Local uncapped talent will constitute only 16% of the total players in the Bangladesh Premier League this season – an all-time low – as a result of the BPL governing council’s decision to allow franchises to field five overseas cricketers in an XI.

Count of uncapped Bangladesh players in each season

• BPL 2012 (5 foreigners): Total 111; local uncapped 26 (23%)

• BPL 2013 (5 foreigners): Total 134; local uncapped 35 (26%)

• BPL 2015 (4 foreigners): Total 120; local uncapped 24 (20%)

• BPL 2016 (4 foreigners): Total 131; local uncapped 31 (23%)
  BPL 2017 (5 foreigners): Total 180; local uncapped 29 (16%)

This is a throwback to the regulations used in 2012 and 2013, although back then the BPL was in its infancy still finding its feet as a T20 tournament. And yet, the local uncapped players constituted 26% of the pool in 2013 while the corresponding figure in the inaugural edition in 2012 was 23%. The year 2015 was an aberration: even with only four foreigners in an XI, the uncapped players count was as low as 20%.When announcing the regulation earlier this year, the BPL governing council said it took the decision after consulting the participating franchises. Rajshahi Kings weren’t in favour of the move.Khulna Titans have the largest contingent of Bangladeshi uncapped players – seven – while Sylhet Sixers and Comilla Victorians have only three. Sylhet have signed three uncapped overseas players as well.Dhaka Dynamites coach Khaled Mahmud was unsure if the move would benefit Bangladesh cricket, but he did say there aren’t many players in the country who are explosive enough to play T20 cricket.”I would call it a concern but we also have to realise that we don’t have enough quality,” he said. “We have already lost seven local players [with the axing of Barisal Bulls] but I would still say that finding a place in the team is what the local players need as a challenge. The young players should have competition rather than having a confirmed team. There aren’t many T20 specialists in our pipeline, but at the same time, they need opportunities to be honest.”As a means to address that, BPL secretary Ismail Haider Mallick said: “We are thinking of holding a domestic T20 tournament with only local players, with the Dhaka Premier League (one-day tournament) or the four Bangladesh Cricket League (first-class) teams. So about 48 players will be able to play.”Reactions to these new regulations was divided. Nabil Samad, an experienced domestic performer, felt that “Bangladeshi players got more opportunities with bat and ball when seven local players were around. But this time the scope has become limited for batsmen, especially those in the top-order. Teams usually try to utilise foreign players in those positions”Meanwhile Khulna fast bowler Abu Jayed chose to see the bright side. “BPL is a good platform to enter the national team, because it lets us stay in focus. There isn’t any media coverage in National Cricket League (first-class cricket) and Bangladesh Cricket League. I think we can look at the positive of it. We will be brought into focus if we do well. There aren’t many of us.”

West Indies’ bowling coach had good things to say about his wards, especially legspinner Devendra Bishoo who has found form once again after a disappointing tour of England

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo22-Oct-2017West Indies bowling coach Roddy Estwick credited an “outstanding” bowling attack for setting up West Indies’ first-innings lead over Zimbabwe in the first Test at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Estwick, who has worked with the team’s bowlers for the last 18 months, gave special mention to legspinner Devendra Bishoo, who had a quiet tour of England but came to the fore with 5 for 79 against Zimbabwe.”Over the last year the bowling department has been functioning well, so I’m not surprised that we were able to bowl them out under our score,” Estwick said. “The bowling unit has been outstanding all year, and once Bishoo came to the party. I wasn’t surprised we restricted them to this score.”Bishoo, who took just three wickets across two Tests in England, picked up the fourth five-wicket haul of his career and ran through Zimbabwe’s top order with a combination of spin, bounce and accuracy in helpful conditions on the second day.”He didn’t have the best tour of England,” Estwick conceded. “It’s a difficult place to bowl. But if you look [at the last year], he got 30 wickets in that period so he’s been quite successful. He got eight wickets in Dubai on a flat track as well, so he does his job. The bowling unit has been outstanding; you can’t fault them. They’ve been able to stay on the park and stay fresh. It’s been a long year but we keep going and we keep getting teams out.”Estwick suggested that West Indies had taken their cue from Zimbabwe’s first-day bowling effort, when the patience and consistency of the seamers set up the spinners’ demolition. “Obviously we learnt from the way that Zimbabwe bowled in their first innings where they were patient and soaked up pressure,” he said. “We tried to do the same thing, block it with our seamers and try to get wickets from the other end.”West Indies’ lead stood at 148, with nine wickets standing, at the close of play, but in what has been a fast-moving, see-sawing Test match so far Estwick also warned against any complacency. “[The pitch] is going to get a bit more difficult because it’s going to lose pace, and that means strokemaking is going to get difficult. Zimbabwe lost 7 for 53 [58] after lunch, so the game can change very quickly on a pitch like this. We’ve got to try and take the game as long as possible. Bat until lunchtime and then assess from there. You can’t get ahead of yourself on this pitch. There’s a lot of cricket left.”

The Argentine dragged the dishevelled Red Devils back from two goals down to earn Erik ten Hag's side a rousing comeback win

Alejandro Garnacho was already a much-loved figure among Manchester United fans, but now he is an idol. When everyone around him looked shot on confidence, the Argentine believed. And he dragged his team back from the dead against Aston Villa and towards an epic victory.

INEOS sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford was watching from the stands in the first game since Sir Jim Ratcliffe's firm confirmed their 25 percent stake in the club, and in the first half he must have thought they had made a massive mistake investing so much in this fallen giant.

John McGinn had given Villa the lead from a free-kick which he had intended as a cross, and moments later Leander Dendoncker twisted the knife into United after more terrible defending from a set-piece.

But United came out fired-up after the break and Garnacho led their fightback. He had a goal narrowly ruled out for offside but kept believing and pulled United level in no time with two goals.

It then fell to Rasmus Hojlund to find the winner and score his first Premier League goal in the process. This truly was a night to remember for United, who have been in the doldrums all season yet still have this remarkable spirit to turn dust into gold.

GOAL rates United's players from Old Trafford…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Andre Onana (4/10):

Failed to command his box for both goals. Still falling short in the most basic duties of a normal goalkeeper.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (5/10):

Didn't offer enough in either half of the pitch.

Jonny Evans (7/10):

His experience is invaluable. Made two crucial interventions, first bailing out Dalot, then clearing McGinn's goal-bound shot off the line.

Raphael Varane (5/10):

Should have commanded the defence better for both goals.

Diogo Dalot (5/10):

Deployed at left-back due to Shaw's injury and much less useful than on the right.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Christian Eriksen (6/10):

United have missed his top-draw passes, which gave them an edge in attack.

Bruno Fernandes (6/10):

Had a poor first half but upped the ante in the second and was crucial to the comeback.

Kobbie Mainoo (5/10):

His passes were a bit sloppy and this was a reminder that he still has a long way to go despite his excellent start to life in the first team.

Getty ImagesAttack

Marcus Rashford (6/10):

Showed glimpses of his old self. His shooting is still off but he had a good understanding with Garnacho and set up his first goal.

Rasmus Hojlund (6/10):

Was anonymous for most of the game but made amends with a clinical, instinctive finish to win the match and score his first Premier League goal. Hopefully the first of many.

Alejandro Garnacho (9/10):

The only one who always believed. Always looked the most likely source of a goal, and after having one narrowly ruled offside by VAR, he kept going, dragging United back from the dead and towards victory.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Antony (N/A):

Came on in the 80th minute.

Scott McTominay (N/A):

A late substitute.

Willy Kambwala (N/A):

Came on in the 89th minute for his second senior appearance.

Dan Gore (N/A):

Brought on for his Premier League debut in added-time.

Hannibal Mejbri (N/A):

Came on in added-time.

Erik ten Hag (8/10):

His team talk must have galvanised the team as they were a totally different side after the break. His substitutions helped see out the win.

India continued to reap a rich harvest for all the hard work done sowing the crop on day two

The Report by Sidharth Monga26-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Last July, Virat Kohli had no double-centuries. He now has five. Only Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar are the Indians with more. Kohli waltzed to 213 off only 267 balls to set up a declaration and asked Sri Lanka to survive for nine overs before stumps on day three.But the fatigue of having spent 176.1 overs in the field showed in how Sadeera Samarawickrama flashed at a wide ball and left alone a straight one. At times, teams have to tackle those dreaded days of trying to delay the declaration, and how they go about it can tell a lot about where they are at as a unit. Sri Lanka, unfortunately, were all over the place: bowlers were not accurate, fielders not alert, and plans absent. There was a buffet out there, and all bar KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane tucked in.Kohli took the record for the most centuries for an Indian captain. Rohit Sharma ended his 13-month wait for first-class cricket and a four-year wait for a Test century in the course of a mere 160 balls. The declaration came as soon as Rohit reached the mark, making it only the third time India have had four centurions in one Test innings.The start of the day was indicative of how the rest of it would go. Cheteshwar Pujara, 121 at the time, played out a watchful maiden – he took 23 balls to add to his overnight score – and Kohli started off with a single to long-on off his first ball. By the fourth over, it was clear Sri Lanka – understandably – were not there a 100% and that Kohli was, in his hyper-active T20 mode no less.Kohli pushed one to long-on, Suranga Lakmal lobbed the throw to Rangana Herath, he was slow to come down, and Kohli stole a second with the ball wandering only as far as point. Fielders were under extreme pressure. Later, Herath had his pride hurt when Kohli pinched a single after hitting a firm drive straight to him at mid-off. Flustered, Herath threw anyway and conceded an overthrow. If Lakmal had reason to be upset, he didn’t help matters when he forgot to make an effort to collect a throw the last ball of that over. Towards the end of the session, Niroshan Dickwella was busy applauding the wide slip for getting a hand to a late cut when Kohli raced across for a single.Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have a chat between overs•BCCI

Pujara continued to play the old-fashioned way. Despite the slow start he didn’t look for a big shot to get going, clipping to leg for his first single of the morning. Kohli was more fluent as he kept driving either side of the wicket from wide outside off.The seamers tried going round the wicket and Herath tried going over the wicket, but there was hardly a moment of concern for India. While Pujara and Kohli batted together on day three, the bat was beaten only five times, one of them a Dasun Shanaka yorker about seven minutes before lunch and Pujara fell seven short of 150, the ball squeezing under the bat which had covered the line and but hadn’t come down in time. It was a reminder that even when things seem easy for long periods, there are still ways to get out.A minor disappointment for India was that Rahane fell for just 2, to a loose ball from Dilruwan Perera, which was small consolation for the offspinner who has had an ordinary Test. There was nowhere to hide for him as he had to keep coming back for spell after spell, going for 202 in 45 overs despite an improved showing on Sunday.Kohli and Rohit presented a milder version of their legendary one-day stands as they matched each other shot for shot in a 173-run stand for the fifth wicket. If Kohli welcomed Lakmal back by dancing down and hitting him over mid-off, Rohit dropped Dilruwan over mid-on. Kohli unleashed a six over long-on, bringing up his and Dilrwuan’s 150. So Rohit raised two lofted boundaries off Herath. Rohit’s 11-ball wait to go from 49 to 50 just before tea brought his strike-rate under 50, but Kohli, more used to these landmarks in Tests, saw no reason to slow down even as he approached his double-hundred in the final session.Kohli fell for 213, but he gave Rohit all the time he needed to get to a hundred that might be important for his confidence going into the South Africa tour, where he might be asked to bat more often than he has at home. It is up for debate whether it is disrespectful to the opposition to wait for one man’s personal milestone, but it wasn’t as if India were going to run out of time or good weather to run Sri Lanka out a second time. It was apparent in Samarawickrama’s two-ball innings and Sri Lanka’s uncertain bid for survival in the remaining overs.

Chelsea have been unable to convince Brighton and Hove Albion to part ways with Moises Caicedo so far this summer, and now a fresh update has emerged on a potential alternative that could be acquired instead.

What's the latest on Chelsea's interest in Edson Alvarez?

According to The Times (as relayed by Daily Mail), the Blues are interested in signing Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez this summer.

As per the report, the west Londoners have put together a strong shortlist of midfield targets with Alvarez named as one of the players who could be signed instead of Caicedo this summer – Leeds United's Tyler Adams and Celta Vigo star Gabri Veiga are also potential options too.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

It is claimed that Mauricio Pochettino is keen to bolster the midfield options available to him ahead of next season, following a number of departures last month.

How good is Edson Alvarez?

Chelsea are in unfamiliar territory with Caicedo, as they are used to sealing deals for their top targets with ease but as the upcoming Premier League season looms, they need to prioritise deals that are more realistic and obtainable before they kick off against Liverpool next weekend.

According to ESPN, Brighton rejected a £80m bid from the Blues for their Ecuadorian midfielder last week, with the Seagulls keen to hold out on their £100m valuation.

As a result, the signing of Alvarez would be a great opportunity to bring in an experienced and quality midfielder who can add great depth in the centre of the pitch and would even be a huge upgrade on former loanee Denis Zakaria.

The 25-year-old is one of the hottest midfield prospects in Europe, ranking the top 1% of his positional peers across the Men's Next Eight Competitions for aerial duels won and clearances, as well as ranking in the top 10% for touches, progressive carries, progressive passes, pass completion and shots in total per 90 minutes played, as per FBref.

Not only that, Alvarez – who has a reported £40m price tag – ranked in the top five for touches, pass completion, progressive carrying distance and dribblers tackled out of every player in the Eredivisie during the 2022/23 campaign, proving that he is an incredibly talented midfielder who could be a highly valuable asset to Chelsea next season.

When comparing the Mexican midfielder's output with Zakaria's last season, Alvarez comfortably outperformed his positional peer in a number of key attributes including pass completion (88.7% v 87.6%), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.02 v 0.51), percentage of dribblers tackled (61.1% v 40%) and aerial duels won (57.1% v 0%).

The Ajax machine has been the recipient of high praise over his career so far, with talent scout Jacek Kulig outlining Alvarez's strengths, claiming he is "fast, tenacious & charismatic", and a "superb tackler" with "great ball playing ability".

With that being said, if Chelsea could secure a deal for Alvarez this summer it could significantly improve the performances in midfield next season and would provide Pochettino with a player who can offer both high-quality defensive strengths and consistency.

Mikel Arteta has insisted that Declan Rice must improve a key attribute that will take the in-form Arsenal midfielder to "another level".

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Arteta wants Rice to improve key attributeBelieves it will make Rice unstoppableWants the midfielder to reach double figures in both goals and assistsWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international has become an integral figure in the Gunners' midfield since his £105m ($137m) move from West Ham United. Although Rice ticks most boxes that one would generally expect from a No. 8, Arteta believes that he must work on his goal-scoring capability to unlock his full potential.

AdvertisementWHAT ARTETA SAID

Speaking to reporters, Arteta said: "He has shown that he has an eye for goals when he is in the opponents’ box. He is a real threat. That is something that can be developed. His leadership skills will naturally grow in the team and club in the years to come. He has other levels to go. I love his presence on the pitch, he’s got something special. Playing as a No 8 he can be an incredible player.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Rice had previously enjoyed a more advanced role in Arsenal's midfield but had to adapt to a deep-lying central position due to Thomas Partey's injury. Notably, at West Ham, David Moyes tweaked the system to allow more freedom to Rice by giving more defensive duty to Tomas Soucek. The midfielder repaid the trust shown in him and made 18 goal contributions in his last two seasons with the Hammers.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

DID YOU KNOW?

Rice has scored three goals this campaign for Arsenal including two stoppage-time strikes against Manchester United and Luton Town and another against Chelsea.

Manchester City fullback Kyle Walker could be "tempted by the possibility" of leaving the club this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The 33-year-old has been at the club since 2017.

What is the latest news regarding Kyle Walker?

Walker is closing in on a move away from the Etihad this summer according to reports.

The Athletic are reporting that the England international has verbally agreed terms with German juggernauts Bayern Munich on a two-year deal. Whilst an agreement between the two sides has not been reached yet, the reported asking price from the current Champions League holders is in the region of £15m.

Current City boss Pep Guardiola has stated that he is determined to keep the fullback, citing his importance for the side and the qualities he brings to the team: "“Kyle is incredibly important for us. He has specific qualities that are so difficult to find out wide. I don’t know what’s going to happen, both clubs are in touch. We will fight for him like I’m sure Bayern will. I don’t know how it will finish.”

Walker has made 254 appearances for the Manchester club since his £50m move in the summer of 2017, registering six goals and 18 assists en route to winning 12 major honours with the club, including five Premier League titles and one Champions League.

There were also reports earlier in the window that Arsenal were interested in signing the former Tottenham Hotspur full-back, however, nothing ultimately materialised regarding that potential move.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Italian journalist Romano revealed that the 78-time-capped England international is "tempted" by the opportunity to join Bayern, with the German side's manager Thomas Tuchel "really pushing" to secure the deal: "Manchester City are really trying their best to keep Kyle Walker, but it's not an easy situation. Also for the player, I can guarantee to you that Walker is tempted by the possibility of joining Bayern Munich. It's a big chance, it's a big contract, and Thomas Tuchel is really pushing to have him."

How can Manchester City replace Kyle Walker?

The Citizens have two real options to replace the 33-year-old should he make the switch to Bavaria.

One option is to delve into the transfer market. The Manchester club are reportedly in talks with Bayern over French international defender Benjamin Pavard however they face stiff competition from local rivals Manchester United as well as Italian giants Juventus. The player is in the final 12 months of his contract at the club, and the German side do not want to lose the 27-year-old on a free transfer next summer so have placed a €30m price tag on the defender. Pavard is set for a reduced role next season following the arrival of Kim Min Jae and the potential arrival of Walker, so may push for a move for more regular first-team football ahead of Euro 2024, and due to both clubs wanting a respective player, a swap deal could be negotiated between the sides which could make City the favourites.

Man City do also have a couple of potential in-house solutions as well. Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo could be reintroduced into the first-team setup following his six-month loan spell in Munich during the second half of last season following a fallout with boss Guardiola. The player has featured during the side's pre-season tour so far and has even registered an assist. Another in-house option could be giving young Rico Lewis increased minutes next season. The full-back made his mark at City last season, making 23 appearances in all competitions and playing his part in helping the club secure an illustrious treble. Referred to as the clubs "little Phillip Lahm" by Guardiola, the youngster may be ready for an increased role with greater responsibility next season should Walker depart this summer.

Darren Sammy’s scorching last-over burst, followed by Mohammad Sami’s four-wicket haul, broke Comilla Victorians’ five-match winning streak, as they lost to Rajshahi Kings by 30 runs in Chittagong

The Report by Mohammad Isam25-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBCB

Darren Sammy’s scorching last-over burst, followed by Mohammad Sami’s four-wicket haul, broke Comilla Victorians’ five-match winning streak, as they lost to Rajshahi Kings by 30 runs in Chittagong.Rajshahi had seemed to be ambling towards a middling score, but blitzed 72 runs off 22 balls following Sammy’s arrival. They ended up with 185 for 7, with Sammy unbeaten on 47 off 14 balls. His strike-rate of 335.71 is the highest for a batsman to have struck more than 40 runs in a BPL innings.Sammy tonked six sixes in total, four of which came in the last over that went for 32 runs. Mohammad Saifuddin, who had the misfortune of sending down that over, now holds the unenviable record of conceding the most runs in an over in BPL history.Comilla recovered well from that late onslaught and were going well in the chase, with Tamim Iqbal and Shoaib Malik putting together an 87-run stand. But once Sami dismissed Tamim, the rest simply caved. It was similar to their bowling effort that came apart after a very good start.Comilla hit back after early blowsEach of Rajshahi’s top four fell after getting their eye in. Dwayne Smith, who had got going with four punchy boundaries, was first to fall when he inside-edged Saifuddin onto the stumps after reaching out for an expansive drive. In the next over, Mominul Haque, who had raced away to a brisk start with five crisply-struck fours, paid the price for a moment’s hesitation. Mominul pushed the legspinner Rashid Khan behind point and Luke Wright called for a single straight away. Mominul, though, wasn’t as convinced and was felled by a direct hit at the non-striker’s end. Zakir Hasan found the bounce of an Al-Amin Hossain bouncer disconcerting and top-edged a pull that was snaffled by the bowler, before Imrul Kayes’ terrific catch at long-on ended Mushfiqur Rahim’s stay. From 43 for no loss, Rajshahi lost four wickets by the time they could double that score.Wright keeps Rajshahi tickingThe gift of timing completely abandoned Luke Wright, who struggled for large parts of his 42. But to his credit, he gritted it out. After scratching around for 20 balls for his first 14 runs, Wright showed the first signs of acceleration by collecting 16 runs off his next six balls. That included two sublime fours through midwicket off successive deliveries against Al-Amin. He added 37 runs for the fifth wicket with James Franklin in quick time, before the latter fell leg-before to a Hasan Ali yorker. Wright fell in the following over, when his scoop found short fine leg. He fell eight short of a fifty but had kept Rajshahi intact till the 18th over before Sammy took over.Sammy lays a brutal finishing touchWhen Tamim Iqbal threw Saifuddin the ball for the final over, it was in the hope that he could finish off a job well-started. Saifuddin had figures of 3-0-18-3, but nothing could have prepared him for the onslaught he suffered at the hands of Sammy. His first delivery to Sammy was a fuller ball that came into him, and all Sammy had to do was help it on its way to deep backward square leg. The rest of the over was a generous mix of fuller deliveries, or worse still, full tosses that were shoveled with brute force. Saifuddin set out on a search for the wide yorker and instead fed to Sammy’s swinging arc and offered him ample room. To make matters worse, Saifuddin sent down two wides, extending Sammy’s party to an eight-ball over. Just last month, Saifuddin had suffered a similar shellacking at the hands of David Miller, who took him apart for five successive sixes in one over, in a T20 international against South Africa.Comilla shrug off early stutterFakhar Zaman’s BPL debut lasted just five balls as he chopped Sami onto his stumps, and Imrul Kayes fell to a harsh lbw decision, with replays suggesting the ball would have missed leg – as Comilla lost two wickets in the first two overs of their chase.Tamim and Malik then resurrected Comilla’s chase with an 87-run stand for the third wicket. It was broken when Malik’s stroke-filled 45 ended tamely. One ball after a stunning four that split short third man and backward point, Malik chipped a simple return catch to Dwayne Smith, leaving Comilla with 95 to get in 52 balls.Sami’s 3-in-1Comilla did not feel the pinch of Malik’s dismissal as much as Buttler picked up from where Malik left. With Tamim, he struck 34 runs in three overs to keep Comilla’s prospects alive. Tamim launched Hossain Ali over extra cover to bring up his fifty and the 4000th run of his T20 career while Buttler used his favoured reverse sweep to good effect.Sami then got Tamim to skew an inside-out shot to deep point in the 15th over to open the gates. Alok Kapali perished two balls later when he swung across the line and lost his stumps. Sami then ended the over by having Saifuddin hole out to deep point. He gave away just one run in his last over to finish with 4 for 9 in four overs. His effort left Comilla with 32 to get from the last over, which was precisely how much Sammy hit in Rajshahi’s last over.What they said”Darren Sammy doing that made a huge difference. I think if we just got 150, we would have probably lost. And then Mohammad Sami with the ball was amazing, but I think Sammy put massive pressure on them, which helped take those wickets in the end.”

Harry Kane could be reunited with Eric Dier as Bayern Munich have reportedly reached a surprise 'verbal agreement' to sign the Tottenham outcast.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Dier could leave Tottenham
• Could reunite with Kane at Bayern
• Has agreed personal terms with the German club

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the centre-back is on the verge of leaving north London after seeing his minutes dwindle under head coach Ange Postecoglou. It is believed that Dier has already agreed to personal terms with the reigning Bundesliga champions and could once again share the dressing room with Kane.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Thomas Tuchel has taken a keen interest in Dier and believes that the centre-back could be useful in his setup as he is versatile enough to play in a variety of positions. With the defender keen for a fresh challenge to revive his career a decision is expected in the next few days.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite suspension and injuries to key players like Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, Dier has failed to nail down a starting berth under Postecoglou. With less than six months remaining on his contract, it is anticipated that the 29-year-old England international will leave Spurs for greener pastures in January.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Spurs are reportedly pursuing Genoa's Radu Dragusin as a potential replacement and Dier could head out once the transfer is sealed. However, the Bavarians are likely to push for the transfer before they return to action on January 12 against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.

Astle suffered a groin injury during the New Zealanders’ warm-up match against Board President’s XI on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2017A groin strain has ruled Todd Astle out of New Zealand’s squad for their ODI and T20I tour of India. Fellow legspinner Ish Sodhi, who was initially only named in the T20I squad, will replace Astle in the ODI squad.Astle suffered the injury during the New Zealanders’ tour game against Board President’s XI at the Brabourne Stadium on Tuesday, walking off the field after bowling just three balls. According to an NZC release, a scan confirmed Astle had suffered a tear to his right side, which would rule him out for around three weeks.The ODI series begins on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.ODI squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, George Worker.