Cricket Ireland has announced its list of centrally contracted players for 2017, with the return of Ed Joyce and a specialist wicketkeeping role for Niall O’Brien among the most significant developments

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2016

Cricket Ireland has announced its list of centrally contracted players for 2017, with the return of Ed Joyce and a specialist wicketkeeping role for Niall O’Brien among the most significant developments as Ireland target a promotion to Test status over the next two years.O’Brien is no longer contracted to a county, while Joyce has pared back his Sussex commitments in order to take part in Ireland’s inter-provincial tournament, which was recently given first-class status.Cricket Ireland 2017 contracts

Category A: John Anderson, Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, Andrew McBrine, Jacob Mulder, Kevin O’Brien, Stuart Thompson, Craig Young
Category B: Barry McCarthy, Tim Murtagh, Niall O’Brien, William Porterfield, Stuart Poynter, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Greg Thompson, Gary Wilson

“It is great news for the Inter-Provincial series that Niall will be joining Ed Joyce in our new first-class competition, but also playing a key part in developing our young wicketkeepers in the national pathway,” Cricket Ireland’s performance director, Richard Holdsworth, said.”We shall be announcing more specialist coaches over the coming months in a plan to identify and develop key skill areas for Ireland-based coaches.”Joyce is one of ten players to have been given a Category A contract. John Anderson, Andrew Balbirnie – who was released by Middlesex earlier this year – and young legspinner Jacob Mulder were awarded their first full-time contracts. Mulder, who was born in Perth, Australia made his international debut against Hong Kong in September.Allrounder Stuart Thompson, who announced during the summer that he would be taking an indefinite break from the game to deal with performance anxiety issues, has retained his Category A contract.As well as targeting Test status via the Intercontinental Cup – they currently top the table with four wins from four – Ireland have a busy 2017 lined up, with two ODIs in England, a tri-series with New Zealand and Bangladesh and a one-off ODI against West Indies at home. They are also set to play in the Desert T20, an eight-team Associate tournament, in January.Holdsworth said that the move to bring Joyce back was part of a concerted plan for the future development of the game in Ireland, and would involve him coaching at the academy and mentoring young players.”It has been one of our strategic objectives to bring players back home from England and for Ed to be the first is very appropriate,” Holdsworth said.”Ed will not only be based here in Ireland training with the national squad, but will also help our next generation of international cricketers in a specialist batting and leadership coaching role, working with the Shapoorji Pallonji National Academy and Ireland youth squads as well as mentoring some national performance squad players.”Nine others players have agreed Category B contracts, including several who still play county cricket in England such as the captain, William Porterfield, seam bowlers Tim Murtagh, Boyd Rankin and Barry McCarthy, wicketkeeper Gary Wilson and allrounder Paul Stirling.

Delhi coach KP Bhaskar has hit out strongly at the lack of a proper system in Delhi cricket – especially off the field – which is costing the team in the Ranji Trophy

Shashank Kishore in Kolkata22-Oct-2016KP Bhaskar, Delhi’s head coach, has said a systematic overhaul of Delhi cricket is needed if they are to stay competitive in the Ranji Trophy. His comments followed Delhi’s meek surrender to Karnataka inside eight sessions in Kolkata. Bhaskar, who himself had played 95-first class matches over 14 years and was a prolific run-scorer for a strong Delhi side in the ’80s, termed the current system “ineffective”.The chaos surrounding their build-up to the domestic season every year, he said, was one of the reasons why Delhi struggled. The chaos isn’t entirely of the team’s making; administrative hassles, Bhaskar said, couldn’t entirely be looked at in isolation as it impacted both age-group and senior sides competing under the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) banner.This year, the coach’s appointment was made with less than a month to go for the season, and the team didn’t get together until two days before their Ranji Trophy opener against Assam in Vadodara. A two-day practice game that was scheduled for September 26 and 27 against Uttar Pradesh was called off because the DDCA couldn’t find a ground to host the match. This even as curators and ground staff threatened a strike for unpaid wages and bonuses.”I got the team two days before the season started,” Bhaskar said, when asked about Delhi’s preparation when compared to some of the other sides which had pre-season conditioning camps and tournaments. “There was not much of mental preparation. Whatever was happening was whatever they were doing on their own, so I really don’t know. That is something which we need to work on. The system has to fall into place; we have to have more opportunities of playing exposure, and try to build a team before getting into the Ranji Trophy.”Last year, too, the team had to wait till the eve of their Ranji Trophy opener to know who the coach was. Ajay Jadeja, initially appointed head coach, didn’t travel with the team because he felt “his opinions and inputs don’t matter”. He was replaced by Vijay Dahiya. Then there was also the issue of factions within the DDCA naming three different probables lists for the Ranji Trophy. Their pre-season camp was further mired in controversy, with nobody to oversee the initial nets sessions at the Feroz Shah Kotla and no certainty over who was running the team.Expecting the players to perform without a proper system in place, Bhaskar said, was tough. Among the things that needed to change, he said, was the system of merely playing in 40-over games in the build up to the Ranji Trophy. “Look at our batting,” he said. “We don’t have three-day formats; we don’t really play in pre-season tournaments like Buchi Babu or KSCA invitational. So currently we are only finding ways to work around it.”Another aspect Bhaskar wanted looked into was the talent pool; he said it wasn’t being streamlined properly because of selection issues. “Last season, we had 45 different players playing for Delhi Under-23s. So think of it, how long it is going to take for the talented players from there to reach the Ranji Trophy?”Tomorrow, if things don’t improve, we may have 50 players playing across eight games in the Ranji Trophy. Things need to be put in place, but at least we’ve made a start now. Things are looking good. Justice Mudgal has taken the initiative [of cleaning up the DDCA mess]. Let’s hope things improve.”

Nathan Buck has joined Northants and so has become the fourth player to leave Lancashire since the end of the season as Ashley Giles, their director of cricket, rebuilds the county’s playing staff

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2016Nathan Buck has become the fourth player to leave Lancashire since the end of the season as Ashley Giles, their director of cricket, rebuilds the county’s playing staff.Buck, who was released from his contract a year early, has joined Northamptonshire, the defending NatWest Blast champions, on a three-year deal.Last month, Lancashire announced seamers George Edwards and Gavin Griffiths along with opening batsman Luis Reece were not having their contracts renewed.Buck’s two years at Lancashire have been largely unproductive. He joined them at the end of the 2014 season from Leicestershire, but suffered an injury-hit first season for the Club, featuring in just two games before spending last winter in Sydney playing grade cricket for Manly.He went on to play a further 17 games for Lancashire this season in all competitions, taking 12 wickets in this year’s NatWest T20 Blast including T20 career best figures of 4 for 26 at Edgbaston against the Birmingham Bears.Buck “It will be a new challenge for me and I’m looking forward to getting back to my best with some exciting cricket.”Northants are a strong, tight-knit side that have done exceptionally well this season. I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic is close to agreeing personal terms with Manchester City ahead of a summer transfer, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's the latest on Mateo Kovacic?

The 29-year-old has one year left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, and the potential arrival of Manuel Ugarte, following the January signing of Enzo Fernandez, means that he has become a more expendable asset at Chelsea.

Man City first registered their interest earlier this season, and it seems that a deal to bring the Croatia international to the Etihad Stadium is progressing well.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that the midfielder and City are close to an agreement on personal terms.

"The agreement between Mateo Kovacic and Manchester City over personal terms is really close," he stated.

"More will follow in the next days, Chelsea and Man City will speak so I will keep you posted. The deal is advanced, the agreement is close between the player and Man City, waiting on the two clubs but nothing will happen today."

Should Chelsea sell Kovacic?

With one year remaining on his deal, and Chelsea need to sell players to comply with financial fair play, Kovacic is a player who may have to be sacrificed regardless of whether incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino would like to keep him.

The £100k-per-week star made 37 appearances across all competitions this season, but drew criticism from Chelsea fans for some of his performances as the Blues suffered a disastrous campaign, finishing in the bottom half of the table.

City moving for Kovacic could be an indication that midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is set to depart, and they will be landing a vastly experienced player who has won multiple Champions League titles with Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Kovacic has made 221 appearances for Chelsea since joining in 2018, and could still be a useful asset under Pochettino alongside Ugarte and Fernandez, but if there is no sign of a new contract, then a sale this summer is the best possible outcome.

The Croatian ranks in the top ninth percentile of midfielders for progressive passes as per FBref, having also attempted on average 70 passes per game.

Failing to qualify for Europe means that Chelsea need to desperately trim their squad, and given their focus on younger players in the market, selling the 29-year-old suits all parties involved, as Kovacic will be able to play in the Champions League under Pep Guardiola.

A round-up of the first day’s play from the quarter-finals of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Siddhesh Lad scored his fourth first-class hundred•AFP

A century from Siddhesh Lad and his fifth-wicket stand of 105 with Aditya Tare rescued Mumbai after Chama Milind had rocked them with three early wickets. Having chosen to bat first at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Mumbai were 34 for 4, with both Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav back in the dressing room, when Lad joined Tare.The pair batted for the next 40.3 overs, before Tare, Mumbai’s wicketkeeper-captain, fell for 73 (148b, 14×4) to the medium-pacer Mohammed Siraj, who picked up his second wicket. That would be Hyderabad’s last wicket of the day, as Lad batted through to go to stumps on 101 (196b, 15×4, 1×6), having added an unbroken 111 with Abhishek Nayar (46*, 79b, 7×4) for the sixth wicket.
ScorecardFile photo – Lunch was taken early due to concerns over the pitch that arose when Parthiv Patel was struck on the arm by an awkwardly rising ball•AFP

Unbeaten half-centuries from Chirag Gandhi and Rush Kalaria rescued Gujarat after Odisha sent them in and reduced them to 71 for 6. The two added an unbroken 126 for the seventh wicket in 48 overs as Gujarat went to stumps 197 for 6, with Gandhi on 62 (161b, 6×4) and Kalaria on 59 (136b, 6×4, 1×6).Lunch was taken 47 minutes early at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, with Gujarat 39 for 2, due to concerns over the pitch that reportedly arose when Parthiv Patel was struck on the arm by an awkwardly rising ball. Play resumed after ground-staff re-rolled the pitch, and Gujarat slumped further against the medium-pace of Deepak Behera, Basant Mohanty and Biplab Samantray, before Kalaria joined Gandhi at the end of the 31st over of their innings.
ScorecardFile photo – Shahbaz Nadeem picked up his 12th first-class five-wicket haul•KCA/Ranjith Peralam

Shahbaz Nadeem’s 12th first-class five-wicket haul ensured Haryana did not extend the advantage of winning the toss on a day of unconverted starts at the Moti Baug Stadium. In 30 overs of left-arm spin, Nadeem took 5 for 75 as Haryana went to stumps 251 for 7, with all their batsmen getting into double figures but none of them managing a half-century.Chaitanya Bishnoi (41) and Rajat Paliwal (42) were the day’s highest scorers, the two of them adding 83 for the fourth wicket to take Haryana to 154 for 3, before Nadeem dismissed both off successive overs. Haryana slipped further, to 195 for 7, before Sanjay Pahal (38*) and Harshal Patel (22*) saw them through to stumps with an unbroken stand of 56 for the eighth wicket.

The 2023 youth tournament gets under way on Saturday, May 20, and it is a competition where some of the game's greats have made their mark

Before many of the game's legends became, well, legends, they were first hopefuls, prospects, starlets. And before many of them went on to lift some of the sport's most iconic trophies, they first lifted the Under-20 World Cup on their journey towards immortality.

Launched in 1977, the U20 World Cup, or the FIFA World Youth Championship as it was called until 2005, has served as a proving ground for several of the game's icons. Between them, Brazil and Argentina have lifted the trophy 11 times, and many of the players that defined generations for those two South American nations emerged in this tournament.

From Diego Maradona to Lionel Messi, Argentina have produced some of the world's best, while Brazilian stars Fernandinho and Oscar both scored some of the most memorable goals this tournament has to offer. But it's not just South American stars that have dominated this competition, though, as a certain Norwegian terminator first went mainstream with one of the most dominant performances this sport has seen at any level.

GOAL looks back at some of the biggest names and most memorable performances in U20 World Cup history:

Getty Images1979 – Diego Maradona

The 1979 tournament was the second iteration of the U20 World Cup, and it notably featured a breakout performance from one of the game's great icons. Before he became an Argentinian God, Diego Armando Maradona was a teenager at the then-FIFA World Youth Championship. His six goals, alongside eight from Ramon Diaz, led Argentina to the title, with both scoring in a 3-1 win over the Soviet Union in the final.

While Diaz claimed the Golden Boot, Maradona claimed the Golden Ball, setting the stage for one of football's most unforgettable careers.

AdvertisementGetty1987 – Davor Suker

Before becoming one of Croatia's best-ever players, Suker starred for Yugoslavia as they lifted the trophy in 1987. It took extra-time and a penalty shootout to take down West Germany, with the two sides each scoring goals after the 85th minute. In the end, though, Yugoslavia emerged victorious, with Suker finishing as the Golden Boot runner-up with six goals.

It wasn't enough for him to make the Golden Ball podium, though, with Yugoslavia's Robert Prosinecky winning the award over team-mate Zvonimir Boban, who finished second.

Getty Images1991 – Luis Figo and Rui Costa

After winning the tournament in 1989, Portugal somehow brought an even more star-studded squad to the 1991 tournament on home soil. Future legends Figo and Rui Costa headlined the squad, which ended up in the final against Brazil in front of over 125,000 fans at Estadio da Luz.

The match finished goalless, but both future midfield icons scored from the spot in the shootout win.

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clarin1997 – Lionel Scaloni

The 1997 Argentina team laid the foundation for a generation. Scaloni, who ultimately achieved World Cup glory as the country's manager in 2022, was one of several familiar faces in the squad that lifted the U20 World Cup in 1997.

Esteban Cambiasso, Pablo Aimar, Juan Roman Riquelme and Walter Samuel were all in the team that beat Uruguay 2-1 in the final. Each of those named ended up becoming superstars, while continuing to build their country's legacy at this tournament.

Real Madrid’s first-leg Champions League tie with Manchester City may not have been full of goals but it certainly delivered as a contest.

Vinicius Jr opened the scoring with a thunderous strike against the run of play, before Kevin De Bruyne’s powerful drive in the second half ensured the two teams will head to the Etihad next week with the tie in the balance.

A 1-1 draw was perhaps a fair reflection of an astute tactical battle between Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola with two of their star men coming to the party at exactly the right time.

Vinicius was a constant threat throughout, even attempting an audacious rainbow flick over Kyle Walker at one stage but it was undeniably his goal that got most talking.

Eduardo Camavinga darted forward from his left-back berth across what felt like half the pitch before playing in his Brazilian teammate. The winger let fly from range leaving Ederson with no chance in the City net.

It left plenty impressed, none less so than Rio Ferdinand who couldn’t hide his excitement on BT Sport.

How did Rio Ferdinand react to Vinicius Jr’s goal?

Gleefully. It’s safe to say that he was euphoric, perhaps showing an element of Manchester United bias as he celebrated a goal against their fierce rivals.

That said, it was a moment of pure magic and deserved the type of hype it got from the ex-centre back.

Doing punditry for BT Sport, the broadcaster shared a clip of his elation as the goal went in.

Ferdinand can be heard screaming “Vinicius Jr…that’s what he does” right at the top of his lungs.

The reaction itself got plenty on Twitter talking, with the best of the reaction from the social media platform found below…

Firstly, some seemed to think it was a jibe at the Citizens.

Others decided to slam the pundit, suggesting his reaction was completely over the top…

The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) have confirmed that 10 out of 17 players contracted to the Cobras franchise seek the removal of coach Paul Adams and will ask the Council for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to intervene. The dispute resolution body cannot make a binding order but will seek to mediate between the parties.The players’ grievances, which were formally recorded in May this year, have been specified for the first time in a SACA release but none of the players have been named. The players claim to have experienced a “a fundamental loss of confidence in the coach’s ability to lead the coaching of the team,” and “his inability to create an effective team culture, poor communication and man management skills, lack of tactical and technical knowledge and disorganisation in running proper practice and training sessions” as the reason for them seeking his removal.The players claim this has been the case since Adams took over four years ago, even though he has won five trophies in four seasons with the franchise. “According to the players the coach’s shortcomings back then were compensated for by the role played by senior players at the time and the situation has got progressively worse,” Tony Irish, SACA CEO said.In December last year, a player survey revealed the breakdown of the relationship but the players said the issues went unaddressed. Adams underwent a leadership course over the winter in an effort to improve his coaching skills. When the players learned of the Western Cape Cricket Board’s (WCC) intention to renew Adams’ contract in May, 10 players raised formal grievances while others supported the action. “We also know that players outside of the 10 sympathise with the grievance although have not put their names to it,” Irish said.An internal process was put in place to deal with the situation which culminated in the appointment of Paddy Upton as a mediator. Upton interviewed players and compiled a report which, in Irish’s words, “made a clear recommendation to the parties that the coach should stand down from the team, and be re-deployed in a different capacity if possible.” The Cobras chose not to implement that because they found material deficiencies in Upton’s report: he did not interview all their contracted players. SACA and the players reject this as a valid reason for ignoring Upton’s assessment.”We and the players concerned strongly disagree with this suggestion of the report’s deficiency. Upton was brought in to get an understanding of the grievance and to assist in resolving it, and he was specifically empowered to use whatever approach he deemed appropriate in doing so. He looked at the documentation, including the surveys, interviewed the individuals he considered relevant and produced a thorough report with a clear recommendation to the parties,” Irish said.The players remain firm in their demand that Upton’s suggestion is upheld and Adams stands down. The CCMA will take at least a month to complete proceedings and until then, it will be business as usual at the Cobras with Adams in charge. The squad has been in training and will kick off their season next Wednesday with a first-class fixture against Lions in Johannesburg.”The players care about the Cobras team and its ability to perform going forward. They are however extremely frustrated by the way their very legitimate concerns, which were clearly evident over nine months ago, have been dealt with and the length of time it has taken. They want the franchise to address the issue further,” Irish said.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Emerson Royal has claimed that Harry Kane wants to “stay” amid speculation about his potential exit.

What did Emerson Royal say about Harry Kane?

Will Kane leave Spurs this summer? It’s arguably the most-discussed transfer rumour in England over the past few months.

From TV pundits to strangers at the pub, you’ve probably heard nearly everyone who follows football offer their opinion on the matter at some point.

Even Kane has had to address the situation recently. Indeed, after scoring twice against Leeds United on the final day of the season, he told BT Sport (via Manchester Evening News): “It is part and parcel of being a footballer [speculation about leaving] especially when you are at the top of your game.

“I have focused on this season and helping the team as much as possible. I am just looking forward to a nice break and some games with England.”

Well, his Tottenham teammate Emerson has now potentially provided a little bit of insider information when speaking to the press.

He said (via Football Daily) “Top [player], for me, he’s number one in this position. I’m so happy for him.

“He wants to stay with us. I want to play with him for a long time.”

Why would Kane stay at Spurs?

Kane is currently on £200k-p/w at Tottenham and his current deal expires in 2024. It’s been reported that he may not sign a new deal and simply leave for free in 12 months’ time.

However, he could also push for a move this summer with Manchester United heavily linked. 90min claims he is the club’s “top transfer target”.

Of course, this might be tempting as he’s not getting any younger (turning 30 this July) and is still yet to win a major trophy in his career.

Some with connections to Sputs even think he should leave. Speaking on Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp said (via Manchester Evening News): “It feels at the moment that Tottenham is a shambles.

“They can’t seem to get a manager. If you were Harry Kane with one year to go, this is the time to leave.

“He has to push now because Man United might get somebody else. He missed out on Man City a few years ago when he wasn’t allowed to leave, right now it feels like he needs to push.”

However, if Emerson does indeed have some inside information, perhaps Kane isn’t looking to go just yet.

This could make sense too because if he sticks around for one more year he can then leave for free next summer.

Definitions of what constitutes “unfair bowling” should be clarified by cricket’s lawmakers, the New South Wales coronial inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes has heard

Daniel Brettig14-Oct-2016Definitions of what constitutes “unfair bowling” should be clarified by cricket’s lawmakers, the New South Wales coronial inquest into the death of Phillip Hughes has heard on an emotion-charged final day.Counsel assisting the coroner, Kristina Stern SC, submitted that the inquest should conclude that this was a case of “accidental death”, which was not made more likely by the nature of play on the day of the Sheffield Shield match at the SCG. Hughes was struck in the side of the neck on day one of the match, November 25, 2014, suffering an arterial injury that resulted in his death at St Vincent’s Hospital two days later.However both Stern and Greg Melick SC, for the Hughes family, recommended that the wording of the laws around unfair bowling should be examined in light of the episode, citing earlier testimony from former umpire and ICC umpires training manager Simon Taufel. Law 42.2.1 of Sheffield Shield playing conditions, adapted from the MCC’s laws of cricket, states as follows:

“A bowler shall be limited to two fast short pitched deliveries per over. A fast short pitched delivery is defined as a ball, which after pitching, passes or would have passed above the shoulder height of the striker standing upright at the crease. The umpire at the bowler’s end shall advise the bowler and the batsman on strike when each fast short-pitched delivery has been bowled.”

Following his own independent analysis, Taufel had told the inquest that of 23 short balls bowled on the day, 20 had been directed at Hughes. However he also submitted that many of these deliveries did not meet the definition of a “fast short-pitched delivery” because they would not have passed Hughes above shoulder height.The gulf between Hughes’ family and Cricket Australia was starkly illustrated when his father Greg, mother Virginia and sister Megan all left the courtroom in the midst of CA counsel Bruce Hodgkinson’s final submissions, leaving his brother Jason to audibly register his incredulity at proceedings.Hodgkinson had recommended to the coroner, Michael Barnes QC, that the “unsworn and unsubstantiated” statement submitted by the Mosman cricket captain Matthew Day on Wednesday be disregarded when he deliberates over the events of the day and how the game of cricket might be made safer. Hodgkinson also insisted that the players who took the stand this week were honest witnesses.Melick had earlier questioned the veracity of the evidence submitted by players on the field that day: Brad Haddin, Doug Bollinger, Tom Cooper and David Warner. Melick stated that while “words didn’t kill Phillip Hughes”, their denials of any sledging cast doubt on other evidence about the nature of play. Later, Melick clarified his final submission by stating that he didn’t mean to suggest players had “fabricated” evidence.Though Melick acknowledged that the use of short-pitched bowling was a “legitimate tactic”, he contended that the volume of short balls bowled to Hughes, including an estimate of nine in a row in the lead-up to the ball that struck him, was “going too far”. These words followed on from letters from the Hughes family, which formed part of the inquest and were published on Friday in the . In his letter, Greg Hughes wrote:”Their tactics changed after lunch, which started to slow the run rate down, and this was by bowling short at my son for a good majority of the time. This certainly did restrict the run flow and started to change the game… The umpires did not call them ‘no-balls’ under the Sheffield Shield cricket laws. Those laws are different to the MCC rules. By those balls not getting pulled up, of course this kept the bowlers continuing to target my son in an ungentlemanly way.”Among other recommendations made by the Hughes family were a desire to see neck guards on the back of batting helmets made mandatory, and also the removal of any dismissals for “hit wicket”, should a neck guard detach from the helmet and fall onto the stumps.Stern had recommended wider first aid training, and also work towards greater clarity in signalling between players and officials on the field and medical staff off it. The fact that ambulance services had reached the scene only 20 minutes after the incident illustrated the need for this. However she also concluded that Hughes’ death was inevitable from the moment he was hit and should be ruled accidental.”It is abundantly clear that once the tragic accident had occurred, there was nothing that could have been done to prevent Phillip’s death,” Stern said. She also went on to say that neither the number of short balls bowled to Hughes, nor any alleged instances of sledging, had exacerbated the risk to the batsman, and submitted that no recommendations should be made over the nature of play that day.Outside court, CA’s head of team performance, Pat Howard, spoke about events of the week and defended the conduct of the players who spoke at the inquest. He also stated that the game’s governing body would continue to offer whatever support it could to the Hughes family.”This week provided a confronting reminder of the sad reality that Phillip Hughes is no longer with us,” Howard said. “Our thoughts continue to be with the Hughes family during what is a difficult time for them. Our thoughts are also with Phillip’s cricket friends and his team-mates, all of whom have had to deal with the loss of a great mate as well as the ordeal of being on the field at the time of the incident. I’m very proud of the conduct of the players, the officials and staff throughout.”Formal findings from the coronial inquest are set to be handed down on November 4.