After a crushing 111-run loss in the opening match of the ODI series, Jason Holder has reiterated that West Indies take all three formats equally seriously, even if their results in Tests and ODIs have been far worse than those in T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2016

After a crushing 111-run loss in the opening match of the ODI series against Pakistan, Jason Holder has reiterated that West Indies take all three formats equally seriously, even if their results in Tests and ODIs have been well below the standard they have achieved in the shortest format. While West Indies place fourth in the T20I rankings and are the reigning World Champions in the format, they languish in eighth place in the Test and ODI rankings.”I think we focus equally on Test match cricket, T20 cricket and one-day cricket,” the West Indies Test and ODI captain said. “Results have shown that we have done better at T20 cricket over the recent past, but we don’t disregard any of the other two formats.”On this tour of the UAE, though, West Indies have failed to click in the T20s too, losing them 0-3 before Friday’s ODI mauling. Holder identified the batting as the main area in need of improvement. West Indies’ top order crumbled in all three T20s, and the batting failed once again in the first ODI with the side sliding to 175 all out in pursuit of 287.”In this situation, we need to turn things around and we really need to look at ways we can improve,” he said. “Obviously one big area is the batting. We did see off the new ball [in the ODI]. It’s just a matter of rotating the strike a bit better than we did today. I think once we do that we should go into the next match in better stead.”The next ODI in the three-match series will be played on Sunday in Sharjah.

West Ham United are safe. An inconsistent, erratic, and stressful season has seen the Irons occasionally flirt with the devastating fate of relegation.

However, the Hammers finished relatively comfortably in 14th position and have the Europa Conference final next week.

Whatever the result of that European showdown, the east London outfit will undoubtedly be active in the summer transfer window, especially when considering their £179m outlay prior to this campaign.

For the quality of the squad, their league place was unflattering, and their underwhelming nature in front of goal hindered their progression.

David Moyes’ side netted an uninspiring 42 Premier League goals in 38 outings, drawing blanks in 32% of their domestic fixtures.

Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma were the club’s top scorers, sharing six goals a piece, to underline a mind-boggling lack of potency.

As a result, the Guardian has reported that West Ham are interested in Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes, which would be a huge statement of intent to resurrect their offensive woes.

Why should West Ham sign Harvey Barnes?

The Englishman is deliciously talented and has offered fantastic levels of output in a hideously disjointed Leciester team that suffered relegation back to the Championship after Everton defeated Bournemouth.

The one-cap international scored 13 goals this season, which is more than Phil Foden, Son Hueng-Min, and Roberto Firmino.

From a wider perspective, this is even more impressive as the former West Brom loanee ranks in the top 6% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals, which begs the mouthwatering question of what the winger could achieve in a more functional team.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has previously heaped noticeable praise on the £35k-per-week star and said: “Barnes is probably one of the biggest talents, I’m not sure if he is respected or appreciated as much as he should be, he is an unbelievable player to be honest, a proper Leicester product.”

Barnes’ explosive style of play, combined with his ruthless productivity and commendable judgement of when to run in behind is reminiscent of Bowen’s feats last term.

Although not exactly at the race this season, scoring just six league strikes, during the 2021/22 season, the 26-year-old was utterly phenomenal, recording 22 goal involvements in 34 starts, as he was an integral part of a Clarets side that came sixth and reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.

For the Irons to produce a more fruitful return in front of goal and reclaim a spot in the top half of the league, then the signing of £35k-per-week Barnes could be a stroke of genius and one that replicates Bowen, just from the opposite flank.

Liverpool are close to confirming their first signing of the summer with Alexis Mac Allister due to make his move to Anfield official imminently and now a reliable source has given an update on the club's next steps.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Khephren Thuram?

Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Liverpool have held discussions in their pursuit of signing OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram this summer.

Romano revealed on Twitter: "Liverpool have been in direct contact with both Manu Koné and Khephren Thuram agents again this week.

"Internal discussion taking place over official proposals. Liverpool asked for some time to close in on Mac Allister deal then decide on new midfielders."

Why should Liverpool sign Khephren Thuram?

It is no secret that a midfield rebuild is the top priority for Jurgen Klopp and Jorg Schmadtke this summer with Mac Allister looking like the first player who will spark the start of a new generation at Anfield.

The Reds have confirmed that Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner will be exiting the club upon their contract expiration next month, so adding some much-needed depth and injecting some youth into the centre of the pitch will be essential.

Although the signing of Mac Allister will be a great place to start, there is still plenty of work to be done to ensure that Liverpool can comfortably compete next season and bring back Champions League football to Anfield.

As a result, snapping up the services of Thuram would be a huge coup, especially considering that he could be the perfect player to partner up with the Argentine World Cup winner to revolutionise the Liverpool midfield.

The France international – a product of Monaco's development programme – has taken massive strides this season becoming a key player for Nice and rightfully earned his first-ever senior appearance for his national team a few months ago too.

Over 35 Ligue 1 appearances, the 22-year-old whiz – who has a reported price tag of €60m (£52m) – has created nine big chances, tallied up an 87% pass completion rate and registered four assists, as well as averaging 1.1 key passes and 1.3 successful dribbles, proving he is incredibly threatening in attacking play.

Not only that, Thuram is prolific in winning possession of the ball too with 59.7% successful take-ons, 89 tackles and interceptions won combined and 146 ball recoveries, demonstrating that he is a reliable box-to-box midfielder who can cover the ground needed to significantly improve Liverpool's performances.

The son of legendary French defender Lilian Thuram and brother of Bundesliga striker Marcus has earned high praise from his teammate Aaron Ramsey who revealed Thuram's best attributes:

"Khéphren is another talented player here. I think he’s definitely got a big future ahead of him if he carries on the way he’s going at the minute. He’s very dangerous, very powerful, a very strong dribbler of the ball."

Whilst the young talent brings the energy to dominate in the middle of the pitch, Mac Allister thrives when he's breaking the lines between midfield and attack to either create killer opportunities for the forwards or grasp a chance himself with ten goals, two assists and four big chances created for Brighton and Hove Albion this season.

With that being said, if Klopp can secure the services of Thuram this summer it could spark an incredible partnership with Mac Allister next season and provide Liverpool with an unstoppable attacking-minded force from midfield that could chaos for opponents.

Everton have been approached by Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur regarding a deal for Jordan Pickford, according to reports.

Is Jordan Pickford leaving Everton?

Pickford has firmly established himself as Sean Dyche’s number one between the sticks having started 37 of the 38 top-flight games last season, and whilst coming close to relegation, he was a standout performer on Merseyside.

The England international only signed a new contract back in February which keeps him at the club until at least 2027, but there had been prior speculation that he could have been set to depart if the Toffees had dropped to the Championship.

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, CBS reporter and journalist Ben Jacobs claimed that there was an informal agreement in place that the 29-year-old could leave if relegated, with Spurs the “frontrunner” to secure his services having held a long-term interest, and that is something that they appear to have stepped up despite him surviving the drop.

Are Tottenham signing Pickford?

According to Football Transfers, Everton have been “contacted” by Tottenham to enquire about the possibility of a summer swoop for Pickford. The Lilywhites have been tracking the goalkeeper for “several months” and have now “started to make moves” for the 6 foot star.

The Goodison Park outfit have been approached by Spurs to “establish a dialogue”, and there have also already been “discussions” held between the player’s representatives and his admirers in N17.

The Blues have placed a £40m price tag on his head, but it’s claimed that before joining, he wants “reassurances” over who their new manager is going to be as well as if Harry Kane will remain in the capital beyond the upcoming window.

Should Everton sell Pickford?

Pickford has been dubbed Everton’s “leader” by journalist Josh Bunting having captained Dyche’s side on several occasions last season, and considering the positive impact he has on the club, the board should do everything they can to retain his services for the 2023/24 campaign.

The World Cup participant kept eight clean sheets in the top-flight during the previous term which saw him receive two man-of-the-match awards, not to mention that he made a total of 123 saves from 181 shots on target against, giving him a save success percentage of 71.3%, as per FBRef.

Toffees supporters also clearly hold a lot of admiration for Pickford having voted him the Player of the Year twice, first in 2017/18 and second in 2021/22, and the thought of losing him would be a huge blow which is why he needs to remain in the net on Merseyside.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Eintracht Frankfurt sensation, Randal Kolo Muani, with manager Erik ten Hag still seeking to find a suitable centre-forward option ahead of next season.

What's the latest on Kolo Muani to Man United?

According to journalist Miguel Delaney, writing on Twitter, the Red Devils are said to be "pursuing" a move for the France international, with doubts remaining as to whether leading target Harry Kane will be attainable for the Old Trafford outfit.

In his attached piece for the Independent, the respected insider revealed that United are already in contact with the representatives of the 24-year-old marksman, with signing a new striker said to be the 'primary concern' for Ten Hag and co.

The piece does add, however, that any move for the former Nantes man could require a rather hefty fee of around £100m, while the Carabao Cup winners are also set to face stern competition from German giants, Bayern Munich in the battle to land the 6 foot 2 dynamo.

Would Kolo Muani be a good signing for Man United?

Hailed as a "complete" player by compatriot Kylian Mbappe after starring at the World Cup in Qatar – having scored in the semi-final triumph over Morocco – Kolo Muani has certainly warranted the admiring glances from those at United, following what was a standout campaign in the Bundesliga for the Frenchman.

Having only arrived in Frankfurt last summer, the £25k-per-week menace ended the 2022/23 season with a stellar tally of 40 goals and assists from just 46 appearances across all fronts, notably bagging 15 goals and 14 assists in 32 league outings.

It has therefore been a real breakthrough campaign for the one-time Boulogne man, although there may be concern as to whether he is the centre-forward solution that United are in need of, having previously scored just 23 goals in 87 games during his time in France.

Equally, the fact that Kolo Muani is also said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities with Liverpool's Darwin Nunez, as per FBref, may also have alarm bells ringing, with the Uruguayan having endured a difficult debut season at Anfield.

The 23-year-old was snapped up on a rather sizeable £85m deal after scoring 34 goals in a breakout 2021/22 season for Benfica, although has since gone on to struggle in English football to date, after scoring just nine league goals and missing 20 big chances in 2022/23 – the third most in the division.

To acquire their own version of the 6 foot 2 enigma with the signing of Kolo Muani may then be something of a mistake for United, with the two men – who can both operate on the flanks or through the middle – particularly errant in possession, with the Frankfurt man ranking in just the bottom 28% among his European peers for pass completion, while Nunez ranks in just the bottom 24% in that regard.

That being said, there are obvious qualities to their game with the pair both able to drive forward with the ball at their feet with ease, with Liverpool man ranking in the top 6% for progressive carries, while Kolo Muani ranks in the top 7% for that same metric.

Even so, Ten Hag may well be wary of snapping up the next Nunez with the signing of the seven-cap speedster, with the Red Devils seemingly craving an addition who has delivered the goods on a consistent basis, rather than in just a solitary, standout season.

Pundit Gabby Agbonlahor has claimed that Aston Villa manager Unai Emery will be backed financially this summer after securing European football.

What's the latest on Aston Villa and Europe?

On the final day of the Premier League season, the Villans managed to pick up a 2-1 home win against Brighton & Hove Albion thanks to goals from Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins.

Those three points weren't enough to see them reach the Seagulls who finished one point and one place above Villa, but they did help secure a Europa Conference League spot for Emery and co.

This is exciting news for the club as their 51-year-old manager has a great record in Europe, having won the Europa League four times over the course of his career.

However, if he wants to succeed, his side may need some key reinforcements this summer and Agbonlahor thinks that's just what will happen.

Indeed, when speaking on the TalkSport YouTube channel, the pundit said (4:33): "I do think Unai Emery is going to get the backing to bring in the players he wants. So you need to bulk up that squad. Been a few injuries this season.

"But he's experienced in it. You know, he's been managing in the Europa League for so long. He knows the amount of players he needs, the right players to rotate.

"So it's looking good for Aston Villa. Exciting times."

Who could Villa sign this summer?

Incidentally, Emery has already spoken about how qualifying for the Europa Conference League could change his club's transfer plans in the upcoming market.

After beating Brighton, he told BirminghamLive: "I will now start preparing for next season. I will speak to the club. The club is working and I’m keeping in touch with the possibilities we can add [signings] for next year; speaking about who we can add and take the decision with players we already have here.

"Today, it was very important to be focused for this match. But we’ll start now thinking about the next project and be stronger than we have been."

Of course, Villa only have to look at the way Premier League rivals West Ham United have performed in the competition this term, and trust that they too could potentially make the final next year.

If that's the case, the club will likely need some new additions to help add real depth to the team. And one position that appears to be an area to strengthen is up top.

Indeed, earlier in the month Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor explained to GIVEMESPORT that the Villans look to be targeting a "top-level striker".

It has been reported that Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster is set to sign a new contract to remain with the Welsh club.

Why does Ben Foster play for Wrexham?

The former Manchester United and England goalkeeper retired from football at the end of the 2021/22 season having been relegated from the Premier League with Watford.

However, in March owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney convinced him to return to the club – 18 years after he'd spent a loan spell at the Racecourse Ground – on a short-term deal until the end of the season just past.

Since putting on the Wrexham kit once again, Foster has been a great success as he helped the team earn promotion back into the Football League, even saving a 97th-minute penalty against rivals Notts County.

And there had been talk that he could be happy to stay on next term as the club play in League 2, with the player himself hinting at a possible new deal during the bus parade.

Well, it has now been reported by TEAMtalk that the goalkeeper is indeed set to sign a new deal to stay at Wrexham for at least one more campaign.

Will Ben Foster sign a new contract at Wrexham?

It's unclear how long that new deal might be for, but when fans were heard shouting to Foster “One more year, one more year!” during the title celebrations, the shot-stopper raised two fingers, suggesting that he could be sticking around for another few seasons instead.

To be fair to the Englishman, considering all the fun he's had of late, you can see why he'd be more than happy to commit his future to the Red Dragons.

After all, he recently explained how the club's Hollywood owners spent nearly half a million pounds on the player's end-of-season trip to Las Vegas.

He said: "The way that Rob McElhenney and Ryan put it on for us, laid it on for us, was just like nothing I've ever seen.

"We got there [Vegas] and it was just literally, land, straight to the shower, straight get changed, go to Hakkasan for dinner and then we're going to Hakkasan nightclub straight afterwards.

By the way, all expenses paid – nobody paid a penny for anything."

On the cost, he added: "Got to be £500,000, had to be at least half a million genuinely it had to be because they just looked after everything. It was phenomenal."

All in all, it looks as though The Cycling GK is here to stay.

Burnley have sealed an instant bounce back into the Premier League and Vincent Kompany will be working hard to build a team fit to compete comfortably in the top flight next season.

The Clarets have already secured two permanent signings ahead of their return; however, after confirming this week that 18 players will leave the club this summer, there is still plenty of work to be done in the transfer market.

Indeed, their attacking threat has been one of the most tenacious in the Championship, with no other team scoring more goals (87) over the 46-game campaign.

However, with Ashley Barnes heading to Norwich City and top scorer Nathan Tella’s future at the club uncertain due to his imminent return to his parent club Southampton, it could potentially leave a gaping hole in the forward line.

The Saints are facing a spell in the second tier after their top-flight relegation, which means that Tella’s success in the Championship could entice the south coast side to retain his services for their promotion challenge.

As a result, bolstering the options in the final third will be massively advantageous to Kompany, and bringing in a player with experience at a top-flight club would be an even bigger boost.

One player who has been linked with a move to Turf Moor this summer is former Chelsea academy graduate and current Troyes striker Ike Ugbo.

Who is Ike Ugbo?

The 24-year-old has been at a number of clubs over his career so far, including MK Dons, Barnsley and Genk. However, his rise through the Cobham academy is most notable.

Despite never making a senior appearance for Chelsea beyond pre-season friendlies, Ugbo tallied up 25 goals and four assists in the U18s and U21s before venturing on a number of loan moves and eventually settling in Ligue 1 with Troyes.

Over 23 league appearances, the £13k-per-week dynamo – dubbed as ‘decisive’ by the Belgian media – has only scored two goals and registered one assist, however, has only averaged 32 minutes per game and earned just seven starts.

According to FBref, Leicester City goal machine Jamie Vardy is the second most comparable forward to Ugbo over the last 12 months, with the pair sharing similarities in their output this season, including shots on target per 90 (0.50 v 0.63), shot-creating actions per 90 (1.12 v 1.66) and goal contributions delivered per 90 (0.37 v 0.34).

Whilst the ideal signing would be for a Premier League-proven striker that can offer consistent goal contributions next season, it's an endeavour that won’t come cheap for the Clarets.

Instead, the signing of Ugbo could be a great opportunity for the Burnley boss to flex his clear ability to improve and develop unpolished talent without sacrificing crucial finances that will be needed in other areas of the pitch.

With that being said, the future is looking bright for Burnley as they prepare to return to the Premier League, and Ugbo could be Kompany’s answer to Vardy if he can get the very best from him next season.

The ICC announced on Monday that a revised constitution for USA Cricket Association will be put up for consideration at the next ICC board meeting later this month. Ratifying a revised constitution is one of the key terms and conditions for the USACA to be reinstated as an Associate member of the ICC following their suspension in 2015.The announcement came after an ICC delegation including chief executive David Richardson and chairman Shashank Manohar spent the weekend in New York having meetings with stakeholders, including members of four advisory groups appointed to help carry out the ICC’s strategic framework outline. According to the ICC release, members of the advisory group formulated the revised constitution over the last several months before presenting it to the ICC delegation this weekend. The advisory groups comprises people from across the USA cricket community, including USACA board members and administrators.”We have heard from representatives across the USA cricketing community and there is a clear desire from them to unify under a single umbrella,” Richardson said. “The ICC is here to facilitate that process of building a strong foundation on which the sport can develop. Should the ICC Board consider the new constitution appropriate for the US market then we would look to USACA to adopt that as part of the fulfilment of their reinstatement conditions before full implementation of the constitution in 2017.”USACA board representatives, including president Gladstone Dainty, also met separately with the ICC delegation over the weekend. It is unclear how much input, if any, the Dainty-led board – separate from the USACA administrators who have been appointed to the ICC advisory groups – had in the revised constitution that will be presented to the ICC board.The ICC had given USACA until December 15 to comply with meeting all conditions for reinstatement, including ratifying a new constitution. Failure to meet the deadline may result in a resolution to be put to the ICC board before the end of the year for the expulsion of USACA, which would be put forward at the ICC annual conference in June 2017.

يواجه نادي ليفربول مشكلة في إطار اهتمامه بالتعاقد مع مدرب فريق باير ليفركوزن، تشابي ألونسو، لخلافة يورجن كلوب بداية من الموسم المقبل.

كان كلوب قد أعلن نهاية الشهر الماضي أنه ينوي مغادرة صفوف ليفربول بمجرد انتهاء هذا الموسم.

وارتبط العديد من المدربين بإمكانية خلافة كلوب في تدريب ليفربول، وعلى رأسهم تشابي ألونسو.

ولكن يبدو أن مهمة ليفربول لن تكون سهلة على الإطلاق، حيث ذكرت شبكة “ذا أثلتيك” العالمية أن نادي بايرن ميونخ لديه رغبة مماثلة في الظفر بخدمات ألونسو الموسم الجديد.

ويواجه توماس توخيل، المدير الفني الحالي لفريق بايرن ميونخ، ضغوطا متزايدة في ظل سوء نتائج الفريق تحت قيادته، كان آخرها هزيمة الأمس أمام بوخوم بنتيجة 3-2.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ميكا ريتشاردز ينصح ليفربول بشأن مستقبل محمد صلاح: لاعب بقيمة كبيرة

ويتواجد بايرن ميونخ في المركز الثاني في جدول الدوري الألماني، بفارق 8 نقاط عن باير ليفركوزن.

وأفادت بأن إدارة بايرن ميونخ تتطلع إلى المستقبل حيث تفكر جديًا في الإطاحة بـ توخيل والاستعانة بـ ألونسو خلفًا له.

من جانبه، لن يتحدث ألونسو مع نادٍ آخر حتى انتهاء الموسم، وليس هناك ما يضمن أنه سيترك صفوف باير ليفركوزن.

وأمضى ألونسو ثلاث سنوات في بايرن ميونخ كلاعب بين 2014 و2017، بينما أمضى خمس سنوات في ليفربول بين 2004 و2009.