Yasir Shah and Wahab Riaz were involved in a minor altercation during training on the eve of the first Test against Australia in Brisbane, an incident that has been played down by Pakistan’s management.The players were on opposite teams for a practice football game and confronted each other after a tackle. Eye witnesses confirmed that Yasir and Wahab had to be separated from each other by coach Mickey Arthur and then sent off the field.Pakistan’s team management confirmed that the incident did occur, but insisted it wasn’t “serious.””Both [players] had an exchange of words but it wasn’t serious,” media manager Amjad Hussain Bhatti told ESPNcricinfo. “Both were playing football and naturally while tackling one got pushed. So that [altercation] was mainly [in] the heat of the moment.”Both were immediately separated to avoid it going any further. But now, they are both fine and have apologised to each other too. They have realised that this incident could have been avoided.”Wahab Riaz and Yasir Shah were involved in an altercation•AFP

No disciplinary action is expected to be taken and Hussain added that the team’s unity has not been affected in any way, an assessment backed up by a couple of players in the side who also confirmed the incident was nothing serious. “This incident won’t affect the team unity,” Hussain said. “There is no element of seriousness in it at all. The unity of the team is as cohesive as ever and in good spirit.”The pair appeared in a video later, denying there were any issues. Wahab added that he and Yasir were “very good friends”.Pakistani fans will not be unfamiliar with such training ground incidents. During the 2003 World Cup, Younis Khan and Inzamam-ul-Haq clashed, infamously, during yet another game of football in which a tackle had gone wrong. The most serious altercation, however, came in a dressing room in 2007, when Shoaib Akhtar struck Mohammad Asif with a bat in Johannesburg, in the run-up to the World Twenty20.

The WICB has appointed Johnny Grave as its new chief executive

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Jan-2017The WICB has appointed Johnny Grave as its new chief executive. Grave, who is serving his notice period at the Professional Cricketers’ Association in England, where he has been employed as commercial director for the last nine years, will assume the WICB role from February.The position of the WICB CEO was left vacant once Michael Muirhead stepped down on October 14 last year, although he continued in the role until December at the request of the board.Dave Cameron, the WICB president, said in a media release on Monday that Grave was a “unanimous choice” of the interview panel from a shortlist drawn up by global consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers.The WICB stated that among the “top” priorities for Grave would include overseeing $40 million budget of the WICB with “an increased focus on player relations and improved performances on and off the field”. Muirhead’s tenure saw the board turn around its finances but also featured disputes with senior players over pay and selection.”Johnny has a proven track record of success in his career to date and a huge amount of relevant experience and will add exceptional value to the organisation,” Cameron said.Grave, who will be based in Antigua, said he was excited by his next challenge. “I am genuinely excited by the opportunity of improving cricket at all levels within the region and am looking forward to working with the many stakeholders who are committed to the long-term development of West Indies Cricket.”

اعترف روبن دياز، لاعب فريق مانشستر سيتي، أنهم لا يستطيعون الاعتماد على الخبرة فقط في سعيهم لتكرار ثلاثية الموسم الماضي.

كان مانشستر سيتي قد حقق ثلاثية الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، دوري أبطال أوروبا وكأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي موسم 2022/23.

وينافس مانشستر سيتي، هذا الموسم، في الدوري الإنجليزي حيث يحتل المركز الثاني بفارق نقطة عن ليفربول، قبل مباراتهما المحتدمة الأحد المقبل.

في حين تأهل مانشستر سيتي إلى ربع نهائي كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي لمواجهة نيوكاسل يونايتد، كما فاز على كوبنهاجن بنتيجة 3-1 في ذهاب دور الـ16 من دوري الأبطال.

وقال روبن دياز في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “إندبندنت” الإنجليزية: “كل عام جديد يمثل تحديًا جديدًا، وكل عام جديد يجب علينا التغلب على ما فعلناه من قبل”.

وأضاف: “رغم أن ما حدث قد حدث، وهو رائع، إلا أننا نعلم أنه إذا أردنا القيام بذلك مرة أخرى، فيجب علينا أن نكون أقوياء وعميقين مرة أخرى”.

وواصل: “نحن نفس الأشخاص، نحن نفس اللاعبين الذين فزنا بالثلاثية، ولهذا السبب أصبحنا فائزين بالثلاثية الموسم الماضي، ولهذا السبب نريد الفوز مرة أخرى”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ووكر عن فودين بعد تألقه أمام مانشستر يونايتد: قناص.. ولم أفعل شيئًا تجاه راشفورد

وأثنى روبن دياز على زميله النجم فيل فودين، بعد تألقه في مباراة الأمس ضد مانشستر يونايتد، حيث سجل هدفين.

وكان بيب جوارديولا قد صرّح بأن فودين يُعد أحد أفضل اللاعبين في الدوري الإنجليزي هذا الموسم، وهو ما يتفق معه دياز.

وعن ذلك، قال البرتغالي: “يجب أن أوافق على أنه واحد منهم بالتأكيد، لقد كان دائمًا مميزًا، ويستمر في كونه هكذا، هذا ليس مفاجئًا بالنسبة لي ولنا جميعًا في الفريق وفي عالم كرة القدم، أنا سعيد جدًا من أجله ودعونا نسمح له بالاستمرار”.

واستمر: “من الواضح أنه يتمتع بقدرة خاصة، لهذا السبب هو فيل فودين ولهذا السبب ندرك جميعًا نوع اللاعب الذي هو عليه”.

وأكد: “الديربي كان مهمًا بالتأكيد، من الواضح أنها كانت مباراة خاصة بالنسبة لنا، ولكن الأهم من أي شيء آخر هو النقاط الثلاث ونحن نمضي قدمًا”.

واختتم: “الآن نتجه إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا، التركيز على المباراة التالية، هذا هو الأهم، ثم سنركز على مواجهة الأسبوع المقبل (ضد ليفربول)”.

The impending rebuild at Liverpool is shaping up to be an extremely compelling and captivating process.

The Reds have already secured the signing of Alexis Mac Allister for a stunningly modest fee of around £35m and Jurgen Klopp is already planning his next method of attack.

The 2020 Premier League winners have endured a tricky season, that has seen them finish outside the top four for the first time since 2016.

One name that has been mentioned to get the club back to where it belongs is Federico Chiesa.

What’s the latest on Federico Chiesa to Liverpool?

According to Corriere dello Sport (via Football Italia), Liverpool and Newcastle are among the clubs interested in the 25-year-old.

The report details that the Italian “doesn’t feel at the centre of the project” in Turin and is considering a departure.

To fuel speculation, Gazzetta have revealed that the Bianconeri have already planned for his exit, meeting the agents of Nicolo Zaniolo and Wilfried Gnonto.

This outlet has also said that it will take offers of around €40m (£34m) for a potential transfer.

Who can Chiesa emulate at Liverpool?

Since signing for the Old Lady in 2020, the ex-Fiorentina man has been one of the club’s most influential and productive players.

Internationally, he also demonstrated his extraordinary talent as the winger appeared in every game of the Azzurri’s Euro 2020 campaign.

During this run, the attacker scored twice and showcased his formidable pace, trickery, and dynamism to the whole continent.

Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon heaped praise on his compatriot and his meteoric rise to prominence, saying: “When he arrived at Juve I didn’t think he was so good. I am honest. In the European Championship, he was unbelievable, in the final match with England, it was impossible to stop him.

“If you do those things at such a high level, then it means that you are really special.”

The 40-cap international has recorded 42 goal contributions in 94 Juventus games, and he can be Klopp’s answer to Raheem Sterling.

The Englishman left Anfield in the summer of 2015 for Manchester City, so his path never crossed in Liverpool with the trophy-addicted German.

However, before Klopp’s arrival in England, the frighteningly young forward was an integral part of the Merseyside outfit.

In 129 appearances, he notched 48 goal involvements, and his rapid, intricate, and direct profile is a style that Chiesa possesses in abundance, with the pair both typically operating off the flank.

The speed and innovation of their dribbling are why they are such devastating assets on the wing, with that shown by the fact that the Italian whiz has averaged 4.53 progressive carries and 2.26 successful take-ons per 90 across the last 365 days, while Sterling has enjoyed a relatively similar record after averaging 3.71 and 1.54 for those same two metrics, respectively.

For Liverpool to get back into the top four, the signing of Chiesa would be an excellent way to follow Mac Allister, while helping to bring a Sterling-esque talent back to Anfield.

With it now seemingly a matter of when and not if Brendan Rodgers will be named as the successor to Ange Postecoglou at Celtic, attention can begin to turn to just how the returning boss will alter the current Hoops squad this summer.

The ex-Leicester City boss – who had been out of work since being sacked by the Foxes back in April – will likely be hoping to keep hold of the Old Firm outfit's key men ahead of mounting another domestic and European charge next summer, with midfield maestro Reo Hatate, in particular, having been mooted for a reunion with Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur.

As well as attempting to persuade the likes of Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi – who has been linked with a move to Spurs – to stay in Glasgow, the Northern Irishman may also have a plan to ditch those who he deems surplus to requirements among the first-team ranks, with Stephen Welsh perhaps among those who could well face the axe.

A recent report from Football Insider claimed that the Scottish champions are open to offers for the 23-year-old this summer, with the former Scotland youth international seemingly also keen to secure increased game time elsewhere.

While the young centre-back may be hoping that his standing could be improved with Rodgers in the dugout instead of Postecoglou, the one-time Liverpool boss could pull off the first blinder of his second spell in charge by showing the 6 foot 3 dud the door.

Will Stephen Welsh leave Celtic this summer?

It is seemingly not the first time that Welsh has been linked with a move away from Celtic Park in recent times, with reports back in January 2022 revealing that the club had rejected a loan approach from Serie A side Udinese, while Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse also made an enquiry last summer.

That was followed by further speculation heading into the winter window that the Coatbridge-born brute could be on his way, albeit with Postecoglou and co ultimately opting against sanctioning an exit following the abrupt end of Moritz Jenz' loan spell.

The latter man's exit did not aid Welsh's bid for increased game time, however, as he ultimately ended last season with just four Premiership appearances to his name – all of which came prior to the World Cup break.

The £4.6k-per-week asset notably underwhelmed when he was handed an opportunity to impress, however, having been branded "weak" by pundit Michael Stewart following the shock 2-0 defeat away to St Mirren back in September, while journalist Josh Bunting suggested that both Welsh and Jenz were "all over the place" on the day after getting "bullied" by the likes of Curtis Main and Jonah Ayunga.

That lack of physicality has been a theme of the criticism that has fallen the Scotsman's way of late, with pundit Frank McAvennie also stating that the academy graduate needs a loan move to "toughen him up", while also labelling him as someone who "ball watches".

With Rodgers set to inherit a squad that includes the likes of Carl Starfelt, Cameron Carter-Vickers and January arrival Yuki Kobayashi – all of whom have been above Welsh in the pecking order of late – the 50-year-old can then make the decision to send the one-time Greenock Morton loanee packing, either on a temporary basis or permanently.

Mauricio Pochettino's appointment during the off-season ensures the Chelsea head coach has a chance to run the rule over his players – of which there are many – before the Premier League season kicks off in early August.

It is set to be another busy window at Stamford Bridge, with numerous players linked with moves away and others being touted as possible replacements or indeed upgrades.

While it is true Chelsea are in need of a prolific goalscorer, the club cannot continue to throw large sums of money around in the hope of landing the perfect fit.

With Christopher Nkunku set to officially arrive from RB Leipzig this month in a deal worth over £50m, it looks increasingly likely that the Blues will splash out a further £30m to sign Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal.

But the Blues may already have a new signing of sorts in their ranks ready to step up and play alongside Nkunku when needed.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Pochettino is ready to give Armando Broja a chance to shine during pre-season, amid previous suggestions the striker could be used in part-exchange to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion.

Is Armando Broja good enough for Chelsea?

Broja has spent 14 years on Chelsea's books, but with his 22nd birthday fast approaching, he has made just 13 Premier League appearances for the Blues.

After catching the eye on loan with Southampton in 2021-22 courtesy of a nine goal haul, Broja was finally given a run in the Chelsea side last season, only to sustain a knee injury during the winter break that curtailed his season after just 12 league games.

On the basis of those appearances, though, Broja showed he deserves another shot. He scored at a rate of 0.30 goals per 90 minutes, as per FBref, which was bettered last season by only Joao Felix (0.38) among Chelsea players.

Rather tellingly, though, Broja's figure of 0.30 came from an expected goals (xG) value of 0.24, compared to 0.47 for Joao Felix, suggesting he converted more times than expected based on the quality of his chances, whereas the opposite was true for the latter.

That is further reflected in the shots on target metric, with Broja – on as little as £40k-a-week, according to Capology – doing so from 83.3% of his attempts. The next-best Chelsea player in that regard was Noni Madueke with 50%.

When you also factor in the Albania international's team-high 0.61 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, which considers passes, take-ons and fouls directly prior to a goal, plus his 2.73 aerial duels won per 90 – only two others fared better – it is hard to argue against Pochettino not using Broja.

As Albanian coach Sergio Porrini said last season: "With the necessary comparisons, he's somewhat reminiscent of [Rafael] Leao in how unstoppable he becomes if he stretches the ball into space On the other hand, he is less good with his back to goal, in the construction of the action, but in the spaces he is devastating."

That is not to say Jackson is not a great striker himself – 12 goals in 26 LaLiga appearances last season tells you all you need to know – but Chelsea may well have an answer to their problems already raring to go without the need to waste more money.

Manchester City winger Jack Grealish has very much been living it up since winning the treble and has now been caught amid all the celebrations begging Bernardo Silva to stay.

What has Grealish been doing in the Man City celebrations?

Over the weekend, Pep Guardiola and his team – who have a number of serious allegations against their name – completed a historic season as they beat Inter Milan to secure the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.

This sealed a treble for the Manchester club – matching the 1999 efforts of their biggest rivals – with City also lifting the Premier League and the FA Cup over the course of the past campaign.

Unsurprisingly then, the Cityzens have been leaving it up ever since, with Grealish apparently leading the way when it comes to the celebrations.

For instance, numerous videos – such as this one – have caught him drunkenly stumbling around, enjoying himself to the fullest extent.

While a video has also gone viral of Erling Haaland pouring champagne over his head – with the Englishman not looking too impressed.

Is Bernardo Silva leaving Man City?

However, amid all the drunken antics, perhaps the most interesting bit of footage to emerge came via the Football Daily Twitter feed.

“Please don’t go” ðŸ™
Jack Grealish begging Bernardo Silva to stay 😅 pic.twitter.com/aJJbZAYTuR
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) June 12, 2023

Indeed, while the City players celebrate together on a tram, Grealish can be seen pressing his hands together in prayer and mouthing to Silva: “Please don’t go.”

Unfortunately, though, it seems as though the Englishman probably won’t get his wish. After all, 90min have recently reported that the City star wants to leave this summer.

Indeed, the article explains that the 28-year-old, who is contracted to City until 2025, has reaffirmed to the club that he is ready for a new challenge.

It seems he will be allowed to go with Guardiola’s side willing to do business providing they receive an offer around the £75m mark.

Barcelona were linked in the recent past and seem like a strong possible option right now but perhaps other options will emerge in the coming weeks.

Tottenham Hotspur could be set to secure the first true Ange Postecoglou signing this summer, if reports are to be believed…

What's the latest on Edmond Tapsoba to Tottenham Hotspur?

The latest comes from the Daily Star, who suggest that Spurs are on the verge of signing Edmond Tapsoba from Bayer Leverkusen.

Despite welcoming Dujan Kulusevski to north London on a permanent move, this was a deal that had been a year and a half in the making, and crucially forged by Antonio Conte when the Swede was first loaned.

The Australian seems to still be scoping out where his squad needs boosting, and who the right men to fill those spots are.

In this hulking central defender, for whom a £25m bid is reportedly on the table, they could immediately bolster their back line with a cut-price swoop.

Considering the German club had demanded a fee of around €70m (£61m) back in 2021, this would mark a sensational transfer masterclass, as they are noted as 'very close' to sealing the deal.

How good is Edmond Tapsoba?

Whilst the price alone would make this a phenomenal deal, the player they would acquire is also arguably the perfect man to step into Postecoglou's side with ease.

His ability on the ball is arguably preferred to his outright defensive qualities, and for a side that will seek to dominate possession, a centre-back with a quality akin to his will be imperative.

After all, when compared to others in his position across Europe, he ranks in the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90, via FBref.

This paints the picture of a defender so supremely confident with the ball at his feet, yet standing at 6 foot 4, he has the physical qualities to remain a staunch defender. Journalist Antonio Mango sought to outline this, branding him a "monster" back in 2020.

To compare him to others within the Spurs squad, it is clear that he would walk in as the shining light for what their Australian boss will crave.

His 86% pass accuracy and 89% dribble success rate in the Bundesliga last term would have had him ranked joint-third and first respectively among Spurs' centre-backs, had he been a part of last year's disaster in north London.

He added a further 1.5 tackles and three clearances per game too, not to discredit his solidity.

It is for all these reasons, plus the huge coup they are set to claim, that make Tapsoba sure to be the first of many masterclasses Postecoglou will hope to perform in N17.

Sunderland have been quick off the mark with their transfer business this summer, already bringing in centre-back Nectarios Triantis and young midfielder Jobe Bellingham, the brother of now-Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham.

But that excitement may well be offset by possible departures, with Jack Clarke a target for a number of Premier League sides, while Amad Diallo has also returned to parent club Manchester United.

Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray has admitted it is "very unlikely" Diallo will return to the Stadium of Light next season – a loan switch to a Premier League club seems the most likely option – but that is not to say there are not adequate replacements out there.

Replacing the 14 goals and three assists Diallo provided in 39 Championship matches last season will be no easy feat, but Sunderland have shown with their impressive transfer business in recent windows that anything is possible.

According to a recent report by Sunderland Nation, Swansea City's young attacking midfielder Morgan Whittaker is one of those being eyed up to fill the void left by Diallo.

Who is Swansea City attacker Morgan Whittaker?

Whittaker impressed on loan with Plymouth Argyle in the first half of last season in League One, scoring nine goals and assisting another seven in 25 appearances for the Pilgrims.

That type of form was never going to go unnoticed, and so it proved in January when Swansea recalled the 22-year-old with the aim of bolstering their own attack.

However, Whittaker took to social media at the time to say he was "devastated" his time at Plymouth was cut short. The England U20 international clearly knew what awaited him, as he started just twice for Swansea in the Championship in the second half of last season.

Whittaker's future in South Wales now appears uncertain, with Sunderland perhaps looking to take advantage by tabling a bid for a player on wages of around £5k-a-week, according to Capology.

While Whittaker has not truly had a chance to showcase his talents in three seasons with Swansea, he caught the eye at Derby County when breaking into the first team in the 2019-20 season.

As pointed out by football talent scout Jacek Kulig at the time, the Englishman possessed good pace, dribbling skills and ball control, earning him the tag "flamboyant winger".

Whittaker did play out wide a couple of times last season, but his favoured position was playing through the middle of attacking midfield, featuring there 19 times from the start of games, as per WhoScored.

Comparing Diallo and Whittaker last season is made a little tougher by the fact the latter played across two divisions, including a league below. However, the pair were similar in terms of goals scored per 90 minutes (0.45 and 0.41 respectively), while Whittaker edged things in terms of assists – 0.29 v 0.10.

Both players were also very similar in terms of their shooting, with Whittaker finding the target from 39.3% of his efforts, compared to 39.1% for Diallo. Whittaker found the net from 0.11 of those shots; not too dissimilar to Diallo's 0.16.

They also each showed an equal willingness to win the ball back high up the pitch, with Diallo averaging 0.17 tackles per 90 minutes in the attacking third, while Whittaker averaged 0.21.

The truth is that Sunderland fans would easily take Diallo over Whittaker if they had the choice of signing both men this summer. But with the United man surely out of their reach, Whittaker seems as good a choice as any to land on the cheap.

After all, Sunderland have shown with the likes of Clarke, Ross Stewart and others that there are plenty of unpolished gems out there waiting to step up.

The Tamil Nadu bowling coach expressed his concerns at the frequent ball changes seen in Nagpur. Within the first two sessions of the first day’s play, the SG Test ball was replaced three times

Arun Venugopal in Rajkot01-Jan-2017

Tamil Nadu bowling coach L Balaji has expressed surprise at the frequency with which the ball was changed on the first day of their semi-final against Mumbai. It was replaced three times inside the first two sessions, and Balaji said it disrupted the momentum of both batsmen and bowlers. Mumbai coach Chandrakant Pandit concurred with Balaji’s remarks and said it was an issue that needed to be taken seriously.”During the game, [teams] batting or bowling can lose the grip because of a sudden change [of the ball]. I think most of the coaches had discussed that in the last coaches and captains [conclave],” Pandit said.There have been previous instances of the SG Test ball, which is used in the Ranji Trophy, being replaced after losing its shape, but Balaji said he had never seen a ball being changed so often within a short period. He also felt the constant changing played on the minds of Tamil Nadu’s batsmen. “When the ball keeps changing, it is like you have to adapt to different balls,” Balaji said. “The ball makes a big difference in bowlers’ skills because in the recent past a lot of [ball-related] controversies have been going on.”I am sure the ball has some kind of ability to change the course of the game; I believe in that because softer balls are sometimes helpful on some wickets and heavier balls are sometimes helpful on different wickets. I have not seen anything like three-four balls being changed in the first session. I don’t know [if it is] because of the conditions or because of the balls’ quality. That is not in our control. That’s up to the match officials.”On his team’s batting, Balaji admitted the loss of four wickets inside 15 overs either side of tea altered the script. He was, however, hopeful that Vijay Shankar, batting on 41, and the tail could rally the team towards a competitive total on the second day. “We have a couple of tailenders who have bailed us out many times – Aswin Crist can bat, K Vignesh can bat and Aushik Srinivas can definitely bat,” he said.”We have a decent total now but there is no reason why we cannot push this total further. Even in the England game [first Test against India in Rajkot], the lower order contributed a huge amount as they reached 500-odd runs [537] with [Zafar] Ansari and Ben Stokes and other guys.”Balaji, however, conceded the surface posed little challenge for the batsmen. “It is pretty much like the bowlers have to bend their back and take all the chances and half-chances,” he said. “That is very crucial. Our bowling has been one of the strengths this season, so let’s see.”Shardul Thakur, who picked for two wickets for Mumbai, felt his team was in a good position despite some patchy bowling. “Sometimes it’s difficult to control the ball, so just taking the idea like how much it’s swinging, whether it’s swinging out or coming in more [is important],” he said. “It’s important how you come back, keep bowling in the channel and trouble the batsman.”Mumbai’s seamers – Thakur, Abhishek Nayar and Balwinder Sandhu – accounted for five of the six wickets to fall. Thakur said they had looked to exploit the reverse swing that was on offer in the afternoon. “A lot of times, batsmen tend to go hard at the bowlers on such pitches, so it is important to just keep in the channel and keep moving the ball in or out, whatever you are comfortable with,” he said.”My inswing is good, so I was bowling that. I was mixing it up later on. We knew that one wicket would get us back in the game. It was then all about bowling in the channel and trying to get the new batsman out.”