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Everton boss Sean Dyche's chances of bringing free agents to Goodison Park after the transfer deadline closed has been revealed in a recent report.

What's the latest news involving Everton?

Everton have endured a fairly frustrating start to the 2023/24 Premier League campaign and occupy 18th place in the standings with just one point from an available 12 so far.

Last weekend, the Toffees rallied to claim their only point so far this term in an entertaining 2-2 draw with Sheffield United, and after the game, boss Dyche highlighted that 'basic' mistakes are preventing his side from taking more from certain fixtures.

Speaking to Match of the Day, Dyche added: "Whether we deserve a point or not is irrelevant, the fact is that it is a point. Two goals on the road, so I am happy with that. It is just the basics sometimes which are tripping us up, because I felt a lot of the performance was right again."

Everton attacker Demarai Gray has now sealed a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq, where he will link up with notable faces such as Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Moussa Dembele and Jack Hendry.

Both Gray and Dyche have seen their relationship deteriorate over time, leading to Gray departing outside of the British transfer window.

Football Insider have claimed that Everton's outgoings in the final third, including Neal Maupay, Tom Cannon and Nigeria international Alex Iwobi could prompt the Toffees into the market to bolster their options in the forward areas, with free agents able to be signed after the closure of the window last Friday.

Nevertheless, another report has now suggested the contrary, as Dyche and company look to regroup before returning upon the conclusion of the international break.

What is Everton's stance on bringing in free agents?

iNews northern football correspondent Mark Douglas has reported a slightly different take on affairs surrounding Everton potentially dipping into the free agent market to secure extra reinforcements, revealing on the iNews website: "Although Everton cannot move for any new players – and are not in the market for free agents, despite reports claiming they are scouring that market – the money (from Gray) could potentially be utilised for reinforcements in January."

Following a souring of relations between both parties, being able to accumulate some funds off the back of selling Gray while also reducing the likelihood of any unwanted tension in the dressing room may be the best way for both parties to move forward.

Making 75 appearances in all competitions for Everton, Gray registered 12 goals and six assists in total during his time at the club, as per Transfermarkt.

Gray was also taking up wage space at Goodison Park, earning a cool £25,000 per week on a contract that expires in the summer of 2024, according to Capology.

Clearly not part of the plans at Everton and at odds with the management staff, it looks like Gray will be out of the door for good; however, replacing him in the free agent market is an unlikely scenario.

Ziaur Rahman and Irfan Sukkur put on fine batting performances to lead Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Mohammedan Sporting Club to their respective wins

Mohammad Isam19-Feb-2018Uday Kaul’s third List-A century helped Shinepukur Cricket Club to an 88-run win over Khelaghar Samaj Kallyan Samity at the BKSP-3 ground in the Dhaka Premier League. Kaul’s 137 came off 136 balls, and included 12 fours and three sixes.He added 65 runs for the third wicket with Towhid Hridoy and another 110 runs with Afif Hossain for the fourth wicket. Kaul fell in the 49th over, carrying Shinepukur to 294 for 7.Left-arm spinner Raihan Uddin then took three wickets while seam bowling allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin and Afif took two as Khelaghar were bowled out for 206 runs in 45.4 overs. Rafsan Al Mahmud was their top-scorer with 62 off 79 balls.Mohammedan Sporting Club crushed Agrani Bank by 159 runs to pick up their second win in the competition. Batting first at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mohammedan amassed 335 for 7, with the last 10 overs producing 103 runs. Irfan Sukkur’s 92 was the top score while Raqibul Hasan and Bipul Sharma contributed with 77 and 41 respectively.Mohammedan got off to a rollicking start thanks to the Talukdar brothers, Jony and Rony, who added 71 runs in the first 9.3 overs. Sukkur struck eight fours and two sixes in his 83-ball knock, while Bipul hit two fours and two sixes in his 29-ball cameo.Soumya Sarkar, one of several Bangladesh players to take the overnight train to Dhaka, fell for a duck in the first over as Agrani Bank struggled to put partnerships together. They were eventually bowled out for 176 in 37.4 overs with Subashis Roy, Qazi Onik, Enamul Haque and Bipul taking two wickets each.Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club picked up their third win by beating Prime Bank Cricket Club by five wickets. At the Fatullah Cricket Stadium, they chased down Prime Bank’s 228-run target in 44.4 overs.Ziaur Rahman top-scored with 67 off 76 balls. He added partnerships worth 70 and 65 runs for the first two wickets, with Shykat Ali and Rakin Ahmed respectively. Later, Nurul Hasan and Tanbir Hayder eased the chase with a 38-run unbroken sixth-wicket stand, in just 4.1 overs.Pace bowler Robiul Haque took three wickets as Prime Bank were bowled out for 227 runs in 50 overs. Captain Mehedi Maruf, who top-scored with 41, was one of many of their batsmen who couldn’t capitalise after a start. Abu Jayed and Elias Sunny took two wickets each for Dhanmondi Club.

South Africa batted on and on in Johannesburg on the fourth day to push their lead past 600, before Morkel’s strikes, as he battled a side strain, left Australia three down in a colossal chase

The Report by Brydon Coverdale02-Apr-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThis was a magical day of Test cricket – and not in the mere figurative sense of the word. What sorcery was behind South Africa’s amazing, never-ending innings, which kept going and going and going, defying all rational attempts at explanation? And how, from an attack crippled by injury, did South Africa conjure three dangerous fast bowlers by the close of play? Surely the average muggle will never understand the mysteries of day four in Johannesburg.It was a day on which South Africa started with an advantage of 401 and batted on, and on, and on, past a lead of 450, and 500, and 550, and 600. The accepted explanation was that Faf du Plessis would have a limited attack at his disposal: Morne Morkel had a side strain, Kagiso Rabada was suffering from a stiff back, and Vernon Philander had strapping on his leg. By stumps, Morkel had 2 for 18, Rabada had caused new-ball jitters, and a catch had been dropped off Philander’s bowling.Du Plessis had finally declared at tea, setting Australia an ostensible target of 612 for victory. For context, only once in Test history has a team scored more than 500 in the fourth innings: in the famous timeless Durban Test of 1939, England made 654 for 5, a draw declared on day 10 only because England, who were just 42 runs from victory, had to board a train to catch up with their ship home, which had already left Durban without them and was now in Cape Town.Whatever the reason for du Plessis’ conservatism, he knew that only defeat in this Test could prevent South Africa from a historic series win at home against Australia, which they had not achieved since 1970. By the time du Plessis declared, that possibility had not only been killed off, it had been mummified and sealed inside a sarcophagus inside a booby-trapped mausoleum, never again to be seen by human eyes.But if victory seemed a secondary consideration for South Africa for much of the day, by stumps they were nevertheless in a strong position to achieve a 3-1 series result. Australia finished the day on 88 for 3, with Peter Handscomb on 23 and Shaun Marsh on 7. And the most impressive thing was that the retiring Morkel, in his final Test, had insisted on bowling through the pain of his injury to claim two of the three wickets.Australia’s innings had started with what South Africa thought was a wicket – Matt Renshaw was given out caught-behind first ball off Rabada, but had the decision overturned on review. A few overs later, Renshaw was put down at gully by Temba Bavuma off the bowling of Philander, but his luck ran out on 5, when Morkel angled one from around the wicket to strike the pad and trap him lbw.It was inspirational stuff from Morkel, who by stumps, had added a second wicket, that of Joe Burns, who was lbw for 42, walking across his stumps and trying to work a yorker through the leg side. Australia had also lost Usman Khawaja lbw for 7, when he was adjudged not to have played a shot against Keshav Maharaj, and was struck outside the line of off stump. Khawaja’s review was in vain; if he had played a shot it had been a truly woeful one, for he missed the ball by several miles.Batting had looked much easier for the South Africans, and particularly for du Plessis, who scored his first Test century since October 2017, and ended a poor run of form in which he had not passed 20 for the past nine innings. He scored all around the ground, often adventurously, as when he lifted Pat Cummins over cover point for six, and brought up his century from his 163rd delivery with an outside edge for four off Josh Hazlewood.He struck 18 fours and two sixes, and his effort was all the more impressive, given that he had earlier received a painful blow to the finger by a rising ball from Cummins. Eventually, du Plessis was caught at slip off the bowling of Cummins for 120, by which stage, his partnership with Dean Elgar was worth 170 runs.The holding pattern of the game was never more obvious than when Elgar was batting. He did not score a single run until the 65th ball of the day’s play, and by the time he lifted Chadd Sayers over the infield for those two runs, Elgar had seen a full 91 deliveries bowled in the match since his last run on the previous afternoon.Incongruously, he brought up his fifty with a six clubbed over long-on off the bowling of Mitchell Marsh, the landmark coming in 199 deliveries and 305 minutes. Just as incongruously, Elgar later fell to a slog across the line, when he miscued one off Nathan Lyon and was well-caught by Shaun Marsh running back from extra cover. Elgar’s 81 had taken 250 deliveries and 337 minutes.Soon afterwards, Australia claimed another wicket when Quinton de Kock was lbw for 4 to Cummins, who took his tally for the match to nine wickets, to add to the half-century he scored in Australia’s first innings. Still, there was no declaration. At least not until tea, by which time Temba Bavuma had 35, Philander had 33, and South Africa had 344 for 6. The magic of the amazing never-ending innings had finally worn off, but the enchantment of Morkel’s recovery was still to come.

Liverpool have reportedly made a breakthrough regarding a new-and-improved contract for one influential Reds player, according to a new update.

Which Liverpool players could sign new deals?

The Reds are in fine form at the moment, recovering from such a poor 2022/23 season and enjoying an eye-catching beginning to the current campaign. In the Premier League, they have picked up four wins and a draw from their opening five games, not to mention winning 3-1 away to LASK in the Europa League on Thursday night.

While new signings have come in, most of whom have hit the ground running since arriving at the club, it is also key to retain the services of some of the most important players at the club. Two of those are unquestionably Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, with the former wanted by Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, who saw a £150m bid for him turned down by Liverpool. Meanwhile, the latter is out of contract in 2025, as is the case with his Egyptian teammate, so time is slowly ticking down on his deal.

Now, a key update has emerged regarding his future, as the Reds look to tie down one of their star talents, not to mention their possible future captain, for as long as possible.

What's the latest Liverpool contract news?

According to Football Insider, there has now been significant progress made between Liverpool and Alexander-Arnold when it comes to him extending his stay at Anfield, with a breakthrough in talks:

"Liverpool have reached an agreement in principle with Trent Alexander-Arnold over a new contract, sources have told Football Insider. The 24-year-old has just under two years remaining on his current deal and the Merseysiders are keen to end any speculation over his future.

"Top clubs across England and Europe would love to prise the full-back away from Anfield, but a well-placed source has told Football Insider that he is committed to Liverpool and has no plans to leave. It is believed there is a willingness from all parties to do a deal and extend his contract."

This is massive news for Liverpool, with Alexander-Arnold someone who embodies the club, having grown up as a Reds supporter and worked his way through the youth team, maturing into a world-class talent along the way.

Still only 24, the hope is that the Englishman has at least decade ahead of him at the club, becoming just as legendary as his childhood hero, Steven Gerrard. He is surely happy where he is, especially with Jurgen Klopp turning things around after a below-par season, and he seems to be enjoying life in his new hybrid role.

The fact that Alexander-Arnold has been hailed as "world-class" by former Barcelona and Brazil right-back Dani Alves speaks volumes about his brilliance as a footballer, and journalist Neil Jones has also labelled him as a "genius", such is his level of quality on the ball.

Salah may not be around forever, especially as he is now 31 years of age, but in Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool have someone who can replace Virgil van Dijk as permanent captain one day and become one of the greatest players in the club's history.

Pakistan legspinner will miss the Ireland and England tours after being ruled out for 10 weeks with a hip injury – and that will also disturb Derbyshire as they plan their T20 strategy

Umar Farooq09-Apr-2018Pakistan suffered a major blow ahead of their tour of Ireland and England with the news that their leading spinner Yasir Shah has been ruled out for 10 weeks. He picked up a stress fracture of his hip and will have to undergo extensive rehabilitation. In absence of Yasir, Pakistan’s selectors are considering fellow legspinner Shadab Khan and left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti for the three Test matches.Yasir, 31, recently played a full part in the PSL with Lahore Qalandars, but afterwards complained of pain in his hip bone. He has been involved in a local tournament in his town, Swabi, lately where he featured in a friendly match, but it is unclear if he picked up the injury there.An MRI confirmed a stress fracture that requires conservative rehabilitation, beginning with four weeks of rest, followed by a six weeks of active rehab. He has been called up to the National Cricket Academy for further assessment, but will not join the pool of players undergoing fitness tests along with Imad Wasim and Sohail Khan – both of whom are out with injury. The PCB has called up centrally contract players for mid-year fitness tests ahead of the Ireland and England tour, and training sessions will be carried out before selectors shortlist a final 17-man squad.Since his debut in 2014, Yasir has been Pakistan’s go-to bowler in Test cricket and bowled more deliveries than anyone else – 1546.1 overs, the third heaviest workload in world cricket. At 28, he entered the fray of Test cricket somewhat late, but became an automatic selection in the longer format of the game and a central figure of Pakistan’s attack, taking 165 wickets in 28 Tests.Derbyshire, who have been linked with Yasir for a T20-cum-Championship deal, are monitoring the situation and an unbalanced fixture list which gives them five Vitality T20 Blast fixtures in the first eight days will mean they will have to be absolutely certain of Yasir’s fitness. Yasir’s Pakistan team-mate and fellow legspinner, Shadab Khan, might be another option, although he would be absent from the latter stages of the Championship because of the Asia Cup.

"We have signed a world-class player."

The words of West Ham United chairman David Sullivan in June, 2015. Co-chairman at the time. Slaven Bilic had been appointed as the club's manager earlier that summer, and he was tasked with leading the Hammers away from obscurity in the depths of the Premier League.

Sullivan's claim was in reference to the £10m acquisition of adroit playmaker Dimitri Payet, who was renowned as one of the most underrated creators in Europe.

The Irons succeeded in their exploits, blitzing into form in the 2015/16 term and earning a seventh-placed finish in the top-flight, with Bilic's French "genius" – as was claimed by one match commentator after that assist – the fulcrum of his side's success, chalking up 12 goals and 15 assists across all competitions and etching his name into Hammers folklore.

However, the diminutive gem's time in east London proved to be little more than a sojourn, with his second season proving difficult; he was discontented with life at the club and his form had seeped into the dressing room. In January 2017, Bilic confirmed to the press that his prodigious star wanted to leave. And that was all she wrote.

Payet stole the headlines, and rightfully so. For that one fleeting season, West Ham was graced with a once-in-a-lifetime kind of player, the sort that shoots you out of your seat as if by a trebuchet, mouth gaped open and stars in your eyes.

There was another, however, to also put pen to paper with the Irons in the summer of 2015, the period that some would argue was the genesis of the newfound success that was nurtured upon David Moyes' second appointment in December 2019, which, as all know, has paid off handsomely.

That man is Michail Antonio. Under the radar at the time, the dynamic ace is now a staple of the feats of the past years, and will leave London with a lasting, silver-laden legacy.

How much did West Ham sign Michail Antonio for?

Deadline day, 2015. An annual occurrence often filled with trepidation as clubs hurry to conclude deals and provide their squads with good chances to succeed in their seasonal goals.

West Ham had indeed appointed Bilic and bolstered the squad with the likes of Payet, as well as Angelo Ogbonna and Manuel Lanzini.

In a deal that just earlier that day looked destined to fail, 25-year-old forward Antonio signed from Nottingham Forest for a fee in the region of £7m, rejecting interest from Derby County and West Bromwich Albion.

It was a small sum for an exciting and athletic player, who had just posted 14 goals and assists apiece in the Championship with the Tricky Trees the season before.

Likes to do flick-ons

Likes to dribble

Draws fouls often

Set-piece threat

Antonio would spend seven of his first eight Premier League matches as an unused substitute, coming off the bench for half an hour in the other, and despite growing into his skin and scoring 11 times across all competitions in his maiden year – including eight goals from 23 league starts – few envisaged the stalwart that the powerhouse would become.

How good is Michail Antonio?

Let's fast track to the present, Moyes has led West Ham to the Europa Conference League trophy, ending an interminable wait for a major honour – United last won major silverware in the 1980 FA Cup – and West Ham have entered the 2023/24 Premier League season prepared for a third successive continental campaign.

They've also started with aplomb, preparing for a daunting contest against the imperious Manchester City having clinched three successive victories – including wins over Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion – after drawing against Bournemouth on the south coast.

Among the goals is Antonio, bagging twice from his first four outings of the year and extending his record as the outfit's all-time Premier League top goalscorer, with 63 strikes to his name.

Heralded as a "special" star by his manager, the 33-year-old has forged 280 displays, scoring 77 goals and providing 43 assists in total, and was instrumental in the gleaning of the Conference League.

In 2021, only a rampant Mohamed Salah outscored the 12-cap Jamaica international, a further testament to a player who was on "absolute fire", as was said by pundit and Premier League icon Rio Ferdinand.

He might be getting on, but Antonio is still a formidable option and scored 14 times across all competitions last term, including six goals from seven starts in the Conference League, paramount to the club's rise through the rounds.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 11% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90, further illustrating the distinctive set of skills that he brings to the table, and has done so with such prolific conviction over his years as a Hammer.

Antonio would not have attracted the most lucrative transfer fee, had West Ham decided to cash in on the £85k-per-week phenom at some point over the past several years, with Football Transfers actually only ever listing his maximum value at £15m, in 2022.

However, considering his impact over the 280 appearances he has made for the side, it's evident that his role has been significant, hitting 30 Premier League goals from just 86 appearances at the peak of his powers, from 2019-20 to 2021-22.

A remarkable striker, and one who will forever be fondly remembered for his influential role in this burgeoning West Ham team, and he's not even done yet.

Two years ago, Felix Anderson wanted a little help with his batting and so he wrote to the Pakistan batsman

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2018Two years ago, a young fan from New Zealand Felix Anderson wanted a little help with his batting. So he wrote a letter to one of his heroes – Younis Khan.TwitterAfter recalling his favorite Younis innings – the treble against Sri Lanka and the 2016 double against England – Felix asked for advice on how to play the cover drive and the cut shot.Younis has retired from international cricket since but the letter finally found its way to him. And in response, he made a personal coaching video just for Felix, now 12 years old.

As promised, here is the coaching tip manual on the cover drive and cut shot for the 12 year old Felix from New Zealand who wrote a letter to me. I hope you enjoy this, practice it & improve your game. All the best Felix. Hope to see you playing for your country one day pic.twitter.com/lnzP2yz9gT

— Younis Khan (@iam_Younis) May 7, 2018

A coaching career awaits Younis, as well as a tutorial for his fans on the shot he played arguably better than anyone else: the sweep.

A Europa League club are now expected to sign a Leeds United player this summer, with a deal potentially set to amount to just £5m, according to a report.

Leeds' summer transfer plans

With promotion from the Championship now looking increasingly likely, Leeds have started to make plans for the summer transfer window, and they are looking to strengthen their squad in a number of different areas.

Amid doubts about Illan Meslier, there is a feeling the Whites could trigger the relegation release clause in Aaron Ramsdale’s Southampton contract, while they also “really like” Borussia Monchengladbach defender Nico Elvedi, who is now open to a move.

Should Daniel Farke’s side go all the way and achieve promotion to the Premier League, they could make a move to sign Tottenham Hotspur’s Manor Solomon on a permanent basis, with Southampton striker Cameron Archer also of interest.

10 goalkeepers Leeds could sign to replace Illan Meslier

The 49ers and Farke may want to replace the Frenchman in the summer.

2 ByCharlie Smith Feb 25, 2025

If a return to the Premier League is secured, Farke will be tasked with strengthening his squad, which means there may have to be some departures to help fund the manager’s summer transfer business.

According to a report from SportBILD (via Sport Witness), Eintracht Frankfurt are now expected to sign Rasmus Kristensen on a permanent basis at the end of the season, at which point his loan spell at the German club comes to an end.

The Europa League side are planning for next season with Kristensen in mind, and there is a feeling they will be able to get a deal done on the cheap.

When Frankfurt initially agreed to sign the defender on loan, they agreed a purchase clause of €15m (£12m), but they are now hoping to sign him for around €6m (£5m).

Leeds United’s upcoming Championship fixtures

Date

West Bromwich Albion (h)

March 1st

Portsmouth (a)

March 9th

Millwall (h)

March 12th

Queens Park Rangers (a)

March 15th

Swansea City (h)

March 29th

Kristensen needs to move on

It would be fair to say the Dane struggled to make an impact at Elland Road, being dubbed a “League One defender” during his time with Leeds in the Premier League, but he has impressed since leaving on loan.

The 27-year-old was lauded as “incredible” by former AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho during his time in Italy, and he has since gone on to become an important player for Frankfurt, making 20 appearances in the Bundesliga this season.

Given that the right-back is flourishing in Germany, Leeds may be able to command a fee higher than £5m in the summer, which would provide the funds to strengthen other areas of the squad. However, the most important thing is to get him off the books.

If Kristensen’s previous performances in the Premier League are anything to go by, he will be little help for Leeds next season, at which point Farke’s side are likely to be back in the top flight, where avoiding relegation will be the aim.

Liverpool have endured a difficult few days to say the least, and Jurgen Klopp has now learned the extent of an injury setback to one of his key stars.

Who do Liverpool have out injured?

The Reds have made a good start to the season, despite last Saturday's painful 2-1 defeat away to Tottenham in the Premier League. Everything seemed to go against them in north London, including a scandalous VAR decision against Luis Diaz, and Joel Matip's late own goal proved costly.

While there is plenty to be positive about at the moment, with a title challenge looking possible, Liverpool do have some injury concerns, as has continually seemed to be the case in recent times. Thiago hasn't featured at all yet this season, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate have also missed a chunk of action with muscle problems, and Cody Gakpo didn't make it out for the second half at Spurs over the weekend.

A key update has now emerged regarding one of those Liverpool heroes, however, and it sounds like a few weeks on the sidelines at least.

Which Liverpool player could return for huge game?

According to The Athletic's James Pearce, Gakpo's injury is not as serious as first feared, meaning he could now return for the Merseyside derby clash at home to Everton after the international break.

Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink had recently suggested a longer absence could be on the cards, but it appears a return is likely at the end of this month:

"Liverpool attacker Cody Gakpo is set to be sidelined until after the international break. The Netherlands international had to be substituted prior to the second half of Saturday’s contentious 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur due to discomfort in his knee and left the stadium wearing a brace.

"A scan has since alleviated fears that he’s facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but Gakpo is expected to miss Thursday’s Europa League clash with Union Saint-Gilloise at Anfield and Sunday’s Premier League trip to Brighton.

"If his recovery goes to plan, there’s hope that he will be available after the international break with Liverpool entertaining Everton on October 21."

Despite the obvious setback, you could see this as good news for Liverpool, with Gakpo's injury looking like a potentially serious one when he hobbled off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, making the injury worse when he scored the equaliser just before half-time.

Having been seen in a knee brace after the match, there were worries that the Dutchman could be out for a number of months, let alone weeks, but those fears appear to have been allayed.

Not having Gakpo available for this Sunday's trip to Brighton will be a big enough blow however, in what represents a real test for Klopp's men. The 24-year-old is such a clever player, knitting the attack together impressively and linking with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Diaz.

Klopp himself has lauded his attacker as an "outstanding" player, clearly valuing him greatly, and while he may not be as explosive as Darwin Nunez, or as good a finisher as Diogo Jota, there is a subtlety to his game that doesn't always receive the praise it deserves.

Only having him missing for a couple of weeks is decent news, but next weekend's trip to the South coast just got that bit more difficult.

The former England batsman will be the first non-Indian to speak at the lecture, a decision that has caused a lot of disagreement within the BCCI administration

Sidharth Monga18-May-2018Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen is set to become the first non-Indian cricketer to deliver the BCCI’s annual MAK Pataudi lecture, a decision that has resulted in dissatisfaction among the board’s office bearers.The previous five speakers at the lecture have been former Indian cricketers: Sunil Gavaskar, Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Farokh Engineer.The BCCI’s acting secretary Amitabh Choudhury criticised Saba Karim, the BCCIs general manager of cricket operations, for the development.”This last email on the trail by GM (Cricket Operations) and expression of happiness on it had left me wondering whether the Memorial Lecture was indeed MAK Pataudi Memorial Lecture or Sir Len Hutton Lecture or for that matter Sir Frank Woolley lecture,” Choudhury wrote.The long discussions – which ESPNcricinfo has seen – between Karim, the BCCI office bearers and the Committee of Administrators, which was appointed by the Supreme Court to oversee the functioning of the board, to choose the speaker had begun on May 10.Karim’s original shortlist of “former Test cricketers of stature who are currently involved as either commentators, coaches or administrators” had four names: Pietersen, Kumar Sangakkara, Sourav Ganguly and Nasser Hussain.The CoA had unanimously picked Sangakkara, but Choudhury expressed reservations over that choice. According to Choudhury, he and Karim had discussions in Bengaluru on the sidelines of the India selection meeting on May 8, when he had suggested the names of former India cricketers Nari Contractor, Chandu Borde, Erapalli Prasanna or Abbas Ali Baig to give the Pataudi lecture.”These cricketers have even the distinction of having played alongside Tiger Pataudi and if any of them agrees it could provide the much needed perspective on how cricket has evolved from those years of challenge,” Choudhury wrote. “As I understand Tiger Memorial Lecture is not an elocution contest and reasonable communication skills are all that we should look for. It is meant to bring to the fore the evolution of the game, what it meant to play for the country in the old days, the hardships of the time, challenges of the future, and the like. If that be the case, certainly once every few years an iconic cricketer of yore should find a place as the keynote speaker in the Memorial Lecture.”Vinod Rai, the chairman of the CoA, said Choudhury’s objection was a “non-issue” and instructed Karim to come back with other suggestions only if Sangakkara was unavailable. On May 14, Karim informed the others that Sangakkara was not available, and that Pietersen had agreed to deliver the lecture.The choice of Pietersen, and the lack of communication during the process, angered Choudhury, who then objected to the whole process: why the shortlist did not have his suggestions, why there was so much preference for non-Indians, why the speaker’s relevance to Pataudi was not explained, and why no authorisation was sought before speaking to Pietersen once Sangakkara was not available.A source in the BCCI, however, said the Pataudi lecture was never meant to be restricted to Indians. “Our endeavour was not to disregard or disrespect anybody but to raise the profile of the lecture,” the official said. “We wanted to get someone who is a global voice, who has a wider appeal, who is a friend of Indian cricket, who has experienced Indian cricket and can talk about it to the rest of the world.”The names given were in order of preference. We couldn’t go for Sourav because the last time his name came up there were objections that he was an administrator, and once Sangakkara was not available, the next logical choice was Pietersen. This is all a case of internal miscommunication, and not an attempt to exclude or disregard anybody.”