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As reported by Mundo Deportivo, West Ham United are interested in signing Barcelona defender Marlon this summer.

What’s the story?

After Manuel Pellegrini’s arrival as the new manager at the London Stadium, fans are excited and curious about what steps the club will take in the transfer market over the next few months.

Almost every department of the first team needs addressed with goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and attackers needed if they are to push on and finish higher in the English Premier League next term.

One player that could arrive at the London Stadium is Barcelona defender Marlon, who has most recently spent a season out on loan at Ligue 1 side Nice.

That’s according to Mundo Deportivo, who say that West Ham are interested in signing the player, with the Catalan giants waiting on a bid, eager to sell.

Rated at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, is he a player the Irons should be moving for this summer?

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Would he be a good signing?

At just 22 years of age, Marlon doesn’t have the most experience in the world, but has over 75 appearances for Fluminense, Barcelona and Nice.

As demonstrated by WhoScored, he is very much a ball-playing defender with a shockingly high 94% pass success rate, making an average of 60 passes a match. That passing accuracy is higher than every player in the West Ham squad, playing almost as many long balls as any of the Irons’ defenders.

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Defensively his average tackles and blocks per game stand up to the West Ham defence and the fact he has less clearances is probably due to the fact he finds a teammate more often than not.

That kind of composure and ability to turn defence into attack quickly and accurately could make him a hit at the London Stadium, but he would need to work on his aerial duels, the number of which won are on average far below most of the West Ham squad.

Improvements needed then, but still young, he can improve in the areas he has a deficit and also has the ability to fill in at right-back, making him a worthy choice for West Ham this summer.

The rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United is one of the fiercest in football, and it is the latter who has been on top in recent years.

However, former United player Phil Neville thinks that the Red Devils are worried about the threat of the Merseyside outfit this season.

The 40-year-old has suggested that the Red Devils are so concerned about Liverpool that they switched up their January transfer plans.

It has been widely reported that Jose Mourinho will sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in the coming days.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger all but confirmed the news by telling reporters in a press conference on Thursday that a deal is “likely” to happen.

The arrival of the Chile international is sure to boost United, whose initial eight-point advantage over Liverpool in the Premier League table has since dropped to just three.

While speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Neville explained what he thinks has motivated United to get the deal done.

“I would have thought maybe a month ago Alexis Sanchez wouldn’t have come on the radar. All of a sudden, every now and again there comes a signing that you have to make, or if he’s available you have to try and make.

“Sanchez, because of the form of Liverpool in particular, I think it’s maybe hurried up the need for someone to come in and, not secure United’s second place, but actually give them a massive, massive boost. I think United will finish in the top four and in second place but the form of Liverpool must be a worry because they’re playing unbelievable at this moment in time.”

Mourinho’s side currently sit second in the table, 12 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

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New Sunderland boss Gus Poyet has fond memories of his time as a Chelsea player, but he’ll be concentrating on ensuring he makes it three cup wins in a row against them as a coach/manager when he welcomes them to the Stadium of Light for this Capital One Cup Round 5 clash.

The Uruguayan spent four years as a player at Stamford Bridge, scoring 36 league goals in 105 appearances, helping them to an FA Cup, Charity Shield, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

But since leaving the club in 2001, Poyet has enjoyed two important victories over the Blues in the League Cup. Firstly, he was part of the Tottenham Hotspur side that beat Chelsea 5-1 in the League Cup semi-final second leg in January 2002. And then he went on to help mastermind a 2-1 victory over the Blues in the final as Juande Ramos’ assistant.

Now, following wins as a player and a coach, he has the chance to make it a hat-trick of wins in three different roles with a Capital One Cup victory.

Since taking the Sunderland job at the beginning of October, Poyet has not quite instilled consistency into his players. Wins over arch-rivals Newcastle United and title contenders Manchester City have both been followed by losses to Hull and Stoke City respectively.

But his side’s victory over high-flying Southampton in Round 4 of the Capital One Cup  proved that he is making progress early in his Stadium of Light tenure, particularly as he inherited a squad at an all-time low.

However, Jose Mourinho’s record in the Capital One Cup stands in the way of Poyet’s chances of a hat-trick victory over Chelsea.

The Portuguese manager won the League Cup twice during his first spell as Chelsea boss and, having not started off particularly well in his second coming, will have his sights set on lifting the trophy for a third time.

But Sunderland’s stuttering revival under Poyet has to hit full flow soon and a cup run could be exactly what they need to instill the confidence needed to pull away from the bottom of the Premier League and ensure top-flight survival.

Despite Mourinho’s success in the competition in the past, he may be tempted to field a weakened side at the Stadium of Light due to a busy fixture schedule over Christmas, which could give Poyet’s side the upper hand and the added belief that a win is a realistic possibility. After all, they did beat a full-strength Manchester City side last month.

Poyet was a loved by Chelsea fans when he was there as a player but, since leaving, he has only been a thorn in the side of the Chelsea faithful in their pursuit of League Cup glory.

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Now he has the chance to do it all again as a manager in the Capital One Cup and, whether he has that in mind or not, it would be some record to hold if he does manage to pull it off.

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Hugo Lloris made his Premier League debut for Tottenham at the weekend, ending Brad Friedel’s 310 consecutive games in the starting XI.

The French keeper managed to secure Spurs’ first clean sheet of the season, but was still told by coach Andre Villas-Boas that he will not be the permanent first choice.

The Les Blue’s captain impressed White Hart Lane fans with his anticipation and impressive saves during the 2-0 win against Aston Villa. However he gave Villa a great chance, giving the ball away recklessly, but Christian Benteke couldn’t capitalise.

After the game Villas-Boas indicated that he still had a decision to make on who will be between the sticks for their next clash.

“We decided it would be logical to play Hugo to get him acquainted with the Premier League,” he told the Telegraph.

“Nothing tipped the balance. We are fortunate that we can do this rotation. Brad was disappointed but accepted it as a good professional. We respect his performances. He will be back as soon as possible,” the coach added.

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Lloris joined Spurs on the last day of the transfer window for a fee of £12 million, and his first Premier League inclusion meant that 41-year-old Friedel sat on the bench for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

Former England batter looking for “fresh challenge” after six seasons with White Rose

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2025Former England batter Dawid Malan says he is looking for a “fresh challenge” after being released by Yorkshire following six seasons with the club.Malan, 38, came through at Middlesex before joining Yorkshire in 2020. He captained the club in the Blast last season, but despite leading the way with 365 runs at a strike rate of 156.65, could not prevent them from finishing second-bottom in the North Group.During his time at Headingley, Malan was Yorkshire’s second-leading run-scorer in T20, with 1642. He also scored 2014 runs at 54.43 in first-class cricket.”I have enjoyed six happy and successful seasons with Yorkshire, but feel now is the right time for the club to make a fresh start,” Malan said. “I am grateful to the general manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton and head coach Anthony McGrath for allowing me to seek a new challenge elsewhere.”Malan, who last played for England at the 2023 ODI World Cup, has extensive experience of the global T20 circuit, featuring in the PSL, BPL, SA20 and, most recently, the Nepal Premier League.He has also started to explore a media career, commentating on BBC radio during the summer.Hamilton said: “Dawid has been a consistent run-scorer across all formats, and will always be welcome at Headingley. We thank him for his very significant contribution in recent seasons, and we wish him well for the future.”

Put in to bat, they raced to fifty in 3.3 overs and never looked back against Dubai Capitals

Hemant Brar17-Feb-20242:18

Pooran: ‘From day one, the agenda was to win and everyone was on board’

Nicholas Pooran’s MI Emirates lifted the trophy in the second edition of the ILT20 as they beat Sam Billings’ Dubai Capitals by 45 runs in the final.After Capitals opted to bowl, Muhammad Waseem and Kusal Perera gave Emirates a blazing start, smashing 72 in the first six overs. While the next six overs produced only 31 runs, Pooran’s unbeaten 57 off 27 balls towards the end steered Emirates to 208 for 3, the highest total of the season.In response, Capitals kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Their highest partnership was 38, between Billings and Sikandar Raza for the fourth wicket. Both sides were found wanting in the field, with Emirates dropping six catches in all. But they had enough run cushion to not let those reprieves hurt them.Earlier, Billings went against the conventional wisdom of putting up runs on the board in a big game, and Waseem and Perera soon made him rethink his decision. The two muscled Emirates past 50 in just 3.3 overs. By the end of the powerplay, Waseem had scored 43 on his own.Left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan broke the 77-run stand when Waseem, attempting his fourth six, miscued a wrong’un to wide mid-off. In his next over, Zahir could have had Andre Fletcher as well, but Billings fluffed the stumping chance.However, Capitals managed to put the brakes on the scoring rate. When Perera tried to break free, he ended up losing his wicket to Raza.Fletcher had looked clueless against Zahir and Raza, and was on 28 off 27 at one point. He finally picked up the pace in the 16th over, hitting Scott Kuggeleijn for two sixes and a four and bringing up his fifty off 35 balls.Fletcher departed in the next over, but then Pooran stepped up and took the Emirates past 200. Along the way, he belted two fours and six sixes.Akeal Hosein put Emirates further ahead when he removed Leus du Plooy for a two-ball duck. Tom Banton, who came in as a Super Sub, struck some lusty blows but legspinner Vijayakanth Viyaskanth had him stumped for a 20-ball 35.A few overs later, Viyaskanth dismissed Raza as well to dent Capitals further. By the end of the 13th over, the asking rate had crossed 15. In an attempt to catch up, Billings gave charge to Waqar Salamkheil but failed to connect a googly and was stumped.Jason Holder got three lives in five balls, but the boundaries did not come as frequently as Capitals needed. After Trent Boult gave away only five in the 17th over, and also got rid of Rovman Powell, the equation for Capitals was 75 required from 18 balls with four wickets in hand. The Capitals innings lasted full 20 overs, but the contest was over much earlier.

New structure diminishes representation and power of Members’ Council, body made of provincial presidents who had resisted a majority independent board for almost a decade

Firdose Moonda17-Jun-2021CSA has ushered in a new, majority independent board to bring an end to the tenure of the ministerially appointed interim board, which has been in charge since November last year. The new board comprises eight independent directors and five non-independents – who were chosen from the provincial presidents that sit on the members’ council – but a chair has yet to be confirmed.The other independent directors are former CSA president Norman Arendse, former convener of selectors Andrew Hudson, advocate Steven Budlender SC, Lawson Naidoo, the executive secretary of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Dugmore Lushaba, who has experience on several boards, marketing and communications expert Andisa Ntsubane, former Multichoice (sub-Saharan African video entertainment company) CEO Mark Rayner, and Muditambi Ravele, a sports administrator previously involved in boxing, netball and tennis. Daniel Govender of Kwa-Zulu Natal, John Mogodi of Limpopo Province, Craig Nel of the Mpumalanga Cricket Union, Tebogo Siko of Northerns and Simphiwe Ndzundzu of Border make up the non-independent directors. CSA’s acting CEO Pholetsi Moseki and acting CFO Christelle Janse van Rensburg make up the last two positions on the 14-member board, which will serve till September, when CSA is due to hold its scheduled AGM.The new structure diminishes the representation and power of the members’ council, the 14-member body made of provincial presidents who had resisted a majority independent board for almost a decade. However, the CSA president and vice-president, largely ceremonial roles and individuals who will not sit on the new board, were chosen from the members’ council. Rihan Richards, who has been acting president of the council throughout the interim board’s tenure, was elected president and Donovan May, from Eastern Province, his deputy.CSA also reported a loss of Rand 250 million (US$ 17.8 million) in the 2020-2021 financial year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and tour cancellations. England left South Africa last December after playing three T20Is but the three ODIs did not go ahead as scheduled after breaches of the bio-secure environment. Australia, who were scheduled to play two Tests in South Africa in March, did not tour at all. South Africa were also hopeful of hosting India for three T20Is last August, which did not happen. Those matches are due to take place in India in September this year, ahead of the T20 World Cup, but that might depend on the schedule for the resumption of the IPL. However, CSA is hopeful of a full summer schedule this year, which should see India visit for three Tests over the festive period.Perhaps more importantly, CSA can look forward to a more stable period of governance with the new board adopting a memorandum of incorporation, which guarantees the independent component of the board and chair.”It is highly appropriate that we have reached this historic moment in the transformation of our governance model as we prepared to celebrate the 30th birthday of Cricket South Africa (CSA) or the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) as it was originally known in just over two weeks’ time,” outgoing interim board chair Stavros Nicolaou said. “Our new Memorandum of Incorporation is a document we can all embrace with pride as it puts us in a position to execute the best governance practices that will make CSA able to stand comparison with any other sporting organisation around the globe. It is a world-class document.”Among the new board’s most pressing tasks will be to oversee the conclusion of former acting CEO Kugandrie Govender’s disciplinary proceedings and to advertise for and appoint a permanent CEO. CSA have not had a permanent CEO since Thabang Moroe was suspended in December 2019. They are on their third acting CEO since.

“Maybe in the coming years it might also lead to a World Test Championship [for women]. You never know.”

Annesha Ghosh15-Jun-20212:29

Mithali Raj: I would have liked to play more Test matches earlier in my career

Mithali Raj believes India Women’s return to Test cricket after a gap of nearly seven years could pave the way for multi-format, points-based bilateral series becoming a regular feature on the women’s cricket calendar. This, she said, could even begin the pathway towards a multi-team global tournament for women’s teams fashioned after the men’s World Test Championship.”I feel this Test match and even the pink-ball Test, which is in Australia in the coming months, it’s just the beginning of having a three-format bilateral series,” Raj, India’s Test and ODI captain, said on the eve of the one-off Test against England in Bristol. “It probably opens up the channel to have another format added in a bilateral series and that will clearly help the overall standard of women’s cricket.”Also, the players – I mean, you ask any modern-day cricketer, they still want to play the longer format because they eventually know that the format tests the skill of a player.”The last time India played two or more Tests in a year was in 2014, which was also the last time they appeared in the format. The Bristol Test, which marks their return to red-ball cricket after a break of 2401 days, carries four points for a win under the multi-format system for the tour, which also includes three ODIs and three T20Is.A draw will fetch the teams two points apiece and one point will be awarded for a no-result. Wins in the white-ball games will be worth two points each. The Ashes, which has been the only occasion that has involved Test matches in women’s cricket since 2014, follows the same grading system.Related

• Saba Karim calls for 'strong foundation' to speed up the growth of women's cricket in India

• 'We may not have much practice, but mentally we're prepared' – Harmanpreet Kaur

• Stats – India in sight of most consecutive wins in women's Tests

• 'Mental make-up will make huge difference' – Ramesh Powar on lack of practice

“It’s good to have the Test match in a series,” Raj said. ‘We [already] had the one-dayers and the T20Is. Maybe in the coming years it might also lead to a World Test Championship [for women]. You never know. This is just the beginning. I hope we continue to have bilateral series where all three formats are there.”While a Women’s WTC may seem a distant prospect at the moment, there is a chance that more teams might play Test cricket regularly over the coming years, with the ICC awarding Test status to all Full Member women’s teams in April.The announcement of both the Test against England and the pink-ball game against Australia, scheduled for September-October, was an unexpected development in Indian women’s cricket. On the international circuit, the ODI World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, to be played in the T20 format, both scheduled for next year, and the 2023 T20 World Cup remain the focal points of India’s long-term preparations. In domestic cricket, no red-ball tournaments for women’s cricketers have been held in India since the 2017-2018 season.Longest gaps for India Women in Tests•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Head coach Ramesh Powar and Test vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur identified the dearth of adequate preparedness as a challenge going into the Test in Bristol. Raj echoed her colleagues, but said efforts had been made by senior players like herself and premier fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, as well as Powar, to help the inexperienced members of the 18-member Test and ODI squad to hit the ground running.”There were a few sessions that we tried to have in the whites so that the girls don’t get [intimidated] when they walk into the ground tomorrow because for most of them it’s their first time getting into the ground in the whites,” Raj said. “That is one thing [Powar] tried to get into the sessions. There were four-five sessions where we trained together as a team in the whites, so we get a feel of it in the nets sessions and it doesn’t feel alien for the girls when they get onto the ground.”He also got the seniors to speak to the other players who are less experienced about the format about the last time we played a Test match, so there was a lot of communication with Jhulan talking to the fast bowlers and I’m talking to the batters. So, I think when you have this communication going, it sort of gets the team get collectively prepared for the Test match.”India have won each of their last three Test matches – played over an eight-year span from August 2006 to November 2014 – which puts them level with Australia in terms of most consecutive wins in the format. Raj said the squad hadn’t been thinking about the record, but hoped the players would put in a strong performance, particularly since the Test match will be broadcast live.”In terms of marketing the sport, I think it is great to have a Test match live on television because clearly, a lot of people will follow, now with the pandemic [on] and there’s partial restrictions everywhere [because of lockdowns], so a lot of people will be watching the game,” she said. “As far as the players are concerned, it is equally important [to play well in this Test match]. Seven years back, the scenario was very different for women’s cricket.”Having said that, that team never really thought whether the match is [covered] live or not; it never really crosses a players mind as long as we get in there and we put forward our best performance. Whether it is covered live or not, that’s [not] the players’ lookout. We are there to get there and give our best standard, and if it’s covered live, nothing like it because that’s how the sport will grow being viable.”

Joe Root has been withdrawn from England’s T20 squad in Australia and New Zealand next month, as he prepares to enter the IPL auction

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2018Joe Root has been withdrawn from England’s T20 squad to play in the inaugural tri-series against Australia and New Zealand next month, as he prepares to make his IPL bow after being entered in the auction that takes place in Bangalore on January 27 and 28.Root, who had initially declined the opportunity to sit out the tournament after a draining winter of international cricket, including captaining England to a 4-0 defeat in the Ashes, will instead return home for a break before resuming his place in the squad for the ODI series against New Zealand that gets underway on February 25.Root, who is an automatic pick for England across all three formats, admitted his unease at missing out on international duty, especially given that his stated intention is to make his first foray into the IPL in April and May, at a time when he could instead be taking a break.The financial allure of the IPL is a significant factor in Root’s choice. However, with England fully focussed on the 2019 World Cup, the opportunity for the team’s integral members to broaden their experience by taking part in the world’s foremost T20 league is now considered a vital part of their development, and Root’s decision was made in consultation with the head coach, Trevor Bayliss.”I hate missing games of cricket for England,” Root said. “It is something that doesn’t really sit well with me either. It was a long, hard decision that me and Trevor had to come to.”You look at the amount of cricket that we have got coming up and the opportunity that the IPL brings and you almost have to look at it as more of an investment for my game and for all the England team moving forward.”If being involved in that block of cricket, with everything that tournament brings, is going to add more to my game for the next four or five years then missing a few games here might be worthwhile.”Root has entered the IPL auction at the highest reserve price of £170,000, and could be one of a raft of prominent England players to be picked up by franchises for the first time this year.However, he has never before played in an overseas league, and due to his England commitments, he has featured in just five T20 Blast matches since 2012. Part of his reasoning for wanting to remain a part of the England T20 squad was that he feared the shortest form of the game was evolving without him, but he admitted the monetary side of the IPL is a significant draw too.”Of course, there is a money side to it, there is no point lying about it,” he said. “That is obviously a benefit of playing in the IPL but that is not why I went into the auction. I really believe playing a block of Twenty20 cricket with that scrutiny, being under pressure for long periods of time against the world’s players in that format would be a great opportunity to develop and learn my white-ball game.”With the two major tournaments in white-ball cricket around the corner that is what going there is all about, to gain experience in the short form and work with other players around the world who have had a huge amount of exposure to Twenty20 cricket, and see some different coaches.”

Karun Nair’s unbeaten 59-ball 83 single-handedly helped Delhi Daredevils beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets in a last-ball thriller in Raipur to keep their playoff ambitions burning bright.

The Report by Shashank Kishore20-May-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKarun Nair’s third half-century in a winning cause this season kept Delhi Daredevils alive•BCCI

Karun Nair showed there was place for finesse and street-smart cricket amid the big-hitting in T20s. His unbeaten 59-ball 83 single-handedly helped Delhi Daredevils beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in a last-ball thriller in Raipur to keep their playoff ambitions burning bright. The side must now win their final match against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Raipur on Sunday.With Daredevils needing six off two deliveries, Nair, who had walked in to bat at No. 3, muscled successive boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar to pull off a win that may have not been possible had Sunrisers fielded better than they did. Nair was lucky to survive a caught-behind appeal on 23 in the ninth over, with Daredevils needing 105 off 69. David Warner then put down a sitter when the batsman was on 51. As it turned out, those two moments had a significant bearing on the outcome and Sunrisers, with 16 points, may yet have to win their final league game against Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata to control their fate.While Rishabh Pant was the aggressor in the 73-run second-wicket stand, Nair was happy to farm strike and play himself in before the stroke of luck with the caught-behind appeal brought about a change in mindset. By the time Pant was run out for 32, courtesy Bhuvneshwar’s direct hit from deep cover, Nair had switched gears. It meant Warner’s wonderfully crafted 56-ball 73 was consigned to being second-best.The game started off as a battle of wits. Sunrisers were watchful upfront against Zaheer Khan after being sent in to bat, but the pressure built up at one end was released by offspinner Jayant Yadav and Nathan Coulter-Nile, who leaked runs. Sunrisers motored to 42 without loss in five overs, before the brakes were applied through two run-outs.Shikhar Dhawan, far from his fluent best, was the first to go. Carlos Brathwaite, who replaced the injured Chris Morris, stopped a drive by diving to his left and then hurled a throw back at the striker’s end with Dhawan well short of the crease. Four balls later, Amit Mishra’s half-stop off his own bowling resulted in confusion between Warner and Deepak Hooda, and a direct hit at the bowler’s end found Hooda short. With the score at 48 for 2 in the seventh over, the need of the hour was consolidation.Yuvraj Singh hung around for 10 deliveries, one of which was sent screaming behind point off a fierce cut, before Brathwaite had him chop one onto the stumps, the two-paced nature of the pitch surfacing as the ball kept low to take the inside-edge. Even as wickets tumbled, Warner was a picture of supreme confidence, flaying pacers with flat-batted pulls and slaps through the off side.His technique against the spinners – Mishra and Yadav – was equally effective as he used the depth of the crease to make room and bring his bottom hand into play. Once the off side field opened up, he kept carving boundaries to make batting look ridiculously easy. Warner brought up his half-century off 40 balls and his 32nd IPL fifty helped notch up a record for most fifty-plus scores by a batsman in the tournament.He found able support from Moises Henriques, who milked the singles, and a 13-run over seemed to indicate that Sunrisers were ready to switch to attack. However, an attempt to hit with the spin towards deep midwicket off JP Duminy in the 14th over resulted in Henriques’ wicket, and ended a sprightly 39-run stand.Eoin Morgan’s wicket drained more momentum and it took an enterprising partnership between Naman Ojha and Bhuvneshwar Kumar – the pair added 26 off 15 balls in the last three overs – to take them close to the 160-mark.Daredevils lost Quinton de Kock early, but Nair and Pant kept pace with the asking rate through tactful strike-rotation and the odd boundary. Apart from swatting away full tosses, Nair’s use of the sweep shot to negate Karn Sharma’s legspin was impressive.With Daredevils needing 52 off 30, Sunrisers had a ray of hope in the two potential overs from Mustafizur Rahman. When Duminy, put down on 17 by Bhuvneshwar, holed out to Warner off the first ball bowled by Barinder Sran in the 17th over, the game was wide open. But Nair muscled two sixes in the over to allay fears of a meltdown.Mustafizur’s tight last over – he gave away five runs – left Daredevils needing 11 off the last six balls, but Nair was not to be denied as his third half-century in a winning cause this season kept Daredevils alive.