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Rafiq has alleged it was an “open secret” that the name “Kevin” was used to describe people of colour

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2021Alex Hales has denied “any racial connotation” in naming his dog ‘Kevin’ after Azeem Rafiq alleged that the name was used by former Yorkshire team-mate Gary Ballance “to describe people of colour”.Rafiq told a parliamentary hearing into the Yorkshire County Cricket Club racism scandal on Tuesday that he believed Hales, the former England batter, had named his dog ‘Kevin’ because it was black.In a statement released on Wednesday, Hales said: “Having heard the allegations made against me, I categorically and absolutely deny there was any racial connotation in the naming of my dog.”I entirely respect and have huge sympathy for both the stance Azeem Rafiq has taken and what he has had to endure. His evidence was harrowing.”There is no place for racism or discrimination of any kind in cricket and I will gladly cooperate with any investigation the game’s authorities choose to hold. Neither I nor my representatives will be making any further comment on the matter.”Related

Live Blog – Parliamentary inquiry into Yorkshire racism investigation

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Azeem Rafiq feels 'massive weight' lift after giving evidence of racist abuse

Hales’ county club, Nottinghamshire, said it had “commenced the appropriate internal process” following Rafiq’s claims.”Following on from the testimony provided to the DCMS Select Committee regarding Alex Hales, we have commenced the appropriate internal process and will continue to liaise with Alex and his advisers accordingly,” a club statement said.The club also encouraged “anyone who wishes to share concerns or discuss their experiences to come forward and speak freely” either directly or through the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC).”Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club remains totally committed to making cricket in our county, at every level, welcoming and accessible for all,” the statement said. “We have always tried to create positive and fulfilling cricketing experiences for people from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, and we will continue to do so.”We acknowledge that, given the experiences recently being shared within the wider game, individuals may not have felt comfortable in voicing their concerns in the past.”We would encourage anyone who wishes to share concerns or discuss their experiences to come forward and speak freely… it is vital that individuals do so, in order for the game of cricket to learn and move forward together.”Alex Hales says he will cooperate with any investigation into racism claims•Getty Images

During the hearing, before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee, Rafiq was asked by Julian Knight MP, the committee chair, about references to the word “Kevin” in Yorkshire’s controversial report into Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism at the club.Rafiq replied that it was a derogatory word used by Ballance to describe non-white team-mates. “It was an open secret in the England dressing room,” he said. “Anyone who came across Gary would know that was a phrase he would use to describe people of colour.”Rafiq then alleged that Hales had picked up on the word and named his dog ‘Kevin’ because it was black. “It’s disgusting how much of a joke it was,” Rafiq added.

Says board mandated taking a knee as it is important to send out right message “to the South African public and the broader global community”

Firdose Moonda27-Oct-2021

Before South Africa’s T20 World Cup opener against Australia, some of the players took a knee•ICC via Getty

Cricket South Africa believes that Quinton de Kock is “committed to an antiracist agenda” along with the rest of the squad, but wanted uniform conduct and messaging from the team at the Men’s T20 World Cup. That is what led to the board issuing a directive on Tuesday morning that the entire touring party must take a knee before each game, according to chairperson Lawson Naidoo. de Kock was the only person who did not comply and withdrew from the match against West Indies.Speaking on a podcast , Naidoo explained that CSA wants its team to be seen acting out antiracism in public. “The issue is not about questioning the commitment of any of the players towards combating racism but it is about the conduct they display and the messages that sends out to the South African public and the broader global community during a world event,” Naidoo said. “We expect South Africans to be leading the world globally on [this topic], given our particular history and the particular circumstances that have prevailed in South Africa. It’s a position where South Africa should be a leader, not a follower.”While Naidoo could provide no further clarity on whether de Kock will participate in the rest of the tournament as he awaits a team management report, he cautioned against knee-jerk reactions to de Kock’s refusal to take a knee. “I believe Quinny is committed to an antiracist agenda, the depth of his conviction is something you will have to ask him about. From the team environment, I don’t think this is about anybody not wanting to contribute to the fight against racism,” he said. “As for the consequences for Quinny – we’ll have to see when we get a report from team management.”What is certain is that CSA will not back down from their instruction after Naidoo detailed how the board took the decision to make it obligatory for the team to take a knee after they saw visuals of the team’s opening game. “The visual images that emerged from the weekend’s game against Australia demonstrated a team that came across as being disjointed and disorganised, as not really on the same level as each other, and that’s something to be corrected,” Naidoo said. “There is no suggestion that any of the players is not committed to the fight against racism but it’s how they demonstrate it that’s important.”Cricket is the second most watched sport in the world. Our players, as leaders in that field, need to take the responsibility and see their bigger responsibility towards society as a whole, and towards their team-mates and to be able to find each other, even if they are not fully committed to the decisions being taken, in the interests of the team. That’s what team spirit is all about.”He admitted that CSA did not consult with the team on the day it issued the directive but pointed out that discussions have been ongoing since last November, when South Africa hosted England and decided not to take a knee. “We didn’t consult with the team.There were reports that the team had continued discussing this matter and were unable to arrive at a consensus position that they could all agree to,” Naidoo said. “There have been ongoing discussions around this for some time. It’s not as though this has come out of the blue.”There have been discussions, culture camps and discussion forums within the team environment. The team has been unable to resolve this matter internally. We need to resist the temptation of overcomplicating what is a very simple issue of taking a stand against racism and asking people to replicate what is happening in other sports codes, in other parts of the world and a position that has been adopted by several other teams.”Asked if the gesture would be more powerful if it was done voluntarily rather than under instruction, Naidoo conceded the point, but said that he hopes the directive will lead to the introspection that will make taking a knee genuine. “Voluntarism would have been the ideal situation. That’s why we allowed the players the time and the space to try and come to that conclusion themselves. They were unable to do so and therefore it was necessary for the board to make this intervention. It was a tough decision that needed to be taken and one that the board unanimously agreed on.”I have a certain level of cynicism about this gesture [becoming meaningless] going forward, [but] knowing the context of it, that is why it was important for us to make it absolutely clear, for the board to stand up and say that we have issued this directive and we expect the players to abide by it, which they have done. The longer term and the other side of this is that the image it represents across the world is one that will hopefully grow within the team environment and allow that real culture and commitment to develop on the understanding that this is the right thing to do.”

Manchester City have confirmed the arrival of defender Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens on a four-and-a-half year deal.

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• Khusanov signs on until 2029
• Moves in deal worth €40 million (£34m/$41m) plus add-ons
• City hail 'really exciting' signing

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 20-year-old has joined Pep Guardiola's side from French club Lens and becomes the first Uzbeki to ever play in the Premier League. Khusanov is City's first signing of the January transfer window and will wear the No. 45 shirt at the Etihad Stadium

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  City are expected to make more signings this winter after a disappointing first half of the 2024-25 campaign. The club are also expected to land Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt and the striker could be the next new arrival in Manchester.

• AFP
  

  WHAT KHUSANOV SAID

  He told the club's media: "I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester City, a club that I have enjoyed watching for a long time. This squad is full of the best players in the world, and I can’t wait to meet them and play alongside them. And of course Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest coaches ever and I am so excited to learn from him and improve my game even more. This is a very proud moment for me and my family to be joining a great Club like Manchester City and I’m more than ready for this challenge.”

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• WHAT MAN CITY SAID

  Director of Football Txiki Begiristain said: “We are very happy that he has joined us and we are all very excited about what he will bring. For such a young defender, Abdukodir is already very intelligent, as well as being strong, aggressive and extremely quick. Working with Pep will only make him better and, speaking to him, he is determined to keep improving. He is a really exciting signing as we aim to keep progressing to maintain one of the best squads in Europe.”

تعرض فريق ريال بيتيس لضربة قاسية في مباراة اليوم ضد خيتافي، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، قبل صدامه المرتقب ضد ريال مدريد.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة الخامسة والعشرين من الدوري الإسباني، حيث فاز ريال بيتيس بهدفين مقابل هدف.

وحصل لاعب ريال بيتيس، أنتوني، على بطاقة حمراء قبل نهاية المباراة، وتحديدًا في الدقيقة الرابعة من الوقت المحتسب بدلَا من الضائع للشوط الثاني.

جاء طرد أنتوني بداعِ تدخله ضد لاعب الخصم، مما أدى إلى حصوله على بطاقة حمراء مباشرة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رابطة الدوري الإسباني تعلن موعد مباراتي برشلونة وريال مدريد في الجولة 27

ويفتقد ريال بيتيس بيذلك خدمات أنتوني في مباراة الجولة المقبلة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني، وذلك ضد خصمه ريال مدريد.

ويحل ريال مدريد ضيفًا على ريال بيتيس، في الجولة السادسة والعشرين من الليجا، وذلك مساء يوم السبت المقبل.

ويمثل غياب أنتوني ضربة لـ ريال بيتيس، بعدما أصبح البرازيلي عنصرًا أساسيًا لدى المدرب مانويل بيليجريني بعد قدومه في الشتاء بمقنضى صفقة إعارة من مانشستر يونايتد.

وشارك أنتوني في 4 مباريات رفقة ريال بيتيس، وسجل هدفين وصنع هدفًا، وتحصل على جائزة رجل المباراة مرتين.

Tottenham Hotspur didn’t complete the most frenetic of finishes to the summer transfer window, but this is a product of the smooth dealing under Ange Postecoglou.

Gone are the days of scattergun spending. Spending for spending’s sake. Spending vast sums of money on footballers who quickly fall by the wayside.

Giovani Lo Celso’s £3m deadline-day sale to Real Betis personifies this, for the Argentinian midfielder joined for a fee totalling £43m in 2020, having initially arrived on loan.

One out, one in? Not quite, but Tottenham have taken a rather unusual route toward signing Johnny Cardoso from Betis, enabled by yesterday’s transaction.

What's going on with Johnny Cardoso

Rivals might titter over Tottenham’s interminable trophy drought, but such a din is drowned out down at N17 by the exciting project that Postecoglou is crafting, brick by brick.

Daniel Levy ensured that a clause was inserted in Lo Celso’s transfer, that Spurs would have priority when the United States native leaves the La Liga outfit next year or later still.

It’s a prudent move. The north Londoners can observe Cardoso’s continuing rise and move down the line if his development aligns with the rise of Postecoglou’s Tottenham. A tough-tackling midfielder, analyst Ben Mattinson has noted that “he’s great at winning aerial duels and progressing play from deep.”

Johnny Cardoso: Defensive Metrics (La Liga 23/24)
Stats	Per 90	Percentile
Tackles	3.25	Top 6%
Interceptions	2.17	Top 1%
Blocks	1.36	Top 23%
Clearances	2.10	Top 9%
Aerial duels	2.58	Top 7%
Stats via FBref

The fixed fee is €30m (£25m), which is no small sum, and provides Postecoglou with ample time to assess his options, namely Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur in the nub of midfield, and move if it all makes sense.

However, Cardoso would arrive at an area of midfield stocked with plenty of talented youth. Any deal must not affect the growth of Archie Gray, who has the skills to conquer the Premier League with Tottenham.

Why Archie Gray is Spurs' biggest talent

Tottenham moved with all the speed of a blustering gale to sign Gray for £30m this summer, fighting tooth and nail to hijack Brentford’s deal with Leeds United.

Gray is a teenage midfielder with the world at his feet, and his instant role in Postecoglou’s plans makes a telling comment on the view in which he is held by the Australian, who knows a top talent when he sees one.

Leeds quickly established that they had a homegrown starlet of significant potential last season. The Whites’ relegation from the Premier League proved to be a good thing for Gray’s progress, who ended up with 40 starts in the Championship and claimed the Young Player of the Year award.

Interchangeable, he darted from deep-lying midfield to right-back with impressive measures of success, finishing the campaign with 2.1 tackles and 4.5 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore, completing 89% of his passes and winning 57% of his ground duels.

His pre-season form has carried into the early days of the 2024/25 campaign, featuring off the bench in both of Tottenham’s opening matches, all composure and aptness on the Premier League pitch.

Still only 18. What a talent. Gray will only continue to grow into his skin and has even been said to be “a future £100m” midfielder by earlier-mentioned analyst Mattinson.

His technique and confidence have seen him operate dynamically through the maiden days of his career, and with a tenacious bite and breezy passing with both feet, he might just be the real deal.

Cardoso is more of a steely no. 6, crunchier with his challenges, but few would argue against Gray having the higher ceiling. Tottenham’s decision to view Cardoso’s development through the lens of a non-obligatory future deal errs on the side of caution, gives them time to reach a decision.

Gone are the frustrating days of old. Hello Tottenham 2.0; it’s a brand new world.

Spurs could unleash their new Kane, Son & Dele in exciting young trio

The North London side have plenty of young talent to call upon this season

By
Ross Kilvington

Aug 31, 2024

Liverpool is abuzz with Arne Slot's side's imminent Premier League clash against Brentford, who will give Anfield a first taste of action for the season, but sporting director Richard Hughes will have most of his attention on the week ahead in the market.

The 2024 summer transfer window has entered its final week, and Liverpool remain the only outfit across Europe's top seven leagues to have refrained some strengthening their first team.

Still, Fabrizio Romano has hinted that the Reds could be set to bring in a new signing or two before the end of the month, with Slot inheriting an abundantly talented squad from Jurgen Klopp but one that fell by the wayside toward the end of the 2023/24 campaign and could use some fresh life.

Should Joe Gomez be sold, Liverpool will need a new defender, with the 27-year-old attracting interest from a host of Premier League outfits and being valued at £45m by his club. Sepp van den Berg has already completed a £25m transfer to Brentford and the perfect new arrival might just be in the pipeline.

Liverpool transfer news

As per Football Insider, Liverpool are monitoring Bayer Leverkusen's Piero Hincapie, with the young centre-back having been on the club's radar for quite some time.

Hincapie was a core part of the Leverkusen side that completed an invincible domestic campaign last year, winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles, and would be a significant coup for Slot's side.

The 22-year-old is understood to have a £50m price tag but Liverpool's lack of activity throughout the summer months suggests that the funds are available to complete such a deal, with outgoings strengthening Anfield's financial accord even more.

What Piero Hincapie would bring to Liverpool

FSG's natural hesitance to launch high-money bids for players that wouldn't immediately walk into the first team is a well-known fact on Merseyside, but Hincapie could prove to be an exception to that rule.

While he's not the finished product and would perhaps not displace Ibrahima Konate or Jarell Quansah as captain Virgil van Dijk's undisputed, nailed-on partner in central defence, there's enough there to speak of the importance of getting the deal done.

Piero Hincapie vs Liverpool centre-backs (2023/24)
Statistics (*per game)	Hincapie	Van Dijk	Konate	Quansah
Matches (starts)	26 (16)	36 (36)	22 (17)	17 (13)
Goals	1	2	0	2
Assists	2	2	0	0
Clean sheets	7	9	5	2
Touches*	62.4	90.8	75.5	76.5
Pass completion	92%	91%	88%	89%
Ball recoveries*	3.0	4.7	4.4	4.2
Tackles*	1.3	1.1	1.6	1.5
Clearances*	1.6	3.9	2.3	2.3
Total duels won*	3.2 (60%)	5.4 (76%)	6.0 (66%)	4.5 (64%)
All stats via Sofascore

As you can see, he has much to learn before he is playing with the kind of polished, world-class swagger of Van Dijk, but he still impressed with his ball-playing quality and of course, featured in a defence that concluded the term without tasting defeat – and winning the league trophy besides.

Also, as per FBref, the Ecuadorian already ranks among the top 9% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 14% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for passes attempted, the top 14% for progressive passes, the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 14% for tackles made per 90.

He has the properties that Slot admires, capable of playing through the lines and driving forward himself to instigate attacking sequences and add to the central overload that the Dutch tactician loves to charge his swift-passing, control-focused brand of football.

Tipped to become “one of the world's best centre-backs” by journalist and U23 scout Antonio Mango – who also dubbed him an "absolute beast" – Hincapie would be a wonderful addition to the team, and would actually be the perfect replacement for Gomez.

Joe Gomez upgrade

Bayer Leverkusen have picked up where they left off under Xabi Alonso, winning the DFL Supercup before scoring a last-gasp winner in their gripping Bundesliga opener against Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday night.

Hincapie has already proven his qualities and continual growth toward the upper end of Europe's defensive titans, winning 80% of his duels last time out.

Gomez offers a defensive versatility that is astounding in its scope, having featured across the backline under Klopp last year, but this is a new era and Hincapie offers greater distribution, as well as carrying some of the talents that Gomez offers too.

Hincapie, moreover, is a competent left-back, impressing when moonlighting down the flank in the past. Liverpool have Trent Alexander-Arnold and his electric understudy Conor Bradley on the other side of the backline, so it's hard to imagine that Gomez would receive too much game time in his natural position.

The England international also won only 48% of his ground duels in the Premier League last season. While Gomez showcased many redeeming qualities after a wretched 2022/23 campaign, earning a Three Lions recall and leading writer Joel Rabinowitz to praise his “renaissance”, he's not irreplaceable.

Hincapie's 5.14 progressive passes per 90 over the past 12 months also stands above Gomez's 4.88 per 90, emphasising further suitability within the new way of life at Liverpool.

Gomez is also the club's longest-serving player after joining from Charlton Athletic for £3m as a teenager in 2015, so perhaps the time is right to part ways and issue in some new blood.

Hincapie is a talented player with so much potential yet to be realised, and given that he offers the kind of style that enhance Slot's system, it seems like a bit of a no-brainer, with Liverpool in need of at least one signing to ensure that the new era goes off without a hitch.

Slot's own Ugarte: Liverpool could land dream No.6 in £51m "machine"

Will the Reds sign a No. 6 in the coming week?

By
Angus Sinclair

Aug 24, 2024

Glasgow Rangers have endured a rocky start to the 2024/25 campaign with issues on and off the pitch for Ibrox giants, who are currently playing their home matches at Hampden Park.

The Light Blues have already been knocked out of the Champions League and will be competing in the group phase of the Europa League this term, after their 3-1 defeat on aggregate to Dynamo Kyiv.

Philippe Clement's side were also held to a draw with Hearts on the opening day of the Scottish Premiership season, although they did win their second match against Motherwell and beat St. Johnstone in the League Cup.

The Belgian boss, along with those costly European defeats, has also been hit with an injury blow to defender Ridvan Yilmaz, who is set to be out for up to six weeks.

Rangers interested in new left-back

Earlier this month, it was reported by Index, as relayed by Football Scotland, that the Gers are interested in a late swoop for Salernitana left-back Domagoj Bradaric.

It was claimed that the Scottish giants are in the market to add another full-back to their ranks before the end of the window, with free agent Brandon Williams also mentioned as an alternative.

The outlet revealed that the Serie B side are willing to cash in on the defender before the deadline passes next week, but only if the price is right.

It was stated that a loan with an obligation to make the move permanent next summer could be on the cards and that Salernitana would want a fee of around £4.2m to give the go-ahead.

Clement must now push to get a late deal over the line before the end of the window next week as the Croatian talent could come in as an excellent addition to the squad.

Why Bradaric would brilliantly replace Yilmaz

The 24-year-old dynamo could come in as a brilliant replacement for Yilmaz, whilst the Turkey international is out injured, and then provide him with great competition when fit.

With Jefte possibly being used further forward in a left wing position, Bradaric and the former Besiktas star could battle it out for a starting berth later this season.

Appearances

34

26

Key passes per game

1.1

1.5

Assists

3

1

Ball recoveries per game

4.4

3.5

Ground duel success rate

56%

58%

Aerial duel success rate

47%

46%

As you can see in the table above, both players offer a similar level of quality in and out of possession, as creative full-backs who are also strong in duels on the deck.

Both players are somewhat suspect in the air but make up for it by being dominant in ground duels, whilst Bradaric recovers the ball more frequently than Yilmaz.

The Croatian ace also assisted more goals in the Serie A than the Rangers man did in the Premiership, despite averaging fewer key passes per game, and could be a creative threat down the flank.

Clement could forget about Rrahmani in Rangers move for £1.7m starlet

Philippe Clement is lining up another few signings before the end of the month…

ByRoss Kilvington Aug 20, 2024

Therefore, the Salernitana star could be a brilliant short-term, and possibly long-term, replacement for Yilmaz due to his qualities in and out of possession at left-back, if he can translate that form over to Scotland.

Having already ticked plenty of boxes on the incomings front, Manchester United and INEOS could be about to raise summer funds even further through a loan deal for one of Erik ten Hag's star men.

Man Utd transfer news

The Red Devils have enjoyed an excellent summer transfer window, recently adding both Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui to Ten Hag's squad, which already welcomed both Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee earlier in the summer. And if that news wasn't positive enough for those at Old Trafford, then Bruno Fernandes' fresh contract should have done the trick.

The Manchester United captain is now set to stay put until at least 2027 and expressed his delight at the news, telling the club's official website: "Everybody knows the passion I have for Manchester United. I understand the responsibility and significance of wearing this shirt, and the levels of dedication and desire required to represent this incredible club.

“I have had so many special moments here already; hearing my name sung from the Stretford End, scoring a hat-trick against Leeds, leading the team out at Old Trafford on European nights and lifting trophies at Wembley. But I wouldn’t have signed this contract if I didn’t believe that my best moments in a United shirt are still to come."

Keen to sign for Man Utd: INEOS targeting "monster" Eriksen upgrade

The veteran international would be an incredible addition to Ten Hag’s squad.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 14, 2024

That said, Fernandes' midfield partner might not have the same luck. According to The Times' Paul Hirst, Napoli are now in contact with INEOS over a loan deal for Scott McTominay. Manchester United are reportedly willing to part ways with their academy graduate for £30m this summer, so it remains to be seen whether they'll accept a loan move.

The Scotland international has been an unlikely hero at times under Ten Hag, scoring several late goals, but looks to have been shown the exit door, nonetheless, at Old Trafford.

Man Utd should keep "great" McTominay

Whilst it would be more than understandable if McTominay was not a regular starter should the likes of Manuel Ugarte arrive this summer, the Scot should still have a place in Ten Hag's squad.

His ability to pop up with the match-winner out of nowhere is an invaluable trait that is hard to find elsewhere. Given that United were fortunate enough to discover a player with that trait in their academy, they would be wise to take advantage of it.

Ten Hag is certainly well aware of what McTominay brings to his squad too, saying via TNT Sports last season: "Scott, he's great. He can score many goals, he's always coming in positions to score goals. We had some problems, it was too much like a tennis match. Every game we went for goal instead of waiting for the right decisions. With McTominay, he can get in the box and could score goals."

Casemiro revealed the reason why he handed over his FA Cup winners' medal to Tyrell Malacia despite the defender not playing a minute.

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Man Utd beat Man City to lift FA CupMalacia was injured and did not playCasemiro made a touching gesture to the youngsterFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Malacia endured a frustrating season on the sidelines after undergoing knee surgery in the summer of 2023. Despite not featuring in a single match in the previous campaign, he remained a supportive presence at Wembley, watching as his team-mates secured a 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Manchester City, thanks to goals from Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho.

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However, Malacia was reluctant to join the celebrations given his absence throughout the season. But Casemiro encouraged him to be around during the trophy presentation and even gave him the FA Cup medal, ensuring the Dutch full-back felt included in the team’s achievement.

WHAT CASEMIRO SAID

"I didn't know Malacia had talked about it, but it's true, I gave him my medal," Casemiro told reporters. "He hadn't played a single game that season, and he didn't want to climb the steps. There was no medal for him, so I gave him mine. He's part of the team and we're counting on him. Even though he hasn't played this season, we love him, we need him and he also needs love."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

United will next take on Everton on Sunday, followed by a challenging midweek clash against Arsenal.

Nine days out from the start of India Women’s first assignment in a year, against South Africa at home, the squads for the five-match ODI series or the three T20Is, the venue or the tour itinerary itself, have not been publicly announced yet by the BCCI, the hosts. CSA, too, has not announced the South African squads yet. The only official statement so far confirming the scheduling of the series has come from the host state body, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA), which said in a recent release that all eight matches will be held at the Ekana International Stadium in Lucknow, starting March 7.Related

• India women just lost a year, but not all the blame goes to Covid

• India women: a year of cricket lost while other major teams played

• The curious case of Shikha Pandey and other talking points as India face South Africa

• India women's team to play South Africa women in Lucknow

• Army recruitment drive forces India Women's series against South Africa to move out of Kerala

While official word from the Indian board remains elusive, the Indian contingent assembled in Lucknow on Thursday. ESPNcricinfo understands that they are currently serving a five-day quarantine and all members of the Indian touring party will have to clear two Covid-19 tests during this period before they can begin training. South Africa, meanwhile, who are due to enter India via Mumbai late Friday evening, will undergo a six-day quarantine upon arrival in Lucknow in the early hours of Saturday. South Africa will take part in their first training session on March 5, two days before the ODI series gets underway.ESPNcricinfo has also learnt that the UPCA is in talks with the BCCI to explore the possibility of allowing crowds up to 40-50% capacity for the best part of India’s eight-match assignment. A final decision is likely to be arrived at during the weekend. This is the first time a women’s international fixture will be played at the Ekana International Stadium, which has a capacity of 50,000. The stadium, built in 2017, hosted its first international match in 2018, when India took on West Indies in a T20I. The Afghanistan men’s team used it as their third home ground in India, after Dehradun and Greater Noida, playing a series apiece across formats against West Indies in 2019.In another development ESPNcricinfo is privy to, it is understood that India head coach WV Raman’s contract, the two-year term of which ended in December last year, has been extended. Long-time team manager Trupti Bhattacharya and physio Tracy Fernandes, whose contracts had expired at the end of the T20 World Cup in March last year and not been renewed during the one-year hiatus, are also back in the fold.As for the make-up of the Indian squads for both the ODIs and T20Is, it is learnt that are a number of experienced regulars do not feature in them. Several new faces, some of whom had travelled to the UAE in November last year for the three-team Women’s T20 Challenge, have received maiden national call-ups.South Africa will enter a six-day quarantine when they arrive in Lucknow•Getty Images

The ODI series opener against South Africa will mark India’s return to action after a year. They last played international cricket on March 8, 2020, going down to Australia in the T20 World Cup final at the MCG. The only competitive cricket that the Indian players took part in during this period was the Women’s T20 Challenge held in the final week of IPL 2020, in Sharjah in November 2020. In the past year, a tour of England scheduled in July 2020 was cancelled, while a tour of Australia scheduled for January 2021 was deferred.Both South Africa and India have earned direct qualification for the rescheduled 2022 Women’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand, and will look to use the bilateral series to kick-start their preparations for a busy next year, which will also see women’s cricket make its debut in the Commonwealth Games, in Birmingham, in the shortest format. In 2023, South Africa will host the T20 World Cup, which was deferred by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.The India vs South Africa series were originally supposed to be held in Thiruvananthapuram, but the Kerala Cricket Association informed the BCCI about its inability to host the games as the ground has been “made available to the Indian military for a recruitment drive, without the KCA’s prior knowledge”, and it doesn’t have a venue with “appropriate broadcast facilities”.International cricket in India resumed on February 5, with the Test series against England, of which the first two Tests were in Chennai. Crowds up to 50% capacity of the MA Chidambaram Stadium were allowed for the second Test last week. Up to 55,000 spectators could attend the third Test at the newly renovated Sardar Patel International Stadium (renamed Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday) in Ahmedabad.The Indian government last month revised its guidelines pertaining to spectators at outdoor sports in the country. “For outdoor sports events spectators will be allowed to full seating capacity,” the Indian ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said in a circular updated on January 29. The circular, titled ‘Standard Operating Procedures for opening up of Stadia for sports events’, revised the ministry’s previous guidelines issued on December 26, which had stated spectators can be allowed at 50% capacity for outdoor sports.