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County executives assured there will be no more compensation payments to Test-hosting counties until the issue has been discussed further

George Dobell08-Mar-2018ECB chairman Colin Graves has sought to ease the concerns of anxious county executives by assuring them there will be no more compensation payments to Test-hosting counties until the issue has been discussed further.In a chief executives’ meeting on Thursday, Graves insisted that plans for such payments had only been at draft stage and would have to have been ratified by the board before implementation. As a result of concerns raised by the counties – and most notably by the resignation from the board of Andy Nash – those plans will now be reviewed.While the mood among the counties does appear to be somewhat appeased – there is no serious talk of a vote of no confidence – there are still some awkward questions to answer. At least one club would appear to have already received a payment from the ECB, while at least two more have budgeted for it.Meanwhile, those counties concerned that the suggested compensation payments might signal a change in the long-term policy of the ECB were further alarmed by the news that the new County Partnership Agreements (the successor to Memorandums of Understanding) are likely to be bespoke to each club. While the aim of that is largely to reflect the differing needs of clubs in different parts of the country, it might also be interpreted as providing potential for a further divide between Test-hosting clubs and the rest. In the past, the ECB’s funds have been largely split on an equitable basis (with some room for performance-related bonus payments) among the counties.It has also been revealed that, at some stage in the last couple of years, Sport England expressed some concern over Graves’ position of chairman of the ECB’s new nominations committee.While the ECB has made much of the fact that its board will shortly be mostly made up of independent members, the nominations committee effectively has the opportunity to vet every prospective applicant. All other board members with affiliations to counties – the likes of Richard Thompson, the Surrey chairman, or Peter Wright, the Nottinghamshire Cricket Board chairman – are obliged to step down in May when they will be replaced by independent board members. Giles Clarke, the ECB president, is also expected to step down in May. Alan Leighton is expected, at some stage, to take over as chairman of the nominations committee.Furthermore, it has emerged that in March 2016 the ECB provided an assurance that Graves would abstain from “any vote or decision which could be deemed a conflict of duty… as is his statutory duty”.Although Graves, who was previously chairman of Yorkshire, did excuse himself from the room when the recent allocation of major matches was validated by the board, questions remain as to whether he did so on other occasions; notably when the decision to strip Durham of their Test status was approved. Graves no longer has any direct financial link to Yorkshire, though family trusts set up by him but run independently are owed £20m by the club.

Australia’s new Test captain said that talk of changing the team’s on-field approach had started when Steven Smith was still in charge

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2018Australia will tone down their sledging under new Test captain Tim Paine as the team try to repair their damaged reputation following the ball-tampering controversy in South Africa which led to three players being handed significant bans.Paine was named the new Test captain when Steven Smith was suspended for the final Test in Johannesburg and Smith was subsequently handed a 12-month ban along with David Warner while Cameron Bancroft was given a nine-month penalty.Paine’s first proper chance to build a new-look side, both in terms of personnel and style, will come against Pakistan later this year but he is already thinking about the direction he wants to take the team. Cricket Australia have instigated a culture review following the recent events, but discussions about toning down on-field behaviour which had brought significant criticism before the Cape Town controversy had started when Smith was in charge.”I think there’s always a time and a place to talk to your opposition, but I think what’s said and how it’s said will be very different going forward,” Paine said. “A lot of this stuff we were actually starting to speak about under Steve already. A lot of the players had their head around the fact we needed to change the way we play. Some of those conversations were already being had.”I’m really looking forward to playing that role and winning back the trust and respect of our fans and the Australian public first and foremost. That’s a really exciting thing for our playing group.”Dean Elgar, who was part of the South Africa side throughout the series, admitted it was an odd atmosphere during the final Test of the series as a flat Australia were crushed by 492 runs and he hoped that Paine would be able to put his stamp on the captaincy.”Joburg was very strange, my first encounter against Australia that I wasn’t told my future,” Elgar said. “But saying that it’s part of the game, they’d been through so much leading up to the game, and it was sad to see what they were going through. No side needs to go through what they experienced, and knowing the characters in that changing room, I’m sure they can bounce back”I’d like to believe that’s the way they want to play their cricket, and if that’s their challenge that they have to deal with then we’ve got to respect what their new captain wants. I know Tim, I’ve played a lot of cricket against him, and I’m pretty sure he’s going to try to implement those kind of phases that they need to start off a new slate.”Another part of the fallout to the affair was Darren Lehmann stepping down as coach. Justin Langer has been tipped as favourite to take over but Cricket Australia have said the process will be started following a forthcoming board meeting. There will also be the need for new one-day and T20 captains in time for the tours of England and Zimbabwe which start in June with Paine only taking on the Test role.”We’ll have a new coach going forward, we’re going to have some time off where guys can take stock and think about the way they want to play,” Paine said. “Certainly, playing international cricket you’ve got to be as competitive as you can be. But we’ve got to look at different ways of doing that and more respectful ways of putting opposition teams under the pump.”Part of what we spoke about a lot is playing on skill, not emotion. I think in the last couple of years at times we’ve been a touch too emotional and got carried away on that side of the game. That’s a small thing we can improve on.”Paine also said he has kept in contact with Smith since he was banned and will continue to do so during his time out of the side.”I have a role to play of winning the back the trust and faith of our fans and the Australian public. I have spoken to him on the phone and via text. He’s someone who I certainly will be speaking quite closely to on how we go about it and keeping him in the loop. All three of them are going through a tough time and our thoughts are with those guys and we would love them back in the team.”However, in the longer term Paine believed the Australian game could recover from the controversy without lasting damage as he looked ahead to a home season that would include visits by India and Sri Lanka.”I don’t think it’s as disastrous as it’s been made out,” he said. “We’ve had this incident which has brought everything to a head. During the Ashes there wasn’t a lot said about our culture and looking back it’s just a few little things we can tweak and do a little bit better as a team.”If we do that then I think the Australian public will jump back on board pretty quickly. That’s one of our main aims for this coming summer.”

Stats preview to the third Test between Australia and India in Perth

S Rajesh15-Jan-2008

Adam Gilchrist averages 66.62 at the WACA, with 533 runs from eight Tests © Getty Images
Australia’s 17th win in a row is generally being considered a fait accompli, and while the Indians might want to contest it over the next five days, there’s good reason for the home team to believe they have an excellent chance to go 3-0 ahead: in 17 Tests here since 1990, they have won 12 and lost just two, both to West Indies. During this period, they’ve averaged 43.91 runs per wicket when batting, and taken their wickets at a cost of just 25.77 each. Overall, they’ve won 20 times here in 34 Tests, with seven losses and as many draws.The other reason for the Australian optimism is the record of their rivals at this venue: India have lost both their Tests here, the last one – in 1992 – by 300 runs. In fact, all teams from the subcontinent have struggled at the WACA: out of the nine Tests played by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, they have lost each and every one of them. The margins of defeat indicate the games were no-contests – apart from India’s two-wicket loss to a second-string Australian team in 1977-78, the rest have all been comprehensive victories for the home side.

Teams at Perth

Team Wins Losses Draws

Australia 20 7 7 Australia since 1990 12 2 3 India 0 2 0 Subcontinent teams 0 9 0 Most of the Australian batsmen have relished the pace and bounce in Perth. Among the current lot, five batsmen average more than 50. Matthew Hayden has been ruled out, which is just as well for the Indians: he averages more than 56 here, with a highest of 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003. The only failure has been Andrew Symonds, who has managed just 66 runs from four innings.

Australian batsmen at the WACA

Batsman Tests Runs Average 100s/ 50s

Michael Hussey 2 258 86.00 1/ 2 Michael Clarke 2 200 66.67 1/ 0 Adam Gilchrist 8 533 66.62 2/ 3 Matthew Hayden 8 733 56.38 1/ 3 Ricky Ponting 11 811 54.06 1/ 6 Andrew Symonds 2 66 16.50 0/ 0 The pace and bounce here has confounded most overseas batsmen, and the table below indicates how difficult it has been for the top orders of visiting teams to string together meaningful partnerships. The average stands for three of the top four wickets for overseas sides has been less than 30 runs per wicket. The Australian batmen, however, have had no such worries, with average partnerships of more than 50 for each of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth wickets.

Partnerships for each wicket at Perth since 1990, for Australia and overseas teams

For wicket Aus ave 100s/ 50s Overseas ave 100s/ 50s

1st 37.75 2/ 3 29.12 0/ 6 2nd 47.65 4/ 7 25.75 1/ 3 3rd 55.88 3/ 9 40.06 3/ 4 4th 50.68 4/ 6 22.00 0/ 3 5th 61.12 4/ 6 33.48 2/ 5 6th 56.04 4/ 3 28.56 0/ 9 The pitch here has always been known to favour pace, but the overall figures indicate that fast bowlers haven’t all done well either: since 2000, they average more than 36 per wicket. The spinners have struggled even more – each wicket has cost them 42.27.

Pace and spin at the WACA in Tests since 2000

Wickets Average Strike rate 5WI/ 10WM

Pace 161 36.06 64.45 7/ 0 Spin 48 42.27 77.7 2/ 0 While conditions have generally favoured pace bowling, few overseas bowlers have learnt the trick of bowling here. The Australian fast bowlers average 25 runs per wicket, but overseas bowlers concede more than twice that number per wicket. Among the 11 bowlers who have taken more than 20 Test wickets here, ten are Australian, but the only overseas bowler leads the pack: Curtly Ambrose’s 24 wickets in three Tests came at an outstanding average of 12.91, and a strike rate of less than 27 deliveries per wicket.Among the Australian bowlers in the current line-up, Brett Lee is the only one to have played more than a Test in Perth, and he has enjoyed the conditions here, taking 33 wickets in six Tests.

Australian and overseas fast bowlers at the WACA in Tests since 2000

Wickets Average Strike rate 5WI/ 10WM

Australian 96 25.11 53.9 4/ 0 Overseas 60 52.23 80.0 3/ 0

NWSL expansion side Bay FC smashed the world-record transfer fee to sign Madrid CFF superstar Racheal Kundananji on Tuesday.

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Bay FC sign Kundananji for world-record feeMadrid CFF superstar joins NWSL expansion sideLook ahead at 2024 campaignWHAT HAPPENED?

The Zambian superstar has signed from Madrid CFF in the biggest transfer in women's soccer history, for a staggering fee worth €735,000 ($788,000/£625,000). The 23-year-old striker will travel to the United States to now be one of the highest-paid players in the league, with a deal that will pay over $2m across her contract through 2026, according to

AdvertisementWHAT BAY FC

“We are delighted to add Racheal to our group,” said Bay FC General Manager Lucy Rushton. “She is a tremendous talent with dynamic attacking qualities and an incredible physical profile who has produced for both club and country. Racheal has a composure in-front of goal and a natural ability to score with different types of finishes and from various locations. We believe she will continue to grow and develop at our club, showcasing her skillset and adding to the array of exciting attacking talent we have here.”

GettyWHAT KUNDANANJI SAID

“Every place that I’ve been to, I always take something from there; I learn something from there,” Kundananji told . “Good or bad, to me it’s a good experience because you have to experience something to know something. I’m looking [forward] to having a great time in the U.S., have a great time with the team. Now, Bay FC is my new family.”

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Kundananji, who has eight goals and two assists this campaign in Liga F, is one of the top prospects in all of women's soccer. After signing in Spain in 2022, she ended her debut season with 25 goals across all competitions for Madrid CFF. Now, she's taking her talents to the West Coast to be the first-ever superstar signing for Bay FC ahead of their inaugural season.

Liverpool are having more luck with injuries in comparison to last season, but one individual has suffered a setback in his fitness battle.

Who is injured for Liverpool currently?

Injuries are a huge part of football, and the Reds' 2022/23 season was hampered badly by having numerous players out of action for lengthy periods.

The likes of Luis Diaz, Ibrahima Konate and Naby Keita were high-profile absentees too often, while in 2020/21 it was even worse, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip all missing many months of action.

Thankfully, those injury woes have eased in general at the moment, with Thiago continuing to be out since the summer, but the majority of the squad fit and firing.

One player has now picked up another issue, however, during what is a tough time for him.

Which Liverpool player has had a fitness setback?

According to the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle, youngster Kaide Gordon is now out for another two weeks, as his nightmare with injuries continues:

"Liverpool teenage winger Kaide Gordon has suffered another injury setback having made his long-awaited return to action earlier this month. But his latest issue is not related to the pelvic problem linked to his physical growth that sidelined the youngster for more than 18 months.

"Gordon made his first competitive outing at any level since February 2022 when coming off the bench during the closing quarter of the under-21s' 4-1 Premier League 2 defeat at home to Middlesbrough on September 3. However, the winger – who only turns 19 next month – subsequently rolled his ankle and is now expected to be sidelined for a couple of weeks.

"While the issue is not regarded as serious, it is particularly untimely with Gordon having just finally started to regain match sharpness after his lengthy time out."

This is a cruel setback for Gordon, even if his absence should only be short-term, with the 18-year-old going through a dreadful period through injury in the past 18 months or so.

Having burst onto the scene as a prodigiously gifted 16-year-old, becoming the second-youngest goalscorer in Liverpool's history after scoring in the FA Cup in January 2022, the attacker has seen his progress stunted significantly through some awful luck.

While others such as Harvey Elliott and Ben Doak have been able to kick on, he has had to sit and watch his chances of becoming a genuine part of Jurgen Klopp's squad slowly evaporate, having been hailed as "great" by Van Dijk in the past.

Time is still clearly on Gordon's side given his age, but he needs to hit the ground running when he does make his return, with the squad depth in attack arguably at an all-time high at Anfield, with some world-class faces to choose between.

The hope is that the teenage Englishman is back on the pitch as soon as possible, though, potentially getting some minutes at youth level and then making the step up over time. A loan move in January could even be beneficial, allowing him more regular time on the pitch.

Manchester United boss Marc Skinner has called on Sir Jim Ratcliffe to 'aggressively' invest in the women's team after acquiring a stake in the club.

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United struggling in the WSL Skinner wants Ratcliffe to invest in team Red Devils next in action against BrightonGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Skinner's side are currently 10 points adrift of Women's Super League leaders Chelsea and were also dumped out of the Champions League at the first hurdle earlier this season. The Red Devils' stuttering form had led to some fans calling for the manager to be sacked – with supporters loudly voicing their grievances at recent games. However, speaking after United's much-needed 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, Skinner suggested that the club needed a change of approach at the top level if they are ever to properly challenge the WSL's elite clubs.

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Asked whether he wanted United to strengthen the squad before the January transfer window closes, Skinner said: "It’s key, if we’re being very clear, I think it’s clear that we need quality in depth. If we’re going to chase down Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, we’ve got to continue to invest to the levels that they are.

"I think the players are doing an exceptional job. I’ve got players who are tired and have had three-game weeks and the depth in that backline needs to improve. We need to try to get more experienced players in to support the quality of our team – I’m happy with the quality of them – but they just need additions. I can’t hit that home hard enough, can I?

"We still have a lot of highly talented young players, I know we’ve got talented players, but we need to continue to support around that, to have players of high experience, Champions League winners, Champions League experience, league winners, cup winners, we need to add that into them to give them a platform over many years at Manchester United to be successful."

Getty ImagesWHAT SKINNER SAID ABOUT CHELSEA

Skinner went on to point at Chelsea's world-record acquisition of Colombian World Cup star Mayra Ramirez as evidence of the gulf that exists between the two clubs.

"It’s interesting when I see Chelsea have an injury to a player and they can just go ‘bang’ and sign another forward. We have to continue to support our team to kind of be aggressive and win things," he added.

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United were handed a double blow in the summer when both Alessia Russo and Ona Batlle departed on free transfers after the club failed to tie the pair down to new contracts. The hits are likely to keep on coming too, with Lionesses star Mary Earps also out of contract at the end of the season.

The former fielding coach said the board’s lack of professionalism was the reason he quit

Danyal Rasool27-Sep-2018Former Pakistan fielding coach Steve Rixon accused the PCB of “disrespect and stupidity”, and said he had “not once” been paid on time. Rixon said that was the reason he quit his post after two years, deciding he “didn’t need it that much”, and opted to walk out than have to deal with what he believed to be a lack of professionalism on his employer’s part.”I never got paid on time,” Rixon told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s disrespectful, and the disrespect came from the fact that nothing was paid on time to the subsidiary staff. Indecision was the other thing. Whenever something needed to be done, and my contract was one of those things, that took over five months to get clarified. They thought I’d just roll over and accept it right at the eleventh hour but I didn’t do that as I’d basically had enough of it at that stage. I’ve been involved with coaching for 30 years. I enjoy the game a huge amount and I never want to finish a job at cricket not enjoying it. And that’s what probably would have happened if I’d stayed on there.”Refusing to point the finger directly at anyone, Rixon said the PCB needed to learn to treat overseas staff well. He pointed to the fact that the PCB’s conduct had put off Darren Berry from replacing Rixon as Pakistan’s fielding coach – the PCB’s clear first choice – and forgoing the services of such professionals was “stupidity”.”Darren Berry eventually refused to do the job, and I was left out at that particular time when things were going so well. When I say “stupid”, it’s those decisions I’m talking about. If you want overseas staff to come and do a job they’ve started to do which was going extremely well, don’t treat people like that.”Rixon, who had last month mentioned he was “horribly worried” Pakistan would slip back into old ways if they didn’t have someone to drum fielding standards into them, said some of the things that had concerned him had already started to happen. Pakistan were knocked out of the Asia Cup by Bangladesh on Wednesday. The tournament was notable for Pakistan in that it was the first time since the team appeared to have turned a corner under Mickey Arthur that fielding standards sharply dropped. Before the Bangladesh game, the catching rate at the tournament stood at a mere 30%, with eight chances put down in two crunch games alone. For Rixon, it highlighted the importance of not letting up on the Pakistan players who, he felt, tended to relax as soon as things began to go well.”I highlighted that if you don’t work hard with these kids and stay on their backs, you’re going to have the sort of things that have started to happen. Far, far too many easy catches were dropped. The fielding record that had improved, the catching record that had improved, and the run-out record that took them to the top of the table in world cricket is not going to happen again if these kids don’t continue to be pushed.”The concentration level of a lot of our players is very minimal when it comes to the fielding aspect, and we tend to relax when things start to go okay. When we think we’re getting on top is when the danger time starts; that’s the most vulnerable time for our boys. When one thing goes wrong, it’s like a snowball effect. That’s when things start to happen in bulk and that’s obviously what’s happened of late. But it’s more our level of concentration. You have to stay on top of these boys at all times. Don’t relax at any stage and keep the work ethic as high as possible because if you don’t, they’ll fall off as quick as they started.”Grant Bradburn, Pakistan’s new fielding coach, was a New Zealand cricketer when Rixon coached the side. And although Rixon said he didn’t know much of Bradburn’s fielding credentials, he did remember that he was a good fielder.”I think he’ll do a very good job, he’s a guy that has been from an era where fielding became a massive part of the way we train. When I was with NZ, all the provinces talked about the same philosophy of fielding and started to place emphasis on it. But they need to keep pushing those boys, and if they get that part right, I’m sure it’ll turn out okay.”The PCB, responding shortly after, issued a statement rejecting Steve Rixon’s “baseless” allegations”, saying they came “as a surprise”.”The PCB is disappointed by the baseless allegations made by former fielding coach Steve Rixon in a recent interview,” the statement read. “The PCB spokesman wishes to clarify that the Board has enjoyed cordial relations with all current and former foreign staff attached with national teams.”Mr. Steve Rixon was a good coach who worked hard with the players and certainly helped improve team’s fielding in the last two years. It comes as a surprise to us that Mr. Rixon made unfounded allegations against PCB.The PCB strongly refutes the allegations made by Mr. Rixon in his interview, the foreign coaching staff has full backing and support of the board.”

Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta by extension are "expected" to battle for a "unique" player who's already professed his admiration for the club.

Who have Arsenal signed 2023?

Edu and Gunners transfer chiefs sought to bring in a quartet of new arrivals over the 2023 summer transfer window' spending north of £200 million on the signings of club-record capture Declan Rice, defender Jurrien Timber, forward Kai Havertz and goalkeeper David Raya

It was a real statement of intent and show of ambition as Arsenal seek to challenge last season's treble-winners, Man City, for the Premier League title once again. The north London side came pretty close last term, but injuries to the likes of William Saliba resulted in a drop-off as City eventually ran away with the domestic crown.

Folarin Balogun, Granit Xhaka, Matt Turner, Auston Trusty, Pablo Mari, Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Nuno Tavares, Marquinhos, Nicolas Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Albert Sambi Lokonga all made way to balance the books, with the aforementioned departing either temporarily or on a permanent basis.

While Arsenal have started the season with some promise, Arteta will be unhappy to have dropped points in two of their opening six matches already. 2-2 draws at home to both Fulham and arch rivals Tottenham mean Pep Guardiola's imperious City side currently sit four points above them in the table.

However, Arsenal do remain unbeaten; joining Spurs, Liverpool and Man City as the only top flight sides who are still yet to suffer a single defeat.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

While the club significantly invested in bolstering their squad ahead of this season, Arsenal didn't manage to secure the services of a world class centre-forward. Havertz was instead brought in as a makeshift option but hasn't quite done enough to impress on-lookers thus far, having been subject to fierce criticism at times.

As a result, it is believed they're eyeing up a new striker for the winter window, and one player to be repeatedly linked is Brentford's Ivan Toney. The Englishman, who is currently serving a ban for gambling breaches, is on Arsenal's radar with a report from broadcast giant ESPN sharing the latest.

According to their information, Arsenal are "expected" to test Brentford's resolve in keeping Toney this January. Edu and co are believed to be real fans of the forward as they weigh up mid-season attacking options.

ESPN add that Toney could cost as much as £80 million, but the player has previously lifted the lid on his admiration for Arsenal."The next club I go to, if I was to move, would be the right club," he said to the Diary of a CEO podcast last month. "I've been a Liverpool fan my whole life… But from young, I've liked Arsenal. I've liked watching Arsenal and how they play and how passionate their fans are."

Toney scored 20 league goals in 33 appearances last season, with Brentford boss Thomas Frank also calling him a "unique" and "amazing" player.

“Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects,” Frank said. “The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing. He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable. I can only talk about the Ivan that I see every day around the place and he’s a fantastic person around the group. He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member."

The tournament’s organisation has been chaotic so far, but the performances were beautiful

Neil Manthorp12-Mar-2007The final hour before the festivities began was like watching a particularly slow fielder on the third man boundary moving awkwardly towards a high, swirling catch. The ball was in the air, the clock was ticking, and you just knew he didn’t have a chance. He couldn’t. It just wasn’t going to happen.Large parts of the enormous stage used during the opening ceremony were still being constructed with an hour to go and some of the organisers were starting to panic. You knew that because they were awake, unlike many of the construction workers at Sabina Park on the other side of the island or at the Kensington Oval in Barbados where completing their shiny new stadiums really is becoming a genuine irritation to the sleeping patterns of the work force.The traffic queues getting into Trewlany’s multi-purpose Greenfields Stadium were long and very slow moving; it was a hot and steamy afternoon and the traffic officers did their best but weren’t helped by the endless stream of screaming VIP vehicles jumping the queue.Stadium and event staff had been well briefed to maintain the traditions of inflexibility and stubbornness first started by the gatemen at Lord’s over a century ago and patrons wishing to view the ceremony only just missed out on a full, rubber-gloved body search. And woe betide anyone wishing to sit in an alternative seat to the one numbered on their ticket, no matter how many empty seats there were in the vicinity.Then, finally, it started. With a marching brass band! It wasn’t immediately obvious to those of us in the stadium whether that bit was televised to the rest of the world, but it was incongruous, to say the least, in the land which gave the world Bob Marley.The speeches were short and to the point, well scripted and well delivered. Then the real show began. And what a show it was.Perhaps my enjoyment was made so complete by the presence of a colleague next to me who experienced previously unimagined levels of excitement at seeing Buju Banton sing live for the first time. And the reception that greeted Sean Paul (who, for the uninitiated, sings a form of reggae called ‘Dancehall’, I think) was greater than that which greeted Brian Lara when he swore the players oath on behalf of all 16 competing nations.The entertainment had been billed as a voyage through Jamaica’s history and culture in the form of music and dance, and that is exactly what it was•Clive Rose/Getty ImagesThe entertainment had been billed as a voyage through Jamaica’s history and culture in the form of music and dance, and that is exactly what it was. The running commentary from my friend added joyfully to the occasion and it is actually possible, remarkably, that I learnt something. I certainly learned that I am now a fan of a singer called ‘Half Pint’ although he wasn’t nearly as good as South Africa’s Lucky Dube who was as brilliant as ever, but then I am biased.’Soca’ is not, I now know, a game played between two teams of 11 involving a ball, but a dance form that requires extraordinary strength and energy. As does ‘ska’. The dancers on stilts were hilarious, and the parade of the teams worked a treat with the dulcet and familiar tones of Tony Cozier providing the introductions. Spirits rose and rose, as the did the enthusiasm of volume of the crowd. Suddenly it didn’t seem important that you had to pay over US$2 for a cup of water and it certainly didn’t matter that the stage was still being bolted together moments before the performance.The organising committee, apparently, had to make use of three local companies and eight generators to provide the power to light a stadium with no floodlights and for that alone they deserve enormous credit. Jamaica and its citizens deserve credit. It may not have happened this way, but it would appear that the Caribbean’s cricket playing islands asked themselves what it was that bound them together, apart from cricket. The answer, of course, is music and dance. So they pretty much stuck to that. And it worked. Gloriously.The fielder lurched, took a step or two in the wrong direction, over compensated and nearly tripped, but he was steady for the final, critical second with the entire match at stake and the world watching, and the ball landed as safely as a joey returning to its mother’s pouch. And the crowd rose as one, raising their arms and roaring their approval.As opening ceremonies go, it really was bloody good. Bring on the games.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to bolster their attacking options before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

Bhoys boss Brendan Rodgers has been able to add six new players to his squad; including Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Hyun-jun Yang, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Maik Nawrocki, Odin Thiago Holm, and Marco Tilio.

According to The Scottish Sun, the Northern Irishman now has his eyes on another striker as he is weighing up a swoop for Brondby star Mathias Kvistgaarden.

The report claims that the Scottish giants could need to pay a fee within the region of £4m to sign the centre-forward, whose contract does not expire until 2027.

It does not, however, state how much the Bhoys are willing to pay for his services or whether they will make a firm offer for him before next month's deadline.

How good is Mathias Kvistgaarden?

Rodgers could unearth an exciting long-term heir to Kyogo Furuhashi by thrashing out a deal for the 21-year-old marksman over the coming days.

The superb youngster has burst onto the scene in recent months and showing himself to be a fantastic prospect with his ability to score and assist goals on a regular basis from a number nine position.

Since the start of the Superligaen Championship Round earlier this year, Kvistgaarden has plundered seven goals and six assists in 14 league appearances for Brondby. This means that he has been directly involved in a goal every 1.08 games on average.

He has emerged as a reliable option for the Danish outfit after his immense academy form for the club.

The 5 foot 7 finisher racked up a phenomenal 31 goals and 11 assists in 45 U19 outings prior to making the breakthrough at senior level.

Kvistgaarden, who scout Jacek Kulig hailed as being "on fire", averaged a goal contribution every 1.07 games on average for the U19 team and he is now starting to replicate that level of production on the big stage.

Kyogo, meanwhile, has registered 56 goals and 11 assists in 85 competitive games for Celtic since his move to the club in 2021, which is one goal involvement every 1.27 matches on average.

The Japan international scored 27 Scottish Premiership goals last season and 16 more than any of his teammates. He was Ange Postecoglou's outstanding attacking option and the player who was relied upon to score goals at the top end of the pitch.

Rodgers could now find a player to rival the ex-Vissel Kobe star whilst also landing an exciting eventual heir to his place in the team by signing Kvistgaarden.

At the age of 21, the Danish whiz is seven years younger than Kyogo and has plenty of time left on his hands to develop and improve over the years to come.

His sensational form for Brondby's first-team and academy suggests that he has the potential to eventually become an upgrade on the current Celtic star if he is able to translate those performances over to Scottish football.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Kvistgaarden will be able to replicate that outstanding level of production for the Hoops but his statistics indicate that it is an exciting £4m gamble that is worth taking for Rodgers.