Mark Ramprakash accepts that Jos Buttler’s lack of first-class form and opportunity is “not ideal” as England prepare to gamble on him in the third Test in Mohali

George Dobell23-Nov-2016Mark Ramprakash has warned against expecting too much of Jos Buttler if he is selected for the third Test against India.While Ramprakash, the England batting coach, rated Buttler as one of the “top five batsmen in the world in one-day cricket,” he accepted that his lack of red-ball experience could compromise his chances of success.Buttler is expected to replace Ben Duckett in the England side for the Test starting in Mohali on Saturday. But, if he does play, it will be just his second first-class game since he was dropped from the Test team in October 2015. He hasn’t scored a first-class half-century since May 2015 and a first-class century since June 2014.Rampakash accepts that the situation “isn’t ideal” but, with Gary Ballance having been dropped having averaged six in the Bangladesh series and Duckett having only passed 15 once in seven Test innings, England are not flush with options. Buttler is highly regarded in the England set-up not just for his talent, but his leadership qualities; he captained the England ODI side in Bangladesh.But while Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, has expressed a hope that Buttler will take the same positive approach he uses in white-ball cricket to Test cricket, Ramprakash fears that conditions in international limited-overs cricket – in particular the nature of pitches and the ball – are not reflective of the challenges likely to face Buttler in Tests. Batsmen in Test cricket are also far more likely to face a sustained challenge from the short ball.”To me, Jos Buttler is in the top five batsmen in the world in one-day cricket,” Ramprakash said. “And that almost creates a problem with the amount of first-class cricket he can play. So, if Jos gets the nod we need to be understanding of that. He clearly has so much ability but through lack of opportunity it’s been hard for him to develop and I hope that people realise that and don’t set expectations too high because that’s the situation he’s in and we have to live with that.”In the white-ball game you’re playing on flat wickets against a ball that doesn’t move. So you can be very instinctive; you can see it early and go for your shots. We’ve seen James Vince and Alex Hales in one-day cricket, but when it’s come to the red ball in England it’s moved around and they’ve found it challenging and Jos would be similar to that.”To help Buttler prepare, Ramprakash has been setting him challenges in the nets, but he admits it is no substitute for playing in matches.”We’ve tried to set little scenarios for him every now and then,” Ramprakash said. “So at Rajkot there was a 10-over challenge in the nets with Jake Ball and Gareth Batty. Ball would bowl an over, then Batty and we would try to set fields, so he could have more of a match feel to practice rather than just netting. Within that 60-ball challenge Jos could try to put himself into the mindset of playing in a Test match.”He’s thrown himself into his physical training. Everything he’s done has been like an elite athlete. His practice in the nets, his work on his wicket-keeping: he’s been a real leader in the group and I can’t speak highly enough of his attitude.Ramprakash was well versed in Buttler’s record: only once past 30 in his last 12 England innings, a record stretching back to the New Zealand Test at Headingley last year, and only one first-class game for Lancashire last season. He was open about the issues that brings.”It’s not ideal. As much as we can net and do middle situations in practice, he hasn’t been tested in a match. And that’s where I think that if Jos gets the nod, we have to be understanding of that.”Mark Ramprakash, seen here with Alastair Cook, says Jos Buttler’s situation is not ideal•Getty ImagesEngland also face a challenge of where to bat Buttler should he be selected. Duckett was coming in at No. 4, but England may be reluctant to expose Buttler that high up the order. The other options are Ben Stokes, who has emerged as one of England’s most assured batsmen, Jonny Bairstow, who has scored more Test runs than anyone in the world this year, and Moeen Ali, who has batted everywhere but No. 3 and No. 4 in the top nine.None of the options are perfect. All three of Stokes, Bairstow and Moeen already have a heavy workload, mentally as much as physically, and England will be keen not to ask too much of them. Stokes notably struggled with cramp in Rajkot.”There’s no easy answer to that,” Ramprakash conceded. “It’s a really good question. You’ve players who have just made Test hundreds, like Mo and Stokesy, so do you leave them where they are because you want no disruption? Stokes would be a candidate, yes, but his physical workload throughout the Tests has given him a bit of an issue hasn’t it?”Ultimately though, Ramprakash believes that picking another right-hander in Buttler may prove advantageous in conditions in which left-handers “have it tough.””As the game wears on in this part of the world, you get more rough outside the left-hander’s off stump,” Ramprakash said. “So left-handers have it tough both ways. The offspinners are at them with the DRS, but as the game goes on you’ve got a lot of rough for the left-arm spinner to chuck the ball in as well and that makes it quite tough.”Gary Ballance is a fine player and I think we’ll see him again in an England shirt. He’s a batsman who if he gets in he doesn’t give it away, but obviously he’s found life tough and Bangladesh was obviously very tough. I think tactically in this part of the world if another right-hander comes in that may be a slight advantage.”The England squad took the day off on Wednesday, but return to the nets on Thursday morning when they will gain their first look at the Mohali surface. With Buttler set to replace Duckett, it also seems highly likely that Chris Woakes will replace the injured Stuart Broad.Meanwhile, the England camp have made it clear they want no part in allegations of ball tampering made against Virat Kohli by one British newspaper.

Glasgow Rangers face a battle to bring Malik Tillman back to Ibrox this summer, with Rangers Review reporting that there is increasing interest from English clubs in his signature this transfer window.

Are Rangers signing Malik Tillman?

The 21-year-old spent the 2022/23 season on loan in the Scottish Premiership and really impressed for the Gers despite his age. He bagged himself ten goals in the league, with a further four assists in just 28 league games. It wasn't enough to give the Gers the title but he had a career best year.

Only once previously had the player managed a double-digit goal haul during a season and that came back when he played for the Bayern Munich U19 team. Prior to his short-term switch to Scotland, he had struggled to get regular first-team minutes too, with parent club Bayern only giving him one start in the Bundesliga. In total, he has featured just four times in the league for the German giants during his time there.

That led to the player's impressive loan stay with Rangers this season and it had looked like Michael Beale would be trying to bring the midfielder back to Scotland for good. However, according to a report from Rangers Review, there is nothing in place that would suggest a deal will be done between Rangers and Tillman yet and no agreement is in place.

Not only that, but his showings have caught the eye of other teams now too and it looks like the Gers will have to fight off English competition for his signature. Rangers still have the upper hand in that they have a £5m buy option for the youngster, but that hasn't been used by the Scottish side yet and Bayern's own £10m buy-back in that deal is causing more doubt.

When does Malik Tillman's contract expire?

His current contract with Bayern Munich expires in 2024, meaning that if the German giants have no plans for Tillman, then they may have to cash in this summer transfer window.

It appears the player could certainly have plenty of suitors now too considering his talents. When the midfielder initially moved to Rangers and helped them in Europe vs PSV for example, football talent scout Jacek Kulig called Tillman one of the club's "heroes" that night and added that he is a "very interesting signing" by the Scottish side.

Having gone on to score a double-digit amount from the centre of the field, he has proven his ability in the Scottish Premiership and at a decent level – and could now secure a permanent move away from Bayern.

The former allrounder’s first assignment is the New Zealand Test series beginning on November 17 in Christchurch

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-20161:28

Mahmood to coach Pakistan full time

Azhar Mahmood, the former Pakistan allrounder, has been appointed the team’s bowling coach for a two-year period. His term begins with the first Test of the New Zealand tour on November 17.Mahmood, 41, had first been brought on as a temporary replacement for Mushtaq Ahmed for the Asia Cup in February 2016, then worked along with Mushtaq at the World T20. He was with the team during the limited-overs series against England in August as well. The short-term nature of these stints was because Mahmood was contracted as a player with English county club Surrey until July 2016. He has already linked up with the Pakistan squad in Sharjah, where they were playing the third and final Test against West Indies.Pakistan have been without a bowling coach since the end of the England tour. The PCB were deliberating over several candidates, including former fast bowler Aaqib Javed. However, he was unwilling to give up his current role as the PSL team Lahore Qalandars’ head of cricket operations.Mahmood may have less than a year’s experience coaching an international team, but he represented Pakistan for 10 years and after he retired in 2007 he became a T20 specialist, playing for domestic teams at home and in England, India, Bangladesh, New Zealand and the West Indies.Pakistan depart for New Zealand on November 4 to play two Tests, in Christchurch and Hamilton.

Liverpool are gathering information regarding what it would take to bring Fiorentina star Sofyan Amrabat to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Sofyan Amrabat?

Amrabat is a defensive midfielder who currently plays his football at the Artemio Franchi Stadium having joined back in 2020 from Hellas Verona. With his contract set to expire at the end of next season, Vincenzo Italiano is now facing his final opportunity to cash in should he not want to lose his prized asset for free in 12 months.

The Morocco international was his nation’s most regular outfield player at the 2022 World Cup having played 660 minutes of football, and excelled to the point where they made it all the way to the semi-finals, and these displays for his country grabbed the attention of Jurgen Klopp back in January.

The Athletic’s James Pearce reported that the Reds were considering a swoop for the 26-year-old as an outside alternative compared to some of their more high-profile targets at the time, Jude Bellingham being an example, and despite them eventually deciding against a move, it sounds like they might have since had a change of heart.

Are Liverpool signing Amrabat?

According to Spanish outlet Sport (via Sport Witness), Liverpool are "attentive" to Amrabat's situation and have "sounded out" the midfielder about a potential summer switch to Anfield.

Fiorentina are believed to have set a price tag of €30m (£25m) plus objectives for the player, who wants to leave and start afresh elsewhere "as soon as possible", but it's not specified whether the fee is one that the board would be happy to pay.

Could Amrabat be a good addition for Klopp?

Liverpool will know that Amrabat is stronger in the natural defensive aspect of his game having only recorded one assist across all competitions last season, but with the protection that he could give to the backline, he would be a great acquisition for FSG.

The Huizen native ranked in the 95th percentile for pass completion so is calm and composed in possession, and loves to get stuck in after averaging 1.3 tackles per league game during the previous campaign, preventing the danger before it was too late.

Fiorentina’s “monster”, as dubbed by reporter Carlo Garganese, would also add wonderful versatility to Klopp’s squad with his ability to operate in eight various positions across the pitch, including everywhere in the centre and even in defence, making him a useful option to have available.

Finally, Amrabat shares the same agent, CAA Stellar, as Ibrahima Konate, Caoimhin Kelleher and Rhys Williams, so this existing connection that their representative has to the club could hand them a small advantage should they try and get a deal over the line this summer.

أكد خالد بيبو مدير الكرة بالنادي الأهلي، أهمية الفوز الذي حققه المارد الأحمر أمام بلدية المحلة اليوم الثلاثاء، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الأهلي حقق فوزاً كبيراً على فريق بلدية المحلة، بنتيجة 5-1، في المباراة المؤجلة بينهما من الجولة الخامسة للمسابقة المحلية.

وقال بيبو خلال تصريحات عبر قناة أون تايم سبورت بعد المباراة: “مكسب جيد وهام، خاصة بعد غياب طويل عن مباريات بطولة الدوري، استفدنا من إقامة اللقاء على استاد القاهرة، أرضية الملعب جيدة وأشكر القائمين عليها”.

وأضاف: “الأهلي أمامه منافسات كثيرة وعلى اللاعبين أن يكونوا جاهزين، مكسب بالتأكيد أن يسجل وسام أبوعلي هدفين اليوم سيساعده ذلك في الدخول في الأجواء سريعاً”.

وأكمل: “لا توجد راحة في الأهلي، دائمًا تبحث عن المكسب في كل مباراة، المعادلة الصعبة أن تفوز وتلعب بأداء جيد لإسعاد الجماهير، هذه هي المعادلة الصعبة”.

طالع | كولر يوجه رسالة إلى جماهير الأهلي ويعلن سبب استبعاد كهربا من مباراة المحلة

واستمر: “المباراة القادمة أمام يانج أفريكانز التنزاني في دوري أبطال إفريقيا سنبحث فيها عن المكسب لصدارة المجموعة”.

وأتم: “ترتيبات مباراة كأس مصر خاصة بي أنا، بعد المباراة القادمة سأضع برنامج ترتيب السفر إلى السعودية مع الجهاز الفني”.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي الأهلي يوم الجمعة القادمة 1 مارس مع يانج أفريكانز في الجولة السادسة من دور المجموعات لدوري أبطال إفريقيا، ثم يلاقي الزمالك في قمة منتظرة بنهائي كأس مصر عن الموسم الماضي 2022-2023، يوم 8 مارس.

Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku would rather remain at Inter Milan moving forward, according to a key update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Has Lukaku done well at Inter?

The Belgian came back to Stamford Bridge with big things expected in 2021, but his latest spell there didn't pan out too successfully overall. Because of that, Thomas Tuchel was happy to loan him out last summer, so he rejoined Inter on a temporary basis, having excelled there previously.

In truth, Lukaku hasn't had the best 2022/23 campaign, scoring 10 times in 24 Serie A appearances, but he still has a Champions League final against Manchester City to look forward to later this month.

With Mauricio Pochettino coming in as Chelsea's new manager, there is the possibility that the £325,000-a-week striker's Chelsea career could yet be salvaged, or he may decide that he is surplus to requirements.

Will Lukaku return to Chelsea?

Taking to Twitter, Romano admitted that Lukaku's future is still up in the air, but that his preference would be to stay at Inter for the foreseeable future:

"No discussions took place in May for Romelu Lukaku between Chelsea and Inter despite reports. It will happen after the UCL final. Understand Lukaku’s priority remains to stay at Inter next season. Up to the two clubs. But no decision before June 11."

This is a tricky decision for Chelsea, with Lukaku clearly an extremely impressive striker, having scored 72 goals in 106 caps for Belgium, making him his country's all-time leading goalscorer. He has also been hailed as "world-class" by Tuchel in the past, despite his decision to move him on last year.

If Pochettino wants to take a look at him, it does make sense for him to return to west London this summer, but at 30, there is an argument to say that the Blues should simply be looking to bring in a younger alternative, such as Napoli's Victor Osimhen, who scored 25 Serie A goals this season.

The fact that Lukaku is seemingly happy at Inter also means that allowing him to join permanently again, and therefore receive a good amount of money in the process, is something that could benefit Chelsea financially. Pochettino has to be trusted, however, if he thinks the Belgium star can be a key part of his plans in the coming years, he should be given a chance to prove his worth again at the club.

A round-up of the opening day of Group A matches in the fourth round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Oct-2016

Group AFourteen wickets fell in Dharamsala in the fourth-round clash between Bengal and Railways. Railways’ bowlers vindicated their captain’s decision to field by dismissing Bengal for 205. But their batsmen couldn’t hold on to the advantage as they slipped to 37 for 4 by the close.Four of the five bowlers used by Railways picked up wickets, with Anureet Singh’s 4 for 66 leading the way. Right-arm medium pacer Amit Mishra picked up 3 for 38, while Karan Thakur took two wickets and Karn Sharma one. Bengal’s innings featured two partnerships of note. First, Sudip Chatterjee, the No. 3 who top-scored with 85, added 52 with Sayan Mondal for the second wicket. He then combined with Agniv Pan for a fifth-wicket partnership of 66. Ashok Dindachipped in with a 26-ball 30, before Bengal’s innings was wrapped up in 69.5 overs. Dinda got the wickets of Saurabh Wakaskar and Mrunal Devdhar early in Railways’ reply. Amit Kulia and Sayan Ghosh also joined in with a wicket each to compound Railways’ woes.At the Feroz Shah Kotla, Deepak Hooda was in sight of his maiden first-class double century as his career-best 190 not out headlined Baroda’s day of dominance against Punjab. Baroda piled on 358 for 6 in 90 overs, despite a four-for from Sandeep Sharma, who had rocked them early in the day with the wickets of their openers.With Baroda reduced to 11 for 2, Dhiren Mistry and Hooda compiled 178 for the third wicket to offset the early stumble and lay a solid platform. Mistry made 76 before being caught behind off Siddharth Kaul. Hooda added 80 more for the fourth wicket with wicketkeeper Pinal Shah. Sandeep removed Pinal for 42 and Yusuf Pathan for a second-ball duck, while Vishnu Solanki also fell cheaply. But Hooda stayed dominant and ended the day with 16 fours and three sixes, having struck at 88.37 per 100 balls.Elsewhere, at the DRIEMS Grounds in Tangi, Tamil Nadu put behind twin early jolts to recover to 262 for 4 on the opening day against Madhya Pradesh. Tamil Nadu lost both their openers for ducks inside the first two overs, after being put in. They were then lifted through half-centuries from Kaushik Gandhi (71*) and Dinesh Karthik (95).Gandhi and Karthik got together with the score at 54 for 3 and added 144 in 46 overs for the fourth wicket. Karthik struck 15 fours in his 153-ball knock, before being caught off Chandrakant Sakure, the right-arm medium pacer, five short of a century. B Indrajith and Gandhi then joined hands for an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 64. Indrajith was unbeaten on 44. Sakure ended the day with 2 for 47, while Ishwar Pandey and Ashwin Das, the new-ball duo, dismissed the Tamil Nadu openers.At the Palam Grounds in New Delhi, right-arm medium pacer Imtiaz Ahmed’s 4 for 48 helped Uttar Pradesh fight back against Gujarat, who squandered a strong start to end the day on 276 for 8. Gujarat’s openers Samit Gohel and Priyank Panchal laid a solid platform through a 122-run opening stand. Both batsmen made scores of 60, before Imtiaz dismissed both. But none of Gujarat’s other batsmen could make a noteworthy contribution, with the exception of Parthiv Patel, the captain, who also scored 60. Chirag Gandhi, the No. 6, was not out on 33 when stumps were drawn.

Manchester United have another midfielder on their radar it seems, with Sport 1, via Sport Witness, reporting that the club are in the race for Felix Nmecha.

Who is Felix Nmecha?

The 22-year-old has emerged as a key player for Wolfsburg over the course of the 2022/23 season, managing more games in the Bundesliga this year than he has managed over the course of his entire career to date. The side picked him on 30 occasions and the player responded by bagging three goals and five assists along the way despite his more central position on the field.

It's been a breakout year for the young talent, with Nmecha now becoming one of the best in his position in Europe and in the Men's 'Top Five' big leaves based on his stats. His assist rate of 0.25 per 90 for example is far and away his best figure, as it puts him within the top 4% of players for that. It shows that he has a knack of finding teammates in good areas and setting them up for good chances. In addition, the midfielder is also extremely strong in the air, with his 2.16 aerials won per 90 putting him in the 93rd percentile. This will come as no surprise considering that he stands at nearly 6 foot 1.

Now, having showcased his combination of physicality and vision for Wolfsburg, he could be given a chance elsewhere this summer. According to a report from Sport 1, via Sport Witness, it states that both Borussia Dortmund and Man United are set to go head-to-head for his signature this summer, with a price tag of around 15 million Euros (or £12.9m) slapped on his head.

No official bid has been made from either party yet though but the Red Devils have reportedly spoken to the player's father – as he currently has no agent – over a potential move to the Premier League. Other reports have also claimed Newcastle United are eyeing a deal.

When does Felix Nmecha's contract expire?

The midfielder's current deal with Wolfsburg has another two years to run, with the player having only joined Wolfsburg back in 2021/22. However, the interest seems to be high and it's no wonder considering how he has fared at the top level of German football so far.

His 1.81 shots per 90 rate and 0.15 non-penalty goals per 90 mark him out as one of the most attacking and offensive players in his position, with the midfielder not afraid to get forward and have a go at goal or even tee up a teammate. Nmecha also isn't afraid to take on an opposition defender, with his 1.27 successful take-ons per 90 showing a superb ability to beat his man and drive the ball forward. In short, he is a player that would certainly add some creativity and drive to the centre of the field for the Red Devils.

Aston Villa could use the upcoming summer transfer to improve their squad as they prepare for European football in the 2023/24 campaign.

Unai Emery led the club to Europa Conference League football by finishing seventh in the Premier League and the Spaniard will now need to add more quality to his team in the coming months.

One player who could be moved on from in order to make way for new signings is Burkina Faso international Bertrand Traore, who returned to Villa in January after a spell on loan at Istanbul Basaksehir.

The £63k-per-week forward only made eight appearances and started one game in the Premier League in the second half of the campaign, suggesting that Emery does not value him as a key member of the team.

Who could replace Bertrand Traore at Aston Villa?

Villa's head coach could ruthlessly ditch the 27-year-old winger by signing another left-footed wizard who plays out wide in English talent Jack Harrison.

talkSPORT recently reported that Villa and West Ham United are among the clubs interested in a deal to sign the Leeds United attacker.

The report claimed that he has a relegation release clause in his contract with the Yorkshire-based side, although it remains to be seen how much the £90k-per-week gem would cost exactly, and that a team could snap him up for a 'cut-price' fee.

Harrison's form in the Premier League in recent seasons suggests that the former New York City ace could be an excellent pick-up for the Villans and an upgrade on Traore.

The ex-Manchester City man plundered five goals and seven assists in 37 top-flight appearances in 22/23 in a struggling Whites team, who were eventually relegated from the division.

That came after the magician conjured 16 goals and created 13 'big chances' for his teammates in his first two years in the Premier League combined.

Former Leeds boss Jesse Marsch once heaped praise on the attacker's style of play, saying: "He can run all day, he is explosive, he's effective in 1-v-1s, he's dangerous, he's smart."

This comment from the American coach is backed up by Harrison's excellent aforementioned statistics as the Englishman has proven himself capable of providing a regular threat in the final third with his ability to score and create goals from a wide position.

Comparatively, Traore managed two goals and created zero 'big chances' in eight matches for Villa this term after he scored twice and provided just one 'big chance' in 12 Super Lig outings in the first half of the campaign.

Therefore, Emery could brutally ditch the ex-Chelsea man by signing Harrison to take his place in the squad, which could either lead to a reduced role or a departure from Villa Park for the 27-year-old.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Shahid took three wickets in nine balls•BCB

Fast bowler Mohammad Shahid claimed 3 for 23 to help Dhaka Dynamites defend 148 against hosts Chittagong Vikings and secure their third consecutive victory in BPL 2016-17. The result meant Dhaka stayed on top of the table with eight points from five matches.Having been sent in, Dhaka got off to a blistering start thanks to Mehedi Maruf, who hit 33 off 20 balls, including six fours and one six. In the process, Maruf went past Shahriar Nafees as the top-scorer in this season’s BPL. His knock ended when he was pinned lbw by offspinning allrounder Mohammad Nabi in the fifth over.Tymal Mills, the fast bowler from England, then removed Nasir Hossain and Kumar Sangakkara in the tenth over to reduce Dhaka to 73 for 3. This came after a dramatic ninth over by left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib . Nasir survived a caught-behind chance off the second ball of the over, despite getting an inside edge, which ricocheted off the thigh pad to Anamul Haque, the wicketkeeper. Saqlain responded by stopping halfway in his bowling stride to disturb Nasir’s concentration, only for the batsman to return the favour the next time he looked to bowl.Mills then bowled Nasir for 20 in the next over. The wicket gave way to a collapse: Dhaka lost 4 for 28 in 3.1 overs. Mosaddek Hossain then gave the innings a boost with the lower order, taking his side to 148. He top-scored with 35 off 26 balls, including two fours and two sixes. Mills and Nabi finished with three wickets each for Chittagong.In reply, Chittagong lost opener Jahurul Islam for 6 in the third over. The other opener – Tamim Iqbal – hung on for 26 off 35 balls before falling to Dwayne Bravo. Anamul and Mahmudul Hasan also reached double-figures, but failed to press on. Shahid then went on to rip through the lower-middle order, collecting three wickets in a space of nine balls. Eventually, the hosts fell 19 runs short of the target.