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The ECB has denied reports that they will sell Twenty20 TV rights as part of their overall package in the new deal for 2010 onwards

Cricinfo staff08-Jun-2008The ECB has denied reports that they will sell Twenty20 TV rights as part of their overall package in the new deal for 2010 onwards.The current contract expires in 2009 and the next four-year deal will be negotiated shortly, with the explosion of Twenty20 set to increase the value considerably. A report in said that the deal would be one large package.”It will be part of the whole broadcast contract,” the ECB commercial director John Perera told the newspaper. “Twenty20 is part of our event portfolio and therefore it makes no sense selling it separately.”However, Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, said Twenty20 would be one of many packages on offer for broadcasters. “The article in the newspaper is simply wrong,” he said. “The ECB’s Twenty20 Cup, which is still being scoped, will be part of the separate 27 packages which are available to all and any broadcasters – an error has been made in confusing the processes with the packages.”If rights were sold as one large package, the huge cost, certain to exceed the £200million paid by BSkyB for the current deal, would virtually rule out any terrestrial bidders. This would mean the only cricket on free-to-air would be Test-match highlights.Last month, Ian Lucas, the Labour MP for Wrexham, wrote to Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary, asking for the government to look into bringing Test cricket back to free TV, saying that viewing figures have slumped from eight million in 2005 to 300,000. Since 1998 cricket has only been a B-List sport, meaning only highlights have to be available on free-to-air TV.

After the debacle in the first Test in Dhaka, not much was expected of the young and inexperienced Bangladesh team that squared up to the West Indies in the second Test at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong

Santhosh S16-Dec-2002After the debacle in the first Test in Dhaka, not much was expected of the young and inexperienced Bangladesh team that squared up to the West Indies in the second Test at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong. And true to form, they crumbled yet again against a West Indies bowling attack that comprises four speedsters, making just 194 in their first innings. When bad light brought an early end to play, the West Indies were 38-1 in reply.Bangladesh skipper Khaled Mashud won the toss and decided to bat on a track with a lot of grass in it. The opening pair of Hannan Sarkar and Al Sahariar negotiated a wayward opening spell from Pedro Collins and Vasbert Drakes to take the score to 43. But then, in the space of 15 balls and five runs, Bangladesh lost three quick wickets.Drakes, who had struggled to find the right rhythm in his first spell, finished it by drawing first blood, trapping Sahariar (25) in front of the wicket. Daren Powell, who replaced Collins, then claimed the wickets of Sarkar (15) and Habibul Bashar (3).Sanwar Hossain and Mohammad Ashraful too were shaky to start with, beaten numerous times outside the off stump. But then, with the West Indies pace attack growing complacent, both the batsmen grew in confidence as Bangladesh went in for lunch at 88/3.The post-lunch session was to bring no better tidings for the home side as the West Indies claimed four more wickets. After Hossain (36) and Ashraful (28) added 64 for the fourth wicket and took their team to 112-4, Collins and Jermaine Lawson struck, claiming two wickets each and reducing the hosts to 144-7 by the end of the session.Soon after tea, Bangladesh lost Tapash Baisya (5) hit-wicket off the bowling of Powell. Skipper Khaled Mashud (32) stood up for a while and along with Manjural Islam (21) put together 36 useful runs for the ninth wicket. Sarwan caught Mashud in the covers off Drakes, and Islam was bowled by Collins as the Bangladesh innings came to an end in the 64th over of the day. Collins and Powell picked up three wickets each, Drakes and Lawson shared the remaining four wickets between them.The West Indies innings didn’t get off to a good start; they lost the wicket of Wavell Hinds (14) caught behind off the bowling of Tapash Baisya, trying to sway away from a short-pitched delivery and getting some glove on the ball.Manjural Islam bowled a very good first spell (8-5-12-0), often beating the outside edge. Sarwan immediately got off his mark with a boundary to fine leg, but with the light fading, Chris Gayle (10*) and Sarwan (14*) ensured that West Indies did not have any further hiccups before close of play. Once again, they are dictating terms to the home side.

Many Southampton fans have been reacting to the news that Adam Armstrong is set to complete a move to St Mary’s.

Last season, the Saints went through a mixed campaign as they finished 15th in the Premier League table but also reached an FA Cup semi-final. As such, there is likely to be plenty of business conducted by Ralph Hasenhuttl and co during this current transfer window – they have already confirmed the capture of Romain Perraud from French club Brest (southamptonfc.com).

With Danny Ings continuing to be linked with an exit (via Daily Express), the Saints may need a new striker. According to The Sunday Mirror (via Hampshire Live), that man could be 24-year-old Armstrong – the Blackburn Rovers marksman is set to move to the south coast, with the deal likely to cost the Saints £10m plus add-ons.

He enjoyed a superb 2020/21 campaign, netting 28 times in 40 Championship appearances (Transfermarkt). That was more than double the tally of Southampton’s top scorer from the season (Ings with 13).

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Armstrong news

“Mirror isn’t always wrong”

Credit: @ollie60848715

“We like an Armstrong or two at our club!”

Credit: @bfgfox

“Bold statement though stating Armstrong’s ‘set’ for a move to Southampton”

Credit: @JoshW_SFC

“Pleaseee”

Credit: @WillsfcMitchell

“We might actually be serious this season”

Credit: @sfcdan_

“Really hope this is true”

Credit: @tugs081976

In other news, many Southampton fans react to this Jannik Vestergaard news.

India’s batting, especially the incendiary strokeplay of opener Virender Sehwag, has dominated the minds of South Africa’s management during the past few days

Charlie Austin24-Sep-2002India’s batting, especially the incendiary strokeplay of opener Virender Sehwag, has dominated the minds of South Africa’s management during the past few days.As Sehwag flayed England’s bowlers to all corners on Sunday night, they worried about how to prevent a repeat performance in the first semi-final today.With the pitch expected to be another sub-continental featherbed, the South African bowlers know that victory will most probably depend on how they bowl to India’s star-studded batting line-up. If, like England, they buckle under the pressure of an early onslaught then the match will be quickly lost.South African skipper Shaun Pollock said: “From what I saw he (Sehwag) played superbly and looked at the top of his game.”We are going to have to bowl well against all the Indian batters, they have a great line-up. The key will be getting some early wickets and getting into their batting.”According to Pollock they have done their homework: “We have analysed them and have a game plan that we want to implement. We will have different options for different situations. Up front you have got to believe that you can get them out, but if they get in you have got to bowl differently.”Unfortunately for South Africa, they are struggling with injuries.”There are a few injury concerns which are not ideal but the physio is on top of it. We think that Allan (Donald) and Jonty (Rhodes) will be fine. Nicky (Boje) and Alan Dawson will have fitness tests later today,” Pollock said.Boje is expected to be ruled out later today because of the hairline fracture he sustained in the West Indies game. Dawson only has an outside chance of playing, having not bowled a ball since straining his calf against Kenya.Donald, however, looks set to play despite being troubled by an old ankle injury that has flared up during the tour. The injury has dogged him in recent years, requiring six monthly cortisone injections, but Donald believes that he will be able to bowl if the ankle is heavily strapped.”It goes through phases, sometimes there is pain and sometimes there isn’t,” said Donald “Yesterday I had it strapped up and there was no problem at all.”South Africa have called up two replacements as cover, 37-year-old fast bowler Steve Elworthy and uncapped spinner Robin Peterson. Both arrived on Monday morning and started training immediately. After participating in the recent Australia A series they are match fit and both could play.Elworthy is a safer option with the new ball than Makhaya Ntini and has the advantage of swinging the ball, an important asset here in Sri Lanka, especially under lights during the humid evenings. All-rounder Justin Ontong and Peterson are competing for Boje’s place.Despite the threat of India’s batting and injuries, Pollock remained upbeat about his side’s chances: “India have played well and it should be a great game. This is the business end of the tournament and this is where we have to produce the goods.”I think we have the personnel,” he added. “We are pretty confident. We played nicely against Kenya and had a bit of a squeaker against West Indies, which was nice as it prepared us for a closely-fought game.”South Africa:Herschelle Gibbs, Graeme Smith, Boeta Dippenaar, Jacques Kallis, Jonty Rhodes, Dale Benkenstein, Justin Ontong, Mark Boucher (wk), Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock (capt), Nicky Boje, Alan Dawson, Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini, Steve Elworthy, Robin Peterson.India:Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly (capt), Dinesh Mongia, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Jai Prakash Yadav, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.

Marcus Trescothick missed the start of the second day of their warm-up match in Perth to visit a a local doctor and receive a pain-killing injection on his right shoulder, which has troubled him since the tour to Sri Lanka two years ago.

CricInfo25-Oct-2002Marcus Trescothick missed the start of the second day of England’s warm-up match in Perth to visit a a local doctor and receive a pain-killing injection on his right shoulder, which has troubled him since the tour to Sri Lanka two years ago.Although the problem is not thought to affect his batting, there is inevitable concern about one of their leading players. Michael Vaughan (knee), Darren Gough (knee) and Simon Jones (side strain), are all recuperating while all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has flown to the Academy in Adelaide to continue his rehabilitation from a recent hernia operation.Craig White flies in to join the squad today from Adelaide, where he has beenplaying grade cricket, as cover for Flintoff in the all-rounder’s position.

Celtic will step up their pursuit to sign Sunderland striker Charlie Wyke this week, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: A number of sides interested

The Hoops aren’t the only side interested in the 28-year-old, who, at this moment in time, will become a free agent in two weeks’ time.

Wyke has been offered a new contract at the Stadium of Light and has also held talks with Championship clubs Cardiff City, Nottingham Forest and Millwall.

The Hoops were increasingly confident of signing the forward, who scored 30 goals last season, at the beginning of the week, and there has since been a fresh update.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-5/” title=”Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Source shares Celtic plans

A Hoops source informed Football Insider that Celtic will step up their pursuit of Wyke with a concrete offer during talks this week.

A new striker is a priority for Celtic, with the report adding the Scottish giants will offer the forward a long-term deal.

The source also claimed that Wyke is ‘very keen’ to test himself at Celtic Park.

The Verdict: An ideal Griffiths replacement?

Wyke enjoyed a free-scoring campaign in the third-tier of English football last season, so should the Hoops decide to let Leigh Griffiths go this summer, he could be a shrewd replacement.

Celtic also set to lose Odsonne Edouard to Leicester City, so bringing in another forward with a higher pedigree could be a smart move to join Albian Ajeti and possibly Wyke.

Wyke certainly knows where the back of the net is, and having players like that at Parkhead could be crucial in Ange Postecoglou’s first season in charge, but it feels like more will be needed to fill the void if Edouard does depart.

In other news: Celtic are now tracking £8.6m star at the absolute peak of his powers, find out more here. 

That’s New Zealand left-arm fast-medium bowler Shayne O’Connor’s summation of where he is at in his recovery from a debilitating knee injury

Lynn McConnell23-Jul-2002″The more I get to bowl, the more excited I get.”That’s New Zealand left-arm fast-medium bowler Shayne O’Connor’s summation of where he is at in his recovery from a debilitating knee injury.The 28-year-old is working out regularly at Dunedin’s Edgar Indoor Centre to get himself back into shape for what he hopes will be a season to make up for the last two injury-plagued years.”It seems to be going well,” he said of his knee.”The last two sessions of bowling have been as encouraging as any that I’ve ever had.”While not off his full run yet, he is building towards it.The injury, which was in his landing leg, was thought to have been a slight tear in his patella tendon which had become inflamed. However, surgery showed no tear.It was more of an over-use injury and because there was so little blood flowing through the tendon it was necessary to cut the tendon and create an injury to stimulate blood flow to help the recovery.”The good thing was that when they operated they found there was no dead tissue in my knee. Apparently that is what they have found when others have had knee problems,” he said.O’Connor’s injury stemmed from damage done while in Africa at the end of 2000. It involved four and a half months of continuous cricket – the perfect recipe for over-use injuries, especially when all the other members of the attack had fallen over beforehand.The time between then and now had proven very frustrating and there were times when he wondered whether he might get back.But then he countered that with how much more he wanted to achieve in cricket.”It did make me spare thoughts for guys like Geoff Allott, Dion Nash and Chris Cairns. You felt so sorry for them at times that you wondered why they didn’t just give up. But now I understand where they came from.”And giving up is not an option. You want to keep on.”Little setbacks also became much bigger than they actually were and O’Connor said the last period of his life had been the toughest he had experienced mentally.Seeing the New Zealand side doing so well also got him revved up.”I know what it was like having the feeling of winning a series away, especially after you have been grafting towards it.”If you have been dropped by the selectors you can feel disappointed in yourself that you are not there but if it is due to injury it does make it more frustrating.”The fact that more players had taken the chance and come into consideration did not worry O’Connor as he contemplates his comeback.A player like fast bowler Shane Bond was in the freakish category, like Daniel Vettori, and would have emerged no matter who was playing, although he admitted it was his injury that gave Bond his chance.”But there is competition around for places and that is good. Now I’ll just have to believe in myself and use my experience,” he said.In analysing his injury O’Connor didn’t think it was in anyway attributable to the slight change in action that resulted in him gaining more speed.At the time of the change he said it was more like the way he used to bowl at school anyway.It is all down to his timing and that is what he is working towards regaining.”I have some huge desires still. I want to work towards the Indian series here. So far in my career my best form has been away from home and I would love to have the chance to show people here who have supported me what I can achieve,” he said.Making the World Cup side is another goal and while it was a cliche, he said, it was a huge desire for all players to play in the World Cup.”I’ve got work to do. But if I keep believing and use my head then who knows?”In his career to date, O’Connor has played 19 Tests and taken 53 wickets at 32.52 while in his 38 One-Day Internationals he has 46 wickets at 30.34. In first-class play he has taken 234 wickets at 24.22.

Queens Park Rangers have entered into talks to bring Stefan Johansen back to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by West London Sport, who claim that Mark Warburton’s side are looking to agree a deal for the permanent transfer of the Fulham midfielder in the upcoming transfer window.

The £1.8m-rated 30-year-old has just one year remaining on his current deal at Craven Cottage, meaning that, should Scott Parker’s side wish to receive a decent fee for the Norway international, a sale looks likely this summer.

Bhatia must move

Considering just how impressive Johansen was for Mark Warburton’s side after linking up with the club in the January transfer window, it is unsurprising to learn that the 58-year-old is eager to secure a more permanent move for the midfielder ahead of next season.

Over his 21 Championship appearances for QPR last term, the £8k-per-week man bagged four goals, provided two assists and created two big chances, in addition to making an average of 0.8 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 1.6 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the 30-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.00, ranking him as the Rs’ sixth-best performer in the second tier.

Indeed, the arrival of Johansen also coincided with a rather dramatic upturn QPR’s form, with the west London side ranking as the third-best team in the Championship since the beginning of 2021 – a period in which the Fulham loanee featured in almost every game.

As such, with Warburton undoubtedly hoping to build on his side’s impressive performances from the back end of last season in the club’s 2020/21 campaign, bringing the midfielder dubbed an “important” player by Ronny Delia back to the club this summer would be a huge boost to the club’s chances of mounting a push for promotion next term.

So, Amit Bhatia must do everything in his power to secure a deal for Johansen this summer, as the Norwegian could well be one of the final pieces in the QPR jigsaw.

In other news: QPR dealt big blow in pursuit of “immense” £5.4k-p/w machine that’ll leave fans gutted

West Bromwich Albion are set to look elsewhere in their managerial search, after talks with former Schalke boss David Wagner collapsed [Sky Sports].

As the Baggies gear up for life back in the Sky Bet Championship, they will now have to continue the search for a new manager since Sam Allardyce left the Hawthorns last month [Telegraph].

In a surprise turn of events, German-American Wagner is now set to take charge of Swiss side BSC Young Boys after successful negotiations with the club.

Previously linked with coaches such as Chris Wilder, Frank Lampard and Michael Appleton [GIVEMESPORT], the West Midlands outfit will now need to go back to the drawing board once again as they attempt to secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

As you can imagine, some West Brom supporters have plenty to say over the latest news, as loads of Baggies diehards took to Twitter to share their thoughts on these developments.

West Brom fans react:

Replying to Sky Sports journalist Rob Dorsett, here is how the WBA faithful summarized their feelings on the situation.

“Laughable. Why do we make everything so difficult?”

Credit: @Adam_Townsend“What an shambles we really are. #wba”Credit: @_Simonian”What a mess”Credit: @chrishouts07″We are actually a hilarious club at the minute”Credit: @jon_foz”Mike Bassett anyone? #WBA”Credit: @danhewett2004″We’ve alienated so many coaches haha”Credit: @AllAlbionActionIn other news, a former West Brom midfielder drops his verdict on former managerial target Chris Wilder.