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With their Scottish Premiership title hopes now in the hands of leaders and Old Firm rivals Celtic, Rangers could be set to make some ruthless decisions this summer, which could see one particular defender depart.

Rangers transfer news

As things stand, the Gers are set to bid farewell to several players at the end of their current contracts this summer, with Leon Balogun, Borna Barisic, Jon McLaughlin and Ryan Jack all set to leave Ibrox at the end of the season. One player who may not suffer that fate, however, is John Lundstram with negotiations ongoing regarding his new contract just weeks away from the expiration of his current deal.

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Following those departures, though, Rangers will have room to make improvements, with Fabio Silva and Oscar Cortes already linked with permanent moves, whilst a move for Eduard Spertsyan has also been mentioned in three moves which would boost Philippe Clement's frontline this summer. And whilst attacking incomings potentially enter Ibrox this summer, they could be funded by the sale of those struggling to break into Clement's current side, with Ben Davies among those.

The former Liverpool defender has endured a frustrating season and journalist Chris Jack now believes the "forgotten" Davies could be among those shown the door at Rangers this summer.

Jack told Rangers Review, relayed by Ibrox News: “It’s been a long time since he’s been on the pitch and [he’s] just become one of the forgotten guys. I think it’s safe to say the manager doesn’t see a place for him, doesn’t rate him.

“There was a lot of talk in the January window about Davies potentially moving on. It’s looking like he’s definitely one the manager will look to shift in the summer. If he’s not even going to get in the matchday squad at present it’s hard to see how he’s got a long-term future.”

Ben Davies' continued struggles

In truth, Davies has struggled since completing a surprise move from Preston North End to Liverpool in January of 2021. Failing to ever break into Jurgen Klopp's plans amid a defensive crisis, the central defender completed a loan switch to Sheffield United before eventually escaping his Anfield nightmare courtesy of a permanent move to Rangers.

Things haven't gone much better in Scotland, however, and after just 12 appearances in all competitions, it's fair to say that Davies may need to move on once again. Now 28 years old, the former Preston man could soon have the chance to get his next move right, given that he is still in what is usually considered a player's prime.

If any club does come for Davies this summer, then his reported £27k per-week salary may prove to be an obstacle. According to Salary Sport, it made him one of Rangers' highest earners in 2023 in what comes as a shock given that he is now on the fringes of Clement's plans at Ibrox.

As the transfer window approaches, it looks as though Clement will have no time for sentiment with some ruthless decisions set to take place ahead of his first full season in charge of Rangers.

Chris Lynn (Kolkata Knight Riders), Jaydev Unadkat (Rajasthan Royals) and Varun Chakravarthy (Kings XI Punjab), the three-most expensive buys at the last two IPL auctions, have been released by their respective franchises. Also back on the auction block is South Africa allrounder Chris Morris, who had been retained by Delhi Capitals before the 2018 auction but was released as the IPL trading window closed on Friday evening India time.Royal Challengers Bangalore released the most number of players (12) followed by the Knight Riders and the Royals (11 each), Mumbai Indians (10), the Capitals (nine), Kings XI (seven), Chennai Super Kings (six) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (five).Overall, Kings XI will have the fattest purse walking into the December 19 auction, to be held in Kolkata, with a kitty of INR 42.70 crore which they accumulated by shedding expensive buys from the last auction. This included Chakravarthy, the Tamil Nadu mystery spinner, who was the joint-most expensive pick along with Unadkat, at INR 8.4 cr, in the 2019 auction. Chakravarthy, who played just one game last IPL, was sidelined with an injury for the majority of this year, making it an easy decision for Kings XI to let him go.The Mohali-based franchise also released Australia quick Andre Tye, who recently picked an injury. Tye, one of the best death bowlers a few years ago, had struggled last IPL and had been bought by Kings XI in 2018 for INR 7.2 cr. The other expensive buys offloaded by Kings XI included England allrounder Sam Curran (7.2 cr in 2019) and young Punjab wicketkeeper-batsman Prabh Simran Singh (4.8 cr in 2019). Another significant release by Kings XI was South Africa batsman David Miller (3 cr in 2018), who had spent eight seasons at the franchise since 2012. However, diminishing returns from Miller are likely to have gone against him eventually.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Miller’s was not the only such case. Two other senior and long-time loyalists, Robin Uthappa and Piyush Chawla were released by the Knight Riders, who are believed to have not been impressed by the ineffective display from both players in the last two years.Uthappa and Chawla were bought by the Knight Riders in 2014. In the 2018 auction the franchise had bought them back through right-to-match cards: Uthappa for a handsome price of 6.4 cr and Chawla for 4.2 cr. However, the 30-year-old legspinner struggled last season and had his worst IPL year in 2019, in terms of economy rate, picking just 10 wickets in 13 matches and leaking 8.96 runs per over. Uthappa, once a matchwinner for the Knight Riders, too, was not at his best in IPL 2019: he managed just one half-century for his 282 runs in 11 innings at an average of 31.33 and strike rate of 115.10.Another example of how much franchises wanted value for money was Lynn. The Australia opener, who was bought initially in 2014, was bought back in the 2018 auction by the Knight Riders for 9.6 cr, making him the most expensive overseas buy. The Knight Riders spent so much because they wanted an aggressive opener, which Lynn had proven himself to be with his explosive batting.In 2017 Lynn played just seven matches for the Knight Riders, but scored 295 runs at an average of 49.16 and strike rate of 181, the highest for anyone who scored over 100 runs that season. However, in the last two seasons his strike rate dropped to the 130s even though he played most of the matches in 2018 and 2019, with three and four half-centuries respectively. The franchise is believed to have had second thoughts this time as they felt they could instead invest in another player who could give similar returns at a lower price, or buy Lynn back for a cheaper rate.Morris, too, had to endure the pain of becoming the only retained player in 2018 to be released this time. He joined the Capitals in 2016, and was the second player retained by them Capitals ahead of the 2018 auction, at 11 crore. However, Morris would have probably sensed the writing was on the wall. In the nine matches he played in 2019, he took 13 wickets but at an economy rate of 9.27, while scoring only 32 runs in six innings with a strike rate of 86.48.Overall, 71 players were released by the eight franchises including 34 overseas names. There will now be a total of 73 slots available at the auction on December 19, including 29 overseas players. One franchise that is likely to be aggressive that day are the Royal Challengers, who revamped their coaching staff with the antipodean pairing of Mike Hesson and Simon Katich as the team director and head coach respectively. Royal Challengers released seven overseas players on Friday, more than any other franchise, and are now left with just AB de Villiers and Moeen Ali among their foreign names.

كشف محمد الشاذلي المتحدث الرسمي لوزارة الشباب والرياضة، عن تطورات جديدة في أزمة احتجاز ثلاثي فريق الكرة بـ الزمالك لدى السطات الإماراتية على خلفية الأزمة الأخيرة.

وكان قد تم التحفظ على الثلاثي من قبل الشرطة الإماراتية، للاعتداء على فرد أمن بمباراة بيراميدز، التي حسمها الفارس الأبيض بركلات الترجيح في نصف نهائي كأس السوبر المصري وذلك يوم الأحد الموافق 20 أكتوبر الماضي.

وأصدرت دائرة القضاء في أبوظبي حكماً ضد ثلاثي الزمالك عبد الواحد السيد (مدير الكرة)، نبيل عماد دونجا ومصطفى شلبي لاعبي الفريق، بالحبس لمدة شهر واحد مع تغريم كل منهم مبلغ 200 ألف درهم إماراتي.

طالع | بالتفاصيل.. حيثيات الحكم على ثلاثي الزمالك في الإمارات بالحبس لمدة شهر

وأعلن محمد الشاذلى عن نجاح التنسيق والتواصل الذي جرى بين السلطات والمؤسسات المصرية ونظيرتها الاماراتية في إنهاء أزمة ثلاثي نادي الزمالك المحتجز هناك.

ومن المنتظر أن يتم خلال الساعات المقبلة الاعلان عن الانتهاء الكامل للأزمة وعودة اللاعبين وذلك في إطار الاحترام الكامل للأطر القانونية وارتكازا على العلاقات التاريخية التي تربط الدولتين الشقيقتين مصر والإمارات.

يذكر، أن فريق الزمالك يستعد لمواجهة البنك الأهلي يوم الجمعة المُقبل الموافق 1 نوفمبر، في الجولة الأولى من الدوري المصري.

Manchester City are on course to sign a French-born youngster after having a bid accepted, according to David Ornstein.

Man City eyeing back-to-back trebles

On the pitch, we are approaching the final stages of the season, with Pep Guardiola’s side still looking to defend their historic treble from the 2022/23 campaign. City are currently battling Arsenal and Liverpool for the Premier League title, while they are also in the quarter-finals of both the FA Cup and Champions League.

Despite this, Guardiola has played down the prospect of City winning all three major honours once more, saying:

"This is a fairy tale, it's more complicated than that. We have a 99.99% possibility that we are not going to win the treble because never, never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever has anyone done it. If it was easy, another team – Manchester United in that time – would do it again. It's not easy. Everything is so difficult in this business, what we did in the past doesn't guarantee anything."

All of Guardiola’s focus will be on on-pitch matters, however, those behind the scenes at the Etihad could soon turn their attention to the transfer market. In fact, it has been reported that long-term target Lucas Paqueta of West Ham United is still on the club’s radar, with City willing to trigger his £86m release clause.

AC Milan winger Rafael Leao also appears to be of interest, with rumours suggesting that City could spend more than £125m on the Portugal international.

Alongside some senior new signings in the summer, the club are also working on bringing in some potential stars in the making, with a development emerging from the Etihad.

Man City have offer accepted for “talent”

Taking to X in the last 48 hours, Ornstein revealed that City are on course to win the race for Cardiff City “talent” Timeo Whisker.

Within his report for The Athletic, Ornstein said that ‘the 15-year-old has excelled in Cardiff’s youth system — attracting interest from some of the country’s leading sides — and it is City who have pounced to win the race’.

A French-born teenager, Whisker could be the latest gem to join City’s academy, with City already dipping into the Championship by signing 15-year-old Finley Gorman from Leeds United, seeing him as a generational talent.

Described as a “quick and powerful” right-footed winger in the media, Whisker will be hoping for a pathway into the City first-team setup over the coming years, making him a youngster to keep an eye on in the academy, should a deal go through as expected.

A "world class" Liverpool star is wanted in a big-money move during the summer transfer window, according to an update from The Times' Paul Hirst.

Liverpool transfer news

Jurgen Klopp may be leaving Anfield at the end of the season, but that hasn't stopped FSG already eyeing up summer signings, ensuring whoever comes in to replace the German is greeted with a couple of welcome gifts.

A shock move for Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite has been mooted, in a transfer that wouldn't go down well at all at Goodison Park. Sporting CP ace Goncalo Inacio also continues to be backed to head to Liverpool, as has been the case for some time now, with the Portuguese seen as arguably one of Europe's most exciting young defenders.

Another potential defensive reinforcement is Crystal Palace central defender Marc Guehi, with the England international likely to leave Selhurst Park in the summer transfer window. A move to a bigger club feels on the cards, given his quality as a player.

Brazilian youngster Luis Guilherme has also been linked with a switch to the Reds, and the same applies to Juventus and France midfielder Adrien Rabiot, should Liverpool feel the need to further bolster their midfield options. Almost as important as new signings is retaining the services of some of the most important players at Anfield, however, and a big update has dropped regarding one such figure.

Reds star linked with another big money move

According to The Times' Hirst, Mohamed Salah is wanted by Saudi Pro League clubs for a big-money move again this summer, with the Liverpool star one of a number of elite players being looked at.

Losing Salah doesn't bear thinking about for the Reds, and while some may be willing to see him leave for an astronomical fee – he turns 32 in the summer – he still has so much to offer at the very top level. The manner in which the Egyptian King looks after himself means he should be able to replicate the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and play well into his 30s, and he is still comfortably Liverpool's most consistent and productive attacking player.

In truth, it is no great surprise that Salah is wanted by Saudi clubs, considering they no doubt see him as a poster boy for the Saudi Pro League, but it would be bitterly disappointing to see him join what is a far inferior division to the Premier League.

Appearances

21

Starts

20

Goals

15

Assists

9

Shots per game

3.2

Key passes per game

2.3

Tackles per game

0.6

Salah's current deal runs out in the summer of 2025, so it is clear that this year is when a big decision needs to made when it comes to his future, but a new contract should be handed to him, not only as a reward for so many years of brilliance – he has been called "world class" by Klopp – but also because he still has so much left in the tank for Liverpool.

Tottenham Hotspur certainly wasn't a happy place when Ange Postecoglou walked in the door over the summer, the club reeling off the back of a season that saw both Antonio Conte and Cristian Stellini shown the door, as the Lilywhites meekly slipped to a lowly eighth-place finish – with supporters venting their anger at owner, Daniel Levy.

To make life even tougher for the former Celtic boss, he was also forced to deal with the departure of the club's record goalscorer, Harry Kane, with the 30-year-old hoping to secure some long-awaited silverware by sealing a move to Bundesliga powerhouse, Bayern Munich.

While many might have expected Spurs to wilt without their talisman, they have in fact looked revitalised this season under the new Postecoglou regime, with it perhaps Kane who is looking back enviously amid possible frustrations in Germany – Thomas Tuchel's side currently way off the pace in the title race.

In the Englishman's absence, the north Londoners have been led superbly by skipper, Heung-min Son, the South Korean sensation netting 12 goals already this season in the Premier League, while even Richarlison has begun to get in on the act – scoring six goals in his last six top-flight outings.

Despite the Brazilian's heroics, however, there may still be a desire at N17 to acquire a more natural successor to Kane through the middle, even after securing Timo Werner on an initial loan move earlier this month.

If Spurs are to strike a late move for a centre-forward they should well look to someone who has previously thrived under Postecoglou's management…

Postecoglou could reunite with a familiar face at N17

Reports last summer suggested that the new Tottenham boss was keen to bring Kyogo Furuhashi with him from Parkhead, with The Sun claiming that the London side were eyeing a £30m move for the Japan international.

The same publication also outlined back in November that Postecoglou had sent club scouts to watch the 29-year-old in action in Glasgow, perhaps raising the possibility that a move could be on the agenda before the window closes.

Making the leap from the Scottish Premiership to England's top flight would certainly not be straightforward, yet the ex-Vissel Kobe man's likeness to one of James Maddison's former colleagues – Jamie Vardy – should ensure that he is also able to terrorise Premier League defences.

How Kyogo compares to Vardy

Maddison – who joined Spurs from Leicester City on a £40m deal over the summer – struck up what he described as a "good relationship" with Vardy during their time at the King Power Stadium, hailing his experienced compatriot as a "world-class striker".

That 'good relationship' saw Maddison regularly provide the goods for his teammate from a playmaking berth, teeing up the one-time Fleetwood Town man for 11 goals during their spell together, while also being the recipient of six assists himself from the Premier League winner.

Tottenham's number ten was particularly complimentary of the veteran marksman's "unbelievable" movement – something that Erling Haaland has taken inspiration from – with Vardy able to torment a defence by getting into the right place at the time.

That is a trait that Kyogo also shares, as Postecoglou himself admitted back in March that the Celtic man's movement is the "best" that he has "ever seen", with pundit John Collins describing him as a "midfielder's dream" as he "doesn't stand still".

Collins also lauded Kyogo for the way he "hounds defences", while ex-Rangers captain Barry Ferguson has described him as an "absolute pest" due to his relentless work ethic and pressing ability, praise that has also been dished out to Vardy – former Foxes coach Craig Shakespeare lauding him "a pest on the shoulder of defenders".

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Such similarities between the pair have also been noted by pundit Frank McAvennie, who suggested that Kyogo is "like a younger, faster Jamie Vardy", with regard to the version of the Englishman that current Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers had at Leicester.

Not only a player then that Maddison could thrive working alongside, but the £30m man also has the benefit of his familiarity with Postecoglou, leading from the front so impressively over the last few years for the Old Firm side.

Kyogo's record under Postecoglou at Celtic

The 21-cap Japan international was in fact the Greek-Aussie's first signing following his surprise appointment at Celtic Park back in 2021, the diminutive striker joining for a fee of just £4.6m after spending all of his career prior to that in his homeland.

That capture proved a real masterstroke for the former Yokohama F.Marinos coach, with Kyogo scoring 54 goals and contributing ten assists in just 83 games under his management over the next two seasons, scoring at a rate of one goal every 99 minutes across all competitions.

Kyogo's 2022/23 Scottish Premiership season by numbers
36 games
27 goals
1 assist
1 big chance created
0.3 key passes per game
4.0 possession lost per game
7.11 average match rating
Stats via Sofascore

The prolific talent was particularly impressive last season as the Premiership giants swept all before them domestically, netting 34 times in 50 games across all fronts, including 27 goals in 36 league outings.

Such form led to him signing a new deal in Glasgow over the summer despite interest from Spurs, although it would be no surprise if Postecoglou goes back in for the 5 foot 7 ace before the current window closes, amid the need to fill that Kane-sized void.

Yes, Richarlison has begun to his stride in Lilywhite, yet with Kyogo having proven how seamlessly he can fit into the 58-year-old's set-up, it remains a no-brainer to at least give him the chance to prove himself in the Premier League before too long.

Having seen the impact that Vardy – who has 136 top-flight goals to his name to date – made in the competition, signing a possible clone in the form of the Celtic man would represent dream business for Maddison, Postecoglou and Spurs as a whole.

Whilst Fulham are yet to complete their first move of the January transfer window, they still have a number of hours to welcome some crucial reinforcements for Marco Silva. With that said, reports suggest that the Cottagers are going all or nothing in the final stages.

Fulham transfer news

Still looking to cement their place in the Premier League's mid-table, Fulham could still add that extra bit of quality that they currently lack at times, sitting 12th and just seven points clear of the relegation zone.

It could be argued that they still haven't replaced Aleksandar Mitrovic, who left for Al-Hilal in the summer transfer window. Summer arrival Raul Jimenez has only shown glimpses of what he's capable of and there's still questions over his out-and-out goalscoring ability, having found the back of the net just five times in the Premier League so far this season.

Solving that problem could yet be Armando Broja, who will now reportedly be allowed to leave Chelsea on loan in what is a late u-turn from those at Stamford Bridge. If Fulham do sign a striker, however, they will need a creator to match. And that could yet come in the form of a Ligue 1 star. According to Ed Aarons, Fulham have opened talks to sign Rayan Cherki from Lyon, who value their midfielder at £35m.

With Lyon reportedly set to sign West Ham United's Said Benrahma, they could certainly do with raising funds and there may be no better way to do so than by selling Cherki to Fulham before the deadline arrives. According to Jack Rosser of The Sun though, the Cottagers have seen their proposal of a loan with an option to buy knocked back by Lyon, leaving a deal unlikely unless they can stump up a more immediate fee.

"Unbelievable" Cherki would be instant upgrade on Pereira

Since Mitrovic's departure, Fulham have lacked star power, and that's something that Cherki can provide in abundance. Still only 20-years-old, the attacking midfielder has been unfortunate enough to be part of a struggling Lyon side in Ligue 1 this season but could rediscover his best form with a move to Craven Cottage under Silva. Cherki's stats certainly show that he'd be an upgrade on Andreas Pereira.

Domestic League 2023/24

Rayan Cherki

Andreas Pereira

Progressive Carries

59

36

Progressive Passes

85

67

Take-ons Completed

43

13

Goals

0

1

Assists

3

4

Based on the numbers, Cherki's output is only likely to increase in a better-performing side, which may well turn out to be Fulham. It's no surprise that former France international Frank Leboeuf previously had nothing but good things to say about the midfielder when speaking to ESPN.

Leboeuf said: "Skill-wise, one of the best players already on earth. He’s unbelievable for a 19-year-old. The guy can do everything. But he’s young and still has to improve. He needs to learn when he has to get rid of the ball, it’s always half a second too early or half a second too late. It’s that rhythm that he needs to learn."

India’s Jemimah Rodrigues has been signed up by Yorkshire Diamonds for the fourth edition of the Kia Super League.Rodrigues, the up-and-coming 18-year-old batting allrounder, is a fearless stroke-player and has been consistent both at home and away in her short career so far. Having made her international debut only in February 2018, in South Africa, she averages 30.40 and has a strike rate of 123.57 in her 25-T20I career. In her most recent outing on foreign soil, Rodrigues impressed against the moving ball in testing New Zealand conditions in an ODI series, notching up a career-best 81 not out in Napier to help set up India’s 2-1 series win.Her ability against some of the world’s most established bowlers was on show more recently at the Women’s T20 Challenge in Jaipur, where she was named the Player of the Tournament after scoring 123 runs in three games at an average of 61.50.ALSO READ: Jemimah Rodrigues – ready for lift-offESPNcricinfo understands that Rodrigues will leave for the UK towards the end of July and will be available for the whole tournament.Although Loughborough Lightning, too, had expressed an interest in signing Rodrigues up, Diamonds got in touch with the player’s management team in early May and inked the deal.”More than anything, it’s the experience of playing in an overseas league that will count for a teenager like Jemimah,” her mother Lavita Rodrigues said. “Her progress since her India debut last year has been steady, with god’s grace, and we want this experience to help her be an even better player.”India opener Smriti Mandhana had set the tournament alight last year with a chart-topping 421 runs in her debut season, playing for Western Storm while Harmanpreet Kaur, the Indian T20I captain, who debuted along with Mandhana last year, had an up-and-down run with Lancashire Thunder. Official news on their future in the league is awaited.The upcoming edition of the six-team KSL begins on August 6. Defending champions Surrey Stars will take on Diamonds, while Storm, finalists last season, and Thunder will host Loughborough Lightning and Southern Vipers respectively.Bangladesh, meanwhile, will be represented by allrounder Jahanara Alam and top-order batsman Fargana Hoque in the Women’s Global Development Squad (WGDS), an ICC-ECB initiative now in its second year. Alam, who stood out with her incisive swing bowling and fielding at the Women’s T20 Challenge, was also part of the inaugural WGDS that lost to Loughborough Lighting in last year’s double-header.

Duckett, Malan in squad for ODI against Ireland and T20 against Pakistan, Vince included for five one-dayers against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Apr-2019Ben Duckett and Dawid Malan will join England’s ODI squad for Friday’s match against Ireland and a T20 clash with Pakistan on Sunday, while James Vince will enter the squad for the upcoming five-game one-day series with Pakistan.Their inclusions come in the wake of Alex Hales’ axing and an untimely injury to opening batsman Jason Roy.Hales was withdrawn from all England squads ahead of the international season following his 21-day ban for using recreational drugs.Malan was part of England’s touring party to the Caribbean at the start of this year, although he did not play, and he made an unbeaten 160 in Middlesex’s County Championship season opener. Duckett played the last of his three ODIs in 2016. He top scored with 86 as Nottinghamshire reached 433 for 7 in a Royal London Cup match against Leicestershire last week.Vince, who was originally selected for the Ireland ODI and the T20I against Pakistan, was added to England’s squad for the ODIs against Pakistan after scoring a career-best 190 for Hampshire in their Royal London Cup victory over Gloucestershire last week.While none of the three have been included in England’s preliminary 15-man squad for the World Cup, the upcoming matches against Ireland and Pakistan represent an opportunity for all players involved to press their case for selection before the squad is finalised on May 23.Roy suffered a hamstring injury during England’s tour of West Indies in February and, shortly into his comeback with Surrey, was troubled by back spasms. He will continue to receive treatment before meeting up with the England squad ahead of the first ODI agianst Pakistan at the the Kia Oval on May 8.Fast bowler Mark Wood also withdrew from the squad for the ODI against Ireland and T20I against Pakistan. He will play two Royal London Cup matches for Durham before joining the England squad in London next week for the Pakistan ODI series.England 13-man squad for Ireland ODI and Pakistan T20I: Eoin Morgan, Jofra Archer, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, James Vince, David Willey.England 17-man squad for Pakistan ODI series: Eoin Morgan, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

The new set-up at CWI means that players previously frozen out of selection could be given a chance to return

Vishal Dikshit10-Apr-2019Kieron Pollard last played an ODI in October 2016 but may still have hopes of making it to the West Indies World Cup squad because of a new set-up running Cricket West Indies (CWI). After smashing his highest IPL score – 83 off 31 balls – to help Mumbai Indians edge Kings XI Punjab in a last-ball finish in Mumbai on Wednesday night, Pollard was asked if he thought he would be picked in the World Cup squad that will be announced later this month, and he indirectly said anything could be possible.”Every time I get the opportunity to play, I want to do my best,” Pollard said. “There has been a lot of turmoil in West Indies cricket over the last couple of years. We have seen in the last couple of weeks there’s a change. Pollard was one of the guys blacklisted. The most I can do every time I step on the cricket field is try to put runs on the board. There’s people there who have the job to select and whatever and let’s see how that goes. As I said, I’m 31 years, Chris Gayle is still playing, he’s 39, and he’s whacking it all around.”Pollard was referring to Dave Cameron’s controversial reign as the CWI president coming to an end last month when Ricky Skerritt, a former West Indies team manager, beat Cameron by an 8-4 margin in the board elections. Cameron had several fallouts with senior West Indies players, especially Darren Sammy who led them to two World T20 titles.ALSO READ: Smart Stats – Kieron Pollard easily outshines KL RahulWhen asked if West Indies could be one of the stronger sides at the World Cup, given the form of some of the West Indies players in the IPL, Pollard said: “Yeah, of course you can say that. But again, as I said that’s why there’s people…we have a new chairman of selectors, there’s a new president of the cricket board, and as I said you take it as it comes. Last year, you might not have been asking me that question. Yes, I scored runs tonight so all sorts of questions will come but for me it’s just about enjoying cricket and doing my best with my god-given talent.”We know what we can do and I think Chris batted superbly. A fellow West Indian is [Andre] Russell…he’s smacking the ball and it’s great to see the way he’s hitting the ball and [Sunil] Narine. These guys are having a good tournament and again, when your mind is free, you just go out and enjoy cricket. You don’t think about much because there are a lot of opinions, there are a lot of things, but it’s people as close to you and what they think matters.”Pollard had recently returned to the T20I squad for West Indies when in October it emerged that the door was opening for some senior players to feature in the World Cup. CWI officials had stated that availability for domestic tournaments was a requirement to be picked for West Indies squads, and they advanced the domestic 50-over competition (Super50 Cup) from February 2019 to October 2018 to avoid a clash with any T20 leagues. CWI had said if the players featured in the Super50 and performed, they could be picked for the World Cup.Pollard represented his domestic side Trinidad & Tobago in all seven games but with unimpressive figures – 69 runs from seven innings to average under 10, and took three wickets in the 50 balls he bowled in the tournament.However, Pollard then went on to score 284 runs in the PSL in 13 innings at a strike rate of 173.17, and take five wickets, for Peshawar Zalmi. In the IPL, he has so far scored 179 runs in six innings, with two unbeaten knocks, to average 44.75, and is striking at 194.56.