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Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has teased the possibility of more defensive swoops "in the coming days", coming after their deal for Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven.

Who will Spurs sign?

Alongside the already-confirmed new arrivals, namely goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, defender Ashley Phillips, centre-back Micky van de Ven, playmaker James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon, Spurs have apparently sealed another.

Alejo Veliz, who will sign from Argentine side Rosario Central, is undergoing medical tests and could be unveiled as a new Tottenham player "later this week" (Fabrizio Romano).

However, the north Londoners aren't believed to be done there, as reports have previously suggested that they're very keen to bring in another star centre-half.

Reliable media sources, like reporter Alasdair Gold, have said as much as links continue to surround a move for Bayer Leverkusen star Edmond Tapsoba.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

"The north London club are looking to sign two new senior centre-backs this summer," wrote Gold for football.london last month.

"It has not been ruled out that they could yet move for both players [Van de ven and Tapsoba] depending on departures from Postecoglou's squad.

"Tottenham will listen to offers for Sanchez, Joe Rodon and Tanganga this summer, while Eric Dier is keen to remain at the club."

Tapsoba is a curious case in particular as some sections of the press have claimed that Tottenham are ready to offer a long-term contract, in order to convince the Burkina Faso international to join.

While Postecoglou has refused to comment on the African in particular, but the Spurs head coach has now teased the possibility of another defensive signing soon, and says Tottenham need to do so.

The 57-year-old, speaking to media, said he wants defenders who can play in an aggressive formation and defend well behind them.

"It's not done yet," said Postecoglou on van de Ven's signing.

"We need bolstering in that central defensive area. We need defenders who can work in an aggressive formation, defend well & behind them. We'll be looking to bring in a couple in that area in the coming days."

Which defender should Tottenham sign?

Tapsoba, we believe, stands out as the key candidate to reinforce Postecoglou's backline further.

The 24-year-old is growing his reputation in the Bundesliga and was an indispensable member of Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen starting eleven last term.

Indeed, no other Leverkusen outfielder played more German top flight minutes than Tapsoba, highlighting how truly rated he is by Alonso (WhoScored).

He also ranked among their best for clearances made per 90, and at international level, Tapsoba is considered a "fundamental" player for his country.

Journalist Ben McAleer, commenting on Spurs' links to the player recently, hailed the defender as a potentially perfect player for Postecoglou.

"Postecoglou wants his centre-backs to play the ball out from defence, so Tapsoba would be a fine addition to the squad," wrote McAleer in The Guardian.

"He ranked fifth for passes per game (76.3) in the Europa League last season, and returned a solid pass success rate of 87.2%. What’s more, Tapsoba ranked second for forward passes (879) in the Bundesliga last season, looking to set his side on the front foot where possible."

Leeds United have endured a rough start to their new season, with some glaring weaknesses having been put on display…

Who else are Leeds United signing?

Whilst frustrating for fans and staff alike, at the very least it has given Daniel Farke a fresh, unfiltered look at exactly what he needs to do before the transfer window slams shut.

Poor results against Cardiff City and Birmingham City have left them winless in the Championship, with their lack of focal point proving a huge vacancy that needs an immediate solution.

Fortunately, journalist Ben Jacobs suggests they could have found one, as he told GIVEMESPORT about what the future might hold for Aston Villa's Cameron Archer:

"With Archer, what's interesting is that he's been made for sale now. So there is an opportunity to do that deal. He's had a couple of good loan spells in the Championship including with Middlesbrough and now, Aston Villa are willing to let him go.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

"I think that he put himself in the short window with I believe, a couple of goals and an assist at the under 21 Euros for England.

"He also scored plenty of goals he got into double figures for Middlesbrough last season and I think that was only in about 20-odd appearances and he added several assists on top of that.

"So that can be one to watch because Aston Villa are now prepared to sell him. Leeds are one of the clubs no doubt Middlesbrough are another. So I would expect movement on Archer between now and the end of the window."

How many goals has Cameron Archer scored?

Despite being only 21 years old, the young frontman has already earned himself a fine reputation as a clinical asset at every level he has experienced.

Three goals and two assists in four Premier League 2 matches during the 2021/22 season earned him his spell on loan, which he took with both hands at Preston North End. He scored seven times in 20 outings during that Championship term and would return to that level the year prior with Middlesbrough.

It was here where he truly stood out though, scoring 11 and assisting a further six across just 20 league matches. Such blistering form drew praise from Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, who labelled him "incredibly prolific". With 45 career goals across various levels already, this is a claim more than supported.

The £20k-per-week marksman has everything that is missing at Elland Road right now, with that lack of focal point arguably transforming into Farke's biggest issue at the moment despite initial fears surrounding their backline.

Archer would offer speed, pace, power and a presence in the number nine spot, to help get their faltering campaign back on track.

Against the Bluebirds Leeds enjoyed 72% of the ball and created three big chances, yet were forced to wait until added time to salvage a point. Then, against the Blues, they could not convert their 59% possession into tangible opportunities, falling to defeat after a late penalty was converted for the hosts.

The first of those games were played without a starting striker on the pitch, whilst the young and unproven Joe Gelhardt struggled to make his mark in the second.

However, it is not just a quality issue but also a quantity one, as their most recent fixture also saw them name just eight substitutes, two of which were goalkeepers. Not only do they need high-quality talent, but they also need plenty of it to bulk out a squad ravaged by relegation.

Archer would offer that and more, coming in to offset the injuries and absences left by Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo amongst others, and providing a foundation for them to finally get their promotion push started.

Everton have made the trio of Jordan Pickford, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Alex Iwobi untouchable this window according to Dean Jones.

The Toffees are hoping to bounce back after a couple of disappointing campaigns.

What is the latest Everton transfer news?

The Toffees are in the midst of one of the most important summer transfer windows in their recent history, as they hope to build a squad to avoid a relegation battle next season.

The club has already made their first signing, with experienced Englishman Ashley Young joining on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract at Aston Villa. Reports have also stated that the side is looking to add another forward, with Marca stating that the Toffees had seen an offer rejected by Almeria for striker El Bilal Toure, whilst Leeds United have rebuffed a £15m offer for Italian youngster Wilfred Gnonto according to the Mail.

Sean Dyche's side have also explored a deal for Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga according to Fabrizio Romano. The Swedish youngster has attracted the interest of many clubs but the Toffees are favorites as it stands, with the deal reportedly set to cost between £8-10m.

In terms of outgoings, Belgian midfielder Amadou Onana has been linked with a move to fellow Premier League side West Ham United. The Hammers recently sold captain and star midfielder Declan Rice for a record £105m fee and are looking to potentially replace him with Onana. The midfielder turned down a potential move to West Ham in the summer of 2022 in favour of a move to Goodison Park, but now could make the switch to the London Stadium for a fee in the region of £50m.

However, according to journalist Jones, Everton have made three players untouchable this summer, with the club not wanting to lose the "instrumental" figures this summer, as he stated whilst talking to Give Me Sport: "There has been plenty of speculation around Everton and who they will sell to raise funds this summer and a lot has been made of Jordan Pickford potentially being the one that brings in a lot of cash. That actually goes against what I am hearing on the situation now that we are here in the middle of the transfer window and heading towards the new season. Pickford is not available for transfer, it seems a pretty clear stance from what I’m hearing.

Obviously, he and Calvert-Lewin are the two big names in that team that could make the jump up to a team playing in Europe, but I don’t see it happening as things stand. The same goes for Alex Iwobi to be honest, he is one they want as an instrumental figure in the team and while there have been a couple of reports suggesting he will be available in this window, I do not believe that to be the case.”

Will Everton sell those players?

Despite the club's stance, should they receive a massive offer for any of those players, they could depart Goodison Park this summer.

Jordan Pickford has been the subject of interest from a number of top sides throughout this summer from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, however both sides seem to have opted for different targets for between the sticks, and Everton have stuck a £70m price tag on the England number one's head this summer.

Calvert-Lewin has battled with injury problems for the past couple of seasons, however, he was the subject of Arsenal interest this year according to reports, and should he be able to maintain his fitness, could easily attract that level of interest again.

Iwobi enjoyed his finest season last campaign since his move from Arsenal in the summer of 2019, and has reportedly attracted the interest of Premier League clubs West Ham and Fulham, as well as from Italian giants Inter Milan regarding a potential move this summer.

It remains to be seen whether the trio will still be on Merseyside for the club's first game of the season at home against Fulham.

Manchester United are reportedly in the running to sign Bayern Munich midfielder, Leon Goretzka, with the German international seemingly surplus to requirements at the Allianz Arena.

What is the latest on Goretzka to Man United?

According to Sky Sports Germany, the 28-year-old has been deemed 'expendable' by Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel ahead of next season, albeit with the former Schalke ace still hoping to stay put in Bavaria beyond the September deadline.

As per the report, however, United are believed to be keeping tabs on the player's situation if he does opt to move on elsewhere this summer, with the Red Devils monitoring the Bochum native 'very closely' despite already having strengthened the midfeld with the signing of Mason Mount.

The piece notes that if Erik ten Hag's are to step up their interest in the 6 foot 2 maestro, then they will have to lodge a bid in the region of €50m (£43m) in order to strike a deal.

What is Goretzka's style of play?

Despite having seemingly fallen out of favour under Tuchel, the towering titan had previously been a firm favourite of former boss Julian Nagelsmann, with the out of work coach having lauded the midfielder's all action style in the centre of the park:

"Leon is one of the best box-to-box players in Europe. He has incredible goal threat and knows when to bomb forward."

That desire to get forward at every opportunity, as well as his imposing, physical stature, may well spark similarities among United supporters to a certain Paul Pogba, with the 6 foot 3 Frenchman having previously been utilised in that role at Old Trafford.

The mercurial 30-year-old – who returned to Juventus after six years in Manchester last summer – was undoubtedly a polarising figure during his time with the Red Devils, having notably sparked fury after repeatedly angling for moves away from the club.

That being said, however, at his best the World Cup winner had the ability to make a telling impact in his playmaking berth, having notably registered three goals and nine assists in 20 Premier League outings during his final season at the Theatre of Dreams, while creating six big chances in that time.

Despite scoring just two goals and contributing three assists in 27 Bundesliga appearances last season, Goretzka showcased that he can match Pogba's creative flair after creating seven big chances in total.

The duo have also both enjoyed similar returns with regard to goal contributions in recent years, with the latter man having chipped in with 90 goals and assists in 233 games during his two spells in Manchester, while his Bayern counterpart boasts 69 goals and assists in 179 appearances for the German giants.

While United supporters may be fearful of landing a carbon copy of Pogba, those concerns can be eased by the fact that Goretzka does boast a superior record with regard to his defensive ability and work rate, having chipped in with 2.7 tackles and interceptions per game in the league in 2022/23, as well as winning 67% of his aerial duels as a marker of that physical dominance.

The current Juve man, by contrast, averaged just 1.4 tackles and interceptions per game during the 2021/22 campaign under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, having won just 64% of his aerial duels.

That would suggest that while Goretzka has the ability to match Pogba's attacking quality, he also has the added bonus of being able to put in the hard yards defensively, something which should be a real cause for excitement among the Old Trafford faithful – if a deal can be agreed.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:10

Moonda: All eyes on Bavuma after Elgar

On 22 consecutive occasions, the captain winning the toss in New Zealand had opted to bowl. When South Africa were 22 for 3 on the opening day in Dunedin, Dean Elgar may have pondered if Faf du Plessis had picked the right time to end that run. But Elgar did more than most to make sure it worked out fine in the end as his seventh Test hundred carried South Africa to 229 for 4.The dominant stand of the day came between Elgar, who was dropped by BJ Watling on 36, and du Plessis as they added 126 for the fourth wicket before further consolidation alongside Temba Bavuma in a stand of 81 which survived the entire final session. However, New Zealand ensured the game did not run away from them, for the most part keeping a lid on the scoring, after making the surprise decision of selecting two frontline spinners.Elgar’s seventh Test century, and a third in his last seven outings, came from 197 balls including 20 boundaries which highlighted how focused he was on leaving and defending unless there was something on offer to attack. He has become one of the preeminent opening batsmen in the game, although his returns can fly under the radar. He was named Man of the Series against Sri Lanka in January and this innings took his average above 40 for the first time since his third Test (which was also against New Zealand) as he finished within two runs of a new career-best score.While Elgar’s recent returns mean this performance shouldn’t be unexpected, there was plenty at the start of the day which did confound expectation. Kane Williamson had put considerable faith in his luck with the coin changing after making the crunch decision to leave out vice-captain Tim Southee in favour of Jeetan Patel. But after losing all five tosses in the one-day series the run continued which meant bowling with an attack New Zealand would be more expected to field on the subcontinent than at home: it was the first time they had selected two specialist spinners at University Oval.Patel was bowling by the sixth over and conceded just eight runs in his first 10 overs to help New Zealand build and sustain pressure in the first session. There was certainly some grip for him and Mitchell Santner to suggest the selection call was not out of the realms of fantasy, but there were times when New Zealand felt a quick bowler light.There was nothing strange, however, in the manner of the early wickets. Stephen Cook’s defensive mindset led to him padding up against Trent Boult. Then Neil Wagner, on his home ground, produced a superb over at the start of his second spell. Firstly, he caught Hashim Amla flat-footed, after he had made 1 off 27 balls, with a full delivery which clattered into the stumps and then he switched to Wagner 101 mode with a brute of a short ball to bounce out JP Duminy.When you are a captain who was undecided what to do until moments before the toss, you are probably questioning your decision to bat when walking in at 22 for 3. But alongside Elgar, du Plessis took the sting out of the morning session. A penny for Southee’s thoughts as he saw the ball swinging but a spinner in operation.Neil Wagner’s double-strike in the 19th over sent back Hashim Amla and JP Duminy•AFP

The major moment of the day came off the first delivery of the second over after lunch when Elgar tickled Boult down the leg side but Watling could not gather the low catch. He did not offer another chance. As the fourth-wicket partnership bedded in, Williamson was left with the juggling act of not over-bowling Boult and Wagner. The way in which Elgar and du Plessis bided their time reinforced how they knew they could force Williamson’s hand and their reward was a period before tea which brought seven boundaries in 19 deliveries, although that was a rare period of brisk scoring.Du Plessis reached his fifty with a delightful drive off Santner before handing New Zealand a boost during an action-packed over against James Neesham who had been selected ahead of Colin de Grandhomme but not bowled until the 57th over. Clocking over 140kph, Neesham had du Plessis given lbw only for the decision to be overturned by the DRS due to a very thin edge (du Plessis initially reviewed for height, so thin was the nick). Three balls later there was no doubt, du Plessis pulling to Boult at deep midwicket ten minutes before tea in uncharacteristically careless fashion.It was an opening for New Zealand, especially with Bavuma coming off 21 runs in five innings against Sri Lanka, but while the bowling remained accurate it was difficult with the ageing ball. Elgar moved into the 90s with a neat skip down the pitch to loft Santner down the ground then reached three figures with a crunching pull through midwicket off Neesham.Bavuma took 20 balls to open his account but after a top-edged hook evaded long leg became more secure, surviving Wagner’s attempts to rough him up with the older ball. The new ball was taken and caused a few uneasy moments, but could not conjure the breakthrough New Zealand needed. There was much that went against history on the opening day of this series and though it’s too early to say how history will judge the match, South Africa will have ended highly satisfied with having hauled themselves out of the mire.

Aston Villa are set to “listen to offers” for Leander Dendoncker this summer, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

When did Leander Dendoncker join Aston Villa?

The Premier League defensive midfielder only made the move across the Midlands from Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer, but despite recording a total of 21 appearances during his debut season, he’s not been able to make the positive instant impact he would have hoped having been nothing more than a bit-part player.

The Belgium international was only handed seven starts over the course of the previous campaign so clearly doesn’t figure as part of Unai Emery’s long-term plans after being signed by former boss Steven Gerrard. There was even suspicion when he first put pen to paper because the length of his contract hadn’t been disclosed, which is unusual when a club is unveiling a new signing.

Furthermore, Youri Tielemans has already been confirmed as one of the new summer arrivals at Villa Park and it’s believed that Villarreal’s Pau Torres won’t be far behind him, both of who can play in the 28-year-old’s positions, so with the manager bringing in fresh faces, it’s not looking promising for the future of the former Molineux star.

Is Dendoncker leaving Aston Villa?

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Aston Villa are willing to sanction the sale of Dendoncker this summer with the player himself also on board in terms of an exit, and he won’t be short of potential suitors from the Premier League and overseas. He wrote:

“Understand Aston Villa are open to listen to offers for Leander Dendoncker despite his longer running deal. He's rated by Emery but there's [a] lot of competition. French and Italian clubs already asked for info; player open to any kind of proposal. PL clubs also keen.”

Should NSWE sell Dendoncker?

Aston Villa will have no doubt expected Dendoncker to be a marquee signing and Emery is likely to have wanted much more from him, but unfortunately that hasn’t been the case, so NSWE and Monchi would be making completely the right decision by letting him go this summer, albeit with regret that it didn't work out as initially hoped when pursuing him.

The Wasserman client, who’s sponsored by Nike, last season ranked as the 18th overall worst-performing player out of 21 squad members and 11th defensively having averaged just one tackle per top-flight game, via WhoScored, which isn’t good enough for a player who is naturally stronger in that aspect of his game.

The Passendale native has not only also failed to register a single goal or assist, he additionally picked up an unnecessary red card during the 2-1 FA Cup defeat to League One side Stevenage back in January for a “rash” challenge, as labelled by Nedum Onouha, so he hasn't even taken his opportunities when given the chance.

Finally, Dendoncker pockets £90k-per-week which is actually higher than the likes of Ollie Watkins – who deserve their wages much more – and that’s a hefty sum to be paying a fringe player so cashing in would allow the hierarchy to put these funds towards bringing in fresh faces.

With seven needed off two overs and seven wickets in hand, Quetta Gladiators managed to trip over the final hurdle to lose to Islamabad United by one run

The Report by Danyal Rasool24-Feb-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:05

Highlights – Mohammad Sami defends four in final over

In a nutshellIt doesn’t matter if you were watching this or not, no one knows how this happened. How a team that needed 17 from 19 balls with nine wickets in hand, a team that required seven from two overs with only three wickets down, somehow contrived to muck up a T20 chase and lose by one run. Especially since that team was Quetta Gladiators.This was every inch as routine a chase as Quetta managed 24 hours earlier. It had the colossal partnership, this time a 133-run monster between Kevin Pietersen and the in-form Ahmed Shehzad, and the inevitability of the asking rate decreasing over by over. It even had the opposition coach calling for an early timeout and losing his rag at the expense of his team.But in inexplicable fashion, Quetta got to within a metre of the finish line, and stayed there, almost as if they were caught in quicksand. Or maybe they just wanted to give last-over bowler Mohammad Sami the best birthday gift of his life on the day he turned 36. In any case, the defending champions seized the moment as the table toppers froze like a deer in headlights to eke out the unlikeliest of wins and secure a playoff spot.Islamabad’s innings had been defined by an inability to take off even though the platform had been set by Hussain Talat, so highly regarded by everyone at the franchise yet only playing his first match. He provided the impetus after Dwayne Smith’s first over dismissal, and was particularly punishing on another emerging player, Hasan Khan. Talat dominated the Islamabad innings early on – off the 74 runs made while he was at the crease, Talat was responsible for 56. They were, incredulously, in a winning cause.Where the match was wonIt wasn’t, simply put. It was lost in a haze of confusion and panic that swept right across the Quetta team. It began with an ordinary decision to give Pietersen out lbw to break the century stand, and with seven required off 12 balls, the strange call to send in Anwar Ali instead of a regular batsman backfired.Rumman Raees and Mohammad Sami hit their lengths regularly, Raees consistently going for yorker length and more or less pulling it off each delivery. The first ball from Sami was poor, but Anwar Ali failed to put it away. Bedlam ensued, and Islamabad were that bit more composed at the end. Even so, they never should have won this funny old game, but somehow, they did.The men that won itRaees and Sami deserve all the credit they will get for pulling a rabbit out of the hat, but one unsung hero was Islamabad’s veteran allrounder Shane Watson. As Islamabad’s innings struggled to move through the gears towards the end, and with Misbah-ul-Haq struggling badly for timing and Brad Haddin for form, it looked like they might have to settle for a total near 150.However, Watson provided a measure of competitiveness with forceful power hitting in the final over, with Anwar conceding 18. It saw Islamabad surge to 165, and as was evident less than two hours later, they needed every one of those.Strength in numbersThe second-wicket stand between Pietersen and Shehzad was the highest of this year’s edition of the PSL and second-highest in the two-year history of the competition. It saw the Gladiators make a 133 runs in 86 balls, and during that time, Pietersen also became the most prolific six-hitter in the PSL this year, with three more strikes clearing the rope to take him to 11 in six innings.The moment of the matchThe most perfect illustration of how panic had fogged the minds of Quetta’s batsmen in those final overs at the crease was displayed on the very last ball of this remarkable contest. With Quetta needing three to win and two to tie, their leading scorer Rilee Rossouw was on strike. Sami bowled a fast low full toss on leg stump, and the South African couldn’t get under it, mistiming it instead straight to Misbah at midwicket.Rossouw ran the first one, but seemed to give up right there, resigned to defeat. What he hadn’t noticed was Misbah’s throw to the bowler had been fumbled, and Thisara Perera at the other end was charging down the wicket to attempt a second run. Rossouw looked at Perera and bizarrely sent him back. It was a surreal moment to end the most fantastical of contests.Where they standThe only positive for Quetta is they’re still top of the table, and destined for the playoffs. Islamabad’s one-run win means they are guaranteed to join the Gladiators there, and for now occupy second place.

India offspinner R Ashwin has claimed the top ICC awards for 2015-16, having been named the ICC Cricketer of the Year and the Test Cricketer of the Year

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2016India offspinner R Ashwin has claimed the top ICC awards for 2015-16, having been named the ICC Cricketer of the Year and the Test Cricketer of the Year. Ashwin is the third Indian, after Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for Cricketer of the Year.Ashwin, currently the top-ranked Test bowler, had picked up 48 wickets and scored 336 runs in eight Tests during the ICC’s voting period from September 2015 to 2016, in addition to 27 wickets in 19 T20Is. In 2016 alone, he picked up 72 wickets in 12 Tests and became the second-fastest bowler to 200 wickets during the Kanpur match against New Zealand.Ashwin said he was overwhelmed by the recognition. “It’s a bit overwhelming and it is yet to sink in completely. At the same time I was expecting to land one but to end up with two awards was extremely special,” he said. “To be bracketed alongside Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar is indeed a matter of great pride.”I want to dedicate this award to my family who have been a pillar of strength. And not to forget all my teammates and coach Anil Kumble who push me to give my best with their support and guidance.”The offspinner rated his 7 for 83 in the Antigua Test against West Indies as the performance he enjoyed the most. That haul helped India to an innings-and-92-run win, and he finished the series as the leading wicket-taker with 17 dismissals. Another performance Ashwin rated highly was his knock of 118 in the first innings in St Lucia, which helped rescue India from 126 for 5 to 353. They went on to win the match by 237 runs. It was also Ashwin’s fourth Test hundred.South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock was named ODI Player of the Year. De Kock has been South Africa’s leading run-getter in ODIs since September last year, and tallied 793 runs in 16 ODIs during the voting period. Overall, since September 2015, he has scored 1175 runs in 22 matches in the format, with five centuries and three fifties, ahead of senior batsmen like Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla. One of de Kock’s most prolific phases came between October 2015 and February 2016, when he scored four centuries in six innings during the tour of India and the home series against England. He enjoyed the same form in the longest format, with five successive fifty-plus scores between August and November 2016. De Kock is the second South Africa player after AB de Villiers to win the award.West Indies allrounder Carlos Brathwaite’s match-defining 34 not out off 10 balls in the World T20 final against England earlier this year was named the T20 Performance of the Year. The allrounder, who took over as the T20 captain in August, sealed a second World T20 title for West Indies by slamming four successive sixes to end a chase of 156 in Kolkata.Bangladesh seamer Mustafizur Rahman was named Emerging Cricketer of the Year, having notched up impressive performances since his international debut in April 2015. The first Bangladesh cricketer to win an annual ICC award, Mustafizur picked up eight ODI wickets and 19 T20I wickets in the voting period.Afghanistan’s flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Shahzad won the Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year. He was the leading run-getter in the category, with 699 runs in 16 ODIs, 533 runs in 17 T20Is and 301 runs in the Intercontinental Cup matches.Earlier, New Zealand’s Suzie Bates had bagged the Women’s ODI and T20I Player-of-the-Year awards, while Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was given the Spirit of Cricket award. Marais Erasmus won the David Shepherd Trophy for the Best Umpire.

A round-up of the fourth day of Group A matches in the eighth round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2016

Uttar Pradesh bowled Railways out for 155 in Rajkot to complete a comprehensive 221-run win that lifted them out of bottom place in Group A.Railways were dented late on the third day, having been reduced to 35 for 5 after being set 377 to win. They lost overnight batsman Mahesh Rawat (19) with the score on 56. Partnerships of 46 for the seventh wicket and 53 for the eighth kept them afloat for a while. However, those weren’t enough as left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav wrapped their innings up with figures of 4 for 33.Madhya Pradesh needed to bowl just two balls on the fourth day to remove Baroda’s final wicket to bowl them out for 114 and win by 232 runs. Medium-pacer Chandrakant Sakure took the wicket to complete his third five-wicket haul of the season.Jiwanjot Singh’s eighth first-class century helped Punjab take one point despite being made to follow on by Gujarat in Belagavi. Jiwanjot had walked in late on day three, at 36 for 1, with Punjab still trailing by 341. He remained unbeaten through the final day, finishing on 101 off 261 balls (15×4), having added an unbroken 165 for the third wicket in 66 overs with Uday Kaul, who made 64 (178b, 7×4).Jasprit Bumrah took the only wicket of the day, striking in the eleventh over of the morning to have Manan Vohra caught behind for 47. Struggling for wickets thereafter, Gujarat used ten bowlers to try and break the Jiwanjot-Kaul partnership, with only their wicketkeeper Dhruv Raval not getting a bowl.Mumbai batsman Shubham Ranjane, who was playing only his second first-class match, and veteran allrounder Abhishek Nayar soaked up 268 balls and grafted 112 runs for the the sixth wicket to hold off Bengal’s push for an unlikely comeback win in Nagpur.Mumbai eventually walked away with three points thanks to their first-innings lead of 130 and consolidated their position at the top of the Group A table, while Bengal had to settle for one point.Chasing 308, after Bengal, following-on, were dismissed for 437 from an overnight 433 for 8, Mumbai lost their top three to Ashok Dinda in 11 overs. Suryakumar Yadav and captain Aditya Tare contributed twenties, before falling to seamer Mukesh Kumar and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha respectively. Ranjane and Nayar came together at the end of the 28th over and did not budge until the 73rd over.The defiant stand ended when Dinda had Nayar caught behind for 51 off 135 balls. Ranjane and Dhawal Kulkarni then batted out 86 balls as Mumbai closed the day at 203 for 6 to earn a draw. Dinda was named Man of the Match for his haul of 9 for 162, including 4 for 74 in the last innings.

Celtic secured the domestic treble on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Inverness at Hampden in the Scottish FA Cup final but their joy has been short-lived as manager Ange Postecoglou is now on the verge of leaving the club.

The Athletic's David Ornstein has reported that the Australian coach is set to finalise a move to Tottenham Hotspur in the coming days.

This means that the Scottish giants are set to be in the market for a new boss to replace the 57-year-old, who is seemingly set to depart after winning five trophies in two seasons at the helm.

Who could replace Ange Postecoglou?

Celtic's head of recruitment Mark Lawwell could pull off a potential masterclass by using his contacts to replace Postecoglou with Manchester City assistant coach Enzo Maresca.

Last month, Football Insider reported that the Hoops were keeping tabs on the Spaniard with a view to him being on their shortlist of possible targets for the job, should it become available.

It appears as though the role is now about to be vacant, if the current boss' move to Spurs goes ahead as reported, and Maresca, who journalist Dean Jones claimed would be an "interesting" option, could come in and take it.

Lawwell worked at The Etihad prior to arriving at Parkhead last year and he could use his connections with the Premier League giants to strike a deal for the 43-year-old coach, who is said to be 'well-regarded'.

He does not have a wealth of experience as a manager but did showcase his potential whilst in charge of Manchester City's U23 side.

The tactician won 17 of his 24 matches at the helm of the academy side and won 2.33 points per game on average, which shows that he does know what it takes to make a winning side, albeit that has only been proven at youth level.

Maresca has worked as an assistant at Sevilla with Vincenzo Montella, West Ham with Manuel Pellegrini, and has been Pep Guardiola's assistant for 60 matches – winning the Premier League and the FA Cup so far.

It would be a gamble for Celtic to sign the Spanish coach due to not having a proven track record as a manager but appointing him at this point in his career could be a masterclass as they could bring him in before he becomes hot property.

Mikel Arteta had never managed a senior match prior to leaving Guardiola as his assistant to join Arsenal as their boss and has since led them to an FA Cup trophy and, this season, a second-place finish in the Premier League.

Therefore, Celtic could take a lead out of the Gunners' book to make Maresca their head coach before he moves elsewhere and forges a reputation that could put him beyond the club's reach in the future.

This is why this swoop could be a stroke of genius by Lawwell and one that could be an exciting step for the Hoops after Postecoglou's reported departure.