19-year-old able to operate at the back and in midfield whenever needed.

This is similarly seen in Snowdon, who has played in three different positions this season for the U21s as an adaptable gem.

Positions Joe Snowdon has played in this season (90 minute games)

Position played

Games played

Goals

Assists

RM

5

1

0

LM

2

2

0

ST

1

0

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Playing in the same set-up as Mateo Joseph this season before the Spanish striker got his big break as a first-team option, the 20-year-old must be wondering when his time to shine will come.

It's not as if Leeds can rely upon Wilfried Gnonto to be the hero they need over the next few years, with talk surrounding his Whites future no doubt cropping up again if promotion isn't secured – despite claims he may sign a new contract if a return to the Premier League does occur.

Equally, the diminutive Italian has hardly set the world alight when he has featured this season, scoring eight times and registering just two assists in all competitions.

Snowdon might well be the only body at Leeds who would be thankful for the Whites staying put in the second tier for another season, able to finally break into the team and succeed with Summerville moving on.

Related Leeds hit the jackpot with "underrated" academy star who left for £7m

The Whites struck gold by bringing the talented left-back through the youth set-up at Thorp Arch.

Posts ByDan Emery Apr 17, 2024

أكد أنيس بن ميم، محامي التونسي سيف الجزيري، لاعب الزمالك، أن مفاوضات تجديد عقد موكله مع القلعة البيضاء تسير على قدم وساق، وأن هناك اتفاق مبدئي بين الطرفين على الاستمرار معًا.

وقال أنيس بن ميم في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورت 1”: “لا توجد أزمة في تجديد عقد الجزيري مع الزمالك، سيف لاعب محترف يهتم بالملعب فقط، لكن مناقشة العقود خاصة بـ حازم فتوح، وكل ما يتعلق بالشؤون القانونية للاعب أنا المسؤول عنها”.

وتابع: “بحسب آخر تواصل بيني وبين عمرو أدهم عضو مجلس إدارة الزمالك فإن الأوراق يتم تجهيزها من أجل التوقيع، الفترة الماضية كان الفريق يخوض مواجهات متتالية ولذلك لم نتطرق لموضوع التجديد، لكن بعد أن سنحت الفرصة تحدثنا، واللاعب يريد مواصلة مسيرته مع القلعة البيضاء”.

وأضاف: “الاتفاق تم بين اللاعب والنادي، لكن هناك اجراءات لا بد أن تتم على مستوى الاتحاد المصري، ولا نتوقع وجود أي إشكال، حازم فتوح أنهى مهام عمله الخاصة بالتفاوض، ثم أدخل أنا من أجل مراجعة الأوراق القانونية، نحن نعمل كفريق واحد من أجل اللاعب”.

وواصل: “سيف لم يكن أبدًا عنده أي مشكلة مع الزمالك، هو أكثر لاعب كان متعاون مع جميع إدارات الأبيض الحالية والسابقة، لم تكن عنده أي مشكلة في تحقيق رغبات النادي قبل رغباته هو الشخصية، الجميع يعرف أنه كان لديه مستحقات متأخرة وكان في وضع إنه يخرج كلاعب حر، لكن لم يضغط على النادي، وطلبات النادي كانت أوامر علينا وعليه، وتقريبًا هناك شبه تعامل كعائلة مع الزمالك”.

واستكمل: “لا يوجد خلاف بين الجزيري وجوزيه جوميز، اللاعب محترف ويلتزم بالقرارات الفنية للمدرب سواء شارك أو جلس على الدكة، حتى لو تم استبعاده (هو مش على راسه ريشة)، من أسبوع شارك أساسي ثم جلس على الدكة ثم استبعد، ليس عنده أي مشكلة، اللاعب طوال مسيرته لم يفتعل أي أزمة مع أي ناد”.

طالع أيضًا | وكيله: ما فعله الزمالك مع الجزيري “غريب”.. وننهي إجراءات التجديد

واسترسل: “سيف طيب جدًا لدرجة إن هذه الطريقة تتعبني معه، لأنني أريده أن يكون لاعبًا محترفًا، أنا أحب أكون صارم في العمل، لكن هو يقول إن الزمالك بيتي وأعتبرهم في مقام أهلي، ويذهب لرئيس النادي في بيته ويفرح بالمواقف الإنسانية، ويستسهل في حقه المادي لأنه يحب النادي”.

وأشار: “جمهور الزمالك والإدارة على رأس الجزيري، لا يوجد لاعب يتفاوض مع ناد ويظل شهرين ينتظر توقيع العقد، واللاعب كان يقول الأهم التركيز مع مصلحة النادي قبل مصلحتي، حتى في المستحقات كان أخر لاعب يتحدث عن مستحقاته، كان يأخذ مستحقاته بحسب إمكانيات النادي ولم يضغط أي مرة من أجل الحصول على مستحقاته”.

واختتم: “سيف يُحب الزمالك والجمهور ويُحب أن يكون موجود، هو يُشرف التونسيين في مصر، كل اللاعبين التونسيين الذين لعبوا في مصر فتحوا المجال للاعبين كثيرين للتواجد في الدوري المصري”.

He is best remembered for bowling 21 successive maidens against England in 1964

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-2020

Bapu Nadkarni, the former India allrounder known for his extreme economy with the ball, has died aged 86.Nadkarni, who made his India debut in December 1955, played 41 Test matches, scoring 1414 runs at an average of 25.70 and taking 88 wickets at 29.07. The statistic that defined him, though, was his economy rate of 1.67, the second-best in history among all bowlers with 50 or more Test wickets.Nadkarni took four Test-match five-fors with his left-arm spin, including a match-winning 6 for 43 in Wellington, during India’s historic tour of New Zealand in 1967-68, when they won their first-ever overseas series.His most famous performance, however, included no wickets. At the Corporation Stadium in Chennai (then Madras) in January 1964, Nadkarni finished with figures of 32-27-5-0 in England’s first innings, bowling 21 successive maidens (and 21.5 scoreless overs in a row) along the way. It remains the most economical spell of 60 or more balls in Test cricket.The 21 successive maidens, meanwhile, were a record not just in Tests but in first-class matches too, eclipsing Horace Hazell’s 17 successive maidens for Somerset against Gloucestershire in 1949. Hugh Tayfield, another famously economical spinner, had bowled 137 successive dot balls (as against Nadkarni’s 131) against England in Durban in January 1957, but that Test match featured eight-ball overs.Nadkarni was a reliable contributor with the bat as well, scoring seven fifties and one hundred, an unbeaten 122 from No. 3 against England in Kanpur. He averaged 40.36 with the bat in first-class cricket, with 14 centuries.

Liverpool could be able to sign a "fantastic" player who Ruben Amorim loves for just £30m this summer, according to a fresh transfer update.

Liverpool transfer news

Amorim remains the strong favourite to become the Reds' next manager after Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season, as he lies on the cusp of guiding Sporting CP to another Primeira Liga title.

Should the Portuguese be the man to take charge, he may immediately want to bring in players who are ideal to his system, with the same applying to all of the candidates to come in.

Bayer Leverkusen left-back Alejandro Grimaldo has emerged as a rumoured target for Liverpool, even though Xabi Alonso has confirmed that he won't be heading to Anfield from the soon-to-be Bundesliga champions. The 28-year-old has a highly impressive tally of nine goals and 11 assists in the league this season, admittedly playing more as a wing-back.

Amorim could look to bring some of his Sporting players to Merseyside and another report has claimed that midfielder Morten Hjulmand may be on his way to the club alongside his current boss.

Impressive young centre-back Goncalo Inacio has also been linked with a move to Liverpool numerous times throughout this season, being seen as an exciting long-term option capable of playing centrally and at left-back.

Liverpool could sign "fantastic" ace

According to a new claim from Football Insider journalist Pete O'Rourke, Liverpool could sign Marcus Edwards for just £30m in the summer window, with the 25-year-old potentially leaving Sporting.

The report states that the Merseysiders "could be in the market for a new winger in the summer transfer window", amid rumours surrounding Luis Diaz joining Paris Saint-Germain, and Edwards has emerged as an option.

Edwards could be a great option for Liverpool in the coming months, having proven to be such a key performer for his current side, chipping in with seven-goal contributions (four goals and three assists) from 15 Primeira Liga starts this season. His overall tally for Sporting is 21 goals and 25 assists in 107 appearances.

Meanwhile, former Manchester United and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves has heaped praise on the forward in the past, saying: "On the ball, dribbling at people, he’s up there. He leaves people for dead. Technically he’s fantastic. The young man has so much ability with the ball at his feet, makes it look easy."

While not necessarily a world-class player yet, Edwards is someone who could come in and add even more quality and depth to Liverpool's attack, and he is at an age where he could only improve in the coming years. Amorim is clearly a fan, too, which is important, with the Sporting manager backing his player for an England call-up back in 2022, calling him a "very talented player".

Marcus Edwards' England stats

Appearances

Goals

England Under-20s

8

2

England Under-19s

7

2

England Under-18s

5

4

England Under-17s

23

4

England Under-16s

6

1

The fact that the Englishman could be available for as little as £30m could make him a bargain, so it is a signing that the Reds may look to complete, particularly if Amorim does end up being Klopp's successor.

A round-up of the Under-19 World Cup games on February 1, 2020

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Feb-2020

ScorecardMatthew Patrick was at the centre of a very tense game, first picking up two wickets with his offspin to further a South Africa collapse and then scoring a vital 25 runs off 61 balls to see West Indies through to victory in the fifth-place play-off match in Potchefstroom.South Africa were rather well placed at 120 for 4 in the 29th over but then Patrick and left-arm spinner Ashmead Nedd (10-1-18-2) took control of the innings, triggering a collapse that resulted in the hosts losing six wickets for only 23 runs.With only 143 on the board, West Indies might have hoped for a straightforward finish but they ran straight into trouble, losing two wickets with only 11 runs on the board. Bryce Parsons and Merrick Brett turned five of their 19 overs into maidens and picked up four wickets between them as well to keep South Africa in the game, but Patrick, coming in at No. 6, absorbed all that pressure and made sure he stayed there while the winning runs were hit.Jonathan Figy plays a drive•ICC via Getty

ScorecardUdaybir Walia’s Player-of-the-Match performance helped Canada take 13th place with a win over UAE in the play-off at Potchefstroom. Walia came in at No. 8 and made an unbeaten 42 as he put together an unbroken 86-run stand with Harmanjeet Singh Bedi to rescue his team after they’d fallen to 93 for 6 in a chase of 175. Earlier in the day Walia, bowling for the first time in the tournament, took 3 for 16 to close UAE’s innings after medium-pacer Akhil Kumar and offspinner Gurjot Gosal shared five wickets to restrict UAE.A Aravind, Ansh Tandon and KP Meiyappan all got into the 20s for UAE around Alishan Sharafu, who came in at 70 for 4 and was unbeaten on 65 by the end of the innings after Canada had elected to field. In response, Canada lost wickets regularly, four of them to offspinner Rishabh Mukherjee, who finished the tournament with eight wickets in his last two matches. But little damage came from the other ends as Walia and Bedi saw Canada through.Ifeanyichukwu Uboh wheels away in celebration•ICC via Getty

ScorecardA five-wicket haul by Ifeanyichukwu Uboh helped Nigeria to their first win in the Under-19 World Cup, beating Japan by eight wickets. His efforts brought the opposition down from 81 for 3 to 115 all out which then set up opener Sulaimon Runsewe to score a half-century and close the game out with 164 balls to spare. Japan have not won any of their games in this tournament, nor put up a total above 120, but they looked good for it with Shu Noguchi doing his best to stick to the crease, but his wicket for 31 off 77 balls caused a seven-wicket collapse for only 34 runs.

MatériaMais Notícias

Gerson já foi ao Ninho do Urubu se despedir dos companheiros em definitivo, na tarde da última quinta-feira, mas o seu último discurso no vestiário, antes do jogo contra o Fortaleza, vencido por 2 a 1, no Maracanã, não deixou de ser registrado e compartilhado pelo Flamengo. Assim como os bastidores de sua derradeira partida. Assista aos destaques no vídeo acima.

Gerson viaja no sábado à França para defender as cores do Olympique de Marseille. O seu último discurso junto ao plantel do Fla, inclusive com a presença de dirigentes no vestiário, pode ser visto no vídeo abaixo:

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+ Confira a tabela completa do Campeonato Brasileiro

Já sem Gerson, o elenco rubro-negro ainda treina no Ninho do Urubu nesta sexta-feira e no sábado, antes de viajar para Caxias do Sul. A partida contra o Juventude será neste domingo, às 11h (de Brasília), no Alfredo Jaconi, pela 7ª rodada do Brasileiro. o LANCE! acompanha o duelo em Tempo Real.

تستكمل اليوم الخميس مباريات الجولة الخامسة من تصفيات آسيا المؤهلة لنهائيات كأس العالم 2026، وذلك بمواجهة فلسطين وعمان.

ويحتضن ملعب استاد السلطان قابوس الرياضي بعمان، مباراة المنتخبين في خضم منافسات المجموعة الثانية من تصفيات المونديال.

ويتواجد منتخب عمان في المركز الرابع برصيد 3 نقاط حصدهم من فوز وحيد، فيما نال 3 خسائر.

أما منتخب فلسطين فيأتي في المركز السادس والأخير برصيد نقطتين، حصدهما من تعادلين فيما نال خسارتين.

طالع | قائمة منتخب فلسطين لمباراتي كوريا الجنوبية وعمان.. ضم وسام أبو علي وعمر فرج

وتلعب منافسات الدور الثالث من تصفيات قارة آسيا بمشاركة 18 فريقًا، تم تقسيمها إلى ثلاث مجموعات، بواقع 6 فرق في كل مجموعة.

ويتأهل صاحبا الصدارة والوصافة من كل مجموعة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم مباشرة، فيما يصعد أصحاب المركزين الثالث والرابع للمرحلة الرابعة من المنافسات.

ويتم تقسيم الفرق المتأهلة للمرحلة الرابعة إلى مجموعتين، يصعد منهما المتصدر فقط إلى مونديال 2026، فيما تقام مباراة أخيرة بين وصيف مجموعتي الدور الرابع، يتأهل الفائز منها إلى الملحق العالمي، ليكتمل نصاب قارة آسيا في المونديال. موعد مباراة فلسطين وعمان اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم

وتنطلق مباراة فلسطين وعمان في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً بتوقيت مصر وفلسطين، والسابعة بتوقيت السعودية والثامنة بتوقيت عمان. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة فلسطين وعمان اليوم

وتذاع مباراة فلسطين وعمان عبر بي إن سبورتس 3 والكأس 7. معلقين مباراة فلسطين وعمان في تصفيات كأس العالم

وأسندت شبكة قنوات بي إن سبورتس مهمة نقل أحداث وفعاليات المباراة للمعلق حسن العيدروس، فيما يتولى المهمة عبر قناة الكأس منتصر الأزهري.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا

MatériaMais Notícias

A pedido de Rogério Ceni, Márcio Torres é o novo auxiliar técnico da equipe profissional do Flamengo. No clube desde 2010, Torres trabalhou em diferentes categorias na base do Rubro-Negro e, recentemente, integrava a comissão técnica do time sub-20, treinado por Maurício Souza.

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Já no novo cargo, Márcio Torres esteve presente no treino da manhã desta quarta-feira, no Ninho do Urubu, quando o elenco rubro-negro finalizou a preparação para o duelo contra o Cuiabá, a ser realizado amanhã à noite.

Márcio Torres, agora, se junta ao francês Charles Hembert para auxiliar Ceni na comissão técnica.

+ Confira a classificação do Campeonato Brasileiro

Para atuar pela 8ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Flamengo embarca nesta tarde para o Mato Grosso.A partida contra o Cuiabá será quinta, às 20h (de Brasília), na Arena Pantanal. O LANCE! acompanha o duelo em Tempo Real.

Arne Slot has cultivated a convincing reputation for his interpersonal and inventive qualities as a head coach, with such traits speaking highly of his faculty for success as the soon-to-arrive successor to Jurgen Klopp's position in the dugout at Liverpool.

The 45-year-old has enjoyed successive trophy-winning seasons at Feyenoord, winning the Dutch Eredivisie title last term and the KNVB Cup a few weeks ago, inculcating a booming thrash-metal style into his players. He's charismatic, disciplined, and fiery after his fashion – sound familiar?

Liverpool are, admittedly, taking a bit of a risk in offering Slot his first berth in a top-five European league, throwing him into the deep end as Klopp's heir, an unenviable position in many ways, but he fits the bill and might keep Liverpool competing at the front of domestic and continental football.

He will need to make some signings though, and while the defence will be the Dutchman's priority, a midfield target appears to have been identified.

Slot could sign Premier League midfielder for Liverpool

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are one of the top outfits interested in signing Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba, who only joined the Seagulls from Lille in a £23m transfer last summer.

Tough-tackling and dynamic, the 20-year-old has started to earn a regular spot in the starting line-up under Roberto De Zerbi and has all the qualities of a high-level star in the future.

With Premier League rivals Arsenal and Manchester United also eyeing up the rising star, Brighton have slapped a £55m asking price on the Cameroon-born player.

Carlos Baleba's season in numbers

Appearances from the opening whistle have been intermittent for Baleba at Brighton but he's only just shaken off his teenage years and is very much in the fledgling phase of a lengthy career, pointers suggesting that this could be played at the summit of the Premier League.

Still, while De Zerbi's men have struggled for consistency in recent months, Baleba has been rewarded for his fast rise and robust athleticism with a role of heightened importance, starting seven of the south coast club's past eight Premier League matches, albeit winning just once.

As per Sofascore, the £12.5k-per-week midfielder has completed 92% of his passes across his 23 Premier League outings in 2023/24, averaging 1.6 tackles, 3.7 ball recoveries and 4.1 successful duels per match and succeeding with 69% of his dribbles.

Right from the start of his career, while plying his trade in France, the ace has been regarded as one of the most promising players of his age bracket, with former teammate Remy Cabella even hailing him as a "monster" with "incredible strength" – his raw muscle has been tempered with technical fine-tuning and drilling of diligence and composure.

Here, below, is Baleba running Liverpool's midfield ragged in the 2-2 draw at the AMEX Stadium back in October, with his natural prowess clear to any onlooker. On Merseyside, he could be sharpened into a first-rate machine.

As per FBref, Baleba ranks among the top 6% of central midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 19% for shots taken, the top 15% for tackles, the top 4% for blocks, the top 16% for clearances and the top 14% for aerial duels won per 90.

It's this array of attributes that has led the stats-led site to name Chelsea's Moises Caicedo as one of Baleba's most comparable Premier League players – which perhaps says it all vis-à-vis Liverpool's intrigue in his signature.

Why Liverpool are interested in Carlos Baleba

Let's hark back to last summer. It's August. The 2023/24 Premier League campaign is but a few weeks away. Liverpool manager Klopp has freed his engine room of a host of struggling stars and moved swiftly to tie up moves for Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

But a specialist defensive midfielder was still needed and after the pursuit of Southampton prodigy Romeo Lavia turned protracted following a series of failed bids, Liverpool sought to swipe Brighton phenom Caicedo from under Chelsea's nose, only to fail after the Ecuadorian rejected their advance, soon followed to Stamford Bridge by Lavia.

Liverpool and stand-in sporting director Jorg Schmadtke were left hot under the collar, and a contingency then arrived in the form of Japan midfielder Wataru Endo, who signed from Stuttgart for £16m.

The 31-year-old has been a hard-working and dependable player but he's not the long-term solution to Liverpool's midfield-anchoring position, and Baleba could find that a move to Anfield works just find as he battles and learns from his experienced positional peer.

Wataru Endo: Premier League 23/24 Statistics

Stat

#

Matches played

26

Matches started

17

Goals

1

Pass completion

88%

Key passes per game

0.5

Ball recoveries per game

3.4

Dribbles per game

0.3 (67%)

Tackles per game

1.5

Interceptions per game

0.7

Clearances per game

1.0

Duels won per game

3.8 (44%)

Stats via Sofascore

While Endo can largely be forgiven for his foibles given the shift he has put in throughout the campaign, his overall statistics from the Premier League season speak of the need for a defensive midfielder of a higher class, in the long run.

Caicedo might not have enjoyed the greatest of debut campaigns with Chelsea but he remains one of the highest-profile and most talented midfielders that the Premier League offers, tagged with a British-record £115m market price and described as a "midfield machine" by talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past.

The 22-year-old, like Baleba, is one of the crispest distributors on English shores with immense levels of energy and a tenacious defensive approach, completing 91% of his passes in the Premier League this season, averaging 2.5 tackles, 5.6 successful duels and 5/7 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore.

Some might fear that Baleba would falter with the increased pressure that comes with a transfer to Liverpool, but Endo can counterbalance the expectations and Baleba can grow into his skin at the dawn of an exciting new project.

It's a project that he might be the face of in the years to come.

Related Liverpool must drop 4/10 man to unleash "special" teen who Slot would love

The Reds midfielder did not enjoy his best afternoon against West Ham on Saturday.

Posts ByDan Emery Apr 29, 2024

‘All these are decisions for the organisers, they have assess for their own sake and for the health of the people’

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Mar-2020

The possibility of IPL 2020 being a severely restricted tournament – with at least some part of it being played to empty stands – in light of the coronavirus threat has increased following statements by two key ministries of the Indian government on Thursday. While the sports ministry said it would not stop sporting events from taking place as long as they adhere strictly to governmental guidelines, discouraging mass gatherings, the external affairs (foreign) ministry went a step further and said their advice was to not go ahead with the tournament at this time, but left the decision to the organisers.The IPL itself is yet to issue a statement on the tournament but its Governing Council is scheduled to meet franchises on March 14 in Mumbai. The 13th edition of the tournament will likely feature nearly 60 overseas players, arriving from and through different parts of the globe that have been affected by the pandemic.ALSO READ: How the cricketing world is reacting to coronavirusOn Wednesday, shortly after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) a pandemic, the Indian government updated its travel advisory to increase visa restrictions for travel to India. At a press conference of the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday afternoon in Delhi, Dammu Ravi, its point person to deal with COVID-19 issues, was asked about impact of the new travel advisory on the IPL.”We are analysing a lot of requests of the status of sports events that are being held in India and something linked to a mega event, which is already being planned, so how do you deal with this?” Ravi replied. “It is for the organisers to decide whether to go ahead with it or not. And then we will be open to the idea, if they really want to do it. Our advice would be not to do it at this time, but if they still want to go ahead it is their decision.”He was later asked how the government would deal with private organisations going ahead with their plans “for commercial considerations despite the grave danger”. “The advisory that we have received yesterday is very clear that only (for) compelling reasons if anybody wants to come they will come. Now it may even include sports events. At this point of time, I have no definite answer whether commercial events will be banned or not. But in course of time we will see how things evolve.”The IPL is the most lucrative tournament in cricket and offers the BCCI as well as the eight franchises substantial sums of money. In 2017, Star India bought the global broadcast rights for IPL for a record USD 2.55 billion. Consequently, each franchise would earn around INR 150-200 plus crore per season from the IPL’s commercial pot. Therefore, it would not be an easy decision for the BCCI to defer or cancel the IPL.Ravi, though, put the onus on the organisers, asking them to think beyond the commercial aspect. “If it is a commercial decision, then we will have to assess in course of time if that requires special guidelines to be issue on that,” he said. “If we are looking at mega events there is also Tokyo Olympics which is going to happen later this year as well – all these are decisions for the organisers, they have assess for their own sake and for the health of the people around in that country as to what decisions (they ought to take), but we will be reviewing it in course of time also.”How coronavirus is affecting cricket•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

‘People’s health cannot be put in danger’Earlier on Thursday, Kiren Rijiju, India’s Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, spoke about the guidelines on mass gatherings, issued on March 5 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. They quoted expert advice to “reduce mass gatherings to avoid the spread of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus disease” and advised that mass gatherings be avoided or possibly postponed till the disease spread was contained.”All international events in India have been cancelled,” Rijiju told reporters outside Parliament. “But we are telling sports federations, we are telling all to comply with the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry. So any sports body in India should ensure [the guidelines are followed].”Asked specifically about the IPL, which is scheduled to start on March 29, Rijiju indicated that fans are likely not to be allowed at the grounds. “We are not stopping the game,” he said. “We are just telling [the IPL] to ensure that there is no mass gathering. Precautionary steps are very important for the health of the country.”Considering that IPL matches are usually attended by several thousand fans across all venues, Rijiju said the organisers would need to ensure that safety of the “people” is not put at risk. “That is the guideline,” he said. “If matches happen the organisers would need to put in place all infrastructure including screening machines. You cannot hold a match without that.”We are not saying anything to stop the match. We are just saying: even if they go ahead with the match, ensure that guidelines are followed. People’s health cannot be put into danger.”Shortly after Rijiju’s comments, the sports ministry also issued an advisory on Thursday to various national sports federations, the Indian Olympics Association as well as to the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah.”To deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued advisories and advised the state governments to take appropriate action under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897,” the sports ministry’s advisory said.”You are advised to adhere to advisories issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and ensure that no public gathering takes place in any sporting event. In the event, the sporting event cannot be avoided, the same could be done without allowing gathering of the people, including spectators.”A policeman wears a mask while on security detail amid the corona virus pandemic•BCCI

On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) a pandemic. Shortly after that, the Indian government changed its travel advisory to increase visa restrictions for travel to India. “All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas, stand suspended till April 15, 2020. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13, 2020, at the port of departure,” the government statement said.ESPNcricinfo understands, however, that those connected with the IPL would come under employment or project visas, which is likely to leave the tournament unaffected as things stand.As per the figures released by the WHO, 118 countries have been affected by COVID-19, classified as a respiratory illness. More than 120,000 people have been infected with over 4,300 deaths worldwide. In India so far, 73 people have been infected with no deaths as yet.It remains to be seen how this development will affect the remaining matches of the ODI series between India and South Africa, which began on Thursday in Dharamsala. The second ODI is scheduled to be played in Lucknow on March 15, and the third ODI in Kolkata on March 18.On Wednesday, the BCCI issued its first statement on how it was dealing with the pandemic ahead of the series. Along with following the prescribed dos and don’ts on personal hygiene, the BCCI had asked the India players to be mindful during their interactions with fans, including not shaking hands or using third-party gadgets for selfies.The COVID-19 pandemic has already forced the cancellation and postponement of sporting events across the globe with a few of them in India. The first major tournament to be postponed was the 3×3 basketball Olympic qualifiers, which was scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from March 18 to 22.The Indian Open golf tournament, scheduled to be held in Gurugram from March 19 to 22, has been postponed, with the organisers promising to reschedule the event at “some point” later this year. The Shooting World Cup, in Delhi from March 15 to 26, has also been postponed, as has India’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Bhubaneswar on March 26. The India Open badminton tournament is going ahead as of now – in Delhi from March 24 to 29 – but without spectators.