Cricket South Africa has run into more trouble in their efforts to get a T20 league up and running.The country’s minster for sports, Tokozile Xasa, has been asked to consider issuing a moratorium on the board, preventing them from making any announcements regarding the tournament until they appear before the parliamentary committee for sports and recreation.This request, delivered by letter on Monday morning, was made by Darren Bergman, the deputy shadow minister of sports and recreation and has been seen by ESPNcricinfo. Bergman asserts that the damage CSA have already suffered and the risks of greater financial losses are sufficient for parliament to demand assurances from the board that they can get a T20 competition up and running without any further hiccups.”While I do not believe that politicians should interfere in the running of sports and that we are best placed to play a supportive role, I am concerned that Cricket SA has the potential to risk major reputational and financial loss both to the sports as well as to the players and sponsors. This could have a negative impact locally and internationally,” Bergman’s letter reads. His comments were in reference to the legal action CSA is facing over the postponed GLT20.At least four owners have threatened CSA with legal action and reserved their rights to a team in the new T20 competition, despite the board announcing a new equity deal with broadcaster SuperSport. That deal is now believed to have fallen through, with SuperSport reportedly happy to telecast matches but averse to holding a 49% stake in the tournament.CSA’s board met in the weekend, planning to make an announcement on the future of their 20-over competition in the next two weeks, but if Bergaman’s request is successful, they will need to appear before parliament first. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Bergman said forcing to CSA to delay any further announcement would be “responsible rather than reckless.”CSA were due to address the parliamentary committee on Tuesday but asked for an extension while it prepares for next month’s AGM. If a moratorium comes in place – and Bergman hopes to hear back in the next few days – CSA may hasten their appearance in parliament. Then they need to satisfy the committee that they can conduct the 20-over tournament smoothly, despite the legal battles looming, the lack of a sponsor and the uncertainty over SuperSport’s role. All of this points to a likelihood that this new T20 league might be postponed as well, with the current six-team franchise competition continuing as usual.

Newcastle United are considering a move for a new central midfielder alongside Kalvin Phillips in January, according to a fresh report.

How much has Kalvin Phillips played?

Since joining Manchester City from Leeds last summer, Phillips has never been able to force his way into the first-team fold and he’s continued to fall out of favour this season having made zero starts and just three substitute appearances in the Premier League (WhoScored – Phillips statistics).

Despite Gareth Southgate still putting his faith in him, England’s international has admitted that he will assess his options in the new year should his situation not improve which has seen him linked with a move to the northeast (TEAMtalk), but should Eddie Howe fail to secure his services, he has been a long-term admirer of one of his international teammates.

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s central midfielder Conor Gallagher was a player who was of strong interest to chiefs over the summer, and whilst a deal failed to materialise before the deadline, PIF could be tempted to take a second bite of the cherry in the coming months.

Mauricio Pochettino’s 23-year-old has firmly established himself as his side’s overall best-performing player so far this season with a match rating of 7.16 (WhoScored – Chelsea statistics), so with him arguably in even better form now, they could strike while the iron is hot.

Conor Gallagher transfer update

According to TEAMtalk who have shared a Gallagher transfer update, Newcastle, alongside three other clubs in the top-flight, are all keeping close tabs on the situation of their target at Chelsea.

Inter Miami will start without three of their stars against D.C. United as Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba were left out of the starting XI.

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• Messi out for Miami
• Alba and Suarez on bench
• Herons to face D.C. United

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Messi's absence from the team was expected, with assistant coach Javier Morales saying that the Argentine was unlikely to feature. The iconic attacker didn't even make the bench, having been removed from Miami's midweek CONCACAF Champions Cup win over Nashville due to a slight injury.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Suarez and Alba, meanwhile, were named to the bench, with Leo Campana starting at striker and Noah Allen deputizing in Alba's left-back role. One of the former Barcelona stars did make the XI, though, as Sergio Busquets remains in the midfield.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Miami enter the match riding a solid start to the season, despite last week's loss to CF Montreal. The Herons have seven points from their first four games, a decent haul, and advanced in the CONCACAF Champions Cup thanks to their win over Nashville SC.

  The club faces some time without Messi, though, as the attacker is set to join up with Argentina, ruling him out for upcoming MLS matches.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

  Following their match against D.C. United on Saturday, Miami will be back in action on March 23 when they head to Red Bull Arena to take on the New York Red Bulls without Messi available. He'll be joining Argentina for a pair of upcoming friendlies against El Salvador and Costa Rica.

The ECB’s proposals for their new 100-ball tournament will be assessed by the players over the course of six “pilot days” at Loughborough and Trent Bridge between September 14 and 27.The concept of “The Hundred” was first unveiled by the ECB in April, as part of the board’s plans to engage with a new audience when the sport makes a partial return to free-to-air TV under the terms of the new GBP1.1billion rights deal between 2020 and 2024.It was greeted with scepticism from the outset, with Daryl Mitchell, the chairman of the PCA, warning that there could be no competition at all unless the players themselves were convinced of its merits.That opportunity will now be afforded to them, with the ECB seeking feedback on “a number of scenarios and sequences of play”. The women players will be given the first outings at Loughborough on 14, 15 and 27 September, with the men playing at Trent Bridge on 16, 17 and 18 September. For the most part, the trials will take place behind closed doors, but a media open day is scheduled for the 17th.The majority of the 40 players involved in the men’s matches will be from Nottinghamshire and Lancashire, as they do not have county fixtures lined up for that week. However, most of the 18 counties are expected to be involved in some capacity.”Across the six days, a number of scenarios and sequences of play will be explored, focused on the 100-ball format,” said the ECB in a press release. “After each day, players will be asked to consider their feedback on three key areas: flow and duration of the game, tactical innovation and player enjoyment.”Concepts that will be explored will include over lengths – with a format of 20 five-ball overs now thought to be the favoured approach, after initial thoughts about 16 six-ball overs and a one-off ten-ball over. Other ideas that may be explored include bonus scoring periods, and the opportunity for bowlers to bowl consecutive overs.”Feedback from the pilot days will form part of ECB’s ongoing development of the new competition,” the statement continued. “After their conclusion, analysis of the pilot days, alongside a range of wider insight, will help to further develop the format for the new competition.”

England could soon require a new batting coach after Mark Ramprakash emerged as a leading candidate for the head coach role at Middlesex

George Dobell30-Aug-2018England could soon require a new batting coach after Mark Ramprakash emerged as a leading candidate for the head coach role at Middlesex.Ramprakash, who started his career with the club and had a brief spell as batting coach before taking the England role in late 2014, is understood to be on a shortlist of four or five names. Richard Johnson, the Middlesex bowling coach, is also on the list.Andy Flower, however, is not. While it is understood there was some contact between Flower and the club, the former England coach has withdrawn his interest after an initial meeting. Flower is currently acting as director of England cricket in place of Andrew Strauss who is absent on compassionate grounds. Hopes are high, however, that Strauss may be able to return to work soon.Richard Scott, the former Middlesex head coach, was sacked in July. Johnson was put in charge of the team for the rest of the season.Middlesex finished bottom of the South Group in the Vitality Blast, in which they were coached by Daniel Vettori, were sixth in the South Group in the Royal London Cup but have kept their slim promotion hopes alive in the County Championship by winning their last two games; the most recent, against Northants, despite being obliged to follow-on.The head coach will report to Angus Fraser, the director of cricket at Middlesex.

USWNT legend Christen Press posted an incredibly promising injury update on social media after nearly two years on the sideline with an ACL injury.

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• USWNT legend Press posts injury update
• Been sidelined for over 20 months
• Underwent four-different ACL surgeries

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After undergoing four-different ACL surgeries across a 20-month span, the 35-year-old is finally training with Angel City ahead of a potential comeback in 2024. Posting on social media, Press shared training drills, photos and more as she makes rapid progress to return to the game.

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• WHAT PRESS POSTED

  In a series of photos and videos, Press shared the promising update on Instagram, which showed her doing footwork, jumping and putting pressure on both knees.

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Press has been sidelined with an ACL injury since June 2022, and is now nearing a comeback for Angel City. Ahead of the 2024 NWSL season, Press shared that she was not in training yet with the Los Angeles-based club, but that she was 'excited for 2024' and what the campaign would bring.

  As a result of her injury, she missed the 2023 FIFA World Cup and will miss the 2024 Paris Olympics, as well. However, a return to the pitch for the 35-year-old will be a welcomed sight for all soccer fans around the world.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHRISTEN PRESS?

  It's still some time before we see Press playing in a competitive match for Angel City, but the goal for the USWNT legend has to be taking the pitch sometime in the near future.

  The Angel City forward will continue her rehabilitation process with the club and look to progress further and further in the coming weeks and months.

Chelsea have become a prime destination for young players to choose to continue their development, and Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly eyeing another exciting gem at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's youth recruitment strategy

Undoubtedly, Chelsea have taken a major heel-turn in their approach to the market over the last couple of years and are now a club synonymous with acquiring young talent and developing players in the hope that the Blues will have a side capable of competing at the top end of English football for the long term.

In the summer, the likes of Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Oguchukwu, Deivid Washington, Angelo and Diego Moreira were all brought to Stamford Bridge, with all players mentioned being of the age of 22 or under; however, the Blues' recruitment strategy has yielded mixed results on the pitch.

Sitting 11th in the Premier League table, Chelsea have taken 12 points from their opening ten fixtures and still look to be a way off competing for continental qualification despite some encouraging signs from their young squad, which retains an average age of just 23.8 years old, according to Transfermarkt.

Nevertheless, the Blues booked their place in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday by sweeping aside Blackburn Rovers on home soil courtesy of goals from Benoit Badiashile and Raheem Sterling.

Cited by BBC Sport, Chelsea boss Pochettino has emphasised his belief that his side can win the competition, stating in his post-match press conference: "We need to think that it is an important competition for us. We are not in Europe. That should be an opportunity for us like the Premier League and in January we will start the FA Cup. Of course, we need to think that we can win this competition."

Young players have become a crucial part of Pochettino's philosophy in SW6 and it now appears that the Argentinian coach has another prodigious talent in his sights following latest reports.

Chelsea's next five fixtures – all competitions

Competition

Opponent

Venue

Premier League

Tottenham Hotspur (A)

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Premier League

Manchester City (H)

Stamford Bridge

Premier League

Newcastle United (A)

St James' Park

Premier League

Brighton & Hove Albion (H)

Stamford Bridge

Premier League

Manchester United (A)

Old Trafford

Chelsea eyeing Shamrock Rovers midfielder Naj Razi

According to a transfer update from TEAMtalk, Chelsea are interested in Shamrock Rovers midfielder Naj Razi and have watched his progress over the last few months. Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal and Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are also courting the starlet in light of his emergence in the Irish top flight. La Liga giants Real Madrid are also keen on the 17-year-old, who could be available for as little as £250,000.

Despite Razi being believed to desire a move to England over Spain, any side from the United Kingdom willing to swoop for the youngster would need to wait until his 18th birthday to sanction a deal, in light of new rules involving Irish players moving across the water that have surfaced since Brexit.

Razi, who has been labelled as an "exciting prospect" by former St Johnstone defender Graham Gartland, has made six senior appearances for Shamrock Rovers since making his breakthrough at first-team level. However, he has yet to get himself on the scoresheet or register an assist (Razi statistics – Transfermarkt).

Nevertheless, the Republic of Ireland Under-17 international is now a hot topic among some of Europe's heavyweight clubs and Chelsea and clearly has a high ceiling to be drawing such intense interest.

MatériaMais Notícias

Acostumado a ser decisivo em jogos de peso, Bruno Henrique atingirá uma marca expressiva pela Flamengo nesta terça-feira, quando entrará em campo com significativos holofotes para si, em jogo válido pela volta das oitavas da Libertadores. O camisa 27 completará 100 jogos pelo Rubro-Negro.

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Nos 99 jogos disputados até este momento, Bruno Henrique mantém um patamar (como gosta de dizer) elevado quanto aos números: são52 gols marcados e 23 assistências, o que garantem a ele 75 participações diretas em gols do Flamengo até aqui – média de 0,75 por partida. Diante dos maiores rivais cariocas, são 13 gols marcados em 19 confrontos, por exemplo.

– É um orgulho enorme para mim chegar a esta marca de 100 jogos com o manto do Flamengo. Fui muito feliz aqui desde o meu primeiro dia, criei uma relação muito forte com o clube e com a torcida e pude marcar meu nome na história desse clube gigante, com títulos e gols importantes. Só posso agradecer por tudo o que venho vivendo aqui e que ainda possamos comemorar muita coisa juntos – disse o atacante de 29 anos, cujo contrato com o Flamengo expira em dezembro de 2023.

O Flamengoé o primeiro time pelo qual Bruno Henrique alcança a marca centenária. Atédesembarcar no Ninho do Urubu,já havia passado porUberlândia, Itumbiara, Goiás, Wolfsburg e Santos.

– O Flamengo é sem dúvidas o clube com o qual criei minha maior identificação. Por tudo o que vivemos aqui, por tudo o que conquistamos e construímos juntos desde a minha chegada em janeiro de 2019. São quase dois anos muito intensos e dos quais muito me orgulho. O Flamengo mudou a minha vida e eu sinto que também contribuí para este momento tão marcante na história do clube – finalizou.

> Confira a tabela da Libertadores

Pelo Flamengo, Bruno Henrique já conquistou seis títulos em menos de dois anos de clube: Carioca (2019 e 2020), Campeonato Brasileiro, Libertadores, Supercopa do Brasil e Recopa Sul-Americana. Agora, mais precisamente a partir das 21h30 desta terça, no Maracanã e contra o Racing (na ida, o placar foi 1 a 1), será peça-chave para que o Fla siga na luta pelo bi da América.

Secretary Sudhakar Rao says matter has been reported to anti-corruption officials; Bijapur Bulls manager says no untoward activity

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-2018Two days after it was reported that unusual betting patterns in the Karnataka Premier League in India had caused concerns for bookmakers in England, the Karnataka State Cricket Association, which runs the T20 league, confirmed that some players had reported approaches made to them to the Anti-Corruption Unit.”Yes, there have been people from Rajasthan who have approached players in the league, but then the players have reported all such activities to the ACU officials,” Sudhakar Rao, the KSCA secretary, told . “The Anti-Corruption Unit is now looking into the reports and we are awaiting their version before taking any action.”The match between Hubli Tigers and Bijapur Bulls on August 16 was the fixture that had unusual betting patterns. Just before the toss, Hubli were 1.9 (10/11; meaning the market’s expectation of a win for them was almost the same as its expectation of a loss) but, by the time the game started, enough money had been pumped into the market that the price moved to 1.2 (1/5) suggesting a great deal of confidence in Hubli’s victory. Hubli subsequently won what appears to have been a fairly unremarkable game by four-wickets with seven deliveries to spare. As a result of the betting activity, however, Betfair withdrew markets for the rest of the tournament.”We did not see anything untoward from a team’s standpoint and from a cricketing standpoint,” Rahul Kargal, the Bijapur manager, said. “Everything is under wraps as far as the franchise is concerned and we control everything which happens with the team and all the strategies which are in place.”Just so you know, there is one anti-corruption unit representative who has been embedded with each franchise. Now, he monitors the movement in each team, players and managers included at all times. He stays in the hotel, travels with the team for any official or unofficial arrangement. He even comes to the practice session and all the respective franchise managers make him aware of all the movements and developments at all times.”

Chelsea have always been big spenders in the Premier League, and whilst the arrival of Todd Boehly was expected to result in a continuation of that large budget, the Blues have arguably eve nexceeded any early assumptions, with their transfer activity feeling more frequent than ever before. Those at Stamford Bridge will just hope that, in the long-term, Mauricio Pochettino gets the best out of his new side, and the excessive spending eventually pays off in the form of silverware.

For now, Chelsea remain a side with weaknesses, one of which could be addressed in the January transfer window with a surprise move for an out-of-favour Premier League star.

Chelsea transfer news

Despite welcoming a number of arrivals throughout the summer, Chelsea seemingly forgot to solve one glaring problem, and that's their lack of a natural goalscorer. Nicolas Jackson doesn't look like the player who will take up that role, either, given that he has scored just twice in eight Premier League games since joining the club.

It could be argued that creativity is the issue at hand, however, which could result in the arrival of a player capable of providing for the likes of Jackson to finally get the striker going in a Chelsea shirt. The latest Jadon Sancho transfer news suggests that he could be among the options.

According to The Athletic, it is believed that Sancho's connections to London, where he grew up, make Chelsea a viable option when he – perhaps inevitably at this point – leaves Manchester United. The Blues could also be helped by the fact that Romeo Lavia's agent is the same as the 23-year-old's, so they already have an in with the player's representatives after that summer episode.

The Jadon Sancho saga

The winger has of course been frozen out at Manchester United after a public disagreement with Erik ten Hag. The former Ajax manager dropped Sancho, claiming that he hadn't trained well enough. Sancho then hit back on social media, before deleting the post, and has been training away from the first-team ever since, having refused to apologise to his manager.

The Sancho saga looks set to end with an exit, whether that's to Saudi Arabia or clubs around Europe. And when the January transfer window opens, it could even be Chelsea who offer the former Borussia Dortmund star a lifeline – if the London club did make their move, and got the England international back to his best, then they would have themselves one of the best creators in Europe.

Sancho's Borussia Dortmund stats prove that, especially when compared to his disastrous Manchester United spell, as per FBref.

Season

Goals

Assists

Progressive Carries

Progressive Passes

Jadon Sancho 2020/21 at Borussia Dortmund

8

11

114

178

Jadon Sancho 2022/23 at Manchester United

6

3

88

76

When at his best, Sancho has received high praise, including from United teammate Luke Shaw, who praised the winger's courage after a penalty shootout win over Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup semi-final last season: "I was next to Jadon. I said: ‘Whatever happens happens, just be confident. It’s part of football, things happen, these things happen.’ And I think maybe what was playing on their minds are the things that come with it, the racism and stuff that they experienced last time.

“They showed amazing confidence to step up because the last time they took one in a shootout it was, of course, at Wembley and the memories of that. I’m really happy for both of them to put themselves forward and take really good penalties. It massively shows their courage."