Sourav Ganguly’s elder brother Snehasish Ganguly, a former Bengal batsman, is the new joint-secretary

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2020Former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya’s son Avishek became the youngest president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) at the age of 38, after being elected unopposed on Wednesday.BCCI president Sourav Ganguly’s elder brother Snehasish Ganguly, a former Bengal batsman, is the new joint-secretary, a post that was vacated by Avishek before his elevation. The CAB president’s post was lying vacant after Sourav Ganguly took over the reins of the BCCI last year.Sourav Ganguly to deliver Dalmiya lecture in March

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly will deliver the Jagmohan Dalmiya lecture in March, new CAB president Avishek Dalmiya announced on Wednesday. The Jagmohan Dalmiya Annual Conclave will be held on the eve of the third India-South Africa ODI at the Eden Gardens scheduled for March 18.
Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith had delivered the lecture last year.

However, Avishek will go for a cooling-off period from November 6, 2021 as per the rules in the constitution. Avishek became the 18th president of CAB, taking charge of the same chair where his father sat in his two terms from 1992-93 to 2006 and then from 2008-09 till his death on September 20, 2015.”Right from my childhood, I always heard my father saying ‘Eden is a temple of worship’. That sentiment will run with me always,” Avishek said in his first address as CAB president. “He was very passionate about Eden Gardens. It was really emotional that I could sit in this room. I will only be a fool if I compare myself with any of the former CAB presidents. Their statures were different.”Snehasish recalled his playing days after taking charge of the office.”It was a dream to play for state and I played for 10-11 years,” Snehashish said. “Yesterday, I was really emotional remembering my playing days. Now as an administrator, we have got a very young team and we are confident to take Bengal cricket forward.”With India set to host two global events – the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup – in three years’ time, the priority for the new CAB president would be to renew the Eden Gardens lease with the Ministry of Defence.”The renewal of lease of Eden Gardens is due in a couple of years. It takes a lot of time to put things in right perspective. We would initiate the process soon,” Avishek said. “Earlier it was for 15 years. With the two global events coming up, we don’t want the issue to be racked up before a global tournament.”The CAB is also planning to introduce an eight-team women’s club league and code of conduct for players.”We want to have women’s club league with eight clubs. We also want to introduce code of conduct of players and support staff. It’s necessary to maintain discipline,” Avishek said.The idea of introducing a code of conduct comes in the wake of the controversy surrounding Bengal quick Ashok Dinda who was found abusing bowling coach Ranadeb Bose earlier this season, which later cost him a place in the squad.Avishek addressed the media interaction with his five-member team of Snehasish, joint-secretary Debabrata Das, treasurer Debasish Ganguly and vice-president Naresh Ojha.

Two Premier League clubs reportedly asked loan transfer questions of Real Madrid after seeing them acquire Brazilian wonderkid Endrick.

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• Forward moved to Spain after turning 18
• Considered to be a hot prospect
• Faces fierce competition for places

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The highly-rated forward agreed a move to Santiago Bernabeu in 2022, but only completed that switch after he turned 18 in the summer of 2024. He is considered to be the hottest of prospects and has already been likened to iconic countryman Pele.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Madrid intend to be the ones to benefit from Endrick’s undoubted potential, but they have also acquired World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe and already have the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham on their books.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  With that in mind, claims that two sides from England enquired as to the potential availability of Endrick and a short-term deal for the 2024-25 campaign. Those approaches are said to have been knocked back as Carlo Ancelotti intends to give the youngster plenty of game time this season.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Endrick, who already has 10 senior caps and three goals for his country, has figured for Madrid during pre-season while Mbappe was granted an extended break. He will face fierce competition for places in the Spanish capital, but could be a useful impact option off the bench for the current holders of La Liga and Champions League crowns.

Hosts post record chase at Newlands to take 1-0 series lead after Joe Denly’s half-century guides England to respectable total

The Report by Valkerie Baynes04-Feb-2020

Is this a new South Africa? Regardless of how this series ends or the eventual outcome of the hosts’ substantial rebuilding project, the answer, today, was yes.Led by newly appointed captain Quinton de Kock and a resurgent Temba Bavuma, South Africa recorded the highest successful ODI chase at Newlands to claim a memorable victory.De Kock and Bavuma put on a 173-run stand which blew South Africa’s previous best second-wicket partnership against England away and delivered a huge confidence boost after a disappointing World Cup and, more recently, a 3-1 Test series defeat to England.South Africa lost opener Reeza Hendricks cheaply, but not until the seventh over as he and de Kock made a controlled start.Bavuma joined de Kock with their side 25 for 1 and the pair played with poise and sense, never letting the required run rate out of site, running well between the wickets and not succumbing to any rash shot-making of the kind that drew criticism towards de Kock during the Test series.Bavuma, who forced his way back into the Test side for the fourth and final match at Johannesburg with some scintillating form on the domestic circuit, fell two runs shy of a second ODI century in just his third appearance.De Kock’s 107 off 113 balls oozed composure but was not without excitement, such as the massive six off Tom Curran that landed on top of the sightscreen and stayed there, or the four thumped off the back foot through midwicket to bring up his 5000th ODI run. Then there were consecutive fours through the covers to bring up his 15th one-day century.It was only when Joe Root re-entered the attack in the 36th over that de Kock fell, bowled as he missed an attempted slog-sweep.Rassie van der Dussen, who made his Test debut against England in December and finished as the fifth-highest run-scorer of the series – and South Africa’s second-highest behind de Kock – entered with his side needing 61 off 89 balls.Even when Bavuma was trapped lbw by Chris Jordan, ending a wonderful knock on 98 off 103 balls, there was no sense of panic and van der Dussen and Jon-Jon Smuts guided South Africa to the target with 14 balls to spare.World Champions England doled out caps at opposite ends of the spectrum, handing debuts to Tom Banton and Matt Parkinson and marking Chris Woakes’ 100th ODI. But it was their team-mate with a curious mix of age and ODI inexperience, Joe Denly, who played the innings England needed after falling to 83 for 4 and then 131 for 6 as they battled the spin of Tabraiz Shamsi.Denly scored his third ODI half-century and his first in the eight innings he has played since his previous fifty, against Australia in September 2009.After being overlooked for the World Cup, Denly was given the chance to establish himself as a limited-overs player when he was awarded his first white-ball contract at the end of last summer. If his first innings since is any gauge, Denly has set himself on course to do so, with a fine 87 off 103 balls to help England to 258 for 8 from their 50 overs when a much smaller total had looked likely earlier.South Africa also had two debutants, batting allrounder Smuts and quick Lutho Sipamla, and it was in fact the spin of Smuts that made the breakthrough they needed.Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow brought up England’s 50 off 54 balls to set a strong foundation.Roy hit his stride by punishing Beuran Hendricks with three consecutive fours through long-on, long-off and extra cover but he also rode his luck, dropped on 24 by Andile Phehlukwayo off the bowling of Lungi Ngidi and barely evading the reach of van der Dussen as he cleared midwicket.As their stand reached 51, Roy lofted Smuts down the ground and found Reeza Hendricks at long-on to fall for 32 from as many balls. Bairstow followed his opening partner back to the pavilion a short time later, crashing a drive off Phehlukwayo straight to Sipamla at mid-off.A brilliant piece of fielding from van der Dussen broke a third-wicket stand worth 30 runs between Eoin Morgan and Root. Morgan swept Shamsi but van der Dussen was so sharp with his diving intercept at backward square he had all the time in the world to rise to his knees and take middle stump out of the ground with a throw fired in from nearly 30 metres away, as a sprawling Root was found well short of his ground.Shamsi removed Morgan just three balls later, edging to Bavuma who took a strong slips catch diving low to his left.Banton reached 18 off 23 balls but he was found wanting when he dropped to his knee looking to slog-sweep Shamsi and was struck high on his back thigh and given out lbw, failing to have the decision overturned on review when ball-tracking showed the delivery was headed for the top of off stump.Shamsi claimed his third wicket when he bowled Sam Curran round his legs.That brought Woakes to the crease and he joined Denly in settling the England innings, contributing 40 as the pair put on 91 runs for the seventh wicket.Denly accelerated through the closing overs, clubbing Ngidi some 87 metres over cow corner for six – the first maximum of England’s innings. He dealt out more of the same in Ngidi’s next over with a scornful smash over the fence at long-off.Denly was finally brought undone when he sent Beuran Hendricks to Reeza Hendricks in the deep with four balls remaining, his efforts at least giving England a fighting total – until de Kock and Bavuma played their part.

Southampton could well still sneak back into the Championship automatic promotion picture after all hopes of the top two looked dead and buried, benefitting from Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Leeds United all slipping up at the final hurdle.

Russell Martin's men nearly didn't beat Watford this weekend however to keep up their end of the bargain, needing a last-gasp Flynn Downes winner to beat Watford 3-2 to breathe life back into their faintest hopes of a top-two finish.

Downes wasn't the only goalscoring midfielder for the Saints at St. Mary's, with one of his two partners in the middle of the park in Will Smallbone netting within the first minute on the South Coast to set the tone for an enthralling contest.

Whilst the West Ham United loanee continues to look like a great bit of business for Martin's side, Southampton haven't always managed to strike gold with their signings, with one dud sticking out as a particularly stinging misfire of years gone by.

When Southampton signed Gaston Ramirez

Southampton must have thought they had hit the jackpot by signing attacking midfield star Gaston Ramirez in 2012, winning the Uruguayan's services for a hefty £12m but a sizeable fee that was justified at the time.

Fresh off a stint at Bologna which saw Ramirez amass 15 goals and eight assists from 60 appearances – with 13 of those coming in his final Serie A campaign – Southampton must have thought the 6-foot creator would set the Premier League alight on his arrival.

The move wouldn't quite work like that in reality, with Ramirez shining bright during his debut campaign on the South Coast before seeing his Saints career eventually fizzle out.

In his first full season, Ramirez translated his excellent form playing in Italy to the tough demands of English football.

Ramirez would manage to bag five goals and pick up three assists in the Premier League, taking to his new surroundings with ease.

1. GK – Kelvin Davis

2. RB – Nathaniel Clyne

3. CB – Jose Fonte

4. CB – Jos Hooiveld

5. LB – Danny Fox

6. CDM – Morgan Schneiderlin

7. RM – Jason Puncheon

8. CAM – Steven Davis (Gaston Ramirez)

9. CAM – James Ward-Prowse

10. LM – Adam Lallana

11. ST – Rickie Lambert

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Yet, although the former Bologna man starred alongside the likes of former Saints heroes James Ward-Prowse and Adam Lallana during this honeymoon period at Southampton, his time at the club would eventually turn sour.

His second season would see him make just 18 appearances, falling down the pecking order under then-Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino.

Ramirez would only help himself to a single goal and three assists when given a rare first-team opportunity that campaign, moved on after this forgettable individual season.

Two loan spells away from St. Mary's would follow, with a stint at Middlesbrough enabling the South American midfielder to enjoy his football again after an unmemorable switch to Hull City passed him by.

What Ramirez did after leaving Southampton

Ramirez would eventually join Boro permanently after amassing eight goals and four assists from just 18 Championship appearances on loan, with the Saints cursing their decision in the end to fork out £12m for the Uruguayan.

Even if his time at Middlesbrough ended up being as short-lived as his spell with Southampton, with Ramirez moving back to the comforts of Serie A in 2017 after just two seasons at the Riverside Stadium, his adoring Boro fanbase will always have this sublime strike against AFC Bournemouth to look back on.

Whereas, Southampton only have regrets about the deal to bring the 6-foot midfielder to England over any slight positives.

If this transfer happened in today's far-inflated market too, courtesy of Totally Football's Transfer Index, the move would become even more of a blunder from a Saints perspective.

How much Gaston Ramirez's move would be worth in 2024

If the same transfer mishap went through in 2024, according to the Transfer Index, Ramirez would have cost Southampton an eye-watering £36m.

To add further context to that, Southampton's record signing comes in at €26.2m (£22.4m) currently in Tino Livramento. But, if Ramirez's deal was in today's market, the South American would be way out in front as their record buy.

1. Tino Livramento

€26.2m (£22.4m)

2. Danny Ings

€25.1m (£21.5m)

3. Kamaldeen Sulemana

€25m (£21.4m)

4. Jannik Vestergaard

€25m (21.4m)

5. Sadio Mane

€23m (£19.7m)

Staggeringly, the Transfer Index suggests that Ramirez would be worth nearly £20m more than past Saints superstar Sadio Mane demanded to win his services who would go on to dazzle under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

Moreover, when assessing the current crop of talent at Martin's disposal, Ramirez would be worth nearly £30m more than Kyle Walker-Peters who boasts a humble €8.6m (£7.3m) worth, as per Football Transfers, despite being touted for a move back up to the Premier League without the Saints.

It's fair to say the 34-year-old, who is now seeing out his career back in his native Uruguay with CA Peñarol, won't look back on this patch of his career at St. Mary's with many fond memories still attached.

Instead, he knows he is viewed as an expensive flop when everything looked to be pointing in the direction of Ramirez being a great buy who could go on to be a star for many years to come.

If Southampton do end up sealing an immediate return to the Premier League, the South Coast outfit will be cautious not to overspend and have another blunder like Ramirez on their hands away from any talk about other incomings.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Tottenham Hotspur might have been one of the busiest Premier League outfits in the transfer market since Ange Postecoglou was selected as manager last year, but further work is expected after the 2023/24 campaign concludes.

A blazing start to a new chapter had left a giddying feeling among the fans, but the plain realities that a long and winding season has presented have served as a better measure of the squad's current level.

While fifth-placed Spurs are hopeful of qualifying for the Champions League, last weekend's 4-0 thrashing against Newcastle United has allowed Aston Villa to create a three-point lead in the top four.

With English sides dropping like flies in Europe, hopes of a fifth place in the continent's elite club competition next term through the co-efficient rankings look decidedly slender.

Tottenham will need to fight hard in the Premier League to leapfrog Unai Emery's side, increasing chances of signing top targets.

Spurs lining up Premier League star

According to Football Insider, Tottenham are preparing to launch a bid to sign Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White this summer, though will face concerted competition from Premier League rivals Newcastle United.

With Tottenham said to be in pole position for the 24-year-old's signature, however, Postecoglou could add a perfect additional dimension to his team ahead of a likely return to European competition next season.

Arsenal have also registered an interest in the player, with reports suggesting that a bid of £50m would be enough to tempt the City Ground side to sell.

Morgan Gibbs-White's season in numbers

Forest signed Gibbs-White from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a deal worth £42.5m in 2022, with the talented midfielder's move raising a few eyebrows.

Still, he'd established his technical quality and potential on loan at Sheffield United and the Tricky Trees were convinced that they had got their hands on a top-class talent.

And their faith was rewarded last season, with the £80k-per-week star playing a talismanic role in Steve Coopers' side's safety-preserving return to the top-flight, having been hailed as a "real character and leader" for his club by Spurs pundit John Wenham.

Morgan Gibbs-White: PL Stat Comparison 23/24

Goals

Assists

First 17 games

1

2

Last 15 games

4

5

Stats via Transfermarkt

Also praised for his "magic tricks" by reporter Jamie Martin, the dynamic ace has really come alive in the second half of the current campaign and might just be the key to success.

As per Sofascore, he has complemented his 12 goal contributions from 32 Premier League fixtures this season by creating 12 big chances, also averaging 1.9 key passes, 1.3 dribbles, 4.6 ball recoveries and 5.3 successful duels per match.

Gibbs-White also, as per FBref, ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for aerial duels won per 90, denoting his excellent commitment to winning the ball back and the spring in his step, only standing at 5 foot 9.

He's, humorously, been described as the "Aldi Jude Bellingham" by analyst Raj Chohan, and while this is something of a double-edged compliment, it does highlight Gibbs-White's high-level traits and how they could make a marked improvement on Postecoglou's team.

The "Aldi Jude Bellingham"

Jude Bellingham might as well have been grown in a laboratory, such is the 20-year-old's prodigious talent, excelling at the world's most prestigious football club following his £115m transfer to the Spanish capital from Borussia Dortmund last summer.

A multi-functioning, many-faceted midfielder, Bellingham wreaked fear onto the opposition following a blistering, unexplainable start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu, scoring with ferocious consistency and currently boasting 20 goals and ten assists from 35 matches for his team.

Described as a "proper superstar" by broadcaster Dan Walker after Los Blancos dumped defending Champions League winners Manchester City on penalties, the England international is destined for stardom. Should England find a men's Ballon d'Or winner in the near future, he is him.

As per FBref, Bellingham ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 2% for pass completion, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 10% for interceptions, the top 6% for blocks and the top 18% for aerial wins per 90.

Gibbs-White is not Bellingham, nor, really, is he the 'Aldi Jude Bellingham.' Gibbs-White possesses his own skill set and he would make an impression at Tottenham based on this fact, not that fact he offers intelligent movement, sweet pivoting motions when collecting on the turn, and deft dribbling to draw a certain semblance.

But what is pertinent is the robust player's athleticism and tactical flexibility, covering much ground across a range of positional roles this season and finding success in each.

His ability to play off focal points and blend his direct threat with playmaking quality makes him a great partner for Spurs skipper Heung-min Son, who is something of a protean attacking player himself.

Son has compensated for Harry Kane's summer sale superbly this season, often playing in a centre-forward position, scoring 15 goals and providing nine assists for his teammates across 29 Premier League matches.

He is invariably dangerous, in large part due to his vast array of tools, and even when fielded at the spearhead he's dropping deeper, playing balls forward, seeking out passages and movements from his teammates.

Gibbs-White would be a masterful addition, with his unceasing supply of creativity setting Son up while his forays into the final third will allow the South Korean phenom to return the favour.

Postecoglou's system is built on fluidity and hard-working commitment from his players, with Gibbs-White undoubtedly suited for such a style of play.

While Tottenham have a healthy bunch of impressive offensive players, Gibbs-White could provide the attacking midfield with a Bellingham-like presence to boost Son, serve as a foil for James Maddison and ensure that the club continue to rise under Postecoglou's guidance.

Related Spurs line up move for £60m star who'd be their new Eriksen

The Spurs target would be a rival for James Maddison.

Posts ByTom Lever Apr 17, 2024

Manchester United’s latest 1-1 draw against Brentford further exposes the on-the-field issues at the club that have haunted them all season.

The only positives that can be taken from this season thus far is the rise and progress of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, who have become key players in Erik ten Hag’s side.

With the Red Devils preparing to undergo a complete rebuild with Sir Jim Ratcliffe at the helm, the transfer strategy could be to focus on signing young talent, just like the aforementioned duo.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at an extremely highly-rated 2007-born ace who is reportedly on United’s radar.

Man Utd’s search for a young attacker

According to a recent report from Spain via Football365, Man United are interested in signing 16-year-old gem Estevao, otherwise known as Messinho.

The attacker plays his football for Palmeiras, the same side that developed wonderkid Endrick, but they are not willing to let him go for cheap.

Messinho is attracting plenty of interest from across Europe, including Real Madrid, who could battle United for his signature in the summer.

However, Unuted are reportedly willing to pay an extreme figure for the winger, at least £77m, which could fend off competition for his services.

Ten Hag could ease LB woes by trialling Man Utd "monster" in new role

The Red Devils’ lack of options at left-back has left the Dutchman needing to get creative…

By
Robbie Walls

Apr 2, 2024

Messinho could be a bigger talent than Garnacho

As previously mentioned, Garnacho has simply been fantastic this campaign, showing courage and determination to succeed, which can’t be said for some of his teammates.

At 19 years of age, the Argentine wonderkid has the world at his feet, and he’s played 27 matches in the Premier League this season, scoring five goals and providing three assists.

Due to the lack of quality on the right wing this season, with Antony failing to register a goal contribution in the league, the number 17 has switched flanks to gain regular game time, but his long-term future is surely on the left if United do sign Messinho.

The Brazilian is a left-footed winger who mainly plays on the right, and he’s set to breakthrough the Palmeiras academy this year after making five substitute appearances since January.

That said, the number 41 has shown his ability in the youth teams and for Brazil’s U17 side, particularly during the U17 World Cup in Indonesia, as you can see below.

Against Ecuador in the Round of 16, Messinho was almost untouchable, displaying absolutely everything he has to offer and why he is regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in the world.

It’s fair to say that the Brazilian is absolutely frightening, not only because he can score goals but also because he has the ability to create opportunities from absolutely nothing.

This is what makes him a “future Ballon d’Or winner,” as per analyst Ben Mattinson, with his five key passes and successful dribbles proving that it’s impossible to stop him as an opposition defender.

This illustrates the immense potential the teenage star has and that is why he could enter Old Trafford as a bigger talent than their current Argentina international, who former United midfielder Paul Parker claimed needs to work on his discipline and mentality on and off the pitch to reach Balon d'Or level.

It’s quite clear that Estevao is also extremely confident in his own ability, just like Garnacho, which makes him even more of a promising talent, and gives him a much better chance of making it to the very top of the beautiful game.

Overall, signing an inexperienced gem for potentially such a large fee is clearly a huge risk to take, but we have seen it pay off in recent times with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona tapping into the South American market and securing superstars like Vinicius Junior, Endrick, and Vitor Roque.

Captain claims the sky’s the limit for his young team, with Jofra Archer set to replace Mark Wood in their XI

George Dobell in Johannesburg23-Jan-2020

Joe Root believes winning the Test series in South Africa would rank as the “proudest result” of his captaincy career.While Root has led his side to other series victories – notably a 3-0 clean sweep in Sri Lanka little more than a year ago and a 4-1 victory against India earlier in the same year – he believes that winning against South Africa with a young team which has faced numerous challenges during the tour would be “a very big achievement.”ALSO READ: Can Buttler cast off his Test shackles?A few weeks into the trip, Ben Stokes suggested – with tongue only partly in cheek – that it had become known as “the cursed tour.” Perhaps that was understandable, too. By that stage his dad, Ged, had suffered a serious illness and most of the squad had struggled with a sickness bug that compromised their performance in the first Test. By the time the third Test started, three first-choice players – their leading bowler, James Anderson, as well as their leading spinner (Jack Leach) and opening batsman (Rory Burns) – had been forced to return to England as a result of injury or illness.Despite losing that first Test, England have taken a 2-1 lead in the series ahead of the final game starting in Johannesburg on Friday. And Root feels that, given the youth of his side – there will be at least five men aged 25 or under in the England team to play this Test – and the promise they have shown that “the sky is the limit for this team.””It’s been a tour that has thrown everything at us,” Root said. “But the whole squad – the players and the coaching staff – have worked tirelessly to make sure we stayed calm and as in control as we could. And then, when we’ve had our opportunities to bounce back, we’ve really taken them.”It’s been really pleasing in many ways. We’re a very young side at the start of something and we’ve seen some very promising performances. To win three Tests in a row would be a very big achievement for this group.