Harry Kane Latest: Journalist Shares "Major" Tottenham Twist

Journalist Pete O'Rourke has shared a "major" Harry Kane update after Tottenham Hotspur's "jaw-dropping" behind-the-scenes contract offer recently.

Will Harry Kane leave Tottenham?

This isn't the first time Spurs' star striker has been linked with a move away from north London, with treble-winners Man City showing a very serious interest around two years ago.

Pep Guardiola's side lodged bids in excess of £100 million for Kane, who was rumoured to have a "gentleman's agreement" with Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy to leave the club. That ultimately didn't come to fruition, and City instead ended up capturing star striker Erling Haaland one summer later.

Tottenham were in a strong position to refute City's advances back then, but with Kane's contract expiring in 2024, they're in a far more precarious situation this year. The England star has just 12 months remaining on his current deal, meaning he can leave for free next year.

Ange Postecoglou, speaking in his first Spurs press conference the other day, is in no doubt that Kane would prefer to stay at the club and battle to make them successful.

"Kane is one of the premier strikers in the world and I want him involved here," Postecoglou said.

"I just want to introduce myself to Harry, give him my vision, get an understanding from him over what his vision is and try to be successful.

"My conversation with him will be about how we can make this club successful and there is no doubt that is what he wants as well."

Bayern Munich, though, are seriously knocking at the door for Spurs' talisman and have made a second proposal to Levy – an offer apparently amounting to around £68.5 million plus add-ons.

According to Football Insider and O'Rourke – who claim to share a "major" Kane update in the last 24 hours after Tottenham's "jaw dropping" contract offer – Spurs are set to reject Bayern's second bid and will refuse all offers for him this window.

harry-kane-heung-min-son-spurs

Despite this, it's believed Kane still has no intention of signing a new deal, regardless of the mammoth numbers behind it, before the window shuts – meaning a stalemate is on the cards.

The 29-year-old is keen to join Bayern in the coming weeks, despite Tottenham's offer to make him one of England's top earners, but Levy is set to dig his heels in over Kane.

Spurs have privately made it clear that their superstar is not far sale under any circumstance.

How good is Harry Kane?

The Three Lions forward has thrived at Tottenham over the last 12 months, scoring 30 league goals in 38 matches last season.

Former Spurs boss Antonio Conte heaped praise on Kane for his quality and attitude, calling him "world class" in an interview with the press last season.

"I am happy for him because we are talking about a world class striker,” he said.

“He deserves the best because he's a great worker, hard worker… this is not normal because usually the players that have talent many times don't like to work hard because they have talent.

“In my career I didn't have great talent [so] for this reason I worked hard. What I liked about him from the first time was his ability. He was a big example for his team-mates."

Reporter Drops Update On Levi Colwill to Liverpool

Liverpool see Levi Colwill as their "top target" this window and are pushing for the deal as they can sense "blood in the water" at Chelsea, claims transfer journalist Graham Bailey.

Is Levi Colwill joining Liverpool?

Liverpool have had a brilliant transfer window so far this summer, with the club almost completely overhauling their midfield with the signings of World Cup-winning Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion and the Hungarian international Dominik Szoboslai from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig.

Alexis Mac Allister Brighton Argentina

With those deals only costing the Merseysiders an estimated £95m combined, the club look set to continue their summer spending with Chelsea's exciting young defender Colwill, their new top target.

The Southampton-born-gem spent last season on loan with Premier League high-flyers Brighton, where he enjoyed his breakout top-flight campaign under the progressive tutelage of Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi.

His brilliant performances for the Seagulls saw him earn a call-up to England's under-21s for the European Championships this summer, a competition he helped them win without conceding a single goal along the way.

Unsurprisingly, this positive momentum has turned the heads of prospective buyers, with his loan side making a £30m offer for the 6 foot 2 prospect, an offer that the Pensioners immediately rejected.

Levi Colwill Brighton

Despite Chelsea's insistence that their young star isn't for sale, the lack of guaranteed game time is the number one concern for the player and why he has yet to put pen to paper on a new extended deal.

This inability for the Blues and Colwill to reconcile his desire for first-team football and their reluctance to guarantee it has given the Reds confidence that they can snatch the "outrageous" youngster away from their rivals, per Graham Bailey.

He explained the situation on the Talking Transfers podcast:

"There's something in this. Liverpool are pushing hard for this, there's blood in the water, and they can really sense that.

"I think Liverpool, he is their top target now. There is a belief at Anfield that they could get him."

levi-colwill-chelsea-premier-league

Who is leaving Liverpool this summer?

Whilst there is a lot of excitement around the potential incomings at Liverpool this summer, there are also quite a few significant players that could be departing as well.

It could be the end of the road for club captain Jordan Henderson this summer as he has reportedly accepted a colossal offer worth £700,000-a-week from Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ettifaq, per TalkSPORT.

Liverpool captain JordanHenderson

The move would see him link up with old Reds teammate and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, the side's new manager.

Following the skipper to the Middle East could potentially be Brazillian midfielder Fabinho, with the Guardian reporting that the player's camp have been in conversation with Saudi side Al-Ittihad over a move, but no discussions have been held between the two clubs as of yet.

Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara is another senior player that could be on the way out, as Spanish outlet SPORT report that while Liverpool aren't actively looking to sell the 32-year-old, they would be willing to part ways with him should a reasonable offer be made, and with Xavi reportedly interested in the service of the former Bayern Munich man, that could be on the table.

Premier League, Liverpool, Liverpool news, Liverpool latest news, Liverpool update, Liverpool team news, Liverpool analysis, Liverpool vs Arsenal, LFC team news, LFC news, LFC injury news, LFC update, Thiago Alcantara

Whatever happens with Colwill, it looks like Liverpool could be fielding a completely different starting eleven when the Premier League kicks off again next month.

Australia's pay fight endangers international game

With domestic T20 leagues gaining traction across the world, Cricket Australia’s approach to the pay dispute has added risk to the future of international cricket, according to the former ACA chief executive

Daniel Brettig21-Jun-2017Australian cricket’s custodians are “crazy” to be creating added risk for the future of international cricket at a time when the game has become a seller’s market due to the influx of domestic Twenty20 tournaments.That’s the view of the former Australian Cricketers Association chief executive Paul Marsh, who broke his silence on the union’s pay dispute with Cricket Australia after inking a new collective bargaining agreement for the AFL players’ association this week.Marsh, who left for the AFLPA in 2014 and was central to the most recent MoU signed in 2012, specifically attacked CA over its attempt to carry over money from the former deal to this one. He stated that the previous carryover only occurred due to the signing of a one-year “rollover” deal in 2011 that included a summer featuring an India tour – by far the most lucrative series Australia plays in.”We could have paid the players 26% of the money from that year, but what would have happened was a massive increase for that one year, and then a decrease for the next year and so on,” Marsh told ESPNcricinfo. “It was only done that way so the player payments were evened out rather than what would have been irresponsible and unfair to most of the players, spiking one year then going down the next.”I’m incredibly frustrated, as someone who did the last deal and helped convince the players to put $20 million of their own money [from the 2015 World Cup] back into growing the game, the players took a very responsible decision to invest back into the game. There wouldn’t be another professional sport in the world where the players took that decision, yet the very next MoU the players are told ‘we don’t want to give you this revenue percentage anymore’. I find that incredibly disrespectful and unprofessional in my view.”For CA to use money from this MoU that the players have earned – despite the fact they’ve given $20 million back – and then try to say, ‘we’re going to take more money out of what we have to pay you and put it into the next deal’, it’s just contemptible from where I sit.”‘CA’s approach here is purely and simply trying to bully the players into an outcome that CA want’ – Paul Marsh•Australian Cricketers’ AssociationGiven how the cricket landscape has changed due to T20 tournaments, the most recent South African event that will clash with the Australian domestic seasons, Marsh was mystified as to why CA would choose to fight an industrial relations battle when many other nations look enviously at its 20 years of smooth and loyal player relationships.”I think it’s crazy,” Marsh said. “For the services of players, cricket is now a seller’s market. The players can choose where to go, and that’s a reality the AFL doesn’t have, players can’t pick up their trade and go somewhere else. But the cricketers can, and for the majority of countries now they can make a lot more money doing that than playing international cricket. I think international cricket is at risk of falling over if the big countries have a period for whatever reason where they don’t play international cricket.”Having worked through an exhaustive negotiation with the AFL that for the first time links the payment of players to the game’s revenue – 28% of projected AFL revenue, 28% of AFL revenue above forecast and 11.2% of club revenue – Marsh took a dim view of how CA had approached its dealings with the ACA, in particular withholding financial information. He said that the board had previously given detailed financial forecasts to the players association, and that the AFL had done likewise to help reach their own deal.”No players’ association can responsibly represent its members if you don’t understand what the financial forecasts look like,” Marsh said. “Historically CA – and the last MoU in 2012 was the best – gave us incredibly detailed and rigorous financial forecasts for their business, for the state associations and for the BBL teams. The reality of it is that your forecasts will end up being different to your actual results, almost by definition it is impossible to look five or six years into the future and get that absolutely right.”But in CA’s case they have to be accountable to something, and that’s why the percentage model is so important. If the actual revenues of the industry end up being different to what the forecasts are, then you’ve got something you can tie the players’ payments to. A share of revenue could be more or less than what it has been, that’s all part of the discussion, as is what goes in and what goes out, but it’s about tying what the players get to the actual revenues of the game rather than what the forecasts are. There’s no accountability for CA if they don’t.”Addressing CA’s contention that the revenue sharing model made it impossible to invest in new projects to grow the game, Marsh cited how the new AFL deal meant that players would not have any access to AFL revenue derived from a stadium the league is still paying for, as an example of the flexibility that should exist between two parties communicating effectively.

It’s now a win-lose scenario and in my experience, if you’re going to have a relationship with someone, win-lose just doesn’t work

Marsh predicted the dispute would reach a crucible around the ODI tour of India in September and October, a commitment that he doubted CA would risk given the financial reliance of all nations on the BCCI’s revenues. But he reasoned that even in the event of a deal being struck, trust between the players and the board had now been majorly damaged.”Cast your mind forward to a deal being done,” he said. “CA’s approach here is purely and simply trying to bully the players into an outcome that CA want, ‘we won’t give you the financial information, we won’t give you this model, here’s our deal, take it or leave it’, that’s been the approach to this point. How can it possibly be seen as a ‘win-win’ here.”I can’t see how, and from a human behaviour perspective you just ask who’s going to agree to that then, how will the players say ‘we’re happy with that deal’ and the same for CA. It’s now a win-lose scenario and in my experience, if you’re going to have a relationship with someone, win-lose just doesn’t work.”Cricket’s not going that well that it can afford to throw itself open to this. As much as CA will claim it is Australia’s favourite sport and all that, now I’ve been removed a bit, it doesn’t get the column inches that other sports get, it isn’t necessarily in the consciousness of the Australian public like it used to be, and I just think it is a very dangerous game to play.”

Man United: Romano issues "behind the scenes" takeover update

Manchester United are in the midst of a drawn-out takeover process at Old Trafford, which is now said to be in its 'crucial moments', according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest involving Manchester United's takeover process?

According to The Daily Mail, the much-maligned Glazer family, who are the current owners of Manchester United, will still be in control of the football club when their Premier League campaign kicks off against Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 14th.

Manchester United have been up for sale since last November; however, there are now 'concerns' that the Glazers may elect to pause the takeover process or let it drag into the later stages of this year.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS are one bidder who would like to take control of the club and his colleague Sir Alan Brailsford, who is also involved with the organization, has reiterated his desire to see a deal completed in an interview with ITV Sport quoted by The Daily Mail,

Brailsford stated: "Obviously we've been involved and it's something that we're very keen to do. It's not something we can discuss in detail, we've got to sign up to NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) and all the rest of it." 'But it's an ongoing process and we'd very much like to do it. To be custodians of one of one of the biggest sporting teams, brands, in the world and trying to really support the team and go back to the success they deserve.

Ratcliffe and his entourage are keen to buy a majority stake in Manchester United while rival bidder Sheikh Jassim and the Nine Two Foundation want to buy 100% control of the Premier League giants, as per Sky Sports.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, renowned journalist Romano gave an up-to-date summary of the latest events surrounding the takeover debacle at Manchester United.

Romano stated: “It’s not easy also to comment on their side [Sheikh Jassim] at the moment. But let's see what happens.

“Things are still happening behind the scenes, but it's not something that we know precisely because it's really in the crucial moments now.”

What next for Manchester United?

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag will be paying attention to matters that are under his control, such as casting the net far and wide to try and recruit quality additions to his squad as the Dutchman aims to build on his impressive campaign in charge at Old Trafford.

Mason Mount has become his first signing of the summer, joining from Chelsea on a deal worth an initial £55 million that could rise to £60 million based on appearances and success, as per Sky Sports.

Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana will be announced imminently as a Manchester United player before flying out to take part in the Red Devils' pre-season tour of the United States, according to The Manchester Evening News.

Italian transfer expert Romano has also issued an update on the state of play surrounding Manchester United's interest in Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund, stating: "Understand Man United will send the opening official proposal to Atalanta for Ramsus Højlund soon. Man United want to avoid any hijack from Paris Saint-Germain — as PSG keep speaking to player’s camp. Højlund agreed terms with United, as revealed days ago."

Despite their positive inroads with regard to recruitment, Ten Hag isn't helped in the slightest by the headlines that continue to surface within media circles concerning goings on at Manchester United off the field of play.

Domingo reapplies to be South Africa coach

Russell Domingo has confirmed he has reapplied to be South Africa’s coach when his contract expires in August, at the end of the England tour

Firdose Moonda03-Jul-20172:34

‘Fantastic honour to work with this team’ – Domingo

Russell Domingo has confirmed he has reapplied and been interviewed to be South Africa’s coach when his contract expires in August, at the end of the England tour. There had been suggestions that he would not seek an extension in the position after CSA said they were going to go through a full recruitment process for the role.”I have forwarded my application form and I have gone through an interview,” Domingo said in London, three days before South Africa’s first Test against England at Lord’s.In Domingo’s most recent previous media engagement, on June 11 when South Africa crashed out of the Champions Trophy, he had still not decided whether he would put his name forward for the job. Then, there were only five days left for interested parties to apply. Domingo confirmed he had submitted his details “before the closing date” on June 16 and was interested in taking South Africa forward.Domingo outline a “whole host” of factors he considered before making himself available for reappointment. “No.1, family life, which is important. No.2, the performance of the team, which is obviously important. And then whether you feel you’re the right guy to take the team forward, whether the team’s showing signs of improvement in all formats,” he said.Under Domingo, who took over in mid-2013 when South Africa were on top of the Test rankings, South Africa initially maintained their status but then lost several senior players and a slump in form that saw them slip to No.7. Despite being under enormous pressure to let Domingo go, CSA stuck with him and extended his contract twice in that time. Domingo went on to oversee the Test side’s resurrection to No.2.In shorter formats, Domingo has been in charge through two 50-over tournaments and two T20 events and is the only coach under whom South Africa have won a World Cup knockout match – the 2015 quarter-final – but he has not been able to break their ICC trophy drought, something he would like to change. “There’s a lot I’d like to achieve with this side – an ICC event is a big thing for us,” he said. “We’ve also started the process of rebuilding our Test side. We’re still not where we need to be, we’ve got our ranking back up but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”South Africa remain a team in some kind of transition – as many teams do – and it has long been touted that a foreign coach could be the essential to take them to the next level. However, among the names reportedly mentioned as candidates only one, Phil Simmons, is not local. Instead it is believed that CSA is not looking beyond the country’s borders with Lions’ coach Geoffrey Toyana considered the frontrunner to succeed Domingo.Toyana has won four trophies in five seasons with the Lions franchise and nurtured the likes of Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Temba Bavuma and Chris Morris. ESPNcricinfo has confirmed Toyana was interviewed. Domingo must be aware of the same but said he will not let perceptions affect how he goes about his job.”I’ll be honest with you, if that is it, then so be it. It’s cool. It’s out of my control. It’s not something I go to bed thinking about or wake up in the morning thinking about,” he said. “It’s not something that generally affects me. I can’t comment on what the particular feeling is towards how people are seeing the process. It’s out of my control. It’s not the way I see it, and the way I see it is that there’s due process that needs to take place. They need to decide if I’m the right guy to take the team forward and so be it. That’s how it is.”A clutch of senior players seem to have already decided that he is. In recent months, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar and AB de Villiers – all three leaders in their own right – have thrown support behind Domingo which could help his cause. “Player support is massively important. The most important support you need is from your players,” Domingo said. “We work with these players day in, day out. I’ve loved my time working with them and, obviously, by the support they’ve shown they’ve enjoyed what we’ve offered the team. That is satisfying.”Domingo maintained that whatever happens he will finish his current term pleased with the job he has done. “It’s a fantastic honour to work with this team. I’ve loved my time with it and hopefully I can continue. If not, it’s in the best interests of the team. I’ve had a fantastic run and loved every single minute of it. It’s not my decision — it’s up to the board.”CSA has appointed a five-man panel including two former national coaches, Gary Kirsten and Eric Simons, to recommend the new coach to the board when they next meet on July 21. A final decision will be announced after the England series, which ends on August 8.

Wolves: Wanderers Keen On Signing Emiliano Martinez

Wolves are thought to be interested in signing Uruguayan midfielder Emiliano Martinez in the summer transfer window, according to a recent rumour.

Who is Emiliano Martinez?

The 23-year-old, who isn't to be confused with his namesake who plays in goal for Aston Villa and Argentina, is currently at FC Midtjylland, one of Denmark's biggest clubs, and he has grown into an important player for them.

Having arrived from Red Bull Bragantino in 2022, Martinez has made 33 appearances for his current club, seven of which came in the Europa League last season, with six starts coming his way. He has also won two caps for Uruguay in a star-studded side that has featured the likes of Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Darwin Nunez and Fede Valverde.

The midfielder is currently contracted to Midtjylland until the summer of 2027, meaning it may not be easy for clubs to sign him on the cheap, but there could still be interest in him during the summer transfer window.

Wolves are on the lookout for new signings, as they aim to improve on a fairly underwhelming 2022/23 campaign, and it looks as though Martinez has emerged as a target to come in and make up for the loss of Ruben Neves.

Are Wolves signing Emiliano Martinez?

According to Football Insider, Wolves are "among a number of English clubs" interested in signing Martinez this summer, with West Ham also mentioned in the report. He has been receiving "rave reviews" for his performances for Midtjylland, highlighting why Wanderers are seemingly in the mix to acquire his signature.

The player's father and agent, Luis Ferrer, is thought to have been "instrumental" in Kylian Mbappe's move to Paris Saint-Germain and is looking to seal a big move for his son and client somewhere across Europe, amid plenty of intrigue in him.

Martinez may be an unknown to many, with all due respect to Midtjylland, who aren't necessarily Europe's most closely-followed team by fans of other clubs. It seems clear that he is a standout figure in Denmark, however, so it is exciting to Wolves in the mix to sign him before the new campaign kicks into gear.

The fact that he has forced his way into Uruguay's plans from a weaker league says a lot about his ability, given some of the midfield quality at their disposal, from Valverde to Manuel Ugarte, and he is still a young footballer who should only develop over time.

It is essential that Wolves fill the void left by the influential Neves this summer, and while Martinez may not be able to do that alone, given his lack of experience in an elite league, he could still make a noticeable difference in the middle of the park.

Last season, he averaged an eye-catching three tackles per game in the Europa League – no Wolves player matched or had a higher tally in the Premier League – so he could be a real force out of possession, but he also enjoyed an 81.4% pass completion rate, showing that he is also perfectly good on the ball.

Burnham and Pringle tame Derbyshire spinners

Jack Burnham and Ryan Pringle tamed Derbyshire;s spinners at Chesterfield as Durham pulled off a six-wicket win

ECB Reporters Network06-Jul-2017
ScorecardJack Burnham and Ryan Pringle showed character as well as skill to take Durham to a six wicket win in an absorbing Division Two match against Derbyshire at Chesterfield.The pair shared an unbroken stand of 124 as Durham chased down a fourth day target of 282 on a turning pitch against Imran Tahir and 16-year-old Hamidullah Qadri.After Michael Richardson scored 62, Burnham made the most of two dropped catches to make an unbeaten 93 while Pringle, who finished the game with a six, ended on 62.It was an impressive display of batting by the pair and Burnham admitted : “That’s cricket, you get your ups and downs and today luck went my way a couple of times but I made the most of it and it was an outstanding win for the boys.”It was a very good challenge against two very good spinners on a pitch which offered a lot but instead of sitting back and letting them bowl, we hit the bad balls and put them under pressure. It was a very good game of cricket and a tough four days which went back and forth but we stuck it out and got the win.”Derbyshire had been favourites when the opening pair of Richardson and Cameron Steel walked out with another 246 needed on a pitch that was expected to take increasing turn.Billy Godleman elected to start with his seamers, perhaps hoping for some swing in the steamy heat, but Tahir and Qadri were soon bowling in tandem although there were few alarms for Richardson or Steel.Richardson reached his second 50 of the game when he drove Qadri square for his eighth four but the teenager made the first breakthrough when Steel made room to cut and was caught behind.When Richardson followed three overs later, taken at slip pushing at Tahir, Derbyshire had two ends open but Burnham and Graham Clark, who swung Quadri over midwicket for six, went in at lunch with 137 needed.The pattern of the game had been for wickets to fall in clusters and Derbyshire’s hopes soared at the start of the afternoon thanks to two superb slip catches by Wayne Madsen.Clark edged a drive at Tahir and saw Madsen cling on diving to his right and then Paul Collingwood was taken one handed low down after he was undone by another good piece of bowling by Qadri.At 158 for 4, Derbyshire’s hopes soared but Burnham and Pringle moved through the gears with Burnham hitting three consecutive fours off Qadri before driving Matt Critchley for his second six.Pringle finished it in style by lifting Tahir for a straight six and then driving Critchley for another to leave Derby skipper Billy Godleman admitting: “To have 280 to bowl at on the last day in those conditions I would have taken at the start of the game.”I thought overall we bowled well without quite a lot of luck at times and to be fair to their two guys who got them over the line they played really positively and with good intent.”

Chandimal likely to return for second Test, Herath being monitored

Rangana Herath, however, is still being monitored after a finger injury in Galle, according to manager Asanka Gurusinha

Sa'adi Thawfeeq30-Jul-2017Dinesh Chandimal is expected to return to lead the Sri Lanka team in the second Test against India at the SSC next week, after recovering from a bout of pneumonia that kept him out of the first Test in Galle. Rangana Herath, who suffered an injury to his finger in the first Test, is being closely monitored, ahead of the match which starts from August 3.”Dinesh should be fit, he actually played this (Sunday) morning and he has batted the last couple of days,” Asanka Gurusinha, Sri Lanka’s cricket manager and selector, said.”We have to see how he is going to come up in the next couple of days because his finger is pretty sore,” Gurusinha said of Herath’s condition. “We will give him till the last minute to make sure that he is fit.”The day before the Test we will see whether he can drift the ball, it will come down to that. If he can without pain he will play, otherwise we will have to look at different options. The finger is not swollen but it’s sore and painful.”Danushka Gunathilaka, who made his Test debut in Galle, is likely to be left out once Chandimal returns, while Kusal Mendis is expected to return to the No. 3 slot. Mendis had batted at No. 4 in Galle, dropping one spot as the team played Gunathilaka.”It’s for just one game, we pushed Kusal to four. Danushka was in form and you can’t bat him in the middle order,” Gurusinha said. “We couldn’t get him to open either because the openers were already there, that’s why we got Kusal to four for this Test. When Chandimal comes back, he will go back to No. 3 straight away. He is our No. 3 and we are grooming him for that position definitely.”Sri Lanka also have another slot to fill after the injury to Asela Gunaratne, who has been ruled out of the series with a broken thumb.”We have Dhananjaya (de Silva) in the squad and we have Danushka as well,” Gurusinha said. “We haven’t looked at whether this is the squad we are going to have for the second Test. We will have a chat later today and see whether we will need someone from outside or what combination we are going to play. It comes down to whether we are going to play six or seven batsmen, we will have to decide on that after looking at the wicket.”Sri Lanka will look to recover some ground after losing the first Test by 304 runs. Gurusinha pinned that defeat on the batsmen, who did not execute their plans well. The hosts managed scores of 291 in the first innings, in response to India’s 600, and 245 in the second innings while chasing an improbable 550.”Getting 600 runs it always affects which is a difficult thing, but our batsmen on that track I don’t think they handled it well because it wasn’t a track to get 291 in the first innings. That was a 400-run track,” Gurusinha said.”Even on the fourth day, it wasn’t doing much, it wasn’t difficult when you see the way everyone batted. When you are playing the No. 1 side, they are very patient they’ll bowl a good line and length and wait. They tested our patience and they won. They were good in that and we took more risks. Batting overall, when you look at it, we didn’t handle it well.”Gurusinha said the pace at which cricket is played today made it difficult to draw Test matches. “These days in Test cricket, the game has changed a lot because of T20. They are playing it at a very fast rate getting 300-350 in a day is nothing new in Test cricket. Sometimes if you try to bat long, you can go into a negative frame of mind. You need to play positively but positively is not hitting every ball, it is playing according to your plans. Our execution of plans was the main problem.”Nobody scored a hundred from our side in the last two Tests, even against Zimbabwe. That’s what we need. We need one of the top four batsmen to get 150 or 160 and a couple of others to get 70s and 80s. As soon as that happens it will give us a 400-plus total.”

Nottingham Forest: Exciting deal may "accelerate" amid "talks"

Nottingham Forest are keen on Dean Henderson and a move back to the City Ground for the England international may now 'accelerate' due to Manchester United capturing Andre Onana, according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth.

Is Dean Henderson coming back to Nottingham Forest?

According to journalist Rudy Galetti on Twitter X, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United are in talks over a deal that would see Henderson move back to the Tricky Trees.

Galetti stated: "Following the signing of Onana, the talks between Nottingham Forest and Man Utd for Dean Henderson are progressing with confidence. Personal terms already agreed, it's up to clubs. MUTD targeted Zion Suzuki (Urawa) as the new possible 2nd GK."

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has also taken to the social media platform to reveal that Nottingham Forest have submitted a 'loan deal proposal' for Henderson rather than a permanent arrangement.

Last term, £100k-a-week ace earner Henderson featured 20 times for Nottingham Forest in all competitions and managed to keep six clean sheets in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Sky Sports News understand that talks between Henderson and Nottingham Forest are 'progressing' smoothly and it is expected that the England international will move in the same direction as Anthony Elanga, who has recently joined Steve Cooper's men for an undisclosed fee.

Nottingham Forest moved to acquire Nigeria international Ola Aina on a free transfer last weekend as their summer recruitment starts to take shape in the East Midlands.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sky Sports journalist Sheth has indicated that talks over Henderson could be set to 'accelerate' in the near future.

Sheth stated: "Erik ten Hag always wanted to bring in Onana. Now Onana has come in, I think that will then maybe accelerate a potential move for Dean Henderson to go to Nottingham Forest.

"Nottingham Forest are definitely still interested. They are in talks over what we believe to be a loan deal at the moment.

"Dean Henderson is still with Manchester United on their US tour. He will stay with Manchester United on the US tour until that deal is agreed between the two clubs, and then he'll be given permission to travel back to the UK and resume those talks with Nottingham Forest."

What other business could Nottingham Forest conduct this window?

Nottingham Forest manager Cooper will be hoping to add some extra steel to his side as he looks to build on their successful survival mission in the Premier League last campaign.

According to The Daily Mail, Leicester City midfielder Wilfried Ndidi is a target to come into the engine room at the City Ground potentially; however, the Foxes are believed to want £20 million for the enforcer before sanctioning an exit from the King Power Stadium.

Timothy Castagne looks on as Leicester City lose in the Premier League against Aston Villa.

El Futbolero via Nottingham Forest News claim that the Reds could sensationally land former Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract at French giants Marseille.

Sheffield United attacker Iliman Ndiaye is also on the radar at the City Ground and is reported to be available for a fee in the region of £15 million, according to The Athletic.

Gowtham dropped from India A for 'insulting' Duleep Trophy

Gowtham, who bagged a five-wicket haul in the tournament opener, has been replaced by Karn Sharma, the Vidarbha legspinner, in the 15-man squad for the two four-day fixtures against New Zealand A

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2017K Gowtham, the Karnataka allrounder, has been dropped from the India A squad for the two four-day fixtures against New Zealand A for disciplinary reasons amounting to “gross insult to the system”. He has been replaced by Karn Sharma, the Vidarbha legspinner, in the 15-man squad for the two matches, which start from September 23 in Vijayawada.Gowtham, who bagged a five-for against India Green in the Duleep Trophy opener in Lucknow on September 8, fell ill on the penultimate day of the match and couldn’t take the field on the final day for India Red. He subsequently skipped the second fixture and produced a medical certificate that stated he had typhoid. However, on September 12, he was in Mysore, playing for Belagavi Panthers in the ongoing Karnataka Premier League, where he is the highest-paid player in the league at INR 7.2 lakhs.The BCCI is likely to initiate a disciplinary inquiry into the matter, pending which he will not be considered for India A selection. “Gowtham opted out of the Duleep Trophy game during the first match and even produced a medical certificate that he was unwell. Two days later, he was found playing in the Karnataka Premier League. This is gross insult to the system,” BCCI CEO Rahul Johri was quoted as saying by . “A player can’t take a national-level tournament for granted like this. The board is looking into this incident and till the enquiry is over, he will not be picked for India A team.”Gowtham was part of the India A team that toured South Africa in August after being flown in as a late replacement for Jayant Yadav, who returned home following the death of his father. Gowtham picked four wickets in the second four-day game.Karn, Gowtham’s replacement, is currently the leading wicket-taker in the Duleep Trophy, with 15 wickets from two matches, including two five-fors, for India Red. The call-up means he will miss the Duleep Trophy final starting September 25 in Lucknow.

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