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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has set a Premier League record following his side's Boxing Day victory over Burnley.

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Liverpool beat Burnley 2-0Nunez and Jota score in winKlopp sets Premier League recordWHAT HAPPENED?

Goals in either half from Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota sent Liverpool to the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Burnley. As a result, according to Opta, Klopp is now six for six on Boxing Day fixtures – the outright most by a manager with a 100 percent win rate on this day in the Premier League's history.

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After two straight draws with Manchester United and Arsenal at home, Liverpool returned to winning ways with the victory at Turf Moor. They are two points ahead of the second-placed Gunners, although Mikel Arteta's men could leapfrog the Reds if they beat West Ham on December 28.

DID YOU KNOW?

On the flip side, according to Opta, Burnley are the first side in English top-flight history to lose as many as nine of their first 10 home games of a season. Vincent Kompany's side sit 19th in the table following their promotion from the Championship this summer.

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Liverpool have played their last match of 2023 but kick off 2024 with a home clash against out of form Newcastle United on January 1, whereas lowly Burnley round off their year away to high-flying Aston Villa on December 31.

Manchester United should sell Scott McTominay to West Ham United this summer according to Mark Goldbridge

The Scottish international has been at United his whole career but could depart this summer.

What position does Scott McTominay play?

The 26-year-old is a very versatile player with plenty of experience, having made over 200 career appearances across central defence, central midfield and even centre forward for both club and country.

Last season was a difficult one for the midfielder, as following the arrivals of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, McTominay made just 10 starts in the Premier League, with his remaining 14 appearances coming off the bench, When factoring in the recent signing of Mason Mount as well as the rumoured interest in the Morocco international Sofyan Amrabat, game time will be even harder to come by for the midfielder.

McTominay has impressed every manager he has worked under, with Jose Mourinho stating back in 2018:

"But at the same time I felt we needed quality on the ball, building from the back, and Scott McTominay has that quality. Everything that left his foot was correct. He’s a special character, a special personality that a team in a negative moment needs, do my other players have that mentality? Not all of them. Everybody is a different person. Scott McTominay is a kid with a special character, very humble, aggressive in a positive way, brave, he’s a special kid."

Reports have stated that Erik ten Hag is willing to let the player depart Old Trafford this summer should a club pay the £40m asking price set, with West Ham United reportedly eying up the player as a potential Declan Rice replacement following his £105m move to Arsenal. Hammers boss David Moyes is reportedly a big fan of the midfielder, however, the Irons aren't willing as of yet to reach the Red Devils asking price

Speaking on The United Stand YouTube channel, Goldbridge stated that he doesn't want United to play hardball over a McTominay transfer as the club wouldn't see that amount of money for McTominay again:

"If West Ham are interested and they want him for £30m, find a middle ground. I don’t mind us saying £40m but we’re going to come down to £32m but don’t say we’re going to reject £35m or £30m because you want £40m.

"As I said before, McTominay hasn’t had a good game in about a year, he’s not an established first team player, he’s worth about £30m and if we don’t take the money for him now you’ll never get that money again so that’s why United need to be negotiating a deal."

Who will replace McTominay at Manchester United?

There are two real options to replace the Scot next season.

One is already at the club in Kobbie Mainoo. The 18-year-old has risen through United's youth setup and really made his mark on the club's current pre-season tour, with an assist against Arsenal in the sides 2-0 win last week the culmination after two solid performances against Lyon and Leeds. Legendary Man United player Bryan Robson was quick to praise the midfielder after his display against the Gunners, saying:

"I was really impressed, against a team like Arsenal. He’s not a kid who comes into the team as a central midfield player who just goes chasing about trying to impress the manager and all that. He just played, used his football intelligence, and he can have a good career. That’s not me trying to put pressure on the kid.”

The strength in depth at the club could allow the youngster to be developed slowly and given the correct opportunities to develop whilst working day in day out with some of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

The club could also find a solution in the transfer market. Fiorentina midfielder Amrabat is reportedly keen on making the switch to Old Trafford with the club interested in the 26-year-old who had an impressive campaign for both club and country last season. The player was vital to Fiorentina as they made it to both a Coppa Italia final and the Conference League final, whilst he was named in the World Cup Team of the Tournament as Morocco became the first African side to make the semi-finals of the World Cup in history.

It is reported that Amrabat will cost around £21.4m and that the club have beaten out competition from clubs around Europe and in Saudi Arabia for the player's signature.

USWNT star Midge Purce signed autographs for Serena Williams' daughter after the team's comfortable win over China.

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USWNT outclassed China 3-0Midge Purce gave autograph to Serena Williams' daughterEmma Hayes will take charge of the team in the summerWHAT HAPPENED?

Sophia Smith opened the scoring before Lindsey Horan and Trinity Rodman contributed with two more goals as the United States women's national team registered a comfortable 3-0 win over China in a friendly on Saturday.

Tennis legend Williams was in attendance for the game and after the match, her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. could be seen taking an autograph from USWNT and Gotham FC forward Purce.

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While current Chelsea manager Emma Hayes is yet to take charge of the USWNT side, her impact and influence were all over in the team's comprehensive win over the Chinese. Last week, Hayes flew to Florida to meet the team in person but was not around for Saturday's game as she returned to the UK to focus on the Blues.

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For now, Twila Kilgore will continue to remain in charge of the team as interim head coach and once the English manager arrives next summer, she will serve the team in the capacity of assistant manager.

Kilgore's side are set to face China in another friendly match on Wednesday which will be the team's last competitive match in the ongoing calendar year.

Leandro Paredes begged Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni to "change his mind" and reconsider his potential resignation.

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Scaloni hinted at potential resignation after Brazil winSuggested he is not at 100 per centParedes wants the coach to brush aside resignation thoughtsWHAT HAPPENED?

In a bombshell interview, after masterminding Argentina's 1-0 win over Brazil in World Cup qualifying, the Albiceleste manager revealed that he "has to think a lot about what to do", suggesting that he might relinquish his post of head coach for the national team. His comments sent shockwaves among the players and fans as they hold Scaloni in the highest regard after the tactician guided them to their third global crown in Qatar 2022. Paredes urged Scaloni to think long and hard about leaving the national team and hoped that he would continue at the helm.

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Speaking to the media after the match, Paredes said: "We didn’t talk to Scaloni. We are aware he’s the head of the group, let’s hope he stays there, that he makes the decision to stay because he is very important. He will have his reasons but we are more than grateful. Let’s hope he changes his mind and stays with us.”

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Argentina have been flourishing since Scaloni took over the reins. After a disappointing result against Uruguay last time out, the manager showed that he can boost his troops to script a comeback even in the most hostile of conditions. They are currently at the top of the World Cup qualifying group and hold a massive eight-point lead over sixth-placed Brazil, who have lost three consecutive matches under Fernando Diniz.

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JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SCALONI & ARGENTINA?

Scaloni's remarks came in the aftermath of a match marred by off-the-pitch violence at Brazil's Maracana stadium. His words could be a repercussion of the complete breakdown of law and order at the stands as he did not share anything definitive about his potential resignation. Although it does raise questions about his future the Argentina faithful will be hopeful that their successful World Cup-winning coach isn't leaving the team anytime soon.

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s independent biomechanics facility, installed at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), is in line to obtain accreditation from the ICC

Umar Farooq13-Apr-2017

The PCB’s independent biomechanics facility, installed at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), is in line to obtain accreditation from the ICC. The testing facility has been acknowledged by the world body after two officials from Pakistan underwent a two-day workshop in Pretoria last month.The facility has fulfilled the technical requirements in terms of equipment and expertise to procure official accreditation. It operates with 16 motion-capture high-speed infrared cameras and two high-speed video cameras in compliance with the ICC’s requirements. Other mandatory preconditions laid down by the global body include the availability of an indoor area with enough space to allow a player to perform their full run-up, a three-dimensional motion-analysis system with a minimum of 12 high-speed cameras, along with the recruitment of qualified personnel experienced in using such systems and implementing the ICC testing protocol.So far, LUMS has been implementing its own model of assessment on cricketers but the ICC required it to align with the governing body’s protocol that mandates quality checks and calibrated trials during assessment using specialised kit. Professor Mian Awais, Head of the biomechanics facility at LUMS, and PCB representative Hissan ur Rehman attended an exclusive two-day workshop – involving four sessions primarily aimed at introducing the ICC protocol regarding bowling assessment and data processing – at the High Performance Centre in the University of Pretoria, to oversee the administration of the test centre.The idea of reviving the biomechanics lab came up after Pakistan found themselves saddled with several cases of suspect bowling actions in the recent past. Among the high-profile internationals to have undergone reassessment for illegal action, Mohammad Hafeez has returned with a remodelled action, as has Saeed Ajmal – the latter, however, has been a diminished force and has not played for Pakistan since 2015. According to the PCB, the stock of offspinners available at the domestic level also includes a significant number with suspect actions.In 2015, the ICC accredited five centres around the world – in Brisbane, Cardiff, Loughborough, Pretoria and Chennai – as testing facilities for the global body with a view to reviewing bowlers reported for suspect bowling actions. The PCB initiated the process of establishing the biomechanics facility in the country by entering into a partnership with LUMS – where equipment worth USD 460,000 had been lying unused from 2008 to 2016 – as it needed to have an independent testing facility of its own.Pakistan could have been the first Asian country to have a high-profile biomechanics facility, but construction of the laboratory and financial mismanagement impeded its progress. LUMS, however, helped make up for lost time by re-gathering the equipment and making it functional by conducting tests on over 20 domestic cricketers so far. The centre has also tested the Kenya offspinner James Ngoche, whose bowling action was declared illegal by the ICC in 2015.

Folarin Balogun and Ricardo Pepi have been told what they need to do in order to emulate USMNT legends Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey and Brian McBride.

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U.S. looking for a reliable goalscorerTwo players of potential in that mixIcons of the past showed how it's doneWHAT HAPPENED?

The Monaco and PSV strikers are currently competing for the No.9 spot in the United States national team. Both are proven goalscorers at club level, but are relative newcomers when it comes to the global stage. They have been on target for their country – with efforts recorded during the latest international break – but are also working on unlocking full potential.

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Balogun has pledged allegiance to the USMNT following a tug of war with England – with the New York native netting twice through four appearances for his country – while Pepi is up to nine goals from 18 outings.

WHAT THEY SAID

Former USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard has told the : “When you look at the history of the USMNT, our success has always been built on consistent goalscorers – someone who can do it in friendlies, someone who can do in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, someone who can do it on the world stage. Sometimes, in this current team, you can do it by committee because they have so many good wingers and midfielders, but ultimately the USMNT has to have a Clint Dempsey, a Jozy Altidore, a Brian McBride – where in moments, going into a game that might be against an opponent where you might not dominate the ball, you are looking at and saying ‘If in two hours we have won this game, I know he’ll have scored’. We have seen it down the years – Jozy Altidore put five people on his back and scored, Clint Dempsey pulled a rabbit out of the hat, Brian McBride stuck his head in a place that he shouldn’t have. There has always been that down the years for the last two decades. What’s missing from this current group is that, and I think it was missing going into the World Cup. What I do think about Balogun and Pepi is, they can start to sharpen each other. If one scores, then the other is thinking ‘I’ve got to get the bit between my teeth and make sure I keep pushing’. That then sends them back to their clubs and they push harder. A recognised goalscorer, someone who does it consistently, is greedy and hungry and doesn’t want to come off the pitch, is angry when they don’t get the ball, that’s the type of No.9 that the U.S. needs. I think those two can do it. I like the look of them. They both present different options.”

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Ex-Sunderland and Toronto FC frontman Altidore scored 42 goals for the USMNT in 115 appearances. Former Fulham and Seattle Sounders star Dempsey hit 57 in 141 games, while McBride – who represented Columbus Crew, Everton and Fulham in his club career – managed 30 in 96 caps.

Tottenham Hotspur will appreciate a lot of things about Manchester United's Harry Maguire ahead of the summer transfer window.

Is Harry Maguire up for sale?

It was a disappointing campaign at Old Trafford for the England defender who saw his role diminish under Erik ten Hag in his first campaign at the helm.

Prior to the arrival of the Dutchman, Maguire had played a prominent role in United's 2021/22 campaign where he made 28 starts in the Premier League.

However, this season has seen the 30-year-old's game time severely reduced to the point where he has only made eight starts in the top flight.

However, there are conflicting reports as to whether the centre-back will be leaving this summer with talkSPORT now claiming he is keen to remain at United and fight for his place.

This comes just days after the reliable Fabrizio Romano suggested that those around the player were of the belief this is the perfect opportunity for him to leave the club.

But speaking on the Five YouTube channel, David Ornstein has suggested those at Spurs will appreciate a lot of the qualities which Maguire could potentially bring to north London.

Adding to this, the reliable journalist also nodded towards the 30-year-old's relationship with his national captain, Harry Kane:

"I don't think this situation is satisfactory for his career at club or international level. And that's why there will be conversations to be had. There will be interest in him.

"We've seen Tottenham linked, I think Tottenham really will respect what level of player he is, but also the character, the sort of leader he would bring to any camp, the leadership sorry.

"He's good friends with Harry Kane from international level. So I don't think this is a sort of equation of one in one out or a swap of sorts. I think if he was to go somewhere like that it would be to play together ideally."

How much does Harry Maguire earn?

Tottenham's defensive record last season really was dreadful with the north London side shipping in 63 goals which saw them finish with a goal difference of a mere +7.

But a move for Maguire may leave many Spurs fans concerned as to whether the club would actually be bringing in an upgrade considering the huge levels of criticism he has come under in recent months.

Maguire would arrive with a lot of experience from his time with Leicester and United, however, is this really a deal which would prove beneficial for Spurs?

According to FBref, the England international ranks inside the bottom 15th percentile for tackles made over the last year with an average of just 1.03 per 90 minutes.

And at the age of 30, is he a player who Spurs' new boss Ange Postecoglou could look to as a long-term option as he looks to begin the rebuild in north London.

After all, this is a player who is believed to be earning in the region of £190k-per-week at United but is unable to make the starting XI under Ten Hag.

Despite the recent criticism, talkSPORT's Gabriel Agbonlahor has hailed Maguire as "outstanding" and perhaps Spurs feel similarly as they search for upgrades at centre-back.

Stumps
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAzhar Ali and Sami Aslam put on an opening partnership of 215•AFP

Pakistan dominated the first day of their 400th Test, piling on 279 for 1, after Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and opted to bat. Openers Azhar Ali and Sami Aslam made the most of the batting-friendly conditions in Dubai, sharing a double-century stand, before Asad Shafiq came in at No. 3 and lent his weight to a batting effort that deflated West Indies.In theory, both teams were in uncharted territory, playing their first day-night Test – and the second overall – at a time when the concept is still new, with the behaviour of the pink ball under scrutiny. In practice, the ball did not do much in the afternoon heat and, while there was a bit more for the West Indies bowlers under lights, they did not do enough to threaten the batsmen for sustained periods.The pink ball offered very little swing to the new-ball bowlers and very little reverse-swing as it got older. On both counts, West Indies did not help their own cause. At the start of the day, both Shannon Gabriel and Jason Holder were too short to give the new ball a chance to swing. Miguel Cummins bowled fuller, but not consistently enough. As the ball grew older, West Indies seemed uninterested in keeping one side shiny to extract reverse-swing.Azhar was fluent almost from the outset, marrying a tight defence with a number of sumptuous drives. One such drive, wide of mid-off off Roston Chase’s bowling, brought up his 11th Test century, off 184 balls. He didn’t stop there, walking off at stumps on an unbeaten 146. His opening partner, Aslam, was the more circumspect of the two, but both batsmen were very strong on the cut when the bowlers dropped short.Aslam often skipped out to the spinners to hit them down the ground, but was equally impressive when leaving balls outside off. He also used the sweep shot quite effectively, but it was that shot that led to his eventual downfall – he got a bottom-edge onto the stumps off Chase to depart for 90 and end a 215-run opening stand.That brought Shafiq to the crease at No. 3. Though Shafiq has mostly batted at the No. 6 position in international cricket, he is a regular No. 3 in domestic cricket. Moreover, the adjustment from No. 6 to No. 3 is minimal when the openers have consumed more than 67 overs and the pitch has no terrors. Shafiq took his time to settle into his innings and calmly accumulated 33 runs, before walking back undefeated at stumps.While the first ball held its shape for the full 80 overs, it was quite discoloured and tattered by the time the second new ball was due. Holder, who had looked increasingly unimpressed with the state of the older ball, took that new ball immediately. Like the first new ball, though, it did not offer much in the way of swing and the second-wicket partnership steadily swelled to 64 by the close of play.It was Gabriel who had generated the first of two half-chances for West Indies in the first session. In his second over, he seamed one away from Azhar to induce an outside edge, but the ball fell short of Kraigg Brathwaite at second slip. Cummins generated the other in his second spell when Azhar slashed a short, wide delivery towards Leon Johnson at gully; the ball burst through Johnson’s hands and raced away to third man for a boundary.If the bowling was not sufficiently penetrative, the decision-making was also puzzling at times. West Indies used six bowlers before tea, but there was no discernible logic in the manner in which they were used. Brathwaite bowled three overs of gentle offspin before either Devendra Bishoo or Chase was introduced. By the time Bishoo was called upon, in the 21st over of the chase, Azhar and Aslam had grown in confidence and were finding the boundary with increasing regularity, pouncing whenever the bowlers erred.The one spell that came close to being penetrative was Holder’s spell immediately after the tea break. With a bit more bounce and carry under lights, Holder bowled with more intensity, troubling Azhar with some well-directed bouncers. Azhar fended a few of those in the air, but got away with it due to the lack of close-in fielders.When Holder went up for a big lbw shout against Azhar and reviewed the not-out decision, West Indies lost their first review. Replays showed ball would have missed leg stump. Thereafter, Gabriel and Cummins also found more pace, the former bowling some good bouncers to Aslam. Bishoo also created his closest opportunity under lights, wrapping Aslam on the pads, but the not-out decision was upheld upon review when HawkEye indicated that the ball would have gone down leg with the angle.Such fleeting moments of encouragement were all West Indies had to cling to on a deflating opening day in which the pink ball did not misbehave and the bowlers were largely unthreatening.

Arsenal remain firmly in the race to bring a key component of one of the Premier League's feel-good stories of the season to the Emirates.

What's the latest on Moises Caicedo to Arsenal?

That's according to transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, who offered an update on the Moises Caicedo saga on his YouTube channel. The Gunners were once again name-checked, thus reinforcing their continued efforts to tempt the Ecuador international to north London.

The Italian claimed: "Brighton hope for a bidding war for Caicedo; so they hope that other clubs like Arsenal, who really wanted him in January, but also Manchester United, can jump into the race.

"The Caicedo situation remains open."

The £90m price tag that Brighton and Hove Albion have reportedly slapped on him remains.

Would Moises Caicedo improve Arsenal?

Given their shared interest in Declan Rice too, all signs do seem to be pointing towards a remarkable double swoop to revolutionise Mikel Arteta's engine room.

Should Arsenal pull this off, the combination they would surely strike up would them even stronger title challengers for next term, boasting two of the division's top central midfielders and backed up by the experienced Thomas Partey.

Also, not only are both enjoying rich veins of form, but their attributes complement one another perfectly. Young and full of defensive steel, their creativity still manages to shine through despite the varied respective levels of their teams.

For example, for a side that has just secured their spot in the Europa League for next campaign, Caicedo has had his 7.09 average rating maintained through 1.2 key passes, 1.5 interceptions and 2.8 tackles per game, via Sofascore. However, at 5 foot 10, he is hardly the most imposing star, even though performance analyst and sports scientist Dr Rajpal Brar suggests he is still a "monster".

Therefore, one would probably say that his perfect partner would need to act as more of a hulking dictator, enforcing their will on the game by quietly breaking up play and keeping the tempo ticking. That way, the 21-year-old can be free to be his usual workmanlike self.

This arguably describes Rice perfectly, who stands at 6 foot 1 and has adorned such a role in east London for many years now. However, just this season he has started to add creativity from deep that is making him the perfect all-around midfield general.

His 7.20 rating makes him comfortably the best performer at his club, and his six goal contributions are supplemented by an 88% pass accuracy and 2.2 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

Having both enjoyed standout years down south, a relocation to north London could see them immediately strike up one of the league's best midfield pairings. Their physicalities complement one another, and their attributes are perfectly aligned to make them both a creative force and an unstoppable defensive unit. Manchester City should be fearful if these moves come to fruition.

Former BCCI president explains the reservations he has against a complete overhaul of the board’s constitution, as suggested by the Lodha committee

Nagraj Gollapudi21-May-2016Former BCCI president Shashank Manohar has said the board is happy to implement 75% of the recommendations made by the Lodha committee. There are five recommendations Manohar is against and he elaborated on them at a media briefing in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon.”I respect Justice Lodha very much because he was one of the finest judges this country has produced. He is a very honest, upright person,” he said. “The report, which he has given regarding the functioning of the board, 75% of the recommendations are very good and out of that most of them are already implemented. However, I have my own reservations with regard to few recommendations, which according to me are not in the interests of this board.”Advertisements between oversLodha committee: All existing contracts for Tests & ODI matches be revised and new ones ensure that only breaks taken by both teams for drinks, lunch and tea will permit the broadcast to be interrupted with advertisement.”Manohar: That would destroy the financial structure of this board. The recommendation says there should not be any advertisements except during lunch and tea breaks. But the board does not sell time. The board sells the live feed. And during the lunch and tea breaks, they go back to studios and there are no advertisements.The BCCI has appointed an agency to monitor the telecast [and ensure] all the six balls are shown. There is a penalty clause in the contract itself which says termination of the contract can be inflicted in case all six balls are not shown.The board generates its revenue through advertisements. Today, the broadcaster pays about INR 43 crores per game – ODI or a T20I or a Test match. The board revenue would come down drastically, to about 15% of what it is getting now. The broadcaster would then fetch money only from the home connections. There is an expenditure for the broadcaster for uplinking, downlinking and distributing the signals.When the Justice Lodha committee came out, Star India, the official broadcaster for BCCI, had written a letter to me saying that they would like to renegotiate the contract because they said it is impossible to pay INR 43 crore if advertisements can’t be shown. If the financial structure collapses, according to me, the board would be relegated to the ’80s when there was no money. The board has started a lot of schemes for the benefit and welfare of the players, all those schemes would have to be shut down.If the board’s income today is INR 2000 crore, it will come down to INR 400 crore. Out of that, if we have to pay 30% tax, we are left with INR 300 crore. For organising matches and tours, the expenditure incurred by the board is about INR 90 to 100 crore. We distribute to the players about INR 125 crore. Even to maintain the infrastructure at the association level, it requires a minimum of INR 2 to 3 crore per year. Then there are matches which are played at Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Under-23 [levels]. About 900-1000 games are played in every state association. It requires expenditure. If the board’s income comes down to INR 400 crore all these things would not be possible.Today the board has a clout internationally. That clout would disappear. So it would not be wise to stop the advertisements during games.One State – One Member – One VoteLodha committee: It is not proper for only one or two states to have multiple members when all other states have single memberships (in fact, while many states have no representation).Manohar: It is also not a correct recommendation. It is easy to say the North-Eastern states also exist and therefore they should be Full Members of the board. Even in our political system, when the Members of Parliament are elected, the number is not the same from all states. If you have to give equal representation to everybody, then you should have the same number of MPs from every state.The Supreme Court has judges from various states but if you check the records, judges from Mumbai, Kolkata are more in number, and there might not be any judge from the North-Eastern states. So when you talk about effective representation, it has to apply to everything.There is another aspect [to the issue]. There are many members like Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Baroda, Saurashtra, Railways, Services, Universities, National Cricket Club and Cricket Club of India, which have been told to be removed from BCCI by the Lodha committee. Many of these are founding members. The board was founded in 1932. The States Re-organisation Act came into force in 1956. So these members were the regions which came together and formed this board.Take the case of Maharashtra. When the board was formed, the Bombay presidency extended from Karnataka upto Gujarat. Maharashtra was rest of Maharashtra, while Vidarbha was Central Provinces & Berar. So the initial membership was CP & Berar, Maharashtra and Bombay Presidency. They have been in existence for 85 years. They have stadia at all three venues – Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. Huge investments have been made; Ranji Trophy teams represent these places.’I respect Justice Lodha very much because he was one of the finest judges this country has produced. He is a very honest, upright person’ – Manohar on Justice RM Lodha•Getty ImagesNow, the Lodha committee has said the other two associations are allowed to [have teams that] play [in the Ranji Trophy]. I fail to understand how because the constitution prepared by the committee says out of these three associations, they have to choose one as a Full Member. Suppose Mumbai is chosen as a Full Member, that automatically means Maharashtra and Vidarbha will become Associate members. The report says that we [Vidarbha, where Manohar has been president] are allowed to play Ranji Trophy. However, in the constitution it is stated that the Full Member’s territory would be the entire state boundary. So the entire state of Maharashtra would be under the jurisdiction of Mumbai. So from where are we supposed to get our players? Are they going to fall from heaven?I have no area of operations. I can’t even conduct a domestic game as I would have to seek permission of my Full Member. So there cannot be a team of Vidarbha and Maharashtra, likewise Saurashtra and Baroda if full membership is given to Gujarat.There are three associations in Maharashtra. Mumbai is the cricketing hub which has won Ranji Tropy 41 times. Maharashtra has the maximum districts. Vidarbha has the maximum infrastructure because we have two stadiums and an indoor academy. So on what basis do we decide who should be given Full Member status?Two members from IPL franchises on IPL governing councilManohar: This entire matter went to the Supreme Court over an issue of conflict of interest because Mr [N] Srinivasan, who is the owner of Chennai Super Kings, was sitting on the IPL governing council. Now this [recommendation] creates a clear conflict because there will be decisions taken relating to the franchises by the IPL governing council. I should not judge on a matter when I have an interest in it. That is the basic rule of law.Before the Lodha recommendations were submitted to the Supreme Court, I had made a suggestion that we should have three independent persons of repute in the IPL governing council, who have expertise in finance and administration. I had even shortlisted three people and obtained their consent. However, at the meeting it was felt we were not sure what the Lodha Committee would do, and therefore that was kept in abeyance. It was neither accepted nor rejected.How can you have an IPL franchise [official] sitting on the governing council? They [the Lodha committee] said, by rotation, two franchises should sit on the council every year. So are the franchises which have been debarred for misconduct going to sit on the IPL governing council? It is a clear case of conflict which cannot be implemented by the board.Apex councilLodha committee: There shall be an apex council for the BCCI which shall be primarily responsible for the governance of the affairs of the board.Manohar: I have no difficulty with regards to a shorter committee. It can be called working committee, managing committee or you may call it as an apex council. But the issue is nowhere in the world do players sit on the board of directors.It is wrong to tell the board to find an association created by players. If you take the Federation of International Cricketers Association, it was formed by the players themselves. They share their revenue, they shared their prize money to FICA, they pay their subscriptions to FICA and that is how it runs. FICA do not hold a management position in a cricket board. They are consultants. In our constitution also we have various committees since the last so many years which are headed by cricketers. We don’t interfere with cricketing matters.Another issue is with regards to the number of people on the national selection committee. We have a five-man selection committee. Lodha committee says three. This is an operational matter. Tomorrow a scenario can arise where all three selectors come from the same place. Also, there are so many matches simultaneously held all over the country. It is physically impossible for the [three] selectors to travel to all these places and watch the games.Tenure of office bearersLodha committee: The terms of these office bearers (president, secretary, one vice-president instead of the current five, treasurer and joint-secretary) continue to be three years, but with a maximum of three such terms regardless of the post held, with a cooling-off period after each such term.Manohar: I have no difficulty with the nine-year tenure, but the issue is with the cooling-off period. There will be no continuity in the system. You will have five different people each time. Suppose there is a person who is doing very well and the board wants him to continue, he can’t because there is a prohibition. So for a nine-year term the candidate has to come for 15 years because of the cooling-off period.It is also wrong to suggest you cannot hold a post in your state association if you are an office bearer in the board. It is like saying if you become a minister you will have to resign as MP because otherwise you would play favourites. There is no favouritism, there is no conflict. You are here in this board because of your position in your state association. You are not chosen in the board independently.