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Leeds United are continuing to perform in the Premier League, despite some obstacles being in their way.

Even with first-team stalwart Joe Rodon being on the sidelines through injury, Daniel Farke’s men have managed to battle well to two draws on the spin versus Liverpool and Manchester United, the second of which saw Ruben Amorim lose his job at the Red Devils.

Farke’s men are now eight points clear of the Premier League drop zone, but the German won’t be counting his chickens just yet when it comes to survival, with the ex-Norwich City manager surely keen for some January additions at Elland Road to boost his valiant team even more.

Leeds well placed to secure Premier League defender's signature

The likes of Sebastiaan Bornauw have bravely stepped up into the first team ranks, with Rodon out with an ankle problem, winning three duels when facing off against the visitors from Manchester.

Still, Farke won’t be completely content with the depth at his disposal in the centre-back positions, even as the Welshman edges closer to being fully fit, as a move for Union Berlin battler Danilho Doekhi continues to be talked up in West Yorkshire.

However, instead of shopping in Germany, Leeds could win themselves a Premier League-recognised defender with Football Insider revealing that the Whites are still well-placed to welcome Axel Disasi to Elland Road before the window is up despite the arrival of Liam Rosenior at Chelsea.

The report states that the top-flight newcomers have identified the ex-AS Monaco man as an ideal centre-back target, with a loan deal until the end of the season the expected move, to ensure Leeds are well-stocked at the back in the short-term. It’s said that a deal is already in the ‘advanced stages’.

Despite his complete lack of action this season at Stamford Bridge, this could go down as a shrewd bit of business, with Disasi impressing in flashes at Aston Villa on loan last campaign.

How Disasi can be Leeds' next Ampadu

Farke has been here before in shopping for Chelsea outcasts, with Ethan Ampadu once stuck on the fringes of the West London giants, before becoming a key first-team presence under the German’s wing.

It must feel like a lifetime ago for Ampadu that he was scrambling for any senior minutes he could get his hands on at Chelsea, with the 25-year-old now a crucial cog in Farke’s Premier League machine, as Leeds’ never-say-die captain.

Indeed, the £7m forked out on Ampadu’s services to free him of his Chelsea nightmare has gone down as money very well spent, with the 59-time Wales international turning into a resilient Championship title-winner at Elland Road, alongside now becoming a Premier League regular in West Yorkshire.

With an 86% pass accuracy average this season in league action, alongside winning a gutsy 4.9 duels per game, Ampadu has only improved up a division as a warrior for his side, with the number four very much living up to his “indispensable” tag once handed to him by scout Jacek Kulig.

Disasi will be aiming to have a similar redemption arc at Elland Road, if a move can be sealed before February’s deadline, having actually excelled at Chelsea in the past to prove he’s a Premier League-ready performer, before his minutes horribly dried up.

Disasi’s PL numbers

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

23/24

24/25

Games played

31

13

Games started

29

9

Goals scored

2

1

Assists

0

0

Touches*

82.1

52.2

Accurate passes*

64.3 (91%)

37.7 (90%)

Ball recoveries*

4.8

2.3

Clearances*

3.1

2.2

Total duels won*

4.3

3.1

Clean sheets

5

2

Stats by Sofascore

In the heart of Chelsea’s defence during his debut season on English shores, the Frenchman would be noted as a “dominant” presence in the air by the aforementioned Kulig, winning 4.3 duels a game, not too far off Ampadu at his Leeds peak.

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Additionally, with two clean sheets collected on loan at Villa from just nine starts, Disasi would be hopeful that he could be seen as a dependable figure Farke can rely on, much like Ampadu has grown into after deserting West London.

Disasi is clearly a talent that could explode back into life under the right management, having once been branded as Chelsea’s “best player” on a stern away trip to Manchester City by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, with Farke perhaps the motivating force he needs when considering Ampadu’s unbelievable turnaround.

He could soon work that same magic on the forgotten 27-year-old, as Farke continues to utilise his full squad between now and May, so Leeds don’t run out of steam in their efforts to remain in the Premier League.

Related Worth £18m: 49ers could sign an even bigger talent than Aaronson for Leeds

Leeds United could sign an even bigger talent than Brenden Aaronson with a swoop for this star in January.

Posts ByDan Emery

There’s been no such thing as home comforts for Manchester United of late, with Tuesday’s dour draw with bottom-side Wolverhampton Wanderers having been the fourth time in their last five Old Trafford outings that the Red Devils have failed to win on home soil.

In the absence of Bruno Fernandes and co, Ruben Amorim’s men were simply devoid of creativity and spark, with it taking a fortunate deflection for Joshua Zirkzee to eventually nudge the hosts ahead.

Pegged back before the break, there was to be no second-half surge akin to the win at Molineux not too long ago, with United’s desperate night epitomised late on, as the ageing Casemiro was caught out after labouring on the ball inside the Wolves half.

A collective groan went round the Theatre of Dreams as the 33-year-old had his pocket picked, with the midfielder failing to slide in Brazil teammate Matheus Cunha ahead of him.

In truth, the pairing of the £70m man and Manuel Ugarte simply didn’t work against Rob Edwards’ plucky outfit, with a new midfielder a necessity when the window opens next month.

Man Utd already making calls over midfield signing

After a summer that saw United sound out a possible deal for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, rumours are also rife that INEOS could look to Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson in 2026, following a breakthrough few months for the England international.

The problem? Neither of those two Premier League rivals is set to sell on the cheap, amid reported £100m plus price tags, with it far more likely that any deal would have to take place over the summer instead.

Indeed, there needs to be a sense of realism over what United can and can’t do in the market next month, after an over £200m outlay last time out, with more affordable, short-term deals needed in January.

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

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It would appear that the club themselves are aware of that, with journalist Ben Jacobs revealing that INEOS have already been making calls over a possible move for Al Hilal star Ruben Neves.

That interest isn’t believed to have progressed to anything more, although that contact comes amid the Portuguese’s expiring contract, ensuring he could be available for a knock-down price in the winter window.

Prior reports have indicated that the ex-Wolves man could be available for as little as £20m.

Why Neves signing could spell the end for Casemiro

Ignoring his significant fee and £350k-per-week salary, Casemiro has been a solid servant for United in recent years, scoring 21 times in all since his arrival in 2022, four of which have come this season.

That said, with his own deal running out in January, the Brazil skipper is coming to the climax of his Old Trafford journey, with Tuesday’s display again highlighting his physical shortcomings.

In all, the experienced warrior has now been dribbled past 1.1 times per game in the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore.

For context, Arsenal’s Declan Rice and Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo have been dribbled past just 0.5 and 0.7 times per game, respectively, in 2025/26.

Perhaps Casemiro is merely being exposed by Amorim’s tactical set-up, but either way, a suitable replacement needs to be found. Neves might just be that.

Lauded as arguably the “most underrated player in world football” in recent years by analyst Raj Chohan, the 28-year-old is a man of proven Premier League experience, having made 177 appearances in the competition during his stint at Molineux, chalking up 30 goal involvements in that time.

While not prolific, the one-time Porto captain does have that knack for the spectacular, regularly seen rifling home from range during his days with the Old Gold.

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Of course, there might be concerns that he has been plying his trade out in Saudi Arabia for the last two years or so, although he has registered 39 goals and assists in 108 games in that time, while remaining part of the national team set-up.

Neves vs Casemiro – 25/26 League Stats

Stat (*per game)

Neves

Casemiro

Games

10

17

Goals

4

4

Assists

0

1

Big chances created

3

1

Key passes

1.5

0.6

Pass accuracy

91%

82%

Total duels won

58%

52%

Dribbled past

0.9

1.1

Stats via Sofascore

The 63-cap Portugal star was also mixing it with the Premier League’s best during his final season in the Midlands, with FBref noting that two of the most statistically similar midfielders to him in the division at the time were the aforementioned Rice and Caicedo.

He was in good company then, and a move back to England could well see him emerge as a vital, if not underrated, figure in Amorim’s midfield unit, with such a deal potentially set to prove the final nail in the coffin for Casemiro’s Old Trafford stay.

Experienced, but still in his peak years, Neves is the ready-made successor to the South American that United are in desperate need of.

Related Amorim must never start £470k-p/w Man Utd duo together again after Wolves

Manchester United rounded off 2025 with a typically limp performance at Old Trafford.

Posts ByRobbie Walls

Ricky Ponting says the newer balls come on to the bat harder and make things too difficult for the bowlers © Getty Images

Ricky Ponting has urged the ICC to reconsider the new rule that forces a ball change after the 34th over in ODIs. Ponting believes the early change gives the batsmen too much assistance and replacing the ball later in the innings would be more sensible.”It’s a very big advantage for the batting team to get a new, harder ball that early in the innings,” Ponting told . “They should try this rule somewhere else before trying at the international level because some day something like this is going to cost a team a game and that could well be the difference in a series.”It’s unfair on a team that does everything right. I think the commonsense [solution] would be to change the ball after the 41st over.” Earlier this series Ponting called the mandatory change “fine” but criticised the umpires’ decision to switch balls in the 28th over of India’s run chase at Hyderabad and again at the pre-determined point seven overs later.Brett Lee believes the new rule makes the already difficult task for bowlers in ODIs even tougher. “The newer balls we’ve been using have been pretty shiny and still have the Kookaburra writing on them,” Lee said. “It makes it harder for the bowlers because you’re trying to work with a ball that is as old as possible and you come on at the 34th over and you’re bowling with a new ball again.”Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, said run-rates were escalating after the balls were switched. “We’ve been going on at four or five an over and it’s got up to seven or eight a couple of times,” Nielsen said. “The different ball is harder and comes on to the bat better.”

David Graveney came to Fletcher’s support © Getty Images

David Graveney, the England chairman of selectors, has defended Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, following England’s defeat at Adelaide last week while dismissing rumours of a rift between the captain and coach.”I’m disappointed with the amount of criticism that’s been aimed at Duncan [Fletcher] solely,” Graveney told BBC Radio Five Live. “The way that we’ve organised English cricket is around collective responsibility, when things go badly, that’s a collective responsibility.”Fletcher was quick to defend himself last week, laying the blame firmly on the shoulders of his batsmen and not the negative non-selection of Monty Panesar. Reports speculated that the captain, Andrew Flintoff, and coach were at loggerheads over Panesar but Graveney insisted the selection committee comprises more than just Fletcher.”The selectors, Duncan, Geoff Miller and I, deliver a squad to the coach Duncan and captain Andrew Flintoff. No-one makes a decision on their own. The process has been in place of many tours before, on which we’ve had a lot of success.”In the first Test, regrettably our seam bowling was not on the money at all, and in the second one we had a mad hour with the bat,” he said. “We’ve got great resolve in this team – we’ve had some success, but we now everyone has to pull together.”We just had a mad hour with the bat and succumbed to the pressure applied by the number one ranked team in the world,” he added. “Perhaps there is the possibility of playing with two spinners in Perth as the wicket is now slow instead of being the quickest in the world.”England drew their tour match with Western Australia today and there were encouraging signs of form from the batsmen, with Alastair Cook, Ed Joyce and Chris Read all making useful contributions. Michael Vaughan, however, did not bat, compounding the confusion of his involvement with the squad.”Our target is for Michael to be available for one day games,” Graveney said. “I know he has fielded all day and did not suffer from a reaction in his knee. But it is unlikely he will feature in these Test matches.”The third Test at Perth begins on Thursday.

Graeme Smith: not worried by the defeat at Bangalore © Getty Images

On the pitch and conditions for the game
It looks a good one, and lots of runs should be scored. We’re used to this type of heat in South Africa but not the humidity. But the boys have had time to acclimatise.On the rain ruining practice today
We had a good run yesterday and we’re not too worried about that. We’re ready to go out there and give our best.On re-jigging the batting order
We have a lot of options, and whichever team we pick should be able to bat all the way down to No.10. This is a small ground, and I see a lot of runs being scored. It could well be a runs v runs game. Our strategies had allowed us to stay unbeaten for 20 games before Bangalore. We’ve just had a tinker here and there, and one loss certainly won’t affect the way we think.On whether the end of the unbeaten run increases pressure to start another
Our goal when we arrived in India was to win the series. The unbeaten run was just a bonus. Nothing’s changed … we’ll still be going all out to win the series.On Charl Langeveldt’s fitness
He’s a lot better than he was in Bangalore, but because of the weather today, we couldn’t assess his fitness. We’ll make a decision tomorrow.On whether he expected more slow pitches
When we came here, we expected the tracks to turn. But in Bangalore, it was very dry and turned a hell of a lot in the first innings. I’d say it was like a green seaming track in South Africa where you bowl a team out for 160 or 180. But we’ve learnt from that. If they don’t get it right here, on a small ground, we have the batsmen who can send the ball a long way.On AB de Villiers’s poor run of form
He had a terrific first year in international cricket, but is going through a rough patch like everyone does at some stage. He’s working very hard in the nets. It’s inevitable that someone or the other will be going through a run like that, and we just have to keep faith and help him through it. He’s a good enough player to get through.On Sachin Tendulkar
It’s difficult to say anymore than has already been said about a player of that calibre. To have played so many games is just a massive achievement. He’s been a world-class performer and a great team guy.On Ashwell Prince
We’d be struggling to find someone who could fill the void left by Jonty [Rhodes]. Since the England series, Ashwell’s done really well for us. He can control an innings, work the singles and push hard at the end. He’s also very quick between wickets and a real asset for us in the field.On whether he was perturbed by conditions playing such a big role in the series
The dew factor will play a very big role, and that makes the toss so important. You have to ask why we’re playing day-night matches in such conditions. But we’re good enough to handle it.On whether they would consider an allrounder – even Jacques Kallis – as Supersub
Well, I doubt we’d use Jacques as supersub. But we have several allround options. [Robin] Peterson could come into the reckoning, and we also have Albie Morkel and Andrew Hall.Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid: ready for a rain-shortened match © Getty Images

On team tactics for the game
Again, we won’t decide anything until tomorrow. We’ve got some strategies planned. What happens with the weather is not in my hands. But if the sun comes out, we should get a good game. It looks a good track.On whether the rain had affected preparations
We’re all professionals, and one day’s lack of practice won’t make a difference. We’ve been playing cricket for a long time, and are mentally prepared.On what tactics might be in a rain-curtailed game
We’d be happy to have 50 overs, but if that’s not the case, we’ll have to think and decide accordingly.On Sachin Tendulkar becoming the most-capped player in the history of ODI cricket
He’s a champion, both on and off the field. He deserves it because he’s worked so hard.On whether another slow-and-low turner could be expected
We can play in all conditions. We’re prepared to play anywhere.On whether there has been a momentum shift after Bangalore
I don’t like thinking in such terms. The teams are level, and well-matched. I don’t think results on a day will depend on past performances.On Harbhajan Singh
He’s been a matchwinner for us, and has been doing a great job in the middle overs.

© Getty Images

Perhaps the most famous spectacle-wearer ever to have stalked the covers, Clive Lloyd was one of the great captains of all time. With his hulking six-foot frame and a slight air of professorial detachment, he was the natural leader of the great West Indian side of the late 1970s and early 1980s and, in 1975, his century at Lord’s secured victory in the inaugural World Cup. And yet, Lloyd’s career might have been ended before it began, when his eyesight began to deteriorate in his early teens.At the age of 12, Lloyd was already a budding schoolboy cricketer, when he was poked in the eye with a ruler while breaking up a fight between two younger boys. At first he took no real notice of it, but before long he was unable to read the blackboard in the classroom, and he had to squint to make out the score while batting in cricket matches. But most importantly of all, he was failing to sight the ball properly. “I was getting out lbw far too frequently,” he wrote in his autobiography. “The umpire couldn’t have been wrong every time.”So out came the spectacles, and a legend was born. Lloyd’s prowess as a fielder was ample proof of the benefits they provided to his game, while in a 22-year career, they enabled him to score more than 30,000 runs, with 79 centuries.

Frizzell County Championship Division OneKent 362 and 418 for 3 dec beat Nottinghamshire 156 and 337 by 287 runs at Maidstone
Scorecard
Mohammad Sami completed the superb match figures of 15 for 114, the best bowling figures of the season so far, as Kent completed their first Championship victory of the season by overwhelming Nottinghamshire at Maidstone. Kent didn’t have it all their own way, however, as Notts mounted a valiant rearguard, led by Jason Gallian’s six-hour 106 and ably supported by Kevin Pietersen, Chris Cairns and Paul Franks. Sami though was irresistible, and followed his eight wickets in the first innings by skittling Notts’s tail with five more wickets in the space of seven runs. Muttiah Muralitharan arrives at the end of the month, and Kent’s prospects are on the up at last. Leicestershire 447 and 148 for 2 trail Middlesex 620 for 7 dec by 25 runs at Southgate
Scorecard
It’s not often that a side scores 447 and still has to follow on, but that indignity was inflicted on Leicestershire, after Middlesex had compiled a whopping 620 for 7 Dec on the first two days at Southgate. Chad Keegan added three more wickets to his overnight haul to finish with a career-best 6 for 114 from 29 overs, and when John Maunders fell to the first ball of the follow-on, caught behind off Ashley Noffke, the omens didn’t look good. Noffke then dealt with Leicestershire’s first-innings hero, Virender Sehwag, in similar fashion (31 for 2), but Darren Maddy and Brad Hodge knuckled down to rescue the innings with an unbeaten 117-run stand for the third wicket. By the close, Leicestershire were 25 runs behind, with eight wickets remaining, and a draw seemed to be the likely result.Essex 340 and 254 for 6 lead Sussex 282 for 8 by 235 runs at Arundel
Scorecard
The Championship fixture between Essex and Sussex remained evenly poised, after another day of slow manoeuvring at Arundel. The early honours belonged to Sussex, who secured a first-innings lead thanks to Mushtaq Ahmed, James Kirtley and Jason Lewry, who added 79 runs for the last two wickets. Essex then slipped to 50 for 2, with both Nasser Hussain and James Foster dismissed, but Paul Grayson’s 71 and a pair of half-centuries for Andy Flower and Aftab Habib put Essex back in the reckoning. Warwickshire 245 and 304 for 5 trail Surrey 355 and 450 for 5 dec by 256 runs at Edgbaston
Scorecard
Warwickshire’s pursuit of the improbable suffered two devastating blows shortly before the close, when Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott were prised out in quick succession, to leave Surrey on the verge of their fifth Championship victory of the season. Warwickshire’s slim hopes had been ground into the dust in the morning session, as Mark Ramprakash converted his overnight 121 into a magnificent unbeaten 182, allowing Surrey to declare on 450 for 5, a lead of 560. But Michael Powell led the charge with 91, and at 293 for 3, Warwickshire dared to dream. But Adam Hollioake trapped Trott lbw for 51, before Saqlain Mushtaq picked up Bell three runs later for 71.Frizzell County Championship Division Two Gloucestershire 277 and 171 for 5 beat Derbyshire 89 and 356 by five wickets at Derby
Scorecard
Derbyshire were made to pay for a pathetic first-innings effort, as Gloucestershire eked out a five-wicket victory that might have been very different had they been set more than 169 for victory. After collapsing to 89 all out in their first effort, Derbyshire fared considerably better second-time around, as Michael di Venuto (148) and Luke Sutton (81*) carried them to a healthy 356. Gloucestershire, who had managed 277 in their first innings, then slumped to 52 for 4, with two wickets each for Kevin Dean and Graeme Welch. But Jonty Rhodes calmed the nerves with an unbeaten 62, and Alex Gidman added a brisk 41 from 46 balls before being bowled by Dominic Cork with 48 runs still required. Northamptonshire 322 and 206 for 2 beat Durham 327 and 199 by eight wickets at Chester-le-Street
Scorecard
Jason Brown gave a reminder of the form that earned him a place on England’s tour to Sri Lanka in 2000-01, as he bowled Northants to victory at Chester-le-Street with second-innings figures of 7 for 69. Northants and Durham had been level-pegging on first innings, but match was transformed when the spinners Brown and Graeme Swann entered the fray. From 70 for 0, Durham slumped to 100 for 5, and though Nicky Peng and Phil Mustard slowed the rot with a 71-run partnership, Brown ripped through the tail for his best figures in first-class cricket. Set 205 to win, Mike Hussey and Phil Jaques broke the back of the run-chase with a 156-run partnership, as Northants took their place at the top of Division Two. Somerset 233 and 129 for 3 trail Glamorgan 349 and 307 by 294 runs at Cardiff
Scorecard
Matthew Maynard completed his third Championship century of the season as Glamorgan closed in on victory against Somerset at Sophia Gardens. Maynard, who had been 32 not out overnight, was in scintillating form, rushing to 101 from 114 balls, with 13 fours and two sixes to give Glamorgan plenty time to force a result. By the close, Somerset had limped to 129 for 3 in pursuit of 424.

A stubborn 137 minute stay at the wicket by the eighth wicketpair helped Services reach 297 for the loss of nine wicketsbut the visitors were still 21 short of saving the follow-onat the end of third day’s play against Delhi in the North ZoneRanji Trophy tie here today.Coming together in the 51st over of the day with Servicesstruggling at 210 for 7 after Delhi left-arm spinner RahulSanghvi ran through the middle order claiming four quickwickets, a determined CD Thompson and JP Pandey thwarted therival attack for 34 overs frustrating Delhi’s attempts to wrapup the tail and enforce a follow-on today itself.Earlier, resuming at their overnight score of 62 for two,services continued their save-the-match tactics with overnightbatsmen cautiously defending for 22 overs before Delhi struckremoving Yahspal Singh (69), who while trying to sweep, edgedto keeper Pradeep Chawla off Rahul Sanghvi.Sanghvi struck again four overs later removing PMS Reddy (34,3×4), effecting a brilliant caught-and-bowled.Just when Services seemed to fold up meekly, skipper SanjayVerma played a blistering innings, which included tenboundaries. when the team seemed to claw their way back intothe game, Sanghvi came back with more venom and sent Vermaback.Verma (53) skied a Sanghvi full toss towards the mid-wicketand Sarandeep Singh committed no mistake.Four overs later, off-spinner Sarandeep produced a beauty andChawla latched on to a top edge flying out of new manSarabjeet Singh’s bat.The Sanghvi-Chawla duo continued working wonders for Delhi andthis time Sayed Javed perished to their designs for a duckgiving Chawla his fourth catch of the match.Delhi then prepared for the kill, bringing on seamers Bandhariand Arun Singh to finish off the tail. But the Thompson-Pandey partnership proved too stubborn.With his arsenal exhausted, Manhas brought himself on andeffected a turn-around six overs before close of playdismissing Pandey, who seemed to have lost concentration andended up snicking to Akash Chopra at first slip.He also worked a miracle with the last ball of the daydismissing Arun Sharma who hit a rash shot towards fine legwhere RS Gupta gleefully grabbed it.Delhi would have loved to garner full eight points with anoutright victory after dominating with a huge first inningsscore. For that to happen, they will have to grab 11 servicewickets on the last day tomorrow.On a dead Palam pitch, it is indeed an uphill task.

Shashank Manohar has been formally elected BCCI president at the board’s special general meeting (SGM) in Mumbai on Sunday. Soon after, at his first press conference, he announced a wide range of measures to tackle various critical issues facing the board, including conflict of interest, corruption in cricket, the lack of transparency in the board’s operations and financial accountability of the state associations.His overall message was clear: “Nothing is wrong in the board.” The problem, he said, was one of perception, created by the lack of information flowing from the board. “Therefore, to clear that myth and change the perception, we would [implement the changes] immediately,” he said. How immediate? “In two months’ time all these things about which I have spoken will be implemented in full force.”He also stressed on the board’s unity, a point reinforced by his specific comments – “Excellent secretary, better than most of the secretaries I have seen in this board” – on N Srinivasan, the ICC chairman and seen as an adversary. “We are not working here with a vindictive attitude,” he said. “The entire Board, when we discussed together, were united. All 30 members including the Tamil Nadu Association said we have to work together and build the image of the Board and not fight amongst ourselves.”For starters, he said, the BCCI would appoint an independent official to preside over matters relating to conflict of interest – the one issue at the heart of the BCCI’s credibility problem since 2008, when the constitution was changed to allow officials to be stakeholders in the IPL. “The board would frame regulations with regards to conflict of interest of administrators, players and their staff. That would be done within a month’s time,” he said. “And the board would also appoint an ombudsman or an ethics officer who would be independent of this board and who would look into the complaints regarding conflict of interest.”The IPL also threw up the board’s single biggest crisis of the past few years, the 2013 spot-fixing case. Investigating that case revealed several shortcomings in the board’s process, including its lack of teeth in carrying out deep and meaningful inquiries. To that end, Manohar said, he hoped to discuss with government officials the possibility of engaging their investigating agencies, who would have far greater powers. It would help that the board secretary, Anurag Thakur, is a senior member of India’s ruling party, the BJP.Much of the public distrust of the board is the lack of transparency, especially in financial matters, which has given the BCCI an image of being a closed club. The board is not accountable to any outside agency, nor even to the public under the Right to Information legislation, and Manohar stressed that the latter should apply only if the government amends the law. However, he seemed to take a step forward by saying the board’s constitution – so long inaccessible to all outsiders – would be posted on its website. Also to be posted are the board’s balance sheet and any expenditure above Rs 25 lakh (approx. US$ 38,000).Similarly, he aims to tighten controls on the state associations, who receive funds from the central kitty but whose spending is not monitored. “A lot of debate goes on that the associations are paid huge money by the board and nobody knows what happens to that money,” he said. “The accounts of all associations are audited by their auditors. However, we would build a system by which the accounts of the affiliated units would be audited by an independent auditor appointed by the board, where after [thereafter] the further money would be released to the state associations. The board would also be empowered to take action in case the board finds that the money which has been given to the state association is not being properly utilised.”Manohar also held out some hope for that most forgotten stakeholder in Indian cricket, the ordinary fan. He made several references to the fans and acknowledged their role in making the BCCI the powerful organisation it is today. “The BCCI is a huge brand in itself. [But] without the support of the fans it would not have been possible for the board to become this big. The confidence of the cricket-loving fans has shaken due to certain unpleasant things that have happened. [It is the duty of] all members of the board to build the reputation of the board and bring it back to its full reputation.”Manohar’s election, which was necessitated by the death last month of the incumbent Jagmohan Dalmiya, became a formality after he was the only person nominated for the post on the eve of the election. He had first emerged as the front-runner for the post when the Bharatiya Janata Party backed him.

The Three Ws Oval was awarded important games for the sake of floodlights while the pressing issue of drainage was ignored © The Nation

Andy Roberts, the former West Indies fast bowler, could not conceal his sense of utter hopelessness for the future of West Indies cricket when he spoke after the completion of the KFC Cup last week.”I watched and I couldn’t face it at times,” said Roberts in his interview with the . “Everything bothered me. Every single thing. We have to admit we have a crisis in West Indies cricket.”It is a crisis that has developed over two decades. Its myriad causes have long since been recognised yet they all surfaced once again in the region’s premier limited-overs tournament. Roberts bemoaned the fact that no players had emerged to press who he described as “the incumbents” in the West Indies team for their places. He noted the basic lack of batting technique, an observation starkly supported by a glance at the scores, like West Indies Under-19 being bowled out for 18 against Barbados.Such observations are a strong indictment of coaching at the lower levels of the game in the West Indies, a deficiency that requires urgent attention. There was much else besides that was discouraging, even more so since it perpetuated the deficiencies of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in planning and organisation.There were more teams but less cricket, a reversal of the ideal balance. To accommodate the puzzling addition of the U-19s and an amalgamation tagged as Combined Campuses and Colleges, the qualifying round was divided into two groups, limiting each side to three matches, as opposed to five last season.The semi-finals and final were played at the Three Ws Oval in Bridgetown, while less than a mile away, the multi-million dollar Kensington Oval which staged the World Cup final six months earlier, turned a whiter shade of pale by the day.

When rain drenched an outfield without the drainage necessary to cope with a deluge, one semi-final had to be abandoned, amidst heated controversy, with no provision for a reserve day

When rain – which tends to fall in Barbados at the tailend of the season in October – drenched an outfield without the drainage necessary to cope with a deluge, one semi-final had to be abandoned, amidst heated controversy, with no provision for a reserve day.Had the Kensington Oval been the venue, the problem would not have arisen, for vast sums were spent on sanding and installing the most modern drainage facilities for the World Cup. It was learnt that the Three Ws Oval was chosen because it was fitted with floodlights – and Kensington was not.It was the first time major regional cricket was played under lights, 29 years after Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket (WSC) introduced it in Australia. As such, it was seen as helping the development of the game. Even so, other World Cup stadiums, in St Lucia and Antigua, also carry lights. And then there is the ongoing squabble between the UWI and the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), the accredited broadcasters, over the inadequate facilities provided.Predictably, the buck was passed one way and then the next, from the UWI, to the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), to the CMC. In the end, there is only one place that it should stop in relation to all of the foul-ups and that is at the WICB. It was, after all, their tournament.As Haydn Gill pointed out in , complaints such as those now heard from captains Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga and Corey Collymore, simply echo those of Courtney Walsh and Philo Wallace eight years earlier when a washed-out semi-final and the absence of a reserve day led to Barbados’ exit.The same thing occurred in 2001, prompting the Barbados manager at the time, Tony Howard, to pointedly comment: “The problem with this competition is that it seems to be organised by non-cricketers and there seems to be other issues which take precedence over the cricketing aspects.”Howard, a former West Indies Test player, is now the WICB’s cricket operations manager and, presumably, responsible for cricketing matters. If the KFC Cup and other regional tournaments are still being planned by ‘non-cricketers’, he is serving no useful purpose.If he does remain in office, he could do no better than to arrange with the Stanford 20/20 group to observe how to properly run a cricket tournament. It really is not that difficult – and money has very little to do with it.