An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to add further additions to the playing squad before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, the Hoops remain keen on a deal to sign Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic as Brendan Rodgers looks to bolster his options between the sticks.

The reporter told the CeltsAreHere’s podcast that the Bhoys are "closely monitoring" the Croatia international's situation and that his proposed move to Fenerbahce could be on the "brink" of collapse, despite the Turkish giants having agreed a fee for his services.

Fabrizio Romano had claimed that the Super Lig side had reached an agreement on a €9m (£7.7m) deal to sign the shot-stopper but this latest update suggests that they may be unable to get the move over the line, which opens the door for the Scottish giants to swoop in.

How good is Dominik Livakovic?

The 28-year-old titan's performances for club and country last season suggest that he is an exceptional goalkeeper who would be a fantastic signing for Celtic.

Livakovic has the quality to be a big upgrade on Joe Hart between the sticks for the Bhoys and could form part of a new-look backline alongside Maik Nawrocki, who recently joined the club on a permanent deal from Polish side Legia Warsaw.

At the age of 22, the Poland U21 international is Celtic's youngest central defender and could be a colossus at the back for Rodgers for many more years to come, which could be alongside Livakovic – who has plenty of seasons left in the tank.

The Croatian cat is eight years younger than Hart, who is the current no.1 at Parkhead, and could, therefore, have the best part of a decade as the club's number one if he is a success and remains loyal to the Scottish Premiership champions.

Livakovic averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.93 across 35 HNL matches last season and saved 74% of the efforts on his goal. The impressive ace also averaged a rating of 7.33 over seven World Cup outings in Qatar last year, in which time he stopped 78% of the shots against him.

Hart, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.77 over 37 Premiership games and only saved 65% of the shots on target from the opposition.

This suggests that the £7.7m-rated star has the quality to perform at a higher level than Hart on a consistent basis whilst being able to prevent more goals by saving a higher percentage of the strikes between his posts.

Livakovic, who was dubbed "different class" by former Hoops ace Frank McAvennie, could, therefore, form a rock-solid defence alongside Nawrocki.

The 22-year-old machine made 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game in the Polish top-flight last season, which is more than any Celtic centre-back managed last term.

This suggests that Nawrocki could be an upgrade on Rodgers' other options in that position in terms of the frequency at which he wins the ball back for his side, by reading the game to make an interception or using his strength and timing to make a crucial tackle.

Pair his ability to cut out opposition attacks with Livakovic's super shot-stopping quality and you have the bedrock of what could be a sturdy defence for the Northern Irish head coach this season.

Arsenal may have already welcomed one top midfielder into their ranks this summer, shattering their transfer record; and yet he could still prove to be the second-biggest deal made to bolster their engine room.

Is Joshua Kimmich leaving Bayern Munich?

With Declan Rice having joined in a £105m move, the England international officially became the second-most-expensive English player ever just behind Jude Bellingham.

Mikel Arteta hopes that his presence will underpin a dynasty in north London, set to challenge for the foreseeable future for every elite honour.

However, if reports from June were to be believed, the Gunners also had their eye on a move for Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich, aiming for one of the paramount midfield generals in world football.

The 28-year-old still has two years left on his mouth-watering £323k-per-week deal, but could likely be tempted by the evolving project at the Emirates.

He is valued at €67.9m (£58m) by Football Transfers, which would still represent a remarkable coup should he be attained for a similar price.

How good is Joshua Kimmich?

Whilst his potential arrival might overshadow the signing of Rice, it is likely that they would immediately strike up a partnership rather than step on each other’s toes.

After all, the former West Ham United captain is far more defensive-minded than Kimmich, who last term enjoyed a standout year offensively.

Featuring 33 times in the Bundesliga, the German international maintained a 7.73 average rating, buoyed by his 11 goal contributions, 90% pass accuracy, 2.4 tackles and 2.7 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

That rating and his key passes made per game would have made him comfortably the best performer in both of those categories when compared to Arsenal’s squad last term.

He was imperious all over the pitch, and his injection of energy and experience would prove vital in toppling Pep Guardiola’s treble-winners, especially considering the eight Bundesliga titles and sole Champions League the midfielder has won.

Although two years on, there is precedent to suggest that the following statement made by journalist Muhammad Butt still rings true. “Joshua Kimmich is the best midfielder in the world," he claimed.

This notion was somewhat supplemented by Bundesliga writer Alex Chaffer, who also branded him a "mentality monster".

To emphasise his attacking excellence, when compared to other midfielders across Europe he sits in the top 6% for assists per 90, the top 4% for shot-creating actions per 90, and the top 1% for progressive passes per 90, via FBref.

Partnering such offensive impetus with the solidity Rice would provide holds great promise, as they are clearly both extremely talented and have varied enough play styles to complement each other.

Last season in the Premier League, the England powerhouse maintained a 7.19 average rating of his own, as his 88% pass accuracy, 2.1 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and 1.5 clearances per game helped him shield his back four with ease, via Sofascore.

Comparing him against the same group as Kimmich, it is instead interceptions where he stars, ranking in the top 5% per 90.

This should emphasise just where his play style remains, and exactly why he would complement a potential new partner.

Hammers boss David Moyes even lauded him for his defensive intelligence back in 2020, noting:

“In my mind, he is arguably the best holding midfield player in the country and the best thing about Declan is he will get better.”

Despite how difficult a deal this would be to make, his potential move will still have fans salivating at the prospect of this monstrous new-look partnership that Kimmich and Rice could form.

Leeds United are one of three English clubs interested in making a move for West Bromwich Albion winger Grady Diangana this summer, according to reports.

The 25-year-old is valued at £7m by the Midlands club amid interest from a number of teams in the current transfer window.

Is Grady Diangana going to Leeds?

The Yorkshire club are interested in making a move for Diangana this summer, but face competition for the winger's signature from Burnley, Leicester City, and mega rich clubs in Saudi Arabia, according to the Express and Star, meaning they may have to move quickly should they decide to pursue a deal in the coming weeks.

The Express and Star also report that West Brom have placed a £7m asking price on Diangana just three years after signing the winger from West Ham United for a reported £18m. Looking to raise funds for reinforcements this summer, the Baggies could be set to accept a cut-price deal for the 25-year-old.

As Leeds look to strengthen their own squad ahead of a potential promotion bid, the winger could yet find himself at Elland Road at the start of the forthcoming Championship campaign. It's certainly one to keep an eye on.

Should Leeds sign Grady Diangana?

Diangana would be a risk, and one that Leeds may not be willing to take fresh from Premier League relegation.

The former West Ham man has struggled to ever pay back the reported £18m fee that West Brom paid for him back in 2020, with an inconsistent spell in England's second tier.

In a total of 102 appearances in the Championship, Diangana has scored just 14 goals, and recorded a further 11 assists. For the hefty fee that West Brom paid, they would have expected more from the 25-year-old.

If Leeds lose Wilfried Gnonto this summer, then they will have to find a replacement, and that is when Diangana – a cheap option – could be considered by those in charge at Elland Road.

If they got the best out of the winger, then the Yorkshire club would have themselves an £18m player in the Championship, but it remains a risky move.

The winger did attract plenty of praise in the early stages of his career, with Darren Bent telling Football Insider, whilst Diangana was on loan at West Brom: "They’ve got the guy on loan at West Brom – Diangana – he’s another top, top player, he’s been brilliant for West Brom this season.

“It really surprised me in January that they didn’t take him back. He’s a top player and if that’s the route they’re going down – they bring him back."

So, there is a player with the potential to reach another level there, it's just about whether those at Elland Road are the ones to finally unlock that potential.

Amid the chaos of attempting to gain promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, if Leeds make what is quite an expensive move in the second tier, it looks like a boom or bust gamble.

Celtic are thought to be keen on signing Manchester City midfielder James McAtee this summer, according to The Daily Mail.

What’s the latest Celtic transfer news?

The Hoops and Brendan Rodgers have been busy so far in the transfer market, bringing in six new players at a total cost of £12m. Maik Nawrocki, Odin Thiago Holm, Hyun-jun Yang, Marco Tilio, Hyeok-kyu Kwon and Tomoki Iwata have all made the move to Parkhead, however, there have also been departures.

Star winger Jota made the move to Saudi Arabia in a deal worth £25m, whereas Conor Hazard left for Plymouth Argyle. Defender Carl Starfelt looks like the next player to leave, with Rodgers saying before the opening-day win over Ross County:

"Carl is in a position where he may be leaving the club.

"He has been fantastic and really respectful, but he is in a position where we may lose him. This is a chance for Maik (Nawrocki) to build a partnership with Cam (Carter-Vickers)."

The club could therefore be on the hunt for another new centre-back before the transfer deadline, but it looks as if they are also keen on landing McAtee.

According to The Daily Mail on Monday, McAtee’s future at the Etihad Stadium is in doubt, with City needing to make a decision on the player.

The report claims that McAtee may find game time hard to come by under Pep Guardiola, and despite the fact that City are reluctant to sell, a move could materialise, with Celtic interested in a deal.

However, alongside the Hoops, Brighton, Wolves, Real Sociedad, Sheffield United and AZ Alkmaar are also keen on signing the midfielder.

Who is James McAtee?

McAtee is just 20 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder who can also turn out in an advanced midfield role when needed.

The left-footed Englishman has been on the books at City for a number of years and spent last season out on loan in the Championship with Sheffield United.

During that time, McAtee made 43 appearances for the Blades in all competitions, helping them win automatic promotion back to the Premier League and even to an FA Cup semi-final against City at Wembley.

His Transfermarkt valuation rocketed to a career-high €12m as a result of his time in Yorkshire, showing how he appears to be at the top of his game currently, and you’d like to think there is room for improvement due to his age.

McAtee has turned out on six occasions for City at senior level, with Guardiola keen to praise him after turning down one loan spell in 2022.

"Maybe it happened because he's a special player. These players when we don't have incredible depth, we cannot forget he's just 19, training every day is so important for him."

A move to Celtic Park could therefore be one to keep an eye on, and should he move to Glasgow, McAtee could rival the likes of Reo Hatate, Matt O’Riley, Callum McGregor, David Turnbull, Holm and James McCarthy for a place in Rodgers’ side, adding further strength in depth.

Kumar Sangakkara scored his third straight fifty, while Oshane Thomas took 3 for 31 to help the Jamaica Tallawahs beat the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 41 runs

The Report by Peter Della Penna31-Aug-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsKumar Sangakkara scored his third successive fifty•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / Getty

Chris Gayle’s return to Sabina Park was spoiled by Man of the Match Oshane Thomas, whose searing pace dismantled St Kitts & Nevis Patriots’ chase, as a spirited effort from Jamaica Tallawahs in the field resulted in a 41-run win. The defending CPL champions clinched their fifth straight playoff berth and moved one point ahead of Patriots to second on the CPL points table. Thomas took 3 for 31, including the wicket of Gayle for a three-ball duck.Another Tallawahs win in their final match against Guyana Amazon Warriors would put them into the opening playoff match against the Trinbago Knight Riders for a chance to gain direct entry into the tournament final.Tallawahs’ inauspicious startVictory was the furthest thing from the minds of Tallawahs supporters after Lendl Simmons was bowled off the first ball of the game. Pace bowlers have been sensational in the final week of the season and that trend continued on Wednesday night as Sheldon Cottrell swung one full and straight to castle the right-hander before halting his follow-through to stand at attention for his patented military salute send-off. It was the first of two wickets on the night for Cottrell.Sangakkara’s streak continuesWhile Sri Lanka’s fortunes continue to wane post Kumar Sangakkara’s international retirement, his form has been waxing lyrical all summer, whether in England with Surrey or in the Caribbean with the Tallawahs. Arriving in the middle for the second ball of the match, Sangakkara settled early nerves by forging an 81-run stand with Glenn Phillips.Sangakkara kickstarted the innings in the fifth over against Ben Hilfenhaus, riding a pair of streaky shots that fell safely as he carted the Australian for three fours and two sixes in a 24-run over. He routinely used his feet to combat the Patriots’ spin trio of Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Nabi and Tabraiz Shamsi. When he wasn’t charging forward, he got creative within the crease, shuffling back and across to disrupt their lines with a series of flicks and scoops. By the end of his innings, he’d racked up his third consecutive half-century.Powell’s prodigious powerWhile Sangakkara drove most of the Tallawahs innings, runs were trickling through at the other end. By the time he got out with eight balls left in the innings at 135 for 4, Patriots were looking at chasing an under-par total. That’s when Rovman Powell stomped down hard on the accelerator for a furious finish to the innings.Having smashed a free hit off Shamsi over midwicket a few overs earlier for six in search of his timing, Powell chopped an edge for four to fine leg to end the 19th. After nearly being run-out off the first ball of the 20th, he found his radar once more against Cottrell, creaming him over midwicket and long-off for consecutive sixes to take Tallawahs past 150 before falling on the final ball of the innings.Lightning strikes twiceJust as Simmons fell at the start of the match without scoring, so too did Gayle. The Universe Boss fell in somewhat more shocking fashion though. One of the most fearsome six-hitters in world cricket padded up to an inswinger from an amped-up Oshane Thomas. Gayle appeared to motion after the ball struck him as if he had failed to pick it up or something distracted him. The umpire disregarded the gesture and simply raised his finger to send Gayle on his way.Wonderboy tees off, then strikes outEvin Lewis shook off Gayle’s abrupt departure by scorching 40 of the next 43 runs in partnership with Mohammad Hafeez. Returning to the same ground he blitzed a T20I century against India earlier in the summer, Lewis targeted the leg-side boundary early and often with six fours and two sixes.He began the fifth over by smacking three consecutive boundaries off Mohammad Sami, then drove a moon shot over long-on for six off the fifth ball. That shot resulted in a broken bat. Just like Roy Hobbs in Bernard Malamud’s , Lewis was sapped of his powers without his go-to bat and promptly popped a tame return catch to Sami off the final ball of the over. Only two more batsmen reached double-figures in the Patriots innings as Thomas and Krishmar Santokie took three wickets each to bowl out Patriots for 116 inside of 18 overs.

India’s ODI vice-captain said that while rotation kept the players fully fit, he would not like to take a break since he has only recently returned from an injury layoff

Arun Venugopal in Chennai14-Sep-2017India vice-captain Rohit Sharma believes the policy of rotating personnel has been introduced to ensure that players remain “more than 100% fit” during the course of a cramped calendar. The players’ workload remains an ongoing conversation given the quantum of cricket India are playing in the immediate future: from September to December, they play 23 internationals – three Tests, 11 ODIs and nine T20Is – against Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.Soon after the Sri Lanka series winds down, India are scheduled to tour South Africa for four Tests, five ODIs and three T20Is in January and February 2018. There are then two demanding tours to England and Australia later in 2018. Rohit acknowledged such hectic schedules were an intrinsic part of the modern game, and that it was down to the player to service himself.”We all are used to tight schedules and so much cricket being played. It is not happening now, it has been happening for a while,” Rohit said during a promotional event in Chennai. “We understand how to take care of our body. We have specific people like doctor, physio, trainer… all of those who will take care of it and give us the right schedule.”Which is why there is lots of rotation happening. We have to make sure we need guys who are more than 100% fit. Which is why we have the rotation policy going on, keeping in mind the tight schedule. To me, cricketers have limited career. So we have to make the most of the time we have. So no excuses of burnout or being on tight schedule. We have to play as much we may have to.”R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja had been rested for the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and the first three ODIs against Australia in accordance with the new policy. Ashwin has been allowed to play county cricket for Worcestershire during the period, to get him acclimatised to English conditions ahead of India’s tour next year.While Rohit said that it was up to the individual to find the right way to manage his schedule, he was personally not for taking a break from playing. Rohit had missed the bulk of India’s home season last year, including the Test series against England and Australia, with a thigh injury. He said he wanted to get as much game time under his belt as possible.”It is up to each individual how he wants to do it,” Rohit said. “I like to follow the schedule being given to us starting from the diet. If we follow that, I am sure we would be fine. It has helped us. I am coming from an injury layoff so I don’t see myself doing that [resting]. I want to play as many games as possible. Whenever there is an opportunity I want to be on the field.”

The biggest media rights deal in cricket means that the IPL’s eight franchises have had their finances doubled with the stroke of a pen, even before they formulate plans for the 11th season of the league.Going forward, each IPL franchise will pocket INR 150 crore (US$ 23.4 million) from the central-revenue pool, twice the amount they had been working with in the first ten seasons. Each franchise, as a result, is likely to have a profit of about INR 50 crore (approx US$ 7.8 million) per season for the next five years.This doubling of revenue is the result of the BCCI’s two whopping five-year contracts signed around the IPL this year: Star India paid INR 16,347.50 crore (approx US$ 2.55 billion) for the media rights this week, and Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo retained the IPL title rights in June by paying INR 2199 crore (approx US$ 341 million).Without accounting for any other sponsorship deals the IPL has struck, based on the Star India and Vivo monies alone, the overall central revenue pool would be around INR 3500 crore (approx US$ 546 million) per season, after offsetting the operations costs of around INR 200 crore (approx US$ 31.2 million).A revenue-sharing agreement was central to the original contracts signed between the BCCI and IPL franchise owners for the first ten years. The franchises were assured a percentage share of the income from central rights, after deduction of franchise fees. Between 2008 and 2012, franchises got 80% of the income from central rights and between 2013-17 it was reduced to 60%.From the 2018 season onwards, under the new rights deals, franchises will receive 50% share of the central-rights income, which amounts to about INR 1750 crore (approx US$ 273 million) and is split across the eight franchises – that is, about INR 218 crore (approx US$ 34 million) per team. Of this, 45% is the standard franchise share while the remaining 5% is variable based on where the franchise finishes at the end of the season.Also, from next year, the old franchise fee has been re-defined. Previously the owners paid 10% of the amount they had originally paid to procure the franchise in 2008 as an annual fee. From 2018, the BCCI will charge a 20% levy on the franchise’s overall revenue. The overall revenues not only comprise the money the franchise gets from sponsorship, ticketing and any other ancillary contracts, but also the IPL central-pool payment derived from the media-rights income.Following the BCCI’s mega IPL deals, the franchises are likely to pocket at least three times more in profits than in previous seasons•Associated Press

Till now, the average overall revenue for franchises has been in the region of INR 200-250 crore (approx US$ 31.2-39 million). With the injection of more funds derived from the Star India and Vivo deals, if we peg the overall revenue at about INR 280 crore (approx US$ 43.68 million), each franchise would then need to pay INR 56 crore back to the BCCI as the required fee of 20% their income. Despite this, even accounting for player payments and operations costs, it would leave the franchises richer by at least INR 40-50 crore (approx US$ 6.2-7.8 million) on average.In the first ten seasons of the IPL, the franchises’ central-rights income had been in the range of INR 70-85 crore (approx US$ 11-13 million) with some of them making a modest surplus of a bit more than INR 15 crore (approx US$ 2.34 million) at the end of the year. In the wake of the mega deals struck by the BCCI, the surplus is likely to be at least three times that figure. While the franchises are delighted by the bonanza, they also want the BCCI to acknowledge the role they have played.Venky Mysore, the managing director of two time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders, wants close synergy between the franchises and the BCCI going forward with regards to the development of the league. “The franchises have played a very important role in the success the league has achieved and in building the value of the league,” Mysore said. “One would hope that BCCI/IPL take the franchises into confidence as important stakeholders and create greater collaboration.”At the same time, Mysore said, it was imperative that new ways be found to keep the fans’ attention on the IPL. “One of the challenges for all the franchises and the league as a whole is to keep building the fan base and to keep improving the fan experience. The attention span of fans is getting shorter and in addition there are competing entertainment options. So it is imperative for all stakeholders to be innovative in building the fan base and creating new levels of engagement.”Another benefit for franchises would be the opportunity to offset any losses accrued over the years. “It [the new media-rights deal] will help all the franchises, and if any franchise has built up losses those would be negated absolutely,” Hemant Dua, the Delhi Daredevils CEO, said. “It will help franchises build stronger and better brands, and also to provide a better fan experience.”

استكملت اليوم الأربعاء مباريات الجولة العشرين من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل”، وذلك بخوض مواجهتين.

واستضاف ملعب استاد الجيش ببرج العرب، مباراة الأهلي والإسماعيلي والتي انتهت بفوز المارد الأحمر بهدفين مقابل هدف.

موعد مباراة الأهلي القادمة بعد الفوز على الإسماعيلي في الدوري

وأحرز ثنائية الأهلي، بيرسي تاو وأمام عاشور، فيما سجل للإسماعيلي عبد الرحمن مجدي.

وفي الوقت ذاته حل فريق بيراميدز ضيفًا على نظيره إنبي، على ملعب استاد بتروسبورت، واستطاع اقتناص الثلاث نقاط بهدف ذاتي سجله مدافع النادي البترولي محمد حامد في مرماه.

ويتربع حسام أشرف مهاجم بلدية المحلة، على عرش ترتيب هدافي بطولة الدوري، برصيد 11 هدفًا. ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري 

1- حسام أشرف (بلدية المحلة)- 11 هدفًا.

2- مابولولو (الاتحاد السكندري)- 9 أهداف.

3- أحمد بلحاج (سيراميكا كليوباترا)- 8 أهداف.

فيديو | بمهارة رائعة واحتفال تريكة.. إمام عاشور يسجل هدف الأهلي الثاني أمام الإسماعيلي

4- مصطفى زيكو (زد)- 8 أهداف.

5- محمد سالم (المقاولون العرب)- 7 أهداف.

6- أحمد قندوسي (سيراميكا كليوباترا)- 6 أهداف.

7- أحمد سيد زيزو (الزمالك)- 6 أهداف.

8- حسام حسن (سموحة)- 6 أهداف.

9- ميدو جابر (المصري) – 6 أهداف.

10- كريم بامبو (البنك الأهلي) – 6 أهداف.

Newcastle United are not yet close to signing Monaco centre-back Axel Disasi in the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Dean Jones.

Do Newcastle want to sign Axel Disasi?

The Frenchman has emerged as what looks like a primary target for the Magpies this summer, having become such an influential performer for Monaco over an extended period of time.

Eddie Howe will want to boost his defensive options ahead of what could be a busy 2023/24 season, especially with Champions League football returning to St James' Park in 2023/24, ramping up the intensity of matches in the process.

Disasi started 37 out of a possible 38 Ligue 1 matches for Monaco last season, outlining both his consistency and availability for his side, and it saw his reputation as a top-level central defender further increase, having joined his current club from Reims back in 2020.

The 25-year-old has also forced his way into the France setup at international level, winning four caps to date and appearing three times at the 2022 World Cup, starting one match for his country in the tournament.

What's the latest on Axel Disasi to Newcastle?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Disasi's potential move to Newcastle isn't as far along as some may think currently, though, with work still to do to get a deal over the line:

"I feel like this deal has got a little bit ahead of itself at the moment. Newcastle deny that anything formal is happening here with Disasi.

"At the moment, I'm told that Newcastle haven’t progressed this deal as far as it’s been reported. But there is an interest, so that part is true."

It feels like there are fresh updates regarding Disasi's future all the time, but this does suggest that there is still plenty of work to do, in order to get a deal over the line this summer.

It would still be something of a surprise if the Monaco man didn't come in at St James' before the Premier League season kicks off next month, given the level of interest in him, but it is also obvious that it may not be plain sailing in the next few weeks.

Should Disasi suddenly not join Newcastle, it is essential that a strong alternative is lined up, with failure to improve the defence something that could be fatal to their top-four hopes and chances of doing well in the Champions League.

While the Magpies excelled at the back last season, only conceding 33 goals in 38 league matches, Fabian Schar is now in his 30s and should arguably become more of a squad player, while more depth is so important, allowing Howe to rotate effectively across four competitions throughout the campaign.

Disasi should remain the No.1 centre-back target for Newcastle, though, being hailed as a "complete & dominant" player by football talent scout Jacek Kulig recently, and holding his own in a France squad that reached the World Cup final in December – a game in which he featured briefly in during extra-time against Argentina, prior to their penalty shootout defeat.

The Cricket Australia chairman said it was unreasonable to expect the chief executive to get involved in the negotiations any earlier than he had

Daniel Brettig24-Oct-20174:48

Lemon: CA dead-batting questions on pay dispute

David Peever, the Cricket Australia (CA) chairman, has explained that the chief executive James Sutherland was not permitted to get directly involved in this year’s pay dispute between CA and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) until the players were unemployed because the Board felt he was too busy with other work.The dispute this year ran more than a month beyond the expiry of the previous MoU, leaving the majority of the nation’s male and female cricketers to train out of contract and forcing the cancellation of the Australia A tour of South Africa. Threats to the tours of Bangladesh and India and pressure from commercial partners and the federal government contributed to CA’s ultimate compromise, permitting the retention of a fixed revenue percentage share for players.Sutherland was central to these final, fruitful talks after the ACA expressed a preference to deal with him rather than the Board’s chief negotiator Kevin Roberts, who had been widely touted as a future chief executive. However Peever, who had not spoken publicly at any stage of the dispute other than to pen a newspaper column attacking the ACA and the media, said it was unreasonable to expect Sutherland to get involved in negotiations any earlier than he had.’Pleased to see Ten have some stability’

Australian cricket’s sigh of relief at the CBS deal to re-finance the Ten Network, current rights holder of the Big Bash League and WBBL, was expressed by the chief executive James Sutherland after Cricket Australia’s AGM on Tuesday. Ten went into administration in June, but in late August the American broadcasting giant CBS announced its intent to purchase the network, a matter of months before CA sought to begin talks for new deals around international cricket and domestic T20 from 2018 onwards.
“We’re obviously pleased to see Ten have some stability now, there was a bit of an uncertain period there, where they went into administration,” Sutherland said. “I don’t know all the gory details behind that, but the most important thing is that Ten, who’ve been a great partner for us with the BBL, would appear now to have some stability, and we look forward to talking to them as an incumbent partner.
“We are talking to current and prospective partners now. It’s something we’ll work on over summer, this is the last year of our television deals so at some stage during the next four to six months we’d like to have it finalised.
“I don’t know how things will unfold in terms of bids. Certainly the level of interest is very high. We’ve got great content with international cricket and the Big Bash League growing as it is now, and the WBBL as well being as popular as it is.”

“This is a process issue. You have to bear in mind James runs a very large organisation, a large, complex organisation, and he’s time-poor,” Peever said following CA’s AGM in Brisbane. “It was important that at some stage we felt James needed to move into the process directly, but not at the beginning. We had an extremely competent person in Kevin Roberts leading from our side.”We were disappointed about the way the dispute played out in the public arena, and we certainly believe it went on too long. But it’s also true that reform is very difficult and change is very difficult. What we needed to do for the good of cricket was to change the model that had been in existence for 20 years, that’s what we sought to do.”I think it’s also important to keep context around it, and while it was played out publicly in quite an acrimonious way, that apart from the performance [in the] tour of South Africa, and I don’t want to diminish that in any way, no cricket was lost. In addition to that, no player has gone without payment as a consequence of this dispute. So that’s the context.”Peever, the former Rio Tinto executive who has been CA chairman since 2015, conceded there had been considerable uncertainty generated among CA’s sponsors and broadcasters by the dispute, but also claimed that CA “didn’t ever” put the players in the middle of the conflict between the Board and the players association. He also stated that the Board was satisfied with the final outcome despite the new MoU falling a long way short of its initial proposal, which replaced revenue sharing with set wages for players, save for a capped bonus system for the top international players.”We have very good relationships with our sponsors and partners, and James and his team work very hard on those relationships, so they were very well informed as we went through the process, but it would be less than truthful to say there wasn’t uncertainty around that,” Peever said. “But my point is we have all moved on. This is a deal that was done three months ago. another important part of the deal is we’ve finalised the long-form, which last time took most of the period to get done. But we’ve moved on and we’re into cricket.”We made a very deliberate decision we were not going to play this out in the public arena, and there’s a very good reason for that. We didn’t want to put the players in the middle of the dispute. We hold our heads high that we didn’t ever do that. So yes, it was acrimonious. This is significant change that comes about through negotiation every five years, so it’s not surprising that there would be tension around it.”We have reached an acceptable outcome even bearing in mind what our objective was. It’s not inconsistent with our objectives we had in the beginning, but in all of these things compromise is necessary, and both parties compromised.”Though Peever trumpeted the inclusion of women in the MoU for the first time, the need to remunerate female players better had always been one of few issues that CA and the ACA agreed on. The primary battleground was over domestic players, whom, CA’s proposal described, as leaning on the international players who contributed to the financial health of the game. It was a position the ACA and the players bitterly disputed. The dispute is currently subject to an internal CA review.ICC/Getty Images”We will do as we do; with every MoU negotiation there’s been an internal review,” Peever said. “We’ll be doing the same this time around, so we analyse all of those things, understand what could be done better, what we did well and what we didn’t do as well, so all those questions will come up during that process, so we’ve got some work to do. No it will not [be public]; an internal review. We do this as part of business as usual for many things. The MoU negotiation, while it was a big issue obviously, it is not unique, so we do it in the natural course of business.”Sutherland’s long-term role as chief executive has been the subject of some discussion, including the question of whether or not he should become an executive director with a formal seat on the Board. This change was recommended by the sports governance experts David Crawford and Colin Carter in their report that led to Peever’s arrival as an independent director, but he dismissed the concept as “not a material issue” for CA.”It’s a complete non-issue in terms of the running of the organisation,” Peever said. “James has the authority and the accountability designated by the Board, to run the organisation. He’s also the face of Cricket Australia. We have a high integrity, transparent relationship between the Board and James, one we also enjoy immensely, and so I don’t recall in five years being on the Board it ever being raised, and therefore it’s not a material issue for us.”In addition to the re-election of the directors Jacquie Hey, Mark Taylor and Tony Harrison, CA’s financial situation was outlined at the AGM, highlighting a deficit of A$50.8 million for the 2016-17 financial year that was offset by strong returns over the four-year cycle on which the Board’s finances are based. Having started the cycle with cash reserves of around A$45 million, CA have now grown that figure to A$113 million, ahead of a six-month period in which it will pursue the new domestic television rights deals that provide the majority of the game’s cashflow.Over the four-year period ending in 2017, the greatest spike to CA’s coffers came in 2014-15, a summer that contained a tour of India and also the ODI World Cup. That event’s success, alongside the emergence of the women’s game, has encouraged CA to schedule separate men’s and women’s World Twenty20 events in 2020, the women in February-March, and the men in October-November. That change will be mirrored in another strategic goal over the next five years, to move the Women’s Big Bash League to a standalone spot in the calendar at the start of the Australian summer.”I think so, and it runs alongside what we are doing with the World T20, for that women’s event in 2020 to shine, the women should play on their own platform, away from the shadow of the men’s competition,” Sutherland said. “We actually believe there’s great merit in every season of the WBBL playing in its own discreet window, and opportunity for the women to shine. We’ve got to work through how that will be, there’s a growing respect and higher profile for women’s sport in this country.”Our aspiration is to see the WBBL as a regular feature on television, pay television, free-to-air television, wherever it can be, we’d love to see a much greater profile and focus for the WBBL. Channel Ten have been great supporters of it, but most of the time those matches they’ve televised have been part of double-headers with the men. They’re things we’re working through, there are some things that are changing to the structure of international cricket, and domestic cricket are parts of the jigsaw puzzle.”