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Players leave the meeting confused, unsure whether the board will actually come good on their promises

Mohammad Isam24-Oct-2019Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hassan’s aggressive attitude during the Wednesday meeting between the board officials and the striking cricketers, especially his takedown of allrounder Mehidy Hasan, apparently threw the players off to start with, one of them even saying that the incident “rattled” them.Why was the Dhaka Dynamites CEO in the meeting?

One of the puzzling sidelights of the meeting came in the form of Obeid Nizam, CEO of Bangladesh Premier League side Dhaka Dynamites, attending the meeting.
Nizam is neither a BCB director or a BCB employee, and raised questions of conflict of interest, as the franchise is owned by Beximco, the company where Hassan and board directors Ismail Haider Mallick and Khaled Mahmud are employed.
It also left many of the board directors irate, one of them saying it was “a slap to our face”.
Nizam was the board president’s advisor between 2013 and 2017, but it isn’t clear if he continues to hold a similar role.

“Miraz [Mehidy], what have I not done for you, and you didn’t pick up my phone call? From today onwards, I will delete your number from my phone,” Hassan raged at the start of the meeting, and the young allrounder cowered, sinking in his seat.In many ways, the start of the meeting was a continuation of the previous day’s press conference – Hassan targeting a player for taking personal favours from him and then joining the strike; that soured the mood of the group that had arrived in the evening hoping for an amicable solution.It was an extraordinary way to begin a discussion that had so much riding on it for everyone concerned. On the one side were the players, who had just agreed among themselves that they would face their paymasters and thrash the issues out. On the other were the BCB officials, who knew that if they couldn’t provide a solution, it would have deep repercussions.But after Hassan’s counter-attacking stance, the players said they were thrown off kilter. Many of the players, who were active in discussions in the previous 48 hours, kept mum, saying nothing after Hassan slammed Mehidy.

We were told that all of our demands were met, but there was no actual detail. This was quite confusing, as we wanted to know exactly by how much, for example, the NCL [National Cricket League] match fees will be increased. There was no clear direction

“The Miraz thing rattled us,” one player told ESPNcricinfo on condition of anonymity. “The way the meeting began, it didn’t leave us with much to say. Shakib [Al Hasan] managed to put forth our points but the rest of us simply didn’t have the mentality to bargain.”We were told that all of our demands were met, but there was no actual detail. This was quite confusing, as we wanted to know exactly by how much, for example, the NCL [National Cricket League] match fees will be increased. There was no clear direction.” But Hassan, who later admitted in a press conference that he had lost his temper, then clarified the BCB’s stance on each demand.The BCB stayed out of discussions about the fresh elections of the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh [CWAB], but association president Naimur Rahman agreed to hold elections soon. The players said that they wanted a representative from the current players so that they could regularly speak to the board about their issues. This representative is going to be a pivotal point for the rest of their demands, as the BCB committed that once this person is elected, they will respect the position.About the Dhaka Premier League’s return to a free-market system for player transfers, Hassan asked what would happen if the clubs don’t pay the players in time. The players said they would handle it.Mushfiqur Rahim speaks during the meeting between players and BCB officials•Raton GomesThen came the longest discussion, on the demand for first-class cricketers getting higher match fees, daily and travel allowances. Some domestic stalwarts like Mohammad Sharif, Shahriar Nafees, Nabil Samad and Enamul Haque jnr put up the players’ point of view, but after the back and forth, they weren’t fully certain of the outcome. The new fee structure wasn’t communicated to the players, but Hassan did later say that it would be firmed up within “two or three days”.Hassan also agreed to the demand of infrastructural development in cricket centres across the country in one consolidated go, and not one by one as was previously planned by the board.There was also discussion about an extra one-day and T20 tournament in the domestic season, which the BCB said they would try to fit in later this season.While many of the players left the meeting unconvinced, aggrieved and confused, there was also a sense of hope.”The fact that we could all come together under one cause was what shook the BCB,” one cricketer said. “I think they couldn’t believe that more cricketers joined us on the third day of our strike. They must have expected fewer cricketers to be with the movement.”So we have to remain strong together, and ensure that we get our demands implemented.”The players now feel proper follow-ups are required on their part, to ensure that the BCB keeps its side of the bargain. They believe that if the CWAB elections are held soon, it would be a major breakthrough, as it would give them a stronger say in every matter.They remain hopeful that despite all the personal attacks, Bangladesh cricket will see a new direction. At least a start has been made, but the players might have to monitor the progress (or lack of it) themselves.

Lucas Bergvall announced himself in dazzling fashion as Tottenham Hotspur crushed West Ham 3-0 in a fiery London derby. The Swedish prodigy, just 19 years and 223 days old, became the second-youngest Spurs player ever to both score and assist in a single Premier League match. Only Nick Barmby (18 years, 321 days), who achieved the feat back in 1992, stands ahead of him in the record books.

Spurs pile misery on shambolic Hammers

From the very first whistle, West Ham looked rattled. Tottenham’s press suffocated the hosts and, when Mohammed Kudus’ corner was nodded home by Cristian Romero in the 19th minute, it looked like the breakthrough had come. But referee Jarred Gillett pulled it back for a foul by Micky van de Ven on Kyle Walker-Peters. Spurs didn’t sulk; they turned the screw.

AdvertisementBergvall’s magic moment stuns London Stadium

Just minutes before the hour mark, Romero lofted a searching pass into the box, and Bergvall rose majestically, guiding a looping header into the far corner. The finish oozed composure, and Spurs players mobbed him while the away fans roared; a new star had truly arrived.

Assist adds shine to historic night

If the goal showcased Bergvall’s instinct, his assist underlined his intelligence. Driving into the box with fearless intent, the youngster laid it on a plate for Van de Ven, who swept the ball home in the 64th minute. That strike killed off any faint hopes of a West Ham revival. For Bergvall, it was a moment of history; the stats confirming his place among Spurs’ youngest-ever difference-makers.

AFPChampions League test next for Bergvall

For Spurs boss Thomas Frank, it was the kind of dominant performance he has been demanding after a shock loss to Bournemouth before the international break. His midfield was disciplined, his forwards ruthless, and his teenage sensation, Bergvall, delivered a game to remember. With Champions League duties looming against Villarreal on Tuesday night, the timing couldn’t be better.

Former allrounder and Rohit Sharma discuss the importance of guiding youngsters properly

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2020Former India allrounder Yuvraj Singh believes the big difference between players of his generation and the ones today is how they dealt with seniors in the team, specifically in the “sense of respect towards seniors” and appreciating their work.”The youngsters say anything to anyone now,” Singh told Rohit Sharma, India’s white-ball vice-captain, during an Instagram chat hosted by the latter on Tuesday.According to Singh, the other key difference between the two generations is that the current India team has a very small group of seniors – captain Virat Kohli and Sharma in the main – so the youngsters “have very less guys to look up to”.Singh opened up on the subject after Sharma asked him for an appraisal of the current Indian team, not as a player but as someone watching from the outside. “Can you tell us what you find that we are doing good, what we are doing bad, where we can improve as a team,” Sharma asked.Singh, who retired last June, was blunt in his assessment: “See, I will tell you the difference what I felt in this generation and our generation. I felt that our seniors were very disciplined. Obviously, at the time there was no social media, so there were very few distractions. There was a certain behaviour that we boys had to carry watching our seniors – how they play, how they work hard, and how they actually talk to people, how they talk to the media. Because they were great ambassadors of India.”So I learned a lot that way. And that’s what we tried to do and that is what we told you guys that if you have to play for next ten years, after playing for India you have to be more careful about your image.

“[It’s the] starting of their [young players’] careers, they are not even playing for India and they are getting such big contracts. So they don’t know how to handle the money so they’re easily distracted.”Yuvraj Singh

“But I feel in this generation, I feel the seniors that are there are only you and Virat Kohli are there, who are playing three formats. I just feel there are very less guys to look up to. And I feel that the sense of respect towards seniors to say something or that respect of how these players have become great, like it has become a thin line now, (the youngsters say anything to anyone now).”As a consequence, Singh said, incidents like the one that led to Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul being suspended in 2018 took place, because there were not enough seniors to guide the younger players. “Because of social media and party scenes and the incident that happened with KL and Hardik, these kind of things during our time we could not even imagine of such things happening during our time because we respected the seniors a lot. We knew that if we did some mistake our seniors would tell us ‘, don’t do these things, this is not nice’. I feel the atmosphere is not the same. The boys (juniors) do what they want to now.”Singh, however, didn’t want to blame the youngsters entirely, saying that they did not know how to “handle” the fame and money that came on the back of big IPL contracts. During his time, seniors like Sachin Tendulkar were in his ear, to caution him at the right time, something that might not be case right now.”Even after a little bit of success, it’s not their fault also because at a young age you get distracted (and) because IPL contracts are so big,” Singh said. “[It’s the] starting of their careers, they are not even playing for India they are getting such big contracts. So they don’t know how to handle the money so they’re easily distracted.””So you need seniors, you need coaches, you guys (seniors) have to talk to the youngsters and explain to them what is important to them – playing for the country and working hard on the field and then all these things follow. Tendulkar always told me that, ‘if you perform on the field, everything will follow’.’They don’t want to play Test cricket’Singh suggested that some of the younger lot were too keen on the limited-overs formats, and not interested in long-form cricket at all. “I was at the National Cricket Academy (in Bengaluru) recently. I was observing (some) boys there don’t want to play Test cricket,” Singh said. “They don’t want to play four-day cricket for their own state. They are happy playing one-day cricket because of IPL.”Except you guys, I don’t think the second generation really wants to play Test cricket. And Test cricket is the real test of a cricketer. So I want the next generation to tell them these things.”Sharma agreed with Singh, recollecting his early years with the Indian team when barring a few youngsters like Suresh Raina and Piyush Chawla, the dressing room was full of seniors. He did, however, point out that he was doing his bit to help the newbies, and presented a recent example of putting an arm around young Rishabh Pant’s shoulders after the youngster came under intense scrutiny for his performances in front of and behind the stumps since the 2019 World Cup.Rishabh Pant exchanges notes with Rohit Sharma in the nets•Getty Images”I keep trying to talk to the guys as much as I can. I talk a lot to Rishabh Pant,” Sharma said. “He came under a lot of scrutiny recently. He’s just 20 and he became really worried. Apart from Pant, there are five-six people I regularly talk to about these things. This (criticism) will be there as long as you’re playing, it’s not going to go anywhere.”‘Every innings should be the like the last of your career’The two players also spoke about how they developed the mindset to dominate opposition for longer periods of time, to convert their starts into big scores and play in the zone where they stood out for their excellence. Sharma wanted to know from Singh, the Player of the Tournament at the 2011 World Cup, how he developed that mindset.”To come into that zone, you need to go through a lot of experience in games. You need that experience,” Singh said. “Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, [Shreyas] Iyer and whoever comes as soon as they come we expect them to play like we did, because we have learnt early. That won’t happen. It has to be over time when they play certain amount of games. Then they fail, they play domestic cricket and they come back and they play a number of games and with that experience when they have a few knocks like that they get into that zone where they know how to make a big score. Like you and Virat probably know how to convert 60s into hundreds. It will not happen with a lot of younger guys because they don’t have that experience.”Whenever they are not playing international cricket they should be playing domestic cricket or they should be playing any form of cricket where they keep on getting experience of playing a lot of games getting into different kind of situations on different wickets.”Singh called Sharma a good example for the youngsters to follow: “When you were playing in the middle-order, you had some exceptional innings of 70, 80, 90 not out, 65 not out. People were saying, ‘wah, Rohit was very good’. But after now that you are opening you have made 200 not out, 260, 200 and 150… so you have taken your game to the next level. That has happened after you playing seven-eight years of international cricket.”Although he agreed with Singh, Sharma stressed that he didn’t want the young players to “lose those seven-eight years, and, which is why I keep talking to them and make them understand that you should start learning these things now itself. I make them understand to try and make sure that every innings you play should be the like the last one of your career.”

Paul Mullin does not form part of Wrexham’s North American tour, with the prolific striker recovering from surgery undergone during pre-season.

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Striker underwent spinal surgeryEnjoying summer break with familyWill miss start of the new seasonGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Dragons took the decision to send their talismanic frontman under the knife at the end of the 2023-24 campaign – as promotion into League One was secured. Mullin required “minor spinal surgery” in a bid to rid him of long-standing lower-back and hamstring issues.

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Said medical procedure ruled the 29-year-old out of friendly dates in the United States and Canada, with Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney organising another trip across the Atlantic – a year on from seeing Mullin suffer a punctured lung during a clash with Manchester United.

DID YOU KNOW?

Mullin has revealed what he has been up to while his team-mates take on Bournemouth, Chelsea and MLS side the Vancouver Whitecaps. He has been relaxing with his family, taking in surgery recovery sessions by the pool and building sandcastles.

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WHAT NEXT?

Wrexham are set to be without Mullin for the start of the 2024-25 campaign. Phil Parkinson will be hoping that his star No.10 – who has registered 105 goals through 140 appearances for the Welsh outfit – can return to action before too many competitive fixtures have passed.

Chelsea could reportedly move for Jules Kounde with the Barcelona star being viewed as an alternative to Real Madrid target Dean Huijsen.

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Chelsea want to reinforce their defenceHave set their sights on Barcelona's KoundeThe French defender has a contract until 2027Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Chelsea have revived their pursuit of Kounde, a player they previously attempted to sign in 2022 when he was still at Sevilla. At the time, the Premier League giants were seen as frontrunners, but negotiations fell through, allowing Barcelona to step in and secure the Frenchman’s services for approximately €55m (£46m). Now, Chelsea appear determined to make another serious push for Kounde, believing that his ability to operate both at centre-back and right-back would add valuable versatility to their squad.

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Chelsea are expected to submit a substantial offer to Barcelona in the coming weeks. However, Kounde remains committed to his current club and is not actively seeking an exit from Camp Nou. His future, however, may hinge on contract negotiations with the Catalans. His current deal runs until 2027, and while Chelsea can offer a higher salary and the opportunity to play in his preferred centre-back role, much will depend on Barcelona’s willingness to match his demands.

DID YOU KNOW?

Recognizing Chelsea’s renewed interest, Barcelona are reportedly prioritizing Kounde’s contract situation, making it their most urgent renewal case to secure his long-term commitment. However, due to an abundance of centre-backs at Barça, the Frenchman has been primarily deployed as a right-back, a position he does not favour. With the potential arrival of Jonathan Tah this summer, Kounde’s chances of reclaiming a central defensive role could diminish even further. Additionally, Barcelona are also looking to recruit another right-back, which could create more competition for his current spot.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

If Chelsea fail to secure Kounde, they are expected to shift their attention back to Huijsen. However, securing the Bournemouth defender may prove challenging given Real Madrid’s strong interest in the player. However, they are planning to offload multiple players to make room for fresh arrivals. Axel Disasi and Trevoh Chalobah have reportedly been made available for transfer, while there are also uncertainties surrounding the futures of Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile.

“I think 14 games is a good amount,” says Lancashire opener in response to Strauss review recommendations

Paul Edwards15-Sep-2022Keaton Jennings, the Lancashire and England opener, has called for the structure of the English season to be improved but has opposed the idea put forward by Andrew Strauss’s high-performance review that county cricketers need to play less or that the number of Championship matches should be reduced from 14.On Saturday, Jennings will lead out Lancashire against Kent in the Royal London Cup final at Trent Bridge at the end of a week in which the Emirates Old Trafford side have had no game. That works well as regards preparation for a white-ball match but it also means that in the 53 days from July 29 to September 19, Dane Vilas’ team will have played just one four-day game.Related

Thompson pledges to resolve 'worst game of Jenga' in focus on County schedule

Strauss review proposes smaller Championship top tier, 'revamped' 50-over competition

Other counties can point to similar eccentricities, not all of them caused by the Hundred, and Jennings’ comments come at the end of a week in which Somerset’s board told the ECB that the current schedule is “unacceptable”.”In my opinion you can keep the 14 County Championship games and that’s only what Ben Stokes said on social media a few weeks ago,” said Jennings. “But you can factor in breaks, so that you can play three four-day games and then have a break from the Championship. I think my view is representative and it certainly echoes what the England captain said.”I think 14 games is a good amount and the cricket we play is of good quality, but the problem comes when you have a week off at the start of April and then another at the start of September. Including the Royal London Final, we play 13 days in September whereas in April we were playing 12 in 17.”

Ab so bloody lutley https://t.co/2ih84reVTT

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) August 3, 2022