Having prioritised Test cricket last year, the batter hopes to get better and more consistent in T20 as Sunrisers eye another SA20 title

Firdose Moonda05-Feb-20252:34

Bedingham: ‘I don’t think I’ve found the sweet spot yet’

David Bedingham, intentionally or not, became the traditionalists’ hero last summer when he revealed he decided not to put his name in the SA20 draft so he could play Test cricket, specifically on South Africa’s tour to New Zealand. The SA20 was finishing as those Tests were starting and all South Africa’s first-choice players were contractually bound to stay behind for a T20 tournament still finding its feet. As expected, an under-strength Test side lost but Bedingham, with a defiant second innings century in the second Test, confirmed his reputation as a red-ball specialist.Fast-forward a few months, with schedule clashes out of the way and his spot in the Test side fairly secure, and Bedingham did enter the draft. He was picked up by defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape, for what has been one of the biggest tests of his career. “I’m still trying to learn my trade in T20. I don’t think I’ve found the sweet spot yet,” he told ESPNcricinfo from Johannesburg, where Sunrisers will play the Eliminator against Joburg Super Kings on Wednesday. “Hopefully, the more I play, the better I’ll get and the more consistent I’ll get.”Perhaps, his role will become more defined. Bedingham started the campaign batting at No. 7 for Sunrisers and was promoted to opening in their third game, It took another match before he started to show glimpses of what he is capable of with a 20-ball 39 against Durban’s Super Giants. He has since also recorded two scores in the 40s which suggests he is most comfortable at the top. Indeed, of the 80 T20s Bedingham has played, he has batted in the top three in 53 of them.Related

Batters find life tougher in the SA20, but is it all the pitches?

Almost half of his matches (38) have been for Durham, where he averages 21.47 and has a strike rate of 141.19. Those numbers probably best explain the struggles he has had between trying to make an impact and searching for consistency in the shortest format. “For me, it’s just trying to find the balance of attack and defence,” he said. “In this tournament, I’ve probably found it harder to attack, so that’s why I’ve probably leaned more to [have] a defensive mindset and then in previous tournaments, let’s say in the Blast or the CSA T20, I’ve probably attacked too much.”And that approach has earned him 200 runs from ten league games which put him second on Sunrisers’ run-getter’s list, behind Aiden Markram. That tells as much of a story about how much they have struggled as it does about who they have relied on in a campaign that started with three defeats and has since been revived despite the challenges.Playing for Sunrisers has been one of the biggest tests of David Bedingham’s career•SA20

“I’ve found it quite tough. But I also feel that the bowlers that we played against have been quite good as well, so it’s probably a combination of both,” he said. “But speaking to the guys that played the first two seasons, they’ve definitely said that the wickets have played a bit tougher. I’ve spoken to Russ(ell Domingo, Sunrisers’ batting coach) and he said that in India, and England, those types of countries are probably a lot easier to bat in the first six overs, whereas in South Africa, you probably have to be a bit more circumspect. So especially in this tournament where the wickets have played quite tough, I think those first six overs have been crucial. And I think a lot of the teams, including us, have probably struggled in those first six overs.”All told, this edition of the SA20 has seen the lowest run-rate of the league phase with an average powerplay score of 45.6. Sunrisers have averaged 38.1 in their powerplay. Their opening pair has the lowest average of 15.60, and the second least number of runs, but they’re still working on their batting blueprint, particularly Bedingham.”I’ve basically tried to just play one-day cricket in those first three or four overs,” Bedingham said. “Obviously, if we have wickets in hand, then you can maybe push the tempo a bit but I’ve either been out in the first couple overs or we’ve three or four wickets in the first three overs, so it’s been quite tough to kick on and try and hit quick runs. But in saying that we’re in the Eliminator, so hopefully we can start off well and win that game.”Sunrisers are the only team to have won the SA20, and they’ve done it twice under the same coach Adi Birrell and captain Markram and seemed to have mastered the recipe for success. Now, it’s just about whether all the ingredients can come together to do it again.

MatériaMais Notícias

da realsbet： “Vitória, Fluminense!”. É assim que Fernando Diniz pretende sair do Maracanã neste sábado (4). O lema adotado pelo treinador representa a sinergia criada com a torcida, que entre tapas e beijos, aprendeu a valorizar o técnico que recolocou o Tricolor das Laranjeiras em uma final de Libertadores depois de 15 anos.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasLance! BizPremiação da Libertadores 2023: quanto vale o título para Fluminense e Boca Juniors?Lance! Biz03/11/2023FluminenseDiniz faz mistério sobre a escalação do Fluminense na final da Libertadores: ‘Sei o time há um tempinho’Fluminense03/11/2023Sites de apostasFinal da Libertadores na KTO: como obter R$10 em aposta grátisSites de apostas03/11/2023

da dobrowin： + Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense

A relação de Diniz com o Fluminense é antiga e já passou por altos e baixos. Sua história no Flu começou como jogador entre 2000 e 2003. Apesar do título carioca em 2002, ele não somou bons números com a camisa do Tricolor das Laranjeiras.

O retorno veio em 2019, quando o Tricolor das Laranjeiras apostou em Diniz após uma passagem decepcionante do treinador pelo Athletico-PR. Diniz conseguiu aplicar seus conceitos táticos, mas os resultados não acompanharam o bom futebol praticado pela equipe, e ele foi demitido em agosto com o Flu na zona do rebaixamento no Brasileirão.

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Mesmo distante, Diniz sempre manteve um bom relacionamento com o presidente Mário Bittencourt, que pediu para ele voltar ao clube. O retorno aconteceu em 2022, dividindo opiniões da torcida, já que alguns acreditavam que ele merecia uma segunda chance e outros foram totalmente contra a contratação do treinador.

O casamento de Diniz com o Fluminense finalmente deu certo, o treinador conseguiu potencializar os principais jogadores do elenco (André, Ganso, Arias e Cano) e aliou bom futebol com resultados satisfatórios. Com o “Dinizismo” encaixado, o Flu terminou o Brasileirão em 3° lugar e chegou à semifinal da Copa do Brasil, mas ainda faltava um título.

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A primeira conquista veio em abril de 2023, quando o Fluminense consagrou-se campeão carioca após uma virada incrível contra o rival Flamengo, derrotando o Rubro-Negro por 4 a 1 no jogo de volta. O título despertou um sentimento de que alcançar a Glória Eterna era possível.

Ao longo da Libertadores, o Fluminense foi dominante graças a Fernando Diniz, que se adaptou quando necessário, entendeu as adversidades e fez os jogadores evoluírem mentalmente. O maior exemplo foi na partida de volta contra o Internacional, pela semifinal, quando o Tricolor das Laranjeiras estava nas cordas e praticamente eliminado, mas buscou uma virada histórica no Beira-Rio para seguir sonhando com a taça da Libertadores.

+ Veja tabela e simule os resultados do Brasileirão

#LancecomFlu

OLance!está ao lado do Fluminense na final da Copa Libertadores. Aqui, você acompanha a cobertura mais completa do Tricolor na decisão do torneio continental.#LanceComOFlu.

A veteran journalist recalls the BCCI president’s playing days, and his relationships with John Wright and Rahul Dravid, in an excerpt from a new book

Pradeep Magazine16-Dec-2021I interviewed Sourav Ganguly for the first time in London after the 1999 World Cup. His reputation preceded him: a snooty, temperamental person who had been spoilt by his rich father. This was what people talked about more than his talent. I was determined to find out if this image was accurate, as in my few brief interactions with him until then he had come across as a polite, well-behaved person.Ganguly has a very disarming, welcoming smile. He may not always arrive for an interview at the promised time, or might ditch you altogether, but once he meets you, he is all courtesy and it is difficult not to like him. That day in London, he was on his best behaviour. Ganguly’s fist-pumping, aggressive body language on the field, which he displayed when he became captain later was not associated with Indian cricket then. Off the field he was usually a well-mannered and pleasant person. On that day in England, he was a very satisfied man, having performed well on world cricket’s biggest stage.While I interviewed him in the lobby of the hotel, there were a number of Bengali journalists loitering around in the hope of catching his eye and getting a quote from him. For the vibrant regional press and its cricket journalists, Ganguly was growing in status. The man himself was aware of the significance of the Bengali press, and treated them with a familiarity and warmth that one reserves for one’s family.There was a freelance photographer from Bengal who would keep his luggage in Ganguly’s room if he could not find a convenient place to stay on tours, and Ganguly sometimes even let him sleep in his room. There were many others who believed he was their close friend and that he shared his secrets only with them.Related

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As Ganguly grew in stature and began to control and dominate Indian cricket, his relationship with them only strengthened, despite his not having enough time now to indulge them. He knew exactly when to be warm towards them and when to ignore them.In response to my question about why he did not seem to get annoyed at the constant presence of journalists from Bengal around him, he told me that his home in Behala, Calcutta, was always open to friends and well-wishers, who would come in great numbers to congratulate his parents on their son’s achievements. I later discovered his home is a huge mansion with sprawling lawns that could easily host events with hundreds of attendees.Ganguly understood the needs of the Bengali journalists and the demands their respective newspapers put on them because a local lad was doing so well in the Indian team. “They need a few quotes and a bit of access,” he said, “and I am okay with it.” It was hard for me to associate arrogance, conceit or self-absorption with Ganguly after that interview.Ganguly, it should not be forgotten, was made captain of a team that had other strong candidates for the post, including his senior, Anil Kumble. In fact, Kumble perhaps had reason to believe that he was the logical choice, and Rahul Dravid may have felt he was in with an outside chance.I remember interviewing Dravid in England after India had won the Headingley Test on the 2002 tour. Ganguly had made a statement of positive intent by choosing to bat first in overcast, seaming conditions, and India saw out hostile seam and swing bowling to rack up a huge first-innings score. The innings rode on the technical brilliance of Dravid and Sanjay Bangar, who set a great platform for Sachin Tendulkar and Ganguly.Ganguly mobbed by press photographers at Eden Gardens, 2004•Deshkalyan Chowdhury/AFP/Getty ImagesIn the interview, I asked Dravid whether he nursed captaincy ambitions and would at some time in the future want to lead the team. He replied in the affirmative, saying that he, like most players, did wish to captain the national team someday. It was an innocuous and honest answer. In fact, Dravid commanded tremendous respect for the dignified manner he handled himself in public. He always chose his words with great care, not wanting to say anything that could create a controversy.Later, when I was writing the article, Dravid came to me and said, “Pradeep, please drop that captaincy question.” I understood his dilemma and agreed to his request. While there was nothing wrong in what he had said and in no way was he trying to create any discord in the team, he did not want his answer to be misconstrued as being a challenge to Ganguly’s throne.

****

John Wright is a tall man with piercing eyes. He generally kept to himself, especially when it came to interacting with journalists. However, with a glass of beer in hand, he would be more warm and friendly, and liberal with his opinions. Yet, even after having spent the previous evening drinking with you, he would sometimes not acknowledge you at the ground the next morning. He could be abrupt, even appearing rude.He was a committed professional, working in chaotic conditions, where proper planning, training schedules and discipline were terribly lacking. In India, cricket stars could be hard to manage and to succeed a coach had to keep his star players happy. Once, Wright revealed one of the more creative methods he employed to get the players to follow his inputs without ruffling their pride. “I know they are huge stars with big egos,” he said. “I have to be careful as they don’t like to be given instructions. You don’t point out mistakes to people who are like rock stars. I work very subtly on their mind. Plant an idea slowly, till a stage is reached that they come to me and say themselves, ‘Hey John, I have decided to do this’, and it is the very thing I had wanted them to do in the first place. The difference is that now they believe that it was their own idea and I had nothing to do with it. I didn’t mind that, as I had achieved my aim.”John Wright (centre) and Ganguly had a fairly successful relationship as coach and captain, but it wasn’t without its tetchy moments•Indranil Mukherjee/AFP/Getty ImagesI have seen Wright fretting and fuming over Ganguly doing exactly the opposite of the dressing-room strategy out on the field. In the hotel bar after the day’s play, Wright would be cursing the captain for not listening to him. But he never let his frustration spill over and destabilise the team.A lot of the credit for maintaining a healthy balance in the relationship between the coach and the captain and players should go to Ganguly as well. He knew when to stand by his demands and when to give in. Speaking about his later differences with Greg Chappell, Ganguly said, “There were times when Wright would be so upset with me that he wouldn’t even talk to me for days.” During these periods, Ganguly too would remain quiet and not precipitate matters. Eventually things would return to normal, and “we both would move on”.Ganguly’s first-class debut in the 1989-90 Ranji Trophy final had seen him come up against a Delhi team that was foul-mouthed and abusive. They incessantly sledged the Bengal players. In that Delhi team were Kirti Azad, the late Raman Lamba, Manoj Prabhakar, Atul Wassan and Maninder Singh, while the Bengal side included the likes of Arun Lal, Ashok Malhotra and Pranab Roy. Due to a combination of bad light and excruciatingly slow batting by both batting sides, neither team could bat a second time. Ganguly scored a crucial 22 and saw some of the best-known players of his time at their worst behaviour. However, Delhi’s intimidating tactics failed, and Bengal won that match. They were crowned Ranji champions for only the second time ever.Right from that first match, Ganguly had been exposed to the on-field tactics that didn’t appear in coaching manuals, and over the years he developed an understanding about what worked and didn’t work tactically. He did not always keep faith in strategies drawn up in dressing rooms; his responses on the ground were dictated by his intuitive reading of the moment.For instance, Harbhajan Singh was proving ineffective during a Test match, and during a session break the coach and captain decided to give the ball to someone else when play resumed. However, just before they went back to the field, Ganguly spotted Harbhajan bowling with great rhythm on the side of the ground. “When the match resumed, I handed the ball to Harbhajan, going against the plan,” recalled Ganguly. “He immediately got us wickets.” But he accepted that there would be times when his gut feeling would not work. “The coach may then justifiably be upset,” he said. “What matters in the end is your intention, the result is not always in your hands.” Ganguly said this while his personal battle with Greg Chappell was going on, trying to put the coach-captain relationship in perspective.Ganguly embraces Rahul Dravid after India’s famous win in Adelaide, 2003•Tony Lewis/Getty ImagesThe Ganguly-Wright combination was in charge during the 2003 Adelaide Test, where India chased 230 runs for a historic win. I have three very contrasting anecdotes that are revealing about the different emotions that play out in the minds of those in the centre of these high-voltage situations.At the end of the fourth day, India still needed another 193 for victory. Dravid came to my room at the hotel that evening, probably to take his mind off the pressures of the match. He started a light-hearted conversation but the journalist in me tried to move the talk towards the match. Dravid quickly made it clear that he didn’t want to talk or think about the match.During India’s chase, Virender Sehwag played a wild heave against Stuart MacGill and was out for 47, putting the Indian team under pressure. India managed to win the Test on the back of Dravid’s unbeaten 72. Ganguly contributed only 12 in a torturous 41 minutes at the crease.After the victory, the Indian captain was excited, thrilled and in a joyous mood. When I asked how he had soaked in the pressure, he was frank enough to confess, “When I was batting, I was so nervous that I could hardly see the ball.” The restless Ganguly had spoken to Dravid during his innings and explained his state of mind. He was grateful to his deputy for taking India to victory.HarperCollins IndiaThe third incident occurred later that night, and illustrates Wright’s all-consuming passion to see his team follow the processes set in place. If a player deviated from the norm, the coach would be extremely unhappy, even if the end result was a happy one, as it was on that day. Wright was in the bar with trainer Andrew Leipus. I congratulated them and joined the celebrations.Though very pleased with the victory, he was upset about the manner of Sehwag’s dismissal. For Wright it was an unpardonable act to throw away your wicket in attempting such an outrageous shot, that too in a situation where India was chasing a historic win. “What the hell was he thinking,” Wright muttered in a string of expletives. I could understand his frustration at the pressure that dismissal had put on the team.Wright was like that. He would prefer to err on the side of caution. For him, process and discipline were everything.Not Just Cricket: A Reporter’s Journey through Modern India

When he won the Under-19 World Cup as part of Kohli’s team, the world was at his feet. But his career didn’t quite take off and he says that’s okay

Shashank Kishore in Rajkot11-Mar-2020Twelve years ago, Shreevats Goswami was part of Virat Kohli’s batch of India Under-19s that became World Cup champions in Kuala Lumpur. Within a week of his arrival in India, he had an IPL contract with Royal Challengers Bangalore, had the kind of money “which kids could only dream of”, bought his first car, shared a dressing room with Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis. And to top it all, he finished the inaugural edition with the emerging player award. The world was at his feet, everyone assumed.”Even before that Under-19 World Cup final, the BCCI had announced each franchise could pick two players from our squad. We had already started dreaming and thinking about IPL, Dav Whatmore (head coach) had to strictly tell us ‘listen boys, there’s a World Cup final coming up.’ It was that mad,” Goswami, now a mature 30-year old, tells ESPNcricinfo. “We all got carried away by the attention, money. Virat (Kohli) and I were picked for RCB. Everyone called it a party franchise. We didn’t win much that year, but we were a rocking team with the glamour element. It was a different world.”But he’d soon realise, the initial name and fame was meant to last for “a while” and once the novelty factor vanished, it was back to the hard grind. When the realisation hit Goswami, he had to contend with being an understudy to Wriddhiman Saha at Bengal. It remained that way for a better part of his first seven years as a first-class cricketer, until 2015. His career is a mirror to Saha’s and his struggles because of being an understudy to MS Dhoni during his prime. That explains why Goswami has managed to play just 55 first-class games in close to 12 years. And this season, having featured in 10 matches, he had to make way for the returning Saha in the grand finale.

“I’ve never felt pity on myself. If I keep thinking I am a victim of circumstances, I will never enjoy my cricket”

You throw this comparison to Goswami, half-expecting him to play the victim card. Refreshingly, he looks at his situation in a lighter vein, without blaming circumstances or luck. It’s not common, and most certainly very rare in cricket, with stifling competition all around.”Even in the IPL, Wriddhi is ahead of me in the pack at Sunrisers Hyderabad,” Goswami laughs. “But look, we are good friends, we have a good vibe together. Sometimes, I put on a third person’s hat and think: ‘If I was in his shoes and there was someone else behind me, would it have been any different? The answer is no.”When you stop thinking about yourself and look at it from a neutral perspective, you get clarity. That has helped me calm down. This is how sport is and I have to accept it. I’m not the first person, I won’t be the last to be in such a situation. So I’ve never felt pity on myself. If I keep thinking I am a victim of circumstances, I will never enjoy my cricket. And you play for a short time, 10 years, maybe 12-15 if you’re fortunate. Why not play it with happiness? I cherish the travel, the friendships I’ve forged, the bonds, the feeling of being in a team and winning tournaments. I’m that kind of person.”Shikhar Dhawan and Shreevats Goswami walk out amid fireworks•BCCIGoswami finds it hard to say if he lost his way, but certainly looks back at a few vital moments and wonders what could have been. Like in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2009-10, where he finished as the highest run-getter in the competition as a 20-year old, ahead of Cheteshwar Pujara, Shikhar Dhawan, Kedar Jadhav, Robin Uthappa and Abhinav Mukund, to name a few. That season, he struck 568 runs in seven innings, with three centuries and a half-century as Bengal finished runners-up to Tamil Nadu.”I won’t say I lost my way,” he says. “Let’s be honest. Selection criteria in cricket has changed. When I was the highest run-getter in the domestic 50-over competition, I didn’t get picked either in the India Emerging squad or for India A. Today, if a 20-21 year old, straight out of a successful Under-19 World Cup does that, chances are he will be fast-tracked. Maybe it was also the timing.”When I scored those runs, I was playing as a specialist batsman and not keeping, because Wriddhi was. So you could say bad timing. After my first IPL season, I won the emerging player’ award, I hardly got chances in the second season. So there have been a few moments that could have panned out differently. In Ranji Trophy cricket, I’m the first one to say I haven’t done so well to be noticed. My keeping has been good, batting numbers not so good. People judge you by numbers. I got just one game for India A a couple of years ago, when Rishabh Pant was injured. I did decently, I thought, but it is what it is.”

“Earlier, if nobody picked me, I’d be like ‘no worries’. Now when I reflect, I guess I may have been wrong. But I can’t worry about it now”

Goswami admits this kind of maturity has taken a while to come. He wasn’t this way during his “carefree” younger days. It’s time and experience that has lent a new dimension to his overall outlook. One look at his Twitter feed, and you’d know how genuine his feelings are towards team-mates, both seniors and juniors, who have done well for Bengal or for their respective IPL teams. For him, these things are as valuable as runs and wickets.”Back then, I was a different person,” he says of his teenage days. “If nobody picked me, I’d be like ‘no worries’. Now when I reflect, I guess I may have been wrong. But I can’t worry about it now. Now, even if I score 2000 runs in a season, there will be those who will say, ‘oh, he’s 30’. So yes, now it’s more about playing without worrying about what the future holds.Shah Rukh Khan gives Shreevats Goswami a kiss•AFP”I keep looking at my cricketing journey and think: ‘how many people have had a chance to play with geniuses like Dravid or Kevin Pietersen, Mark Boucher – I have. For me, it’s the memories of being part of winning teams, sharing dressing rooms with legends, relishing friendships I’ve made along the way – all these things matter.”Goswami is spontaneous when asked about who his biggest critic is. “I am,” he responds. “I always criticise myself. In India, there are thousands of people to tell you what to do, but not many to tell you how to do it. So all that doesn’t matter. I have looked at myself harshly at times. So I am my biggest critic.”For an Indian cricketer to be so articulate about his thoughts, have this kind of self-awareness is very rare. Surely, he must be well-read, drawing inspiration from someone, somewhere? Goswami’s case is different. He has no idols to speak of, and prefers to draw inspiration from every day life.

“I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m excited. End of the day, if you can wake up with that feeling, you can’t ask for anything more”

“I don’t draw inspiration from a particular person,” he says. “It’s every day life I look at. Like in the semi-final, Anustup Majumdar bailing us out from 67 for 6 on a green wicket to make 149 was inspirational, match-turning. Manoj Tiwary making a triple century was inspirational. Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, coming from the backgrounds they do to play and be the champions. They are is inspirational. Shahbaz Ahmed rescuing is in the quarter-final with bat and ball – these are the kind of things that inspire me.”All along this up-and-down journey, Goswami hasn’t let his parents get involved in his cricket, hasn’t let his emotions show. Both during the good and bad times. “I know they’ve always supported me,” he says. “I didn’t go much to school because of cricket. The only option I had was this game. I was playing for Bengal since Under-14 days. They said ‘this is his career, this is what he wants to do, let him pursue it’. My wife today says the same. Whether it’s a good day or bad day, she’s always supportive, says the right words.”Someone so serious about his thought process may need a release from time-to-time, you’d think. For Goswami, that comes in the form of annual vacations, impromptu trips with his wife Payal, a sports rehabilitation specialist and trainer from South Africa. She works with orthopaedic patients, chronically ill individuals and disabled sportspersons.”Coming from sports background, she has sound understanding of a sportsman’s mind,” he says. “We train together while I’m away from cricket. We plan a yearly holiday after the season is over, sometimes pack our bags and head off spontaneously. We’re not someone who plan trips. Right now, I’m in this kind of space where I’m very happy. The thirst for success drives me, but that is subjective. End of the day, you have to be happy. I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m excited. End of the day, if you can wake up with that feeling, you can’t ask for anything more.”

Tottenham Hotspur thought they had a deal in place for Morgan Gibbs-White after they activated the midfielder's release clause, however, Nottingham Forest refused to bow to pressure, as they threatened legal action against their Premier League rivals. The transfer saga finally ended last weekend when Gibbs-White signed a record-breaking contract at the City Ground.

• How Spurs failed to sign Gibbs-White
• Forest threatened legal action
• Midfielder signed new Forest contract

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  reports that after Spurs submitted their bid for the English midfielder on July 10, Forest were convinced that the north London side had breached a certain level of confidentiality, and there were also doubts whether they matched all the conditions of the release clause.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The report added that Forest immediately sent a notice of legal action to Spurs owner Daniel Levy and also considered lodging an official complaint with the Premier League. The saga finally ended last Saturday when the 25-year-old put pen to paper on a lucrative three-year contract, which will make him the highest-earning player in Forest’s history.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was determined to keep Gibbs-White at the club, as he considered Levy's approach an insult to his team and was not ready to lose this particular battle to Spurs chief.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR FOREST?

  Forest are in Portugal for pre-season and will play a friendly match against local side Estoril Praia on Wednesday.

The ICC cites the issue of safety without appreciating that the world has changed

George Dobell15-Aug-2020It seems unthinkable that there was once a time when the Sunday of a Test was used as a rest day. Equally, it is hard to imagine spectators being prepared to sit through games with pedestrian scoring rates – it was 2.30 runs to the over in Test cricket in the 1950s – or the sort of safety-first cricket that saw a six-match series between India and England in 1981-82 finish in a 1-0 victory to India.The world has changed. It’s less patient. There are more leisure options available and what might once have been found acceptable now seems intolerably antiquated. We see far fewer draws, improved drainage has resulted in far shorter delays for rain and the rate of scoring… well, the advent of T20 has seen it change out of all recognition. Cricket might well never have been more entertaining.One of the few areas the game hasn’t made much progress is on the issue of bad light. Despite the improvement of protective equipment and use of floodlights, interruptions to the second Test between England and Pakistan have been pretty common. As a result, the momentum of games is dissipated. Spectators (when they are allowed in) become frustrated and, inevitably, drift off to other pursuits.ALSO READ: England ‘a little disappointed’ not to bowl Pakistan out – BroadHow bad was the light on day two in Southampton? Well, it wasn’t perfect. Clouds hung around the Ageas Bowl all day and the floodlights were on at all times.But, two balls before the players came off, Mohammad Rizwan had driven Stuart Broad through the covers. A couple of balls before that, he had skipped down the pitch and driven him over mid-off. He later said he had been “ready to play”. So it wasn’t the batting side that wanted to come off.James Anderson, meanwhile, suggested the fielding side hadn’t wanted to come off, either. “We’re a little bit frustrated we didn’t get a chance to finish them off,” he said. “It didn’t seem like the batmen were struggling too much.”So, it wasn’t the batsmen who wanted to come off. And it wasn’t the bowlers, either.It may also be revealing to reflect on the start of the day. With poor weather preventing play before 12.30pm and a poor forecast suggesting an early finish, it might have made sense to play as much cricket as possible once the resumption happened. A two-hour session, at least, seemed feasible.Instead, after one hour of cricket, we had a 40-minute lunch break at 1.30pm.Why? Well, that’s the way it’s always been. Nobody involved seems to have the gumption to do things differently and nobody involved seems to have a huge amount of respect for the paying customer. On the issue of bad light, in particular, the game still relies on hand-me-down thinking – much of it inculcated before batsmen wore helmets – that is starting to look absurdly archaic.(As an aside, Rod Bransgrove, the chair of Hampshire, says he did explore the possibility of putting a roof over the ground. It was possible from an engineering point of view, he found, but would have cost over £100m, and this was a few years ago.)

The ICC and its Members have to put spectators at the heart of future plans. At present, the game is run by people who have forgotten what it’s like to pay to watch cricket

Let’s put all this in context. In the short term, this Test series is being played during a pandemic. Both sides have made huge sacrifices to take part. Already, some of the established features of the game – such as using saliva to shine the ball – have been abandoned for safety reasons. At a time when schools and offices are shut, the ECB has created something close to a bio-secure bubble at vast expense. Both teams have been prepared to spend weeks in lockdown in, at times, modest hotels. All to ensure this series takes place and English cricket avoids financial meltdown.Meanwhile, in the longer term, the ECB has warned its stakeholders that the next broadcast deal could be worth 50% of the value of the current one. As a result, it remains imperative to provide an attractive product that can be staged with some of predictability. Several hours of men squinting at clouds might not be exactly what the broadcasters are after.The point is, everyone involved has been forced to adapt to ensure this series is played. Yet at no stage do the umpires appear prepared to consider this context. They have been given too much power – even if it was in response to players previously being “offered” the light and using it arbitrarily according to the match situation.The ICC previously tried to persuade players to “bite the bullet” and play on using floodlights. “However that approach wasn’t accepted by any of the teams,” David Richardson, then chief executive, said in 2015. “They felt that would be unfair and would lead to unjust finishes.”The playing regulations now state play can be suspended if, in the umpires’ view, conditions are “dangerous” or “unreasonable” to continue. There is a further caveat stating: “Conditions shall not be regarded as either dangerous or unreasonable merely because they are not ideal.”The floodlights were on throughout the second day•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesThose definitions are subjective, however. The word “dangerous” can be utilised at pretty much any time. In Manchester, during the first Test, England’s fielders said they “couldn’t see” the ball. Not, you’ll note, that it was harder to see it; that they couldn’t see it at all.Now, we already accept that batting or fielding in some conditions is tricky. We accept that atmospheric conditions can change over the course of a day (or match), giving one side or another an advantage. We accept, too, that wearing pitches can make batting last a huge disadvantage. And we accept that players can sometimes struggle to follow the path of the ball against a background of packed stands or a bright sun. So why don’t we also accept that less-than-perfect light can, within reason, provide another dimension to the game?Safety has to be paramount, of course, and that is the line the ICC continues to stress. But using “health and safety” as a blanket answer to any question over this subject is disingenuous and limits the scope for debate and progression.Because, if we’re honest, the game needs to strike a balance between health and safety and competitive edge all the time. Was it safe when Jofra Archer was bowling at 96mph last summer? Is it safe when tailenders are on the end of a barrage of bouncers? Is it safe for bowlers or umpires in T20 or ODI cricket? Why is it only when the light is involved that the ICC and the umpires adopt a safety-first approach? And if we’re really in the business of minimising risk, shouldn’t the umpires be wearing helmets and all fielders be wearing some sort of head and neck protection? If we want to eliminate all risk, let’s have a conversation about using a different type of ball. If safety really is the ICC’s top priority, that’s the logical direction of travel.Short of that, what can be done? Well, we could also talk about using pink balls in such situations. It’s not uncommon to utilise heavier bails in windy conditions; maybe it should become established practice to change the ball in poor light? Yes, it might behave differently. But it behaves differently under cloud, after rain and according to the natural variation of it having been handmade, too. We accept that.ALSO READ: Umpire Kettleborough spoken to by anti-corruption officials over smartwatchMore pertinently, the ICC could conduct research in partnership with the appropriate scientific bodies (friends in eye places, if you will) and come up with a standardised level at which play is deemed to be unreasonable or unsafe. That figure could then be published with a reading included alongside the scoreboard both at the ground and for TV audiences. That way we could take this issue out of the hands of umpires and manage the expectations of all involved. The umpires would also have a cast-iron defence against criticism and in face of potential legal challenges from players who claim their safety was compromised by playing in unfit conditions.Again, as an aside, you wonder if such research might find that playing in gloomy light is easier than playing in bright light. Players say they lose sight of the ball in the sun quite often.Most of all, though, the ICC and its Members have to put spectators at the heart of future plans. At present, the game is run by people who have forgotten what it’s like to pay to watch cricket. Who have forgotten what it’s like to buy tickets, take holiday entitlement and buy TV subscriptions for the thrill of watching the game. Who cannot necessarily just watch the following day instead. Who will not tolerate these delays and will pursue other leisure opportunities instead.Former players have fantastic experience to offer. It is only right that their views are heard and incorporated into decision making. But the views of spectators should be considered and represented at all levels of the game, including on the ICC board. At present, the game is elitist, complacent, inconsistent and unaccountable. Spectators are treated like a barely necessary evil. Unless we start to put their concerns at the heart of decision making, we will lose them. It’s meant to be a spectator sport, after all.

Covid-19 has affected the build-up, but coach Naveed Nawaz feels the players have responded well to the challenges

Mohammad Isam15-Jan-2022It was a homecoming worthy of national heroes. Thousands lined the 15-kilometre stretch from the Dhaka airport to the Shere Bangla National Stadium as the bus with the Under-19 World Cup winners passed. There was then a rousing reception at the ground, in front of a few thousands more. The players cut a cake, they collected their rewards. “The memories are unbelievable,” Naveed Nawaz, the coach of the team then and now, says.This was still a month off from the first reported case of Covid-19 in Bangladesh. There was no restrictions. It was, after all, Bangladesh’s first World Cup win, at any level. They beat Under-19 giants India in the final, and everyone who watched them loved the way the boys held their composure in tense moments.Related

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U19 WC 2022: Bangladesh add new blood to old smarts

Two years on, as Bangladesh attempt to defend the title in the West Indies, Nawaz remembers the tears of joy most of all.”When we won the final, we understood that it was a big achievement for Bangladesh,” Nawaz tells ESPNcricinfo from St Kitts, where the team is based this time. “We were all happy and celebrating [in South Africa]. But it didn’t really hit us until the day we arrived in Dhaka.”When we saw the crowd celebrating on the streets, and then in the Mirpur stadium, we were actually in tears. All of us were crying. We didn’t realise the enormity of it until then, the impact that we had on the whole country.”The celebrations have, in a way, continued.Just over a year later – Covid-19 stopped cricket, and much else, for some time – after three international series for Bangladesh following the World Cup triumph, Shoriful Islam, the left-arm quick from the triumphant squad, made his T20I debut against New Zealand in March 2021. He would go on to play in the two other formats within the next two months.Shamim Hossain made an impressive T20I debut in New Zealand as well, before his fortunes took a nosedive, while Mahmudul Hasan Joy got his break more recently. Playing only his second Test, Mahmudul, as well as Shoriful, played a stellar role in Bangladesh’s unexpected Test win in Mount Maunganui earlier this month.Mahmudul Hasan Joy played a big part in Bangladesh’s recent Test win in New Zealand•Getty Images”It’s incredible, Joy, Patu (Shamim) and Shoriful going into the national team, and coping with the demands at the highest level,” Nawaz says. “It shows their improvement, from the Under-19 programme to doing well in the senior circuit.”I think I was the happiest person on the planet to see these Shoriful and Joy performing in New Zealand. They are both very close to me. How Joy tackled their highly skilled bowling attack, in their backyard, tells you a big story about him. We have discovered a star for Bangladesh, who can occupy the opening or No. 3 position for a very long time if guided properly.”Shoriful’s attitude and aggression on the field is an unbelievable change. When you look at him bowling, it seems like he has been playing international cricket for five-six years.”

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The 2022 team hasn’t been able to prepare as well as the 2020 team had because of the Covid situation. Multiple cases affected the training schedules and camps, and travel restrictions meant they couldn’t replicate the build-up of the previous group. While Bangladesh played 30 youth one-dayers, and won 18, in the lead-up to the 2020 World Cup, they managed to play only 12 such games this time, winning just three.”Preparation-wise, we are far behind this time. Most of our [preparatory] camps were affected, so our preparation hasn’t been ideal,” Nawaz says. “We managed to get in a couple of series. Since there was no time, the main target was to get the players match-ready.”We had to make sure we had the right players to form a strong team. We did our best within the time frame that we had. I think we got the best out of everything possible. In the West Indies, we will rely mainly on our strong bowling attack.”Shamim Hossain made a bright start to his T20I career before hitting a bit of a low•AFP/Getty ImagesAfter reaching the Caribbean, Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 155 runs [DLS method] in a warm-up game. From their “strong” bowling pack, left-arm spinner Naimur Rohman (3-18), offspinner Ariful Islam (2-6) and right-arm medium-pacer Abdullah Al Mamun (2-15) stood out in that win.

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It was a bit iffy prior to the team coming together as it has.Following a 5-0 drubbing from the hands of Sri Lanka Under-19 in October last year, the BCB brought in 2020 team stalwarts Rakibul Hasan, a left-arm spinner and useful batter, and quick bowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib, appointing the former as captain.”Rakibul and Sakib give us a bit of strength in our bowling department,” Nawaz says. “It is good to have them back. They have been working with me for the last couple of years. They also played a couple of series with the high-performance squad, so they are more experienced and ready.”Rakibul is very much a hands-on captain. He has built a very good rapport in a short time. He shares a lot of experience and knowledge with others. He is very much a dedicated team person. He puts the country before himself. It is a good example. He is very respected within the team.”Since Rakibul and Sakib joined the team, they won a triangular one-day series against two India Under-19 sides in Kolkata, and then made the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners India in the eight-team Under-19 Asia Cup in the UAE.Rakibul Hasan, a part of the 2020 team, has been brought in to lead the 2022 side•Getty Images

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Bangladesh have had a decent development programme in place for a while now, but the 2020 World Cup win gave it the fillip it needed.Nawaz was part of the leadership group led by Khaled Mahmud, chairman of the BCB’s game development committee, with AEM Kawser, the game development manager, and selector Hasibul Hossain Shanto in the mix. “The trophy inspired the younger generation in Bangladesh,” Nawaz says. “They have the belief that they can beat any team in the world. This is the difference winning a World Cup makes to a country. The whole culture and system will change.”Nawaz is himself a product of Sri Lanka’s famed school-cricket system, although he only played a single Test and three ODIs at the senior level for Sri Lanka. When he joined the Under-19 team as coach in 2018, there were murmurs in local cricket circles that Nawaz didn’t have the right credentials. But he has the results to show.”I wanted to create a method based on which the players can succeed,” Nawaz says. “I was successful in doing that in the first two years because of the unbelievable talent in Bangladesh. But talent alone is not enough. They had to play the mental game right. It was also important to create the right methods for batting, bowling and fielding. I am trying to do the same with the second group. They have responded quite well, though we see some inconsistency in their performances.”My idea was to show people that if you can instil discipline and good work ethic, if you get them to believe in the concept of a team, complement and help each other, and work really hard as a team, you can achieve anything.”It worked once. Repeating the feat will, perhaps, be an even bigger achievement than the one two years ago.

Kane Williamson has recovered from the groin injury which kept him out of New Zealand’s tour of India to take his place in the squad to face England while Wellington allrounder Nathan Smith has been handed his first Test call-up.Uncapped seamer Jacob Duffy is also part of the squad with Bear Sears (knee) and Kyle Jamieson (back) unavailable due to injury. Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, who took 13 wickets in Pune, will come into the group for the second and third Tests in Wellington and Hamilton. The opening Test takes place in Christchurch from November 28.Related

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Smith, 26, made his international debut in the first ODI against Sri Lanka earlier this week. In last season’s Plunket Shield he was the leading wicket-taker with 33 at 17.18 and in September was awarded a central contract. He also took 27 wickets at 21.14 for Worcestershire in last season’s County Championship alongside scoring three half-centuries.Ajaz Patel, who claimed 15 wickets against India, has not been included which means his record of taking all 85 of his Test wickets away from home will remain intact for now.Williamson’s return to fitness could put pressure on Will Young, player of the series in India, to retain his place in the XI.It was announced earlier on Friday that Tim Southee would retire from Test cricket after the England series unless New Zealand make the World Test Championship final.The 3-0 win in India has given them a chance of reaching the final again although even with a whitewash of England would not guarantee it.”It’s obviously a big series for the side in terms of the World Test Championship and to also now be farewelling someone like Tim Southee, only raises it up further,” Sam Wells, the New Zealand selector, said. “Tim has had a fabulous career and will go down as one of the great Black Caps.”I am sure the team and the public will want to give Tim a fitting send-off in what is a highly anticipated series. It’s also an exciting time for Nathan to be brought into the Test squad for the first time. Nathan is an exciting talent with a proven first-class record and I’m sure he will bring a lot of skill and energy to the group.”

New Zealand Test squad vs England

Tom Latham (capt), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner (Tests 2 and 3), Nathan Smith, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Will Young

It wouldn’t be controversial to say that the last few years have been nothing short of a roller coaster for Tottenham Hotspur, and their squad building has reflected that.

Yet, for all the problems he had to contend with, plenty of which were of his own making, Ange Postecoglou led the club to their first trophy in 17 years last season, but that still was not enough to save his job.

So, new boss Thomas Frank has to somehow live up to the Australian’s European record, while rebuilding the squad into one that can seriously compete in the Premier League and the domestic cups.

Fortunately, Daniel Levy and Co have already splashed £30m on making Mathys Tel’s deal permanent, and if reports are to be believed, the club have several exciting targets for the rest of the summer.

So, here’s what Spurs’ dream squad could look like if everything goes according to plan this summer.

The Goalkeepers Guglielmo Vicario keeps his place

After starting brilliantly for the club in the 23/24 season, it would be fair to say that Guglielmo Vicario wasn’t at his best between the sticks for all of last season.

Granted, he did miss a sizable portion of the campaign through injury, but according to FBref, he was in the bottom 24% of keepers for save percentage in the league.

Unfortunately, it was just as mixed a campaign for new signing Antonin Kinsky. While he impressed in his first game against Liverpool, he then made mistakes away at Anfield in the League Cup semi-final which reminded everyone he’s still a young, developing shot-stopper.

Lastly, Brandon Austin should remain the third choice, as he performed well enough in his three appearances last season.

Full list of goalkeepers: Guglielmo Vicario, Antonin Kinsky, Brandon Austin.

The Defence Spurs keep their incredible partnership

While it’s impossible to ignore the performance-related problems that severely hampered Spurs’ last season, and the often absurdly high line that led to many a goal for opposition sides, the biggest issue regarding the defence was fitness.

For example, Micky van de Ven missed a whopping 32 games for club and country, while Cristian Romero missed 27.

If the North Londoners can keep them fit, alongside the likes of Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, and integrate the young Ashley Phillips and Luka Vuskovic, then there is every chance their defensive record will be streets ahead next season.

In terms of transfers, Frank and Co. need to ensure they keep hold of Romero, as Atlético Madrid continue to circle. Additionally, bringing in Antonee Robinson would add some brilliant depth.

The USMNT ace has been linked with a £40m move to N17, and while he might not be the biggest name around, he enjoyed a brilliant campaign with Fulham last season, racking up ten assists in just 36 league appearances.

Full list of centre-backs: Cristian Romero, Kevin Danso, Ashley Phillips, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies, Luka Vuskovic.

Full list of right-backs: Pedro Porro, Djed Spence.

Full list of left-backs: Antonee Robinson, Destiny Udogie.

The Midfielders Spurs battle Arsenal for international star

We have made it to the area of the team where Spurs have the most talent: midfield.

In fact, the North Londoners are blessed with so many brilliant players that Frank and Co should be looking to sell at least one in the coming weeks: Yves Bissouma.

That would still leave Archie Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur to compete for the number six role, and then Lucas Bergvall and Pape Matar Sarr as the specialist central midfielders.

The wealth of talent continues in the more attacking roles, as Dejan Kulusevski racked up 21 goal involvements in 50 appearances and James Maddison managed 23 in 45 games.

Appearances

50

45

43

Minutes

3450′

2718′

3303′

Goals

10

12

14

Assists

11

11

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.42

0.51

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

164.28′

118.17′

132.12′

They might not be alone either, as this summer has been yet another in which the club have been linked with Eberechi Eze.

The Crystal Palace star might appear closer to joining Arsenal as things stand, but with a £68m release clause, there is still a chance Levy and Co could finally sign the incredible international.

Moreover, considering he was able to produce 25 goal involvements in 43 games last season, we have no doubt he’d be a smash hit.

Full list of midfielders: Archie Gray, Rodrigo Bentancur, Dejan Kulusevski, Pape Matar Sarr, James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall, Eberechi Eze.

The Attackers Spurs go big on the frontline

For all their problems last season – and there were plenty – Spurs were still a relatively effective attacking outfit, and ended the campaign as the league’s eighth top scorers.

Yet, sometimes the best course of action is to build upon your most significant strengths, and that might just be the approach Levy and Frank take this summer.

With that said, before getting to those who could come in through the door, let’s look at those who could leave, starting with Son Heung-min.

The captain solidified his status as a legend by lifting the Europa League last season, but it’s impossible to refute the fact that his impact on games has waned. Therefore, it could make sense for the club to act on the links to LAFC and Saudi Pro-League sides.

Likewise, following his successful season with Leeds United, it appears that the Lilywhites will cash in on Manor Solomon. At the same time, Dane Scarlett, Min-hyeok Yang, and Alejo Veliz would all benefit from another set of loan moves.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

With that out of the way, it’s time to look at who could be coming in for Spurs this summer, and there are some seriously exciting names.

The first, and the one that feels most likely, is Mohammed Kudus, who has already been the subject of a failed £50m bid, but could be available for just £65m.

The “generational talent,” as dubbed by journalist Gary Al-Smith, didn’t have the best of campaigns last season, but was simply sensational in 23/24, scoring 18 goals and providing ten assists in 48 games.

The Ghana international will be excellent competition for Brennan Johnson, who was the club’s top scorer last season, and the young Wilson Odobert, who will be hoping for an injury-free year.

The opposite flank brings us to another genuinely exciting and young addition to the squad: Xavi Simons.

The Flying Dutchman, who could cost £60m, might’ve been described as “one of the best 10s in the world” by one data analyst, but his most played position last season, and across his career to date, is off the left – where he has scored 18 goals and provided 17 assists in 59 appearances.

Competing for the same starting berth should be Tel, who did just enough last season to convince Levy to sign him, and the potential superstar in the making, Mikey Moore.

It is probably still too early to see the Hotspur Way product start too many games next season, but like Ethan Nwaneri up the road last season, it could be the year rival fans really begin to take notice.

Finally, we’ve made it to the centre-forward position, and this could be particularly interesting next year.

The man most likely to retain his place leading the line is Dominic Solanke, as, although he wasn’t exactly prolific last season, the club-record signing was still effective, scoring 16 goals and providing eight assists in 45 games.

Appearances

45

40

34

Minutes

3393′

2871′

942′

Goals

16

20

5

Assists

8

7

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.53

0.67

0.20

Minutes per Goal Involvements

141.37′

106.33′

134.57′

However, he could have his work cut out to keep the position, as the North Londoners have been linked with a £50m Atalanta star, Ademola Lookman.

The former Everton star can play out wide, but has become more and more of a central striker in recent seasons, and to say he was effective for the Bergamo side last year would be a serious understatement.

In his 40 games, the “world-class” attacker, as dubbed by journalist John Bennett, scored 20 goals and provided seven assists, which works out to an incredible average of a goal involvement every 1.48 games.

Finally, as it looks like he won’t be sold at the moment, keeping Richarlison as the third-choice striker and to help cover other areas across the frontline seems the smart thing to do.

Full list of wingers: Mohammed Kudus, Brennan Johnson, Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons, Mikey Moore, Mathys Tel.

Full list of strikers: Dominic Solanke, Ademola Lookman, Richarlison.

Spurs' answer to Gyokeres: £65m star is Frank's "top target" this summer

Spurs could seal their own game-changing signing this summer.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 7, 2025

Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi warned an in-demand Mason Greenwood that while leaving the French giants might be simple, finding a club that offers the same platform and passion could prove far harder. The English striker’s electric debut season in Ligue 1 has turned heads across Europe, but De Zerbi is making it clear, Marseille isn’t prepared to let its crown jewel walk out the door without a fight.

De Zerbi remains adamant about Greenwood's futureMarseille reluctant to sell star strikerLigue 1 opener against Rennes loomsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Greenwood’s first year at the Stade Velodrome couldn’t have been scripted better. Bagging 21 league goals, the former Manchester United man not only became a Ligue 1 sensation but also claimed a share of the coveted Golden Boot, along with Paris Saint-Germain striker Ousmane Dembele. 

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Such a form has inevitably stirred up interest, with clubs in Spain and Saudi Arabia monitoring his situation closely. In Spain, memories are still fresh of his standout spell at Getafe, where he showcased the same sharp eye for goal and creativity that has now lit up Marseille’s attack.

WHAT DE ZERBI SAID

Speaking to reporters ahead of the new season, De Zerbi underlined his desire to keep his core squad intact, name-checking Greenwood alongside key names like Leonardo Balerdi, Geronimo Rulli, Adrien Rabiot, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. 

"I don't think they'll leave," he said. "Keeping Balerdi, Rulli, Rabiot Hojbjerg, Greenwood is important for OM and for them. It's easy to leave Marseille but difficult to find a similar place."

DID YOU KNOW?

The prospect of losing Greenwood is one that Marseille’s hierarchy clearly dreads. A clause in the agreement that took Greenwood from Old Trafford to the south of France means United are entitled to 50 per cent of any transfer fee the Ligue 1 club might receive for him.