India captain also confirms Jadeja’s return to fitness, which gives the team more depth and options
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-20245:24
Rohit: ‘When you have an inexperienced attack, you have to show faith in them’
Ravindra Jadeja is fit and available for selection, giving India more batting depth and options when it comes to bowling combinations. He is also the only left-hand batter outside opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. Jadeja had missed the first Test with spasms in the upper back on the morning of the match.While confirming Jadeja’s return to fitness, Rohit Sharma spoke of the importance of not judging inexperienced bowlers too harshly. “Although we’ve had a brief chat with the management, the coaching staff about what we want from this game, and what we want from the bowlers in this game, we’ve not completely finalised our playing XI. Everyone is available for selection. There’s no injury concern. All of them who are here are available to play. We’ll sit down in the evening and decide what is the right one.”Having said that, I still feel that, sometimes we’ve got a little bit of inexperience in our bowling, and sometimes when you have that, you’ve got to show some faith in them, show trust in them, and that can happen to any team. Like I said in the last post-match press-conference [in Centurion] about Prasidh [Krishna] playing his first game, we all get nervous when you are playing your first game. It’s understandable, but I thought, and I’ll still back that thought of mine, that he’s got good ability to succeed at this level and especially in this format. So it’s just about showing faith and trust in everyone and getting the job done from them.”Related
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Apart from Krishna, it was Shardul Thakur, in his 11th Test, who disappointed with the ball in the first Test. Jadeja’s return opens up the possibility of playing two spinners as R Ashwin brings with the bat more than what Thakur does.However, the conditions might not support that idea. Rohit was asked if he expected the conditions to be less hostile to India in Cape Town. “I honestly don’t know too much about that,” he said. “You know, the conditions look pretty similar to what it was. I mean, the pitch looks similar to what it was in Centurion, maybe not so much grass, but there is enough covering of grass on the pitch.”But yeah, the overhead conditions will matter. I think it’s pretty hot here compared to Centurion, which was a little cooler the first two days. Again, when we played last time here, 2018 and ’21… I wasn’t here in ’21, but the guys were telling me it was pretty similar conditions. We know exactly what is required when the conditions are like that. Based on the pitches, how the conditions are, you gotta respond to that.”India do have reinforcements in the squad. Avesh Khan, who played for India A at the same time as the first Test, has been called up to provide the team management that option of a tall bowler. He took a five-for in that game. That India are giving themselves these options tells you how much they need a hit-the-deck bowler. They already have Mukesh Kumar, who has the best body of work in domestic cricket among contenders for a fast-bowling spot, but is a skiddy, shorter bowler.With Thakur struggling with the ball in his last six Tests, India could even think of sacrificing the batting depth and play four out-and-out fast bowlers. Any two of Thakur, Krishna, Avesh and Mukesh could play at Newlands.
يحل فريق برشلونة ضيفاً على نظيره ليفانتي، خارج ملعبه، في الساعة العاشرة والنصف مساء، في الجولة الثانية من الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.
وافتتح برشلونة موسمه في الدوري الإسباني بالفوز ضد ريال مايوركا بثلاثية نظيفة في الجولة الأولى من الدوري الاسباني، ويرغب الفريق في مواصلة انتصاراته وتحقيق الانتصار الثاني على التوالي.
اقرأ أيضاً.. برشلونة يدرس إعارة صفقته الجديدة قبل إغلاق سوق الانتقالات
وكان هانز فليك مدرب برشلونة قد استدعى مهاجمه البولندي روبرت ليفاندوفسكي لقائمة المباراة بعد حصوله على التصريح الطبي، ولكنه سيجلس على دكة البدلاء اليوم. تشكيل برشلونة أمام ليفانتي في الدوري الإسباني
حراسة المرمى: خوان جارسيا
خط الدفاع: اريك جارسيا – أراوخو – كوبارسي – بالدي
خط الوسط: مارك كاسادو – بيدري – رافينيا
خط الهجوم: ماركوس راشفورد – لامين يامال – فيران توريس
da dobrowin： Mikel Arteta has done a superb job of transforming Arsenal after his appointment back in December 2019, taking the club from mid-table strugglers to consistent Premier League title challengers.
da bwin： The Gunners have finished runners-up in two consecutive seasons to Manchester City, potentially finishing in the same position this year, but to Arne Slot’s Liverpool.
Injuries and poor recruitment from the hierarchy in January have certainly halted the club’s chances of ending their two-decade wait for a league triumph, with the Spaniard having to operate with a makeshift forward line in recent weeks.
Arsenal manager MikelArtetabefore the match
However, if they are to take the next step and claim title glory, the board desperately need to back Arteta once again, handing him the quality and depth needed to finally go one better than second place.
A repeat of one window could allow for such success, with a previous summer transfer window setting the club up for the progress they’ve seen over the last couple of years during the manager’s reign.
Arsenal’s transfer window in the summer of 2021
After an eighth-placed finish the season prior, the board handed Arteta the funds to improve his first-team squad, securing a £30m deal to sign Martin Odegaard on a permanent basis after his loan spell at the Emirates.
The Norwegian has since made over 150 appearances for the Gunners, often being the most creative player in the side, as seen with his tally of 36 goals and 28 assists since his big-money transfer.
Ben White also arrived during the same window, adding that defensive quality that had for so long been lacking under the management of former boss Unai Emery.
The 27-year-old cost £50m from fellow Premier League side Brighton, matching Odegaard in making over 100 appearances, but has struggled with fitness issues in 2024/25, restricting him to just 13 games across all competitions.
However, despite the big-money arrivals, the hierarchy also conducted excellent business in offloading multiple players, including one who Arteta was a big fan of after his appointment.
The player who Arsenal struck gold offloading
Given the success of the Arsenal academy, the first team is usually always benefitting from young talent who are looking to stake their claim for a consistent place in the squad.
Arsenal'sEthanNwaneriand MylesLewis-Skellyduring training
Miles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri are just two of the latest academy graduates to be challenging for regular minutes in Arteta’s side, gratefully benefiting from the ongoing injury crisis in North London.
However, another player who found himself in a similar position was midfielder Joe Willock, who emerged into the senior picture back in the 2017/18 campaign.
The Englishman made 78 appearances for his boyhood side over a four-season period, with his best undoubtedly coming in 2019/20, registering 44 appearances across all competitions – leading to Arteta dubbing him a “special” talent during his first year in charge.
Willock would fall down the pecking order in 2020/21, making just seven league appearances in the first half of the season, subsequently moving to Newcastle United on loan for the second half of the campaign.
He would find a massive run of form during his temporary stint at St James’ Park, scoring eight times in just 14 appearances, leading to a permanent £25m deal to join the Magpies at the end of the season.
However, since his big-money transfer, he’s only managed to score 10 goals in 117 appearances, struggling to replicate the form that led to his subsequent move to Tyneside.
Joe Willock’s stats for Newcastle since his £25m move
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2021/22
31
2
0
2022/23
43
3
6
2023/24
14
2
0
2024/25
29
3
1
Total:
117
10
7
Stats via Transfermarkt
The added investment from the hierarchy at Newcastle has also seen him start just seven league matches this campaign, falling down the order – just like he did before departing the Emirates.
Given his lack of form, coupled with his decline in minutes under Eddie Howe, the Gunners certainly made the right call in allowing Willock to depart, cashing in on the 25-year-old whilst his stock was at its highest.
His move is evidence of how impressive the academy could be for Arteta over the coming years, either allowing the Spaniard to gain key talent for the first team, as seen with Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri, or moving them on and gaining a huge fee – subsequently helping them in their quest for Premier League glory.
Outscoring Saka & Havertz: Arsenal must rue releasing "world-class" star
The incredible striker would be unreal for Arsenal.
Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph will leave the ODI World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe early with an eye on keeping them fresh for the month-long, all-format series at home against India in July-August.”Jason and Alzarri are two of our leading bowlers in all formats,” Desmond Haynes, lead selector for the West Indies men’s team, said in a statement. “We have a full schedule for the upcoming series against India, where we begin the new ICC World Test Championship, then followed by the ODIs and the five T20Is. Therefore, we had dialogue, and it was felt the best move at this time is to have two of our leading bowlers return early from Zimbabwe.”Legspinner Yannic Cariah had earlier been withdrawn from the tournament after suffering a facial injury in training, which required surgery. With Holder and Joseph returning, the squad is left with just 13 players, but no replacements have been named yet.Related
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The series against India starts with the first of two Tests in Roseau on July 12, followed by the second Test in Port of Spain from July 20. This will be followed by three ODIs and five T20Is, the last of which will be played in Lauderhill in the USA on August 13.West Indies’ chances of qualifying for the ODI World Cup, to be played in October-November in India, crashed when they lost a Super Six game to Scotland in the qualifying tournament in Harare on July 1. That came after defeats to Zimbabwe and Netherlands in the group stages, leaving West Indies – the champions in the first two editions in 1975 and 1979 – with no chance of making the cut. It will be the first ODI World Cup without them.They still have games against Oman, who are out of the qualification race too, and Sri Lanka, who have already qualified, on July 5 and July 7, respectively.West Indies haven’t named their squads for the series against India, but Holder and Joseph are expected to figure prominently in them. At the Zimbabwe tournament, Holder contributed with both bat and ball, scoring 144 runs from five innings at an average of 36, and picking up six wickets at an average of 35.33. Joseph, meanwhile, has been their most successful bowler, picking up eight wickets in five games so far at an average of 32.11.
Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped from the one-day squad; Tanveer Sangha and Aaron Hardie included
Alex Malcolm07-Aug-20232:25
George Bailey: Ideal world would have two captains, not three
Australia’s one-day captain Pat Cummins faces a six-week layoff due to a fractured wrist sustained in the final Ashes Test but should be available to play some of the ODIs in South Africa and India ahead of the World Cup in October.Cummins, who has so far only captained two ODIs since being named captain last year, suffered the injury to his left wrist while diving in the field during day one of the fifth Test at The Oval. He played out the remainder of the Test but requires a lengthy recovery and will miss the three-match T20I series in South Africa that begins on August 30, preceding the five-match ODI series that begins on September 7.Related
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Marnus Labuschagne is the big omission from Australia’s ODI squad for the upcoming tours and the World Cup having played in each of Australia’s last nine ODIs and 30 across the last three years.New South Wales legspinner Tanveer Sangha and Western Australia allrounder Aaron Hardie are the new inclusions in the 18-player squad. Both are yet to make their international debut but now have a chance to push for the final World Cup group.Sangha has not played any professional cricket since August last year due to a stress fracture in his back but has toured New Zealand with an Australia T20 squad previously. Hardie has been a regular in Australia A squads in the last 18 months and has also been named in the T20I squad for the South Africa series.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Mitchell Marsh has been named captain for the T20I series against South Africa with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Cameron Green, David Warner and Ashton Agar all missing the T20I leg of the tour before joining for the ODIs.Glenn Maxwell will miss the South Africa ODI series following the T20Is due to paternity leave but will rejoin the squad for their three-match series against India in India that starts on September 22 and runs immediately into the 50-over World Cup.Cummins will fly to South Africa ahead of the first ODI in Bloemfontein but given the timeframe on his left wrist it is unlikely he will be available for that first match.Marsh is one of a number of candidates who could captain the ODI side in Cummins’ absence. Steven Smith led the side during the last ODI series Australia played in March in India when Cummins was absent following the death of his mother. Hazlewood also captained Australia in one game against England at the SCG last November while Alex Carey has also previously captained the ODI team.Chair of selectors George Bailey sees Cummins’ injury as a positive given his heavy workload during the Ashes and was confident there were enough games for him to prepare ahead of the World Cup, with Australia’s first match on October 8.”He has an undisplaced fracture of his left radius which requires six weeks rehabilitation,” Bailey said. We expect him to join the squad during the South African ODI series. We view a period of enforced rest for Pat as a positive ahead of this important World Cup campaign.Marnus Labuschagne has been omitted from Australia’s ODI side•Getty Images
“There are still a number of games he could play before the World Cup which is more than enough for him to have a strong preparation.”Labuschagne is the only notable omission from Australia’s World Cup plans after being a regular in the ODI team over the past three years. But having made a strong start to his career, including scoring a century in just his sixth match against South Africa in Potchefstroom in 2020, he has struggled to bed down his place in the middle order. Labuschagne averaged just 22.30 in his last 14 ODI innings, striking at 69.87 with only two half-centuries.”We know Marnus at his best is good enough to hold down a spot in the one-day team, we just haven’t seen enough of it consistently in the role that we’d like him to do,” Bailey said. “Leading into the World Cup, there’s some opportunities for others to get a bit more game time. We’ve been really clear with Marnus, he’s going to be part of some Australia A games around the same time so he can focus on some white-ball cricket.”Australia will trim their 18-man squad to 15 in early September but changes can be made up to September 28.Australian ODI squad: Pat Cummins (capt), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
A look at the 2023 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy teams, key matches and players to watch
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-2023Diary datesApril 22: Season starts with all eight teams in action. Sunrisers, winless over the three-year history of the competition, take on two-time champions Southern Vipers at the Ageas Bowl, Thunder host South East Stars, defending champions Northern Diamonds are home to Western Storm and The Blaze, the newly named Nottinghamshire side which has replaced Loughborough-based Lightning, welcome Central Sparks. July 22: Southern Vipers vs Northern Diamonds. We’ll have to wait until well into the competition before these sides meet for the first time since the 2022 final, in which Diamonds prevented a Vipers three-peat. By then we’ll have a good idea of where each side stands this year. Diamonds are unlikely to lose as many players to England duty through June and July. These sides play each other again immediately after the August pause for the Hundred. September 21: Play-off between the sides placed second and third after the group stage to determine who faces the top side in the final. September 24: The final. Will it be another Vipers-Diamonds clash, as has been the case over the first three seasons, or will another team break into the reckoning? Key signingsCentral Sparks have secured Australian batting allrounder Erin Burns from May until the start of August, bolstering their addition of left-arm quick Katie George (Western Storm) and top-order batter Chloe Brewer (South East Stars) during the off-season.Diamonds have lost a lot of experience with Linsey Smith going to Vipers and Nat Sciver-Brunt to The Blaze. They added batter Rebecca Duckworth to their line-up from Thunder but it is Chloe Tryon, the South African batting allrounder, who looms as the biggest fillip during a substantial stint from April-August.South East Stars have brought in allrounder Paige Scholfield from Vipers after Eva Gray’s move to Sunrisers.Southern Vipers welcome back Smith, their Kia Super League OG, from Diamonds but have lost wicketkeeper Carla Rudd (retired), Scholfield and Tara Norris (Thunder).Sunrisers received a much-needed boost when they managed to sign Dane van Niekerk, the hugely experienced former South Africa captain, following her international retirement. She will be with them from May until late July, when she joins Oval Invincibles for the Hundred, while Gray bolsters the bowling stocks.The Blaze Along with Nat Sciver-Brunt, Blaze have added legspinner Sarah Glenn and South Africa allrounder Nadine de Klerk after an impressive off-season recruitment drive.Thunder have also been active in the market, securing former Vipers left-arm quick Norris while retaining former West Indies allrounder Deandra Dottin. Naomi Dattani and Fi Morris have also joined from Sunrisers and Western Storm respectively.Western Storm have handed Academy product Sophia Smale her first professional contract after a breakout season in the Women’s Hundred, where she was Oval Invincibles’ leading wicket-taker.Players to watchCentral Sparks: Grace Scrivens, England’s captain, may have taken the clutch wicket that edged her side past Australia and into the Under-19 T20 World Cup final, but that narrow victory was set up by legspinner Hannah Baker’s 3 for 10 which allowed England to defend a paltry total of 99 and showed she has plenty of gumption.Diamonds: Fast bowler Lizzie Scott was also part of the England U19 team which finished as T20 World Cup runners-up to India in January, building on her performance in last year’s final where she took the important wicket of No.3 Georgia Elwiss in just her third RHFT appearance.South East Stars: Tash Farrant’s season was ruined by a back stress fracture last year, just as she had worked her way back into the England side, so it will be interesting to map her return.Southern Vipers: Opener Ella McCaughan played a couple of excellent knocks in 2022, including a half-century against Lightning and 47 in a 98-run stand with opening partner Maia Bouchier their play-off victory against Stars.Sunrisers: Grace Scrivens is a player the Sunrisers can build their hopes of winning some games on and the confidence she has gained from leading her country at U19 level could see her take the next step sooner rather than later.The Blaze: Grace Ballinger, the 21-year-old left-arm seamer, was joint-leading wicket-taker for Lightning last season alongside the experienced Kirstie Gordon and has been awarded her first full professional contract this year.Thunder: Left-arm swing bowler Tara Norris, who represents United States, won wider international recognition as the first player to take a five-wicket haul at the WPL, although Vipers fans are familiar with what she can bring to a side after she finished 2022 as the competition’s third-highest wicket-taker with 12 at 19.75 and an economy rate of 4.08.Western Storm Experience gained from the Hundred and England’s runner-up finish at the Under-19 T20 World Cup stand Sophia Smale in good stead to make the next, exciting step in her career.
Former Australia Test opener takes over from Trevor Bayliss after three years in role
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jan-2025
Justin Langer was Australia’s head coach from 2018 to 2022•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images
Justin Langer, the former Australia men’s head coach, has been appointed as Trevor Bayliss’s replacement at London Spirit.Langer, who played 105 Tests for Australia between 1993 and 2007, coached the squad from 2018 until 2022, including during a memorable 2-2 drawn Ashes series in 2019. Australia won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup under his guidance in 2021, before going on to win the Ashes 4-0 on home soil.He has a strong affinity with Lord’s, the home ground of London Spirit, having played for Middlesex as an overseas player between 1998 and 2000. He also became an Honorary Life Member of MCC in 2015.He has previously coached Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash and is currently head coach of Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League.”I’m thrilled to be appointed to this role with London Spirit, and I’m excited to experience The Hundred,” Langer said. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the tournament later this year, and working with such a talented group of players and coaches.”London Spirit General Manager, Fraser Stewart, added: “We are delighted to have secured the services of a highly respected and talented coach in Justin Langer. He excelled in the interview process, which took place before Christmas, and came out on top in what was a hugely competitive field.”Justin has a real passion for the aims and objectives that we have for the team, in seeing London Spirit competing at the right end of table, and for The Hundred title. He has an impressive CV in coaching and we are thrilled to have him on board.”Bayliss, who left last month after three years in the role, had replaced the late Shane Warne as Spirit’s head coach ahead of the 2022 season, when Eoin Morgan captained the squad to the play-offs. However, the team won only three games and lost 11 in the last two years since Morgan’s retirement.Bayliss’ side were particularly poor in 2024, losing seven of their eight matches with a scrappy three-wicket win over Welsh Fire the only exception. Their top picks at the draft, Shimron Hetmyer and Andre Russell, managed 216 runs between them, and Dan Lawrence was unable to get them out of a rut as captain.The Spirit’s struggles in the men’s Hundred were only emphasised by the success of their women’s team, who won the title for the first time under Heather Knight and Ashley Noffke. Noffke has since signed an extension for the 2025 edition, though has lost assistant Ali Maiden to Birmingham Phoenix.The appointment comes after the deadline for the Hundred’s second-round bids for private investment, with London Spirit expected to have attracted the highest offers. Interested bidders for a 49% stake are understood to include at least two IPL franchises in Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants, as well as the Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer. Last month, MCC appointed the former energy executive, Robert Lawson, as their new chief executive and secretary.
The home team have admirably prioritised run-scoring and wicket-taking, making Pat Cummins go defensive
Ian Chappell30-Jul-2023Pat Cummins and Ben Stokes have different captaincy styles but they both possess the same admirable trait of seeking victory from the opening delivery.One of the big differences between the two is Stokes’ desire for his batters to attack, which has forced Cummins to employ some defensive strategies. It’s not desirable to give good players an easy single at the start of an innings, and you are trusting luck by trying to dismiss a sensible batter with a bouncer barrage. These were tactics Cummins employed at different times during the series, and while they were dubious ploys, the question applies: “Why did senior players allow him to continue using such repetitive tactics that weren’t working?”One aim of a good cricket team is to make the opposition change their tactics, whether that be a team strategy or an individual one. England achieved that aim, but because they made some poor selection choices, they still trail in the series.Related
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There were critics of Stokes’ decision to declare at Edgbaston and bat on at Old Trafford. These are smokescreens; his tactics were right and were both aligned with Stokes’ stated desire to always push for victory. Any captain who calculates a declaration according to a weather forecast – as was suggested of Stokes at Old Trafford – is asking for trouble.What has to be queried is England’s poor record at the selection table. This series they have mistakenly plumped for Jonny Bairstow, a recognised batter, ahead of the far superior wicketkeeper Ben Foakes. They opted to court Moeen Ali, an offspinner who bats but even at his peak didn’t relish the challenge of playing Australia. England also preferred a seam attack that lacked variety before belatedly unleashing a genuine speedster against Australia in the third Test. England then failed to give Mark Wood the advantage of using a hard new ball.These are all errors that are difficult to overcome, even when accompanied by an admirable desire to prioritise run-scoring and wicket-taking. This is especially the case when England’s captain and coach have a considerable say in selection.
If a batter hits a boundary, he is still facing the next ball, but a single frees him from the strike and lets him enjoy the safety of the non-striker’s end
Defensive fielders highlight a desire among modern captains to protect boundaries, thereby allowing easy singles. There are times when this is a questionable policy despite the dramatic improvement in modern bats. If a batter hits a boundary, he is still facing the next ball, but a single frees him from the strike and lets him enjoy the safety of the non-striker’s end. A captain who disperses the field with no close catching men and the bulk of the fielders on the boundary is greatly reducing the effectiveness of an attacking bowler. If a captain places nine men on the boundary, any self-respecting bowler is entitled to say: “You want that field then you bowl to it.”Captaincy is subjective; there is never universal agreement on tactics, especially when a game is lost. A captain must hold his nerve and expect good, positive suggestions from his senior fielders. I liken captaincy to a computer – others can provide an input, but it’s the captain who has to make the final decision.Both Cummins and Stokes have been the right choice as respective leaders. In Cummins’ case he’s a good captain and deserves to retain the position. However, he may be listening to too much advice, not all of it from people qualified for the job.Critics would do well to recall that under Cummins’ captaincy Australia hold both the World Test Championship title and the Ashes urn.Cummins displayed his worth in The Oval Test by learning from past mistakes. After sending England in on a pitch that had some life for the bowlers, Australia dismissed their opponents for a reasonable total despite some sloppy fielding.The Test is now poised to end in a one-innings shootout with the series finishing – as it began – in a sprint for victory. Whatever the respective merits of the two captains, the teams have provided ample entertainment and a series to be remembered.
Knighthead Capital are understood to have submitted winning bid of £82 million (100% valuation)
Nagraj Gollapudi31-Jan-2025NFL legend Tom Brady could soon be seen at Edgbaston after Knighthead Capital Management LLC, where the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay quarterback has a business partnership, picked up a stake in Hundred franchise Birmingham Phoenix. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Knighthead made a winning bid of £82 million on Thursday, the opening day of the ECB’s sale of the eight Hundred franchises.The amount Knighthead bid was equivalent to 100% value of the franchise, which means they will pay close to £41 million for the 49% stake in Phoenix. None of the stakeholders, including the ECB, Warwickshire – Phoenix’s host county – and Knighthead have made any comment.Brady’s association with Knighthead could prove a shot in the arm for the Hundred if he can draw interest – both from fans and commercially – to cricket, a sport that has been attempting for several decades to widen its footprint. Brady already has a presence in Birmingham after he bought minority ownership in Birmingham City, a third-tier football club in England.Related
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Knighthead are understood to have declared the winner through the sealed bid exercise which was put in place by ECB for franchises with only two investors on the shortlist. While global fund manager CVC Capital were meant to be originally on the shortlist to buy a stake in Phoenix, it could not be confirmed if they made a bid.Knighthead bought Birmingham City in 2023 and have proved popular with the club’s supporters despite their relegation to League One last season. Tom Wagner, Knighthead’s co-founder and the club’s chairman, has pledged to invest over £2 billion in a new “sports quarter” in the city and has bought a new 48-acre site for a new stadium.Tom Brady and Knighthead Capital are involved with Birmingham City FC•PA Photos/Getty Images
In the other auction conducted on Thursday, CVC, who own Gujarat Titans in the IPL, were among the three contenders to buy a 49% stake in Oval Invincibles, which was eventually bagged by Indian business behemoth Reliance Industries Ltd, owners of Mumbai Indians, for about £123 million (100% value). RIL made the highest bid in a live virtual auction, a process decided by the ECB to determine the winner where there were more than two investors on the shortlist. They defeated rival bids from CVC and the consortium of global technology giants comprising heads of Microsoft, Google, Adobe, Palo Alto Networks and Times Digital.RIL were also on the shortlist for Manchester Originals. It is understood that RIL had successful conversations with Surrey management, the host county for Invincibles, with both parties agreeing to synergise cricketing decisions. Another significant factor was Invincibles, who have won the men’s Hundred competition for last two seasons, being serial contenders for the title, something RIL has placed at the forefront of its investments in the T20 franchise circuit.The losing bids from CVC and the tech consortium could not yet be confirmed. As part of the virtual auction bidders gave themselves a code name. Though the amount has not been revealed, the base price was determined by ECB from the floor valuation bids submitted by the shortlisted investors in the second round of the sale process in December. During the live auction, each bid was separated by 15 minutes with incremental bids in steps of £3 million.The next step for the winners will involve them sealing the agreement withing eight weeks after the ECB’s auction process, which is scheduled to finish on February 10. This process will include deciding whether to pay the money upfront or in instalments spread across five years.