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Tottenham Hotspur have been given the green light to make a move for Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn this summer.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report by Football Insider, who claim that Steven Gerrard is now willing to listen to offers for the 27-year-old in the summer transfer window, with a source claiming that the 42-year-old head coach is not convinced by the Scotland international’s ability, while the midfielder himself is said to be difficult to manage behind the scenes.

The report goes on to state that this latest development is sure to come as a huge boost to Antonio Conte and Spurs, as the north London side have been heavily linked with a move for the former Hibernian star – who is reported to be available for a figure of around £40m this summer – in recent weeks.

Imagine him & Bissouma

With Fabio Paratici having recently completed the £25m signing of Brighton & Hove Albion central midfielder Yves Bissouma, should the Italian sporting director be able to follow up his latest addition to Conte’s squad with the further signing of McGinn, it would undoubtedly represent a fantastic double coup for the north London side.

Indeed, considering just how impressive McGinn was for Villa last season, the £34m-rated midfielder would very much appear to be something of a perfect partner for the defensively-minded Bissouma.

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Over his 35 Premier League appearances in 2021/22, the £70k-per-week talent scored three goals, provided four assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots, making 1.5 key passes and completing 1.3 dribbles per game.

The midfielder also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, making an average of 28.2 passes, 3.3 long balls, 1.0 interceptions, 3.0 tackles, 0.8 clearances and winning 7.2 duels – at a success rate of 59% – per fixture.

These metrics saw the player who Matt Targett dubbed “unbelievable” earn a quite astonishing SofaScore match rating of 7.29, not only ranking him as Gerrard’s best performer in the league but also as the 17th-best player in the division as a whole.

As such, should Paratici manage to get a deal over the line for McGinn this summer, it is clear to see that the Scot would be yet another sensational signing by the Italian sporting director – with a move for the 27-year-old now appearing much more likely following recent developments.

AND in other news: Paratici in Spurs talks for “unreal” £60m deal, he’ll give Conte “something different”

Sunderland have reportedly now registered an ‘interest’ in signing Josh Murphy on a free transfer.

The Lowdown: Out of contract

Murphy is out of contract at Cardiff City at the end of the month, meaning that he can leave as a free agent once it expires.

He spent the majority of last season on loan at fellow Championship side Preston North End, where he played 12 times in the division.

The Latest: ‘Interest’

Taking to Twitter, journalist Darren Witcoop of Reach PLC has revealed that the Stadium of Light outfit have now registered their ‘interest’ in signing Murphy, while they also remain interested in both Dion Sanderson and John Ruddy:

“Sunderland have registered their interest in signing winger Josh Murphy, who is available on a free. Alex Neil worked with Murphy at Norwich and is a big fan. Interest in Wolves defender Dion Sanderson and keeper John Ruddy as reported elsewhere remains.”

The Verdict: Avoid

Even though he can be signed for no transfer fee, Murphy is likely to demand a lot in wages to sign for the Black Cats.

He currently earns £25,000-per-week at Cardiff, more than any player on Wearside, and so they could have a problem in terms of trying not to break their wage structure.

The winger is not exactly the most prolific either, having managed just one goal and no assists in 14 games in total over all competitions last term (Transfermarkt).

Nonetheless, Murphy is a player that they should be avoiding as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of the new campaign.

In other news, find out what big SAFC deal is now ‘moving closer’ here!

Liverpool had a rather busy season that ended with the Reds winning the FA Cup and Carabao Cup as well as making it to the Champions League final and running close to securing the Premier League title.

One figure who wasn’t really a key part in Jurgen Klopp’s squad this term was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Despite making 29 appearances across all competitions, the midfielder only started 17 of them, with just nine of those starts coming in the Premier League.

In fact, his final league appearance of the season came all the way back in February during the Reds’ 3-1 win over Norwich City at Anfield.

This suggests that the 28-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £125k-per-week at the club, is not particularly high up the pecking order.

Combine that with the fact that he will be entering the final year of his contract at the end of the month, this could now be an ideal time to move him on.

One player Liverpool have been linked with recently that could replace Oxlade-Chamberlain is Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

Having played in 49 Premier League games throughout his two seasons in the top-flight with the Whites, the 26-year-old certainly has enough experience in him to be a ready-made first-team option for Klopp.

Labelled by Barry Douglas as a player that has “unbelievable attributes,” Phillips could offer Liverpool a lot on the pitch in terms of his work without the ball.

For example, according to FB Ref, Phillips ranks in the elite 98th percentile for his pressures, which would make him a good fit for the Reds and Klopp’s high-tempo style of play.

He also has a rating in the high 90s for his tackles and blocks, making him a very useful defensive option in midfield.

In comparison to Oxlade-Chamberlain, his ratings for defensive attributes aren’t close to the Leeds star.

Even Fabinho’s ratings don’t match up to the England international when it comes to his defensive output.

Moving forward, while it may need Liverpool to stump up a whopping £60m to sign him, adding a very capable player like Phillips to their squad would be a smart move for the Reds, especially if they’re able to get Oxlade-Chamberlain out of the club.

In other news: Imagine him & Nunez: Liverpool can form a scary duo by signing “exceptional” £50m gem

This could be quite the summer for Liverpool who will be aiming to achieve something that very few will think is possible; becoming an even better team.

Although a Premier League title triumph is now against the odds for Jurgen Klopp’s side, the Reds could still come away from this season with a treble, something that would be finalised by winning the Champions League final in Paris against Real Madrid.

Liverpool will seek revenge for that horrible night in 2018 when Loris Karius endured a nightmare between the sticks but the two European heavyweights could go toe to toe in the transfer market too.

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That’s because the pair are both interested in signing Kylian Mbappe.

The £144m-rated superstar is set to become a free agent this summer if he doesn’t renew his contract in the French capital, with Madrid believed to be one of the clubs keen to secure his signature.

Reports from France a few days ago claimed Klopp’s men had entered ‘the dance’ to sign the player and if he arrives in Merseyside, it would be an incredible piece of business.

Their title rivals Manchester City have already secured a move for Erling Haaland but this deal would surely one-up the Citizens.

For starters, the 23-year-old has been phenomenal in front of goal this term, finding the back of the net on 36 occasions, seven more times than Haaland. Mbappe also has a whopping 26 assists, 18 more than the Norwegian hitman.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise to hear Jonathan Woodgate suggest he could take on a certain Virgil van Dijk and succeed.

Speaking to the BBC, the former defender once said: “The pace of Kylian Mbappe would frighten any defender, including Virgil van Dijk. He is that quick.”

The PSG attacker is in a world of his own when it comes to offensive threat and beating his marker for ease but there are parallels that can be drawn.

Indeed, the most similar player to Mbappe according to FB Ref is his fellow countryman Karim Benzema, a man with 44 goals in as many games this term.

A deeper look at the numbers tells you there are more parallels between the two than just goalscoring, though.

Both of them average 41% of their shots on target whilst their non-penalty expected goals per 90 sit between 0.53 and 0.56.

Their shot-creating actions are also similar with Mbappe managing 4.94 to Benzema’s 4.28 per 90 minutes. Finally, they take nearly the same number of touches on average too, with the PSG star taking 58 and the Real Madrid goal machine taking 53 every 90 minutes.

With that in mind, he’d clearly be an extraordinary acquisition and one FSG must seal if the Reds want to continue making more history.

AND in other news, “Will be leaving this summer” – Major Liverpool claim will have supporters gutted…

A rampaging opener, a tall and accurate offspinner, and the emergence of Under-19 talent highlighted the 2017-18 season of the tournament

Mohammad Isam06-Apr-2018The Dhaka Premier League is known as the breeding ground for Bangladesh cricket’s future. Here’s a look at five cricketers who stood out in the 2017-18 tournament.Nazmul Hossain ShantoNazmul’s fourth century of the season, in the tournament’s last game against Legends of Rupganj, was pivotal to Abahani Limited’s push for the title. A solid batsman, Nazmul added to his technical prowess by finding plenty of new shots through the season, finishing top of the charts with 749 runs. Nazmul also maintained a strike-rate of 97.52, better by far than each of the ten batsmen below him. Among batsmen with 500-plus runs, only Nurul Hasan scored quicker. However, after the Rupganj game, ODI captain Mashrafe Mortaza said that Nazmul needed a bit more time to get ready for international cricket.Nayeem HasanNayeem was fast-tracked into the Bangladesh Test squad in January this year, as one of three spinners to cover for the injured Shakib Al Hasan. He eventually sat out the Chittagong Test against Sri Lanka, and wasn’t picked again in the series, but Nayeem isn’t one to forget.A tall offspinner, which is a rarity in Bangladesh these days, Nayeem was accurate in landing the big off-breaks during the DPL. He took 23 wickets and gave away 4.7 runs an over, with a best of 4 for 53. Gazi Group coach Mohammad Salahuddin said that Nayeem showed his hard-working side immediately after exiting the Bangladesh dressing room. He’d now hope to play in the Bangladesh Cricket League’s remaining matches, which begin on April 10, to take his bowling further in a season that has earned him some recognition of his talent.Mahidul IslamMahidul Islam was the league’s highest run-scorer among wicketkeepers, with 609 runs at 40.60 in 16 matches. He also topped the dismissals column, with 28 victims. But ahead of the league, Mahidul was the little-known wicketkeeper who played for the underdog club Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity. He had had a poor Under-19 World Cup campaign in New Zealand, where he made just 35 runs in three innings.Mahidul’s knocks of 85 and 115 not out against Gazi Group Cricketers and Agrani Bank respectively went a long way towards confirming Khelaghar’s place in next season’s DPL. He also scored three other fifties against Gazi Group and Rupganj, which meant that most of his big runs came against the big clubs.Mohammad NaimAnother Under-19 player who caught the eye in this season’s DPL after a lean U-19 World Cup in New Zealand, Naim was among the top ten run-scorers, with 556 runs from 12 innings, after not being an automatic choice for Rupganj. Naim became consistent after scores of 93 and 82 midway through the league, culminating with his rapid 70 against Abahani on the final day.Naim is a tall and upright opening batsman, who leans into his drives down the ground. He still needs to work against the short ball, but according to Rupganj coach Manjurul Islam, Naim has shown that he is ready to work hard to take it to the next level. Manjurul, however, thinks that Naim is still a fair distance away from knocking on the senior team’s door.Robiul HaqueRobiul was one of two young pace bowlers who were consistent in the DPL. He took 27 wickets at an average of 16.66, and gave away 4.47 runs per over. His only five-wicket haul came against Rupganj, while his three wickets against Abahani gave Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club a whiff of a maiden DPL title.Robiul impressed with his strong bowling action, but he has a long way to go in maintaining his fitness and taking his bowling to the next level. A call-up to the High Performance squad is, however, likely.

Key numbers from the second day’s play in Antigua, where Virat Kohli continued setting records

Bharath Seervi23-Jul-20161 Number of double-centuries by India captains away from home when Virat Kohli reached 200 on the second day in Antigua. The previous highest score by an India captain overseas was 192 by Mohammad Azharuddin against New Zealand in Auckland in 1989-90.2006 The last time an Indian batsman made a double-century in Tests outside Asia – Wasim Jaffer’s 212 at St John’s.566 for 8 India’s total was their second highest in West Indies. Their highest is 588 for 8 in Gros Islet in 2006. India’s total is also the highest by any team in North Sound.27 Kohli’s age, making him the youngest captain to score a double-century in West Indies. Denis Atkinson was the youngest when he made 219 at age of 28 in 1955. Kohli is only the third visiting captain to score a double-hundred in West Indies and first in more than 50 years.197 Kohli previous highest first-class score before the 200 in Antigua. He had scored those runs for Delhi against Pakistan’s Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited at the Feroz Shah Kotla in 2008-09. His previous highest Test score was 169 at the MCG in 2014.ESPNcricinfo Ltd152 The average of Kohli’s last five Test centuries – 141, 169, 147, 103 and 200. The highest of his first seven centuries was only 119. (Click here for the list of his 12 Test centuries.)2 Number of instances of a team having 50-plus partnerships for each wicket from second to seventh in an innings. The only team to do this before India in Antigua was Sri Lanka against India in Colombo (SSC) in 2008.2 Number of players with three Test centuries at No. 6 or lower against West Indies – Kapil Dev and R Ashwin. Ashwin’s first two centuries had come at No. 8 and this one was his maiden innings at No. 6. He averages 64.66 against West Indies, second only to Sunil Gavaskar among India players who have played five or more innings against them.163 Runs conceded by legspinner Devendra Bishoo, the most by a West Indies bowler against India at home. Their other spinner, part-timer Roston Chase, was the fourth West Indies bowler to concede 100 runs or more on debut without a wicket.22 Number of consecutive innings without a 50-plus opening stand for West Indies. Their last such partnership was against South Africa in Port Elizabeth in December 2014. Since 2015 their average for the first wicket is only 17, their highest has been 35 and longest 15.1 overs. Their figures are the worst among all teams.

The highlights of the week gone by in IPL 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2015The best innings
There were two hundreds scored in the space of five days, both by Royal Challengers Bangalore batsmen. First Chris Gayle ransacked Kings XI Punjab for 12 sixes on his way to 117 off 57 deliveries at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. AB de Villiers went ahead against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium, making his highest T20 score of 133, off 59 balls. De Villiers’ style was slightly different to Gayle’s – he hit 19 fours.
The best ball
It pitched on a length around leg stump, then cut away to hit the off stump. David Warner’s reaction said it all. He had wanted to push towards midwicket but was opened up completely. That it was bowled at a searing pace by Umesh Yadav left the batsman with no time to adjust.



The goof-up
When it comes to handling post-match presentations, Ravi Shastri is a pro. So it was strange to see him forget handing out the Man-of-the-Match award in the Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians match. The broadcast moved back to the studio after Shastri’s customary, “That’s all from the presentation area”. Shastri, however, returned to complete his duties.The commentary pearl
“That was a quicker slow ball.” -Sunil Gavaskar on air.The drop
Virat Kohli was on 6 at Wankhede Stadium when Harbhajan Singh put down a sitter at slip. Kohli went on to make an unbeaten 82. He also put on 215 – the highest partnership ever in the IPL – with de Villiers.The best catch
When Shane Watson lofted Ravindra Jadeja towards the sightscreen in Chennai, he would have not expected Dwayne Bravo to come in between. Even Bravo, moving to his left from long-on, would not have expected to prevent the ball from sailing for six. But he jumped up a couple of feet anyway, stuck his right hand out and came down with the ball. He then ran towards long-off, eyes on the crowd, and pulled off his favourite celebration moves.AB de Villiers cut Mumbai Indians to ribbons during his unbeaten 133•PTI The heartbreak
Mitchell McClenaghan, steaming in on a hot day in Mumbai, was left seething. A pull by Kohli off the second ball went through Lasith Malinga at long leg for four. Two balls later, McClenaghan drew Chris Gayle’s top edge but saw his captain, Rohit Sharma, fluff the steepler. When Harbhajan dropped a sitter at slip off the next ball, McClenaghan swore and let out a cry of anguish.The unexpected hero
With 34 needed off the last 17 balls against Chennai Super Kings, Rohit Sharma signalled for Hardik Pandya to come in to bat instead of the big-hitting Harbhajan Singh. Pandya, who had been omnipresent in the field that day, carted three sixes in four balls in the penultimate over, effectively killing the chase. Not many would have heard his name before. But not anymore.




The moment of fortune
M Vijay has given away several starts this IPL but this one will probably rankle the most. Vijay was dropped as many as three times by Kolkata Knight Riders, but still made only 28. Gautam Gambhir put down a difficult chance at short extra cover, after which Brad Hogg and Umesh Yadav put down simple ones at square leg and short fine leg.The number
138 – the margin of victory for Royal Challengers Bangalore over Kings XI Punjab at Chinnaswamy Stadium. It was Royal Challengers’ biggest win in terms of runs and the second biggest ever in the IPL.Tweet of the week

Has anyone ever seen AB and superman in the same room? Didn't think so.

— Jimmy Neesham (@JimmyNeesh) May 10, 2015

Sri Lanka’s captain insisted his team had not lost because they had been negative. He would be hard pressed to find many who agree with him

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Sharjah21-Jan-2014On the fourth evening of the third Test, Sri Lanka spurned the chance to press their advantage and crawled, bat in hand, slighting spectators, opponents, and in turn, the game itself. Before the last day’s play was done, cricket had bit back, bloodied Sri Lanka to mindlessness, then left them for dead in the gloom. The team did not just lose a Test match in Sharjah, when they slowed play deliberately in the final overs, Sri Lanka lost the cricket world’s respect.Only Test cricket can take two-and-a-half hours of seeming idleness – a session where nothing appeared to happen – then retrospectively assign it haunting, definitive meaning. Among Sri Lanka’s greatest successes had been their ability to subdue Saeed Ajmal, but on a surface that by Sri Lanka’s own admission had not begun to take menacing turn, they lay voluntarily immobile as Ajmal put men around the bat and worked himself into one of his best spells in the series.He dismissed Mahela Jayawardene that evening with one that ripped more than the batsman expected, and the following morning claimed the key wicket of Prasanna Jayawardene – Sri Lanka’s top scorer in the innings (who, strangely enough, had also been their most positive batsman). Abdur Rehman had wheeled himself into a rhythm in the fourth day’s evening session, when Sri Lanka had been only marginally less conservative. Together, the pair wiped out Sri Lanka’s final four wickets on day five, leaving the door to victory ajar.After Pakistan had run their opponents down, Sri Lanka’s captain presented a weapons-grade denial that negativity did not cause their demise, suggesting instead that his batsmen should have been even more patient in their second innings. How Sri Lanka arrived at that conclusion is unclear, because six of their batsmen fell playing defensive strokes in the innings, and they had in fact lost two wickets in the session they had almost brought to a standstill, by scoring only 45.If they truly believe they were not cautious enough, Sri Lanka are like a man who attempts to capture a castle by charging head first into its walls, then when he regains consciousness, determines he should have sprinted at the granite a little harder. The directive to revert to ultra-defence had actually come despite each of Sri Lanka’s top eight batsmen having crossed fifty in the four innings prior to their second dig in Sharjah. The great peril in playing conservative cricket is that in two good sessions, Pakistan could lurch forward to obliterate four days of slow work from Sri Lanka.If they required any evidence supporting the merits of positive cricket, they can look to their own meltdown in the field on day five. Boundaries early in Pakistan’s innings prompted immediate deployments at the fence, and as Pakistan pressed harder and harder Sri Lanka prepared a feast of risk-free runs into the outfield. Almost three-quarters of Pakistan’s 302 had come in singles, twos or threes.As the final ten overs of the match approached, Sri Lanka spread the field even further, expecting a man nearing a scintillating ton and a captain who has only missed getting 50 in one innings in the series to slog one brainlessly to their outfielders. They needed less than a run-a-ball. Pakistan were having one of their superhuman days, but Sri Lanka felt they would suddenly begin batting like children. All nine fielders were routinely placed on the fence for Misbah-ul-Haq, and possessed of sound mind, Misbah did not take the ludicrous bait. He hit out hard, attempting to pierce the gaps, but he never put the ball long enough in the air to risk his wicket, because every time he got bat to ball, he was guaranteed at least one run.”We wanted to get a wicket in that period,” the Sri Lanka captain said after the match. “The ball was a bit old and also reversing a little bit. We actually knew in the last ten overs that they would go for the big shots. Even when we had our nine fielders down at the boundary, they still went for it. We wanted to get a wicket and when the newcomer comes in, to sort of bring in the field and put pressure on. They were going to go for it and it was getting dark. That’s why we had the fielders out.”No neutral fan of cricket could have barracked for Sri Lanka on the fifth evening. On social media, the reactions of Sri Lanka’s own supporters turned from disappointment to anger to disgust, before reaching the consensus that this was Sri Lanka’s most craven showing in the professional era. If their captain’s comments after the match can be taken at face value, the team remains staggeringly out of touch not only with the spirit of their sport, but the with will of the fans who sustain it.After the scheduled finish time of 5:30 pm had passed and it became clear that only bad light could halt Pakistan, Sri Lanka’s fielders began complaining they could not pick up the red ball under lights. When the winning run was hit, a pair of senior players went first to gripe to the umpire instead of shaking hands with the deserved victors, and then, Sri Lanka’s cowardice was complete.

This account of the 13 years it took to become No. 1 – from Fletcher to Flower – is a must-read for fans of English cricket

Sam Collins09-Jun-2012For those with a royalist bent, much of this English week has been all about celebrating the past and looking to the future, so it seems appropriate to be discussing a book that is essentially a modern history of the men ruling English cricket. Steve James’ takes the reader through the 13 years it took England to rise from the bottom to the top of the world Test rankings between 1999 and 2011, while profiling the coaches, captains and administrators who effected the transformation. is most concerned with.James is a former Glamorgan (and briefly England) opening batsman who succeeded Michael Atherton as columnist for the . Ex-pros can be the subject of lazy generalisations when they move into the press box, but James’ quiet excellence, uncomplicated style and informed perspective make his Sunday column a “don’t-miss”, as one respected ex-correspondent put it to me. is more of the same.He was certainly in a unique position to write this book, having played under Fletcher at Glamorgan and ghosted two books for him, and been a friend of the Flower family for over 20 years. The author declares his hand at the start. Is the potential bias a problem? No – as befits a batsman with close to 50 first-class centuries, he is (almost) unerringly balanced. James is present throughout, breaking up the history lesson with his own memories and experiences of those involved. This is his story and he makes it compelling. I don’t fish, and I don’t think James does either, but I could imagine it being told over several easy afternoons on the river bank.Given the scope, James’ achievement is to make a 13-year summation digestible. He manages not to get drawn into the cricketing politics of the wider world, and was deliberately selective with those he interviewed (neither Fletcher nor Flower among those spoken to). The result is an unashamedly England-centric book that feels informed but never flooded. Running chronologically from the appointment of Fletcher and Nasser Hussain back in that miserable summer of ’99, through the periods of Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff, Peter Moores, and on to Andrew Strauss and Flower, very little is left untouched in James’ thorough analysis. He is at pains to be fair – never better illustrated than by his excellent dissection of Moores’ unfortunate time in charge.Amid the Diamond Jubilee hype, Moores stands as proof that successions are not always ideal, and with Flower and Strauss unlikely to last 60 years (James himself cannot see Flower lasting much longer) stage three of “The Plan” – if Fletcher was stage one and Flower stage two – could yet be the most important for the legacy. James observes how England have struggled to make the most of players in the last third of their international careers, and with an ageing core (Strauss 35, Swann 33, Pietersen 32 this month, Trott 31, Prior 30, Anderson 30 next month) it serves notice that the next few years will have to be handled carefully. Mick Newell of Nottinghamshire and Andy Hurry of Somerset are among those being monitored as Flower’s successor, but much depends on whether the Moores experience has scarred the board from appointing within the English system.There will be other pressures too. If , and one final word. James was the man handed Justin Langer’s Ashes dossier in 2009, and in scolding himself for his initial indifference to a genuine scoop, he neatly sums up what is a major strength of his own book. “What I was forgetting here was the thrill for the members of the public of being on the inside, however fleetingly; of suddenly being privy to thoughts and observations that are usually out of their reach. Every fan craves to be inside the dressing room”. Let James take you there.The Plan: How Fletcher and Flower Transformed English Cricket
by Steve James
Bantam Press

Cricinfo takes a look at the history of contract rows

Nishi Narayanan09-Jul-2009In November 2004 the West Indies Players’ Association asked the players not to sign letters of invitations by the board for a tour of Australia claiming some of the clauses “represent an attempt to exploit the players for commercial purposes.”The dispute originated in a turf war between telecom rivals Digicel and Cable & Wireless. In July 2004 Digicel signed a five-year US$20million sponsorship deal with the WICB in London, becoming the official sponsors for the Test and one-day teams, event sponsors for all home and away Tests and ODIs played by West Indies. Two months earlier Cable & Wireless had signed up to become one of the official sponsors of the World Cup in 2007 and along with Brian Lara, added Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Omari Banks, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul and Dwayne Smith to its individual endorsements list.Justice Adrian Saunders, an independent adjudicator was appointed to find a solution. In December just days before West Indies’ scheduled departure for Australia, Saunders said the tour would go on after the board and WIPA accepted his decision. But the sponsorship dispute was not solved.In March 2005 the West Indies selectors announced a 22-man squad for two series, against South Africa and Pakistan, on condition the players sign fresh contracts with the board. The seven players signed by Cable & Wireless were not included in the squad.The war of words between the WICB and WIPA continued, with Dinanath Ramnarine, the president of the players’ body, demanding an open inquiry into the board’s administration. In June the board invited 13 players to sign contracts and make themselves available for the tour to Sri Lanka, while it tussled with the WIPA over the contentious Clause 5 – that covered players’ individual endorsements and central team sponsorships. Only three of those 13 signed the contracts. The following month WICB picked a second-string squad just a day after it seemed it would reach a temporary agreement with the WIPA on including Clause 5 in binding arbitration.In August Teddy Griffith was replaced as the board’s president by Ken Gordon who promised a solution to the dispute by the end of the year but soon after that the board refuted the findings and imputations made by the Justice Anthony Lucky-led Sponsorship Negotiations Review Committee report that its contract with Cable & Wireless was “null and void” and “legally flawed”.In October the board and WIPA agreed a full-strength squad would be sent to Australia in December. But Clause 5 remained unresolved over the next 11 months before the two bodies reached an agreement shortly before the 2007 World Cup hosted by West Indies.However fresh trouble erupted soon after the World Cup, as players demanded extra payments for a tour of England which, they argued, was outside the ICC’s Future Tours Programme. The board maintained it was part of the FTP and covered under existing contracts. The players eventually signed the contracts and toured England but an arbitration panel later found in their favour.In September 2007 the new WICB president Julian Hunte invited Ramnarine to join the board as a director. Ramnarine accepted but the time of peace was short. He quit his post in March 2009 as a new contracts row broke out. Domestic players across the Caribbean went on strike. Among the more critical and outstanding issues were retainer contracts and first-class fees, scheduling of regional and international tournaments, injury payments, the long overdue updated anti-doping policy and the provident fund for cricketers. The national side threatened to boycott the final ODI against England in St Lucia but in the end in went ahead as scheduled. The board agreed to look into pay hikes for first-class players.In July two days before the start of the first Test against Bangladesh, the WIPA announced the squad would boycott the match since the players had gone five series without contracts. WIPA claimed the board had not responded to its submission of retainer contracts and had instead penalised players for not signing those within the deadline. The board vice-president Dave Cameron said the contracts had not been signed because of WIPA’s “unreasonable behaviour”. WICB named a second-string squad which included nine uncapped players.