An outsider entered the bubble when Shakib was having a batting session at the indoor facilities of the Shere Bangla National Stadium

Mohammad Isam05-Jun-2021

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has started an investigation on a biosecure bubble breach during a practice session of the ongoing Dhaka Premier League. This is the first such report incident since the tournament started on May 31, with match venues and four team hotels coming under the board’s biosecure bubble.The incident reportedly took place on Friday, during Mohammedan Sporting Club’s training session, when captain Shakib Al Hasan was having a batting session at the indoor facilities of the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka. The BCB is investigating the entry of an outsider although the identity of the person remains unknown.”We are disappointed to note this incident,” Kazi Inam Ahmed, the chairman of Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM), said. “Both the CCDM and the BCB have taken this very seriously. The health and safety of our teams, players, and officials are most important to us. We have invested a significant amount of finances and efforts to make sure the BSE (bio-security environment) protocols are in place including the best possible accommodation and logistics. This incident is being looked into and necessary actions and further precautionary measures will be taken.”The tournament’s disciplinary committee is supposed to investigate the incident. The BCB said before the tournament that any breach could mean a fine, suspension, and even point deductions for the club.The DPL is taking place during the latest phase of lockdown, which began on April 5. Bangladesh is experiencing a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with 43 deaths and another 1447 positives cases in the last 24 hours.The BCB though remain hopeful that the tournament can finish this time, after it was postponed in March 2020. For that, the board has pulled out all the stops, including shortening the tournament to T20 format and paying for the biosecure bubble of all 12 teams and match officials, who are put up in four five-star hotels in Dhaka. The cost of the bubble is in excess of Taka 7 crore (USD 825,230 approx). Bangladesh’s first-class competition, the National Cricket League, also remains postponed since April this year.

Jofra Archer and Ollie Robinson among players to commit disciplinary breaches

Matt Roller18-Jun-2021Sussex have been handed a suspended points penalty after five of their players were charged with showing dissent at umpiring decisions within a 12-month period.Jack Carson, Ollie Robinson, Ravi Bopara, Delray Rawlins and Jofra Archer (playing for the club’s 2nd XI) have all committed Level One offences under the ECB’s disciplinary code since the start of last summer’s Bob Willis Trophy.Related

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A virtual hearing of the Cricket Discipline Commission (CDC) took place on Tuesday and imposed a suspended points penalty, which will result in a deduction of 12 points in the County Championship and/or two points in the Royal London Cup and/or two points in the T20 Blast if Sussex players incur a further two fixed-penalty breaches in any competition within the next 12 months.Sussex admitted the charge and agreed with the CDC’s panel that the penalty should be no greater than that imposed on Nottinghamshire last year, when five of their players committed offences during a five-week period in the T20 Blast.The panel, chaired by Chris Tickle alongside Amrisha Parathalingam and Paul Joy, also noted that Sussex had taken “steps to address their problem”, including a meeting held in March in which “players and coaches discussed dissent and other behavioural issues with the very experienced umpire Ian Gould”.

Cesc Fabregas has dismissed a quote as fake as he distances himself from a Bukayo Saka versus Cole Palmer debate.

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Fabregas slams fake quoteSaka and Palmer both excelling Players face off next monthFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder denied a fake quote that suggested he believed Saka was a better player than Palmer. The original tweet also claimed the Como 1907 coach said Palmer would not start for Arsenal, Manchester City or Liverpool. As debate over who should be England's starting right-winger continues, Fabregas instead praised both players and called for an end to a debate he considers unnecessary.

AdvertisementDAZNWHAT FABREGAS SAID

In a post that has been viewed more than a million times, Fabregas was incorrectly quoted as saying: "I assure you that Palmer cannot get a starting spot at any EPL top 6 except maybe Manchester united and Tottenham. Saka walks in every team on the Universe. For me this debate is irrelevant," with the poster claiming the debate was closed.

Fabregas hit back, writing: "The danger of social media is people really believe anything they read. No need to compare players, England are lucky to have 2 amazing talents, just enjoy them! #Fake!"

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Saka and Palmer have both been excellent for their respective clubs in the Premier League this season. The former leads the league in assists with seven in as many games and has been Arsenal's key man as they look to be part of yet another title race. Meanwhile Palmer has six goals – including four against Brighton – and five assists, scooping the Premier League Player of the Month award for September.

Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR SAKA AND PALMER?

Saka had to withdraw from the England squad with injury but is expected to be fit enough to return for Arsenal next weekend against Bournemouth. The debates with Palmer will continue and culminate in a clash between Arsenal and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in November.

West Ham United are now looking to sign a “sensational” £35m midfielder who’s won the Premier League title two times, amid growing uncertainty surrounding his future…

West Ham eyeing new midfielder amid Paqueta uncertainty

West Ham star Lucas Paqueta recently admitted that he wanted to return to Brazil during the summer transfer window, saying: “Maybe I shouldn’t even be saying this, but I had some conversations with Filipe (Luís), who is a friend, in addition to the work he’s doing at Flamengo,”

“I really expressed my desire to return and also showed it to my agents.”

Ultimately, the attacking midfielder ended up staying put, however, and he has since gone on to put in some impressive performances in the Premier League, scoring three goals, most recently finding the back of the net in the 3-1 victory against Newcastle United.

That said, the Hammers won’t be particularly reassured by the fact one of their key players was angling for a move, and they have now set their sights on a new attacking midfielder, who could be brought in next summer.

That is according to the print edition of the Sunday Mirror (via West Ham Zone), with a report stating West Ham want to be kept informed about Harvey Elliott’s situation, having failed to make an impact since arriving at Aston Villa on loan from Liverpool.

Villa have an obligation to pay £35m for Elliott if he plays ten matches this season, but he hasn’t been getting a look-in as of late, which means Liverpool may recall the Englishman during the January transfer window.

The 22-year-old, who is represented by the same agency as Niclas Fullkrug, is viewed as a target for the summer, rather than this winter, but the Hammers may have to fend off rival interest, with RB Leipzig also named as potential suitors.

"Sensational" Elliott could reignite career at the London Stadium

The attacking midfielder’s move to Villa simply hasn’t worked out, but he is still very young, and there are plenty of signs he could be an exciting acquisition for West Ham, having impressed at times during his spell with Liverpool.

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ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025

The London-born midfielder made 149 appearances for the Reds, amassing 15 goals and 20 assists and playing a role in his side winning two Premier League titles, while the 28-cap England U21 star has also caught the eye at international level.

As such, West Ham should continue to monitor Elliott’s situation as the season goes on, ahead of potentially launching a move next summer, with the former Fulham man in need of a move to a club where game is guaranteed, if he is going to fulfill his potential.

Former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak has been banned for eight years after being charged with – and admitting to – five breaches of the ICC’s anti-corruption code, including accepting a payment in bitcoins from a potential corruptor.Streak, Zimbabwe’s greatest fast bowler, had been under investigation for an extensive list of games through 2017 and 2018, during his post-playing career as a coach, from his time in international cricket – with Zimbabwe from 2016 to 2018 – as well as stints in T20 leagues including the IPL, the BPL and the Afghanistan Premier League (APL).The charges paint a picture of Streak as a facilitator of approaches by a corruptor to people within teams he was a part of. But they also include one charge of disclosing inside information pertaining to matches during a 2018 tri-series involving Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, a Zimbabwe-Afghanistan series in 2018, the 2018 IPL and the 2018 APL.Streak was also charged with facilitating or attempting to introduce four players – including a national captain – to a potential corruptor. The three other charges revolve around his failure to disclose receiving gifts or payment in lieu of this facilitation, the failure to disclose potentially corrupt approaches in the 2017 BPL, and, in 2018, the PSL, IPL and the APL. Those gifts include accepting two bitcoins – converted eventually into US$ 35,000 – from the potential corruptor identified in the ICC’s investigation as Mr X. At the APL, Streak was also gifted a new iPhone for this wife, both of which he failed to disclose to ICC anti-corruption investigators.Although he is believed to initially have contested the allegations, Streak eventually admitted to the charges and agreed to the sanctions. He is now banned from all cricket activities and would be free to resume his involvement again on March 28, 2029.”Heath Streak is an experienced former international cricketer and national team coach, who had participated in numerous anti-corruption education sessions and was fully aware of his responsibilities under the Code,” the ICC’s anti-corruption head Alex Marshall said in a statement. “As a former captain and coach, he held a position of trust and owed a duty to uphold the integrity of the game. He breached the Code on several occasions, including facilitating the approach of four other players. At times, he also sought to obstruct and delay our investigation.”The offences did not affect the outcomes of any relevant matches and Mr Streak has agreed to assist the ICC anti-corruption education programme for which we are grateful. He has also expressed his remorse and contrition and entered this agreed sanction decision to avoid the need for a full disciplinary process. The sanction reflects this cooperation.”Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, members of the Zimbabwe cricket-playing community expressed their shock and sadness at the update, with reactions ranging from “I’m blown away” and “I am genuinely shocked”, to “It’s a kick in the teeth for Zimbabwe cricket and the current crop of players – not only that, but now to regain trust is lengthy process.”David Coltart, the former Zimbabwe sports minister, also expressed his anguish on Twitter, saying “there can be no excuses for this type of behaviour”. ‘Darkest day in Zimbabwe cricket’Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), meanwhile, welcomed and endorsed the ICC decision, calling it a “very sad and shameful episode that might well go down in history as the darkest day in Zimbabwean cricket”.”Streak was a powerful figure adored by many and held up as an idol for future generations of cricketers. In doing this, he held a position of trust and owed a duty to uphold the integrity of the game,” a statement, signed by ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani, said. “But, as we and the rest of the world now know, Streak was also a corrupt, greedy and selfish character who regrettably abused his status and position in pursuit of dirty benefits.”He has let cricket down. He has let down the teams and players he coached. He has let the nation down. He has let down the fans – including impressionable children – who loved and idolised him.”While we have been left to pick up the pieces from the damage, it is our hope that the punishment meted out on Streak will help to reinforce the measures that the ICC and ZC have been taking to root out any wrongdoing in cricket. The integrity of ZC and the sport itself is of paramount importance and, therefore, the need to maintain high levels of honesty and professionalism at leadership and all levels of the game cannot be overemphasised.”Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s sports and recreation commission has requested the country’s national prosecuting authority to “ascertain whether any of the criminal laws in Zimbabwe, particularly those relating to corruption, have been breached by Heath Streak in order that appropriate action is also taken locally”. Saying that the body has zero-tolerance for corruption in sport, the commission has “fully supported and endorsed” the action on the part of the ICC.The sanctions will come as a shock to many given his status as one of the greatest players Zimbabwe has produced. He was a major figure in the national sides of the mid-to-late 90s, a period in which they enjoyed their greatest successes. He remains the only Zimbabwean bowler with more than 100 Test wickets (he has 216) and the only Zimbabwean with over 200 ODI wickets (237). Streak captained Zimbabwe as well in the 2000s, during a difficult period when a number of players withdrew from the national side and as relations between the board and team hit rock bottom.He has since remained in cricket as a coach, with stints as bowling coach of Bangladesh and multiple stints with Zimbabwe. He was also bowling coach for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.One of Zimbabwe’s greatest cricketers, Heath Streak ended with 216 wickets in Tests and 239 in ODIs•EMPICS via Getty Images

The charges

• 2.3.2 – disclosing inside information under both the ICC code and various domestic codes, in circumstances where he knew or should have known that such information may be used for betting purposes. In particular, he disclosed inside information in relation to matches in the 2018 tri-series involving Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan series in 2018, the IPL 2018 and the APL 2018.
• 2.3.3 – directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any participant to breach the code. In particular, he facilitated or attempted to facilitate the introduction of four different players, including a national captain, to someone he knew, or should have known, may have wanted to approach them to provide inside information for betting purposes.
• 2.4.2 – failing to disclose the receipt of any gift, payment, hospitality or other benefit that the participant knew or should have known was given to them to procure a breach of the code or that was made or given in circumstances that could bring the participant or the sport of cricket into disrepute.
• 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the code including in relation to international matches, matches in the 2017 BPL, the 2018 PSL, the 2018 IPL and the 2018 APL.
• 2.4.7 – obstructing or delaying an investigation, including concealing, tampering with or destroying any documentation or other information that may be relevant to that investigation and/or that may be evidence of or may lead to the discovery of evidence of corrupt conduct under the ICC Anti-Corruption code.

With performance and participation, cricket in Nigeria hopes to shape people, their mindsets and value systems

Firdose Moonda17-Jan-2025Women’s cricket in Africa is strongest in the south of the continent, and there are pockets of growth and progress in the east. But now, for the first time, the west will have a presence at a global tournament after Nigeria qualified for this year’s Under-19 women’s T20 World Cup.The history nerds will know that is not because it taken this long for Nigeria, a British colony from 1851 to 1954, to embrace the sport of empire. Cricket has been played there since the early 1900s, but it simply has taken Nigeria this amount of time to excel. Despite having an established cricket federation since 1957 and being an ICC Associate Member since 2002, it was only in the last decade that Nigeria got serious about developing its cricket – as both a men’s and a women’s game.”Over the last five to seven years, there have been some great plans towards the development of cricket – around building infrastructure, building partnerships, [and] collaborations, and specifically, also developing female cricket tournaments and organisations,” Femi John, the women’s U-19 team manager told ESPNcricinfo from Malaysia, where the age-group World Cup gets underway on Saturday.”In particular, for the females and the males that are in the age-group categories, we actually have a tournament which includes all our six zones. It has been a deliberate process for the Nigerian Cricket Federation. We’ve set a target of introducing cricket to about 250,000 new intakes on an annual basis for the next five years.”The tournament is sponsored by PWC, known to most as one of the world’s big four accounting firms, and John estimates that 90% of the current women’s U-19 World Cup team has come through that tournament. In many ways, Nigeria’s focus on developing the women’s game mirrors an example on the opposite side of the continent, where Rwanda, who played in the inaugural Women’s U-19 World Cup in 2023, are doing the same. Back then, Rwanda told their story of how they had identified cricket as a key growth area in women’s sport, and even used it as part of the country’s post-genocide education and social-justice projects.Rwanda run an annual T20 tournament that features both men and women’s teams, mostly from across Africa, and in which Nigeria have participated as they progressed. It was there, in 2022, that Nigeria found the person they believed was best equipped to coach their women’s sides. Kenyan allrounder Sarah Wetoto was on her last tour, and in a match against Nigeria, was given an assignment by her coach to go and hit every ball because they needed runs, she said. She scored 27 from 12 balls, including two fours and two sixes, to take Kenya to a match-winning score of 119 for 5.The Nigeria players at a net session at the U-19 World Cup, 2025•ICC via Getty Images”I was so aggressive, and it just happened that the president of the Nigerian Cricket Federation was watching the game. And he was like, ‘This character, there’s something that I would like transferred to the girls,” Wetoto said. “So after the game, he came and talked to me and told me that he wanted me to mentor these girls so that they can actually bat like that.”The next year, in 2023, after my retirement, I joined the federation. I joined on a consultancy basis, but last year, started a three-year contract with them, and I took up the U-19 role.”Wetoto was immediately impressed by what she saw. “Nigeria Cricket is well structured, and the development plans are really good. They have a lot of development activities that are feeding into the national team,” she said. “In Nigeria, you’re getting a pool of quality players who are very competitive. Even selecting this team and just to pour out what you have to them – and seeing how it is implemented by the girls – is actually amazing.”Apart from the schools programme, Nigeria have also invested in facilities, and have ten turf pitches around the country, including at the iconic Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval, which John said was near the “British seat of power”. It played host to its first internationals when a women’s T20I tournament was played there in 2022, where Nigeria lost to Rwanda in the final.Nigeria also have a two-tier domestic league, which John calls “one of the fastest growing leagues in Africa”. It consists of 22 teams in division one, and 16 in division two – although all are male. However, some clubs are starting to include some women’s players in their teams, and there is a desire to start a women’s league too.

“These [kids] started this journey some years ago, and this is where they are now. This is the potential”Femi John’s message about cricketers to Nigeria’s parents

“The federation is very passionate about women’s cricket,” John said. “Prior to now, we had certain plans on how female cricket would progress, but the World Cup qualification has sped us up. We have the Ps: performance, participation, [and] people. And I don’t want to bore you with all the acronyms, but really we want to participate, we want to build our people, and we want to perform.”That’s the kind of attitude Wetoto picked up on as soon as she joined the coaching staff, and she continues to praise an attitude that she believes will make them successful.”Their approach to the game, aggression, and the hunger to actually get the job done stands out,” Wetoto said. “You can be technically sound, but if you’re nervous, nothing works. As a player, whenever I was nervous, I could not score runs. But if I calmed my nerves, then I got runs. I feel their self-belief is a strength, but also eye-hand coordination for them when it comes to batting. They really watch the ball well, and I feel like they’re technically sound.”We’ll be able to see that ourselves over the course of the U-19 World Cup. Nigeria will kick off their campaign against Samoa before taking on the bigger names.”We know we have big teams like South Africa and New Zealand [in our group], but I believe in our capability,” Wetoto said. “Last year we went to Ghana for the All African Games and the South African Emerging team came to that tournament, and we really gave them a run for their money.”Nigeria’s Peculiar Agboya was the joint fourth-highest wicket-taker at the African Games 2023-24•ICC via Getty ImagesIn that match, Nigeria were bowled out for 74 as South Africa’s legspinner Seshnie Naidu, who is now part of their current U-19 World Cup squad, took 4 for 13. Nigeria had South Africa at 66 for 6 at one stage, and made them work until the 15th over for the win. Lillian Udeh took 5 for 18, and finished as the highest wicket-taker in the competition. She is expected to lead Nigeria’s attack at the U-19 World Cup. Also in their side is Peculiar Abgoya, who was the joint fourth-highest wicket-taker at the African Games, which Nigeria finished as bronze medalists, with victories over Namibia and Uganda.Those results gave Nigeria the confidence that they could qualify for the U-19 World Cup when they went to Rwanda in September. They finished on top of a group that included Zimbabwe, which proved crucial to their hopes. After they beat Rwanda in the semi-final, the final was washed out, and Nigeria’s pool match performance against Zimbabwe saw them through their first ICC event, which is an honour they will cherish.Big-tournament participation is a particular source of pride for Nigeria because they do it so often in their main sport. Football is Nigeria’s most popular sport across both genders, and the one they are most successful at. Their women’s national team has won the African Cup of Nations 11 times, and has been to every World Cup since 1991, sometimes as the continent’s only representative. The World Cup bug has now bitten in cricket too, and John hopes their advancement to the U-19 women’s World Cup will fuel further interest in the game – at fan and funding levels.”Football is a major sport in Nigeria, and which also attracts a lot of funding from corporates. But if cricket got just 10% of that, you would see a major impact,” she said. “We compete by showcasing what cricket can do in the life of an individual. Back home in Nigeria, we say cricket is life: it helps you, it shapes your mindset, [and] it shapes your value system.”So one of the things we try to do is to position it to the parents of the younger kids: that this is what cricket can do. And coming to the World Cup, we are able to now showcase this to people back home, and say, ‘These people started this journey some years ago, and this is where they are now. This is the potential.’ This also gives an opportunity to market and sell cricket more.”

Arsenal have now joined the race for a £88m forward who recently entered “very advanced” talks over a move to Tottenham Hotspur…

Gunners ramping up pursuit of forward amid Eze criticism

The Gunners’ lead at the top of the Premier League table was reduced to just two points on Saturday, with Aston Villa securing a 2-1 win at Villa Park, and Shaka Hislop was particularly unimpressed with Eberechi Eze’s performance.

Hislop said: “He could have been taken off after 30 minutes, I’ll be honest.

“Now I am as willing as anybody to sing Eze’s praises, but everything from Arsenal came down the right in that first half.

“Everything came through Bukayo Saka, so the change had to be made at half-time because Eze was non-existent.”

In fairness, Eze has made a very promising start to life at the Emirates Stadium, with the England international amassing nine goal contributions in his opening 22 matches across all competitions.

However, the 27-year-old’s best performance arguably came in the 4-1 victory against Tottenham, during which he played through the middle, so there may be room to bring in another left-winger this winter, and Arsenal are now ramping up their pursuit.

It was recently revealed that a strong move is being made for Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola, but the Frenchman is not the only target, with a report from Caught Offside revealing Arsenal have now joined the race for RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande.

The Gunners have been monitoring Diomande’s progress over the past few weeks, alongside a number of Europe’s top clubs, while Spurs are also keen, with Sky Sports reporter Sacha Tavolieri recently stating they are in “very advanced” talks with the left-winger.

A deal could be on the expensive side, however, with it being suggested RB Leipzig could look to hold out for around €80m – €100m (£70m – £88m).

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ByEmilio Galantini 7 days ago Diomande making "sensational" impact in Germany

The Ivorian only made the move to Germany during the summer, but he has already started to make a major impact, being singled out for high praise by scout Jacek Kulig.

Most recently, the 19-year-old put in a remarkable performance in his side’s 6-0 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring a hat-trick and completing more dribbles than any other player.

Yan Diomande’s key statistics vs Frankfurt

Number completed

Dribbles (successful)

8 (4)

Key passes

1

Duels (won)

13 (6)

Goals

3

Considering Diomande is still a teenager, the level of his performances in the Bundesliga this season have been remarkable, and he may be ready to join one of Europe’s biggest clubs soon, so it would be fantastic if Arsenal were able to beat Tottenham to his signature.

Alex Carey made a century earlier in the day while Jake Lehmann further swelled the Redbacks’ total

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Mar-2021South Australia followed a powerful batting display by making significant inroads into the New South Wales top order but Kurtis Patterson held the visitors together in Adelaide.Alex Carey scored his fifth first-class century in the Redback’s hefty total – one of six players to pass fifty before they declared shortly after lunch – then they had New South Wales tottering at 4 for 115 before Patterson and captain Peter Nevill guided them to the close without further mishaps.David Warner had made a positive start on his return to first-class cricket after injury, hitting four boundaries before edging behind as he tried to leave a delivery off Daniel Worrall from round the wicket.Nick Larkin drove a catch to gully and the in-form Moises Henriques picked out point against David Grant who then found the outside edge of Daniel Solway.However, Patterson went past fifty for the first time this season and closed in sight of a ninth first-class hundred although New South Wales still had considerable work to do.They had struck early with the ball when Warner held an excellent low catch at slip to remove Harry Nielsen off Josh Hazlewood to break a fifth-wicket stand of 101.Carey had resumed on 86 and brought up his century from 177 balls before failing to clear in the in-field off Lyon as he looked to lift the tempo.The scoreboard moved along at a good rate thanks to Jake Lehmann, who made his highest first-class score since October 2018, and Chadd Sayers. Lyon removed Lehmann short of his hundred to complete another five-wicket haul but Mitchell Starc finished with figures of 0 for 91 from 21 overs.

Leeds United have now reportedly sent scouts to watch a standout European winger, who’s also attracted the interest of Manchester United.

Farke prepared for "top class" Liverpool

When the fixtures were released, this would been a week that many Leeds fans dreaded. By the end of this weekend, the Whites will have faced Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in consecutive games in the most difficult run of games they’ve had so far this season. But what began as a nightmare may yet leave Leeds in dreamland.

Daniel Farke’s side were minutes away from securing a point from behind at the Etihad against Man City and then eased past Chelsea in shocking fashion on Wednesday. Now, they have the chance to compile the misery on a frail Liverpool side at Elland Road – making it six points from a possible nine.

It’s the greatest opportunity that Leeds will get to beat the Premier League champions, but Farke was quick to point out that Liverpool are still a “top class” side in his pre-match press conference.

Those in Yorkshire may have to get used to competing against the top six on and off the pitch, having also reportedly joined the race to sign Manchester United target Nilson Angulo.

Leeds join race to sign Nilson Angulo

According to TeamTalk, Leeds have now joined the race to sign Angulo after their scouts were spotted watching the Anderlecht winger in action. The Whites are joined by United, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford in what is set to be a frantic Premier League battle.

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Dubbed one of Europe’s standout wingers by TeamTalk, the interest in Angulo should come as no surprise. The 22-year-old has taken his game to new levels in Belgium this season and looks destined for English football.

As scout Jacek Kulig pointed out, it was a “fantastic” start from Angulo this season and a start which has since seen him take his total to four goals and eight assists in all competitions.

It would be a major coup if Leeds managed to fend off competition from their rivals and sign the talented winger.

Leeds now prioritising £35m move to sign South American defender ahead of Juventus

Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad has been left out of the India Women’s squads for the tour of England because of a knee injury she is understood to have been carrying during the home series against South Africa earlier this year and also because she is currently recovering from Covid-19.ESPNcricinfo understands Gayakwad, who played just two matches for the Railways in the Women’s Senior One Day Trophy 2020-21 after the South Africa series, tested positive for Covid-19 last month and is currently recovering in Bengaluru. In the domestic tournament, she had walked off the field in the semi-final against Bengal without finishing her quota of overs. She did not play the final against Jharkhand on April 4.No official announcement was made during or after the South Africa series about Gayakwad carrying the injury. The squad announcement for the England tour did not contain any information concerning Gayakwad’s exclusion either.Related

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But she would likely have been picked if not for injury and illness. Gayakwad was among the best performers from the India side during the South Africa series. She was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the five-match ODI series with eight wickets at an average of 20.25, and picked up a Player-of-the-Match-winning 3 for 9 in the third and final T20I.India is currently grappling with a devastating second wave of Covid-19, and has recorded upwards of 300,000 new cases every day for the last three weeks. Sachin Tendulkar, S Badrinath, Yusuf Pathan, Vanitha VR, and Harmanpreet Kaur are among the former and current cricketers to have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past two months and recovered since.Former India Women players Devika Palshikar – who was among the shortlisted candidates for the head coach role that eventually went to Ramesh Powar – Amita Sharma and Sunetra Paranjpe have also recovered from Covid-19. Families of several other cricketers, including those of MS Dhoni, R Ashwin, Chetan Sakariya, Veda Krishnamurthy, Piyush Chawla and RP Singh have also been affected.