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The Portuguese is fighting for his future at the moment but not everybody is convinced he should go, with arguments to be considered on both sides

Barely a single word was uttered on Valencia on Monday as Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was instead left to field countless questions about his future and the demeanour of his squad ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with the Spanish outfit at Old Trafford.

Saturday's 3-1 defeat to West Ham increased the pressure on the under-fire Portuguese, with United slipping to 10th place in the Premier League table after a shambolic showing in the capital.

But while some have claimed that Zinedine Zidane has been lined up as a potential replacement, Mourinho remains in the job for now as the Red Devils look to fight their way out of a full-blown crisis.

Is now the right time to pull the trigger, or does Mourinho deserve more time? Goal runs through the reasons why United should sack him and those why he should be saved.

Getty1SAVE HIM: The costly pay-off

Even if a consensus is reached that firing Mourinho is the right thing to do given the context, the Portuguese’s exit is set to cost Manchester United a huge amount of money. With the best part of two years left on his Old Trafford deal and a club option for a further 12 months, the manager stands to gain a further £33 million during his United stay thanks to his £12m agreement.

It is believed that there is a clause in his deal though which would allow the club to pay him a £12m settlement should they decide to sack him before the end of the 2019-20 season, cutting between £9m and £21m off their total expected outlay.

But that would mean the club having to fork out £12m to pay off Mourinho even before considering the cost of taking on a new manager’s salary and signing-on bonuses, which would make it one almighty outlay for the miserly Ed Woodward to countenance.AdvertisementGetty2SAVE HIM: This is hardly a surprise to United

What exactly did United expect they were going to get when they appointed Mourinho in 2016? They sacked Louis van Gaal within 48 hours of winning the FA Cup because they wanted the closest thing they could find to guaranteed success at whatever cost.

They knew what Mourinho had got up to in the past, but they bought into it. They knew he’d demand costly changes to the squad to get them competing, but they bought into it. They knew they risked alienating those fans who want more than anything to see flowing football, but they bought into it.

Changing now would abandon yet another strategy – a third different vision in little over five years – and the need to develop a new one could be further damaging to a club which is desperately looking to pick a direction and stick to it.GETTY3SAVE HIM: Can a successor be expected to make a huge difference?

Which brings us to the replacement. United should only sack Mourinho if they are certain they can bring in an upgrade, and that is not necessarily the case right now. Of course, Zinedine Zidane’s name has been widely linked and Mourinho was even asked on Monday whether the Frenchman had called to say he was not after the United job.

But while Zidane comes with a pedigree having won three straight Champions Leagues, he took the job at Real Madrid with a squad of superstars already waiting for him. At United he would have a promising first XI but not too much else beyond that, leaving him with a far different proposition than the one which saw him achieve unprecedented success at the Santiago Bernabeu.

United were keen on Mauricio Pochettino before selecting Mourinho in 2016 and the Tottenham boss would be a fair target come next summer. But an immediate change in boss could rule out the Argentine, and the chance to make a considered appointment of a man who puts football first might be spurned as a result.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty4SAVE HIM: Mourinho is not the start and end of United's problems

While there is a clear issue with Mourinho, it is not United’s only area of concern right now… not by a long chalk. Bringing in a new manager will not do anything to resolve the fact that the Glazers’ takeover continues to cost the club around 80 per cent of its operating profit. It will also not address the fact that there is a serious lack of football-savvy decision-makers knocking around the club and executive vice-chair Ed Woodward gives the impression of a man out of his depth in the transfer arena.

And similarly a change of regime will not automatically fill the gaps in United’s anaemic squad, nor will it bring the bigger names into line without the perfect appointment being made upon Mourinho’s exit. The manager has fought for more care to be placed into the upkeep of the playing staff but the board have not been willing to do that, so why wouldn’t more of the same be in store for the next incumbent without greater support from the boardroom?

Gujarat Lions, coming off three successive defeats, run into Kolkata Knight Riders in a top-of-the-table clash at Eden Gardens on Sunday night

The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu07-May-2016Match factsSunday, May 8, 2016
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)2:39

Cullinan: Gambhir looks hungry for runs

Big PictureIt’s a top-of-the-table clash at Eden Gardens. Kolkata Knight Riders are at No. 1 with six wins in nine matches. Gujarat Lions have an equal number of wins, but have played an extra game and are smarting from three successive defeats.Lions’ struggles are best exemplified by their last three Powerplay scores – 26 for 3, 35 for 3 and 36 for 2. Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum’s failures have added more pressure on a middle order that has yet to fire. And if they were thinking of slotting Aaron Finch back at the top, there is doubt over his fitness again. Finch struck his fourth fifty in six matches in Hyderabad, but did not take the field for the chase.While Lions have a few key batsmen out of form – Suresh Raina has only one fifty in 10 innings and Dwayne Bravo has barely been striking at a run a ball – Knight Riders’ depth has served them well.Gautam Gambhir, who has opened up his stance, and Robin Uthappa have strung five fifty-plus partnerships this season. When they tripped up, against Royal Challengers Bangalore for example, Andre Russell and Yusuf Pathan bashed 96 off 44 balls to secure an unlikely victory.Russell topped that with a breathtaking spell against Kings XI Punjab and with Morne Morkel’s pace and bounce from the other end, Knight Riders have the Powerplay covered.Piyush Chawla has been tidy in the middle overs, with eight wickets in eight games at 23.75. The only worry for the hosts is Sunil Narine’s form and fitness. So far, Narine has been predictable; the ball isn’t spinning both ways anymore. He’s also nursing a finger injury.Form guideKolkata Knight Riders WWLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Gujarat Lions LLLWWIn the spotlightBravo and Chawla are currently tied with 117 IPL wickets. Returning from injury on Friday, Bravo impressed with his slower balls again, but managed only 18 off 20 balls with the bat. Lions will want more from Bravo with the bat.Chawla, meanwhile, has mixed his legbreaks and googlies well, and will relish bowling at Eden Gardens. He has 13 wickets in 11 matches for Knight Riders at this venue.Team newsIf Sunil Narine needs more time to regain fitness, Knight Riders are likely to persist with left-arm wrist spinner Brad Hogg.Kolkata Knight Riders (probable): 1 Gautam Gambhir(capt), 2 Robin Uthappa(wk), 3 Manish Pandey, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Brad Hogg/Sunil Narine, 10 Morne Morkel, Umesh YadavLions may consider including James Faulkner if Finch has aggravated a hamstring injury he suffered last month. Left-arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan, who leaked 28 runs in two overs on Friday, is likely to make way for batsman Ishan Kishan or left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati.Gujarat Lions (probable): 1 Dwayne Smith, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Suresh Raina(capt), 4 Dinesh Karthik(wk), 5 Aaron Finch/James Faulkner, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Pradeep Sangwan/Ishan Kishan/Shadab Jakati, 9 Praveen Kumar 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Shivil KaushikPitch and conditionsThe Eden Gardens surface has traditionally been slow and favours spin. Sunday is expected to be a warm day, with chances of showers in the afternoon.Stats and trivia Russell has picked up six Man-of-the-Match awards for Knight Riders since IPL 2015. Dhawal Kulkarni has bowled three wicket maidens this season. No other bowler has bowled more than one wicket maiden.

Rolling Stones icons Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood were in attendance as Barcelona faced Real Madrid in La Liga on Saturday.

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Rolling Stones stars at El ClasicoBarca wearing special jerseyShirt has Stones' famous symbol on itWHAT HAPPENED?

The two sides went head-to-head in the Estadio Olímpico for the first time this season and the famous rock band heroes were in attendance.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The and artists watched on as Barcelona faced their rivals in a jersey with the band's famous lips and tongue symbol on it. The gesture coincides with the release of the Rolling Stones' new album, "Hackney Diamonds".

DID YOU KNOW?

Barcelona took the lead within six minutes through an Ilkay Gundogan goal. The midfielder's goal was the fastest to have been scored in a match between Barcelona and Real Madrid since Neymar's strike just three minutes and two seconds into a Clasico in 2014.

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Barca's next match is against Real Sociedad in La Liga, while take on Rayo Vallecano.

Brendan Taylor has put Zimbabwe’s loss to Pakistan in the second one-dayer primarily down to not having a “clear enough” death-bowling plan

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2013Brendan Taylor has put Zimbabwe’s loss to Pakistan in the second one-dayer primarily down to not having a “clear enough” death-bowling plan. In their historic win on Tuesday, when they restricted Pakistan to a much more gettable 244, Taylor said the bowlers had executed better at the end of the innings, whereas on Thursday they “missed their lengths”.”We started well, the first 20 overs were good [with Pakistan going] at three and a half an over, but we let them get 230 in the last 30 overs, so we weren’t good enough today. They came back with a much better performance and we expected that. With them building sizeable partnerships, though, it was difficult at the death, with not a lot of margin for error. I think our bowlers missed our lengths and probably didn’t have a clear enough plan like we had on Tuesday.”Chasing 300 against an attack of Pakistan’s quality is never easy, Taylor said, but the previous victory had boosted Zimbabwe’s confidence enough so that they always thought they were in with a chance. “With their bowling attack, 300 was going to be difficult. It’s always a challenge playing a world-class team, chasing 300 runs. But at one stage we were 200 for 4. We had wickets in hand, needing eight an over, with Elton [Chigumbura] still to come, anything was possible.”It’s important to have that self-belief that we can chase down any total and we’ve done that in the past against New Zealand, chasing 330. And the game we won on Tuesday certainly helped us believe in ourselves.”Pakistan’s win means the third ODI, on Saturday, will be a series decider. Taylor said he’ll back his team to play with freedom in that game, though they might need to tweak the line-up for it. “New game on Saturday, we have to leave all this behind and find our best performers if we have to win. A change or two might work but we’ll find that out tomorrow.”It’s important to instill confidence in the players, [have them] playing with freedom. If you go out there and you are uptight and nervous, you are freezing up at the crease, you’re not going to be competitive. You need to take a few calculated risks in order to post a good total or chase down a total. It’s about believing in your team-mates and instilling that confidence in them to go out there and do it because if they do play their best cricket, everyone can contribute to a winning performance.”

A round-up of the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches on November 9, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2014West ZoneMumbai showed off their famous tenacity in domestic cricket by fighting back to take a four-run victory over Baroda. After being bowled out for a meagre 201, Mumbai were in big trouble as Aditya Waghmode’s 69 took Baroda to 157 for 4 in the 35th over. But Baroda lost five wickets for 23 to leave the final pair needing to make 22. The unlikely hero for Mumbai was 20-year-old part-time offspinner Akhil Herwadkar, playing only his second List A game. In 30 youth ODIs, Herwadkar has only one wicket, but with his team in crisis, he chipped in with three, including the final one of Lukman Meriwala.Another youngster, 17-year-old Sarfaraz Khan, came to Mumbai’s rescue with the bat. He top scored with an unbeaten 41 to guide Mumbai past 200. Other major contributions came from the vastly experienced pair of Wasim Jaffer and Suryakumar Yadav. Yet another youngster, 19-year-old Deepak Hooda, did most of the damage for Baroda, taking 5 for 55 in only his second List A match.A violent half-century from Jesal Karia provided the finishing touches as Gujarat gunned down a target of 267 against Maharashtra in Motera. He was unbeaten on 56 off 25 balls, including seven fours and two sixes as the game was closed with 11 balls to spare.Gujarat’s decision to field had seemed to pay off with only Harshad Khadiwale’s 54 being the only significant contribution from the Maharashtra top-four. The middle-order though posed a greater challenge as birthday boy Nikhil Naik struck a breezy 64 while captain Rohit Motwani and Nikhil Paradkar struck forties to push the total to 266.A fifty from opener Smit Patel gave exactly the kind of foundation Gujarat would have wanted to spring from. They made steady progress through the middle overs with captain Parthiv Patel’s 45 off 53 and Karia used that foundation to smash 31 runs in three overs with Rujul Bhat for the fifth wicket and 45 runs in four for the sixth wicket to spoil Naik’s party and give himself a belated 25th birthday present.East ZoneA five-wicket haul from the medium-pacer Rituraj Singh, followed by an unbeaten half-century from Virat Singh helped Jharkhand get off to a winning start, as they crushed Tripura by eight wickets in Kolkata.Tripura, batting first, began shakily and were precariously placed at 30 for 5 before Nirupam Sen Chowdhary and Rakesh Solanki led a mini-recovery with an 87-run partnership. Solanki top-scored with 63 and Sen Chowdhary hit 42, but both batsmen were dismissed within four overs of each other, triggering another collapse. Rituraj ran through the tail to collect 5 for 34, as Tripura fell from 117 for 5 to 173 all out.Jharkhand lost the opener Ishank Jaggi early, but they were never really in danger of missing out on such a small target. Virat stroked 11 fours and a six during his 86, and put up big stands with Ishan Kishan (36) and Kumar Deobrat (48*) to guide the team home in 33.3 overs.Odisha’s bowlers set up a comprehensive five-wicket victory against Assam at the Bengal Cricket Academy. Assam, having been inserted, were bundled out for 103 in 44.3 overs, with only three batsmen managing double-digit scores. Odisha’s bowlers all went at under four an over, with Basant Mohanty (3 for 14) and Deepak Behera (3 for 16) sharing six wickets between them, and Paresh Patel chipping in with 2 for 12.Odisha began the chase with a 55-run opening stand from Paresh and Bikas Pati, but four quick wickets from Pritam Das dragged the team down to 77 for 5. However, with only a few runs left to get, Anurag Sarangi dashed any hopes of an unlikely Assam win by scoring 22 not out to lead Odisha over the line in 23.2 overs.

Yorkshire’s captain Andrew Gale has become the first county cricketer to be accused of a racism offence after he was charged on Wednesday by the England & Wales Cricket Board for a disparaging use of the term ‘Kolpak’

David Hopps17-Sep-2014Yorkshire’s captain Andrew Gale has become the first county cricketer to be accused of a racism offence after he was charged on Wednesday by the ECB for a confrontation with Ashwell Prince in the Roses match which included a rejoinder to return to his own country, followed by a disparaging use of the term “Kolpak”.ESPNcricinfo revealed that the Kolpak term was part of the issue under investigation by the ECB hours after Gale was barred from collecting the Championship trophy on Yorkshire’s behalf following their clinching of the title with victory against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.Now the has confirmed that the ECB intends to press ahead with the charge in defiance of Yorkshire’s fury that their captain’s reputation has been tainted.The ECB’s charge will be that Gale used abusive language with racist connotations when the case the governing body laid itself is heard by its own disciplinary committee.The Kolpak insult

Andrew Gale referred to Ashwell Prince disparagingly as a Kolpak – the catch-all term for a player in English domestic cricket who qualifies by virtue of EU free-trade agreements with third-party countries, a qualification that has since been tightened to include goods and services but exclude people.

Gale has been found guilty of a Level 2 offence but a Level 3 offence (at least) will now be lodged. The difference is perceived racism.

Level 2 offence: Using language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive or of a seriously insulting nature to another player, umpire, referee, team official or spectator.

Level 3 offence: Using language or gesture that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person’s race, religion or belief, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation or background.

Yorkshire are assembling a legal team to contest the charge, which has left relationships between the county and the ECB – historically, often shaky – at their lowest levels for years and soured celebrations of their first Championship title for 13 yearsThe hearing could take place next week with Gale anticipating a Level 3 charge.Gale’s outburst came against Prince, Lancashire’s South African batsman, who qualifies to play domestic cricket by virtue of the Kolpak rule, on the third evening of the Roses match on September 3.Gale had become increasingly incensed at OId Trafford by Prince’s sledging and timewasting as Yorkshire pushed for victory. As tempers flared, Prince told Gale to get back to his fielding position, Gale’s rejoinder to Prince was that he should get back to his own country and included a reference to Prince’s Kolpak status. There was a dose of bad language on both sides.The umpires brought a Level 2 charge and Gale was suspended for two matches but the ECB was not satisfied that the affair had been sternly enough dealt with. The night before Yorkshire won the Championship at Trent Bridge, they were instructed that Gale should have no part in the trophy presentation ceremony as further charges could be laid.Prince’s immediate on-field gesticulations indicated that he viewed the outburst as having racist overtones, and as a Cape Coloured South African immersed in South Africa’s apartheid history, his response was perhaps not altogether surprising. But there are no indications that Prince himself has pressed for the matter to be taken further.Yorkshire will contend that there is no country, nor racial origin for Kolpaks – it is simply a descriptive term for those players from many countries who are able to play in county cricket because of reciprocal EU trade agreements – and it therefore cannot be construed as racist.The ECB itself has lobbied hard against Kolpak registrations, with some success, and some senior officials have not always referred to their presence in county cricket in a decorous manner. They, though, are not on trial.Gale’s rejoinder to Prince that he should “eff off home” will also have lawyers thumbing through the Race Relations Act and the Equality Act to decide whether, in such a context, that constitutes racism or merely the sort of all-too-common abuse, perhaps tinged with xenophobia, that has already been punished by a two-match ban?The ECB, led by the chairman Giles Clarke, is adamant that its task is to uphold behavioural standards in the game. No right-thinking person would question the general view that removing the scourge of racism from cricket is a noble aim.Whether Gale’s outburst can be fairly regarded in that vein will be fought out by the lawyers. But whether this case – unusual to say the least – is an appropriate occasion on which to make a stand on such a sensitive and important issue, an issue where reputations can be damaged for life, is a wider debate altogether.

On a day when British thoughts were largely centred around Andy Murray’s first Wimbledon title, Middlesex served up a demolition of Kent at Uxbridge with Adam Rossington’s domineering 74 from 37 balls to the fore.

Tim Wigmore07-Jul-2013
ScorecardAdam Rossington gave the Uxbridge crowd a demonstration of his prowess•Matt BrightOn a day when British thoughts were largely centred around Andy Murray’s first Wimbledon title, Middlesex served up a demolition of Kent at Uxbridge. Adam Rossington’s domineering 74, taking advantage of a scorching day, flat track and unthreatening bowling, exposed the inadequacy of Kent’s 140.Kent’s day was rather summed up when Rossington was caught at midwicket by Sam Northeast, only for Northeast to touch the rope and concede a six. Rossington hardly required such assistance.A few days ago, he was seen briefly on Sky TV strolling out with a broad grin on his face to face a couple of balls and win a last-over finish against Essex in front of 20,000 at Lord’s. Not remotely as many witnessed a more extensive display of his powers.On this occasion, It was an innings marked by powerful driving and a relish for hitting the ball in the air; at one stage Darren Stevens was lashed for four boundaries in five balls. Rossington described opening as “the best time to bat” but said that he expects to slip back down the order when Paul Stirling returns from Ireland duty.But this was a victory set-up in Kent’s innings – their total always felt at least 40 runs below par. It was little wonder that there were no shortage of iPads and smart phones on display during Kent’s meandering effort, as spectators were understandably distracted by Murray’s efforts at Wimbledon.And even the 140 they recorded owed much to the generosity of Middlesex’s fielders: four catches were spilled as players struggled to pick up the ball against the backdrop of the afternoon sun.Kyle Mills, the Zealand seamer, alone had three catches spilled of his bowling, but, despite a couple of no balls, he was quick and canny in claiming 2-28, bowling at either end of the innings. His opening partner, Toby Roland-Jones, has struggled to replicate his outstanding first-class form in the shortest format. Not today: four parsimonious overs included the scalp of Rob Key to a crafty slower ball.Much of Kent’s batting had a harebrained feel. They are over-reliant on Darren Stevens. After he fell for a belligerent 25, the innings lacked a sense of impetus. Kent have the feeling of a side that badly needs renewal: Adam Blake and Sam Billings, who both hit enterprising cameos, need to become consistent scorers.Amid the hype about the start of the Ashes at Trent Bridge, Geraint Jones, who made 85 in 2005 there, hit a sparkly 22 to provide a little nostalgia. It was his first T20 game of the season, and seemingly an appearance he had not expected: on Thursday Jones had used his Twitter account to say that “The only positive to come out of not playing the T20’s is I can now enjoy guilt free beer day before game!”Vernon Philander’s pace was Kent’s last chance of making a contest of the game. Rossington ensured otherwise, driving with panache on both side of the wicket.Implausible as it sounds of a 37-ball 74, Rossington didn’t thrash from ball one, taking nine deliveries over his first two runs. The game was over long before he was bowled attempting to swing a fifth six. It was a deserved scalp for Tredwell, parsimonious amid the pandemonium unleashed at the other end.That left just enough time for a final flourish from Tredwell’s former teammate. Joe Denly’s six off Philander – launching him over mid-wicket after shimmying down the wicket – was a reminder of the qualities that briefly seduced England’s limited overs selectors. He is a way off an England recall, but how Kent would love him back. They have now lost their first four Twenty20 games: the shortest format is proving no relief in their grim season.

Rangers have cancelled Celtic's entire away ticket allocation just 24 hours ahead of Sunday's SWPL Old Firm clash at Ibrox.

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Rangers cite 'intelligence' over 'risk' supportersCeltic lament 'hugely disappointing' decisionTop two go head-to-head on SundayWHAT HAPPENED?

The two sides meet on Sunday afternoon with Rangers enjoying a four-point lead over their rivals at the top of the league. But the game will now go ahead without away supporters after Rangers say they received intelligence about a number of tickets being purchased by fans perceived to pose a security risk requiring policing to be sourced at late notice.

AdvertisementGettyTHE EXPLANATION

The Ibrox club explained in a statement that they were not prepared to take the risk of allowing fans they deemed a 'risk' to attend a fixture that was not due to have a police presence. After Celtic's refusal to cancel tickets of people deemed to be a threat, Rangers chose to cancel the entire away allocation.

WHAT RANGERS SAID

Rangers announced via their website: "It is with regret that all tickets purchased by Celtic FC supporters for Sunday’s match at Ibrox have sadly had to be cancelled.

"Intelligence received by Rangers and Celtic on Thursday suggested groups of ‘risk’ supporters in a significant number had purchased tickets from the Celtic allocation.

"Rangers called an urgent operational meeting between both clubs and Police Scotland, with Police Scotland indicating they would need to deploy a sizeable resource at short notice as opposed to it initially being a police-free fixture.

"Rangers is committed to ensuring there are away supporters at our matches for both our men’s and women’s teams. However, a unique selling point of the women’s game is the unsegregated, family-friendly atmosphere, with many children attending these matches.

"Taking all of that into account, Rangers’ security team decided it would be unsafe to allow these ‘risk’ supporters into the stadium, and with Celtic unwilling to cancel just their tickets, the decision to cancel all tickets was taken."

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WHAT CELTIC SAID

A Celtic statement read: "It has been confirmed to Celtic Football Club just this morning that all away tickets will be cancelled for tomorrow's women's SWPL match at Ibrox Stadium.

"At a time when so many are working so hard to promote and support the women's game in Scotland, the decision to deny access to so many fans is hugely disappointing, even more so given that there were a number of options available to the home club to allow our fans to safely attend in a stadium of such capacity and given the expected crowd.

"Celtic will liaise with the home club regarding refunds for all tickets and will communicate to our supporters who had purchased tickets as soon as possible.

"We are pleased to inform our supporters that the match will be broadcast at the Sports Bar within Celtic Park tomorrow for any supporters who wish to attend."

Lalit Modi’s plan of returning as a cricket administrator in India, via the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) elections, has been put on hold because of confusion over the election dates

Amol Karhadkar and Nagraj Gollapudi19-Nov-2013Lalit Modi’s plan of returning as a cricket administrator in India, via the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) elections, has been put on hold because of confusion over the election dates. The association is split into two factions, each of which has announced an election date, and the dispute over who controls the RCA is now being contested in various courts across Rajasthan.Modi had been banned for life by the BCCI from all cricket matters in India but the ban was stayed by the Rajasthan High Court in October, following which he announced his intention to run for the RCA president’s post. His appeal before the court exploited a technicality – since the RCA is governed by the Rajasthan Sports Act, the BCCI ban cannot be applied to him – and the court agreed with his contention.The incumbent, CP Joshi, then advanced the election date from December 7 to November 24 while the opposing faction announced it would hold the election on November 23. Those dates, however, are now a matter for the courts to decide.The Rajasthan Sports Act

When the Rajasthan Sports Act was passed by the state cabinet in 2005, it was the first sports act in India. The Act, with Sanjay Dixit as its key formulator, had suggested drastic measures for sports administration, like one-term rule for principal office bearers for sports bodies.

The Act makes it mandatory for every sports body registered in Rajasthan to follow its guidelines. Had it not been for the Act, Lalit Modi wouldn’t have been able to become the RCA president, nor recontest despite being banned for life by BCCI. Before the Act was framed, RCA elections included votes of 32 district associations and 66 individual members. The new Act nullified individual members’ votes and that paved the way for Modi to head the RCA.

According to the Section 8.2 (c) of the Act, only the secretary can call for an election. Since Sanjay Dixit, the former secretary general, was sidestepped and KK Sharma was appointed as officiating secretary early last year, both the warring officials have announced separate dates for elections.

Though it was initially welcomed by the cricket fraternity, slowly virtually all the sports associations started opposing the Act. In fact, in June 2013, a delegation of various sports bodies in the state met with the sports minister and asked him to repeal the Act which was “brought in only for cricket”.

Modi said his decision to make a comeback – he became the RCA president in 2005 – was because of the way Joshi had ignored cricket in Rajasthan. “Cricket has taken a beating in Rajasthan. My opponent has not done anything for the game. I was hoping as a federal minister he [Joshi] would have done a lot but I am disappointed. We had worked very, very hard and it is about time we start getting our act together,” Modi told ESPNcricinfo from London.He said he’d been in touch with various district associations within Rajasthan and was expecting healthy support on the elections. “I have good support from various associations and we are looking forward to the elections on November 23 and 24.”Modi’s ally in the current campaign is Sanjay Dixit, a senior bureaucrat who had helped Joshi defeat him in a bitterly fought RCA election in 2009. Dixit, who was elected RCA secretary, was a vocal critic of Modi’s autocratic style of functioning but he and Joshi too fell out. Dixit was then replaced by KK Sharma as the officiating secretary at RCA.On Monday, Dixit issued a press release pointing out to an order passed by the RCA election officer that stated that he had returned to function as the secretary while deciding to “divest KK Sharma of all functions with effect from October 28”. Dixit himself announced the elections on November 24.Asked why he had decided to join hands with Dixit, Modi said both men were on the same page as far as cricket was concerned. “Sanjay and I were together as far as cricket is concerned. Then we had differences on certain issues. But he is a strong cricket administrator without doubt, which we had seen when I had left and he came in briefly at RCA. But he had a difference of opinion with Joshi and he was disappointed by the non-performance of the RCA,” Modi said.Modi and Dixit might be positive about their alliance but there is no clarity and certainty about the poll dates. The biggest hurdle surrounds the legitimacy of the list of candidates and voters. There are 33 voters, one from each of the affiliated district units of RCA. Even though both Joshiand Modi are in both lists, their alleged attempt to push their own supporters into the final lists has only worsened the situation.”What most of the voters have been demanding is a free and fair election and I am ready for that,” Dixit said. “But the other party is not agreeing to, which has caused confusion. The voter list is being changed by them to suit themselves and it has resulted in multiple litigations. In a field of 33, if you change seven voters, it is as good as sealing the fate of theelection.”The Sharma faction’s response was similar as it blamed the Modi-Dixit combine for creating the mess.

The ICC has retained Sylhet as one of the venues for next year’s World Twenty20, after being convinced by the BCB that the stadium will be ready in time

Mohammad Isam27-Oct-2013The ICC has retained Sylhet as one of the venues for next year’s World Twenty20, after being convinced by the BCB that the stadium will be ready in time. There is still some development work left at the stadium, but the extended deadline of November 30 is being seen as adequate time to complete the work.Sylhet has been given 28 matches, the most for one venue in this tournament, which includes 22 women’s matches and six from the men’s first round, which were to be played in Cox’s Bazaar. But the coastal town was shelved as a venue as its playing surface is brand new and untested.With 16 men’s and 10 women’s teams, this is the biggest tournament in its history. But the dropping of the Cox’s Bazaar venue means that the 60 matches of both the tournaments will be crammed into just three grounds, one of which is still incomplete.But there has been significant progress at the Sylhet venue since work started belatedly in June. The main pavilion building and the media centre on opposite sides of the ground have been completed structurally, but there is interior work still to be done. The floodlights have been installed while the green gallery, a small hill on the east of the pavilion, needs its seating arrangement to be made more spectator-friendly.BCB president Nazmul Hassan said he is confident that they can complete the pending work well before time, but cautioned that the board cannot prevent the ICC from deciding on alternative venues if the work isn’t completed on time.”The basic structures [in Sylhet] are completed,” BCB president Nazmul Hassan said. “The finishing touches are going on. We still have lot of work to do. It is a huge stadium and we also have some landscaping left to do. We are confident of doing it in time.”[But] there is always a possibility to move matches from one country to another or from one stadium to another. Everything depends on whether we can get the stadiums prepared by the time we committed to. If we don’t do it, it will go to the alternate venues. Our advantage is that we have alternate venues. But I won’t negotiate for this with the ICC anymore. I have promised them that we will finish it by November 20 [the official deadline is November 30], I can assure you we can do it by November 10.”Hassan said that work in Sylhet should have begun long time ago but it was stalled because the National Sports Council (NSC) took extra time to complete the tendering process. “The Sylhet stadium was not directly done by the BCB but by the NSC. The tender should have started at least nine months back.”You can’t ask us to finish a nine-month task in two months, and we couldn’t. So we asked the ICC for another one month. A lot of work has been done. The entire process started too late.”The ICC will use all three venues – Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet – for the 35 men’s matches, including the first round that will be held from March 16 to 21. Dhaka’s Shere Bangla National Stadium will host 17 matches in all, and the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong will host 14 games.But what should have been one of the tournament’s biggest attractions, the Cox’s Bazaar Stadium by the world’s longest beach, will now only host practice matches. The land was acquired quite late and only happened after the country’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina intervened earlier this year. There was never going to be enough time to build a stadium from scratch in such a short timeframe, and although it was almost achieved, there was not enough time to test the pitches.Hassan, though, said the warm-up games needed venues too. “It is not only the World Twenty20 matches but there will be a lot of practice matches for both tournaments. We cannot [overuse] the three [main] venues, so these practice matches will be spread around.”We initially thought that the women’s matches will be held in Cox’s Bazaar. It is fully ready but the pitches have not been tested. There has never been a cricket match played on those wickets. To start a World Cup on completely unused pitches is a big risk.”