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South Africa will be missing the services of the talismanic AB de Villiers, but his absence presents the opportunity for them to test some of the reserve batsmen and allrounders

Firdose Moonda08-Jul-2015Picture the typical South African sportsman: rugged, rough, resilient. If you had to put a face to that man, what would he look like? Francois Pienaar? Lucas Radebe? If cricket is your game, he is AB de Villiers.It doesn’t matter what the rankings say, de Villiers is widely acknowledged as the world’s best batsman right now. For the record, the ICC’s rating system agrees in the ODI format and until last month, de Villiers led their Test batting charts too. South Africa’s inaction and Steven Smith’s sublime form has meant a change at the No. 1 position but for South Africans (and maybe a few others), de Villiers simply cannot be usurped that easily.”You will never replace AB. He is a special player,” Ryan McLaren, who is part of South Africa’s ODI squad in Bangladesh said.Yet that is what South Africa will attempt to do for the rest of the tour.De Villiers will not feature in the one-day or Test series. The absence is mostly personal – he is expecting his first child soon, which was why he was was excluded from the Test squad. He had also copped a one-match ODI ban for a slow over-rate during the 2015 World Cup, and the team management decided they may as well send de Villiers home early. To help his wife Danielle with preparations for the baby’s arrival and to give other players a chance ahead of a nine-month season, in which South Africa will have to rely on rotation as much as anything else.They may also have wanted to see how well they can cope without de Villiers, who remains the lynchpin around which the South African wheel turns. After all, even someone who seems as evergreen as de Villiers can, will not be around forever and, with the next 50-over World Cup four years away, now is as good a time as ever to start thinking of a succession plan.”He has been our leader for such a long time,” McLaren said. “Obviously he has been an incredible batsman over the years. We love him having him as our leader and captain. We will miss him. He is a freak of nature but we will have to make do without him. Simple as that.”Part of the making do is in the leadership stakes, South Africa haven’t looked that far beyond the obvious. Hashim Amla will stand-in for de Villiers, which will also provide some continuity going into the Tests, where Amla is also in charge.The vacancy in the batting order though will present an opportunity for Rilee Rossouw and Farhaan Behardien to show what they are capable of.Rossouw had already done that to some extent in the T20s. He was used as a finisher and adapted his game to be more attacking quite well. South Africa have not been able to find a permanent spot for him in the batting order and so he has been shifted around. Rossouw’s flexibility will work in his favour in future but he would also like to be able to make a particular position his own and this series could present the chance to do that.Behardien’s burden is greater because he is still seen as a fringe player. His medium-pace bowling could push him into the starting XI because of the conditions, in which the offcutter has proved handy, but Behardien is primarily a batsman and will want to show that.At the World Cup, he spoke of his desire to emulate de Villiers and this could be his chance to do that. Behardien is still likely to bat lower than Rossouw and will need to capitalise on any time he gets at the crease to press for a permanent spot.Being without de Villiers could also allow South Africa to experiment with playing more allrounders in the starting XI. They have three in the squad – McLaren, Chris Morris and Wayne Parnell.McLaren will be looking to take back the position that was his before he was dumped ahead of the World Cup. He had succeeded Jacques Kallis as South Africa’s two-in-one, albeit in a different role (as a bowling allrounder, not a batting one), but a poor tour of Australia in late 2014 cost him his place. Now McLaren is back and looking forward to a “a fresh start.”So are South Africa, who will play 50-over cricket for the first time since the World Cup and will want to gain back their confidence in the format even without their best player.

Hampshire beat the rain by skittling Warwickshire out for 167 to go top of the Specsavers County Championship Division One table

ECB Reporters Network05-Jun-2017
ScorecardHampshire beat the rain by skittling Warwickshire out for 167 to go top of the Specsavers County Championship Division One table.Kyle Abbott and spin twins Mason Crane and Sean Ervine whipped through the struggling visitors to pull off an innings and 94 runs victory – with dark clouds circling at the Ageas Bowl.Ian Bell reached his 99th first class fifty, as he looked the only player at home on a tricky wicket, before he was bowled by Abbott.Jonathan Trott, who had batted all but 13 balls on day three, departed soon after as Mason Crane found turn and bounce to find his outside edge – a simple catch for Sean Ervine at first slip.Abbott’s golden arm then saw him pin Sam Hain lbw, the umpire noticing the ball had just struck pad before bat, before the South African had Rikki Clarke leg before to a ball which failed to get up.Gareth Berg replaced Abbott at the Pavilion End and had his own success in his second over when he had Tim Ambrose lbw – leaving Warwickshire in dire straits at 131 for 7.The only blip on an otherwise perfect morning for Hampshire was Jimmy Adams’ drop at second slip – which saw Keith Barker earn an extra life.After the interval, Crane pulled off a sensational googly, which kept very low, to baffle Grant Thornton and rap him on the pads.Kyle Abbott took the key wicket of Ian Bell•PA PhotosThen the rain arrived and frustrated the hosts by forcing the players off for 20 minutes, but when Hampshire came back onto the pitch they took little time in rolling through the tail.Boyd Rankin was bowled leaving a Sean Ervine straight ball, before the Zimbabwean finished things off by pinning Sunny Singh lbw.Hampshire move 14 points clear of Essex at the top of the table, having played a game more.The win was their third of the season, with Warwickshire taking three bonus points from the match to stay second from bottom.

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier League matches played on May 5, 2017

Mohammad Isam05-May-2017Abahani Limited got back to winning ways in style with a 107-run win over Prime Bank Cricket Club at the BKSP-3 ground. A fantastic top-order performance got them to 305 in 49.2 overs before Shuvagata Hom’s 5-wicket haul shut down Prime Bank.Shadman Islam struck his maiden List-A century, making 103 off 100 balls with nine fours and three sixes and added 119 runs for the first-wicket with Liton Das, who contributed with 65 off 63 balls that had four boundaries and three sixes.Shadman followed it up with a 101-run second wicket stand with Saif Hassan who also slammed three sixes and two fours in his 53-ball 51. Ariful Haque and Al-Amin Hossain took three wickets each but could not restrict Abahani from breaching the 300-run mark.Shuvagata then took the five-for while Manan Sharma picked up two wickets as Prime Bank were bowled out for 198 runs in 44.5 overs. Salman Hossain was unbeaten on 61 off 75 balls.Avishek Mitra’s 95 propelled Mohammedan Sporting Club to a six-wicket win over Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium. The opener struck three fours and two sixes in his 134-ball anchor that lasted till the 41st over. in their chase of 229.He added 57 for the first wicket with Rony Talukdar and 52 for the second wicket with Shamsur Rahman, before adding another 55 with Raqibul Hasan who remained unbeaten on 49 off 60 balls.Earlier, Sajedul Islam and Charith Asalanka took three wickets each as Prime Doleshwar were restricted to 228 for 9 in 50 overs. Abdul Mazid top scored with 50 off 73 balls.Legends of Rupganj bounced back from their ordinary performance against Mohammedan Sporting Club in the previous encounter, as they crushed Victoria Sporting Club by six wickets at the BKSP-4 ground in Savar.Batting first, the hapless Victoria side were bowled out for 155 in 45.3 overs. Uttam Sarkar top scored with 35 while Rupganj’s Pakistani recruit Raza Ali Dar took three wickets with his left-arm spin. Mosharraf Hossain and Mohammad Sharif took two wickets each.Rupganj reached their target in 45.3 overs with Pinak Ghosh leading them with a 110-ball 62. Victoria used nine bowlers but could take only four wickets.

Tottenham have now been named as the side most interested in signing a potential future star whose stock is rapidly rising, according to a fresh report.

Tottenham target youth in transfer window

Central to Tottenham’s new long transfer policy has been a focus on youth talent, with their latest new face set to debut in January. Ange Postecoglou’s side have aimed to sign players under the age of 21 for the most part, including the arrivals of Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert in the most recent transfer window.

They were signed alongside young talent Yang Min-Hyeok, who is arriving at the club in the coming days ahead of officially becoming a Premier League player on January 1st.

“I am excited to be joining the club. It would be an honour to play with [Heung-Min] Son and I would be grateful for that opportunity,” Yang told reporters at Incheon International Airport in Seoul.

“I’d like to get into a match before the season ends, and hopefully score a goal or get an assist,” Yang added. “Because I am joining the team in midseason, I’ve been focusing on rest and recovery, so that I will stay healthy going forward.

2024/25

22.1

2023/24

23.1

2022/23

24.7

2021/22

22.6

2020/21

24.5

“Personally, I feel that I am ready [for Premier League debut]. I’ll put on a good performance there and I hope fans will continue to support me.”

Yang is the latest in a long line of young talent signed in north London, with the likes of Ashley Phillips, Alejo Veliz and Luka Vuskovic all young talents currently out on loan with bright futures at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Now, they are looking to add another to their ranks.

Tottenham most interested side in teenage talent

That is according to a fresh report coming out of Spain, which claims that Spurs lead the way to sign Preston North End talent Felipe Rodriguez-Gentile.

Still just 18-years-old, the Argentine is yet to make his debut for the Preston senior side but shot to prominence back in 2022 after he scored five goals in an FA Youth Cup tie against Rotherham United, and he has previously been on trial with Liverpool.

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He could be snapped up on the cheap.

ByBen Browning Dec 16, 2024

“After a few sessions I had to ask him if he was right- or left-footed” Andy Wallace, his former manager at Huyton, told the Athletic. “You could tell he had played futsal. He was technically gifted, good on the ball, his touch and his ability to shoot from distance and different angles was not something you saw from many.”

Now, his performances at youth level have caught the eye of Tottenham, with the report claiming that Spurs, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town are all monitoring the youngster.

Of the trio of Premier League sides, it is the north Londoners who are among the “most interested” in his signature in the months to come. Rodriguez-Gentile is under contract in Lancashire until 2026, meaning that should he move on this season it could be the last chance for Preston to receive any sort of meaningful fee for the talent.

The Scotland international and 2024 MLS Comeback Player of the Year helped RBNY to MLS Cup final last season

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Lewis Morgan undergoes knee surgeryForward sidelined for at least six weeksHelped RBNY to 2024 MLS Cup finalGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

The New York Red Bulls playmaker Lewis Morgan sustained a left knee injury in training, underwent successful surgery and will be sidelined for at least six weeks as a result, the club announced this week.

The Scotland international helped lead them to an MLS Cup 2024 appearance, where they fell just short against the LA Galaxy.

“From the mental side, [he’s] in a positive way, in a good spot,” coach Sandro Schwarz said during a news conference on Thursday. “He’s also very professional now in his rehab with the medical department with all the guys. I’m pretty sure … in the next weeks, hopefully, he’s making big steps, and then he’ll be ready in six weeks for us.”

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The Red Bulls have been hindered by injuries to start the season, with defender Cam Harper sidelined by a knee injury sustained in their home opener. Newly acquired Wiktor Bogacz has yet to make his debut due to a back injury. Schwarz said that attacker Mohammed Sofo, who started in place of Morgan on Matchday 3, will miss two weeks due to a groin injury.

The RBNY manager added that the absences will lead to "big chances" for young players to step up and fill the gap – such as 16-year-old Julian Hall – among others. However, Schwarz also acknowledged that the club are looking "inside and outside' of the roster for potential support due to their growing injury list. The MLS transfer window is open until April 23.

“This is our responsibility for the club, and we are talking all together to find the best solution,” the Red Bulls coach added. “We are talking every time about solutions. About what we can do to improve our roster.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Morgan was named MLS Comeback Player of the Year in 2024 after scoring 13 goals and seven assists during the regular season after missing the majority of the 2023 campaign due to injury.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR RBNY?

The Red Bulls return to the pitch on Saturday against Orlando City on MLS Matchday 4 looking to extend their unbeaten streak to three games.

Real Madrid are now sniffing around Chelsea once more and reportedly want to take another of their stars to the Spanish capital in the not too distant future, according to a fresh report.

Chelsea and Real Madrid do regular transfer business

Prior to the arrival of Todd Boehly and Enzo Maresca, Chelsea and Real Madrid have not been strangers to doing transfer business together. 18 players have played for both clubs, and Eden Hazard, Antonio Rudiger and Thibaut Courtois have all made the move fromthe Premier League giants to the Santiago Bernabeu in recent seasons, all to differing outcomes.

Prior to that, the likes of Ricardo Carvalho and Arjen Robben also made the switch, while Mateo Kovacic, Claude Makelele and Alvaro Morata have all moved the other way.

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In recent years, it seemed most likely that Reece James would be the next one to tread that path, with reports claiming that Los Blancos were eyeing a move for the Englishman to replace Dani Carvajal 12 months ago.

However, no such move materialised, and injuries have halted Reece James’ career once more after he missed most of last season following surgery. In the time since, Real Madrid have changed their focus, and now want to sign England teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold, who will become a free agent at the end of the current campaign and could well leave Liverpool to join friend Jude Bellingham in Spain.

Though that may spell good news for Chelsea, Real Madrid’s newfound interest in one of James’ teammates at Stamford Bridge may be far worse.

Real Madrid want "special" Chelsea man

That comes as a shock report in Spain claims that Real Madrid are now monitoring Chelsea talisman Cole Palmer ahead of a potential move for the England international. Palmer found the net twice in the 4-2 win over Tottenham to take his tally to 11 goals for the season alongside six assists, and helping Chelsea move up to second in the Premier League in the process.

In fact, since moving to Stamford Bridge a little over 12 months ago, the former Manchester City man has blossomed into one of the Premier League’s best players, registering 50 goal contributions in just 47 outings.

After his latest performance, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher dubbed him a “special” player and one of the best in Europe.

“He is going to go down as one of the biggest players for Chelsea if he keeps doing what he is doing. He is a very special player, and that’s not just in the Premier League it is in Europe and world football as well”, he explained.

Appearances

47

Goals

33

Assists

17

Minutes per goal/assist

78.4

And that has reportedly caught the eye of the European Champions, with the report claiming that Real Madrid “have him in their sights” for a future window and Florentino Perez values “both the midfielder’s footballing qualities and his potential to become a global icon”, in keeping with his former Galacticos project.

In truth, any deal in the near future seems highly unlikely, with Palmer and Bellingham already fighting for the same position for England, and likely to end up doing so for Real Madrid.

That is even before the cost of the operation is taken into account, with Palmer still having a mammoth nine years left to run on his £130,000 a week deal at Stamford Bridge and not agitating for a move, which would likely force Real Madrid to put up a record fee to land the Englishman.

With Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Arda Güler all among the stable of young talent already at Carlo Ancelotti’s disposal, and Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr both key memebers of the squad, adding Palmer seems more like a pipe dream than a reality.

Eye-catching batting displays from IPL debutants Ayush Badoni and Abhinav Manohar also lit up a tense match at the Wankhede

Deivarayan Muthu28-Mar-2022Lucknow Super Giants threatened to become the first team to defend a target in IPL 2022, but late blows from David Miller, Rahul Tewatia and Abhinav Manohar ensured it was Gujarat Titans who won the battle of the new teams.After Dushmantha Chameera and Avesh Khan bowled with rapid pace in the powerplay to begin Super Giants’ defence of 158, their spinners brought them control, despite the dew setting in at the Wankhede Stadium. Krunal Pandya, who bowled to Hardik Pandya (33 off 28 balls) for the first time in an official match, bested his younger brother. In the next over, Deepak Hooda bowled Matthew Wade for 30 off 29 balls.It left Titans needing 81 off 49 balls, with Abhinav, who had played all of four T20s before Monday, listed at No.7. With the left-handed pair of Miller and Tewatia in the middle, Rahul gave the offspinner Hooda another over, but the move worked against Super Giants as Tewatia and Miller walloped him for a four and a six each, narrowing the equation to 46 off 24 balls. As a result, Chameera, Super Giants’ most penetrative bowler on the day, bowled just three overs.Tewatia then laid into Ravi Bishnoi, before Avesh removed Miller in the 18th over to tighten the chase. Chameera tightened it even further with a nine-run penultimate over.Avesh was left to defend ten off the last over, but Abhinav and Tewatia coolly sealed the deal for Titans, with five wickets and two balls to spare.Shami scythes through top order
Mohammed Shami landed the very first ball of the match on a Test-match length with a bolt-upright seam. It veered in with the angle and then seamed away to scratch KL Rahul’s outside edge. The ball continued to nip around in the early exchanges, and Shami made two more incisions in the powerplay, storming through the defences of Quinton de Kock and Manish Pandey to leave Super Giants 29 for 4 in the fifth over. Varun Aaron, also struck in the powerplay, having Evin Lewis caught brilliantly by Shubman Gill off an uppish pull.Mohammed Shami picked up three wickets in three powerplay overs•BCCIThe Hooda-Badoni rescue act
Hooda was slow off the blocks and was on 7 off 15 balls at one point. He then lined up the seemingly weaker links in the Titans’ attack, taking Hardik and Aaron for 36 off 20 balls. In his first bowling shift in the IPL since the 2019 final for Mumbai Indians against Chennai Super Kings, Hardik went wicketless while giving up 37 runs in his four overs overall.When Rashid Khan pitched one in his slot, Hooda confidently slog-swept him for six, and moments later brought up his half-century off 36 balls. Ayush Badoni made a half-century of his own, on IPL debut, reaching the landmark with an audacious pulled six off Lockie Ferguson in the 19th over. From 47 for 4 at the halfway mark, Super Giants racked up 111 runs in their last ten overs, with Krunal also contributing an unbeaten 21 off 13.Chameera’s double-strike
Chameera might not even started the tournament had Mark Wood been fit. Having got his chance, he showed why he probably should be a regular in Super Giants’ XI by getting rid of both the Titans openers. In his first over, the Sri Lanka quick had Gill toe-ending a catch to point for a duck. Then, in his second, he yorked No.3 Vijay Shankar for 4 off 6 balls after having pushed him back with hard lengths.Tewatia and Abhinav finish it off
Wade and Hardik played themselves in and put on 57 in eight overs before falling within ten balls of each other. Titans needed a strong finishing kick, and it came from Tewatia, for whom they had forked out INR 9 crore at the auction earlier this year.He dominated a 60-run fifth-wicket stand with Miller, punishing the spinners in particular. All up, Tewatia struck 30 off 15 balls from Hooda and Bishnoi. After slog-sweeping Hooda for six, he reverse-swept Bishnoi for six, messing with the legspinner’s line and forcing him out of his comfort zone.Abhinav also stepped up under pressure, cracking the first two balls of the last over, bowled by Avesh, for fours. Fittingly, it was Tewatia who hit the winning runs, sparking big celebrations in Titans’ camp.

Aston Villa fans will hope their side’s eight-match winless run can be quickly forgotten about now, after Unai Emery’s men returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion by overcoming Brentford 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Thomas Frank’s Bees are no pushovers, but Villa managed to race into a convincing three-goal lead in the first 45 minutes to never look back, with the much-needed victory meaning the Villans are now only three points off the top four spots in the Premier League.

Emery would have been delighted with the performances of many star individuals on the night, as the likes of Ollie Watkins returned back to their best in the confidence-boosting win.

Aston Villa's standout performers vs Brentford

Watkins wouldn’t just fire home a penalty during the duration of his sparkling 65 minutes on the Villa Park turf, with the former Bees man also assisting the opener on the night that set the stuttering side on their way to the three points.

The England international would also miss a big chance amongst his six shots on the busy Brentford net, as the Villa number 11 operated as a hard-to-contain menace again, after struggling for large patches during his team’s poor run of form.

Matty Cash would also get in on the goalscoring act late into the first 45 minutes, managing to sneak in an effort past Mark Flekken to secure the win.

He would also register eight successful duels to keep the likes of Bryan Mbeumo at arm’s length, with Tyrone Mings also playing like a colossus defensively himself with six duels won of his own accord.

The star that stole the show from Villa’s perspective was Morgan Rogers though, who opened the scoring in the 3-1 win with a stunning curled effort, as Emery’s decision to play him down the left more than paid off.

With the 22-year-old capable of stunning down the left wing – or playing more centrally – he could be slowly transforming into the club’s next Jack Grealish off the back of this top display.

Aston Villa's new Jack Grealish

Donning a brand-new bleach blonde look for the Wednesday night affair, Rogers would let his football do the talking over any discussion about his fresh hair-do, with plenty to shout about away from his sumptuous opener.

With John McGinn picked in the number ten role, Rogers had more freedom to maraud forward with intent down the left channel, amassing two successful dribbles subsequently.

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90

Goals scored

1

Assists

0

Touches

55

Shots

3

Accurate passes

33/38 (87%)

Key passes

3

Successful dribbles

2/3

Away from attempting to make things happen himself with dribbles and shots galore, the table above also shows off the tricky attacker’s unselfish side, with three key passes accumulated from his 55 touches of the ball to try and play others into the entertaining contest.

Birmingham Live journalist John Townley would wax lyrical about the former Manchester City youngster at full-time in his post-match ratings, dishing out a deserved 8/10 rating to the electric number 27, with his strike on the night labelled as a ‘pearler’.

Grealish was also more than capable of firing home a memorable strike when he was donning a Villa strip, with the now Man City man an icon to this day at Villa Park with a total of 32 goals and 41 assists notched up from 213 outings for his boyhood employers.

Rogers is some way off that amount, with ten goal contributions managed from 32 games, but he could go on to be a similar maverick like Grealish if he keeps up these stunning performances this campaign and beyond.

He could well become another modern day great, but Emery will just want the Villa star to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground with games coming thick and fast in December, knowing he will be crucial to his team’s attempts to surge back up the table.

Aston Villa must finally sell £13m flop who Gerrard was "delighted" to sign

Aston Villa will look to sell on this dud for good at the next possible opening.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 3, 2024

Dele Alli is being backed to make a sensational return to Tottenham despite suffering a "big dip" in his career by former Spurs ace Clive Allen.

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Dele currently in Italy with ComoWaiting to make debutTipped for future return to TottenhamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Dele is currently with Serie A side Como and is aiming to get his career back on track in Italy after an injury-ravaged time in the Premier League with Everton. The 28-year-old is yet to make his debut for Cesc Fabregas's side but has been on the bench for the team's last two matches and is expected to make his first appearance for the club before the end of the current campaign.

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Dele has signed an 18-month contract with Como, with an option for another campaign dependent on appearances. It remains to be seen if he will remain in Italy after his contract ends or head back to England. Former Tottenham striker Allen feels that there may be a role for Dele at Tottenham in the future, even if it's not on the pitch.

WHAT ALLEN SAID

He told : "Maybe that [a return to Tottenham] could be possible. Every football supporter will be wishing him well at Como. He’s had a big dip, which can happen. The fact that he’s bouncing back and getting back into the game, let’s hope he can do it. Maybe one day he can get back up to the level we know. A role at Tottenham maybe. I’m not sure if he’s a coach or a possible manager, an academy coach to give knowledge to young people. He may look at educating young players around depression and avoiding certain situations.“

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Getty Images EntertainmentWHAT NEXT FOR DELE

Dele will be hoping to be in the squad once again on Saturday when Como take on AC Milan in Serie A. Fabregas' team are currently 13th in the table, and a win against the Rossoneri would leave them with an outside chance of securing a top-half finish.

Todd Greenberg, the ACA chief executive, said players were aware how important it was to keep the game going

Alex Malcolm28-Feb-2022The Australian Cricketers’ Association is hopeful the key parts of a new pay deal between the players and Cricket Australia could be resolved in the coming months with chief executive Todd Greenberg vowing that there will be no repeat of the ugly dispute that unfolded when the last deal was struck in 2017.Discussions on a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) have been ongoing between Greenberg and CA chief executive Nick Hockley with the pair currently in Pakistan together on tour with the Australian men’s team for the first Test in Rawalpindi.They have been speaking regularly since coming into their respective posts in 2021 in a bid to form a stronger bond than the almost non-existent relationship between predecessors James Sutherland and Alistair Nicholson back in 2017 when an ugly 10-month pay dispute led to the players being unemployed for 34 days and an Australia A tour being cancelled before a resolution was found.”I’d be surprised if we haven’t got something resolved in the coming months,” Greenberg told ESPNcricinfo. “First and foremost, we don’t anticipate having any of the MoU discussions conducted in the same manner that it was way back in 2017. I think a lot of that has changed.”Cricket Australia have recognised the revenue share model and the importance of that for cricket. The game has continued to grow during this period of time, and I think despite the difficulties of the Covid pandemic, what it has demonstrated is there is a really strong alignment of partnering between the game and the players because there’s a real need for each other to be aligned on that. So the model works. Effectively if games aren’t being played, revenue is not being earned.”We’ve made some good progress already on the MoU discussions. Nick and I have been leading those on behalf of our respective teams. And I’m hopeful we can come to an agreement in a relatively short space of time, which will see both the players and Cricket Australia in a really strong position to come out of the pandemic.”Bubbles have been a strain on finances and the players•Cricket Australia via Getty ImagesGreenberg was pleased he had been able to forge a relationship with Hockley over the last year to create a greater dialogue between the ACA and CA on a range of issues.”We’ve spent a lot of time together,” Greenberg said. “And I’m pleased that we are spending time together because it’s really important when we said we can talk about different issues in the game and I can certainly give him perspectives on behalf of the players both male and females.”That relationship is really strong. I came into this role knowing the history of the last MoU and the difficulties that the game faced, and I was pretty determined to try to repair some bridges and try to mend some of those relationships. And so Nick and I both being new in our roles have an opportunity to do that.”The new MoU is one of a number of key issues for Cricket Australia to resolve in the coming months. New CA chairman Lachlan Henderson outlined a new cricket strategy with refreshing the BBL at the top of the agenda, particularly with a new TV broadcast rights deal set to be negotiated in 2024, after the new MoU is already in place.Covid has also affected CA’s bottom line with Henderson revealing the administration had spent $40 million on biosecurity over the past two seasons, money it needs to recoup.The players are hopeful the bio-bubbles will not be required next summer after two years of playing in such environments both home and abroad.”We’re really hopeful that we can return to some level of normality next summer by the time that rolls around,” Greenberg said. “But it’s certainly not lost on me and it shouldn’t be lost on the fans that the players have made enormous sacrifices to keep the game underway.”The players have made it very clear to me that at any point in time, the most important thing for them is to continue to play cricket and if you go back over the last 24 months the sacrifices players have made to be away from families to be in isolated environments, some of the sacrifices from players from Western Australia who have literally not been home since the middle of last year is nothing short of phenomenal.”They know that they’ve got a huge responsibility to do that, a responsibility to keep the show on the road but a responsibility to play cricket so that the revenues are still coming into the game. Because the revenues are there to generate grassroots participation and to keep the game flowing from top to bottom.”