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Sri Lanka’s selectors are confident that the fast bowler will be fit enough to bowl 10 overs and field for 50 overs by the time of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2017Lasith Malinga, who last played an ODI in November 2015, has been named in Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy in June. Long-standing injuries had put his availability in doubt, but Sri Lanka’s selectors have been satisfied he can be fit enough to deliver 10 overs and field for 50 by the time the tournament starts on June 1.Also in the squad are batsman Chamara Kapugedera, who has not played ODIs since January 2016, and fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep, who has been only a sporadic presence in Sri Lanka’s ODI squads over the past year. Omitted, however, are batsman Danushka Gunathilaka, allrounders Dhananjaya de Silva and Milinda Siriwardana, and quicks Lahiru Kumara and Dushmantha Chameera.The team will be led by Angelo Mathews, who returns after a hamstring injury kept him out of ODI series against South Africa and Bangladesh.Malinga made his return to T20 internationals in February, following a 12-month layoff from all competitive cricket due to a knee injury. Though his form has been somewhat indifferent in the IPL, he has been largely impressive in his international matches this year, even picking up a first T20I hat-trick in his most recent game, against Bangladesh.”Malinga has got his medical clearance to bowl 10 overs, since about two weeks ago,” SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala said. “We need to build him up to bowl 10 overs now. He’s playing in the IPL, which is to our advantage, because he’s in a top-class cricketing environment and he’s practising. Right now we are getting reports that he’s going into eight overs in a spell. We have to make sure he’s fit to bowl 10 by about the 10th of May.”This is the third successive ICC tournament in which Sri Lanka are sweating over Malinga’s fitness, however. He had missed last year’s World T20, from which he withdrew in the week before Sri Lanka departed for the tournament. He had also been injured in the approach to the 2015 World Cup.”Match fitness is what he’s lacking now – his physical fitness is superb,” Sumathipala said of Malinga. “We are looking for Malinga to be fit to play the practice games before the tournament – it’s very important for him to play those games.”Elsewhere on the seam-bowling front, Mathews himself is expected to be fit to bowl at the Champions Trophy – he has begun bowling in the IPL. Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Thisara Perera and Pradeep are the other seam options in the squad. Peculiarly, Sri Lanka have not picked a specialist finger spinner – legbreak bowler Seekkuge Prasanna, and left-arm wrist spinner Lakshan Sandakan have been chosen instead.Upul Tharanga – who led the team in Mathews’ absence – is one of three potential openers in the squad, with Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Perera there as well. Kapugedera’s inclusion is likely thanks to good performances in the ongoing provincial one-day tournament, in which he has scored two hundreds in four innings.Among the standby players for the tournament are Gunathilaka and offspinner Dilruwan Perera – both of whom will be traveling with the squad – and Siriwardana, Kumara and seam bowler Vikum Sanjaya, who SLC said would be undergoing “continuous training” in Colombo.The Sri Lanka squad – including Malinga – is expected to assemble in Sri Lanka on around the 10th of May, before they leave to Kandy for a six-day training camp. Sumathipala said the board chose the Pallekele Stadium for the camp, in order to better replicate conditions Sri Lanka may face in England. The team leaves the island on May 18, and has two ODIs against Scotland scheduled before they are due to play further practice matches – against Australia and New Zealand.On-tour standbys: Dilruwan Perera, Dhanushka Gunathilaka; Standbys on training in Colombo: Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Kumara, Sachith Pathirana, Milinda Siriwardana, Akila Dananjaya

The regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket

Steven Lynch19-Sep-2005The regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket:

Kevin Pietersen’s 473 runs in the Ashes puts him in joint second place for the most runs in a debut series © Getty Images
Shane Warne dismissed Andrew Strauss six times in the Ashes series – is this a record? asked Amin Shukla from Trivandrum
The amazing Warne also dismissed Ashley Giles six times in the epic series that has just finished. As it turns out these were the 45th and 46th instances of a bowler taking the same batsman’s wicket six times in the same series, starting in 1894-95, when England’s Tom Richardson kept removing Syd Gregory. But the record is seven, which has happened four times now: the first was the South African Jack Siedle, who fell to a previous Australian legspinning legend, Clarrie Grimmett, seven times in 1935-36. Another South African opener, Trevor Goddard, lost his wicket seven times to Brian Statham in England in 1960. The other two are more recent: in the 1989 Ashes series Geoff Lawson dismissed David Gower seven times, while in 1997 Glenn McGrath accounted for Mike Atherton on seven occasions. While we’re on this subject it might be worth mentioning the England opener Peter Richardson, who had eight innings in the 1956 Ashes series and was caught behind in each of them, although the bowlers were different.Before the end of Kevin Pietersen’s epic 158 at The Oval, a caption showed that he was approaching the record for the most runs in his debut Test series. Did he get there? asked Ben Elmington from Glasgow
He didn’t quite break the record for England, which is still held by RE “Tip” Foster, who scored 486 runs in the 1903-04 Ashes series, including 287 on his debut at Sydney. But Pietersen did finish up with 473 runs in his first series, which puts him level in second place for England with Paul Gibb, who made 473 in South Africa in 1938-39, in the series that included the famous Timeless Test at Durban. George Gunn (462 in 1907-08) and Brian Luckhurst (455 in 1970-71) also made more than 450 runs in their first Test series for England. The Ashes record is 557, by Australia’s Herbie Collins in 1920-21, while Arthur Morris (503 in 1946-47) also made more than any Englishman. But all of these are quite a long way adrift of the record for any debut series. In 1970-71 Sunil Gavaskar collected 774 runs in just four Tests in his maiden series, for India in the West Indies. He broke the previous record, George Headley’s 703 for West Indies against England in 1929-30.Who has scored the most Test runs without ever making a half-century? asked Nusrat Vohra from Pakistan
It’s quite well-known that Shane Warne, with 2767 now, has scored the most Test runs without a century, but I’m not sure that I’ve ever been asked this question before, The answer is Pakistan’s Waqar Younis, who’s actually the only man to make more than 1000 Test runs without the aid of a fifty – his highest score in 87 matches was 45. Fred Trueman of England lies second with 981, ahead of Craig McDermott (940), Derek Underwood (937), Courtney Walsh (936), Andy Caddick (861) and Bob Willis (840). Caddick did have a near-miss – his highest Test score was 49 not out against Australia at Edgbaston in 2001.Is it true that Jai Prakash Yadav’s 69 in the recent Videocon Series was the highest score by a No. 9 in ODIs? asked Ganesh Mali from India
Yes, JP Yadav’s 69 against New Zealand at Bulawayo last month did indeed break the record for the highest score by a No. 9 batsman in ODIs. The previous record was 64, shared by Michael Holding for West Indies against Australia at Perth in 1983-84, and Andy Bichel for Australia v New Zealand at Port Elizabeth in the 2002-03 World Cup. Tahir Naqqash hit 61 for Pakistan v New Zealand at Auckland in 1984-85, and there have been 14 other ODI half-centuries from Nos 9 or 10 in the order, three of them by South Africa’s Lance Klusener, and one by Irfan Pathan in the same match as Yadav.Recently Muttiah Muralitharan, almost unnoticed, went past Wasim Akram’s overall record of international wickets, and is closing in on 1000. Who else has more than 800? asked Haider Abbas from Pakistan
Murali’s nine wickets in last week’s first Test against Bangladesh in Colombo took him to 939 international wickets all told – 558 in Tests and 381 in Odis. (He also has 999 Test runs as I write!) Wasim Akram did indeed hold the previous record, with 916, but Shane Warne has equalled him now. The only other one over 800 at the moment is Glenn McGrath, with 842, although Anil Kumble had 790 before the first Test against Zimbabwe.Where does the name “Cross Arrows” come from? asked Stephen Sellick
The Cross Arrows Cricket Club is the one that plays matches throughout September on the Nursery Ground at Lord’s. It’s mostly made up of people who work there – MCC staff members as well as current and former groundstaff players. They play a high standard of club cricket, against local teams and organisations, as well as the occasional centenary or other celebration game. The Cross Arrows were founded in 1880, and legend has it that early on, before the club had a proper name, they had an away fixture out in the wilds of Middlesex. Asked where the match was, one of the players said “It’s across ‘Arrow way” (Harrow, home of the famous school, is out to the north-west of London) … and the name stuck. I’m not quite sure if it’s true, but it’s a good story!

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl seemed to rule out a permanent move for Jadon Sancho this summer.

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Sancho impressing back in Germany Kehl reveals club's position on transfer Man Utd exit likely regardlessWHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho rejoined the club were he made his name on loan last month, having fallen out of favour at Manchester United following a much-publicised feud with manager Erik ten Hag. He's made a fast start in the Bundesliga too, sparking rumours that he could make the switch permanent at the end of the season. However, Kehl admitted that the deal would be a challenging one to complete.

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Asked by Sky Sports if there is an option to sign Sancho – as well as fellow Premier League loanee Ian Maatsen – in the summer, Kehl said: "Unfortunately for both players, neither option was really realistic. If you know what we got for Jadon Sancho two and a half years ago, then you know also that it might now be very, very difficult.

"We naturally advocated for an option with him – and also with Ian – but the negotiating position was not such that we could implement it and so we will accept it for now."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Sancho has featured three times in the league since returning to Dortmund, registering an assist in each of his first two appearances against Darmstadt and FC Koln. He also impressed when his side hosted Bochum last week, before being ruled out of BVB's goalless draw with Heidenheim due to a minor injury.

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Despite Dortmund's public stance that signing Sancho is unlikely, it seems almost certain that United will endeavour to sell him this summer, unless Ten Hag is relieved of his managerial duties. For now, the England international will be focussing on inspiring his loan side up the Bundesliga table. Edin Terzic's charges are currently fourth, a startling 15 points off leaders Bayer Leverkusen despite only missing out on the title to Bayern Munich on the final day last term.

Rashid Khan led an inspired bowling performance to restrict Daredevils to 163 after a bright start, and Sunrisers’ batsmen just about managed to overhaul that total

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy05-May-2018How do you beat Sunrisers Hyderabad? It may have felt like a distant memory before Saturday, but Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings showed the other teams a way early in the season: bat first, set a challenging target and expose a slightly suspect batting line-up.On Saturday, Delhi Daredevils did most of that, and put Sunrisers under plenty of pressure, but fell short at a few key moments. Having won the toss and pushed on to 95 for 1 in their first 10 overs, they only managed 68 in their last 10, as Sunrisers’ bowlers reeled them back on a slow, dry track.Still, 163 was the biggest total any team had managed against Sunrisers this season, and they didn’t always look convincing while chasing it. They profited from a couple of dropped chances, went without a boundary for 36 balls at one point, and eventually needed 14 off the last over. It could have gone either way, and Yusuf Pathan – who had been dropped on 0 by Vijay Shankar on the square-leg boundary – sealed the deal with two meaty hits off Daniel Christian: a straight six off a full-toss, and a four, swiped over short fine leg, off a short ball.Those hits may also have sealed Daredevils’ fate in the tournament. With only three wins from ten games, the playoffs are all but out of reach for them.The Shaw must go onThat’s what the big screen at the stadium said after Prithvi Shaw hit his first boundary of the match, a straight six off Sandeep Sharma. By the end of the 10th over, Shaw had made 65 off 35 balls, out of Daredevils’ 95 for 1. The other end, despite some sparkling shots from Shreyas Iyer, had only made 30 off 25.Part of the reason for Shaw’s rate of scoring was the hardness of the new ball, which made up somewhat for a slow pitch. But it also had something to do with Shaw’s range of strokes: case in point the last over of the Powerplay, delivered by Siddarth Kaul.Before this game, Kaul had conceded only 59 off 62 short and short-of-good-length balls this season. After a fullish knuckle ball that Shaw launched over the long-on boundary, Kaul pulled his length back, delivering three short or shortish balls. Two were angled into the body to try and cramp Shaw for room, and the other was only marginally outside off stump. None of them was a rank bad ball, and Shaw put all three away for four, to three different parts of the ground.The slowdownThe Shaw, however, didn’t go on past the first ball of the 11th over, an attempted sweep off Rashid Khan looping to short third man off the outside edge. Daredevils slowed down considerably after that.This was partly down to the older ball becoming difficult to hit, and mostly to Sunrisers’ bowling and tactics. Rashid bowled three of the seven overs from the 11th to the 17th, varying his pace and getting some balls to grip the surface while others hurried on; Bhuvneshwar Kumar sent down his third over in the 14th to try and keep the pressure on; and Kaul and Sandeep varied their pace excellently.The changes of pace were particularly effective against Rishabh Pant, who kept losing his shape while trying to launch himself into slower balls angling away from him. He only scored 18 off 18 before falling to Rashid in the 17th over. By that time, Daredevils were 135 for 5.They went without a boundary for 18 balls before Shankar clattered a six and a four off Bhuvneshwar in the 20th over to move Daredevils past 160.Hales v AveshThis was only Alex Hales’ second match of the season, but belatedly or not, his inclusion has given Sunrisers the top-order muscle they possibly lacked without David Warner. Today he muscled 45 off 31 balls, and 28 off 9 came off one bowler. Avesh Khan. The 21-year old kept bowling short, and kept getting hit by Hales and, occasionally, Shikhar Dhawan. There were two fours in the second over, and four sixes in the sixth.Perhaps it was a plan, for Hales miscued one pull, on 9, only for Glenn Maxwell to drop a sitter at deep square leg. That apart, it didn’t work, and the opening pair added 76 in nine overs.One piece of magic, and a pair of expensive bowlersIt took a beauty to end the opening stand, an Amit Mishra legbreak that pitched on leg, beat the outside edge, and hit the top of off, its flat trajectory rooting Hales to the crease. Dhawan played all around a full ball in Mishra’s next over and was bowled for 33 off 30, his strike rate reflecting the not necessarily straightforward batting conditions as well as a conservative, let’s-get-our-eye-in approach from all of Sunrisers’ top order barring Hales.The third-wicket stand between Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey – which featured lots of singles to deep fielders and not a lot of high-risk shots – brought only 21 runs in its first 22 balls, at which stage Sunrisers needed 57 off 32 balls. But Pandey struck a pair of fours off Christian, and Williamson followed up with an uppercut six off Avesh in the next over, suggesting these were the bowlers Sunrisers wanted to target. It was a fairly well-executed strategy. The two of them ended up conceding 84 in 6.5 overs, and the rest of Daredevils’ bowlers just 80 off 13.

West Ham United insider ExWHUemployee has shared some big injury news ahead of their crunch Premier League clash with Man City this Saturday.

West Ham vs Man City

David Moyes' side have started the new campaign with real gusto and plenty of promise, even after they sold former superstar Declan Rice to Arsenal for around £105 million.

The loss of Rice was seen as a real worry for West Ham at the time, but so far, the east Londoners have really enjoyed life without their ex-captain.

West Ham are currently unbeaten in the top flight; winning three out of their opening four league games with impressive victories over an in-form Brighton side, big-spending Chelsea and newcomers Luton Town.

The likes of Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse, after signing in the summer transfer window, have dazzled with their displays so far; doing wonders to replace Rice in Moyes' new-look midfield.

"Fresh from their best start in 24 years, the Hammers can eye impending fixtures at home to Manchester City and away to Liverpool with confidence and much less trepidation," wrote BBC journalist Jon Bradshaw recently.

"Arguably, both are free hits and why shouldn’t they feel capable of getting something from the games, particularly after neutralising Roberto de Zerbi’s freewheeling Albion side at Amex Stadium two weeks ago. Last season it took until 9 October for them to hit 10 points.

"This time, sitting pretty in fourth, West Ham have sent their international players off around the world without any of the frenzy and anxiety of scrabbling for results at the bottom of the table."

Man City, who clinched an historic treble win last season, have begun in equally good fashion; clinching all three points in every single one of their matches so far.

In that time, Pep Guardiola's men have scored the joint-most goals in the league while conceding the fewest – making this West Ham's toughest game of the season to date.

West Ham vs Man City team news

In a boost for Moyes, City legend Kevin De Bruyne will miss the London Stadium bout with a long-term injury; while the likes of Jack Grealish, John Stones and Mateo Kovacic are doubts (Evening Standard).

For West Ham, they could hand a debut to summer singing Konstantinos Mavropanos after the Greek's recovery from a back problem.

Both Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek will apparently be assessed ahead of the game, with club insider ExWHUemployee now sharing a big injury update on Ward-Prowse.

Reports last week indicated he picked up a knock in training, but luckily for West Ham, Ex says that the Englishman is fit and ready to play.

“We can confirm that James Ward Prowse was back in training today and took part fully,” said Ex on The West Ham Way Patreon.

“This will put to bed any fear that he could miss the Manchester City game, assuming no other injuries are picked up between then.”

The former Southampton star has been a mainstay for Moyes since making a switch from the south coast, and he was arguably unlucky to miss out on Gareth Southgate's England squad for this international break.

Glasgow Rangers secured qualification through to the Champions League playoff round, however, it wasn’t a performance which will inspire much hope for the future.

Michael Beale’s side laboured during the 1-1 draw against Servette and repeating last year's aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven looks like a daunting task.

With a mixed start to their 2023/24 Premiership campaign, the Gers need to click into gear as soon as possible and Beale will be aiming to bring in another player or two before the transfer window shuts.

With this in mind, the manager is currently showing interest in a young talent who is shining South of the border…

Who else could Rangers sign?

The Light Blues have been linked with a few defenders as of late, with Harry Souttar and Jake Cooper being touted for potential moves to Scotland.

A new name has emerged recently.

According to Football Scotland, Peterborough United defender Ronnie Edwards is being eyed by the Gers for a potential swoop before the end of the transfer window.

Premier League outfits West Ham United and Crystal Palace are also keen on securing his services, but with group-stage Champions League football a possibility, this could be all the incentive that he needs to move to Glasgow.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

The League One side failed to reach the Championship after playoff semi-final heartbreak last term and this could suggest they would be open to selling Edwards in the next couple of weeks.

Could Ronnie Edwards improve Rangers?

Rangers have seen various players arrive this summer to bolster the midfield and attacking areas, yet just two defenders have arrived.

Dujon Sterling is still developing and isn’t expected to be a starter this term, while Leon Balogun, albeit experienced, isn’t the long-term option Beale requires.

Connor Goldson won't be around forever and Edwards could be the ideal heir for the former Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back.

Having made 264 appearances since arriving at the club in 2018, Goldson has become a mainstay in the heart of the defence, helping the club win a Premiership title and the Scottish Cup in the process.

Last season, the 30-year-old ranked as the best centre-back in the squad with regard to Sofascore rating, while also making more tackles and clearances per game when compared to the rest of the central defenders, showing how vital he is in the starting XI.

Edwards, while just 20 years of age, has shown immense promise and has been praised by Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony, who said:

"Ronnie is playing at a different level right now and if he goes we will have to decide whether to replace him with a powerful centre-back or with another ball-playing one which will be a decision for the manager."

The young sensation ranked fifth across the Posh squad last term for overall Sofascore rating while also ranking fourth for tackles and second for interceptions and clearances per game, indicating that is already having a positive influence on the team despite his tender years.

Having already amassed 91 senior appearances across both the Championship and League One, there is no doubt he is ready for a step up.

Could he become the perfect long-term heir for Goldson should he join Rangers? Only time will tell.

Nic Maddinson’s 123 and Peter Nevill’s wicketkeeping world record of eight dismissals set up second win for New South Wales

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2017Nic Maddinson scored 123 off 113 balls•Getty ImagesA Nic Maddinson century and an even contribution from the bowlers hurried New South Wales to a 93-run victory over the Cricket Australia XI in the domestic limited overs match at Hurstville Oval in Sydney.Maddinson added 132 with his opening partner Daniel Hughes to set the platform for a healthy NSW total, before the left-arm wrist spinner Clint Hinchliffe worked his way through the middle order with some artful variety. Ryan Gibson also offered useful innings to the Blues’ cause.In reply, the CA XI were given a rollicking start by Max Bryant, who careered to 89 off 61 balls with support from Beau Webster.During the course of the match, NSW gloveman Peter Nevill equaled the List A wicketkeeping world record, affecting eight dismissals which included six catches and two stumpings.At 1 for 117 in the 16th over the composite team were in good position to chase down the hosts’ total, but a parsimonious spell from Nathan Lyon played a key role in stalling their momentum – a strong response to his rough treatment by Alex Ross at the same ground on Friday.

Manchester United are in pole position to sign Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana, according to reports.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

The Red Devils could be extremely busy during the summer transfer window despite the ongoing takeover saga, with rumours of moves for players all over the pitch.

A new striker appears to be high on the agenda, with those at Old Trafford plotting a move for Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund. When it comes to a midfielder, Chelsea’s Mason Mount is seemingly the top target, with a £40m offer made for the England international.

A new defender has also been speculated, with reports previously claiming that Napoli’s Kim min-jae agreed to move to Manchester, although he now looks on course to move to the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

To finalise the transfer rumour mill, a new goalkeeper in Onana for Erik ten Hag’s side had also been rumoured, and a further update has emerged. According to The Evening Standard, Chelsea have pulled out of the race to sign the Inter Milan goalkeeper and will move on to other targets.

As a result, Manchester United are in pole position to sign Onana, who is expected to cost around £50m, where he could be reunited with Ten Hag.

Is Andre Onana better than David De Gea?

Onana, a Cameroon international, made 145 appearances under Ten Hag at Ajax and joined Inter Milan last summer. The 27-year-old starred in his first full season in Serie A, keeping 19 clean sheets in 41 appearances.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is also a fan of the £67,000-a-week player, hailed the shot-stopper’s ability on the ball following the Champions League final earlier this month.

“When you have a goalkeeper like Onana who can read perfectly where everyone is to pass to, with Calhanoglu and Barella, then the strikers hold it up and move the ball around. It is very, very difficult. It would be a tiny bit easier without this goalkeeper, but still very tough.”

There is a bit of history between Ten Hag and Onana, though, with the manager leaving the goalkeeper out of a cup final with Ajax last year before they both moved on, but with the futures of David de Gea and Dean Henderson up in the air, signing someone like Onana could be a wise move ahead of the new season, and by the looks of it, United are in a good position to get a deal over the line.

Ben Cotton has joined the exodus of young players from Derbyshire as the county continues to slash the numbers in its first-team squad in an effort to lift expectations

David Hopps02-Feb-2018Ben Cotton has joined the exodus of young players from Derbyshire as the county continues to slash the numbers in its first-team squad in an effort to lift expectations.Kim Barnett, Derbyshire’s cricket advisor, has overseen the departure of seven players in the close-season, including four young seam bowlers who were once presented as being central to Derbyshire’s future but failed to make a major impact.Greg Cork, son of the former England bowler Dominic, Tom Milnes and Tom Taylor, who has been snapped up by Leicestershire, have all moved on.Only the loss of Shiv Thakor, one of the most talented players on their books, was beyond Derbyshire’s control as they released him with immediate effect in November, less than a week after he was found guilty of two accounts of sexual exposure.Derbyshire are down to 14 first-team players, with back-up from a small academy intake, and are actively pursuing an overseas pace bowler to supplement their numbers. They failed to win a Championship match in 2016 but after Barnett returned to the club won three last season and almost qualified for the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast.Barnett is unapologetic about raising the expectations for young players, believing that a large staff with limited opportunities, and equally limited expectations, is a problem.”I think the size of the staff has been an issue,” he said. “If you have 23 players and can’t give a number of them opportunities, that’s a problem. If you have others who have had opportunities and not made it, then that is also an issue.”We’re now down to more manageable numbers, not only to give people opportunities, but also for the finances moving forward.”Cotton, who was in the final year of his contract, signed his first professional deal with Derbyshire in 2014, featuring in 20 first-class fixtures for the club and taking 37 wickets. He also appeared in 29 one-day matches and 18 T20 games, taking 32 and 20 wickets respectively.Derbyshire’s academy has yet to prove itself a reliable provider of county cricketers of repute. Last season Alex Hughes became only the second graduate to win a county cap since the academy was formed in 2003.Barnett added: “The ECB have long been looking at the success of English academies, but in many respects we were ahead of that by bringing 14, 15 and 16-year-olds into our Academy with a view to developing them into first-team players.”By 20 or 21, you need to then be genuinely pushing for a first-team place and then going on to become a capped player. Alex Hughes is the current example of the type of success you want, trained up, in the first-team and then he earned his cap. We need to do more of that.”

Charlotte FC are in advanced negotiations to sign Uruguayan starlet Luciano Rodriguez from Liverpool Montevideo, GOAL understands.

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Charlotte FC near deal for strikerHero of U-20 World CupHad drawn interest from River Plate and FeyenoordWHAT HAPPENED?

The third-year MLS club is closing in on the striker, who was Uruguay's star at the U-20 World Cup in 2023 as they triumphed in Argentina. Charlotte are in negotiations to sign the 20-year-old forward to a Young Designated Player contract and, while some details are still being ironed out, the fee would be among the largest ever in MLS. Sources say the fee would end up being among the top five in MLS history, which puts it at at least $12 million. The current MLS record is Thiago Almada, who was signed by Atlanta United for a $16m transfer fee.

The potential deal comes after Charlotte lost two of their three DPs this offseason. Karol Swiderski departed the club for Hellas Verona on an initial loan while Kamil Jozwiak made a permanent move to Granada. That leaves just Enzo Copetti as the club's lone DP, with Rodriguez set to join to provide Charlotte with a young striker to help lead the attack.

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Rodriguez has burst onto the scene over the last year thanks to his exploits with Uruguay's youth national teams. He was his country's hero at the U-20 World Cup as he scored the winning goal in the final against Italy to help Uruguay lift the trophy for the very first time.

Rodriguez has also shone for Uruguay's U-23s, having scored six goals in as many appearances, and in January he was named to the country's squad for CONMEBOL Olympic qualifiers. Uruguay, unfortunately for Rodriguez, crashed out, despite a hat-trick performance from the striker against Paraguay and goals against both Peru and Argentina.

On the club level, Rodriguez joined Liverpool Montevideo in 2023 after coming through the ranks at Progreso. In his first season, he scored nine goals for the club and was named the Uruguayan League's Young Player of the Year in 2023. Additionally, he was named to the Uruguayan Primera Division Team of the Year.

The striker has previously drawn interest from the likes of River Plate and Feyenoord.

DID YOU KNOW?

Rodriguez is the latest Uruguayan to make the move to MLS, with the league continuing to be a hotbed for young South American talent. Diego Rossi and Facundo Torres have become stars in MLS after making their own early-career moves to the US, while legendary Luis Suarez recently signed with Inter Miami to link up with former teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHARLOTTE FC?

Charlotte FC will open the MLS season, the club's first under new coach Dean Smith, on February 24 at Bank of America Stadium as they host New York City FC. The club is entering its third season having made the playoffs for the first time in 2023 before falling to the New York Red Bulls in their first match.