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India’s first-class circuit has become the centre of the triple-hundred universe of late, and here are the numbers to prove it

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2017ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The prolific fast-bowling duo will not be working together after Waqar Younis failed to reach an agreement with Multan Sultans on becoming their head coach

Umar Farooq22-Aug-2017A dream reunion of fast-bowling greats Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis is off the cards after the latter failed to reach an agreement with Multan Sultans to become their head coach. And to no surprise to fans familiar with their playing careers, it seems as if their relationship – often tumultuous and strained during their playing days – has played a role.Waqar, who has had two stints with Pakistan as the national head coach, was not involved in the first two seasons of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). But with the addition of a sixth team for the third season, he was approached in June to join Multan Sultans – owned by the Schön Group, a Dubai-based enterprise well-established in the real-estate business in Pakistan. The franchise had already signed Akram as director of cricket operations.”I have been in discussions with them but sadly we didn’t reach a final agreement,” Waqar told ESPNcricinfo. “They [Multan owners] are good people and I was delighted to have an offer mainly because the idea of reuniting with Wasim Akram was fascinating. Both of us working for the same cause of cricket for the same team would have been great. I wish Wasim very good luck with his plans to form his own team.”During an interview with the previous night, however, Waqar had given the merest hint of his problems with Akram being part of the reason. Though he struck a conciliatory note there as well, and thanked the franchise for considering him, he did add: “Wasim will make whatever team they put together and probably I don’t come in that plan… which I have probably never been in his plans.”I always wanted to be part of Multan because it’s linked with where I’m from, the city and region of South Punjab where I am from, so it’s unfortunate.”Both Akram and Waqar dominated world cricket in the 1990s, despite differences in their relationship. Over the years, both players have moved on, with Waqar even expressing regret over the way things were. This PSL venture with Multan would have been the first time they would have worked together since their retirements in 2003.In the 61 Tests that the two played together, they took 559 wickets between them – 282 for Akram, 277 for Waqar. They are the third most prolific fast-bowling duo after West Indians Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, and English spearheads James Anderson and Stuart Broad.Akram has had two stints with Islamabad United, winning the inaugural championship in 2016. The 2017 season was less successful, beginning with three of the franchise’s cricketers – Mohammad Irfan, Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan – embroiled in a spot-fixing scandal.Multan Sultans refused to comment but confirmed that they had been in discussions with Waqar. They had a shoot planned with Waqar and Akram in Multan today, but it has been postponed after the deal fell through.

Crystal Palace have submitted a proposal for Flamengo youngster Matheus Franca this summer, according to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Matheus Franca?

The 19-year-old is seen as a big talent back in his homeland of Brazil, already picking up plenty of experience despite not yet being out of his teens. He has racked up 54 appearances for Flamengo, scoring nine goals in that time, and he also won six caps for Brazil's under-16s in the past.

Franca's current contract doesn't expire until December 2027, so Flamengo are in a strong bargaining position when it comes to the attacker's future, being able to demand big money for his signature and not having to worry about losing him on the cheap any time soon.

Chelsea have been linked with a move for the Brazilian a number of times recently as they look to make some significant progress in the summer transfer window, but it looks as though Palace are also in the mix to sign him, as they eye up an ambitious piece of transfer business.

Could Crystal Palace sign Franca?

Taking to Twitter, Romano provided an update on Franca's future, confirming Palace's interest in the youngster, but also talking up a potential move to Chelsea:

"Crystal Palace have submitted a formal proposal for Matheus França. Talks are ongoing for the Brazilian talent. Understand Franca’s open to the move despite interest from Chelsea – #CFC spoke to Flamengo but no bid as €25m is still excessive."

Franca could be a hugely exciting signing for Palace this summer, especially if they can beat Chelsea to his services, acting as something of a statement signing. Fabio Matias, Under-20s coach at Flamengo, has spoken glowingly about him in the past, saying:

"He has many important aspects to his game. In addition to technical and tactical ability, he has a very good understanding of the game.

"That makes him stand out because he interprets spaces well. The most talented players have an understanding of space and how to manage that. He also has the ability to be decisive in front of goal and is a great finisher."

Franca could be viewed as the latest attacking starlet at Palace, with the likes of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise developing so much down the years, and he could even help fill the potential void left by Wilfried Zaha should the Eagles legend move on to pastures new this summer following a memorable couple of spells in south London.

Primarily a central-attacking midfielder, the young South American can also play out wide, and such versatility could appeal to Roy Hodgson as he looks to make key reinforcements and bring in players who can be effective in the present and the future.

Chelsea do appear to be the favourites to sign Franca, however, considering they are a bigger club who have a greater chance of winning trophies moving forward, but it is certainly encouraging to see Palace in the picture as things stand, as they look to beat one of their London rivals to the signature of a top young talent.

Following a relatively slow start to the window, things look to be hotting up for Manchester United at present, with the Red Devils having already wrapped up a deal for England international, Mason Mount.

As per The Athletic, the Old Trafford outfit have now lodged a bid for Inter Milan goalkeeper, Andre Onana amid the continued uncertainty over David De Gea's future at the club, with Erik ten Hag and co also said to have made a handful of offers for Atalanta's 20-year-old striker, Rasmus Hojlund, amid the search for a new number nine.

The latter man may not be the only exciting young talent who could be on his way to the Theatre of Dreams this summer, however, with The Guardian's Ed Aarons having reported this week that United are among the clubs to have "enquired" about the prospect of signing Red Bull Salzburg teenager, Oscar Gloukh.

The 19-year-old playmaker only joined the Austrian outfit on a €7m (£6m) deal back in January after starting his career at Maccabi Tel Aviv, although the Israeli international appears to have caught the eye of teams across Europe – with Barcelona also showing an interest in his progress.

Heralded as "one of the greatest talents in Europe" by pundit Luis Vicente Matteo, the midfield maestro appears to be "another jewel in Salzburg's collection of talents", according to talent scout Jacek Kulig, with the Bundesliga side having repeatedly churned out potential superstars in recent years.

The Red Devils were notably interested in signing striker Benjamin Sesko from the club prior to the Slovenian marksman agreeing a move to sister club RB Leipzig, although it is the inability to prise Erling Haaland from the Red Bull Arena that will particularly sting for the Premier League giants.

With competition evidently fierce for young Gloukh, United must not make the same mistake again…

Did Man United nearly sign Erling Haaland?

It remains a real source of frustration for United supporters that the Norwegian machine never made his way to Old Trafford, with former boss Ole Gunnar Solskajer having reportedly recommended the young hitman to United after coaching his compatriot at Molde.

It was Haaland's stint at Salzburg which particularly captivated the attention of the Red Devils, however, as the Leeds-born menace scored 29 goals in just 27 games for the club across all fronts, sparking speculation that a move to England could be on the cards heading into the 2020 January transfer window.

As it proved, Ed Woodward and co were unable to clinch what would have been a notable coup as the explosive forward ultimately sealed a move to Borussia Dortmund, prior to wreaking havoc for neighbours Manchester City – for whom the 22-year-old scored 52 goals in just 53 games during a devastating debut campaign at the Etihad last time out.

For United to have come so close to wrapping up a deal over three years ago – with Solskjaer even meeting his representatives in the winter of 2019 – only to then fluff their lines remains a real blunder, with the aim likely not to make the same mistake again if they are serious about signing Gloukh.

Although the latter man is yet to emulate Haaland's impact at Salzburg, the teen machine has still contributed four goals and assists in just 17 games over the last six months, after previously chipping in with 17 goal involvements in 33 games during his stint in Tel Aviv.

Having also previously netted against England in last year's U19 European Championship final, the 5 foot 7 dynamo also sparkled against the Three Lions at U21 level on Wednesday evening, notably registering six key passes in that eventual 3-0 defeat as a marker of his exciting promise.

That performance may have alerted even more clubs to his impressive potential, hence why Ten Hag and co need to steal a march and get to the front of the queue, ensuring that United don't endure a repeat of their Haaland heartbreak.

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Aymeric Laporte, as Manchester City are planning to sign Josko Gvardiol, which means the Spaniard could be shown the exit door, according to Football London.

Are Tottenham signing a defender?

Tottenham have been busy in the transfer market so far, with Manor Solomon set to become their fourth signing of the summer, following Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicari, however they are yet to bring in a new defender.

Spurs are still interested in Barcelona's Clement Lenglet, and they are trying to pressure the Spanish club into selling the France international for free, while they are also working on deals for Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba and Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has recently claimed he does not believe that Laporte has rejected a move to north London, despite contrary previous reports, and now the Lilywhites have been handed another boost in their pursuit of the centre-back.

According to a report from Football London, Tottenham have seen their chances of signing the Spain international increase, with the recent news that Man City are planning a £86m swoop for RB Leipzig defender Gvardiol.

However, it is also detailed that Arsenal have now joined the race for the 29-year-old, meaning Spurs may have to fend off competition from their bitter rivals if they are to win the race for his signature this summer.

Is Aymeric Laporte leaving Man City?

The France-born defender played a very limited role for Man City last season, making 12 appearances in the Premier League, and his game time could be reduced even further if Pep Guardiola manages to get a deal for Gvardiol over the line.

As such, it would not be a surprise if the £120k-per-week centre-back leaves this summer, and he could be exactly what Tottenham need to quell their defensive issues, having conceded 63 goals in the 2022-23 campaign.

When the former Athletic Bilbao man, dubbed "incredible" by Pep Guardiola, was given the opportunity last season, he usually impressed, receiving a 8.2 Sofascore match rating against Chelsea in the FA Cup third round after winning ten of the 11 duels he contested.

Laporte is very assured in possession of the ball, ranking in the 97th percentile for his pass-completion rate per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and Tottenham should definitely pursue a move if he becomes available.

A round up of the Central Zone matches from the Inter State T20 Tournament held on February 3, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2017

A miserly spell of 3 for 6 in four overs from legspinner Shubham Agarwal helped Chhattisgarh eke out a six-run victory over Railways in Jaipur. Chhattisgarh have now won two matches out of four and sit in third place in the Central Zone group table. Railways were 93 for 3 in the 14th over after being set 127 to win, but could manage only 27 for 5 from the last 6.1 overs after Shubham removed set batsman Hemant Singh (24 off 31).Part-time offspinners Ashutosh Singh, who removed Mahesh Rawat for 27 off 21, and Sahil Gupta, who dismissed Karn Sharma, also played their parts. The duo conceded only three runs and took a wicket each from their respective solitary overs. Earlier, Shubham had top-scored for Chhattisgarh, scoring 36 off 32 balls after Amandeep Khare (31 off 19) – the only other batsman to go past 30 in the match – had been dismissed in the sixth over. Medium-pacer Amit Mishra took 3 for 16 as Railways restricted their opponents to 126.File photo – Piyush Chawla took 3 for 37 but couldn’t rescue his team with the bat as they folded for 135 in their chase•BCCI

Chandrakant Sakure picked up the wickets of Piyush Chawla (24 off 18) and Praveen Kumar (20 off 14) on debut as Madhya Pradesh defended 161 against Uttar Pradesh to remain unbeaten after three matches in the Inter-State T20 tournament. UP, who were bowled out for 58 against Railways on Thursday, slumped to 60 for 6 in 11.1 overs. Chawla and Kumar added 44 off 30 deliveries to keep UP alive before Sakure’s strike off successive deliveries proved to be decisive.Eklavya Dwivedi (33) was the only other batsman to come up with a contribution of note. Earlier in the game, MP overcame a batting wobble of their own to post 161 for 9.They were 69 for 4 when Naman Ojha was dismissed for 37. Sohraab Dhaliwal struck four fours and four sixes in his 25-ball 51 to give the innings momentum. Ankit Rajpoot was the pick of UP’s bowlers, with figures of 4 for 29. The loss was UP’s third in four matches.

Chelsea may be set to lose N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic this summer, but they could well already have a ready-made replacement of sorts in 19-year-old prodigy Andrey Santos.

What is the latest with Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos?

Between splashing out huge sums to sign Enzo Fernandez, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile and Noni Madueke in the January transfer window, the Blues also confirmed the signing of relatively unknown youngster Santos.

Brought in for an undisclosed fee, though to be in the region of £18m, Santos was denied the chance to make any sort of impact in the second half of the 2022/23 season as he was unable to obtain a work permit.

However, as reported by the Evening Standard, the teenager has now been given the green light to begin training for Chelsea. It is claimed in the report that new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, a man known for giving youngsters a chance, is ready to cast a close eye on the Brazilian during pre-season.

Can Andrey Santos be an instant hit at Chelsea?

Santos' short career to date has been spent exclusively with Vasco da Gama, where he returned in March for three months after being blocked from representing Chelsea.

The young Brazilian caught the eye from a young age at Vasco, scoring eight goals in 33 Brasileiro Serie B games in 2022. Santos' reputation would further grow at the South American U-20 Championship, with the Rio native captaining Brazil to an undefeated title triumph and finishing as joint-top scorer with six goals.

As pointed out by The Athletic reporter Simon Johnson, "it was very smart of [Chelsea] to get a deal done" prior to the tournament taking place, with his fee only set to rise further on the back of his starring displays.

Santos arrives at Premier League heavyweights Chelsea at a point in which replacements are being sought for Kovacic and Kante, who have been linked with Manchester City and Saudi Arabian champions Al-Ittihad.

Kante barely featured for Chelsea last season due to injury, but Kovacic started 33 times in all competitions – the same number of starts Santos managed last year with Vasco.

While the quality of the two leagues must be factored in, the statistics give an indication of what Chelsea can expect from Santos, who differs from Kovacic in some areas but is similar in others.

For example, Santos averaged 0.25 direct goal involvements per 90 last year, as per FBref, compared to 0.12 for Kovacic. The former is far more accurate with his shots, finding the target 36.2% of the time, which is an increase on Kovacic's return of 9.4%.

Santos won 1.97 tackles per 90, compared to 1.11 for Kovacic, while they were alike for interceptions per 90 – 0.83 v 0.87.

As he has shown for Brazil U20, Santos – who Lyon legend Juninho Pernambucano hailed as "complete" and dubbed a "monster" – is confident with carrying the ball forward and is capable of putting it in the net, which is further highlighted by his aforementioned goal return last term.

While he may lack the experience of Kovacic, who is a decade older, Santos has all the qualities to quickly win over Chelsea supporters in what they will hope is a brighter future than last season suggested.

If anyone can develop a promising talent into a first-team star, then it's certainly Pochettino and it seems like Santos will stand a good chance of being involved come the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

The BCCI has called for a Special General Meeting (SGM) on October 15 in Delhi to discuss the interim order passed by the Supreme Court last week. The order had given the board and state associations to respond by October 17 whether they would “unconditionally” comply with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.This week’s SGM is the second such emergent meeting called by the BCCI in the last two weeks. At the last SGM, on October 1, the BCCI had decided to conditionally adopt some of the recommendations which further infuriated the court.Consequently, the three-judge bench of the Supreme Court alerted the BCCI “not to precipitate” matters during the hearing last Friday. The court also asked the board to stop issuing funds to errant state associations which did not implement the recommendations.Despite the pressing directive and the urgency sought from the court, both BCCI as well as most states associations continued to remain stoic and unaffected. Incidentally, the board’s notice on the SGM only reached the state associations on Monday. Also, president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke are currently in Cape Town attending ICC meetings from October 10 to 14.Officials at both BCCI and state associations ESPNcricinfo spoke to pointed out that certain discrepancies between the July 18 court order passed by the court and the Lodha Committee report that was released on January 4. The board is likely to point out the same during the next hearing on October 17 when the court reconvenes after the holidays.One legal loophole, Shirke pointed out, was whereas earlier in the Lodha report state associations were given one year, the July 18 court order prescribed a maximum of six months to implement the recommendations. Shirke said it only created confusion. “The legal difficulties are that the committee has given the state associations one year,” Shirke told the . “Now suddenly, they have made it deadline-bound. Has the one-year deadline been withdrawn by the SC? We don’t know. It hasn’t been informed. Now, today’s order of the Supreme Court says, as we didn’t submit the affidavit, they had to stop the money. In light of all this, there’s confusion.”In the Lodha report, referring to grounds for sanction and derecognition of a member, the committee had said: “No Member shall be entitled to any grant from the BCCI if its Constitution fails to provide for, or comply with the following within One Year after the Effective Date.” The “following” was essentially the new governance structure suggested by the committee for which the states would first need to amend their constitution.However, a basic reading of the court order makes it clear the court had designated the Lodha Committee to oversee and direct the implementation of the recommendations at both BCCI and state level within a “reasonable” period ranging between four and six months from the July 18 order.BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke has said there is “confusion” over the one-year deadline given by the Lodha report in January and the July 18 court order which prescribes a maximum of six months to implement the recommendations•AFP

So far, only two official Full Members, Vidarbha Cricket Association and Tripura Cricket Association, have adopted the recommendations unanimously. Rajasthan Cricket Association, which is not recognised by BCCI since it elected Lalit Modi (banned by BCCI) as its president, was the first to adopt the recommendations. However, most of bigger state associations remain defiant.A former BCCI office bearer, who is currently head of a state association, was irritated when asked if he was bothered by the last week’s court directive which asked the BCCI to stop issuing funds to the states. “There is no difficulty we – states – face,” he said. “Lodha Committee has given a particular recommendation about the states. In the Supreme Court judgement, para 61, the court has said it accepts the rights of a citizens under Article 19 (1) (c) to form an association and the court will not interfere.”The official pointed out that the court had said the BCCI could not be granted the same immunity under Article 19(1) (c) since it is a private body performing a public function. “The court has now asked BCCI to stop giving funds to state associations that do not comply with the recommendations set by the Lodha Committee. But if I don’t (comply) nobody can touch me. The board will not pay me money, but that money can only be board’s money. If the money belongs to the states, the court cannot stop us.”The official said that if his state association were to host an international match, he has the right to get the money that the BCCI earns from the broadcasting rights. “We are holding the match. BCCI is only negotiating on our behalf.”A senior lawyer, who is well conversant with the BCCI constitution, said the state association president had misread and misinterpreted the clause. The lawyer pointed out he had heard the same reasoning being given by more than one state association. “Everyone has a right to freedom of association under Article 19 (1) (c), but once you have associated the court has said nothing stops it from regulating you (the state association) after you carry out a public function,” the lawyer said.

Liverpool target and OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram is being pushed by his father to complete a move to Anfield, according to journalist Jacque Talbot.

Is Khephren Thuram leaving Nice?

The France U21s international still has another two years remaining on his contract at the Allianz Riviera, but having impressed during his 30 Ligue 1 starts last season, has grabbed the attention of FSG and Jurgen Klopp.

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, correspondent Jonathan Johnson revealed that the 22-year-old is one of several central candidates being “looked at” as the boss aims to replace the departing James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Back in May, L’Equipe reported that the Reds have already held a positive meeting with the 6 foot 4 giant's representatives, and Football Transfers have since claimed that the two parties are now in “advanced” talks and Jurgen Klopp is a “huge fan” of his target.

Are Liverpool signing Thuram?

According to Talbot in his column for NUFC Blog, Thuram’s father and advisor, Lilian Thuram, is “pushing a move” to Liverpool ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. The Merseyside outfit are believed to be “progressing” towards completing a deal, and whilst there is other interest from Premier League rivals Newcastle United, it sounds as if it’s the former who are currently in pole position.

Liverpool are expected to complete the signing of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Alexis Mac Allister before the end of the week, and Thuram, praised for being an "energetic" and "tenacious" player with "excellent technique" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, looks to be an excellent complement to the versatile Argentine.

The Reggio Emilia native, who currently pockets £14.5k-per-week, naturally sits just in front of the backline and is a protector of the defence, which is proven by him averaging 1.5 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per league game last season, via WhoScored.

The Reds target, however, is also capable of contributing to efforts at the opposite end of the pitch having posted ten goal contributions (eight assists and two goals) across all competitions during the previous term, not to mention that he recorded a total of 84 shot-creating actions which was more than any other of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef.

Finally, like Mac Allister, Thuram would add wonderful versatility to the squad with his ability to operate in four various roles, including anywhere across the midfield, so the board should definitely consider tabling an offer to bring him to Anfield.

Arsenal will be looking to keep the pressure on Manchester City when they return to Premier League action later today.

Mikel Arteta's side welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to the Emirates Stadium, where the Seagulls will want to bounce back from their surprise 5-1 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out.

The Spaniard is dealing with several injury problems, with both Oleksandr Zinchenko and William Saliba notable absentees ahead of kick-off, so what sort of side could he select this afternoon?

How will Arsenal line up against Brighton?

It should be business as usual for Aaron Ramsdale between the sticks, particularly after an impressive display and clean sheet against Newcastle United last weekend.

Arteta will be enforced into his first change in defence, where Kieran Tierney seems like an obvious replacement for the aforementioned Ukraine international.

The £32m-rated Scot – who former Gunners star Ashley Cole once branded as a "warrior" and a "leader" on Sky Sports (via the Metro) – was a lot more defensively reassuring against the Magpies when he came on for Zinchenko on the hour mark. He won 100% of his duels, put in two clearances and made one tackle, per Sofascore.

Ben White will continue on the other flank, meaning Gabriel Magalhaes and Jakub Kiwior continue their impressive-looking central defensive partnership in the middle.

Meanwhile in midfield, it's hard to see Jorginho dropping out of the side right now after another commanding effort in the engine room, so the trio of him, Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard seems set in stone for the time being, meaning there is still no return for Thomas Partey in the starting lineup.

Further up the pitch, Arteta has a big call to make over Bukayo Saka, who has been quiet over the past few outings. The England star has only provided two goal contributions across his last seven league matches and both of those came against Southampton, who have since been relegated to the Championship.

Instead, there could be a start for Leandro Trossard against his former club. Arsenal often look better when the £22m-rated Belgian "game-changer" – as once lauded by BBC journalist Phil McNulty – is involved, it's just hard to weave him into the XI when Gabriel Martinelli and Saka have been on song, though his time could now come in a big call from Arteta.

The Brazilian winger, who leads the squad for goals, would then keep his place alongside fellow countryman Gabriel Jesus. There is a chance that the former City dynamo features out wide, with Trossard acting as a false nine of sorts, though he could easily play through the middle, as per normal.

Predicted Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Tierney, Gabriel, Kiwior, White; Jorginho, Xhaka, Odegaard; Martinelli, Jesus, Trossard