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Worcestershire’s bowlers bounced back in impressive style from their weekend semi-final mauling in dismissing Kent for 260

ECB Reporters Network19-Jun-2017
ScorecardJoe Leach’s early spell set an impressive tone for Worcestershire•Getty Images

Worcestershire’s bowlers bounced back in impressive style from their weekend semi-final mauling in dismissing Kent for 260 on day one of the Specsavers County Championship promotion battle at New Road.But then Kent responded themselves with the ball despite a boundary-laced cameo from England all-rounder Moeen Ali as Worcestershire closed on 95 for 3.The home side, who conceded 363 runs in the Royal London One-Day Cup clash with Surrey, may have feared the worse after Kent skipper Sam Northeast won the toss on a good batting wicket in the blazing heat.Skipper Joe Leach and 19-year-old Josh Tongue in particular impressed with the ball and Kent, despite lower order resistance from Matt Coles and Adam Rouse, would have been disappointed to be bowled out in 73.1 overs.All of their batsmen except openers Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sean Dickson got into double figures but no-one went past 50.As well as Leach and Tongue bowled, some of the shot selection of the Kent batsmen was questionable and their score was below-par.Leach bowled an inspired opening spell and sent back openers Bell-Drummond and Dickson during an initial burst of 7-3-7-2.Bell-Drummond nicked through to Daryl Mitchell at first slip and then Dickson tried to work the ball on the leg side and the ball struck his pads and bounced onto the stumps.Joe Denly drove Ed Barnard straight to Brett D’Oliveira at point and then Tongue bowled a fiery spell after lunch which accounted for Northeast and Will Gidman.In between Joe Weatherley wafted at a wide Leach and was caught behind and then Darren Stevens flat batted John Hastings straight into the hands of deep extra cover.Kent were then 139 for 7 but resistance came at last from Coles and Rouse who opted to counter-attack in adding 79 in 16 overs.It needed the return of Tongue to break the stand shortly before tea as Rouse provided Mitchell with a third catch and then Coles played back to Moeen Ali and was lbw.Leach finished with 3 for 42 to take his season’s wicket tally to 36 and Tongue, in his first season of senior cricket, 3 for 56 to move onto 24 victims.The wickets were soon tumbling when Worcestershire launched their reply and D’Oliveira failed to trouble the scorers before he was pouched at second slip off Stevens.Moeen was ultra aggressive in his approach with nine fours in his 37 off just 16 balls, a mixture of glorious cover drives and edges which just eluded the slip cordon.But then he fell for the three card trick and was caught at deep midwicket off Coles who then had opener Mitchell taken at third slip.The positive aspect for Worcestershire was Joe Clarke looking like he was returning to form during an unbeaten 34.He received good support from George Rhodes, in his first senior appearance of the season during an unbroken stand of 47.

أعرب تشافي هيرنانديز، المدير الفني لفريق برشلونة، عن كامل سخطه بعد خسارة اليوم أمام باريس سان جيرمان في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وودع برشلونة المنافسات الأوروبية عقب خسارته من باريس سان جيرمان بنتيجة 4-1، في إياب ربع النهائي على ملعب “مونتجويك”.

وقال تشافي في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “أنا ساخط، غاضب، كنا منظمين بشكل جيد عندما كنا نلعب 11 ضد 11، بالنسبة لي إشهار البطاقة الحمراء في تلك اللعبة كان أمرًا مبالغًا فيه”.

وطُرد رونالد أراوخو في الدقيقة 29 نتيجة تدخله على لاعب الخصم، باركولا، قبل توجهه إلى منطقة جزاء برشلونة.

اقرأ أيضًا | دي يونج يشكك في طرد أراوخو أمام باريس سان جيرمان.. ويصرّح: علينا إعادة جمع أنفسنا

وواصل: “ليس من الجيد اللعب بـ10 لاعبين، منذ ذلك الحين أصبحت مباراة أخرى، لقد ترددنا في التغيير، أردنا السيطرة مع بيدري ورافينها، اخترنا لامين يامال لسوء الحظ، وبغض النظر، فإن الطرد حسم كل شيء”.

وأردف: “الأمر كان معقدًا للغاية مع وجود 10 لاعبين فقط، إنه لأمر مخزِ أن ينتهي عمل الموسم بسبب قرار التحكيم، كنت أود أن ألعب أحد عشر ضد أحد عشر كل دقيقة، هذا الطرد غير ضروري”.

وأكد: “أخبرت الحكم أن الأمر كان سيئًا للغاية، وأنه كان كارثة، لقد قتل المباراة، لقد غيَر كل شيء، لا أحب التحدث عن الحكام ولكن علينا أن نقول ذلك، لا يمكننا أن نبقى صامتين”.

واختتم: “سيحاول برشلونة مرة أخرى، لقد قدمنا ​​موسمًا جيدًا للغاية في دوري أبطال أوروبا، بشكل رائع”.

West Indies will have to rethink their strategy of playing four fast bowlers on a low, slow St Lucia pitch to remain in this series

The Preview by Nikhil Kalro10-Jun-2017Match factsJune 11, 2017
Start time 1430 local (1830 GMT)3:16

Agarkar: No doubting Rashid’s quality

Big PictureThe shorter the duration of a game, the closer the difference between a higher and a lower-ranked team. The NBA playoffs series’ are a race to four. Grand Slams in tennis are best of five sets. And Tests in cricket last five days. The reason is that the better team is able to sustain itself over extended periods of pressure. Afghanistan’s tour has already thrown up a paradoxical situation.They may well have found some success in the T20s had they not looked like their first ride from the airport was to the ground. They were harried for pace while batting, and didn’t have their own fast-bowling firepower. Although it wasn’t entirely unsurprising that conditions were tough for batting in the first ODI – pitches in the West Indies have been primarily slow this decade – it played right into Afghanistan’s hands. Rashid Khan, quickly rising in confidence and ability, spun his way past both edges to finish with the fourth-best bowling figures in ODIs. Afghanistan had found just the right pace.West Indies, it seemed, had misread conditions in St Lucia. Playing four seamers in slow conditions disallowed them from gaining an advantage with spin. And when they batted, they found the difference. The absence of their best ODI batsmen showed as they continued to fail to pick Rashid.Form guideWest Indies LLLWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Afghanistan WWLLWIn the spotlightWest Indies’ middle order – Shai Hope, Jason Mohammed, Roston Chase and Jonathan Carter – have played a combined 45 ODIs. In the series against Pakistan and in the first ODI against Afghanistan, their inexperience was evident from their inability to hit gaps. On a slow pitch, they’ll need to find ways to push the score along without just boundaries.Rashid Khan earned himself an IPL contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad by flummoxing Associate batsmen. Then he troubled the elite at the IPL. Subsequently, his confidence, a crucial factor in sport, supplemented his legspinning prowess. Now, he has taken a seven-for too. West Indies need to find a way to pick his variations or develop a method of playing him off the pitch.Team newsHaving named a 13-man squad for this series, West Indies don’t have too many back-up options. With the second ODI at the same venue, West Indies may bring in legspinner Devendra Bishoo for Alzarri Joseph, who went for 52 in his 10 overs.West Indies (probable): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Kieran Powell, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Jason Mohammed, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jonathan Carter, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Miguel Cummins, 10 Devendra Bishoo/Alzarri Joseph, 11 Shannon GabrielAfghanistan not only found the right combination for the conditions in the first game, but also achieved the right result. Hence, they’re unlikely to change that winning combination.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Noor Ali Zadran, 2 Javed Ahmadi, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Asghar Stanikzai (capt), 5 Samiullah Shenwari, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Afsar Zazai (wk), 8 Gulbadin Naib, 9 Rashid Khan, 10 Amir Hamza, 11 Dawlat ZadranPitch and conditonsThe surface was the first ODI was symbolic of how pitches have turned in nature from pacy and bouncy to low and slow. Those characteristics are unlikely to change much, and if the second match is played on the same surface, don’t expect high scores. There isn’t a high chance of rain for Sunday.Stats and trivia Rashid Khan became the youngest bowler to take a seven-for in ODIs, beating Aaqib Javed’s 7 for 37 This will be just the second ODI at this ground after it was renamed the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur are targeting Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie as a possible replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, according to reports.

Who will Spurs sign?

The Lilywhites have enjoyed a solid 2023 summer transfer window so far, having completed deals for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, playmaker James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon.

Vicario, who could well succeed long-serving number one Hugo Lloris between the sticks, was an arguable bargain from Empoli at around £17.2 million while Spurs also managed to sign Maddison for just £45m.

Solomon, meanwhile, put pen to paper on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk – meaning the north Londoners have spent just over £60 million – not including the permanent deal fees for Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro.

Ange Postecoglou, speaking to the media recently, was left thrilled with his side's capture of Maddison in particular – having claimed the England international could provide a much-needed spark of creativity.

“Really excited to get James as part of the group," said Ange.

"Any manager will tell you that part of the key to being a dominant team is having multiple attacking threats and having a midfielder who can score and create goals.

“I thought it was a really good fit for us."

Spurs are certainly not done there, though, with Postecoglou chasing central defensive additions and potential midfield signings to replace the exit-linked Hojbjerg.

There are a fair few centre-back candidates, including Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven, Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen, Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo, Lenglet, Galatasary's Victor Nelsson and Juventus defender Gleison Bremer, who have all been linked.

In midfield, the likes of Conor Gallagher have been mentioned, but journalist Rudy Galetti now says that Spurs have Ivory Coast international Kessie on their radar too.

"Tottenham are now open to evaluate offers for Hojbjerg," wrote the reporter on Twitter.

"The CM – in talks with Atleti on personal terms – could leave this summer if THFC will receive a suitable bid.

"In the list of the club as possible replacement – among others – there is also Kessie."

How good is Franck Kessie?

The £199,000-per-week midfielder featured over 28 La Liga matches last season for Barca, but he couldn't quite showcase his true ability as the vast majority came as a substitute (WhoScored).

Over the 2020/2021 season, which was arguably his best, Kessie bagged 13 goals and four assists in 36 league starts for AC Milan (WhoScored).

Form like this attracted praise from Spurs pundits like former keeper Paul Robinson, who claimed late last year that Kessie would be a great fit for Tottenham.

"Kessie would fit the bill," said Robinson to Football Insider.

"He is strong, quick and effective at both ends of the pitch. He ticks a lot of boxes.

“There is no doubting that he is an amazing player. The question is, would he come in and command a starting spot? Hojbjerg and Bentancur have done extremely well. [Yves] Bissouma has struggled to get a look in at times.

“Would Kessie upset that midfield? Maybe but I don’t think it’s a certainty. It’s really important that Spurs sign better than what they already have."

يخوض فريق النصر مباراة قوية اليوم الجمعة، أمام نظيره الفيحاء، في المواجهة التي ستجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري السعودي.

ويلتقي النصر مع الفيحاء على أرضية استاد الأول بارك، في إطار مواجهات الجولة 28 من مباريات المسابقة السعودية.

ويدخل النصر المباراة أمام الفيحاء محتلاً المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي برصيد 65 نقطة من 27 مباراة، فاز في 21 لقاء وتعادل في مواجهتين، وخسر 4 مرات.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | بمشاركة محمد شريف.. الخليج يتعادل مع التعاون في الدوري السعودي

أما الفيحاء فيتواجد في المركز التاسع بجدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي، وفي جعبته 35 نقطة من 27 مباراة، حقق الفوز في 9 مواجهات وتعادل في 8 لقاءات، وخسر 10 مرات. موعد مباراة النصر والفيحاء اليوم في الدوري السعودي

تنطلق المباراة اليوم الجمعة في تمام الساعة الخامسة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، السادسة بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة النصر والفيحاء اليوم في الدوري السعودي

تذاع المباراة بين فريقي النصر والفيحاء على قناة SSC hd 1. معلقين مباراة النصر والفيحاء اليوم

يتولى مهمة التعليق على المباراة علي الكعبي وحاتم بطيشة.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Chelsea’s goalkeeping conundrum is still shrouded in uncertainty.

Kepa Arrizabalaga is currently on track to start the upcoming season as the first choice, but there have been mixed reports about the situation.

Is Kepa Arrizabalaga staying at Chelsea?

After the pre-season draw with Newcastle, Mauricio Pochettino provided the following statement on the Spaniard: “We are so happy with him. He shows great commitment and adapting to the new demands. He is a fantastic keeper.”

However, despite this glowing praise, there are also rumours suggesting that the Argentine is seeking to upgrade the position and move Kepa to one side.

As per Nathan Gissing (via The Chelsea Chronicle), the Blues are still keeping a keen eye on the goalkeeper market.

He said: “I am told Chelsea are still looking at a goalkeeper. They liked Onana, but never made a move. Maignan, I believe he’s too expensive for Chelsea, so they’re looking for that player who is not overly expensive, but can still compete with Kepa.”

Therefore, whilst ruling these candidates out, another player who could be a fantastic addition to Stamford Bridge is Emiliano Martinez.

Is Emiliano Martinez joining Chelsea?

Football Insider reported earlier this summer that the Blues were eyeing a move for the Aston Villa star as part of Pochettino’s major squad overhaul.

That said, a deal has been complicated by Martinez’s current long-term contract at Villa Park with it set to take a 'huge fee' to lure him away from the Midlands. At present, Football Transfers value the player at £30m.

Since joining Villa in 2020, the 30-cap international, hailed as “unbelievable” by Matty Cash, has enjoyed a meteoric rise to domestic and worldwide prominence thanks to his impressive consistency.

Across 112 appearances for the Midlands club, the world-cup winner has kept 39 clean sheets.

How good is Emiliano Martinez?

During this time, the former Arsenal man has played under Dean Smith, Steven Gerrard, and Unai Emery, all of whom of retained undeterred faith in Martinez, as he has featured in 110 of the club’s last 114 Premier League games.

Last term, the £120k-per-week star recorded the most high claims (60) in the division and ranks within the top 1% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for the percentage of crosses stopped per 90, as well as the best 22% for goals against per 90.

This player is a pillar of reliability and composure – two traits that Thibaut Courtois possessed in abundance. Since making his debut for the Blues in 2014, he exuded confidence and permanently displaced none other than club legend Petr Cech as the first-choice keeper.

Across his time in west London, the domineering Belgian won the Premier League twice and the Golden Glove once, keeping 58 clean sheets in 154 outings.

Courtois’ Chelsea career unravelled into a completely different direction to Kepa, who has received a torrent of criticism due to his inconsistency.

Mario Melchiot labelled him as a “liability” and the decision of the previous hierarchy to sign Edouard Mendy and promote the Senegalese as the first choice was a clear indication of the Spaniard's faltering pedigree.

In the present day, the £150k-per-week shot-stopper now finds himself as a potential starter due to Mendy’s sudden decline and exit for Saudi Arabia.

Kepa, who was originally tasked to be Courtois’ replacement, has not fulfilled the assignment, and it would be an extremely risky strategy for Pochettino to not consider Martinez as Chelsea’s new goalkeeper.

Having been named the best goalkeeper in the world last year, he could well be the club's finest stopper since the days of their towering Belgian.

The teams have had a chance to take stock after sharing the honours in the opening two Tests and it’s England who arrive at The Oval with most questions to answer

The Preview by Firdose Moonda26-Jul-20172:14

Returning Rabada could make SA ‘unstoppable’

Match FactsJuly 27-31, 2017
Start time: 11.00am (1000 GMT)Big PictureThe series sits exactly where we want it at the halfway stage with the sides locked at 1-1. An dominant England at Lord’s turned into a dominated England at Trent Bridge, a surprisingly meek South Africa in London became the strong side we have become used to in Nottingham and so it’s the visitors who feel they have the advantage going into the next two clashes.While South Africa fixed their problems from the first to the second Test, England created theirs. In South Africa’s case, a change in personnel saw JP Duminy dropped, Quinton de Kock moved up to No.4 and the seventh specialist batsman dispensed with in favour of an allrounder and that seems to be the combination they will stick with.England, though, discovered Gary Ballance has not sufficiently developed his game to become the No.3 they want, that Liam Dawson is the second spinner as much as they want to convince themselves and Moeen Ali otherwise and that Mark Wood is not as potent as they need the third-prong in the pace pack to be. Changes will be made with Tom Westley and Toby Roland-Jones confirmed for debuts due to injuries to Ballance and Wood, but there’s also a mindset change needed by England.Several former players criticised England’s attacking approach and questioned the current crop’s Test cricket temperament. The harsh words stung and Ben Stokes said they are desperate to prove them wrong. South Africa have also had a verbal storm brewing, with media at home stewing in response to comments Graeme Pollock made that transformation will condemn South Africa to being a “middle of the road” Test team. So far, they’ve been either side of that middle and their challenge is to find consistency, especially as the decision on the future of the coach is yet to be made.Whether Russell Domingo will keep his job if South Africa seal the series is not certain though it would look odd if he doesn’t but for now, at least he is back. Domingo returned to the UK at the weekend following the death of his mother so South Africa have been stabilised, England appear less so.The situation is perfectly poised for a riveting second half of the series and there can be no more fitting a venue to start than The Oval as the ground hosts its 100th Test. Celebrations will include the attendance of several former players who achieved great things at the stadium along with some current ones. Five years ago, Hashim Amla became South Africa’s only Test triple-centurion with an unbeaten 311 that set South Africa up for a massive win. He has named The Oval as one of his top three or four grounds in the world.Form guideEngland LWLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa WLDWDIn the spotlightTom Westley was preferred over Mark Stoneman to replace Ballance in the XI, ostensibly to break up the number of left-handers in the line-up but his job will extend far beyond batting right-handed. Westley’s main task will have to show composure in response to the criticism England received for their brash batting in Nottingham. But this is also a chance for Westley to carve out a career. The No.3 spot is undecided and if he can make it his own, he might be able to hold on to it in an important period for the Test side, which will soon travel to an Ashes series.He could have used the two weeks to put his feet up in the south of France but Kagiso Rabada used his time in the sin-bin to upskill. He spent every day of the Trent Bridge Test getting in the same workload he would have had if he’d played the match and has been training at full tilt in preparation for The Oval. Rabada felt he let the team down by accumulating demerit points that led to his suspension and wants to make it up by bowling at his best in the rest of the series. Whether he has also been working on his send-offs is yet to be seen.Team newsEngland could yet have three debutants with the decision between Dawid Malan and Liam Dawson being left for the morning after rain prevented a close look at the pitch on Wednesday. If Malan does play it would likely mean Jonny Bairstow dropping back down to No. 7England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Keaton Jennings, 3 Tom Westley, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Toby Roland-Jones, 11 James AndersonSouth Africa shook things up at Trent Bridge and so the only change in personnel is to strengthen the attack. Rabada is back in with Duanne Olivier making way.South Africa (probable) 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Heino Kuhn, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Quinton de Kock (wk), 5 Faf du Plessis (capt), 6 Temba Bavuma, 7 Vernon Philander, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Morne MorkelPitch and conditionsCooler conditions are expected throughout the game with rain forecast for the first and fourth days, but the spell of warm weather means the pitch may still offer some turn. There was plenty of grass on the surface two days out but that can often be deceptive. It was covered for much of Wednesday due to rain.Stats and trivia This is the 100th Test match at the Oval. Only three other grounds have hosted a century of Tests: Lord’s, the MCG and the SCG. South Africa have played 13 Tests at the Oval and only won one, in 2012. Joe Root needs 125 more runs to complete 5000 runs in Test cricket; Ben Stokes is 23 away from 2000.Quotes”I think it’s important to look at the surface and decide what’s going to be the best side to play South Africa in those conditions. So, we’ll turn up tomorrow, take a look at the wicket and make a decision. We’re a better side than we showed last week.”
“I am excited to see what KG is going to bring to this game. With the time off, always as a player it makes you a little bit hungry again and the fact that we have done well in the previous game will add as motivation. The conditions, if the weather is like this, will be a bit bowling friendly so I assume he will be raring to get that ball in his hand.”

حرص محمود الخطيب، رئيس مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، على تهنئة الفريق الأول للكرة الطائرة رجال وجهازه الفني والإداري والطبي، ‏بعد الفوز ببطولة إفريقيا والتأهل إلى كأس العالم للأندية.

وتوج النادي الأهلي للكرة الطائرة ببطولة إفريقيا التي أقيمت على صالات النادي الأهلي، مساء اليوم للمرة السادسة عشرة في تاريخ النادي، بعد الفوز على مولودية بوسالم التونسي بنتيجة 3-0.

طالع | الأهلي يتوج ببطولة إفريقيا للكرة الطائرة ويتأهل إلى مونديال الأندية

وأشاد الخطيب بالأداء المتميز للاعبين ‏والتزامهم الفني والسلوكي، وإصرارهم على استعادة اللقب القاري بعد أيام قليلة من الفوز ببطولة الدوري.

كما وجه التحية للاعبين على الروح ‏القتالية العالية حيث لم يخسروا شوطًا واحدًا منذ بداية البطولة، وحققوا الفوز في جميع المباريات، وكذلك ما قدموه من أداء رائع خلال الفترة الماضية، بعد أن تعاهدوا في بداية الموسم على الفوز بكل الألقاب المحلية والقارية.

وأضاف: “الفوز بالبطولة الإفريقية والتأهل لمونديال الأندية يحمل كل منظومة الفريق مسئولية مضاعفة، نحو الاستمرار في التفوق وحصد البطولات على جميع المستويات.”.

وأتم: “أخص بالتهنئة جماهير الأهلي التي لها الدور المشترك في كل البطولات والانتصارات المحلية والقارية وهي السند الحقيقي للنادي في كل المواقف وشدد على ضرورة الاستعداد بقوة للمنافسات القادمة التي تحتاج إلى تركيز أكثر على الصعيدين البدني والفني”.

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

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Sep-2017

Is the Indian Premier League the most lucrative property in global cricket?The answer will be revealed on September 4 when the BCCI conducts the auction for the IPL media rights. The bidding will take place in Mumbai, with some of the biggest names in global business set to vie for various rights of a tournament that has already realigned the boundaries of cricket in unpredictable ways during its ten years of existence.Here is a ready reckoner to the bidding process, the bidders and the different rights being auctioned.How many bidders are there?A total of 24 bidders bought the bid document, including Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, Yahoo, Reliance Jio, Star India, Sony Pictures, Discovery, Sky, British Telecom and ESPN Digital Media.The growth of the league can be measured through the diversity of the bidders as well as the number of companies that have shown interest. In 2008, when the IPL was conceived, about six companies bought the bid document for the first rights cycle. All were television entities and, eventually, only two qualified for the bid – the Sony-World Sports Group alliance and Nimbus.How many categories of rights will be auctioned on Monday?Previously, the BCCI, which owns the IPL, had sold the rights only for three categories: India television rights, India digital rights and rest of the world. However, on Monday, a set of seven rights will be open for bidding. For the Indian market, bids are divided into television and digital; then there will be separate bids for the USA, Europe, Middle East, Africa regions and the rest of the world. For these five markets, the bids include both television and digital rights.How will the bidding process work?The rights will be awarded to the highest bidder in each category. An interested party or a consortium can even make a global bid (for all seven categories) – if their bid is the highest, they will earn the rights.The winner in each category will be determined by matching the bids which will be presented in a sealed envelope. In May, the BCCI had decided to retain the tender process which it said was the most transparent way to award the rights as opposed to e-auction. Recently the Supreme Court, too, struck down a petition favoring the e-auction. The BCCI was against the e-auction mainly because of the danger of bidders walking out once they realised they had reached their limit with the bid figures being publicly displayed. In a tender process, the bidder just gets one chance and has to commit to a figure they can put in the envelope.What is the duration of the rights?All rights have a five-year span: 2018-2022.Why a five-year cycle, considering the previous television rights were for 10 years?According to Rahul Johri, the BCCI’s chief executive officer, 10 years is “too long” a period to commit in an industry that is dynamic. Previously, when the BCCI sold the television rights for 10 years, the IPL had not yet established itself. “It was a new property and it needed a long-term commitment,” Johri said. “But now the world is changing so fast, so from both the rights seller’s point of view and rights buyer’s point of view, five years is a good term. A lot of companies do a five-year plan. So it is a more realistic way to go.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Which category could attract the most competition?In the Indian market, television rights will remain the prime target as it is the “most valuable” property. In 2008, WSG bagged the television rights for the Indian market for a 10-year cycle (2008-2017) for $918 million. A year later, Sony bought those rights for $1.63 billion.What is the likely worth of television rights in the Indian subcontinent?
Johri will not speculate, but is optimistic the number could be quite high considering the BCCI recently sold the India team sponsorship rights and the IPL title sponsorship for large sums. Smartphone manufacturer OPPO Mobiles India bought the team sponsorship rights for a five-year period, beginning April 2017, for about $166 million, edging out Vivo, another mobile phone manufacturer. Vivo, however, trumped Oppo by retaining the IPL title sponsorship rights (2018-22) for approximately $341 million, a 454% increase over the price paid for the same rights in 2012. “The IPL is one of the most viewed properties in the world. The IPL is a disruptive property. When the IPL is on, the world watches only IPL,” Johri said.How fierce is the competition for digital rights likely to be?
An increasing number of viewers are turning to digital platforms for sports coverage. With Facebook, Amazon, Twitter, Discovery Sports, Yahoo and BAMTech (an American internet video provider) aiming to leverage this audience, there could be fierce bidding among them and local providers like Reliance Jio, Star India and Sony. Star India was the previous rights holders for digital rights globally, having paid close to INR 303 crore for a three-year period of 2015-17. These digital behemoths are challenging traditional broadcasters by venturing into sports broadcasting. Amazon recently won the UK rights for showcasing all the major Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tournaments while BAMTech has been streaming Major League Baseball for a few years now.

Aston Villa moving for Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso this summer under Unai Emery would not be a 'complete surprise', according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Is Giovani Lo Celso moving to Aston Villa?

According to Birmingham Live, Lo Celso is on a list of targets at Villa Park this summer; nevertheless, Tottenham are likely to ask for an obligation to buy to be included in any prospective loan deal for the £70k-a-week ace.

Napoli have also been in the mix to sign the Argentina international in this off-season, though they could pull the plug on their interest due to the contract renewal of Piotr Zielinski.

Spanish journalist Javi Miguel claimed earlier in the window that Barcelona manager Xavi requested to his employers' hierarchy that La Blaugrana target Lo Celso alongside Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo and now-signed midfielder Oriol Romeu.

Nevertheless, Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor indicated that Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou would be keen to keep Lo Celso around this term alongside teammate Tanguy Ndombele, stating to GIVEMESPORT: "I would keep both players, and it looks like Postecoglou will do that despite interest from elsewhere."

Last term, Lo Celso, who has been hailed as "technically gifted", featured 29 times in all competitions on loan at Villarreal, registering two goals and three assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.

His future at Tottenham remains up in the air and transfer insider Jones wouldn't be shocked to see him link up with Aston Villa boss Emery in the West Midlands.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones stated: "He’s had a good pre-season yet still serious doubts remain over whether he has a future at Spurs and if that drags on it would not be a complete surprise to see Emery look into whether an agreement can be found. To be fair, Lo Celso probably has more chance of succeeding under Ange than anyone else in the recent past but if even now he can’t find a role in the set-up then he really does have to get out of there."

What next for Aston Villa?

Aston Villa are shaping up well ahead of the new campaign and have been savvy in the transfer market, recruiting three additions in the form of Youri Tielemans, Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres, as per Transfermarkt.

Reports from Spain transcribed via Sport Witness claim that Barcelona forward Ferran Torres is another potential arrival at Villa Park and they are still pushing to land his signature.

Football Insider have revealed that former Wolves winger Adama Traore has emerged as a surprise target for Aston Villa this summer and is being pursued by Emery due to his 'pace and cutting edge' that could be put to use in the final third.

Czech outlet Idnez via METRO have signalled that Manchester United backup goalkeeper Matej Kovar is being courted by the Villans to provide competition for Emiliano Martinez and Robin Olsen between the sticks.

Sparta Prague and clubs in Germany are keen to snap up the 23-year-old stopper; nevertheless, they are put off by the £6 million price tag set by Manchester United.

Over the next few weeks, Aston Villa could be set to shake things up and bring in further squad depth as they get ready to juggle both domestic and European football in 2023/24.