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Wolverhampton Wanderers could be edging closer to solving one of their biggest squad issues, with reports linking the Old Gold to a new striker.

Gary O’Neil inherited the side that earned themselves the title of the Premier League’s lowest-scorers last season, as Wolves netted just 31 goals in 38 games in a campaign managed by Bruno Lage, Steve Davis and Julen Lopetegui.

With plenty of business expected to happen at Molineux before the transfer window slams shut on Friday, a host of problems could be solved should the club generate the money to capture reinforcements.

Who could Wolves sign this summer?

The overriding narrative of the transfer front in Wolverhampton is the future of Matheus Nunes, who could leave the club for Manchester City if the price is right for the Portuguese ace.

Earlier this week, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claimed that the treble winners are hoping to strike a deal said to surpass the €60m (£51m) mark, in a move that could hand O’Neil the resources to strengthen his squad in numbers.

One area that could be fixed should funds arrive is the strike position, with Football Insider linking Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho with a move to Molineux.

The report claimed that the Nigerian has been ‘shortlisted’ as a target for O’Neil’s side, in what could be a late swoop in the window to ease their woes in leading the line, with the player valued around £10.5m by FootballTransfers.

How good is Kelechi Iheanacho?

Having been hailed as “incredible” by his former manager Pep Guardiola, Iheanacho is a name familiar with followers of the Premier League, due to his 42 goals over the years while representing both Manchester City and Leicester.

At just 26-years-old, the striker has nearly 200 appearances in the English top tier under his belt, stemming from the academy at City where he first had a taste of football in England.

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Nine years down the line from his arrival from Taye Academy in his homeland, the Nigerian has a total of 82 goals representing English clubs, showcasing just how prolific he can be when in form.

Also previously lauded as a “special talent” by former Foxes and England striker Tony Cottee, the 26-year-old could be the perfect acquisition for Wolves to chase, in a player that could finally bring the goals to Molineux.

Integrating a striker with a host of experience in the Premier League already is an advantage for O’Neil, with little adaptation needed to get him accustomed to the challenges faced throughout the season.

The Old Gold have put in some strong performances so far this campaign, despite their woeful summer, however, the narrative remains that they struggle to capitalise on the impressive work they put in to create chances.

On the opening day at Old Trafford, O’Neil’s side registered a mammoth 23 shots on goal, six of which being on target, however left without a goal or a point to show for their efforts in the final third, via Sofascore.

To strengthen the striker's claim to what he could bring to Wolves, his numbers accumulated over the past year see him comparable to names as prolific as Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski and Marcus Rashford, via FBref.

O’Neil could finally find the solution to his side’s woes in front of goal by capturing Iheanacho, who could break the chain and get the Old Gold scoring in the bid to improve overall performance.

The Bangladesh pacer had been refused a boarding pass by the airlines earlier, due to a case of mistaken identity according to BCB president Nazmul Hassan

Mohammad Isam21-Sep-2017

IDI/Getty Images

Bangladesh pacer Rubel Hossain will travel to South Africa on Thursday night, after receiving security clearance from the South African authorities. Rubel had been barred from travelling with the Bangladesh team on Saturday, as the airlines refused to issue his boarding pass.”The security clearance of Rubel has arrived and he will be taking the evening flight,” Jalal Yunus, BCB’s media committee chairman, said.In a press briefing earlier in the afternoon, BCB president Nazmul Hassan said that Rubel was a victim of mistaken identity; another person of the same name and date of birth is barred from entering South Africa. The resultant confusion stopped Rubel from boarding the flight for Johannesburg.The incident prompted an emergency meeting at the board headquarters on Thursday, headed by the BCB chief Hassan.”We have continuously been in contact with Cricket South Africa, who are also in touch with their home ministry,” Hassan said. “We have received the photo and name of another “Rubel Hossain”, whose date of birth also matches with the player. But this person is barred from entering South Africa, so we have confirmed to them that it is not the cricketer Rubel Hossain. I think they got confused, but the photos don’t match.”

Galatasary forward Wilfried Zaha once "made it clear" he wanted to join Arsenal, according to journalist Charles Watts.

Who will Arsenal sign?

Mikel Arteta's side have displayed no shortage of ambition this transfer window, having already completed a trio of marquee deals for winger Kai Havertz, midfielder Declan Rice and versatile defender Jurrien Timber.

Havertz arrived first, completing a £65 million switch from London rivals Chelsea, while Rice came as their biggest outlay of the summer in a record-breaking £105 million move from West Ham.

"We’re really happy that Declan is joining us," said Arteta after his arrival.

"He is a player with tremendous ability, who has been performing at a high level in the Premier League and for England for a number of seasons now. Declan is bringing undoubted quality to the club and he is an exceptional talent who has the potential to be very successful here."

Timber's arrival from Ajax will also strengthen Arteta's defence to no end, with the Netherlands international boasting real versatility.

Zaha, who left Crystal Palace as a free agent at the start of the summer, had been linked with a move to Arsenal recently so some supporters may have expected a potential swoop for the Ivorian.

Alas, that didn't come to fruition and he instead joined up with Turkish Super Lig giants Galatasary. Speaking to TEAMtalk, Arsenal reporter Watts has shared just how close he came to joining the club back in 2019.

During Unai Emery's tenure, he was a top transfer target, and he apparently "made it clear" he wanted a move to the Emirates Stadium at the time.

“I expected him to go to a different club rather than Galatasaray,” Watts told TEAMtalk.

“Interestingly, Francis Cagigao has just taken over as head of recruitment at Gala. He was at Arsenal for a long, long time. I wasn’t expecting Arsenal to do anything.

“Unai Emery really wanted him in the summer of 2019. And Arsenal signed Nicolas Pepe instead; they didn’t give Unai what he wanted. That obviously turned out to be a very bad decision.

“Zaha would have loved to come to Arsenal, he was always an Arsenal fan. He made it clear he wanted to come to Arsenal. And I’m sure he’s going to end his career pretty disappointed he never got to achieve that.

“Around that time, he probably felt there was a very good chance of that happening. Emery wanted him, he really wanted to push the board to sign him. But they went down another route.

“Once that happened, I never really expected Arsenal to rekindle that interest."

How good is Wilfried Zaha?

We believe the winger would have been a serious coup for Arsenal on a Bosman deal this year, especially considering his haul of 14 goals in 33 appearances for Palace last season (WhoScored).

Zaha also bettered every single one of his teammates in terms of attempts at goal, key passes made and successful take-ons per 90 in the final third over 2022/2023 (WhoScored).

The 30-year-old also attracted more fouls than any other Palace player, highlighting what a tricky player he can be to play against.

Waqar Younis will be the newly-formed franchise’s mentor and head coach, while Wasim Akram will take the role of cricket operations director

Umar Farooq02-Aug-2017

The two former Pakistan internationals will take leadership roles in the newly-formed Multan franchise•Getty Images

Once the most feared bowling partnership, Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram will be reunited at the PSL’s newest franchise Multan Sultans. Younis will be the franchise’s mentor and head coach, while Akram will take the role of cricket operations director after deciding to leave Islamabad United. The official signing of the agreement, ESPNcricinfo understands, is expected to take place in Karachi in the third week of August.Akram spent two contrasting seasons with United, including winning the championship during the inaugural tournament in 2015. However, their second season suffered after three of their key players – Mohammad Irfan, Khalid Latif and Sharjeel Khan – were embroiled in a corruption scandal and were suspended. It is learnt that United captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who recently retired from international cricket, was being considered to act as a mentor to fill in for Akram.Younis, who has had two stints with Pakistan as the national head coach, was originally ignored for the first two seasons of the PSL. But with the addition of a sixth team for the third season, he was approached in June to join Multan – which is owned by The Schön Group, a Dubai-based enterprise, well-established in the real-estate business in Pakistan. After the coaching stint with Pakistan, Younis appeared on various TV networks as a commentator.Both Akram and Younis dominated world cricket in the 1990s with their fear-inducing bowling, but the duo often shared a strained relationship during their playing days. In the 61 Tests that the two played together, they took 559 wickets between them. Akram took 282 wickets, and Younis, 277. They are the third most prolific fast-bowling duo after Curtly Ambrose-Courtney Walsh and James Anderson-Stuart Broad.Over the years, both players moved on from their past rift, with Younis once expressing regret on having a troubled relation with Akram. This PSL venture with Multan will be the first time they will work together since their retirements in 2003.

Steven Smith admitted his Australia side “got away with one” after rain forced an abandonment in their ICC Champions Trophy match against New Zealand at Edgbaston.Smith criticised his seamers for “one of the worst bowling displays that we’ve put on for a very long time,” as New Zealand amassed 254 for three at the end of the 39th over. And while he felt they clawed back some ground in the final six overs of the innings – New Zealand lost seven wickets for 37 runs in that period – he still accepted Australia would “have preferred to been in New Zealand’s position” when the rain came.”I thought it was probably one of the worst bowling displays that we’ve put on for a very long time,” Smith said after the match. “We bowled both sides of wicket. We gave them a lot of freebies. It was pretty ordinary.”We certainly would have preferred to be in New Zealand’s position when we came off the end there. We still had a lot of work to do and they’ve got a quality bowling attack as well. So we perhaps got away with one there.”Australia were wobbling at 53 for 3 when the match was abandoned. Both sides took a point from the game and realistically have to win both their remaining matches if they are to progress to the semi-finals.While Smith suggested “rust” might have been a factor in the performance – Mitchell Starc hasn’t played a white-ball match since February and any sort of cricket since early March, while Josh Hazlewood played just one warm-up match in a similar period – both he and opposing captain, Kane Williamson, noted the aggression of the New Zealand top order as a factor in unsettling the Australian attack.”Let’s hope it’s rust and let’s hope it’s gone,” Smith said. “Because that was, as I said, was pretty ordinary.”But credit to them. They came out quite hard and played quite well up top. And Kane timed his innings beautifully and played really well throughout the middle.”With Luke Ronchi, once an Australia player, thrashing a brisk half-century, New Zealand raced to 117 for one in the 16th over. Willaimson felt that approach may have been partially responsible for the off-colour performance from the Australian bowlers.”I thought the opening partnership from us was very, very good,” Williamson said. “And put them under a bit of pressure on a good batting surface.”I thought Ronchi was outstanding setting the tone today. Martin Guptill as well. That was a very good partnership at the top of the order against a very good bowling attack. It was a great effort by Luke and very good innings.”Both captains agreed the result was “not ideal” and accepted their sides had to win their final two games in the group stages to stand a reasonable chance of progressing.”The nature of this tournament is that every game is basically knockout,” Williamson said. “We played some good cricket and we can’t control the weather. Although it is a little bit frustrating.””It’s obviously not ideal to have a washout,” Smith said. “So for us now it’s about making sure that we’re playing each game like a final and winning the next two. It’s a pretty quick tournament. You can’t really afford a washout or a loss.”

Ben Sanderson led Northamptonshire to a mighty win over Glamorgan inside two days at Wantage Road with four second-innings wickets in an innings-and-22-run victory

ECB Reporters Network08-Apr-2017
ScorecardBen Sanderson led Northamptonshire to a mighty win over Glamorgan inside two days at Wantage Road with four second-innings wickets in an innings-and-22-run victory that began their 2017 season in the perfect fashion.Northants took a 209-run first-innings lead in the morning session and wrapped up victory after tea, dismissing Glamorgan for 187 in their second innings. Northants took until August to win a County Championship match last season but got off the mark at the first attempt here and won the opening game of the season for the first time since 1995.”We talked about starting well and you can’t ask for more than that and to win in two days is a great feeling,” Alex Wakely, Northants captain, said.”It was a good toss to lose – we just assumed we would be batting – but the first hour did the damage for us. The bowling all the way through was the most pleasing thing because we bowled in partnerships, there was pressure from both ends all the time. Even when we weren’t taking wickets in the second innings, we managed to contain the scoring rate and when we did pick up wickets the scoreboard had gone nowhere.”Sanderson did the principle damage with two wickets in his opening spell but it was his probing effort after lunch when conditions eased but he gave nothing away that was most impressive. Rory Kleinveldt again played his part with three wickets to finish with six in the match and Nathan Buck rounded off a winning debut with the final wicket 11 overs from the close.Glamorgan slid against the new ball in 45 minutes before lunch. Jacques Rudolph, after a confident start getting to 21, attempted to pull Sanderson and edged to wicketkeeper Adam Rossington. Nick Selman defended Kleinveldt from the crease and played into his stumps and Sanderson had David Lloyd held low at first slip by Ben Duckett to complete a pair.Reeling at 32 for 3, Glamorgan lost a fourth wicket six overs into the afternoon as Sanderson brought a delivery back into the right-handed Anuerin Donald, trapping him lbw for 15.A partnership was desperately required to try and avoid humiliation and Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke settled to share fifty for the fifth wicket. But Cooke’s patience against the probing Sanderson ended as he looked to pull a rare short ball but only found Steven Crook at midwicket. It was reward for Sanderson’s persistence, his 19 overs yielding only 31 runs.Ingram was patient and drove well when the opportunity arose but in the final over before tea he was deceived by a flighted delivery from left-arm spinner Graeme White that turned from the footholds and was bowled for 47. Craig Meschede handed White a second wicket when he swung wildly and lost his middle stump.Kleinveldt returned to have Harry Podmore caught behind and Kieran Carlson caught hooking at long leg before Marchant de Lange slapped Buck to mid-on to end the match.”Obviously we’re disappointed,” Rudolph said. “The effort we put in before this game is not a fair reflection on our performance. There were two or three moments that could have changed the game – we had them 27 for 3 and then missed two chances and then when Rory came into bat we missed an early chance too.”But I think we have to be honest today and say it wasn’t a 190 all-out wicket, it was a decent batting wicket today.”Northants’ set up their day by extending their first-innings lead to 209 in 16.1 overs in the morning. Kleinveldt failed to fire again after his 23-ball fifty on the first evening, adding 15 more to his overnight score before mistiming a drive to extra-cover. He walked off for 86 and the wait for a maiden first-class century for Northants continues.Crook fell seventh ball of the morning, lbw to Lukas Carey and White was held at second slip by Selman to hand de Lange a second wicket of the innings. The same bowler was driven for four by Sanderson to bring up a third batting bonus point and ensure it was a 22-point haul to begin the season for Northamptonshire.

Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers has been thrust straight into the job in the middle of a summer transfer window and will need to get his feet under his desk as quickly as possible.

The 2023/24 campaign is on the horizon and teams are already starting to bolster their squads with new signings to achieve their goals next term.

Ange Postecoglou departed the Scottish giants earlier this month to join Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and the distraction of looking for a new boss may be the reason that the club are yet to make their first addition of the window.

The Daily Mail recently reported that the 50-year-old manager is now hoping to tempt Wilfred Ndidi to quit the King Power to link up with him again in Scotland, although it remains to be seen how viable a deal is for the Nigerian.

How would Wilfried Ndidi fit in at Celtic?

Postecoglou did not line up with an out-and-out defensive midfielder last term and Rodgers bringing the Leicester anchor to Parkhead could allow attacking midfielder David Turnbull to finally thrive.

No Celtic midfielder made more than 2.2 tackles and interceptions per Scottish Premiership game in the Australian chief's 4-3-3 system in 22/23 and the lack of a natural number six may have played a part in Turnbull's lack of minutes.

The 24-year-old only started six league matches for the Hoops but Rodgers' 4-2-3-1 formation could provide the Scotland international with an opportunity to strut his stuff if Ndidi comes in to provide the required defensive protection in one of the two deep-lying roles.

Leicester's midfield general was once described as an "elite player" by journalist John Bennett and the £75k-per-week gem's statistics back that up.

He ranks in the top 1% of players in his position in the Men's Big Five Leagues over the last 365 days for interceptions and clearances per 90, whilst he is also in the top 5% for tackles and top 11% for blocks, which included him making 5.31 tackles and interceptions per 90.

This suggests that Ndidi has been one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe over the past year when it comes to cutting out opposition attacks and putting his body on the line for the team.

His ball-winning ability could allow Turnbull to thrive in the number ten role without having to worry about tracking back and exerting all of his effort in transitions.

Prior to Postecoglou's arrival, the Scottish wizard averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.47 across 36 Premiership outings in 20/21 and contributed with nine goals and 12 'big chances' created.

No Celtic player achieved an average rating higher than 7.45 in 22/23 and Turnbull's 2.9 key passes per match in 20/21 is more impressive than the club-high 2.1 chances created per game that Matt O'Riley managed last term.

Therefore, signing Ndidi, who was once lauded as a "monster" by journalist Colin Udoh, could improve the team defensively and offensively, with his efforts off the ball allowing Turnbull to be unlocked as a creative threat in possession.

Manchester United are keen to bolster their midfield this summer; however, Frenkie De Jong is unlikely to move to Old Trafford from Barcelona, journalist Dean Jones has suggested.

What's the latest transfer news involving Frenkie De Jong?

Earlier this year. talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook intimated in his transfer notebook that De Jong has been made one of Manchester United's 'top summer targets' and revealed that Erik Ten Hag would be keen on a reunion with the midfield playmaker he coached at Ajax.

The report states that partnering Casemiro in midfield could appeal to De Jong alongside the prospect of playing in the Champions League with Manchester United.

Of course, Manchester United heavily courted De Jong last year and they even reached an agreement on a deal worth €85 million (£73 million) for the Netherlands international with Barcelona, as per The Athletic.

Nevertheless, no transfer transpired and De Jong formed a key part of Barcelona's first La Liga title triumph since 2019, as per BBC Sport.

Capology understand that De Jong earns around €721,154 (£619,283) on a contract that runs until June 2026 at the Catalan giants.

Writing in his column for GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones doesn't believe that De Jong will arrive at Old Trafford this summer despite the recurring rumours that he could become a Manchester United player one day.

Jones suggested: "They also need to sort the midfield, where Marcel Sabitzer was on loan last season and Fred and Scott McTominay prepare to have their partnership broken up once and for all. We have seen them make early strides for Mason Mount but look out for the likes of Romeo Lavia. Other players they admire are £230,000-a-week star Leon Goretzka – described as being an "extraordinary" player – Declan Rice and Adrien Rabiot but top target Frenkie De Jong is off limits."

Would Frenkie De Jong be a good signing for Manchester United?

De Jong is a world-class midfielder capable of functioning in a variety of different roles and would be a brilliant signing for Manchester United if any deal was to arise over the next few years.

In 2022/23, the Netherlands international made 43 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona, registering two goals and four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

As per WhoScored, De Jong was rarely wasteful in possession during the season and maintained a pass success rate of 91.4% in La Liga.

The 26-year-old was also a key chance provider for La Blaugrana and amassed 116 shot-creating actions across the campaign, as per FBRef.

Despite this, it looks unlikely that De Jong will join Manchester United in the immediate future, putting a reunion between the former Ajax man and Red Devils boss Ten Hag on ice for now.

Rangers face a battle to secure the signature of Jonathan Panzo this summer, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano revealing that several clubs are keen to add him to their ranks.

Is Jonathan Panzo going to Rangers?

The defender spent the 2022/23 season out on loan at Coventry, with the player unable to break into the fold at parent club Nottingham Forest. However, the short-term spell in the Championship worked a treat for Panzo, as he became a first-team regular and helped his side reach the play-off final. He played in a total of 29 league games for the side and even produced one goal and one assist along the way despite being a part of the Sky Blues' backline.

These displays have led to interest in signing the player from Rangers this summer, with the Scottish Premiership side looking to strengthen their ranks. Reports have suggested that negotiations are already happening over a potential transfer for the defender and that a deal could be worth £2.5m, with Michael Beale's outfit in pole position to land the player during the transfer window.

However, a new report from reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Rangers might not find it so easy to get a deal done for Panzo. That's because while he states that talks are indeed "ongoing," there is plenty of interest and plenty of competition for his signature this summer.

Not only are English clubs queuing up to try and sign him but there is also interest from Germany in the centre-back as well. The journalist said: "Understand Rangers have also asked for Jonathan Panzo again as new centre back, talks are ongoing — but there are also German and English clubs keen on signing him."

How does Panzo compare to other defenders?

When you look at Panzo's stats across the last year and amongst those in the same position as him in the Men's 'Next 8' competitions (that's the eight leagues after the typical big five) he ranks very highly.

Offensively, the defender is one of the best in his position when it comes to scoring and having opportunities to score, with his non-penalty xG rate per 90 of 0.08 putting him in the top 19% in his position in that area. Not only is he a potential set piece threat but his ability in playing the ball out from the back and having the ball at his feet also stands out. He has a progressive passes rate of 3.98 per 90 for example – putting him in the 83rd percentile – and he also has one progressive carry per 90 too, which puts him in the top 15% in that figure.

It means that Panzo likes to get the ball himself, even as a defender, and is well capable of driving his team forward either with an exceptional bit of vision to pick out a teammate or even by dribbling and driving it himself. With Rangers wanting to be a side who play on the front foot, he would therefore fit in nicely if he did sign for the Scottish club.

With less than a week to go before the start of India’s first Test against England, the BCCI and ECB have not signed the Memorandum of Understanding

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Nov-2016With less than a week to go before the start of India’s first Test against England, the BCCI and ECB have not signed the Memorandum of Understanding, a standard agreement that details various aspects of bilateral series.The main reason for the delay in signing the MoU is that the BCCI is awaiting directions from the Lodha Committee. A big part of the MoU says the BCCI will bear all the costs pertaining to the England team during the tour. Normally the BCCI would directly approve such expenses, but because of the order passed by the Supreme Court on October 21, the board has to get approval from the Lodha Committee, which has been appointed to oversee all financial transactions of the BCCI.In its response to the BCCI, however, the Lodha Committee said forming cricket policy was not part of its remit, but that directions regarding payments could only be given after the BCCI provided more information about the transactions. The committee has given the BCCI five days to respond with details of various contracts the board said it needed to finalise in the next year to avoid disruption of daily business.But before proceeding with the matter of existing and future BCCI contracts, including the MoU with the ECB, the Lodha Committee reminded the board that an unequivocal undertaking was required from the president Anurag Thakur that the BCCI would implement the court order of October 21.  The court had asked Thakur and board secretary Ajay Shirke to file affidavits in two weeks from October 21 and appear before the committee. As of November 3, Thakur had not given such an undertaking and he and Shirke had not met the committee either.BCCI and ECB officials were not available for comment about whether an unsigned MoU could jeopardise England’s tour of India, but an official from another board said an international tour could still proceed without it. An MoU is only used in case of a dispute between the two boards involved in a bilateral series.In an email on Thursday to BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke, the Lodha Committee asked the board to obey the three orders the Supreme Court passed on July 18, October 7 and 21. “To avoid any hindrance to the cricketing calendar and to ensure the continued enjoyment of the sport by its aficionados, the BCCI would be well advised to comply with the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in its orders dated 18th July 2016, 7th October 2016 and 21st October 2016,” the committee e-mail said.On October 21, the Supreme Court had directed the BCCI not to distribute funds to state associations until they agreed to comply with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, which the court had approved in an order on July 18. The court also asked Shirke and Thakur to meet the Lodha Committee by November 3 and placed several restrictions on the board’s ability to enter into contracts.The committee had already sent Thakur an email reminder earlier this week and it told Shirke on Thursday: “The requirement for such an undertaking is not a mere formality. In the absence of the undertaking, the Committee finds it difficult to implement the order of the Supreme Court by issuing necessary directions to BCCI.”On October 28, Shirke had sent an email to the committee, asking for intervention on a “priority basis” because failing to do so would “severely prejudice” cricket operations. Shirke told the committee that decisions concerning a lot of important contracts had been left pending.Among the contracts mentioned was the postponed IPL tender, finalising vendors for the IPL and international and domestic cricket, and title and shirt sponsorships for the India men’s team. Shirke also said the BCCI needed clarity regarding the “threshold value”, above which the contracts needed to go through the Lodha Committee as mandated by the Supreme Court order. The court also asked the committee to appoint an independent auditor to oversee the BCCI’s transactions.Shirke said that since the court had appointed the Committee as the “custodian of revenue and finances” of the BCCI, it should act immediately. The board, Shirke said, feared that the “uncertainty” might have already “devalued” the size of the bids expected for the IPL television and digital rights.In its response today, the committee told Shirke that finalising vendors was not its job. “Please note that neither identification nor appointment of vendors or contractors is the task or function of the Committee. The Committee is only required to fix a threshold value and approving awards of contracts above such threshold value.”In order to “fix” the threshold value and appoint an auditor, the committee asked Shirke to provide details of the contracts such as the value, term, expiry date of existing contract, the nature of the tender process and so on. “It is only on examining the above that the Committee would be able to fix a threshold value and also assess the nature of work involved for appointing the independent auditor and formulating his terms of engagement,” the committee said.In another email, Shirke told the committee the BCCI had to give a commitment to the ECB regarding incurring expenses for England’s tour of India. He asked the committee to set the terms and conditions and the “manner in which” the agreement should be executed. Shirke had also written to the five state associations hosting the England Tests, asking if they had enough funds to stage the matches.The Committee, however, said that framing the MoU was not part of the court’s order. “The proposed MoU between BCCI and ECB concerns bilateral cricketing policy, the formulation of which is not a part of the mandate of the Committee. As far as payments are concerned, if they are to be made directly by the BCCI, no directions can be given by this Committee until relevant details are furnished by the BCCI.”It is understood that Shirke sent the committee the unsigned MoU via email late on November 3 evening, but despite being asked for details the email did not contain what the Lodha Committee wanted.