نشر الاتحاد الإسباني لكرة القدم محادثات الحكم مع غرفة تقنية الفار، خلال مواجهة الكلاسيكو بين ريال مدريد وبرشلونة على ملعب سانتياجو بيرنابيو أمس الأحد.

وفاز ريال مدريد بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين، وحسم لقب الدوري الإسباني بنسبة كبيرة، بعدما وسع الفارق مع برشلونة إلى 11 نقطة.

سجل لامين يامال هدفًا في مرمى ريال مدريد ولكن لم يحتسبه الحكم مع استمرار اللعب، وبعد انتظار قرار تقنية الفار، أكد الحكم على صحة قراره.

الكاميرات التلفزيونية لم تظهر مرور الكرة، ولكن مع انتشار فيديوهات تم تصويرها من المدرجات، تبين بأن الكرة عبرت خط المرمى، حسب ما أكد الإعلام الكتالوني.

خوان لابورتا رئيس نادي برشلونة، أعلن صباح اليوم أنه طالب بالحصول على التسجيلات التي كانت بين حكم المباراة سيزار سوتو جارادو، وغرفة الفار.

طالع أيضًا.. لابورتا: قد نُطالب بإعادة الكلاسيكو بين برشلونة وريال مدريد

وبالفعل نشر الاتحاد الإسباني المحادثة أثناء مراجعة حالة هدف لامين يامال غير المحتسب، حسب وصف الرئيس الكتالوني. من خلال فيديو كامل لكل الحالات الجدلية بين تقنية الفار والحكم سيزار سوتو.

البداية كانت بحديث الحكم مع جوندوجان، عندما أخبر سوتو اللاعب الألماني، أنه لا توجد تقنية خط المرمى، عندما سأله إيلكاي بعد خروج الكرة إلى ركنية.

الحكم أوقف اللعب لمراجعة اللعبة، وأخبر الجميع أن تقنية الفار هي من ستحسم القرار، وكل ما يلي كان حديث الحكم مع تقنية الفيديو ..

غرفة الفار: “الجسم متوقف، هناك تغطية، أليس كذلك؟ انتظر ثانية سوتو، نحن نواصل البحث عن الأدلة، تقنية الكاميرا 360 لا تنفع، هذه أيضًا لا، وهذه أيضًا لا تنفع، التالية، لا تنفع أيضًا”.

سوتو: “لا تستعجلوا، لدينا الوقت، إنه قرار مهم للغاية، يجب مراجعته، ابحثوا من كل الكاميرات بهدوء”.

غرفة الفار: “سيزار، سيزار، ليس لدينا أي دليل على أن الكرة دخلت المرمى، لا يوجد دليل، جسم لونين يغطي الكرة، استأنف اللعب بضربة ركنية”.

حكم المباراة سيزار سوتو استأنف اللعب بالفعل بركلة ركنية، ولكن لم تكن هذه هي الحالة الوحيدة المثيرة للجدل طوال الـ90 دقيقة، والتي اضطر حكم الفيديو المساعد للتدخل فيها، كما يظهر الفيديو المنشور عبر حساب الاتحاد الإسباني.

فقد تم تأكيد ركلة جزاء فاسكيز على المدافع كوبارسي، وكذلك هدف برشلونة بعد الاتكاء على توني كروس، مع احتمالية طرد كامافينجا في عرقلة لامين يامال، لكن جميعهم تم حسم الأمر سريعًا مع الحكم سيزار سوتو جرادو.

After a slow start to the summer window, it looks as if Leeds United are beginning to step up their transfer dealings, with manager Daniel Farke now being tipped to make a move for one of his former assets…

What are the latest Leeds transfer rumours?

With The Athletic's Phil Hay reporting that the Yorkshire giants have reached an agreement for the signing of Ethan Ampadu from Chelsea, transfer insider Graeme Bailey has also reported that Farke is "set to reunite" with ex-Norwich City defender, Sam Byram.

In his attached piece for 90min, Bailey adds that the German tactician is looking to add the 29-year-old to his ranks alongside Ampadu, with the Englishman set to be available on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract at Carrow Road.

This follows reports late last week that suggested the Elland Road outfit had taken the versatile full-back on trial, with the 5 foot 11 machine having begun his career on the books at Leeds, making 143 appearances in all competitions before departing in 2016.

Should Leeds sign Sam Byram?

The links to the one-time West Ham United man have come amid Leeds' dire need to strengthen their defensive ranks, with the current squad looking rather light with regard to full-back options, in particular, following the loan departure of Rasmus Kristensen to AS Roma.

While Farke does have the returning Cody Drameh to help provide cover and competition for Luke Ayling at right-back, on the opposite flank a new addition appears a matter of urgency, with Junior Firpo currently the only senior option in that left-sided berth.

As transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported last month, the former Barcelona man – who arrived in Yorkshire on a £13m deal back in 2021 – is set for an exit from Elland Road following a dismal two years at the club, having notably started just 14 Premier League games last season.

Described as often looking "flat-footed or fast asleep" by pundit Paddy Kenny, the 26-year-old's woes last term were laid bare by the fact that he recorded an average match rating of just 6.55, as per Sofascore, ranking him in 22nd place among his teammates.

The signing of former Leeds academy graduate, Byram – who previously made 20 appearances under Farke's watch at Norwich – could then spell bad news for Firpo, with the Thurrock-born ace potentially set to prove a better fit in that left-back berth.

Lauded as a "quality player" by journalist Jack Reeve, the out-of-contract defender appears to be able to offer more in an attacking sense than his Leeds counterpart, with that showcased by the fact that has averaged 6.50 progressive passes and 3.25 progressive carries per 90 across the last 365 days.

Evidently a player who can offer a creative spark from his defensive role, Byram's quality is in stark contrast to that of Firpo, with the former Spain U21 international averaging just 3.55 and 1.32 for those same two metrics, respectively.

While Firpo does come out on top with regard to tackles made per 90 (3.09 v 2.58), as per FBref, the one-time Real Betis man has proven something of a liability in truth, having been dribbled past 1.2 times per game on average last season, while Byram was dribbled past just 0.3 times per match in the Championship.

The latter man, therefore, could represent the all-round package at full-back due to his forward-thinking nature in attack and ability to provide a stern defensive presence, with that having been sorely lacking from Firpo over the past two years.

Defending champions Northants must win one of their last two matches to reach the quarter-finals after a heavy defeat against Leicestershire

ECB Reporters Network11-Aug-2017Mark Cosgrove set a new Leicestershire record•Getty ImagesMark Cosgrove’s best T20 score for Leicestershire help keep their NatWest T20 Blast campaign alive with a commanding 48-run win over champions Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.Cosgrove’s 76 from 48 balls helped Leicestershire make 193 for 5 – their highest total in the fixture – and it was easily defended with only Adam Rossington showing for Northants with a season’s-best 67 in 46 balls.Northants failed to seal a quarter-final spot and will now need to beat Yorkshire at Headingley or Durham at home to reach the last eight.They were well beaten here and Cosgrove and Luke Ronchi did the damage. The pair shared 72 for the second wicket before Cosgrove accelerated in the final half of the innings. He struck two sixes swung down the ground off Saif Zaib’s left-arm spin and another over midwicket from Azharullah in passing fifty in 32 balls and threatened to steer Leicestershire over 200.They fell marginally short as Cosgrove was run out trying to keep the strike in the final over. An earlier run out chance to Steven Crook at midwicket when Cosgrove had just 3 was a moment Northants were left to rue.Cosgrove finished the work began by Ronchi, who got the innings underway with a well-timed flick over midwicket for six and jammed out a yorker to fine leg to take 12 from the first over. He found another boundary to the final ball of the Powerplay that brought 58 runs.Cameron Delport also played his part with 26 in 15 balls. He punched Rory Kleinveldt for his first boundary over mid-on and then lifted two sixes over square leg and midwicket as 17 came from the fourth over of the innings. But trying to swing Ben Sanderson’s first ball down the ground, was splendidly caught by Rob Keogh running back from point, taking a whirl of a top edge over his shoulder. But it was the only wicket Northants took until the 13th over.Outside the Powerplay, Ronchi whipped his hands to lift Crook’s first ball over deep square leg on his way to fifty in 30 balls and struck a third six over long-off as Keogh proved expensive, three overs for 30, as Leicestershire built an excellent platform at 117 for 1 after 12 overs.Ronchi eventually fell trying to heave a Sanderson slower ball over midwicket and only found Crook running in from the fence. His 59 from 36 balls was his second half-century in the competition this year and helped set a target far beyond the reach of Northants.The chase was knifed inside the first three overs as two cheap wickets fell – Richard Levi for just 12 top-edging a sweep off Callum Parkinson to deep midwicket and Ben Duckett lbw to Clint McKay for just 1. Rossington tried to stem the bleeding with his best effort of the season to ignite the chase, stepping to leg to take boundaries over the off-side with the field up and then sweeping Parkinson.Rossington’s 31-ball fifty momemtarily patched up the early wound as he and Alex Wakely added 85 for the third wicket to leave the home side in touch at 87 for 2 after 10 overs. But Delport’s crafty seamers – he finished with 3 for 19 from his four overs – proved a turning point. With the required rate climbing over 11-an-over, first Wakely holed out to midwicket for 20 and then Rossington to long-on. The damage to Northants chase proved terminal.

Leeds United could finally be set to purge one of their least reliable assets this summer, offloading their goalkeeper in order to usher in a new era.

Will Illan Meslier leave Leeds United?

Daniel Farke will be well aware of what needs rectifying to ensure the Whites have the best possible chance at achieving promotion. Especially given how glaring their defensive frailties have been in recent seasons, with last term even seeing them ship 78 goals in the Premier League, the most in the division.

Sam Allardyce clearly sought to solve this issue by dropping Illan Meslier, providing a huge indication as to who he thought was at fault for such horrific figures. However, he alone cannot shoulder all of the blame, but his performances did not help.

As such, reports from late last week are continuing to suggest the Frenchman will now be sold in order to fund a replacement, which could come in the form of Alexander Nubel.

The Bayern Munich goalkeeper has struggled to announce himself as a true competitor for that number one spot since his 2020 move, and could now seek to reignite a faltering career at Elland Road.

How good is Alexander Nubel?

The proposed exit of Meslier should come as little surprise, given how poor his most recent league campaign was.

Averaging a 6.65 rating, he would ship two goals per game whilst enduring a save percentage of just 58%, via Sofascore. His rating made him the eighth-worst performer of those who started five games within a squad that slumped to relegation, further emphasising that a large portion of the blame does in fact lie with the failing shot-stopper.

One of the biggest criticisms that came the way of Meslier was his lack of presence, as he would often flap at crosses to hand the opposition a lofty advantage.

Two examples spring to mind, once where his failed punch allowed Jefferson Lerma to score AFC Bournemouth's second in a 4-1 thrashing, and the second in their crunch relegation six-pointer against Everton, as the £30k-per-week dud allowed Seamus Coleman's wayward cross to find the net from an impossible angle, surrendering all three points.

Although it was a year earlier, journalist Barry Collins' summation still stands: "Meslier. Bit of a liability."

Therefore, it will be pleasing for Leeds fans to know that a truly dominant goalkeeper might well replace him, as the 6 foot 4 Nubel continues to be linked.

Having enjoyed a fine year-long stint at AS Monaco most recently, his 6.93 average rating in Ligue 1 was boosted through his 3.7 saves per game, at a 71% success rate, via Sofascore.

However, even back when he played for FC Schalke, the 26-year-old was commended for his ability to take control of difficult situations. European football expert Kevin Hatchard even claimed: "He is the captain of Schalke and a goalkeeper in his early 20s. He is a very good goalkeeper with a [Manuel] Neuer vibe about him.

“He’s good with his feet, commanding, and he’s got a bit of arrogance about him which I don’t think is a terrible thing."

At last they would regain some reliability in between the sticks, and alongside their recent defensive addition of Ethan Ampadu too, the future of their back line already looks far brighter than it has done in recent memory.

Shapoor Zadran gave the large contingent of Afghanistan fans plenty to cheer at Lord’s during their historic first match at the ground before the weather closed in

Peter Della Penna at Lord's11-Jul-2017
Scorecard1:40

‘Keenly waiting to play Test cricket’ – Rashid

The sight of Shapoor Zadran running in with his long mop of hair flopping about as he leaps into his delivery stride has warmed more than a few Afghan hearts in the eight years since he made his national team debut.That warmth was needed on a damp and chilly day in London, and Shapoor provided more than enough to keep the 8000 fans who showed up in St. John’s Wood feeling snug and toasty. His three wickets shone through the intermittent rain on Afghanistan’s debut at Lord’s, the standout performance on a festive but frustrating day that ended with no result.When Shapoor bounded in with the new ball, he brought a declaration of intensity to his team-mates and the opposition that this was going to be treated as much more than a friendly exhibition. By his seventh ball, he had bounced out Brendon McCullum, cramped for room attempting an uppercut. At that stage, there were only about 3000 fans in the ground, but by the time he dismissed Chris Read for his third wicket more than three hours later, the crowd had swelled to more than double that.They may have taken up less than half the ground, but the full-throated roars for each diving stop, each sharp throw, each catch taken may very well have surpassed the decibel levels heard for the sellout crowds that turned out daily for the Test match completed on this ground just two days earlier. The Afghanistan fans were raucous, rowdy and resolute in their unwavering support despite the rain and a staunch challenge put forth by a very competitive MCC line-up.Sam Hain put up the biggest resistance. The other man involved in the Luke Fletcher incident from Saturday night at Edgbaston, Hain had a nervy start, perhaps the events of that day still fresh. It took him 17 balls to get off the mark, but two balls later he bashed a pull over midwicket for his first four. He settled into a groove soon after, producing a series of crisp drives through the off side and finished with eight boundaries in his 76 to top-score for MCC in their 40-over total of 217 for 6.Shapoor Zadran made his mark with early wickets•Getty Images

After Shapoor claimed Misbah-ul-Haq caught behind in the seventh over, Hain combined with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and then Samit Patel after Chanderpaul retired hurt, for a combined 150-run third-wicket stand. The partnership was interrupted twice by rain delays, the second of which came at the 18-over mark with the score 83 for 2 and lasted for an hour and 45 minutes. Lunch was taken during the delay, meaning only 10 overs were slashed from the original 50.Bigger than the roars for the wickets of Shapoor was the introduction of Rashid Khan, who was serenaded with chants of “Rah-SHEED! Rah-SHEED!” But the wily Chanderpaul blunted the star legspinner, and the crowd’s excitement simultaneously, with his arsenal of nudges and nurdles. Chanderpaul was forced off injured after being struck on the body attempting a pull against Dawlat Zadran in the 25th over. Samit joined Hain and the pair continued to keep Afghanistan’s bowlers at bay.It wasn’t until the slog overs that Afghanistan’s spirits were lifted once again in the field, rattling off a series of wickets caught in the deep to restrict MCC. Hain finally fell to end the 34th, pulling Gulbadin Naib to deep midwicket. Chris Read fell two overs later going after Shapoor for another caught behind. Samit slogged Rashid to the deep midwicket rope in the 38th for a well-made 52 and Naib had Yasir Shah edging behind on a big heavy with two balls left in the innings.After going wicketless in the field, most of the crowd were looking forward to Mohammad Nabi coming out to showcase his skills with the bat. Listed at No. 4, he never got the chance as rain ended play after just five overs of the Afghanistan chase. Noor Ali Zadran was the only wicket to fall, chopping on in the third over. After waiting for more than 90 minutes, the fans were delivered the inevitable news that there would be no more play. But it may have been enough of a taster to make them hungry for a return visit, possibly as soon as the 2019 World Cup.

It’s almost as if managers have forgotten to give their defenders the pre-season talk about avoiding reckless challenges, because, after all, it is only a friendly game.We’ve seen Lisandro Martinez go flying into poor challenges twice now. The first time was at Bukayo Saka’s expense, who was lucky to avoid injury as Arsenal were defeated 2-0 by Manchester United. The second time then came against Real Madrid, as Jude Bellingham was recklessly taken out, sparking the midfielder’s fume.Now, it seems as though Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo has caught the recklessness bug, leaving no prisoners against Arsenal, as he wiped out Gabriel Jesus in a needless challenge.The forward fortunately managed to avoid injury, but there’s no doubt that he was left unpleased, with nothing really riding on the game to warrant such aggression from the Barca man.

Gabriel Jesus wiped out by Ronald Araujo

In Araujo’s defence, the ball was there to be won. It just didn’t need to be won with a dangerously high sliding challenge, which Jesus upwards in a way we didn’t even know was possible.

Jesus immediately looked towards the referee, feeling rightly aggrieved by the challenge, as Araujo strolled off as if he had just committed the tackle of the season.

The challenge summed up a frantic affair, as Arsenal ran out 5-3 winners. And after the match, Xavi ironically complained (via Tribuna) “Arsenal’s intensity wasn’t normal. Too many fouls for a friendly game.”

The Gunners initially found themselves a goal down, courtesy of Robert Lewandowski, before Bukayo Saka equalised.

It was then the turn of Raphinha Kai Havertz to get on the scoresheet, making it 2-2.

Arsenal ran away with it in the second half, however, with a Leandro Trossard brace handing them a 4-2 lead. Mikel Arteta’s side were forced to refocus by Ferran Torres’ late goal, but Fabio Vieira soon sealed the 5-3 victory.

How have Arsenal performed in pre-season?

Arsenal have impressed at times during pre-season, enjoying victories over MLS All-Stars and Barcelona, whilst also drawing against FC Nurnberg in their first pre-season game.

Arteta will be disappointed with his side’s 2-0 defeat against Premier League rivals Manchester United, but is unlikely to look too much into what was ultimately a pre-season game, and only that.

Summer signing Havertz has shown glimpses of what he is capable of this summer, too, scoring twice, including most recently against Barcelona.

Speaking after scoring his first Arsenal goal, against MLS All-Stars, Havertz told Sky Sports, via The Metro: “I think he was giving me this message [of support] from the first second when I spoke to him.

“The first time, I felt the support straight away. And I think this is very important for me as a player. He just gives the trust to me and I hopefully can give it back.”

The summer switch to North London could finally get the German going in the Premier League, after struggling to ever make a consistent impact at Chelsea.

The Gunners are certainly primed and ready to mount yet another title challenge in England’s top flight, perhaps going one better than last season by sealing the silverware in the coming year.

Tottenham Hotspur have well and truly kickstarted the Ange Postecoglou reign with a few key deals and a clear shift in style, but there could be one more incoming to cap off a fine summer of revolution…

Is Elye Wahi joining Tottenham Hotspur?

Although having only been linked earlier this week, it remains a hot topic of conversation that the Lilywhites could be set to involve themselves in the race to sign Elye Wahi.

The Montpellier man, who has enjoyed a fine couple of years in his homeland, has come of interest to many top European clubs seeking to add the lethal 20-year-old to their ranks.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

However, his €40m (£34m) price tag remains a stumbling block, capable of putting off many of his suitors. This would not be the case for Spurs though, as the unusually free-spending nature of Daniel Levy thus far in the window suggests there is no telling who he might bring in next.

How good is Elye Wahi?

To snag a French star from Ligue 1, fresh from an outstanding season, would be to repeat the success of old from within north London.

After all, although his powers might have waned more recently, Hugo Lloris was a famous export from that division, having moved from Lyon back in 2012.

The young shot-stopper joined as part of Andre Villas-Boas' transformative summer, and whilst the Portuguese boss would later be dismissed, his signing has remained for the 11 years following, featuring under seven permanent bosses.

He is a true Spurs legend, having made 447 appearances for the club and becoming the club captain more recently, and was once one of the Premier League's paramount keepers.

During the 2018/19 campaign, he would maintain a 7.12 average rating, buoyed by his 12 clean sheets, 3.1 saves per game at a success rate of 71%, via Sofascore. That was the highest rating of any goalkeeper that year in the league.

Should Wahi join and hit the ground running, becoming even half as influential as the 36-year-old titan came to be, Postecoglou and Levy would both be delighted.

Last term saw the youngster find the net 19 times in the league, assisting a further six. He shows steady progress from the year prior, where he would notch just ten times, suggesting that the sky really is the limit for his scoring.

Such fine form and a rise to prominence have led to praise from many, with ex-Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo noting:

"He is a powerful, athletic and fast player with a range of dribbling skills where only he knows what he is going to do next."

This level of ingenuity and quality could mark a perfect partner or even long-term replacement for Harry Kane, whose future still remains uncertain.

Lloris enjoyed a lengthy stay in north London, and although he remains their player, it is widely accepted that this summer will be his last.

He will likely leave a hero, with former teammate and compatriot Clement Lenglet having suggested so with regard to his national team:

"To all French people, he's a legend because he's a very good person, a very good professional, an amazing goalkeeper. He's one of the best players in the history of the French national team."

Wahi will be hoping to earn that level of fame amongst the Spurs support, who in ten years' time will look back at Lloris' spell with fondness rather than the frustration it ended with.

Tottenham Hotspur have told versatile winger Ivan Perisic he can leave this summer, according to reports in the English press.

Who will leave Tottenham?

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has some deadwood to clear out of the squad, especially if he wishes to see more major signings come through the door this summer.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, midfielder James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon have officially joined Tottenham – following on from their permanent deals for both Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski.

It is also believed that the north Londoners wish to add multiple star centre-backs to their roster, leading to their links with Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven, Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen, Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo, Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet and Juventus star Gleison Bremer.

Meanwhile, to succeed the potentially departing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Spurs have a few midfielders in their sights – with the club holding an interest in Chelsea's Conor Gallagher, Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz and Barca star Franck Kessie.

Star striker Harry Kane could be on the move as well, with Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic and Eintracht Frankfurt star Randal Kolo Muani among the options to replace him.

To facilitate these possible transfers, Postecoglou's squad size must be trimmed, with Hugo Lloris, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier, Ben Davies, Sergio Reguilon and Perisic mentioned as exit candidates previously (The Telegraph).

The latter player, who signed just last summer from Inter Milan, could be on the move already as The Daily Mail and journalist Matt Barlow share a brief update on his future.

It is believed Perisic has been told he can leave Tottenham this summer, should a suitable offer come in for the Croatian footballing legend.

The 34-year-old has actually played very well in pre-season as part of a Spurs front three, as explained by Barlow, and looks far more effective than he did at points over 2022/2023.

How good is Ivan Perisic?

The ex-Wolfsburg star is a very versatile option for Postecoglou, with Perisic featuring in as many as nine different positions throughout his career.

The 127-cap international was deployed as a left-wing-back by former Spurs boss Antonio Conte last season, and while he came under criticism at points, Perisic did display some quality.

Indeed, he finished 22/23 with the most assists of any Tottenham player in England's top flight, all the while featuring regularly over 34 league appearances (WhoScored).

"It is very important we sign a player like Ivan Perisic," said Conte last summer.

“We are talking about a real important player and top player. Sometimes it is good to bring a player in your team who is a bit over age but at the same time a good player with experience who can improve a young player in your squad.”

Perisic was also praised by members of the media for some of his displays for Spurs, with reporter John Hayes calling him a "game changer" after his brilliant early-season display against Wolves.

Meanwhile, journalist Josh Bunting called him a "beautiful" and "intelligent" footballer after the same match.

"He’s a beautiful footballer," said Bunting.

"Really intelligent and precise in everything that he does. Won everything that he’s faced."

Regional sides in the 2017-18 Quaid-e-Azam trophy will be selected, in part, through a draft process, after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) voted the changes through at a board meeting. Karachi, which represents the largest regional association in the country (a city with nearly 25 million residents), led the objections and walked out of the meeting on Friday in protest. But that was the only significant objection to what is now a reality: a radical new model whereby regional first-class sides will pick players through a draft process and not, as has been traditionally the way, through their own inter-districts cricket.”There were animated discussions on the domestic revamp,” PCB chairman, Shaharyar Khan said in a press conference after the meeting in Lahore. “Karachi said this new system was wrong. But we have taken the position that the draft will happen, otherwise there is corruption and nepotism in the system. It happens often in some regions where the president wants to play his players. Karachi did raise an objection and then, yes, they did walk out of the meeting.”Problems with non-merit based selections is one of the main reasons the PCB has come up with this new model, as well as a desire to enhance the competitiveness of regional sides who have struggled to compete against department sides in the QEA; historically, when regional and department sides have been grouped together in the tournament, the latter have fielded the better players, enabled by greater financial resources at their disposal.The move has come in for some criticism, and it was partly that which led the board to agree to a compromise on the balance of players picked by a draft process and players picked through more conventional routes.Initially, the model envisaged that 12 players out of a regional squad of 20 would be picked through the draft. Lahore, another major regional association, had suggested a reversal, where eight players would come through a draft. In the end, a compromise was reached: eight players will be picked through a draft, 10 through the usual selection and two will be emerging players from the region’s Under-19 circuit.Najam Sethi, the PCB’s executive committee head, said all stakeholders had been taken on board. “Ejaz Farooqi (head of the Karachi association) wrote a letter of objection to the board and spoke about it as well at the meeting. Shakeel Sheikh, who is the head of the committee, has made those decisions with all stakeholders involved. Lahore wanted a 12-8 model (with 12 from region and 8 from a draft). So the compromise we worked out is 10-10. Selection will remain with regional heads and regional coaches. It won’t be such a big issue.”The decision was taken in the final outgoing Board of Governors (BoG) meeting under the leadership of Shahryar Khan – whose tenure ends next month. It was the last meeting chaired by Khan as well as for the 10 governing boards members; next month, a new board with a new chairman will be formed.Four new regions – Lahore, Sialkot, Quetta and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) – will replace Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi and Peshawar. United Bank Limited (UBL) and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) will retain their spots as departments on the board on the basis of their standing in the 2016-17 QEA, while Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC) will replace National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL).Sethi, who heads the Pakistan Super League (PSL), is the leading candidate to take over as board chairman from Khan. He was recently named as one of two direct nominees on the BoG, appointed by the patron of the board, the prime minister of Pakistan. Until Friday, Nawaz Sharif was that man, but he was disqualified by Pakistan’s Supreme Court in a situation that has been building up since the Panama Papers. His disqualification, for the moment, leaves Pakistan without a functional government, and the PCB without a patron.Coinciding as it does with the ascension of a new board head, ordinarily, the political uncertainty would ripple out into the board as well. But Sethi was confident that movement in Islamabad would not affect the PCB’s imminent changes next month. “What happened in Islamabad has no relation to the PCB,” Sethi said. “Today the PCB has no patron. But now a new one will come. It’s not such a big deal, there is no constitutional issue.”Sethi’s prospects will, however, depend heavily on who takes over from Sharif as the prime minister and patron of the PCB. Even before Sharif’s dismissal, a Supreme Court advocate had filed a writ petition against Sethi’s nomination in the Islamabad High Court. The court hasn’t admitted the case but is assessing the maintainability of the petition and the hearing has been adjourned until August 10.

Twenty-four hours after he was dropped for the first time in his Test career, Mominul Haque has been reinstated in the Bangladesh squad for the first Test against Australia, which starts from August 27. Mominul will replace Mosaddek Hossain, who is suffering from an eye infection, and the turnaround came after a meeting between the BCB president, Nazmul Hassan, and the selection committee.Mosaddek will need at least 15 days of rest for his condition to improve, according to an eye specialist. His infection was known to the selectors after he missed Bangladesh’s training camp in Chittagong earlier this month. During Saturday’s press conference, coach Chandika Hathurusingha had said that Nasir Hossain had been picked in the 14-man squad as Mosaddek’s back-up.However, following a stormy press conference after the team’s announcement on Saturday and subsequent criticism by the media, the BCB president called the selection committee, which also includes Hathurusingha, for an impromptu meeting. Hassan later said that such discussions with selectors and players often occur before a tour or home series, and this time took place after the squad was announced. Hassan said he would have insisted on Mominul’s inclusion in the squad if he had met with the selectors before Saturday’s announcement.”I don’t know if he would be in the XI but there was an opportunity to keep him in the squad,” Hassan said. “What would happen if they made it a 15-man squad instead of a 14-man squad? There’s no need to create controversy. Anybody would feel bad seeing Mominul out of the squad.”We have decided that Mominul is coming in as Saikat has an eye infection. So we don’t want to take a risk with him. See, it wouldn’t have come to that if we didn’t have a gap [in communication].”Squad for the first Test: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Mominul Haque, Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Mustafizur Rahman, Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Nasir Hossain, Shafiul Islam.