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The Big Bash League’s next broadcast rights deal – and perhaps even its coverage later this year – has been pushed into uncertain waters by a grim financial outlook for its current rights holder, the Ten Network

Daniel Brettig13-Jun-2017

The Big Bash League’s next broadcast rights deal – and perhaps even its coverage later this year – has been pushed into uncertain waters by a grim financial outlook for its current rights holder, the Ten Network.Ahead of the final season, before the rights to the BBL are to go to market where it has been expected to earn up to A$40 million (approx US$30.21 million) more per tournament for Cricket Australia, Ten announced on Tuesday that it had requested a temporary trade halt on the Australian share market (ASX).The request was made after the network was informed that two of its major financial backers, Lachlan Murdoch’s investment company Illyria and Bruce Gordon’s Birketu, don’t intend to renew their financing of the company after the December 23 expiry of the current A$200 million (approx US$151.12 million) loan from the Commonwealth Bank. It is an announcement that increases the likelihood of the network going into receivership, jeopardising its ability to bid for the BBL next year and potentially affecting this summer’s coverage.”Over the weekend, Ten received correspondence from financial advisers to Illyria Pty Limited and Birketu Pty Limited, two of the shareholders which guarantee the company’s current credit facility,” the company said in a statement to the ASX. “That correspondence confirms that those guarantors do not intend to extend or increase their support for the company’s credit facilities beyond the term of the current facility, which expires on 23 December 2017.”Ten’s board is considering the position of the company in light of the position being taken by Illyria and Birketu and the range of restructuring and refinancing initiatives it has underway. Pending these determinations over the coming days, Ten considers that its shares will not be able to trade on an informed basis and, accordingly, requests the trading halt.”Ten had warned back in April that uncertainty over its future financing “may cast significant doubt on the group’s ability to continue as a going concern” after the network posted a A$232 million (approx US$175.30 million) loss in the first half of the 2016-17 financial year.Strong television audiences for the BBL and WBBL have been one of the few positives for the network in recent times, following the signing of a deal with CA in 2013 that was worth A$100 million (approx US$151.12 million) over five years. Due in large part to the quality of Ten’s coverage, estimates for the next rights round have tipped the BBL’s value to rise to as much as A$300 million (approx US$222.68 million) from 2018 to 2023. However, that figure was predicated on consistent competition in the marketplace.Nine, the longterm international cricket rights holder, has previously expressed an eagerness to bid for “everything” next year, while the pay-television provider Foxtel is also interested in returning to broadcast matches played in Australia, perhaps via a simulcast arrangement where it could share the cost of broadcast rights with a free-to-air network as is the case in the AFL and NRL.The figure to be raked in from the next broadcast rights deal is among the areas of uncertainty currently at issue in the pay dispute between CA and the Australian Cricketers Association. CA has argued that it wants to break the fixed revenue-percentage model and provide fixed wages for the players as a result of this uncertainty. However, the Australian Cricketers’ Association has argued that shared risk is one of the principles of a partnership that has lasted for two decades.At the same time, CA is currently on the lookout for a new head of the BBL, after its overseer Anthony Everard was promoted to the board’s executive management team as the man in charge of events and leagues. The newly-created position merges some of the responsibilities held by former operations chief Mike McKenna and the ex-head of events Chris Loftus-Hills, both of whom are now working for the new Perth stadium.Ten’s trading halt is to last for 48 hours, or until the network’s board makes a further announcement about its future.

Leeds United have brought in Aberdeen teenager Lewis Pirie, something which has been described as a “big coup” by reporter James Marshment.

Have Leeds signed Lewis Pirie?

The Whites are currently preparing for the Championship season under new manager Daniel Farke and played their first pre-season game against Manchester United in Oslo on Wednesday.

There is plenty of work done to be done both on and off the pitch before August 6 against Cardiff City, with Leeds bringing in Nick Hammond as interim football advisor to oversee transfer activity this summer.

The 49ers Enterprises are still waiting for the EFL’s green light in regards to a takeover, though, and that process appears to be having an impact on any potential signings.

A number of senior Leeds players have left Elland Road either on loan or on a permanent basis and none have arrived. However, the club did announce on Thursday that they have signed Pirie from Aberdeen, with the 16-year-old set to head straight into the Thorp Arch academy ranks ahead of the new campaign.

It is believed that the centre-forward has cost around £200,000, with Pirie, described as a “rising star” by Fabrizio Romano, signing scholarship terms in Yorkshire.

Marshment, a Whites supporter and a reporter for TEAMtalk, took to Twitter after the move for Pirie was announced on Thursday. He labelled it as a “big coup” for Leeds to sign one of the “most in-demand young strikers around” and feels he could be a “big name” in the future.

“Lewis Pirie is a big coup for #LUFC – one of the most in-demand young strikers around as 51 goals last season testifies. Not a big name now – but one day might be.”

Who else are Leeds signing and who is leaving?

As mentioned, a number of players have left Elland Road this summer, including Robin Koch, Brenden Aaronson and Diego Llorente, who have joined Eintracht Frankfurt, Union Berlin and AS Roma on loan respectively.

Marc Roca and Rasmus Kristensen also look set to seal temporary exits to Real Betis and Roma, whereas Tyler Roberts and Rodrigo have completed permanent moves away to Birmingham City and Al Rayyan.

There has been no real movement in regards to new senior signings, however, Phil Hay believes a new goalkeeper, left-back, centre-back, midfielder and forward could be on the agenda for the 49ers and Farke. Players that have been mentioned to have an interest from Leeds include Newcastle United’s Karl Darlow, Burnley and former Whites defender Charlie Taylor, Liverpool’s Nat Phillips, Coventry City’s Gustavo Hamer and Swansea City forward Joel Piroe.

Leeds will need to act quickly if they want any of their targets through the door and to be ready in time for the opening game f the season, but it does look as if Pirie could be a future first-teamer at Elland Road.

As mentioned by Marshment, the youngster netted 51 times at youth level last season, and should he continue to find the back of the net freely with the Whites, we may see him break into the first-team picture sooner than expected.

Liverpool missed out on qualification for the Champions League group stages as they finished fifth in the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Reds ended up four points adrift of Newcastle United in their pursuit of a top-four place and will be competing in the Europa League next term.

Their failure to secure top-tier European football has not prevented them from being able to bolster their squad, though, as Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have both arrived to improve Jurgen Klopp's options in the middle of the park.

The midfield has seemingly been targeted as a priority position to strengthen after Naby Keita, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all left on free transfers, while Fabio Carvalho has gone on loan to RB Leipzig and Arthur has returned to Juventus after his temporary spell.

There could be further additions in that area of the pitch, given that they currently have three fewer options than they had last season, and Real Madrid's Federico Valverde is one who could come through the door.

Where would Federico Valverde fit in at Liverpool?

The reported €90m (£77m) transfer target for the Reds could be the dream replacement for Oxlade-Chamberlain as a goalscoring midfield player for Klopp.

During his injury-ravaged time at Anfield, the former England international showed signs of being a talented scorer from the middle of the park. Indeed, in his last season with more than 40 appearances, the ex-Arsenal man plundered eight goals and three assists during the 2019/20 campaign.

He missed a whopping 88 competitive matches through injury for Liverpool since 2017, meaning that the 29-year-old was rarely able to hit his stride due to a lack of regular game time.

Valverde, however, has only been absent for 37 games throughout the same period. The Uruguay international also showcased his ability as a goalscorer during the 2022/23 season with Real Madrid, where he found the back of the net 12 times in 56 outings.

The above graphic, as provided by Opta, shows that the 24-year-old is among the best in his position for goals and shots, which illustrates how much of an impact he can make in the final third from a midfield slot.

For context, Curtis Jones was Liverpool's top-scoring midfielder last season with three strikes, which suggests that Valverde would provide Klopp with a much-needed upgrade in that area as he scored seven goals in 29 LaLiga starts to prove himself to be a reliable attacking outlet.

The £181k-per-week ace, who was once described as "untouchable" by boss Carlo Ancelotti, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.25 across 34 league appearances for the Spanish giants – a score that would have placed him second in the Reds squad, only behind Trent Alexander-Arnold (7.32).

These numbers prove that Valverde has the potential to be an incredible addition for Klopp if the talented Uruguayan is capable of translating his form from Spain in England.

Such a prospect would no doubt make him the dream replacement for Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer.

كما جرت العادة، يظل فينيسيوس جونيور هو بطل الرواية في مباريات ريال مدريد ببطولة الدوري الإسباني، ليس فقط بالأداء الذي يقدمه، بل بإثارة الجدل.

اللاعب البرازيلي سجل هدفين وفاز ريال مدريد برباعية في ملعب السادار على أوساسونا، ولكن في الشوط الأول، كانت اللقطة المضيئة.

كما هو معتاد، تصدر فينيسيوس جونيور عناوين الصحف ومواقع التواصل الاجتماعي، بسبب الجدل الذي دار بينه وبين الحكم خوان مارتينيز مونويرا.

اللاعب البرازيلي حصل على البطاقة الصفراء الخامسة له في الموسم، وبالتالي سيغيب عن مواجهة أتلتيك بلباو 31 مارس الجاري، وهو ما جعله يخرج بين الشوطين غاضبًا بشدة.

توجه البرازيلي إلى الكاميرا وتحدث بكلمات، ترجمتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، وأكدت من خلالها أنها رد على البطاقة الصفراء التي تحصل عليها من مونويرا.

وحسب ما قالت الصحيفة الإسبانية، فإن فينيسيوس توجه إلى الكاميرا وقال: “في كل مباراة هذا الحكم يعطيني بطاقة، في كل مبارياته ، لا أعلم لماذا”.

وأثناء حديثه للكاميرات، حاول إبراهيم دياز منع فينيسيوس من الحديث والتوقف عن إثارة الجدل، قبل أن يهدأ في غرف خلع الملابس من قبل كارلو أنشيلوتي.

Leeds United could be set to make their first signing of the summer, even before securing a new manager…

What's the latest on Viktor Johansson to Leeds United?

With the 49ers seeking to solve the many issues that Andrea Radrizzani left them with when he offloaded the club, atop their list is likely filling their head coach vacancy.

However, they cannot pass up the opportunity of a transfer coup should it appear, which according to Football League World, it has done.

They note that the Whites are keeping tabs on Rotherham United goalkeeper Viktor Johansson as a potential replacement for Illan Meslier, with a focus on domestic transfers expected to be the priority this summer.

Fans will likely be glad to see the back of their French shot-stopper, given how his exploits at the back end of last term cost them dearly.

After all, it was reported back in April that he already had one eye on an exit even before their relegation.

Who is Viktor Johansson?

To swap out this culpable French dud for such a capable gem would mark an instant upgrade, and hopefully kickstart a much-needed defensive revolution at Elland Road.

Last campaign the Whites shipped 78 goals as they finished 19th in the Premier League, and the 23-year-old goalkeeper saw much of the blame placed upon his shoulders. The stopper was therefore understandably dropped for their final four games of the season.

His 6.65 average rating in the league that year was supportive of Sam Allardyce's decision, as he would concede on average two goals per game, and kept just five clean sheets throughout the whole term, via Sofascore.

Journalist David Kent even outlined how the £30k-per-week dud had let his side down, writing on Twitter in April: "Meslier a massive liability at this stage for Leeds."

Meanwhile, Johansson has been an ever-present stalwart for The Millers, cementing the number-one spot with a string of fine performances.

Across his 43 Championship matches in the recently-concluded campaign, he was averaging 3.7 saves per game at a success rate of 74%. This fed into the 13 clean sheets he had earned, and the 7.11 average rating bestowed upon the 24-year-old, via Sofascore.

Despite his side finishing 19th, he commanded a staunch backline that held firm on many occasions despite all their struggles.

The 6 foot 1 titan had offered a glimpse into his goalkeeping strengths back in 2020 and has only served to prove his claims correct in the following years.

He initially claimed: "I’d say I’m an explosive goalkeeper, quick off my line, good at shot stopping and good with my kicking."

Replacing unreliability with solidity will be a huge step forward for the Yorkshire outfit, as the 49ers seek to hand whoever their new manager is the perfect platform for instant success.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in sealing a move for Stuttgart defender, Hiroki Ito, as Ange Postecoglou looks to bolster his defensive ranks this summer.

What is the latest on Ito to Tottenham?

A report from 90min last week suggested that the new Spurs boss had approved the club's search to find a new centre-back addition, with the likes of Harry Maguire and Aymeric Laporte having been mooted as potential targets.

According to Japanese outlet, Sponichi, however, the ex-Celtic man could be opting to make a more left-field move with the signing of the aforementioned Ito, with the 24-year-old having spent the last two seasons with the Bundesliga outfit.

The report suggests that the north Londoners are 'interested' in signing the 6 foot 2 ace ahead of next season, with the former Jubilo Iwata man – who made the move to Germany on an initial loan deal in 2021 – having just two years remaining on his current contract.

Who is Hiroki Ito?

The nine-cap Japan international has caught the eye due to his standout form for Stuttgart over the last two years, having praised as having an "unbelievable" left foot by the club's former sporting director, Sven Mislintat.

With the versatile rock having the ability to feature at both left-back and in the centre of the defence, the £9m-rated ace could potentially prove a dream upgrade on long-serving Tottenham man, Ben Davies, amid reports that Postecoglou and co are willing to listen to offers for the Welshman this summer.

As pundit Gabby Agbonlahor suggested, the 30-year-old seemingly "just isn't good enough anymore", hence the need to bring in a figure like Ito to take his place ahead of next season.

The difference in quality between the pair was particularly evident in the most recent campaign, with Ito illustrating his ball-winning brilliance after averaging 1.3 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game from his 30 league appearances, while Davies averaged just 0.9 and 0.6 per game for those same two metrics, respectively.

While both Davies and Ito created four big chances in the league in 2022/23 as a sign of their attacking intent, it does appear to be the latter man who offers a greater creative outlet, as he ranks in the top 5% among his European peers for progressive passes – with the current Spurs man ranking in just the top 20% in that regard.

Equally, with the former Swansea City ace having been described by Agbonlahor as being "so poor on the ball" during a recent encounter, Postecoglou could ditch the £80k-per-week liability by bringing Ito into the fold.

With the former Yokohama F Marinos boss having utilised his knowledge of the Japanese game to acquire the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda during his time at Parkhead, the 57-year-old could well repeat that masterstroke with the addition of the Stuttgart sensation.

Aditya Tare, the Mumbai captain, lauded birthday boy Abhishek Nayar’s counterattack that helped the defending champions scrape home by two wickets in a low-scoring thriller against Tamil Nadu in their Ranji Trophy opener in Lahli.Set a target of 97, Nayar came in at the fall of the third wicket on 24 and then watched the side slide to 35 for 5. He then conjured a fighting unbeaten 56-ball 45 with the tail to see Mumbai through on what Tare described a “tricky wicket.””One person you can bank on during crisis is Abhishek Nayar,” Tare told ESPNcricinfo. “He is a specialist when it comes to playing under pressure and he’s done it a lot of times in the past. The wicket had already started to deteriorate. It would viciously bounce or keep low because the cracks had widened. It was always never going to be a cakewalk for us. I thought we did pretty well to hold our nerves.”While there were inevitable comparisons to Mumbai’s one-wicket heist against Tamil Nadu last season, both Tare and Nayar said that game hadn’t crossed their minds during the chase.Nayar, who turned 33, revealed he was promoted – he had batted at No.7 in the first innings – to counter Rahil Shah’s left-arm spin. “Chandu sir [coach Chandrakant Pandit] sent me up the order because their left-arm spinner, Rahil [Shah], was bowling really well,” Nayar explained. “So, they sent me to try and get him out of the attack and get some runs flowing. The mindset was that I have to play aggressively and take them on.”Nayar was appreciative of No. 9 batsman Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who contributed 12 runs to their 30-run stand for the eighth wicket. “I expected five-six runs from each one of them and if they could collectively get 10, I could get the remaining 40,” he said. But with Sandhu prised out by Aswin Crist with Mumbai needing seven, Nayar decided to take a chance against debutant seamer K Vignesh, who had a memorable debut, picking up nine wickets.The move worked as Nayar smashed a six off the first ball with a “pick-up shot” to level the scores before hitting the winning run two balls later. “I wasn’t sure whether or not we will be able to sustain for one more over because the ball was doing quite a bit and they were bowling well,” he said. “So, I decided to take a chance in the first ball of the over. Because I knew what he was bowling to me – he was bowling that to me for quite a while – I set myself up for that. I just gave it a full throttle, hoping that even if I didn’t time it, the ball would still go out of the ground.”While scoring was difficult, Nayar also credited Tamil Nadu for their accuracy. “It was basically a very green pitch. Initially, there was a very thick covering of grass that made it very tough for stroke-play. What made things more difficult was the outfield was super slow, so getting boundaries was not easy. In normal grounds where you get four runs, you get two for it. Later on, the cracks widened up on the pitch, so it was quite uneven.”We ended up batting in the toughest session of the game – in the morning – when the ball did the most. With the new ball, I anticipated them to come in hard and they bowled really well, so kudos to them. “Tare admitted it was nerve-wracking for him to watch the chase unfold.”I was just sitting in the dressing room by myself with my pads on, with sweaty palms ball after ball,” he said. “I just can’t stay out and rub my anxiety on to others. It is a sort of superstition and a way of hiding my nervousness also.”He also singled out the will to win as a constant trait of any Mumbai team. “In many situations, many teams would give up, or they wouldn’t know how to win, but our history is such that there have been so many games which we have almost lost, but the Mumbai team has won it,” he said. “There is a lot of faith in one another and not giving up. That’s what we showed today.”

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that there is no truth to the rumours which claim Chelsea have made a bid to sign Dusan Vlahovic.

What's the latest on Chelsea and Dusan Vlahovic?

In one of the biggest stories to emerge on the weekend ahead of the summer transfer window, it seems as though the Blues are keen to land the Juventus striker.

Indeed, as reported by ESPN, Vlahovic has become the club's number-one priority and have already made an €80m (£69m) bid for the player.

With Todd Boehly in charge, this seems more than plausible and it wouldn't be a shock if this was indeed the case.

However, when speaking about it all on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that both Chelsea and Juventus have denied this rumour.

He explained (2:33): “To clarify something about Dusan Vlahovic. We heard rumours in the last hours of a bid from Chelsea, €80m for Dusan Vlahovic.

"Guys, what I can say today is that, from what I understand, Chelsea have not sent any bids to Juventus – this is denied on both Chelsea and Juventus' side. So there is no bid from Chelsea at this stage.

"Dusan Vlahovic is one of many strikers Chelsea are following because we know they will go for a new number nine, and so they will have a new striker in the summer – they know Vlahovic very well.

"He is one of many strikers they appreciate but they have not sent any official bid or any open talks by sending a verbal proposal. At the moment, nothing is advanced between Chelsea and Juventus for Dusan Vlahovic.”

How much is Dusan Vlahovic worth?

The 23-year-old signed for Juve from Fiorentina in back January 2022 for €81.6m (£71m) and has three years left on his contract – which is worth about £216k-p/w.

With that in mind, he won't come cheap and it remains unclear if that rumoured £69m bid would have been enough to get a deal done.

Vlahovic has done okay in Serie A this season, but not brilliantly and the club may have been expecting more than just the ten league goals he has delivered in 26 outings.

Taking that into account, if a club was happy to take the player off their hands for about the same price they paid for him, Juventus might be tempted into a sale.

However, for now, it seems no official bid has been put on the table.

Carlos Brathwaite has said adapting to spin in home conditions that aren’t too different from India, will be key for a young side that is looking to build from their gains in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2016

West Indies allrounder Carlos Brathwaite has said adapting to spin in home conditions that aren’t too different from those in India will be key for a young side that is looking to build from their gains in Australia.West Indies lost that series 2-0 but showed signs of improvement, mainly in their batting, as the tour progressed. Brathwaite made his debut in Melbourne by scoring 59 and followed it with an attacking 69 in Sydney.”As a team, we ended that tour on a high note, but transforming it now from Australia to West Indies will be a challenge,” he said after a training session in Jamaica. “The pitches are slow here and the Indians will attack with spin, unlike Australia who went with pace. So it’s about being patient for us.”Brathwaite said Phil Simmons, the head coach, has been working with the batsmen over a period of time to get them spin ready ahead of the four-Test series that starts in Antigua on July 21. “Spin has plotted our downfall over the last two years, but I think we’ve gotten better,” Brathwaite said. “The coach has done a good job by getting a few batters in even during the off season, and the focus has been on playing spin better. It’s a matter of us having a few options to each delivery, being patient and playing the waiting game.”With Jerome Taylor having ended his Test career and Kemar Roach searching for match fitness after recovering from an injury following a poor tour of Australia, Brathwaite is part of an inexperienced pace attack alongside Jason Holder, the captain, Shannon Gabriel and uncapped Miguel Cummins, who have a combined experience of 31 Tests.Brathwaite said the challenge as a bowling group would be to remain persistent against a quality batting line-up. “Bowling plans are important because India, undoubtedly, are one of the more strong batting line-ups in the world both home and away. Unfortunately or fortunately, conditions here aren’t too different from India now, but we have our plans for each batsman. It’s about executing the plans and keeping at it even if things don’t go our way.”It’s a lot tougher challenge than our regional first-class cricket. It’s about being patient and understanding momentum. When you’re on top, you stay on top. If the other team is on top, it takes just one good hour to wrest the momentum. Once we understand ebbs and flows of the game, we should do well to put smiles on the faces of the West Indies fans.”

تمكن منتخب المغرب من تسجيل هدفه الأول في شباك منتخب زامبيا، في ختام مواجهات دور المجموعات من كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023 المقامة في كوت ديفوار.

وتقام مباراة المغرب وزامبيا، في إطار مباريات الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة من مرحلة المجموعات لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا المقامة بكوت ديفوار.

سجل هدف المغرب الأول الجناح المتميز حكيم زياش، من تسديدة من داخل منطقة الجزاء لمتابعة كرة عائدة من حارس المرمى في الدقيقة 37.

ويتواجد منتخب المغرب في المجموعة السادسة لكأس أمم إفريقيا بجانب الكونغو الديمقراطية وزامبيا وتنزانيا.

ويخوض منتخب أسود الأطلس مباراة اليوم بدون وليد الركراكي المدير الفني بعد إيقافه من الاتحاد الإفريقي لـ4 مباريات.

وتمكن لاعبو المغرب من الفوز أمام تنزانيا بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، وتعادل في الجولة الثانية مع الكونغو الديمقراطية بنتيجة 1-1. هدف المغرب الأول في شباك منتخب زامبيا