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Players leave the meeting confused, unsure whether the board will actually come good on their promises

Mohammad Isam24-Oct-2019Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan’s aggressive attitude during the Wednesday meeting between the board officials and the striking cricketers, especially his takedown of allrounder Mehidy Hasan, apparently threw the players off to start with, one of them even saying that the incident “rattled” them.Why was the Dhaka Dynamites CEO in the meeting?

One of the puzzling sidelights of the meeting came in the form of Obeid Nizam, CEO of Bangladesh Premier League side Dhaka Dynamites, attending the meeting.
Nizam is neither a BCB director or a BCB employee, and raised questions of conflict of interest, as the franchise is owned by Beximco, the company where Hassan and board directors Ismail Haider Mallick and Khaled Mahmud are employed.
It also left many of the board directors irate, one of them saying it was “a slap to our face”.
Nizam was the board president’s advisor between 2013 and 2017, but it isn’t clear if he continues to hold a similar role.

“Miraz [Mehidy], what have I not done for you, and you didn’t pick up my phone call? From today onwards, I will delete your number from my phone,” Hassan raged at the start of the meeting, and the young allrounder cowered, sinking in his seat.In many ways, the start of the meeting was a continuation of the previous day’s press conference – Hassan targeting a player for taking personal favours from him and then joining the strike; that soured the mood of the group that had arrived in the evening hoping for an amicable solution.It was an extraordinary way to begin a discussion that had so much riding on it for everyone concerned. On the one side were the players, who had just agreed among themselves that they would face their paymasters and thrash the issues out. On the other were the BCB officials, who knew that if they couldn’t provide a solution, it would have deep repercussions.But after Hassan’s counter-attacking stance, the players said they were thrown off kilter. Many of the players, who were active in discussions in the previous 48 hours, kept mum, saying nothing after Hassan slammed Mehidy.

We were told that all of our demands were met, but there was no actual detail. This was quite confusing, as we wanted to know exactly by how much, for example, the NCL [National Cricket League] match fees will be increased. There was no clear direction

“The Miraz thing rattled us,” one player told ESPNcricinfo on condition of anonymity. “The way the meeting began, it didn’t leave us with much to say. Shakib [Al Hasan] managed to put forth our points but the rest of us simply didn’t have the mentality to bargain.”We were told that all of our demands were met, but there was no actual detail. This was quite confusing, as we wanted to know exactly by how much, for example, the NCL [National Cricket League] match fees will be increased. There was no clear direction.” But Hassan, who later admitted in a press conference that he had lost his temper, then clarified the BCB’s stance on each demand.The BCB stayed out of discussions about the fresh elections of the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh [CWAB], but association president Naimur Rahman agreed to hold elections soon. The players said that they wanted a representative from the current players so that they could regularly speak to the board about their issues. This representative is going to be a pivotal point for the rest of their demands, as the BCB committed that once this person is elected, they will respect the position.About the Dhaka Premier League’s return to a free-market system for player transfers, Hassan asked what would happen if the clubs don’t pay the players in time. The players said they would handle it.Mushfiqur Rahim speaks during the meeting between players and BCB officials•Raton GomesThen came the longest discussion, on the demand for first-class cricketers getting higher match fees, daily and travel allowances. Some domestic stalwarts like Mohammad Sharif, Shahriar Nafees, Nabil Samad and Enamul Haque jnr put up the players’ point of view, but after the back and forth, they weren’t fully certain of the outcome. The new fee structure wasn’t communicated to the players, but Hassan did later say that it would be firmed up within “two or three days”.Hassan also agreed to the demand of infrastructural development in cricket centres across the country in one consolidated go, and not one by one as was previously planned by the board.There was also discussion about an extra one-day and T20 tournament in the domestic season, which the BCB said they would try to fit in later this season.While many of the players left the meeting unconvinced, aggrieved and confused, there was also a sense of hope.”The fact that we could all come together under one cause was what shook the BCB,” one cricketer said. “I think they couldn’t believe that more cricketers joined us on the third day of our strike. They must have expected fewer cricketers to be with the movement.”So we have to remain strong together, and ensure that we get our demands implemented.”The players now feel proper follow-ups are required on their part, to ensure that the BCB keeps its side of the bargain. They believe that if the CWAB elections are held soon, it would be a major breakthrough, as it would give them a stronger say in every matter.They remain hopeful that despite all the personal attacks, Bangladesh cricket will see a new direction. At least a start has been made, but the players might have to monitor the progress (or lack of it) themselves.

Phil Parkinson has hailed Wrexham’s efforts against Chelsea, with the Red Dragons going “toe-to-toe” with a team that has “spent a billion pounds”.

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Red Dragons enjoying tour of North AmericaPlayed out entertaining draw with the BluesHeading to Canada to face Vancouver WhitecapsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Premier League giants from Stamford Bridge have invested heavily in the transfer market since seeing a Todd Boehly-led consortium complete a takeover deal with Roman Abramovich. Results on the field have been mixed, with consistency proving hard to come by, but the Blues have plenty of potential and pedigree at their disposal.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT PARKINSON SAID

Wrexham held a Chelsea team featuring the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Raheem Sterling and Wesley Fofana to a 2-2 draw in San Francisco, with Parkinson telling the channel afterwards: “We’ve taken on a team that has probably spent about a billion pounds over the last couple of transfer windows, and we’ve gone toe-to-toe with them. Improved as the game went on – first half, good out of possession, we felt we could do better on the ball ourselves, and the second half I thought we married both parts of the game together really well and got the two goals. Could it have been better? Of course, we could have won it. But that’s a helluva shift the lads have put in and very pleased.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Luke Bolton and Jack Marriott were on target for the Welsh outfit, who have come a long way in a short period of time. Parkinson added on playing out friendly draws with top-flight outfits Chelsea and Bournemouth during a tour of North America: “Obviously the gulf in clubs – two years ago we were in the National League. We’re building slowly but surely as a club and Chelsea are an established club, usually compete in the Champions League most years, and Bournemouth being in the Premier League for a lot of years. It’s just great for the lads to come up against better players. It’s not just the defensive side of it, it’s on the ball when you have got to be that split second sharper and I felt we really upped our game.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Wrexham have one more game to take in before heading back to the UK, with their next challenge coming in the home town of Hollywood co-owner Ryan Reynolds. Rob McElhenney was in attendance for the stalemate with Chelsea, and there is every chance that Reynolds will be around to take in a clash with MLS side the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.

More ‘A’ tours of Australia needed for players to be in better position to counter the conditions, Pakistan captain says

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide02-Dec-2019Babar Azam’s graduation to the top rank of Test batsmen, via a superb century in Brisbane and an equally stirring 97 at Adelaide Oval, which earned him a standing ovation, was a rare ray of light for Pakistan through the murk of a 2-0 series thrashing at the hands of an opposition more battle-hardened than them.Pakistan’s captain Azhar Ali spoke happily of Babar’s displays, which began with a century against Australia A in the pink-ball warm-up match in Perth, as of the kind that would allow the 25-year-old to head home believing he was ready to be more consistently dominant at the Test level. Australia has, in the past, provided formative moments for the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Jacques Kallis, the anvil on which their games have been shaped and perfected before later feats elsewhere.”He’s been tremendous in white-ball cricket and in the recent past, he’s been gradually building up his Test stats as well,” Azhar said of Babar. “But this series definitely will be the breakthrough he wanted. We were all hopeful that he’ll do it. He’s a good enough player. We all know that. But sometimes if you score in tough conditions against tough bowling attacks, it gives you the extra boost and the belief that you can make even better strides in Test cricket.”That’s been a big positive now for us that Babar has stamped himself a Test player. He’s been fantastic throughout the year and he’s been lovely to watch and hopefully he can continue this form in the Tests that are coming.”

Most importantly, ‘A’ team tours and Under-19 tours are very important. Players who come here more often and play in these conditons will benefit from thatAzhar Ali

Similarly, Mohammad Rizwan vindicated the decision to move to him as first-choice wicketkeeper by offering plenty with the bat, gloves and with his voice in the field, even if Pakistan’s bowlers and fielders were unable to maintain the pressure they needed to.”He’s been performing in first-class cricket for a few years now. And then he had a fantastic couple of ‘A’ tours in Dubai. And then he played against Australia in one-day cricket and scored centuries there as well,” Azhar pointed out. “He’s been waiting and obviously Sarfaraz [Ahmed] is another one who’d been performing really well for Pakistan. We have a very healthy competition.”Rizwan waited for his chance and then grabbed it with both hands. The way he batted at Gabba and the way he kept wickets in both games has been fantastic. His energy is always good for the team, whenever we were down in the field, he kept us up. That’s fantastic for any team. He’s a team man.”Babar Azam shows his frustration after falling in the second innings•AFPThose efforts were, of course, overshadowed by a yawning gap between the teams, reflected in the results, something Azhar said was because of the weaknesses in his bowling attack and also the need to play more ‘A’ series in these parts of the world.”It has been a disappointing series. We didn’t live up the expectations that were based around this young team,” he said. “This was the best possible team we could have picked, especially with regards to the bowling options. But you also have to see that in Australia you need a certain kind of pace attack. And in our domestic cricket, we don’t have those kind of pacers. The moment you have to bowl with a Kookaburra, you need an extra element of pace.”But we felt that these guys were in the best shape to deal with the conditions here, and that’ll be the case in the future. We shouldn’t get too disappointed about this and keep in mind that young bowlers like these will only play more cricket and get better. We need to show some patience.”I think, most importantly, ‘A’ team tours and Under-19 tours are very important. Players who come here more often and play in these conditons will benefit from that. Last time and this time, we came here a couple of weeks before the Tests. It gives you a better idea and preparation. You have to consider that always. There won’t be any condition like this in Pakistan. The surfaces are different. It’s the same when Pakistan go to Dubai or Pakistan. They’ve played on hard surfaces and need to adapt to the slower wickets there.”But Australia has the best batting conditions in the world. There’s even bounce, the cracks don’t open too early in the game. If you get used to bounce and pace, you can see players from Pakistan can score runs. Last time we scored big runs, Asad [Shafiq] and I scored a lot. But to win Test matches we need to take 20 wickets and we need to work out how to do that. And also to score big in the first innings. Get ahead of the game here is very important.”

Mid-season international breaks feel protracted at the best of times, with the rigours and weight of the club season pausing to make way for interminable and less-important matches. England's recent matches typified this.

Tottenham Hotspur might have welcomed a pause following such a dismal display last time out in the Premier League, losing 3-0 against Fulham at Craven Cottage, but Ange Postecoglou's side can take solace in the fact that they are building something and remain just three points behind Aston Villa in the top four, holding a game in hand.

Much to play for down the N17, and with the international break now dusted, there's no doubt that the heat is going to start rising within English football.

Tottenham know that consistency – more specifically, how consistent they are over the coming weeks – will determine their fate and football heading into the 2024/25 campaign.

The thrashing at Fulham arrived one week after Villa were dismantled in their own backyard, highlighting this lack of balance in garish colour, though with Micky van de Ven sidelined as he was during the club's stained spell throughout November and December, there's a clear pattern.

Tottenham's rehearsed fluency and spark under Postecoglou is knocked off-kilter with the Dutch defender's dynamism left on the sidelines. Radu Dragusin, signed from Genoa for £27m in January, earned his maiden start in his peer's absence. He didn't do well.

Why Micky van de Ven is so important for Spurs

Dragusin, aged 21, is a talented centre-back and earned praise for his "complete" and "dominant" displays in Italy by talent scout Jacek Kulig, with Spurs beating off competition from Bayern Munich for his signature.

But he was exposed against an unrelenting and well-oiled Cottagers vanguard that spoke of the need for adjustment after arriving on English shores, with one analyst noting that he looked "very awkward in possession."

He's not quite diametrically opposed to Van de Ven as far as defensive styles go, but Dragusin does not boast the raw strength and elite athleticism that his peer does – few do, if any, to the same degree.

Indeed, Van de Ven has been noted for his "lightning quick" pace by The Times' Henry Winter and blends this with crisp and intelligent distributions that enhance the squad cohesion and increase the fluidity that Postecoglou's system depends on for survival.

As per FBref, the 22-year-old ranks among the top 3% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 14% for progressive carries per 90, showcasing this impressive collection of qualities.

But Van de Ven won't play every game – hasn't played every game – and Spurs cannot afford to crumble like a tower of cards when one such at the foot is taken away. Dragusin needs time to acclimatise, but Tottenham actually have a player who has been dependable within Postecoglou's system who must now be handed a starting berth once again after impressing for his country this week.

Ben Davies' season in numbers

The man in question is Ben Davies, who signed for Tottenham from Swansea City back in 2014. The Wales international has completed 329 appearances for the club, a few months shy of a decade later, though has only found a starting spot in Postecoglou's team when options have been limited.

Indeed, Davies, a natural left-back, started nine successive Premier League matches in central defence throughout the maudlin period of November and December, with Postecoglou's threadbare squad missing its starring defensive axis.

The 30-year-old ranks among the top 16% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for progressive passes, the top 11% for progressive carries, the top 18% for tackles and the top 17% for aerial battles won per 90.

In the Premier League, as per Sofascore, Davies has completed 92% of his passes and come out on top in 71% of his ground duels. Not bad.

Aside from Cristian Romero, who starts anyway, Davies is probably the closest emulation to Van de Ven and if the Netherlands international is to miss the forthcoming top-flight clash against Luton Town – this is uncertain right now – Davies must start.

Why Ben Davies deserves more opportunities

Wales were on the cusp of the 2024 European Championships, Robert Page's side had limited Poland to half-chances, zero shots on target, during the all-or-nothing clash for qualification on Tuesday night.

Poland won on penalties, as it were, and the Dragons have been grounded ahead of the summer's furore, but Davies can certainly hold his head high after a stellar performance against Robert Lewandowski and Co, earning a 9/10 match rating by Wales Online's Glen Williams.

Of the left-sided defender, the journalist said: 'Won more than his fair share of duels and beat Lewandowski in the air a few times. Was unlucky to see a headed goal of his ruled out for offside. Was just everywhere. Netted his penalty, too.'

Minutes played

120'

Touches

74

Accurate passes

41/59 (69%)

Long balls

5/10

Duels won

6/14

Tackles

2

Clearances

3

Interceptions

1

Such a display makes it hard for Postecoglou to ignore the Spurs stalwart, surely, and though there has been a fresh face in Dragusin joining the fold in 2024, he flattered to deceive last night and Davies may well deserve another shot.

The £80k-per-week ace has a nice spread of qualities, with his precise ball-playing skills, natural confidence in progression – both with and without the ball – stemming from a career of marauding down the left flank, and though he's not the same as Van de Ven, he replicates some of the stylistic strengths and this could be key heading into the business end.

Rohit named ODI player of the year, Cummins Test player of the year, Labuschagne Emerging player of the year

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jan-2020England allrounder Ben Stokes has won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC player of the year after playing starring roles in the side’s maiden 50-over World Cup triumph and one-wicket win in the Leeds Test during the Ashes in 2019.In a World Cup final for the ages, Stokes struck an unbeaten 84 off 98 balls to help England tie with New Zealand’s 241. He then made eight off three balls in a Super Over shootout, which also ended in a tie, but England eventually won the title on boundary count. Stokes also produced a similar stellar display in the longest format, his unbeaten 135 off 219 balls helping England secure an improbable chase of 359 from 9 for 286 at Headingley.ALSO READ: Botham, Flintoff, Stokes – who is England’s greatest allrounder?Australia quick Pat Cummins and India’s white-ball vice-captain Rohit Sharma scooped up the other top honours, winning the Test player of the year and ODI player of the year awards respectively. Cummins’ Australia team-mate Marnus Labuschagne, who closed out 2019 as the leading run-getter in Test cricket, was named Emerging player of the year, while Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer was recognised as the Associate player of the year.Cummins had put in a number of strong performances in Test cricket in 2019, including match-winning five-wicket hauls against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. His hot form was also central to Australia retaining the Ashes away from home in 2019. The 26-year old had gone wicketless in a mere three innings out of 23 Test innings in the past year. In all, Cummins took 59 Test wickets in 2019, 14 more than any other bowler.Rohit had reeled off 648 runs in nine innings at an average of 81 and strike rate of 98.33 in the World Cup in the UK. Only Sachin Tendulkar (673) and Matthew Hayden (659) have scored more runs than Rohit in a single edition of the World Cup.Rohit’s India team-mate Deepak Chahar’s 6 for 7 against Bangladesh in the Nagpur T20I, which also included a hat-trick, was chosen as the best T20I performance of the year. Chahar’s figures are also the best ever in men’s T20Is.England’s Richard Illingworth, meanwhile, won the David Shepherd Trophy for the umpire of the year. India captain Virat Kohli, who had claimed three major awards last year, won the spirit of cricket award for asking fans to cheer for Steven Smith – and not boo him – at the 2019 World Cup, when the Australian was returning from a one-year ban for his role in the Newlands ball-tampering scandal.

As the 2023/24 season draws to a close, it also marks the beginning of the end for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool tenure. It has been a historic reign for the German, who has won several honours at Anfield, including the Champions League in 2018/19 and the Premier League in 2019/20.

There are several names linked with the soon-to-be vacant Liverpool job. Arguably the favourite for the role is Sporting manager Ruben Amorim. The former Benfica midfielder has reportedly agreed on personal terms with the Reds and is rumoured to be signing a three-year contract at Anfield.

Amorim has been extremely successful for Sporting and has won four trophies during his time in charge, which includes a league title in 2020/21. Leões are hunting down their second league title under Amorim, and currently sit four points clear of Benfica with one game in hand.

However, it is not a guarantee that Liverpool will manage to acquire the services of Amorim, with other clubs showing interest. If they do not manage to appoint Amorim, there are other options Liverpool could look at, although perhaps one stands out more than the others.

The perfect alternative for Amorim

Should Amorim become unattainable for Liverpool in the summer, they could well instead turn their attention to Bologna manager Thiago Motta, who is taking Serie A by storm so far this season.

That's according to Ben Jacobs, who told GIVEMESPORT: "Thiago Motta is doing a brilliant job at Bologna, and Liverpool love candidates that have over performed based upon the resource available to them – so he cannot be discounted at this point, either.

“And when we say discounted, we’re talking about who is going to get to the final shortlist and who isn’t. And that’s what I mean about Liverpool – it’s a step-by-step process."

Amorim has a release clause of £25.7m in his current deal with Sporting, although there is not a release clause in Motta’s deal with Bologna, which his agent confirmed in an interview in February.

Motta, a former midfielder who has played for the likes of Barcelona, Inter and PSG, is also not short of suitors this summer. One of the many clubs linked to him includes Liverpool’s rivals Manchester United, who could part ways with Erik ten Hag in favour of appointing Motta.

Motta's famous and unique style

The Athletic’s Serie A correspondent James Horncastle described Motta and his Bologna side as “special” recently on X, and it is easy to understand why, given the feats of a remarkable nature they are achieving this season.

Bologna are currently fourth in Serie A, on 58 points, three points clear of fifth place Roma. Whilst winning the Scudetto seems highly unlikely, they could certainly finish as high as second, and achieve Champions League qualification.

However, what makes Motta unique is the 2-7-2 system he employs, and as an extension of that, the way he sees football. To break it down further, Motta sees the players on the pitch in a vertical, rather than horizontal, formation, breaking down the pitch into three vertical sections rather than the usual defensive, midfield, and attacking lines most see the game.

One of Motta’s most interesting quotes surrounding his system and the way he views the pitch came when he was PSG U19s manager, in an interview he gave with Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport. Motta explained that the “goalkeeper counts as one of the midfield seven”.

Ideally, Motta would like his goalkeeper to push up when his side has the ball, becoming a true part of his side’s play and essentially becoming another midfield player.

This would translate well over to Liverpool, whose first-choice goalkeeper, Alisson, is confident with the ball at his feet, and would not have any issues playing further forward.

Indeed, the Brazilian averages 36.81 passes per 90 minutes this season, ranking him in the top 10% amongst goalkeepers in Europe’s big five leagues, as per Fbref, so he should have no issues adapting to Motta’s demands.

Motta’s Bologna are a side that likes lots of possession. According to Fbref, they average 58.3% of the ball per game in Serie A this season, which ranks them 15th in Europe’s big five leagues. Liverpool are one of the 14 sides better than them, with an average of 60.7% possession per match, placing them ninth. The Reds would not have any trouble adapting to Motta’s high-possession style, either.

The stats suggest Motta would certainly be a good fit for Liverpool, and whilst every club needs to adapt to a new manager, the transition to Motta would be fairly seamless and Liverpool could well hit the ground running under the former Italy international. If they do not land their number one target in Amorim, the Bologna manager could prove to be an astute second choice.

Endrick has explained the role Cristiano Ronaldo played in his Real Madrid presentation tears, with the Brazilian wonderkid emulating his idol.

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Exciting forward completed switch to SpainPortuguese superstar was boyhood heroAmbitious long-term goals being setGetty ImgesWHAT HAPPENED?

Having celebrated his 18th birthday on July 21, exciting teenage forward Endrick has been cleared to complete his transfer from Palmeiras to Santiago Bernabeu. The youngster has been officially unveiled in the Spanish capital, with emotion spilling out of him on a big day.

AdvertisementWHAT ENDRICK SAID

Endrick has said of his tears, as he follows in the illustrious footsteps of Blancos legend CR7: “I hadn’t planned it, but I’ve loved Real Madrid since I was a kid. I saw Cristiano Ronaldo and because of him I wanted to know a bit more about Real Madrid. Years ago I looked up all the idols, also [Emilio] Butragueno. Since I was a child I was in love with Real Madrid. I didn’t want to cry, but it came from my soul.”

Getty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Endrick scored 21 goals through 79 appearances for Palmeiras, while also earning 10 senior caps for Brazil. He claims Madrid was the only destination he was willing to consider when leaving his homeland, with bold long-term targets being drawn up. He added: “I’ve been in love with Madrid since I was a kid, I wanted to come here. When the negotiations started, the only thing I asked was if Madrid were in the negotiations. I didn’t care about any other club. I’ve always wanted Real Madrid. I’ve been signing for a long time. I hope to stay here for the rest of my life.”

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WHAT NEXT?

Becoming a Real stalwart will be no easy task for Endrick, as he faces fierce competition for places in Spain. He has linked up with the Blancos a matter of weeks after World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe, while the holders of La Liga and Champions League titles also have Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo on their books.

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill has admitted that the Blues have made some mistakes during pre-season as he opened up on playing under Enzo Maresca.

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Colwill speaks about life under MarescaAdmitted Blues made mistakes in pre-seasonWill face Club America on WednesdayWHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues have failed to register a win in their first two pre-season friendly matches in the United States. After being held by League One side Wrexham to a 2-2 draw, they went down 4-1 against Celtic during the weekend. After disappointing results in back-to-back games, Colwill opened up about their difficulties in the pre-season while claiming that the team are still adjusting to the tactics of new head coach Maresca.

AdvertisementWHAT LEVI COLWILL SAID

Speaking to reporters, the 21-year-old said, "There have been mistakes, but that's what pre-season is for. We are building with a whole different approach. It's exciting. I played left-back a lot last season and am willing to play anywhere to help the team. If the gaffer needs me to play in goal I'll do it!

"I wouldn't say it's been a heavy pre-season. None of us are complaining. We want to be in the best form, and confident in the style of play. They have such good staff behind the gaffer and have been working with us individually and as units."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Colwill was involved in an ugly fight during their first pre-season friendly against the Red Dragons as he clashed with James McClean, which led to a mass brawl between both sets of players. Earlier in the summer, he was linked with a move to Bayern Munich, however, the German giants never formally approached the Premier League club.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

The West London side will play three more friendly games in the U.S. against Club America, Manchester City and Real Madrid on July 31, August 3 and August 6 respectively before heading back home.

Tottenham Hotspur turned it around once again on Saturday, defeating valiant Luton Town after the relegation-threatened side took an early lead down the N17.

It was a crucial victory for the fifth-placed side after Aston Villa, marginally ahead in the top four, defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers later that afternoon.

Now, Ange Postecoglou's team travel to east London to meet West Ham United in the Premier League, knowing that victory will hand them fourth spot once more before Villa make the daunting trip northward to clash against Manchester City.

Spurs team news

Radu Dragusin's two-game starting streak will likely end this evening with Micky van de Ven in line to start, having pulled up with a minor hamstring injury against Villa before the international break.

Postecoglou will be thankful that his side have no new injury concerns but Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon and Fraser Forster remain long-term absentees.

Despite this, Tottenham played mere days ago and Postecoglou might be inclined to make a couple of alterations, with Yves Bissouma possibly set to move to the bench after a string of indifferent performances.

Spurs must ditch Yves Bissouma vs West Ham

Bissouma struggled last season after joining Tottenham from Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal rising to £35m in June 2022, starting just ten times in the Premier League in a stuttering and injury-affected campaign.

A man reborn under new management – described as a "monster" by journalist Aaron Stokes – as Tottenham blazed into early-season form, Bissouma has lost his way a bit over the past several months and has yet to shake off an overaggressiveness that has created two separate red card suspensions, with a one-match ban after accumulating five yellow cards earlier in the season too.

Still, as per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 11% for successful take-ons, the top 5% for tackles and the top 7% for interceptions per 90, showcasing his elite passing ability and robustness in defensive efforts.

Luton Town (H)

2-1 win

5/10

Fulham (A)

3-0 loss

3/10

Aston Villa (A)

4-0 win

7/10

Crystal Palace (H)

3-1 win

8/10

Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)

2-1 loss

5/10

But there's no denying that he has lapsed over the past few weeks. The player ratings above show Tottenham's past five fixtures and the five matches Bissouma has started in the Premier League since his rash red card against Nottingham Forest before Christmas.

Rodrigo Bentancur, who has really suffered with injuries this season, has been fit for the past few months but has been restricted to substitute appearances across his past three league games. The Uruguayan is unquestionably one of the club's most talented players but has indeed been unfortunate with setbacks – perhaps now is the time to provide him with a chance to return to the front of the squad's midfield standings.

With the energetic, effervescent Pape Matar Sarr, aged 21, raring for yet another start, Postecoglou might feel that the time is right to move Bissouma back to the bench after a series of inconsistent showings.

Spurs ace is now well and truly undroppable after 9/10 Luton display

The Spurs ace has been fantastic under Ange Postecoglou this season.

ByTom Lever Mar 31, 2024

The wicketkeeper-batsman neutralised the threat of Rashid Khan to help the Sixers chase down 177

The Report by Vishal Dikshit05-Jan-2020A stunning display of strokeplay from wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Philippe and an impressive fightback from the Sydney Sixers bowlers, led by the returning Josh Hazlewood, earned them their fifth win of the season. Chasing 177 against the Adelaide Strikers at the sell-out Coffs Harbour ground with nearly 10,000 spectators, the Sixers openers Philippe and Justin Avendano put on 72 in under nine overs to set the platform. Avendano fell for a 33-ball 47 but the Strikers’ total wasn’t steep enough on a batsman-friendly pitch as Philippe saw them through for a seven-wicket win.Avendano fires the engine, Philippe puts out Rashid KhanThe 22-year-old Philippe had been called an “excitement machine” by Mike Hesson, who secured him at base price for Royal Challengers Bangalore at the IPL auction last month, and he showed exactly why. While Avendano took on the quicks early on, Philippe proved his worth when Rashid Khan bowled the last over of the powerplay. Off his first ball against Khan, Philippe swept the spinner fine for four and two balls later, he picked the quicker delivery and hammered it for six to make it a 12-run over.Josh Hazlewood was in fine form on his BBL comeback•Getty ImagesAvendano showed his intent early against the fast bowlers. The first balls he faced from Michael Neser, Billy Stanlake, Harry Conway and Peter Siddle all went for boundaries; including a six against Siddle. It showed Avendano, who joined the squad on Saturday and came in for regular captain Moises Henriques (missing out to attend the birth of his first child), wasn’t going to let the experienced names dominate in only his fourth T20. He pulled and drove fearlessly, struck the ball cleanly, and took the pressure off Philippe before a leading edge ended his innings in the ninth over.Philippe, on 25 then, steered the Sixers’ chase as the Strikers kept Rashid’s last three overs for later. He returned in the 12th over with the Sixers still needing 86 from 54 and Philippe used the crease well to sweep again and seemed to pick the wrong’uns from the hand by going deep in his crease to collect runs, using the tactic to bring up his 36-ball fifty in the 15th over. Rashid accounted for Daniel Hughes in that over but Philippe and James Vince didn’t allow the legspinner any more success and the England batsman smoked him for a six in his last over as Rashid ended with 1 for 34. Philippe scored 23 of those runs while facing only 12 balls from Rashid.Despite the Sixers being mostly in control of the chase, things got tense towards the end when they needed 32 from 18, and Siddle only conceded seven in his third over to bring the equation to 25 from 12. But Philippe rose to the occasion again and virtually ended the chase with the first three balls of the 19th over against Neser. Expecting yorkers, he stayed deep in the crease and drilled the first two full deliveries for fours before dispatching a short ball over midwicket for his fourth six. The Sixers only needed four off the last over, and Tom Curran sealed victory with a straight six off Siddle.Jonathan Wells fought well for the Strikers•Getty ImagesHazlewood puts the brakes on in BBL returnHazlewood last played in the BBL in 2014 and his last ODI appearance was in November 2018 but it didn’t show at all. He stuck to his Test lines and lengths, didn’t use any slower deliveries or yorkers, and stifled the Strikers with his accuracy. The Strikers had raced to 1 for 67 in seven overs, cashing in on the diet of short balls they were being served, before Hazlewood came back for his second spell. A scratchy-looking Alex Carey’s problems were compounded when Hazlewood kept angling the ball away from him from off stump; the pressure mounted and Carey made room to heave but he missed a straight delivery and lost his leg stump, for 29 off 31.Hazlewood’s heat fired up the other quicks as they collectively brought down the run rate from 9.57 to 7.23 by the end of the 13th over, Hazlewood finishing with 1 for 18. At 5 for 120 after 15 overs, the Strikers were lifted by Jonathan Wells’ timing and clever placement which earned him a useful unbeaten 40 off 28 along with the lower-middle order. The Strikers collected 56 from the last five as Neser and Rashid also chipped in with cameos.Sixers’ fielding helps Strikers but not muchIf the Strikers didn’t help themselves by not promoting Rashid up the order as they have recently done, they were at least aided by the Sixers’ fielding errors. Ben Dwarshuis put down two consecutive chances, despite getting his hands to both, at deep backward square leg in the last over, Rashid the beneficiary both times. Earlier too, there were several misfields: once in the powerplay, then in the 14th and 15th overs, and Lloyd Pope and Daniel Hughes also put down catches in the circle. One misfield also led to Matthew Short’s run-out for a diamond duck but the Sixers can’t take credit for that.Currently placed second on the table, the Sixers will have to up their fielding game to stay near the top.