Former captain Steven Smith and Ashes tour aspirant Matthew Wade will be pitted against Australia’s leading bowlers including Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in the internal trial at Southampton that will determine the final shape of the touring party.Teams coached by Brad Haddin and Graeme Hick were named on Friday evening, with Usman Khawaja the only name missing out of the 25-man pre-Ashes squad as he continues his recovery from a hamstring strain suffered during the World Cup.Travis Head will lead the Haddin XII, which features Starc, Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle and David Warner. Test captain Tim Paine will meanwhile have Smith, Wade, Nathan Lyon, James Pattinson and Cameron Bancroft, another batsman fighting for one of the last remaining spots in the tour proper.Cummins, who in addition to Head served as Paine’s deputy in the latter part of the Australian summer, said the duel with Smith would help get his competitive juices flowing ahead of the Ashes.”I think it’ll definitely get the adrenaline up like in a Test match,” Cummins said. “It doesn’t happen too often – you’ll see our egos be put to the test, we’ll be going at each other I think. Maybe [played Smith before] in a T20, but not that I can remember.”I think personally from my point of view it’s about trying to get myself 100 percent ready for a Test match. I haven’t played a first-class game in a few months so it’s going to be trying to bowl long spells, get the ball swinging, try and think of ways to get batsmen out. These guys are really good players just like the English Test side. There’s no really obvious flaw so you’ve got to try to work a batsman out. It’s going to be a good hit-out, everyone is in good form.”The concept has arisen out of long-held dissatisfaction with the level of preparation provided by domestic and invitational teams fielded by host nations in recent years, whether it be Kent and Essex in 2015 in England, or the teams presented in Sri Lanka the following year. Pat Howard, the former Cricket Australia executive in charge of team performance, inked the fixture into Ashes plans well before he was shown the door in the wake of a scathing culture review last year.”I think it’s been in the planning for a couple of years, I think the lessons learned from the last couple of series was exactly that,” Cummins said. “We want a really good hit-out in conditions we can control, people jostling for spots.”The best thing is guys who are fighting for spots are in good form, so it’s not a pre-season warm-up game that might meander or you kind of look after people’s injuries in this game, it’s going to be flat out and good fun I think, especially coming off a good game last week against the Lions, this is going to be another tune-up game that’s going to get us right and ready.”Perhaps the only area of concern for the fixture is the danger of injury as players on both sides stretch themselves. Shaun Marsh was unable to be considered due to a broken arm sustained in a competitive net session prior to the final World Cup round robin game against South Africa in Manchester.Haddin XII: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Kurtis Patterson, Travis Head (capt), Marnus Labuschagne, Will Pucovski, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Josh Hazlewood, Jon HollandHick XII: Joe Burns, Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (capt), Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird, Chris Tremain, Nathan Lyon

An Everton player who Sean Dyche has called "terrific" is wanted by another Premier League club this summer, according to a new transfer update.

Everton transfer & relegation news

The Blues still find themselves in a precarious position this season, with their 10-point deduction in the league making relegation a genuine possibility despite some patches of great form.

They will have been buoyed by the fact that rivals such as Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton Town all lost over the weekend, but there is still so much work to be done.

Once the end of the season arrives, new signings will be needed at Goodison Park, regardless of which division they are playing in next term, and they have been linked with plenty of players of late.

Juventus' left-sided speedster Filip Kostic has emerged as a potential target for Everton, being hailed as a "mentality monster". He is capable of thriving as a left wing-back or further up on the flank, versatility that would help improve multiple squad positions at once.

Meanwhile, Iliman Ndiaye is another player who has been backed to move to Goodison, with the attacking midfielder currently struggling at Marseille after shining for Sheffield United in the past.

There is also the risk that some Everton players could leave the club in the summer transfer window, however, especially if they are relegated, with Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure linked with moves away.

Tottenham want James Garner

According to a new update from TEAMtalk, Tottenham are interested in signing Everton midfielder James Garner this summer, acting as a concern for the Blues.

"Tottenham are plotting a move for Everton midfielder James Garner in this summer’s transfer window, TEAMtalk can reveal. Garner has emerged on the radar of Spurs and several other Premier League clubs, including Newcastle after catching the eye at Goodison Park over the last 18 months."

Losing Garner this summer would be a real blow for Everton, especially considering he only signed permanently from Manchester United in 2022, with his influence growing as time has gone on. This season, he has started 22 Premier League matches, scoring and assisting once apiece in that time, as well as averaging 2.8 tackles per game. Dyche has spoken positively about him as well, no doubt seeing him as an important player:

Everton already eyeing move to sign "mentality monster"

He would arrive with plenty of experience.

ByTom Cunningham Feb 17, 2024

The lure of joining a big club in Spurs could be great for Garner, however, not least if Everton are in the Championship next season, so staying up should be used as an incentive to retain the 22-year-old's services.

Tickets to watch Cristiano Ronaldo train for Portugal ahead of Euro 2024's opening fixtures are on sale for the eye-watering price of €800.

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• Fans can watch Ronaldo in open training
• Tickets on sale for exorbitant prices
• Portugal start Euro 2024 on Tuesday

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Portugal are preparing for Euro 2024 and will face Czechia, Turkey, and Georgia in their group. Before that, on Friday, there will be an open training session, for which there were 6,000 free tickets allocated. Per ESPN, they are now being resold at immense cost.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  On the German ticketing website, kleinanzeigen, tickets are being advertised for as much as €800 (£674/$860). Ronaldo, of course, may be playing in his final ever international tournament at the age of 39, and it appears that supporters are desperate to get a final glimpse of the Al-Nassr star.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ronaldo has played in six European Championships, stretching back to 2004. He won the tournament in 2016, and in 25 games, he has scored 14 goals and registered nine assists.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Portugal's open training session will be attended by fans who have some lighter wallets. After that, Portugal kick off their tournament next week against Czechia.

Glasgow Rangers recorded a solid 3-0 away win over St Johnstone last weekend as they ascended to the top of the Premiership table for the first time since 2022.

Under previous managers, the Ibrox side would have wilted under the pressure last week, but in Philippe Clement, they have a boss who has totally transformed the mentality of the side in just five months.

They now find themselves leading Celtic by two points in the league table, and a win over Hearts tomorrow afternoon could see the gap being stretched to five points, showing how quickly things can change.

The Europa League last 16 draw has seen the Light Blues handed a tricky clash against Benfica, with the first leg on March 7 and this means Clement will be preparing his squad for the hectic schedule which is set to follow.

This could mean there are a couple of changes to face the Jambos at Ibrox tomorrow and with this in mind, here's a look at who could make the starting XI for the key league clash…

1 GK – Jack Butland

Arguably the most important signing the club made last summer. Butland has been in wonderful form since swapping the Premier League for Scotland and if he maintains this until the end of the season, an England call-up to the Euro 2024 squad would not be a surprise.

The former Crystal Palace shot-stopper has kept an impressive 13 clean sheets in 26 league ties and this has been imperative in the Gers' chase for glory.

Another shutout tomorrow could be crucial, that’s for sure.

2 RB – James Tavernier

The number one spot and right-back area pretty much pick themselves and Tavernier will be hoping to continue his wonderful run of form against Hearts this season.

In three previous meetings since the start of the campaign, the defender has scored against the Gorgie outfit three times while grabbing two assists too, and another goal involvement or two tomorrow could give the Gers another win.

3 CB – Connor Goldson

While Butland has been excellent in between the posts, Connor Goldson has been a rock at the heart of the defence.

The Englishman has missed only three matches this term, signifying his importance to the team, and while he is prone to the odd error – notably against Aberdeen when he was caught out with a long ball over the top – his performances have been excellent.

4 CB – John Souttar

Retaining his place alongside Goldson is the Scottish centre-back, who has formed a wonderful partnership next to his older colleague.

Indeed, he has started six of the previous seven Premiership matches next to Goldson, in which the Gers have conceded just three times.

5 LB – Ridvan Yilmaz

With squad rotation being key of late, Borna Barisic was brought into the starting XI for the clash against St Johnstone, but tomorrow, it will be Yilmaz who is unleashed.

His resurgence under Clement has been a joy to watch as he has been able to produce some of his finest performances since arriving in Glasgow in 2022.

The £5m signing was hailed as a “high quality” player by former sporting director Ross Wilson and this term, he has scored twice and grabbed an assist, while looking like he could be the heir to Barisic’s throne.

6 CM – John Lundstram

The Englishman is out of contract in a couple of months, but his recent performances under the 49-year-old coach indicate that he should be offered a new deal.

He has missed only one game thus far under the new regime and this was due to injury, proving that he is the first name on the team sheet, and he will start against Hearts.

7 CM – Mohamed Diomande

The January arrival opened the scoring last week with an excellent long-range effort which nestled in the St Johnstone net, and it was the goal which certainly eased the nerves.

He deserves another start tomorrow and, along with Lundstram, the duo could pull the strings in the heart of the midfield against the Tynecastle outfit.

8 RW – Ross McCausland

Former Aberdeen winger Scott Wright was given a rare start against the Saints last Sunday – only his seventh of the season – but he failed to take his opportunity.

The Scot took just 21 touches, completed only eight passes and lost possession nine times in what was a performance lacking any sort of willingness to make something happen.

Ross McCausland will therefore come into the starting XI to replace him, and he has been a much bigger threat in front of goal this term.

The 20-year-old has scored twice and provided three assists for the senior side since October, and he will only get better with age.

9 AM – Todd Cantwell

Another player who has seen his performances improve under Clement, especially domestically.

The English midfielder has scored five goals in his previous nine league matches and he is flourishing in the number ten role of late, showcasing his attacking qualities.

Another excellent display against Hearts could maybe even see him score yet again in the top flight.

10 LW – Oscar Cortes

Abdallah Sima is not yet ready to return to the first team yet, while Rabbi Matondo missed the clash against the Saints and this could mean Cortes starts for the second week in a row.

He has yet to score for the Ibrox side but is not without trying. Indeed, across his four league appearances, the 20-year-old has created a big chance and averaged 1.5 key passes per game, decent statistics considering he has averaged only 44 minutes per game.

The two-year deal, starting with the upcoming series against South Africa, also includes coverage of men’s and women’s domestic tournaments

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Sep-2019Cricket will be back on All India Radio (AIR), the national radio broadcaster, after a gap of nearly five years. On Tuesday, the BCCI announced it had signed a radio rights deal for two years with AIR, and according to the contract, AIR will start live audio commentary from South Africa’s tour of India, which begins this weekend, until August 2021. The coverage will also include select men’s and women’s domestic matches, such as the Ranji Trophy final, and games in the Women’s Challenger Series, Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, the Irani Cup and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Making the announcement through a media release on Tuesday, BCCI said the move aimed to “enhance the coverage” of Indian cricket and to take it to the “nook and corners” of the country.The deal brings to an end a deadlock over the radio rights issue, which involved several negotiations between the BCCI and Prasar Bharati, the chief broadcasting arm of the Indian government, which runs AIR. According to Rahul Johri, the BCCI chief executive officer, both parties have agreed on a 50:50 revenue share. He said Prasar Bharati will be in charge of the commercial aspect as well as paying the commentators.”Radio is a very strong medium and it was one of the pieces that was missing in our engaging our audience,” Johri told ESPNcricinfo. “Cricket being the life blood of India, we believe radio will play a big role in taking cricket to the masses.”Until the early 1990s, AIR was the chief mode of delivering cricket to fans in the country. Generations of cricket fans followed India’s greatest moments in the game, from the first Test win to the 1983 World Cup win, on radio. Commentators became household names, and some great players – including Lala Amarnath and Vijay Merchant – added a dimension to their legend with their work at the microphone. The spread of television from the mid-1980s and the satellite TV revolution a decade later pushed radio to the background.In 1994, the BCCI decided to sell the broadcast rights for Indian cricket for the first time. At the time the rights included both television as well as audio (radio). But the BCCI could not sell the radio rights within India as the feed is owned by the Indian government.Also, by default AIR got to broadcast cricket within India between 1994 and 2014 mainly because the private broadcaster, who had bought the television rights, still needed permission from the Indian government’s Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to uplink the feed to the satellite. With Prasar Bharati coming under the MIB purview, the private broadcaster was forced to allow AIR to air the telecast over the radio within India.Impatient and anxious about not getting the permission to uplink the feed, on several occasions the broadcaster sought the BCCI’s help to mediate with the MIB. In 2014, the BCCI decided to remove the radio rights from the broadcast rights bouquet. This meant the broadcaster just needed to make the payment to the MIB for the uplinking.The radio rights were now with the BCCI, which negotiated directly with the MIB. There was an ad-hoc arrangement struck for a while, where AIR was allowed to broadcast Indian cricket but that lasted only till 2014. Since then both parties held several discussions without any apparent solution in sight. The BCCI finally took a stand saying that it was happy to share the radio rights within India with AIR as long as there was a commercial contract where it would be paid 50% of the net income.The second condition that the BCCI asked of the MIB was that AIR should ensure quality commentary. The BCCI even extended its willingness in producing the commentary, which would allow it to pick the panel of commentators, and a willingness to incur these expenses. Even the Committee of Administrators (CoA) is understood to have supported the BCCI stance.

Manchester United suffered their tenth Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday evening against Fulham.

The match ended 2-1 for the visitors, as they picked up just their second away win of the entire season courtesy of a last-gasp effort from Alex Iwobi that simply stunned the Old Trafford faitfhul.

Erik ten Hag has come under immense scrutiny for his side’s vulnerability at the back, as they faced 17 shots throughout the clash.

Harry Maguire was United’s biggest attacking threat, which really does sum up how much they’re going to struggle without the injured Rasmus Hojlund, with everyone in attack struggling to impact the match.

Scott McTominay’s performance against Fulham

The Dutch boss has called upon Scott McTominay countless times already this season to scrape a goal and even three points at times.

The Scotland international scored twice in additional time against Brentford earlier on in the season, and only two weeks ago, he came off the bench to score the winner against Aston Villa.

In an attempt to bolster the attack, McTominay replaced Omari Forson – who was making his first start – just eight minutes after the break. However, he wasn’t exactly able to repeat his previous heroics.

In truth, the 27-year-old was extremely ineffective playing as almost a striker, where he was simply marked out of the game. Over the 46 minutes that he was on the field, the midfielder had a dismal 56% pass accuracy, 0.07 expected goals and assists, and just one shot, which should have been pulled back for one of the United players queuing up.

McTominay offered nothing yesterday, but there was one player who had a late cameo that should have been on the pitch much earlier, if not from the first minute.

Amad Diallo’s game versus Fulham in numbers

With the view of salvaging anything from the game, Ten Hag threw Amad Diallo onto the field in the 80th minute for Kobbie Mainoo, but the 21-year-old may just have been able to inspire his side to victory if he had been trusted to come on earlier instead of McTominay.

Instantly, the “top-class” winger, as he was previously described by scout Jacek Kulig, brought intensity to the field, showing the desire to get his team back in the contest.

Although he only played 19 minutes total, Diallo certainly did enough to make Ten Hag ponder including him in the starting XI against Nottingham Forest next week, and the table below shows a handful of his key statistics.

Amad Diallo vs Fulham

Stats

Diallo

Minutes

19

Touches

22

Pass accuracy

81%

Successful dribbles

1/2

Ground duels won

3/4

Tackles

2

Stats via Sofascore

The Ivory Coast star was heavily involved in the play, boasting 22 touches, one more than McTominay, despite playing 27 fewer minutes. Diallo also showed great combination play, having an 81% pass accuracy rate, while attempting to provide a source of creativity through his dribbling.

The forward was also working extremely hard to regain control for his side in a vital part of the game, winning two tackles and three of his four ground duels.

To be honest, the former Sunderland star was handed an extremely difficult task to break down the Fulham low-block, which saw almost their full team camped in their own box, but he was instantly more influential than almost all of his teammates on the field.

USMNT star Josh Sargent has revealed how long he has been nursing the ankle problem that has forced him to undergo surgery and take regular rests.

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• Forward starred for Canaries in 2023-24
• Missed four months through fitness issues
• Now chasing down Copa America glory

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 24-year-old frontman has just enjoyed the most productive campaign of his career in front of goal – with 16 efforts recorded for Norwich in their bid to secure promotion back into the Premier League. That haul was achieved despite sitting out four months through injury.

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• WHAT SARGENT SAID

  Sargent is now in the United States’ squad for a Copa America on home soil and has told the podcast of how he is managing fitness issues that have been troubling him since late 2022: “It is feeling good at the moment. It is kind of a day-by-day thing. I have been training with the guys the past couple of days and everything is going well. Hopefully it stays that way. For a while now, pretty much ever since the World Cup it is that balance to push the ankle or rest it. That has been a lot of talking with my club and national team. I am doing everything I can. After a big operation there are bound to be little things that aggravate the ankle. I didn’t know how it would be coming to the friendlies. It didn’t feel great but I put in a lot of work with the physios. Gregg [Berhalter] has put his faith in me to pull this around and get some minutes in this tournament and do well.”

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The USMNT are confident of holding their own in Copa America competition, with Sargent adding on collective ambition following a 5-1 friendly defeat to Colombia and 1-1 draw with Brazil: “I don’t know what went on in the Colombia game but it was day and night with Brazil in terms of our approach and mentality. That is the real US and we know in a tournament like this we all have to be dialled in and at our absolute best.

  "This is a big moment and we need to show that grit and firepower and stick together as a team if we want to have a chance to win this thing. We want people to know that we have a lot of good young players coming up with the passion to play for that crest, and hopefully we represent that. As a group we have talked about it and when you go into a tournament the goal is to win it. But we know there are some of the best teams in the world. We might not have as many skilful players but as a team we can be better.”

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• WHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT?

  The United States will get their Copa America campaign up and running at AT&T Stadium against Bolivia on Sunday. A positive result in that contest will set them up for further Group C outings against Panama and Uruguay.

The importance of Liverpool's season went up a level or two when Jurgen Klopp announced that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season after almost a decade in charge. Whilst those on the pitch attempt to end his tenure on the ultimate high, FSG have reportedly identified their top target, who has impressed Sky Sports pundit and former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

Next Liverpool manager

Following in the footsteps of Klopp will undoubtedly be one of the toughest tasks in European football next season, handing those at Anfield with a crucial decision to make. Already, the likes of Julian Nagelsmann, Roberto De Zerbi and former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso have been mentioned as potential candidates, with all three possessing quality in their own right.

According to the latest reports though, Liverpool have made contact with Alonso and see the Bayer Leverkusen boss as their number one target. The Spaniard has impressed in Germany, taking Leverkusen to the summit of the Bundesliga and becoming only the second side in German football history to go 30 games unbeaten in all competitions.

With that said, it's no surprise that Robinson has been left impressed, telling Football Insider: “He should get the opportunity. Xabi Alonso has proved he is a quality manager. But for me, they’re huge shoes to fill.

"What Jurgen Klopp has done at Liverpool with the trophies he’s won is incredible. For the next man in, it’s a really difficult task. I wouldn’t want to be the next manager in, I’d want to be the one after him! The manager who replaces Klopp – it’s almost an impossible task.

“If you don’t pick up the baton and win trophies, it’ll be a problem. But the one after him – that’s the job you want because to follow someone of Klopp’s quality would be so hard.

“The way Klopp is held in such high regard by players and staff – for anyone to come in and even come close to that is going to take something crazy. But Alonso could be the man to carry on the mantle.”

"Quality" Alonso has earned Liverpool chance

A manager who has been moulded by the hands of Pep Guardiola, Rafael Benitez and Carlo Ancelotti throughout his career, it's no surprise that Alonso has paved the course to becoming a top manager. His record at Leverkusen speaks for itself, as he sets out to complete the task that not many have managed in modern-day Bundesliga history by beating Bayern Munich to the title.

Whilst it is still early days in his managerial career, Alonso's link as a Liverpool icon and his blistering tenure so far at Leverkusen makes him the ideal candidate to replace Klopp at the end of the season.

Tottenham have identified a top transfer target with chairman Daniel Levy and the wider Spurs recruitment team ready to go above and beyond to get a deal done this summer.

Spurs preparing for summer window

The north Londoners, after a successful January, are said to be in full preparation already for what will be an interesting summer window.

Tottenham now willing to back Ange with transfer bid for £79m "magician"

Spurs are prepared to make an offer.

ByEmilio Galantini Feb 10, 2024

Spurs are interested in Barcelona midfielder Raphinha as one option, which FA registered intermediary and insider Paul O'Keefe pointed out last week. Despite Richarlison's exceptional form over the last two months, it is also believed that Tottenham could sign a striker later this year, as they reportedly weigh up replacements for club-record goalscorer Harry Kane after his 2023 departure to Bayern Munich.

On the field, Levy and technical director Johan Lange could be helped in their pursuit of targets by Spurs' fine form as they seriously contend for a place in the Champions League group stages next season.

Radu Dragusin

Arrival

Lucas Bergvall

Arrival

Timo Werner

Arrival

Djed Spence

Exit (loan)

Ashley Phillips

Exit (loan)

Japhet Tanganga

Exit (loan)

Sergio Reguilon

Exit (loan)

Alejo Veliz

Exit (loan)

Eric Dier

Exit (loan)

Ivan Perisic

Exit (loan)

The feel-good factor around N17 has already helped them beat European heavyweights like Bayern Munich and Barcelona to the likes of Radu Dragusin and Lucas Bergvall, while there are some suggestions that Spurs also usurped Man United in the race for Timo Werner last month.

"In general, how the club works, how they work, how they train, what the days look like. It wasn't a persuasive talk like that. He just said the club was great and I noticed that when I got there. I got an incredible reception, it's a very family club but incredible people," said Bergvall on why he chose Spurs over Barcelona and how Kulusevski swayed him.

"It felt better in the stomach. They are both incredible clubs. It was a very difficult choice, it was 50-50 for a very long time, but it felt like the next step for me was Tottenham."

It will be interesting to see if Tottenham can entice more of the continent's brightest talents later this year, and it is believed they're already firmly setting their sights on Icelandic star Albert Gudmundsson.

Tottenham "ready" to sign Gudmundsson and could go above asking price

According to a report by Calciomercato.it, Spurs are ready to bring Gudmundsson to England alongside other unnamed top flight clubs.

Tottenham "in particular" are very keen on the midfielder, so much so that Levy could tempt Genoa with an offer "beyond" the £26 million requested by the Serie A side. Indeed, Ange Postecoglou's side may place a "significant sum" on the table for a player who's bagged nine goals and two assists in the league alone this season.

Gudmundsson has also been likened to Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah: “If he keeps improving, he won’t stay at Genoa for long,” said Kevin Strootman to Il Secolo XIX newspaper (via Football Italia).

“He reminds me of Salah when he was at Roma, in that every now and then he disappears. Much like Salah then, he would have four or five chances per match and only score at most one."

The ICC also penalised their team-mate Haseeb Amjad for spot-fixing and he is out for five years

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Aug-2019

ICC/Sportsfile

Hong Kong cricketers Irfan Ahmed and Nadeem Ahmed have been banned from the game for life after the ICC found the two brothers guilty of trying to corrupt several matches, including those played during the 2016 World T20.Their team-mate Haseeb Amjad was penalised for spot-fixing and is serving a five-year ban. Seeing that all three of them were provisionally suspended on October 8, 2018, Amjad can potentially return in 2023.Irfan, 29, was an opening batsman. Nadeem, 31, was a left-arm spinner. And Amjad, 31, is a seam bowler. They were all charged by the ICC two years ago for “fixing” or trying to “influence” the result or progress of a match. Since they were all “experienced” cricketers, who had attended anti-corruption briefings and still chose to engage in these activities, the ICC came down hard on them.”This has been a long and complex investigation which has uncovered systematic attempts to influence moments in matches by experienced international cricketers over a period of time,” Alex Marshall, ICC general manager (Anti-Corruption Unit), said. “Their conduct was premeditated and sophisticated and each of the Ahmed brothers sought to corrupt others.”The main offences relate to the Hong Kong matches against Scotland and Canada [during the World Cup qualifiers in 2014] where the players fixed specific overs. These matches were won by Hong Kong, so it did not materially affect the results of the tournament, however I cannot reiterate strongly enough to any player considering this that we treat any form of fixing – spot or match – with the upmost seriousness.”Irfan was charged with nine breaches of the ICC’s anti-corruption code, including seeking, offering, accepting or agreeing to a bribe or reward to influence Hong Kong’s match against Zimbabwe in the 2014 World T20. Nadeem and he were charged for a similar offence in the 2016 World T20 as well.The ICC’s order, signed by Michael Beloff QC, read, “Both brothers appear to have made significant sums from their corrupt conduct. For example, the WhatsApp messages suggest that Irfan Ahmed was to be paid ’20k’ for a session, and that a windfall would arise from Hong Kong’s qualification for the ICC World Twenty20.” The tribunal also found evidence that the brothers “seemed to be living beyond their means… they are both paid around HK$11,000 per month by the Cricket board'” and concluded that “neither has to date shown any remorse for their conduct”.Amjad was found guilty of a “spot-fix he carried out” against Canada in 2014. The order said “it involved him conceding a very significant number of runs, early in the match, and therefore the outcome of the match could foreseeably have turned on the spot-fix.”The tribunal could not find any mitigating factors in the case of Irfan, who had previously been suspended for two-and-a-half years after he admitted to the ICC that he had breached the anti-corruption code. And although it noted that it knew of no prior offences committed by the other two, “in respect of Nadeem Ahmed in particular, the ICC submits, and the Tribunal further accepts, that that mitigating factor should be given no weight, or no effective weight, given the overall seriousness of his offending”.