The India offspinner has been working on expanding his repertoire and has already shown hints of it in the ongoing domestic one-day tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Feb-2018With limited-overs cricket becoming an increasingly unfamiliar environment for fingerspinners, R Ashwin has amped up his efforts to remain relevant. Over the past few years, he has been working towards becoming a wristspinner and was confident enough to try those variations in a domestic one-day match against Gujarat on Monday. He finished with figures of 2 for 38 in 9.1 overs as Tamil Nadu won the match by 76 runs.Ashwin was one of the two top-ranked bowlers in Test cricket when he was given a break from India’s ODI squad. Legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav were brought in to fill the void but now have become an intrinsic part of why India are so hard to beat in 50-overs cricket.To keep pace with the competition, Ashwin has been practicing legspin himself. “This is part of my plan going into the IPL,” Ashwin told reporters on the sidelines of Tamil Nadu-Gujarat Vijay Hazare Trophy match. “I am just trying to build my armoury. I used to bowl good legbreaks with my offspin action when I was playing league cricket in Chennai. Over a period of time, in a search to get my stock ball right, I obviously had to cut out a lot of those things. I had possessed a lot more variations. Having bowled offbreak as the stock ball for almost 10 years, trying to change things around is challenging. But I don’t really settle for anything. At no point in my career, I thought ‘this is it’ and decided to settle for the rest of my career.”Ashwin said he has largely been working alone. “As of now everything is cooked by me. I try to take feedback from our coaches in my academy. L Balaji has been of great help. First time I was bowling legspin, we were working on some actions on how to gain momentum. How I can make a repeatable action work for me. For example, my arm doesn’t go 45 degrees which is perfect for a legspinner. I am more upright. I have to adjust my action. It has been a painful ride. One day it will come out well in the nets, and the next day it won’t come out all right. It will be frustrating. I have gone through the entire journey and have reached a place where I can land the ball where I want to.”The IPL presents the next opportunity for Ashwin to make a case for himself in limited-overs cricket. Although this season, when he goes home to play in Chennai, he would line up as part of the opposition: Kings XI Punjab bought him for INR 7.6 crore (USD 1.18 million approx).”I was a tad disappointed because I have been here for the last ten years,” Ashwin said. “Literally, I have owned that space around Chepauk. Every time I came on to bowl, the kind of roaring and cheering I got will always stick on in my head. Coming back there, to play against CSK, will probably motivate me more.”

Ryan Harris, the former Australia fast bowler and now coach, has been reprimanded and handed a suspended fine of A$3,000 (US$ 2300 approx) for voicing his displeasure at the obstructing-the-field decision made against Alex Ross when playing for Brisbane Heat against Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League.In a series of tweets, Harris let fly at the umpiring decision resulting in Ross’ dismissal, a moment that the Heat captain Brendon MCullum later blamed on his opposite number George Bailey for failing to withdraw his appeal. Cricket Australia has subsequently defended the decision, while the Queensland Cricket chief executive Max Walters has questioned why the board was so eager to worry about technicalities over the wider appeal of the game.”Ryan Harris, CA High Performance coach, has been charged for breaching the CA Code of Conduct on 10 January 2018, in relation to a number of tweets he sent about the KFC Big Bash League match featuring Brisbane Heat and Hobart Hurricanes,” a spokesman said. “Harris was reported for breaching CA’s Code of Conduct Article Level 2.2.3 – public or media comment that is detrimental to the interests of cricket, irrespective of when or where such comment is made.”Every player and any player support personnel are required to adhere to Cricket Australia’s Code of Conduct. This includes any person employed by, contracted to, representing or otherwise affiliated to CA or any State or Territory Association or BBL/WBBL team. The proposed sanction was a reprimand and fine of $3,000, fully suspended, subject to Harris not being found guilty of any further breach of the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct for a period of 24 months from 10 January 2018.”There has been mounting discontent among players about numerous umpiring decisions during the BBL, at the same time as a surfeit of teams are penalised for slow over rates, including the Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers on Friday. However CA has stood by the third umpire Simon Lightbody and the on-field umpires Geoff Davidson and Simon Fry, who has also stood in seven Tests, 38 ODIs and 12 T20Is.”The dismissal of Alex Ross from Brisbane Heat saw the batsman change direction, turn to watch the direction of the throw and run on the pitch,” a spokesman said. “The third umpire concluded that the change of running direction of the batsman, after seeing the direction of the throw, obstructed the wicketkeeper’s opportunity to affect the run-out.”Obstructing the field is one of the more difficult decisions to interpret as it is based on umpires assessing the intent of the batsman. After assessing footage of the incident alongside the Laws, playing conditions, and cues that umpires are provided, CA believes the obstructing-the-field decision is justified.”Walters has said that while the Heat accepted the decision, he wondered at CA’s priorities. “The umpire is always right and we congratulate the Hurricanes on their victory,” he said. “It’s time to move on. But we need to understand clearly that mum, dad and the kids are interested in being entertained, not subjected to a forensic examination of the rule book.”For his part, Ross has explained that he was not intending to block the throw but to avoid being hit by the ball. “You must always respect the umpires decision, but I wanted to clear the air and state my intentions in the run last night,” he wrote on Twitter. “I can unequivocally say I was trying to run away from the line of the ball to avoid being hit, as I felt I was going to make my ground.”

Ghana were effectively knocked out of AFCON 2023 after they squandered a two-goal lead in stoppage time against Mozambique on Monday.

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Ghana on verge of AFCON exitSquandered two-goal leadConceded twice in stoppage timeTELL ME MORE

It took Ghana star Jordan Ayew just 15 minutes to break the deadlock from the penalty spot after Mozambique full-back Infren Nanani brought down Joseph Paintsil inside the box. Despite an early opening goal from the Black Stars the first half was an evenly contested encounter.

The Mambas started the second half in the ascendancy as they looked desperate for an equaliser. They came close to restoring parity in the game within five minutes from kick-off, as Bruno Langa attempted a shot from inside the box. However, Ghana goalkeeper Richard Ofori did well to deny him from scoring.

Disaster struck in the 67th minute when Mohammed Kudus' goal-bound shot hit Reinildo Mandava's outstretched hand inside the box, resulting in a second penalty for the Black Stars. The Crystal Palace attacker once again took the spot-kick and doubled his team's lead.

With mere minutes remaining and with Ghana seemingly having sealed all three points, Andre Ayew accidentally handled the ball inside the box to give Mozambique an opening. From the resulting penalty, Geny Catamo pulled one back in the 91st minute.

Then, three minutes later, Reinildo made amends for his earlier mistake as he headed Shaquille Momad Nangy's corner into the goal to complete a dramatic capitulation for Chris Hughton's side. They effectively exit the tournament with two points from three games and minus one goal difference, but await the fate of other third-placed sides to have that confirmed.

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Crystal Palace star Jordan Ayewshowed great composure when taking the spot-kicks as his brace almost booked a knockout berth for his side – and deserved to do so. Ironically, it was his older brother Andre who helped Mozambique stage a come back after he accidentally handled the ball inside the penalty box in the injury time, giving them a way back into the matchup.

THE BIG LOSER

Ghana goalkeeper Richard Ofori committed the terrible mistake of conceding a late corner which resulted in the equalising goal. Under no pressure and with the ball harmlessly bouncing out for a goal kickfrom Mandava's shot, he tried to parry but instead fumbled the ball on for the fateful corner. Granted, Ghana's defending of the set piece which saw Mozambique equalise was less than satisfactory, but it could have been avoided altogether were it not for Ofori's attempted intervention.

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Getty ImagesWHAT COMES NEXT?

Despite a spirited performance on Monday, Mozambique's AFCON journey effectively came to an end as they bowed out of the competition finishing last in their group. Ghana, on the other hand, finished third in their group and are staring at an early exit from the tournament, barring a minor miracle from other groups.

Manchester United limped over the line in their 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their Premier League opener at Old Trafford.

Three points were important but now the club could step up their pursuit of new players in the transfer market who could improve performances.

Will Man United sign a midfielder?

According to Italian news outlet La Repubblica, Manchester United remain keen on securing Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat's signature this summer.

As per the report, the Red Devils are working on outgoings to facilitate their move for the midfielder as they need to bolster funds before they dip back into the market over the remaining weeks.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

It is further noted that the Serie A club would be satisfied with an approach worth €30m (£26m), which shouldn't be too difficult for Man United to meet.

Why do teams want to sign Sofyan Amrabat?

Erik ten Hag got his first opportunity to gain a better perspective of what needs to improve and where new additions are desperately needed during their first competitive outing in the Premier League on Monday evening, and there were certainly many concerns to address for the Dutch coach.

None more so than the midfield – who were branded as "non-existent" by former Man United star and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville – who struggled to contain Wolves' pressing and attacking threat throughout the performance in front of the home support.

Whilst new club captain Bruno Fernandes lost possession of the ball a whopping 20 times and Casemiro found himself being dragged all over the pitch to cover his teammates in other positions, Mason Mount failed to impress on his debut in the famous Red shirt.

Over his 68-minute display, the former Chelsea whiz lost out in five duels, made no tackles, no key passes, no dribble attempts and was dribbled past twice, before being hooked by Ten Hag and replaced with Christian Eriksen.

As a result, the signing of Amrabat could be exactly what the Man United boss needs to improve ball retention and control in the middle third, to allow Casemiro to do the job he was signed for and unlock Mount's creativity.

It is no secret that the Serie A gem has become one of the hottest prospects over the last 12 months after putting on a number of incredible performances in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he was a huge contributor in Morocco's record-breaking campaign, attracting the attention of some of the biggest clubs in the world including the Red Devils' biggest rivals Liverpool.

Last season, the talented midfielder – once hailed "extremely impressive" by journalist Josh Bunting – ranked in the top 10% of his positional peers in the Serie A for pass completion, progressive passes, passes into the final third and successful take-ons, demonstrating his outstanding strengths in progressing the ball, as per FBref.

Amrabat's strong passing range and incredible accuracy in the deep-lying role will not only create a more fluid transition for Man United when building attacking opportunities, but will provide Mount with more chances to receive the ball and create goal scoring moments more often.

With that being said, Ten Hag should waste no time in securing the services of the "monster" that is Amrabat – as dubbed by WhoScored's Ben McAleer – as he could be an incredible asset to his potential teammates and the missing piece needed to improve performances over the campaign ahead.

Former board member warns that key principles of county game are at stake as he elaborates on stinging criticism of ECB

George Dobell08-Mar-2018The ECB could be moving towards a system featuring only eight fully-professional first-class teams, Andy Nash has warned.Nash, who resigned from the ECB Board on Wednesday citing his concerns over the standard of corporate governance, has now warned that one of the key principles at the heart of the game in England and Wales – an equal share of revenues – is under threat.Talking to BBC Somerset, Nash warned that ‘compensation’ payments planned for the Test-hosting grounds in years when they do not host Tests – understood to amount to £500,000 a year – illustrated “what the ECB’s direction of travel is”.As a former chairman of Somerset, Nash was never personally convinced by the virtues of the new-team T20 competition – though he was persuaded to vote for its approval – on the grounds that it might exclude counties like his that will not (at least in the medium term) host matches. But the possibility that non-Test-hosting grounds might be further disadvantaged by a disparity in funding has increased his alarm.”It suggests we’re moving towards favouring an elite band of eight teams rather than treating 18 fairly,” Nash said. “And that is not something I could reconcile my conscience to.”There are 18 counties (plus the MCC) and historically they’ve always shared equally as funds come in from ECB from various sources. What we’ve read about is very different and strikes at the very heart of what the ECB’s direction of travel is.”It is a very, very important issue that goes right to the heart of cricket in England and Wales. And that is the county system.”The ECB claim the compensation payments were, at this stage, only a discussion topic for a working party and insist that the idea would have been put to the board before any payments were made. It appears, however, that at least one county has already received a payment and at least a couple of others have been led to expect them and budgeted accordingly.”It is a very a substantial development,” Nash said. “And it’s clearly something that should have been discussed by the board before it got anywhere near the public domain.”If, as directors, you’re learning about such things through the media then there’s something very wrong.”I’m professional non-executive director. And it’s been a great privilege to serve the ECB for the last five years. Usually that role is one of support and guidance to executive colleagues. But occasionally challenge is very important, too.”Our responsibilities are prescribed by law. To be able to discharge those responsibilities, an organisation must have in place effective corporate governance. The board is responsible for the organisation and, to perform that to a satisfactory level, it must be well appraised. It must have the right information.”Ultimately corporate governance has to be at a level where you can discharge your fiduciary responsibilities. Regretfully I came to the conclusion that I was unable to do that.”You don’t call out a national governing body lightly. But ultimately you have to be prepared to do that. As I woke this morning and the consequences of my decision sunk in, I’m happy I did the right thing. My moral compass is in a good place.”Nash’s words will do nothing to dissuade those who fear the ECB has an unpublished agenda to reduce the number of first-class counties that it is trying to introduce through stealth.

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Devine ton sets up NZ women’s one-run win

New Zealand battled their own nerves, and a domineering onslaught from West Indies’ Kyshona Knight , to claim a hard-earned, one-run victory in the first ODI in Lincoln.Sophie Devine’s century had given the hosts 278 to defend. But when offspinner Leigh Kasperek stepped up for the final over, there were only 10 runs in the bank. The action began with two nervy singles. Then came Tremayne Smartt’s dismissal which lifted New Zealand’s chances. Kyshona thrust West Indies ahead with a timely boundary. But she couldn’t haul in the remaining five runs that the visitors still needed off the final two deliveries.Until those final few moments, West Indies had been well placed, led by Stafanie Taylor’s 90 off 93 balls. She struck eight fours and a six and played a key role in two fifty-run partnerships that ushered the score to 152 for 3 in the 35th over.New Zealand hit back through 17-year old legspinner Amelia Kerr as she took a spectacular diving catch to dismiss the dangerous Deandra Dottin and bowled Britney Cooper in consecutive overs. When Taylor herself fell, West Indies were 215 for 6 in the 43rd over.Kyshona took charge of the chase subsequently as she plundered three fours and a six in her 44 off 31 balls. West Indies nudged ever closer to their target until Kerr and Kasperek conceded a combined nine runs off the 47th an 48th overs to bring the equation down to 22 off 12. A costly 11-run penultimate over from Sophie Devine, however, tipped the scales back in the visitors’ favour but not quite enough as it turned out.Earlier, West Indies’ decision to field backfired as three solid stands worth 76, 60 and 63 took New Zealand to 199 for 3 inside 35 overs. Devine was the major contributor as her third ODI century – which featured eight fours and two sixes – took New Zealand towards a comfortable position even though she was one of only two batsmen who could manage a score above 27.West Indies’ spinners Taylor (3 for 54), Afy Fletcher (3 for 55) and Hayley Matthews (2 for 68) picked up eight wickets between them. But in a game of small margins, an unbeaten tenth-wicket stand of 27 off 19 between Kasperek and Huddleston ensured New Zealand had just enough on the board.New Zealand now have a 1-0 lead in the three-match series which is part of the second cycle of the Women’s ODI championship.

Declan Rice was "outstanding" for Arsenal as his team picked up a narrow victory in their most recent Premier League outing – though he appeared to forget who he was playing for after the game.

How good was Declan Rice vs Crystal Palace?

In the final game of the second round of league fixtures, the Gunners took on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and managed to come away with all three points.

It was some quick thinking by Gabriel Martinelli from a free-kick that opened up the game as Eddie Nketiah was fed in behind the Eagles' backline, only to be tripped by Sam Johnstone.

Referee David Coote pointed to the spot and Martin Odegaard made no mistake from 12 yards. This goal was enough to seal a 1-0 victory although the final stages of the game were complicated by a controversial red card to Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Mikel Arteta and co dug in deep, though, and came away with the win. In no small part, however, the victory was owed to the impressive efforts of new £105m midfielder Rice.

Indeed, as per Squawka, he finished the game with some colossal defensive stats, winning three duels, making one interception, one tackle and also winning possession back four times – while not giving away a single foul.

On top of that, he also contributed plenty on the ball, with 68 touches, a 90 per cent pass accuracy, seven passes into the final third, and once chance created.

Journalist Henry Winter was certainly impressed as he called Rice "outstanding" and this was further backed up by his 8/10 player rating in The Sun.

In that article, Joshua Jones added: "A superb performance in the middle of the park, running the show for large parts from a slightly deeper position but making lots of well-timed runs forward.

"It will take a long time and plenty of silverware to repay his £105million price tag – but more showings like this one in South London will certainly go a long way to doing exactly that."

Rice's highlights have emerged online and they are an absolute masterclass in how to dominate the middle of the park – you can watch them below.

Why does Rice wear 41?

After completing his major move to the Gunners, Rice opted to continue wearing the No. 41 jersey which was given to him as a youngster at West Ham. He explained the origins of this when speaking to Gary Neville in 2022 on an episode of The Overlap (via Goal).

He said: "It was just a number I was given in the academy by the kitman. It's stayed with me since and, to be honest, I had this conversation with my dad – regardless of what happens in my career I might stay with the 41.

"I think 'Rice 41' has a nice ring to it, I've grown up playing in it and I'm a bit superstitious about things like that… I don't know if I changed to a new number if it would hamper my performances, I don't know!"

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

West Ham are still very close to Rice, clearly, and after his stellar display against Palace on Monday night, he appeared to get mixed up about who he was playing for these days.

When talking on Sky Sports' MNF (via Twitter), he had a big slip of the tongue, saying: "Even here at West Ham, the lads are always on to me to shoot more."

While on the same show, he was able to at least joke about no longer being the Premier League's most expensive player after Chelsea recently completed a £115m deal to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton.

He was asked: "Can't believe Caicedo has broken your record already though Declan, you can't be happy with that?"

Laughing, Rice joked back: "I had it up on the wall for two weeks, it's come down already!"

Some supporters in Hong Kong climbed a mountain in a bid to try and watch Lionel Messi, but were left disappointed as he was benched by Inter Miami.

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All-time great in the Far EastHas been nursing a knockSupporters left frustratedGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The Argentine superstar is in the Far East as the Herons continue their jet-setting pre-season tour. Messi has, however, seen his game time limited since picking up a knock. He was given just seven minutes during a friendly contest against Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia that did not feature his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Fans in Hong Kong had been hoping to see the eight-time Ballon d’Or return to the field as he visited their part of their world, but he was an unused substitute alongside Luis Suarez in a game that Inter Miami won 4-1.

DID YOU KNOW?

Those inside the stadium, who had moved quickly to snap up expensive tickets, aired their anger at not seeing Messi step onto the pitch. Those outside the ground had even more cause for frustration, with some having taken to climbing a nearby mountain in order to catch a glimpse of the all-time great.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI & INTER MIAMI?

Inter Miami will remain in Asia for a meeting with Japanese side Vissel Kobe on Wednesday, before then returning to the United States for a home date with Newell’s Old Boys and the start of the 2024 MLS campaign on February 21.

Phil Parkinson delivered a scathing “ridiculous” assessment of Wrexham’s defending after seeing them drop out of the top three in League Two.

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• Red Dragons down to fourth in the table
• Questionable defending against Salford
• Challenge set by disappointed manager

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons headed to Salford City looking to cement a standing inside the automatic places, but have now slipped to fourth in the table. They still boast games in hand on those around them, but have suffered three consecutive defeats in all competitions – with Newport County and Blackburn Rovers also putting them to the sword.

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  WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Wrexham were two goals down inside 16 minutes against Salford, as the hosts scored from a couple of corners, and Parkinson said afterwards: “We gave two goals away from corners which are ridiculous. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb against a team who are on a good run. They are a physical, set-play team who get the ball into Matt Smith and make it a real scrap and if you give two goals away like that, it is very difficult. We got one back but the third goal, we weren't strong enough in our box again so it was very disappointing.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham, with Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney calling the shots, have become a big scalp for fourth tier rivals and Parkinson added on his side needing to do more in order to meet the many challenges that they face: “We have to find a way on our travels when the pitch isn't great, or the other team plays a certain way, to come through these games with points because we have come out second best against Salford in important areas in the game. But if we had defended those two set-plays properly, we would start getting a foothold in the game but we gave Salford a huge lift. We knew what type of game it was going to be and we worked on that but you can't legislate for two corners going in like they did. We got back in the game with a good goal from Sam [Dalby] but the third goal was a real blow for us because the conditions were in our favour second half and you fancied us with that goal to get back in the game.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Parkinson’s side will be back on home soil next weekend, when playing host to Bradford City, and have seven days in which to pick the bones out of a disappointing performance against fellow stars of a popular documentary series – with Gary Neville, David Beckham and Manchester United’s fabled ‘Class of ‘92’ filling the boardroom at Salford.

Southampton boss Russell Martin looks set to court a highly-rated defender to replace Tino Livramento at St Mary's Stadium before the transfer window closes, according to reports.

What's the latest Southampton news?

Saints have slowly edged themselves into the transfer window and are now looking to put the finishing touches to their squad before the close of play following the additions of Shea Charles, Joe Lumley, Ryan Manning and Flynn Downes on loan from West Ham United, as per Transfermarkt.

Big-name departures have also been a feature for Southampton over the course of the last couple of months due to their relegation to the Sky Bet Championship as James Ward-Prowse, Romeo Lavia and Mohammed Salisu – alongside Livramento – have left the South Coast club in favour of seeking a new challenge elsewhere.

Everton were said to be keen on Southampton striker Che Adams; however, talkSPORT claim on X that the Toffees have been unable to agree fee for the Scotland international, stating: "BREAKING: EFC are in talks with Udinese over a move for Brazilian striker Beto. The goal-shy Toffees have also tabled two bids for SaintsFC’s Che Adams, but have so far been unable to agree a deal. – talkSPORT sources understand."

If Adams were to go, Southampton did have designs on submitting a bid for Swansea City striker Joel Piroe as a potential replacement; nevertheless, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has since reported that the Dutchman is on his way to Leeds United to undergo a medical ahead of a switch to Elland Road.

As per BBC Sport, Swansea City defender Nathan Wood has been the subject of a rejected offer from an unnamed club and Jacks boss Michael Duff has refused to confirm the source of the proposal, as he stated: "I think there's a bid that got rejected. It's a sign of having good players. If no-one was bidding for any of the players, we'd be useless. We think we've got some good players, Woody's another one of those."

Who else could Southampton sign?

According to Football Insider, Southampton have enquired about signing West Ham United defender Ben Johnson as boss Martin seeks to fill the void left by Livramento at right-back.

Johnson has previously rejected a contract extension at the Hammers and features near the top of Southampton's wanted list for the remainder of the window amid uncertainty over his future at the London Stadium.

The 23-year-old, who was labelled as a "really important" player by West Ham boss David Moyes back in 2021, featured 29 times in all competitions for his current employers last term, registering a solitary assist in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Compared to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions, Johnson has fared well regarding the art of successful aerial duels, winning an average of 1.75 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the 91st percentile for this metric, according to FBRef.

Clearly, Johnson is in need of regular first-team football to keep his career trajectory moving in the right direction and a move to the South Coast may help the London-born defender to realise these aspirations.