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Tottenham Hotspur supporters will generally be satisfied with their team's progress this season, fifth-placed in the Premier League with ten matches left to play.
The ongoing international break allows clubs to pause and recalibrate, and this will likely have been welcomed by Ange Postecoglou given the chastening 3-0 defeat away to Fulham last time out.
Postecoglou said that qualifying for next season's Champions League group phase is not the be-all and end-all for his squad, instead prioritising growth and collective development.
This is an admirable and prudent approach, but a spot in Europe's elite club competition would certainly be a lift and a mark of progress for supporters and players, also improving the chances of landing the best talent in the summer transfer window.
According to prominent German outlet BILD – via Sport Witness – Tottenham are set to wage transfer battle with London rivals Chelsea for the transfer of Bayer Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah, having already made an approach prior to the winter window.
Both Premier League clubs 'knocked' for the 28-year-old back in December but there was nothing doing, however, Tah is understood to be intrigued by the possibility of a move to England, should a suitor offer Champions League football.
Spurs are well in contention to achieve just that, and given that Chelsea are currently 11th in the league table heading into the business end, 14 points behind Tottenham, Daniel Levy will be confident of winning any race for Tah's signature.
Tah is out of contract in 2025 and, as such, Leverkusen will welcome cheap bids for the player's signature, with Kicker revealing earlier in the campaign that a bid approaching €18m (£15m) might do the trick.
Tah has been an integral member of a Bayer Leverkusen side working absolute wonders under the tutelage of Xabi Alonso this season, undefeated in all competitions, top of the German Bundesliga, into the semi-finals of the DFB Pokal and awaiting West Ham United in the Europa League last-eight.
As per Sofascore, the £46k-per-week titan has started 23 Bundesliga matches this season, keeping nine clean sheets, scoring four goals, completing 97% of his passes, averaging 5.5 ball recoveries and 3.3 clearances per game and succeeding with 70% of his aerial battles.
Considered to be a monstrous physical presence and a confident player with the ball at his feet, the 6 foot 4 star has been described as a "physically strong and very quick" centre-half by former Germany Men's manager Joachim Löw, with this supreme athleticism speaking of shades of Micky van de Ven, who also made the move from Germany to the Premier League last season.
Tah typically plays in a back-three for Die Werkself but is a proven player in a more traditional defence, highlighting the versatility that could be tailor-made for a place in Postecoglou's interchangeable, multi-functioning Lilywhites system.
He'd be perfect for Tottenham, augmenting a defensive group consisting of star defensive axis Van de Ven and Cristian Romero but also nurturing £27m January acquisition Radu Dragusin, aged 21.
With a return to continental competition on the cards next term and a desire to wade deep into the domestic cup competitions, depth is paramount and Tah would be the perfect fit.
Tah has the highest passing accuracy from open play of any athlete in the German top-flight this term at 97%, placing him above even Van de Ven in the Premier League, with the Dutchman completing 95% of his balls for Postecoglou's side.
As per FBref, Tah ranks among the top 10% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 13% for passes attempted per 90 and the top 1% for pass completion, with his elite technical control and natural knack for goalscoring tools that would be well-wielded within Postecoglou's tactical set-up.
|
Jonathan Tah: Similar Premier League Players |
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|---|---|---|
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# |
Player |
Club |
|
1. |
Virgil van Dijk |
Liverpool |
|
2. |
Pau Torres |
Aston Villa |
|
3. |
Ibrahima Konate |
Liverpool |
|
4. |
Nathan Ake |
Manchester City |
|
5. |
Levi Colwill |
Chelsea |
|
Sourced via Football Transfers |
||
Moreover, Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is considered Tah's most comparable Premier League player, as per Football Transfers, with such a skill set hardly unlikely to succeed down the N17.
Van Dijk has been near indomitable at times this season for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, thriving at the heart of a resurgent, title-chasing side and restoring a backline that welcomed no transfer additions last summer despite a dismal 2022/23 campaign, also contending with injuries to Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip and shot-stopper Alisson Becker this season.
As per Sofascore, the 32-year-old colossus has been breathtaking in the league, completing 91% of his passes, scoring two goals and supplying two assists, averaging 5.1 ball recoveries and 4.3 clearances per game and coming out on top in a staggering 84% of his aerial battles.
He also ranks among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 4% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for passes attempted, the top 10% for pass completion, the top 17% for progressive passes and the top 2% for aerial wins per 90.
Quite simply, Van Dijk is one of the best in the business, and while Klopp and Postecoglou implement different styles of play, both are reliant on innate understanding, progression and fluency.
This is evidenced by the turnaround in fortunes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season since Van de Ven arrived and settled the equilibrium next to Romero.
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However, both stars have been sidelined at different intervals this term and this has laid the Lilywhites' fragility bare. This cannot be allowed to resurface and pull the squad back in regression after such promise throughout Postecoglou's maiden campaign.
Once described as a "defensive battleship" by former teammate Christoph Kramer, Tah must be signed, joining the fold and offering his skill set in what would add another layer to the building Spurs machine.
PCB also makes substantial changes to domestic set-up, with as many as 16 coaches losing their jobs
Umar Farooq20-Aug-2020Former Pakistan internationals Mohammad Yousuf and Mohammad Zahid have been appointed to the High Performance centre as batting and bowling coaches respectively.Yousuf had a successful playing career for Pakistan, making 9720 runs in ODIs and 7530 runs in Tests, and now his shift to coaching has become a major talking point in the country. This will be his first coaching assignment after he had retired from international cricket in 2010.”My ambitions in making a career in coaching are an open secret but it was all about the timing and a proper roadmap for our future cricket in which I could contribute effectively,” he said. “I believe this is the right time for me to start my second innings as I can sense the intent and optimism in the approach. I am delighted to have been offered this opportunity and I firmly believe I can help young cricketers by transferring my knowledge and experience, which I have acquired after being part of one of the brightest and formidable eras of Pakistan cricket.”The PCB also made substantial changes to the domestic set-up, with as many as 16 coaches losing their jobs, including Azam Khan, Arshad Khan, Ijaz Ahmed Jnr, and Kabir Khan.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Abdul Razzaq will replace Kabir at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while Basit Ali, the former SNGPL coach, takes over the reins from Azam at Sindh. Faisal Iqbal will coach Balochistan while Shahid Anwar will be in charge of Central Punjab. Both Abdur Rehman (Southern Punjab) and Mohammad Wasim (Northern) were retained. All six domestic coaches will also act as national selection committee members to assist Pakistan coach-cum-chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq.”I want to thank all the outgoing coaches for their contributions and urge them to remain involved with this great game as the PCB is optimistic there will be future opportunities in the game, both as coaches and consultants,” Nadeem Khan, PCB’s director of High Performance, said in a statement.”When the PCB had launched the revamped domestic structure last year on 29th August, it had announced it was an evolving process and changes will be made to further strengthen the structure. Due to paucity of time last season, the coaches couldn’t be appointed through a review, analysis and recruitment process, which we have corrected this year.”Razzaq’s appointment, in particular, has raised a few eyebrows as the only coaching experience the former allrounder has is a short stint with Quetta Gladiators in the PSL a few seasons ago. Iqbal, the new Balochistan coach, has had two stints with Karachi Kings in the PSL. Atiq-uz-Zaman, who had been rejected by the PCB less than a year ago for an Under-19 role, has now been appointed fielding and wicketkeeping coach at the High Performance centre.Atiq will assist Yousuf and Zahid and Mushtaq Ahmed, who is currently on tour in the UK with the national team as their spin-bowling coach, at the High Performance centre. Abdul Majeed and Mansoor Rana, who had been part of the High Performance centre, are now the fielding coach and team manager respectively of the Pakistan national side.The new changes will be effective from the upcoming season as the PCB made a decision in principle last month to start domestic cricket this year in a biosecure environment, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The season is likely to start next month with the national T20 Cup. Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the premier domestic tournament, is likely to played entirely in Karachi. There will be a 40-man squad for each of the six association teams this year due to concerns around the pandemic. All teams for each association will be re-selected by the newly appointed coaches through a draft process later this month.
Newcastle United have endured a difficult 2023/24 campaign as they have failed to kick on after they qualified for the Champions League last season.
Eddie Howe's side finished in the top four in the Premier League to secure European football and reached the final of the League Cup last term, but things have not gone as well this time around.
The Magpies are currently tenth in the top-flight, have been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions, and finished bottom of their Champions League group.
Change could be on the horizon during the summer transfer window if Newcastle do not enjoy a terrific end to the season, as the head coach could look to make alterations to his playing squad to bounce back next term.
One player who could be on their way out of St. James' Park is Sean Longstaff, who has been linked with a move away from the club, and Howe may already have a homegrown replacement for the midfielder in U21 starlet James Huntley.
According to a report from the Sunday Mirror (17 March, page 66), via Sports View, Championship side Leeds United are lining up a swoop to sign the English metronome at the end of the season.
Longstaff's current contract with the Magpies is due to expire at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, and the Whites are looking to take advantage of that by making a move for him this summer.
He will only have 12 months left on his deal later this year and Newcastle could be forced to either cash in on him or risk losing the academy graduate for nothing in 2025.
The report claims that the club have had preliminary talks with the central midfielder over a contract extension on Tyneside, but it remains to be seen whether or not they will be successful in their attempts to tie him down.
It states that Leeds, who are currently top of the Championship and on course to seal promotion to the top-flight, are eyeing up a £15m deal to secure his services.
That could help Newcastle with their own desire to bolster the squad as that £15m would be pure profit, given that Longstaff came through the academy rather than being bought for millions from another team.
The Magpies may also benefit from cashing in on Longstaff on the pitch as the English dud's performances this season have been far from convincing.
Across 25 appearances in the Premier League this term, the 26-year-old lightweight has failed to make a big impact in or out of possession for Howe's side.
He currently ranks within the bottom 38% of his positional peers in the top-flight for pass completion rate (80.7%), the bottom 14% for shot-creating actions (1.61) per 90, and the bottom 39% for Expected Assisted Goals (0.08) per 90.
This shows that Longstaff, who is also in the bottom 17% for progressive carries (0.66) per 90, has been wasteful with his use of the ball, as he has given possession away more than the average midfielder in the league whilst also being below average as a creator.
The academy graduate also ranks within the bottom 34% or lower of midfielders in the Premier League for tackles (1.75), interceptions (0.52), clearances (0.76), and aerial battles won (0.43) per 90 respectively.
These statistics show that the Toon lightweight, who has lost 53% of his duels in the division, has been below average defensively and in possession as a passer and creator. Although, Longstaff has scored four goals in his 25 league outings, which shows that he does offer a goal threat from midfield.
His struggles at both ends of the pitch were on display in Newcastle's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday, as you can see in the table below.
|
Sean Longstaff |
Against Manchester City |
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
62 |
|
Sofascore rating |
6.4 |
|
Duels won |
1/4 |
|
Pass accuracy |
77% |
|
Key passes |
0 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
The Leeds United target was sloppy in possession, with zero chances created and a 77% pass accuracy, and was dominated in the physical battle, with one duel won out of four contested.
Therefore, the Magpies could decide to rake in £15m from Daniel Farke's side for Longstaff to boost their own transfer budget, given his poor displays this term, and Howe may already have a homegrown replacement for him in the form of Huntley.
The academy starlet, who earns less – per Salary Sport – (£760-per-week) than his former U21s teammate Lewis Miley (£2k-per-week), is a promising young central midfielder who could emerge as a first-team option.
Miley's emergence – with 27 first-team appearances this season – shows that Howe is willing to dip into the youth team to find solutions to problems within his senior squad.
Huntley could now follow in his former teammate's footsteps and come through as a homegrown heir to Longstaff's position in the team, should the club decide to move the 26-year-old dud on this summer.
The 20-year-old youngster showcased his quality against first-team opposition in the form of Crewe in the EFL Trophy earlier this season, as you can see in the table below.
|
James Huntley |
Against Crewe |
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
90 |
|
Sofascore rating |
7.7 |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Key passes |
1 |
|
Duels won |
6/16 |
|
Tackles + interceptions |
3 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
Huntley scored Newcastle's only goal from the spot in a 2-1 loss but also showcased his combative nature with two tackles, one interception, one block, and one clearance to win six duels.
Whereas, Longstaff has only won 3.3 duels per game on average and averaged less than one key pass (0.6) per match in the Premier League this season.
This suggests that the potential is there for the U21s maestro to offer more than the first-team dud as a competitor and creator in midfield, if he can translate that level of performance over to the senior team.
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Huntley has also chipped in with contributions in the final third throughout his time in the academy, with three goals and three assists in 32 U21 outings, after a return of four goals and four assists in 37 matches for the U18s.
These statistics show that the Magpies youngster is a midfielder who can compete to win duels and win possession back for his side more often than Longstaff whilst also being able to offer quality at the top end of the pitch with goals and assists.
Therefore, the 20-year-old gem, who still has plenty of time left to develop and improve further, could emerge as a dream homegrown replacement for the Leeds target and follow in Miley's footsteps if Howe offers him a chance to impress.
Steven Gerrard has backed Florian Wirtz to shine at Anfield and urged Liverpool to complete the transfer quickly.
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Talk of innovations is a “good discussion” although the paceman not keen on free hits for wides
Andrew McGlashan11-Jun-2020Kane Richardson believes on-field innovations for the Big Bash are worth discussing but ultimately the tournament will be judged on the quality of the cricket.Since the tournament expanded two seasons ago there has been a debate about whether it has diluted the league with a slip in average attendance and viewing figures. With the competition set to retain its expanded 61-game format, which is locked in as part of the broadcast deal, any changes will be seen in the middle with a range of tweaks being considered ranging from bonus points to free hits for wides.Richardson was not particularly enthused by the idea of being penalised further for letting go a wide, but sees the value in looking at bringing new elements to the game if it adds to the experience for fans on TV and in the ground. However, fundamentally, high-quality cricket played on good pitches with the bat dominating is what will get people coming back or tuning in again.”I think with all the innovations, it’s a good discussion to have but in the end the best selling point will be the standard of cricket,” he said. “When people turn on the TV at night or come to the ground they want to see high-scoring games, full of skill, albeit knowing as a bowler that means better pitches, faster outfields, even smaller boundaries. I think we are all used to it, been that way for a while now.”The quality of pitches is something that’s maybe lacked in the last couple of years and they started to get that right last year. As long as the skill and the runs are there then think anyone will be happy.”I saw a few things had been mentioned. Bonus points, that would be great, think it would make the ladder more interesting towards the backend of the tournament. Think I saw free hits if you bowl a wide, which I’m obviously not that keen on because we get that wrong occasionally so don’t think we should be punished that harsh. It’s a good conversation to have to make the BBL the best product we can, so I’ll be keen to see what they can come up with so long as it’s not something that’s just punishing the bowlers.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd
The T20 format is the priority for Richardson at this stage of his career, although he is also part of Australia’s ODI set-up and is still keen to play first-class cricket whenever possible for South Australia having made just two outings in the last two seasons. He is one of the players who would likely miss a chunk of the Australian domestic season if the T20 World Cup was postponed due to Covid-19 and replaced by the IPL later this year.”From my point of view, what’s going to be the best competition to play in? It’s going to be the IPL behind the World Cup,” he said. “If it clashes with the start of the domestic summer then that’s up for debate and above us players on what decision will be made. I’ve read a lot of commentary around a lot of past players saying that maybe it’s better if we stay back here and play in Australia. So there’s probably no wrong answer as long as we’re playing cricket, everyone is keen on doing that right now.”Whether this year’s T20 World Cup takes place as planned or not, Richardson has made himself a regular part of Australia’s side having played nine matches in a row against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa as the team notched seven wins and just one defeat in those series.”You feel more comfortable and confident the more you play and the more success you can have but I’m probably at an age now where I understand my game and understand my body. When I was in my early 20s, I was trying to bowl a 145kph and not want to bowl a slower ball because I thought that was a weaker option. You want to be the firebrand who swings them around and bowls really fast.”But I think I’ve learnt in the last couple of years that there’s a role in most T20 teams where you can be adaptable in terms of your variations, what’s going to be successful on any certain day, on any certain surface. It’s just something I’ve got better at and I’ve learnt a couple of different slower balls from a couple of different guys over the years. But still got a lot of improvement in myself and hopefully I can keep getting better.”
Results from the ODI series were supposed to count towards points in the ICC’s new one-day league
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-2020South Africa’s limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka, which was scheduled for the first half of June, has been postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The teams were set to play three ODIs and three T20Is during the tour, with results from the former counting towards points in the ICC’s new one-day league.”It is very sad that we have been forced to take this step and we will re-schedule the tour as soon as cricket returns to a sense of normality and our international fixture list allows,” Cricket South Africa acting chief executive Jacques Faul said in a statement.”Our Proteas would not have been able to prepare properly taking our own lockdown situation into account and, more importantly, health considerations for our players, which are always paramount, were the over-riding factor.”Graeme Smith, CSA’s director of cricket, had also earlier indicated that players would need six weeks of preparation time before embarking on a tour, given the ongoing global lockdowns.South Africa’s next assignment is a two-Test, five T20I tour to West Indies in July-August. A decision on that tour is expected mid-May.The inaugural ODI league was due to run from May 2020 to March 2022, featuring the 12 Test-playing teams and Netherlands – the 13th ranked ODI side, which qualified for the league from the World Cricket League Championship. The top eight sides from the league will qualify automatically for the 2023 World Cup.”[This series] would have been a particularly important tour for us with the three ODIs counting for the new ICC one-day league and the T20 programme being part of our preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup scheduled for Australia later this year,” Faul said. “It is very frustrating for the players who want to build on the good form they showed at the back-end of our home summer against Australia.”This is the second one-day series with ODI league points at stake to be postponed, after Ireland v Bangladesh. The ICC is yet to officially comment on how the schedule will be rejigged to accommodate series that are part of the ODI league and the Test Championship, but more is expected on this following high-level meetings on Thursday.Two series that count towards the Test Championship – Sri Lanka v England and Bangladesh v Australia – have also been postponed due to the pandemic. The men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in Australia in October-November, another tournament that is in doubt in current circumstances.
The Lionesses striker was twice denied by the crossbar on Saturday, but Jonas Eidevall's side were still able to progress to the next round.
You could almost hear the sigh of relief when the final whistle went and Arsenal secured their place in the second round of Champions League qualifying on Saturday night, by virtue of a 1-0 win over Rosenborg. The Gunners crashed out at this stage last season and so as long as that second goal continued to evade them, despite a dominant performance, the nerves were always going to build among the home faithful. Fortunately for them, an opportunistic finish from Norway international Frida Maanum was enough to break the hearts of the team from her homeland and put Arsenal into Monday's draw.
It was a positive start from Jonas Eidevall's side and, after warning shots were fired by Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo, Maanum opened the scoring with less than 20 minutes played, with a helping hand from some rather calamitous Rosenborg defending. The Norwegian side fell behind in their shock win over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday but rallied late on to set up this clash and it was clear that their plan from this point onwards was to replicate that success. They rode their luck to stay alive in the game, though, with Russo hitting the crossbar and Maanum firing just wide before the break.
It was more of the same in the second half, with the only difference being that Rosenborg became increasingly more adventurous. That will have no doubt had the Arsenal fans getting a little more nervy as Russo again struck the woodwork and Kyra Cooney-Cross followed her lead seconds later, while Leah Williamson saw a header cleared off the line. But Maanum's early finish proved to be enough to move the Gunners on to the second round of Champions League qualifying, with them to find out their next European opponent in Monday's draw.
GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Meadow Park…
West Ham United are looking at signing a new transfer target who's been praised for having the best season of his career to date.
Much has been made about the future of manager David Moyes with his contract expiring this summer, and while the Scotsman divides opinion among West Ham's fan base, he certainly hasn't been helped by a lack of new forward options.
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Both Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals vacated the London Stadium in January, leaving Moyes bereft of wide options, so that is surely something West Ham could look to fix this summer.
That wasn't for lack of trying, according to some reports, with journalist Graeme Bailey claiming last month that West Ham missed out on over half a dozen January deals. Indeed, it is thought they targeted Ismaila Sarr, Stephen Bergwijn, Marcos Leonardo, Ibrahim Osman, Jota, Hugo Ekitike and Armando Broja in the winter with all moves failing to materialise.
If injury were to befall either Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen or Lucas Paqueta – it would display just how short West Ham are of attacking options with just Danny Ings, Michail Antonio and youngster Divin Mubama behind them.
According to Sky Sports Germany, and their journalist Dennis Bayer, West Ham are now looking at Stuttgart star Chris Fuhrich as a solution to their lack of star attacking depth.
The 26-year-old, who's bagged six goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga alone this season, is now a candidate for Germany's Euro 2024 squad following his excellent season at Stuttgart – and this has apparently piqued West Ham's interest.
“Chris Führich plays a strong season, has the best scorers of his entire career and is a very hot candidate to be in the German squad at the European Championship,” he told Sky Germany (via Sport Witness).
“Some teams have him on their lists, Leipzig for example, West Ham too, because in Führich’s new contract there is an exit clause anchored between €20m (£17.1m) and €25m (£21.3m), which is based on how well the VfB is doing this season.
|
Chris Fuhrich's best Bundesliga games for Stuttgart this season |
Match Rating (via WhoScored) |
|---|---|
|
Stuttgart 5-0 Freiburg |
8.85 |
|
Stuttgart 5-0 Bochum |
8.75 |
|
Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Stuttgart |
8.39 |
|
Stuttgart 5-2 Leipzig |
8.36 |
|
FC Koln 0-2 Stuttgart |
8.23 |
“In Cannstatt, they are a bit afraid that they could lose their wing player, Chris Führich, who is currently planning to play for VfB next year.”
The player himself is grateful to now be playing at this level, and who knows, he could maybe end up in England soon.
“There were certainly one or two situations in my career in which I couldn’t understand why I didn’t get the chance that I had earned at the time, but I’m not a fan of looking too far back,” said Führich on his recent rise at Stuttgart.
"I’m grateful to be where I am now. I’ve learned a lot from the past few years and taken a lot with me. When you reach a goal, you’re happy – no matter whether it was sooner or later.”
‘All these are decisions for the organisers, they have assess for their own sake and for the health of the people’
Nagraj Gollapudi12-Mar-2020The possibility of IPL 2020 being a severely restricted tournament – with at least some part of it being played to empty stands – in light of the coronavirus threat has increased following statements by two key ministries of the Indian government on Thursday. While the sports ministry said it would not stop sporting events from taking place as long as they adhere strictly to governmental guidelines, discouraging mass gatherings, the external affairs (foreign) ministry went a step further and said their advice was to not go ahead with the tournament at this time, but left the decision to the organisers.The IPL itself is yet to issue a statement on the tournament but its Governing Council is scheduled to meet franchises on March 14 in Mumbai. The 13th edition of the tournament will likely feature nearly 60 overseas players, arriving from and through different parts of the globe that have been affected by the pandemic.ALSO READ: How the cricketing world is reacting to coronavirusOn Wednesday, shortly after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) a pandemic, the Indian government updated its travel advisory to increase visa restrictions for travel to India. At a press conference of the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday afternoon in Delhi, Dammu Ravi, its point person to deal with COVID-19 issues, was asked about impact of the new travel advisory on the IPL.”We are analysing a lot of requests of the status of sports events that are being held in India and something linked to a mega event, which is already being planned, so how do you deal with this?” Ravi replied. “It is for the organisers to decide whether to go ahead with it or not. And then we will be open to the idea, if they really want to do it. Our advice would be not to do it at this time, but if they still want to go ahead it is their decision.”He was later asked how the government would deal with private organisations going ahead with their plans “for commercial considerations despite the grave danger”. “The advisory that we have received yesterday is very clear that only (for) compelling reasons if anybody wants to come they will come. Now it may even include sports events. At this point of time, I have no definite answer whether commercial events will be banned or not. But in course of time we will see how things evolve.”The IPL is the most lucrative tournament in cricket and offers the BCCI as well as the eight franchises substantial sums of money. In 2017, Star India bought the global broadcast rights for IPL for a record USD 2.55 billion. Consequently, each franchise would earn around INR 150-200 plus crore per season from the IPL’s commercial pot. Therefore, it would not be an easy decision for the BCCI to defer or cancel the IPL.Ravi, though, put the onus on the organisers, asking them to think beyond the commercial aspect. “If it is a commercial decision, then we will have to assess in course of time if that requires special guidelines to be issue on that,” he said. “If we are looking at mega events there is also Tokyo Olympics which is going to happen later this year as well – all these are decisions for the organisers, they have assess for their own sake and for the health of the people around in that country as to what decisions (they ought to take), but we will be reviewing it in course of time also.”How coronavirus is affecting cricket•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
‘People’s health cannot be put in danger’Earlier on Thursday, Kiren Rijiju, India’s Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, spoke about the guidelines on mass gatherings, issued on March 5 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. They quoted expert advice to “reduce mass gatherings to avoid the spread of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus disease” and advised that mass gatherings be avoided or possibly postponed till the disease spread was contained.”All international events in India have been cancelled,” Rijiju told reporters outside Parliament. “But we are telling sports federations, we are telling all to comply with the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry. So any sports body in India should ensure [the guidelines are followed].”Asked specifically about the IPL, which is scheduled to start on March 29, Rijiju indicated that fans are likely not to be allowed at the grounds. “We are not stopping the game,” he said. “We are just telling [the IPL] to ensure that there is no mass gathering. Precautionary steps are very important for the health of the country.”Considering that IPL matches are usually attended by several thousand fans across all venues, Rijiju said the organisers would need to ensure that safety of the “people” is not put at risk. “That is the guideline,” he said. “If matches happen the organisers would need to put in place all infrastructure including screening machines. You cannot hold a match without that.”We are not saying anything to stop the match. We are just saying: even if they go ahead with the match, ensure that guidelines are followed. People’s health cannot be put into danger.”Shortly after Rijiju’s comments, the sports ministry also issued an advisory on Thursday to various national sports federations, the Indian Olympics Association as well as to the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah.”To deal with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has issued advisories and advised the state governments to take appropriate action under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897,” the sports ministry’s advisory said.”You are advised to adhere to advisories issued by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and ensure that no public gathering takes place in any sporting event. In the event, the sporting event cannot be avoided, the same could be done without allowing gathering of the people, including spectators.”A policeman wears a mask while on security detail amid the corona virus pandemic•BCCI
On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) a pandemic. Shortly after that, the Indian government changed its travel advisory to increase visa restrictions for travel to India. “All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas, stand suspended till April 15, 2020. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on March 13, 2020, at the port of departure,” the government statement said.ESPNcricinfo understands, however, that those connected with the IPL would come under employment or project visas, which is likely to leave the tournament unaffected as things stand.As per the figures released by the WHO, 118 countries have been affected by COVID-19, classified as a respiratory illness. More than 120,000 people have been infected with over 4,300 deaths worldwide. In India so far, 73 people have been infected with no deaths as yet.It remains to be seen how this development will affect the remaining matches of the ODI series between India and South Africa, which began on Thursday in Dharamsala. The second ODI is scheduled to be played in Lucknow on March 15, and the third ODI in Kolkata on March 18.On Wednesday, the BCCI issued its first statement on how it was dealing with the pandemic ahead of the series. Along with following the prescribed dos and don’ts on personal hygiene, the BCCI had asked the India players to be mindful during their interactions with fans, including not shaking hands or using third-party gadgets for selfies.The COVID-19 pandemic has already forced the cancellation and postponement of sporting events across the globe with a few of them in India. The first major tournament to be postponed was the 3×3 basketball Olympic qualifiers, which was scheduled to be held in Bengaluru from March 18 to 22.The Indian Open golf tournament, scheduled to be held in Gurugram from March 19 to 22, has been postponed, with the organisers promising to reschedule the event at “some point” later this year. The Shooting World Cup, in Delhi from March 15 to 26, has also been postponed, as has India’s FIFA World Cup qualifier against Qatar in Bhubaneswar on March 26. The India Open badminton tournament is going ahead as of now – in Delhi from March 24 to 29 – but without spectators.