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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta continues to reap the rewards of the club's impressive production of young talent, with Hale End graduate Bukayo Saka having been a leading figure in the Gunners' title charge.

The England international – who netted for the Three Lions against Ukraine at Wembley on Sunday – already boasts a standout haul of 12 goals and ten assists in the Premier League this season, ensuring that the 21-year-old is the only player in the division to reach double figures for both metrics.

The youngster's rise from promising teen to first-team star has rubberstamped the benefits of promoting from within, with fellow forward Emile Smith Rowe another who looks set to have a big part to play at the Emirates moving forward, despite being hampered by injury this term.

For all the plaudits that are flooding the way of the "sensational" Saka, in particular – as hailed by pundit Alex McCleish – the focus for Arteta and co will be to ensure that the academy ranks continue to churn out exciting young talent over the coming years.

It would appear at present that there are a number of eye-catching gems who are just waiting to be unleashed in the senior set-up, with teenage centre-back Zach Awe one such asset who could be given a chance to shine sooner rather than later.

Who is Arsenal's Zach Awe?

The "promising" defender – as lauded by Layth Yousif – has been a standout presence at youth level in recent times, having notably featured 22 times in all competitions so far this term, scoring twice from his centre-back berth.

The highly-regarded 19-year-old – who signed a professional contract with the club back in February 2021 – has been on the cusp of the first team of late, having been training with Arteta's squad ahead of the Europa League clash with Bodo/Glimt back in October.

The London-born starlet may well be hoping to push for a regular role under the Spaniard in the near future, with the Gunners currently lacking quality, centre-back depth outside the first-choice pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel.

January arrival Jakub Kiwior was notably dubbed "embarrassing" by talkSPORT pundit Dean Ashton after making an error on debut against Sporting CP earlier this month, while long-serving dud Rob Holding has also looked unconvincing when he has been involved, with the Englishman having "made mistakes" over the years, as per pundit Darren Bent.

It remains to be seen what long-term future Holding will have at the Emirates, with the £40k-per-week earner having just over a year left on his contract and with The Sun only recently reporting that the former Bolton Wanderers man could be part of a mass, summer exodus.

If the peripheral figure is to depart any time soon, then promoting young Awe should seemingly be on the minds of Arteta and co, with the latter man having been hailed as a 'commanding centre-back' who has an 'impressive passing range and leadership qualities', as per the club's official website.

Such quality was evident during the former England youth international's four outings in the EFL Trophy earlier this season as he scored once and averaged 0.8 key passes per game to illustrate his prowess on the ball, while also proving a rock-solid asset at the back after averaging 4.8 clearances, 2.8 interceptions and 1.5 tackles per game.

Holding, by contrast, has looked far less impressive during his eight Premier League appearances this term, having failed to score or average a single key pass, while also averaging just 0.6 clearances, 0.4 interceptions and zero tackles per 90.

While Awe's displays were from just a small sample size, that impressive statistical record should indicate that has the tools needed to go on to flourish at senior level, with that move into the first-team ranks likely to help aid Holding's departure from the club.

Leeds United fell to their first Premier League defeat under Javi Gracia over the weekend, as they handed Graham Potter’s struggling Chelsea side just their second win of 2023.

It was admittedly a disappointing effort from the travelling Whites, who surely would have seen this as one of the best opportunities in recent memory to turn over the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

But where the Yorkshire outfit normally enjoy plenty of the ball, they were restricted to just 43% of it which was converted into just two shots on target. If they struggle to score when they boast the majority of possession, that task was made even more troublesome by their lack thereof.

It was difficult to retain the ball when the central striker, Georginio Rutter, was enduring such a tough first start in the league.

As such, the Frenchman was raw, lightweight, and ultimately dragged off after 68 minutes. Perhaps his Spanish boss will think twice about reinstating him to the lineup after his performance.

How did Georginio Rutter play vs Chelsea?

Although one of the tougher full Premier League debuts to be handed, it was still expected that the tricky 20-year-old could threaten a threadbare back four. However, the former Brighton and Hove Albion coach instead opted to revert to a back three, which crowded out the diminutive striker amongst a trio of hulking defenders.

As such, Rutter was limited to just 34 touches, of which he only managed to complete four passes all game.

His anonymity throughout the game came as a huge detriment to his side, as he lost possession 21 times in a desperate attempt to create anything. Whilst there were flashes of his quality, and he nearly found the back of the net if not for a fine block.Just one successful dribble all game truly highlights just how little space he was afforded.

Even journalist Beren Cross took to Twitter to claim that he was “virtually a non-entity against three defenders”, suggesting he is far from up to speed when it comes to the physicality of English football.

Although he is now their club-record signing, Gracia must try to alleviate the pressure currently suffocating Rutter if he is to help him shine. There is clearly an abundance of talent waiting to be unleashed, but perhaps dropping him for their next match could be the best move as he slowly integrates him through short cameos rather than tough starts.

In the early 2000s a pair of spinners took centre stage. But Warne is gone, Brett Lee is better than ever, Dale Steyn is making the headlines, and quicks are even thriving in India, traditionally fast-bowling’s final frontier

Lawrence Booth26-Mar-2008

“Poetry and murder lived in him together,” wrote RC Robertson-Glasgow of Don Bradman, but anyone who watched Michael Holding glide to the crease or heard the chants of “kill” as Dennis Lillee prepared to do his worst might think the conceit applies equally well to the fast bowler. Ever since George Brown of Brighton ended the life of an inattentive dog in the early 19th century with a delivery that beat the wicketkeeper and – so legend has it – went through a coat held by the trembling long-stop, the speedy have exerted their hold, both ghoulish and visceral, on spectators. Think of Harold Larwood and Bodyline, Frank Tyson, Lillee and Thomson, Holding’s over to Geoff Boycott, Wasim and Waqar, Donald to Atherton at Trent Bridge, Shoaib Akhtar. “The fast bowler,” wrote John Arlott in 1975 in his preface to David Frith’s , “is the most colourful character
in cricket.” More than three decades later, is it wishful thinking to suggest that the colour is returning to a few characters’ cheeks?If we take as our yardstick a speed of 85mph – the likes of Thomson and Shoaib, bowler of the first recorded 100mph delivery
in match conditions, are a subset of their own – then the global paddock looks nicely stocked. Australia have a more mature Brett Lee
and an exciting Mitchell Johnson, even if Shaun Tait is temporarily out of action; England boast Stuart Broad, Ryan Sidebottom (quicker now than when Duncan Fletcher ignored him), Steve Harmison, and are itching for Andrew Flintoff’s return, to say nothing of Simon Jones; New Zealand have – or had – Shane Bond; Pakistan have Shoaib, when fit, and the whippy, casual Mohammad Asif; South Africa can unleash Dale Steyn and, more recently, Morne Morkel; Sri Lanka can let loose Lasith “The Slinger” Malinga; and
even West Indies can take their pick from Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell. As for India, the days of the many-pronged spin attack of the 1970s are a distant memory: as with most other areas of the game, the world of pace is very much
their oyster. “Fast bowling around the world is pretty healthy at the moment,” says Troy Cooley. “These are exciting times.”Not least for Cooley himself. One of the game’s most respected fast-bowling coaches, he was the puppet-master behind England’s Ashes-winning four-man pace attack in 2005 before being poached by his native Australia in plenty of time for the return leg in 2006-07. It would be a gross exaggeration to say that Australia’s 5-0 win was down to Cooley. But it would be equally wrong to ignore his contribution. After all, would Harmison really have begun with that scene-setting wide at the Gabba if Cooley’s calming influence had been in England’s dressing room rather than Australia’s? Who knows? But what is clear is that back-room support in this non-stop era of international cricket is now a necessity rather than a luxury. And it seems to be paying dividends.”The schedule can be a bit tough,” says Dale Steyn, who – following South Africa’s drubbing of Bangladesh – had taken 97
wickets at 19 each since returning to Test cricket in April 2006. “If you manage it well, you can get away with it. We have great support staff in South Africa, so if I have a day off, I don’t get on my feet at all. They know all the requirements.” The 24-year-old Steyn says he is yet to bowl within himself, which might explain why his Test strike-rate in the last two years has been a phenomenal 33. “I love the buzz of bowling fast,” he says. “Yes, I do get a thrill from it. Morne Morkel is incredibly quick too, and that spurs me on. You think you’ve got to bowl quicker than the other guys because you don’t want to lose your place in the team. Even the franchises are producing quick bowlers. The selectors have got a good thing going. Now I want to be the quickest in the world.”Steyn’s instinctive enthusiasm – “When I fly from Johannesburg to Cape Town and look down at my country, it’s amazing to think,
‘Out of all the people to bowl fast for South Africa, they picked me'” – is a recurring theme among pacemen. Tyson spoke of the “glad
animal action” of bowling fast. Lillee noted: “It’s the sheer ‘I can fly’ exhilaration … It’s seeing that look of apprehension on your quarry’s face.” Thomson, his partner in crime, famously reckoned he just went “whang”. Neither was he averse to the sight of blood. Each generation of quicks derives its own special pleasures.

The question is, do the generations wax and wane as a matter of course? Is the current crop of emerging quicks merely part of cricket’s natural ebb and flow? Mike Atherton, who faced some of the modern game’s great new-ball pairings during the 1990s, agrees there was a “drop-off in terms of the quality of fast bowlers” in the years following his retirement in 2001. But he adds: “I wonder to what extent these things are cyclical.” The power struggle between quick and slow over the last four decades suggests he has a point.In the 1970s three of the five leading Test-wicket-takers were spinners: Derek Underwood (202 wickets), plus the Indian pair of
Bishan Bedi (196) and Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (180). But by the 1980s only one slow bowler – Pakistan’s Abdul Qadir (216) – made a top ten dominated by the West Indians and the four great allrounders: that decade Richard Hadlee, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Imran Khan claimed 1075 wickets between them. Shane Warne led the pack in the 1990s but behind him came five quicks and one almost-quick: Curtly Ambrose (309), Courtney Walsh (304), Wasim Akram (289), Allan Donald (284), Waqar Younis (273) and Glenn McGrath (266). And in the 2000s Muttiah Muralitharan, Warne and Anil Kumble lead the way. But Warne has retired, Kumble will soon join him, and – after the fallow period alluded to by Atherton – the picture is changing once more.Not everything, however, can be put down to the self-regulatory nature of cycles. Improvements in physiotherapy have helped, even
if Cooley stresses that fast bowling remains a “risky business”. But Stuart Osborne, who has been the Sussex physio for ten years and
has worked regularly with the England Academy, says technological advances have changed the nature of the beast. “Fast bowlers now are year-round athletes,” he says. “They are fitter and stronger than when I first started in the job. The buzzword in the last five years has been ‘core stability’ – they work on different muscles now. You always get naturals, but there’s a lot more help now for fast
bowlers who are not as naturally gifted. Ice baths prevent stiffness in muscles and at Sussex we have a jacuzzi, as well as hot-and-cold contrast baths. Bowlers are screened regularly and there’s an eye on workloads. There’s been a sharp reduction in stress fractures.”

Nowhere has this new tendency to prolong the life of the average fast bowler had more impact than in India. And this is where the argument really does depart from the cyclical. It used to be thought that the group most likely to smuggle secrets across borders were legspinners, misunderstood by everyone but each other. But the MRF (Madras Rubber Factory) pace foundation in Chennai, the brainchild of Lillee himself, has given fast bowlers everywhere the sense of a global community and Indians in particular the confidence to reach beyond their traditional stereotypes of beguiling spin and wristy batting. Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth and Munaf Patel are all products of the foundation, as is India’s bowling coach, Venkatesh Prasad. When Lillee told Prasad how his bowlers could best exploit the Fremantle Doctor during the recent Perth Test, it was confirmation that the fast-bowlers’
union has moved way beyond the old agreement not to bowl bouncers at each other. India won by 72 runs.TA Sekhar, who briefly bowled fast-medium for India in the mid-1980s, has been working with Lillee at the foundation almost
from its very beginnings in 1987. “When it started, no one in India understood what it meant to be a fast bowler,” says Sekhar. “They
had no clue about training. Now young bowlers know about the three types of action: open, semi-open and side-on. They know
exactly what they want to do and where they want to land the ball. Previously bowlers were always side-on. Awareness has improved massively. And they are learning how to swing the ball at pace, which is what they did in Australia. Only Brett
Lee swung it for Australia, but all our boys were doing it.”Until the emergence of Prasad and Javagal Srinath, another graduate of the foundation, as an international-class new-ball pairing in the 1990s, India’s lack of fast-bowling heritage had irked those who looked west and saw the Pakistanis churn out one loose-limbed tearaway after another. Sekhar attributes the discrepancy to nothing more than genetics – “Constitutionally, Pakistanis are bigger men” – but says this very awareness helped him and Lillee customise a training regime for potential Indian fast bowlers. Sekhar stresses the need for fitness and strength but also points out that the natural flexibility of most Indians (“We sit on the ground and cross our legs when we eat”) has helped prevent back problems. “With Shaun Tait, we all knew he was going to have injury problems because of his action,” he says. “There is an inherent risk of injury in bowling fast. The body is not designed to do it. You have to get used to awkward moments and do your training and weights, your yoga and Pilates. It’s about core-muscle strengthening.”After some trial and error at the start the system has evolved at the school over 10 to 12 years and now we’re seeing the benefits.”

Sekhar speaks in reverential terms about the skills which Lillee, who has first-hand experience of serious injury after missing nearly two years of Test cricket in 1973 and ’74 while he recuperated from stress fractures of the back, imparts to a new generation of fast bowlers during the seven or eight weeks he spends annually at the foundation. “He is the best fast-bowling coach I have ever seen. He makes it very simple. There isn’t too much theory. He watches a bowler once in the flesh, then again on video, and then he can say what’s going wrong. He can see in real-time what other coaches only see in slow motion.”Fast bowlers everywhere clearly agree. The counties now send between 15 and 20 bowlers to Chennai every year, with Mick Newell, the coach of Nottinghamshire, admitting “the boys hang on Dennis’s every word”. He adds: “Dennis is very big on injury-prevention coaching. He’s always looking for straight lines. He builds actions and spots bowlers who are likely to run into trouble.” Newell credits Lillee with helping Sidebottom, in early 2004, to find the swing into the right-hander which has changed his career. Lillee lined him up straighter, kept his wrist behind the ball and got the seam straight. Makhaya Ntini and Mitchell Johnson have both paid visits to the foundation – Johnson took five wickets in a one-day international at Vadodara not long after – and Sekhar is particularly proud of the improvement made by Mohammad Asif, who reportedly amazed onlookers when he returned from a stint
in Chennai with a regular outswinger and an extra yard of pace. No matter that Asif represents the arch enemy.It might irk Sekhar that he is yet to work with Ishant Sharma, the 6ft 4in, 19-year-old prodigy from Delhi who persuaded the
owners of the Kolkata franchise in the Indian Premier League, to fork out £475,000 for him at the recent IPL auction: only three players cost more. Instead, there is genuine excitement in his voice. “Ishant Sharma is the most exciting talent going around,” says Sekhar. “He needs to fill out a bit, and I hope he doesn’t fall into the trap of listening to absolutely everyone. But he uses his body very well, has a good wrist position and good bounce. And he excites people.” It is symptomatic of fast bowling’s ability to stir the emotions that Sharma’s spell to Ricky Ponting in the fourth innings at Perth – 38 deliveries, 15 scratchy runs, plenty of fresh-air gropes, and finally, a misery-ending edge to first slip – is already the stuff of folklore.

Cooley, another Lillee disciple, provides the non-Indian perspective. “It’s great to have the facilities there in India, because
it’s one of the hardest countries to bowl fast in. You’re putting bowlers in very uncomfortable positions. It can be 40 degrees, there’s
the humidity and the fact they’re no longer at home. You work out pretty quickly who’s got the right attitude that champions need. You learn fast bowling is a tough job.”But is it too tough in an era where there is already talk of squeezing the packed schedule into even fewer weeks to accommodate the IPL? After all, as Osborne points out: “Fast bowlers are the strongest kind of cricketer and yet the most delicate. They are the thoroughbreds, the ones who need the most work done to them.” Most experts agree that the sheer volume of cricket should militate against day-in, day-out, express-pace bowling, and point towards Flintoff, Shoaib, Bond and Simon Jones as examples of players unable to shake off long-term injuries. But this overlooks the number of problems avoided with the help of the back-roomers – Cooley says managing the players’ fitness is a “huge part” of his job – and the recent trend of moving away from so-called mixed actions, where shoulders and hips are not in alignment. Atherton wonders whether there might be another problem in the long run. “Administrators like pitches to last for five days,” he says. “You don’t seem to get many pitches around the world any more where the captain will stick the opposition in, so it becomes harder for fast bowlers to find wicket-taking opportunities on the first morning.”It might be true that the days of a Test team collapsing to 2 for 4, as England – Atherton included – did on the first morning at
Johannesburg in 1999-2000, will become increasingly rare. But with Chennai now established as the international fast bowler’s home away from home, captains forever on the lookout for a cutting edge on pitches that demand a bit extra, and the physiotherapists among the most important people in the dressing room, the best fast bowlers ought to be superbly looked after. For all the concerns, it might just be that there has never been a better time to bowl quick.

Now that the transfer window has closed and off-field theatrics have stalled, Aston Villa can focus on the season ahead under Unai Emery.

The Villans had a strong summer to build on their success from the 2022/23 campaign, in which the Spaniard arrived in the Midlands and led the side to a European finish, however, there remains plenty for the squad to build on.

With arrivals come exits, and as the days go by following the climax of deadline day, it looks almost certain that one star will bid farewell to Villa Park before the season progresses.

Philippe Coutinho’s time in claret and blue seems to be over, with Emery confirming that the Brazilian is “close to leaving” his squad for Qatari side Al-Duhail, just a year and a half after his arrival.

What is Coutinho’s salary at Aston Villa?

Signed on an initial half-season loan that was made permanent last summer, Coutinho took a significant wage drop to join the Premier League side, however remains one of the club’s biggest earners.

Picking up an alleged pay packet of £125k-per-week, the 31-year-old is Villa’s fourth-highest earner at present, earning more than the likes of Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz.

The former Liverpool sensation picks up a staggering £6.5m a year on his contract in the Midlands, which is an alarmingly high figure considering the lack of impact he’s had since arriving back in England.

Does Coutinho deserve to earn so much?

When revising the impact of Watkins and Luiz, who contributed to 33 goals between them in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, Coutinho’s weekly earnings are unjustified.

There’s no denying the player that Villa thought they could unlock, a talent that was purchased by Barcelona for £146m back in 2018 due to his level of performance in England whilst on Merseyside.

It simply hasn’t happened for the attacker at Villa Park, scoring just once in the league last season, making 20 appearances and battling injury and poor form in between.

Prior to Emery’s arrival, the Brazilian was slammed by club legend Gabriel Agbonlahor for his dreary displays, with the former striker dubbing him as “non-existent” under Steven Gerrard, via talkSPORT.

It’s a shame for both player and club that things didn’t work out as hoped, considering the midfielder's impeccable track record, in which he had a hand in 78 Premier League goals in 152 league appearances for the Reds.

Lauded as having “magical powers” by former Liverpool teammate Roberto Firmino, the calibre of player signed by Gerrard was never questioned, however, the issue remains that he has not translated his form in claret and blue.

£125k-per-week is an extortionate amount of money for an individual not contributing or performing to the level expected, particularly when those excelling at his level are earning considerably less.

Setting injury troubles aside, when in action, the 31-year-old has failed to produce the moments of magic typical of his style when at Anfield.

As per Sofascore, last season the Champions League winner averaged a match rating of 6.66 per game in the Premier League, communicating just how dull his performances have been when involved in the action.

With a departure imminent, Villa will soon be freed of the £125k-per-week expense to fund the Brazilian’s talent, with a chance to look back on the deal and hope to not replicate it in the future.

First-choice wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha is out of the tour because of a hamstring injury

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Jan-20182:34

Chopra: India should have picked Rishabh Pant or Ishan Kishan

India wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has been named as a replacement for the injured Wriddhiman Saha in the squad for the third Test against South Africa in Johannesburg. Saha suffered an upper left hamstring tendon injury during training on January 11, and was replaced by Parthiv Patel in the starting XI for the ongoing second Test in Centurion.As a result, Karthik will be in South Africa a couple of weeks earlier than planned because he had already been picked for the six ODIs that will follow the Test series.Karthik, who made his Test debut in 2004, played his last Test nearly eight years ago, against Bangladesh. Since then, he has been in and out of India’s limited-overs squads. Karthik, however, has managed to be on the selection panels’ shortlist with impressive displays in domestic arena. In the ongoing domestic season, Karthik scored 296 runs in four first-class matches at 59.20, which included three Duleep Trophy fixtures and one Ranji game. He has carried on his robust form into the T20s, making 211 runs including three half-centuries, in five innings in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.In Centurion, Saha’s replacement Parthiv has not had the best of Tests. While he scored 19 in the first innings, he dropped two catches and failed to attempt a third regulation chance. Hashim Amla was dropped on 30 off Ishant Sharma down the leg side in the first innings and went on to score 82. Later in the innings, Faf du Plessis was on 54 when Parthiv failed to hold on to an outside edge off R Ashwin.In a tense second innings, Dean Elgar was on 29 and South Africa 70 for 2 when Parthiv did not go for a catch to his left. Elgar ended the day unbeaten on 36, and South Africa 90 for 2, which took their lead to 118 with eight wickets in hand.

Seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady shared his delight with fans as Birmingham City scored a much-needed win on Tuesday night.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Blues score first victory under new boss Mowbray
• Injury-time goal settles FA Cup replay
• NFL legend Brady delighted by result

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Koji Miyoshi's 93rd-minute winner against Hull City put the Blues into the fourth round of the FA Cup and gave new boss Tony Mowbray his first win in charge at St Andrew's.

  The 2-1 triumph was Birmingham's first win in eight attempts, and came as relief for fans and owners alike, with Brady taking to X — which now features the future NFL Hall of Famer in a Blues shirt — at the final whistle to hail the result.

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• WHAT TOM BRADY SAID

  Quoting the club's official account, Brady posted "Never in doubt", before signing of with 'KRO', shorthand for 'Keep Right On' – the Blues' famous anthem.

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Winning seven Super Bowls must feel comparatively easy compared to the task of owning a club in one of football's most unforgiving and relentless leagues.

  It's certainly been a tough introduction for Brady and the ownership group that took charge at St Andrew's in the summer. Their decision to replace popular manager Jon Eustace with Wayne Rooney grabbed headlines but backfired spectacularly as the Blues slid from play-off contention to a relegation battle – before the Manchester United legend was dismissed after just 87 days.

  Brady and the board have appointed the steady hand of Mowbray to steer them clear of the trapdoor.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR TOM BRADY AND BIRMINGHAM?

  As Brady is now well aware ,the games come thick and fast in the Championship. Birmingham prepare for a trip to Stoke on a freezing Saturday afternoon this weekend before an FA Cup fourth round tie away to Leicester City as reward for their last-gasp replay win.

The fast bowler called the verdict the “worst” decision, after the Kerala High Court ruled that the BCCI’s ban cannot be overturned or reduced

Nagraj Gollapudi18-Oct-20171:38

Sreesanth’s ban: a timeline

Sreesanth’s attempt to seek court intervention to lift the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI, for his alleged involvement in the 2013 spot-fixing scandal, has failed. A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday ruled that the BCCI ban cannot be overturned or reduced, thereby negating a judgement issued by the same court in August, which had asked the board to lift the ban.In a series of tweets after the judgement was made public, Sreesanth called Tuesday’s verdict “the worst decision ever”, and said he would continue to challenge the ban. Sreesanth and two other Rajasthan Royals bowlers – Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila – were given life bans for their alleged involvement in the 2013 corruption and spot-fixing scandal in the IPL.In August, Justice A Muhamed Mustaque of the Kerala High Court, had accepted Sreesanth’s writ petition, filed in February, and told the told the BCCI it had no “incriminating evidence” and hence the ban should be “quashed”.In his petition, Sreesanth told the court that in 2015, a trial court had dropped the criminal charges filed against him by the Delhi Police and hence the BCCI, too, should lift the ban. Sreesanth was among 42 individuals chargesheeted by the Delhi Police under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).Last month, the BCCI challenged Justice Mustaque’s order, saying the criminal proceedings established by the Delhi Police had no bearing on its own investigation, which had been carried out by Ravi Sawani who was chief of the board’s anti-corruption unit at the time. Sawani had prepared two reports – preliminary and supplementary – having questioned Sreesanth in person and having taken a written undertaking from the player.In its petition, the BCCI also asked whether a writ court could “sit in appeal” and “alter the quantum of penalty imposed” against the findings of the board’s disciplinary committee. A writ is an application filed in the court asking it to enforce some right against an authority or against an order against which there is no statutory remedy.The BCCI said that its decision was in “accordance” with the principles of natural justice and asked the court to decide whether Justice Mustaque’s order was “contrary to law and to principles of justice, equity and good conscience and ought to be set aside?”On Tuesday, in an oral order, a two-judge division bench, comprising Justices Navaniti Prasad Singh and Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan, ruled that a writ court could only scrutinise if the BCCI’s investigation process was fair, but could not challenge the merits of the punishment. The writ court, the division bench pointed out, could not overstep its brief and become an “appellate” power over BCCI; doing so would be “exceeding the limits of judicial review”.The division bench also rejected Sreesanth’s argument that he had been denied natural justice. It said Sreesanth had actually violated the BCCI’s anti-corruption code, having failed to inform the anti-corruption unit about the illegal activities despite receiving education from the ACU. The division bench also agreed with the BCCI that the decision of the Delhi trial court could not be equated to the life ban as desired by Sreesanth.Sreesanth expressed strong resentment towards the court order immediately after the judgement was made public and questioned why he was being singled out when the BCCI had allowed Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals – the two IPL franchises suspended following the 2013 scandal – to return to the fold. “Special rule for me? what about real culprits? What about chennai super kings ? And what about Rajasthan?” he tweeted.

Liverpool officially kick off their 2023/24 Premier League campaign with a trip to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on the 13th of August and there could be a few new faces on show for the club.

Who have Liverpool signed this summer?

The Reds made their first addition of the summer transfer window last month as they signed Argentina international Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion, in a deal that could eventually rise to £55m.

Jurgen Klopp followed that up with a swoop for RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai at the start of July. The Merseyside giants have reportedly splashed out a fee of £60m to secure the Hungary international's services.

There could also be a departure in that area of the pitch for Liverpool as it has been reported that Brazilian enforcer Fabinho is closing in on a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad, whilst Bayern Munich are also interested in signing him.

It has been claimed that the Reds could be in line to receive £40m for the former AS Monaco star, which could help towards funding a possible replacement before the end of the window.

Who could replace Fabinho at Liverpool?

Klopp could forget all about Fabinho by striking a deal to sign Fulham defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha ahead of next season, following his impressive debut season in England.

The Daily Mail reported in June that it could take as much as £90m to snap up the Portugal international and it was recently claimed that Liverpool have considered the Portugal international as an option to bolster their midfield, although it remains to be seen how much they would be willing to pay for him.

Signing the former Sporting titan could improve the German head coach's squad. Palhinha averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 across 35 Premier League starts last term, compared to the £40m-rated warrior's score of 6.87, and caught the eye with 5.5 tackles and interceptions per game.

His 4.2 tackles per match for the Cottagers was 1.8 more than any Liverpool player in any position managed throughout the campaign and 2.4 more than Fabinho's 1.8 per outing.

Palhinha, who was dubbed "Casemiro-esque" by journalist Zach Lowy, also won more duels per clash (8.0) than the Brazil international (3.5) and came out on top in a higher percentage of his duels (59% to 50%).

This suggests that the 28-year-old monster would be an upgrade in terms of his ability to win battles and regain possession for his side on a regular basis.

In fact, the Fulham colossus ranks in the top 1% of his positional peers across the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for tackles made per 90 (4.26) over the last 365 days – three percentiles higher than Manchester United's Casemiro – which shows that he has been one of the best ball-winning midfielders at the top level since his arrival in England.

His instant adaptation to Premier League football was impressive and his form suggests that he could come in as a significant upgrade on Fabinho, based on the monstrous enforcer's average performance level and defensive contributions each game in comparison to the current Liverpool man.

Therefore, Klopp could forget about the Brazilian midfielder and sanction the move to Al Ittihad with no concerns about the state of his squad by signing Palhinha to fill that role within the team.

Leeds United winger Jack Harrison could be "snapped up by a Premier League team" this summer due to a release clause in his contract, claims journalist Alex Crook.

What is the latest Jack Harrison transfer news?

It has been a busy summer of transfer activity for the recently relegated Leeds this year, but perhaps not in the way fans would've been hoping, as the club have already seen 11 players go out the door, some on loan like Brenden Aaronson, but some permanently, like Tyler Roberts.

That list of departing players could soon have another name as Spanish striker and Leeds' top scorer last season Rodrigo Moreno has completed his move to Qatari side Al Rayyan.

The Peacocks won't even earn much for the move; his £3m price tag will actually represent a £27m loss on the former Valencia man. The fee is so low due to a release clause in his contract that could be activated after the team's relegation to the Championship last season.

In yet more bad news for new boss Daniel Farke, Football Insider revealed last month that exciting attacker Harrison also has a similar release clause in his contract that could see him leave for just £16m this summer.

With his performances for the Whites over the last few years and that appealing price tag, it shouldn't be a surprise if he ends up playing in England's top flight again next year, per Alex Crook.

He explained the situation on air, which was posted on TalkSPORT's YouTube channel, saying:

"Most of that squad have got similar clauses, I think Jack Harrison will be snapped up by a Premier League team."

Is Jack Harrison good enough for the Premier League?

Harrison has had an interesting journey to get where he is today, moving to the USA in his teens before playing in the MLS and signing for Manchester City.

Following that, he spent four seasons in Yorkshire, making himself one of the first names on the teamsheet for much of that time.

He has certainly proved that he has what it takes to play in England's top tier, and even last season, as the team around him was crumbling, he was able to put in consistently decent performances, with WhoScored giving him an average rating of 6.72 across his 36 appearances.

His underlying numbers were also solid, with FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, placing him in the top 8% for blocks, the top 15% for clearances, the top 21% for interceptions, and the top 32% for assists, all per 90.

His talents are clearly appreciated by his teammates, as left back Junior Firpo waxed lyrical about his teammate on the Leeds official podcast, saying:

"He's one of the best wingers I had, in terms of helping the fullback. This is really important for the fullback when you have a winger that is committed to the work and helps you with the 2 v 1's, especially here in the Premier League where every team has amazing wingers. It's unbelievable to have him."

While Leeds would undoubtedly miss him, for the reported fee of just £16m, he would represent outstanding value for any mid-table team in the Premier League, and it's likely just a matter of when and not if he makes that move this summer.

Sheffield United don't want to lose "one of their most important players" in Sander Berge, but "issues around finances" at the club could force their hand, believes transfer insider Dean Jones.

Sheffield United transfer news – what's the latest on Sander Berge?

Berge made his way to English football in January 2020 when he signed for the South Yorkshire outfit for just £22m from Belgian Pro League side K.R.C.Genk.

Since then, he has gone on to make 109 appearances for the Blades, scoring 15 goals and providing the assist for another 12.

He was an instrumental part of the team that won promotion back to the Premier League last season, having almost been sold in January due to the club's financial situation.

Despite keeping hold of him, it looks like the club might once again be on the verge of selling the player as Football Insider reported that the club would accept an offer of just £10m for one of their star men.

What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Sander Berge?

Jones was quick to stress that should the player leave Sheffield in the summer, it wouldn't be down to footballing reasons, with any decision to let him go being purely financial.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "He got plenty of starts last season for Sheffield United he is one of their most important players. I don't think they particularly want to lose him. I think they have just got issues around finances at the moment at Sheffield United that's holding them back a little bit."

How good is Sander Berge?

The Norwegian "Rolls-Royce", as hailed by teammate Chris Basham had a great season last year in Sheffield's famous red and white.

According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old averaged a brilliant rating of 6.95 across his 37 appearances in the Championship, scoring six goals and assisting a further five.

In fact, since his arrival in England, he has yet to average a rating lower than 6.43 across his four league campaigns.

His underlying numbers look great as well.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across football's next eight best competitions after the top five leagues, Berge is in the top 3% for progressive carries, the top 5% for touches in the oppositions penalty area and the top 9% for non-penalty goals, all per 90.

If Sheffield United can find a way to keep hold of their talismanic Norwegian for their first season back in the Premier League in two years, they will be so much better for it.