Rilee Rossouw is set to return to South Africa from the Caribbean, to have surgery on the shoulder he injured during the tri-series match against Australia on June 7. Dean Elgar has been named Rossouw’s replacement. Elgar was picked ahead of David Miller, who was dropped for this series.Rossouw had injured his right shoulder while fielding in South Africa’s bonus-point win against Australia. The incident occurred when he crashed shoulder-first into the ground as he hauled the ball in after a chase from backward point. He was helped off the field by the medical staff and taken for scans with what seemed to be a dislocated shoulder.Rossouw had scored 68 runs in the two matches he played in the series, including an innings of 61 in the opening match of the tri-series against West Indies, which South Africa lost by four wickets.Elgar comes in to the squad having last played an ODI in October last year on South Africa’s tour to India. The left-handed batsman scored 608 runs in six matches in South Africa’s first-class competition, the Sunfoil Series, in 2015-16 and was the second-highest run-getter for South Africa in the four-Test series against England earlier this year. Against England, Elgar scored 284 runs in four matches, including a knock of 118 in the Boxing Day Test in Durban.South Africa are leading the table after the first leg of tri-series matches. After losing their opening match, they claimed a bonus-point victory over Australia, defending 189 for a 47-run win. Their next match in the series is on June 11 against Australia in Basseterre, St Kitts.

talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook has suggested that former Chelsea boss Graham Potter could become a target for Tottenham Hotspur after his sacking.

What's the latest on Graham Potter after Chelsea?

The Englishman was relieved of his duties on Monday morning, barely two days after Chelsea's dismal 2-0 home defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League – a result which moved the west Londoners into the bottom half.

Despite spending north of £533 million on signings this season alone, Chelsea seriously underachieved domestically under Potter – coming after owner Todd Boehly sacked Champions League-winning manager Thomas Tuchel to bring in the former Brighton boss.

Their surprise decision at the time eventually did not pay off as results on the field eventually forced Boehly and co to give Potter his P45. Now, Chelsea are on the hunt for a new manager alongside Spurs, with both clubs thought to hold a serious interest in appointing ex-Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann – who was also recently fired.

The managerial merry-go-round is in full swing, with Potter apparently already rejecting an approach from Leicester City after they sacked Brendan Rodgers. Expanding further on that development, talkSPORT reporter Crook has made a Spurs suggestion.

Indeed, the journalist hints that Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy could well target Potter this summer – coming after he reportedly rejected a move to north London in 2021.

Crook explained:

"He [Potter] will be bruised by things turning sour so quickly at #CFC so no benefit in rebounding straight into another job. Will be on a lot of lists come the summer #CPFC Leicester again and maybe even #THFC [Tottenham]."

Would Potter be a good option for Spurs?

Despite his recent bad luck at Stamford Bridge, Potter does actually possess a few key credentials which make him stand out as a very good potential candidate.

The 47-year-old encourages an attack-minded style of football and earned praise for his work at Brighton on a limited budget. Journalist Melissa Reddy called Potter a 'superb manager' in response to the Seagulls' achievements last year – namely their top-half finish and joint-fourth-fewest defeats of any side in the Premier League.

The former Swansea boss arguably galvanized a solid Brighton side at the time and they were just five points off qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Of course, Tottenham need to shoot far higher than that, but Potter's previous work on a shoestring could make him an attractive option for Levy. What's more, he shares the same agent as defender Clement Lenglet.

Leeds United are submitting a bid to bring Hamilton Academical teenager Josh McDonald to Yorkshire, Football Insider report.

What’s the latest Leeds transfer news?

The Whites currently find themselves in a battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League, with Javi Gracia’s side just one point above the drop zone.

However, Leeds are still looking to add to their Thorp Arch pool talent and are set to sign teenage winger Ilias Akhomach from Barcelona this summer.

Another youngster in McDonald, dubbed an “exceptional talent” by coaches, also seems to be on the Elland Road radar, regardless of what division Leeds are in next season.

Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey shared an update from Leeds in the last 48 hours, revealing that the Whites are submitting an offer for McDonald.

He adds that the club have been in contact with the player and his family and are looking to pip Rangers to the midfielder’s signature.

Bigger problems for Orta and Leeds…

Things haven’t been going to plan for Orta and Leeds ever since they parted ways with Marcelo Bielsa. The Argentine’s successor, Jesse Marsch, was sacked back in February and Gracia is looking to pick up the pieces of a squad that was largely assembled by Orta and Marsch.

Leeds supporters turned on the sporting director and the board during the 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Saturday, as reported by Phil Hay. Therefore, you could argue that the Whites have bigger problems to deal with instead of looking to sign a teenager in McDonald.

The Scotland U18 international could well turn out to be a future star, however, Leeds could find themselves back in the Championship if things don’t go to plan in the next six games, which would undo all of the hard work put in by Andrea Radrizzani, Orta and Bielsa to get the Whites back in the Premier League.

It seems as if a move for McDonald will be one to keep an eye on, though, and who knows, the midfielder may well be the next promising gem to come through the Thorp Arch ranks and into the first team over time.

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said that playing in England will be a steep learning experience for left-arm quick Mustafizur Rahman to develop as a bowler

Mohammad Isam02-Jun-2016Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said that playing in England will be a steep learning experience for left-arm quick Mustafizur Rahman to develop as a bowler.Last month it was learned that Mustafizur had expressed reluctance to those close to him of going to England to play for Sussex soon after completing the IPL season. He also suffered a low-grade right hamstring injury towards the end of the tournament in India but it is not being considered a big problem. Sussex too have been keen on having him over, albeit a little later.”If you want to improve the performance, you have to play in those conditions,” Hathurusingha said. “[If] you don’t go there, you don’t know. Bangladesh cricket will be benefited. Mustafiz will develop quickly and perform well. So if it is not going to harm his health, I think it is a good thing for him to go and play. It is a rare opportunity for Bangladeshi players to play there [in England]. If I can send four players I will send them all. It is the best way to do it.”Hathurusingha’s statement is by far the strongest push for Mustafizur to honour his contract with Sussex, who signed him in March this year, to play in the NatWest T20 Blast and the Royal London One Day Cup this season.Hathurusingha, who arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday evening after his vacation at home in Melbourne, said that while Mustafizur’s next challenge would be to do well in Tests, he would also have to be taken care of, now that many batsmen around the world are seeing more of his bowling.”He has played two Test matches and became Man of the Match in one with four wickets,” Hathurusingha said. “At the start it is impressive but as you said it is going to be a challenge. He has to be fit, we have to look after him.”We all know that his mystery is going to be found out very soon, so at the same time I am looking forward to his cricketing intelligence. So we will find ways for him to be competitive. Our challenge is look after him and develop him and keep him in the pack to play for Bangladesh.”

ICC head of global development Tim Anderson has said the USA Cricket Association, which was suspended at last June’s ICC Annual Conference, has until December 15 to ratify a new constitution

Peter Della Penna09-Jun-2016

ICC head of global development Tim Anderson has said the USA Cricket Association, which was suspended at last June’s ICC annual conference, has until December 15 to ratify a constitution that gives representation to the entire US cricket community and is compliant with US Olympic Committee statutory requirements.The December deadline is an indication that USACA has been given every opportunity to have its suspension lifted before the end of the year rather than facing expulsion at the ICC annual conference later this month in Edinburgh.A new constitution is one of 39 terms and conditions laid out by the ICC for USACA to satisfy in order to be reinstated. Establishing a revised governance structure was former USACA chief executive Darren Beazley’s primary task when he took over the role in February 2013, but he could not gain enough support at the USACA AGM that November and resigned in March 2014. USACA has failed to ratify a constitution at three subsequent AGMs, including the most recent one on April 9 in Florida.In an email sent to USA cricket’s stakeholders on Thursday, Anderson said there was progress in framing the new constitution during meetings with the a 10-person advisory group in Colorado Springs on June 4 and 5. ICC chief executive David Richardson and ICC chief counsel Iain Higgins were also in attendance along with Anderson and ICC Americas regional development manager Ben Kavenagh.”Many different governance structures were considered during the two-day workshop, and significant progress was made towards reaching agreement for a number of fundamental principles which will best serve the primary objective of unifying the USA cricket community,” Anderson wrote in the email. “Further work will be required in order to complete this exercise over the coming weeks/months, and further updates will be provided as the proposed model and supporting documents are prepared.”The ICC delegation was also given a welcome reception by local dignitaries in Colorado Springs to celebrate the relocation of the ICC Americas office from Toronto. Among those in attendance were current USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun and former USOC president Bill Hybl. The reception was held by the El Pomar Foundation at Penrose House.Interviews were also held for several staff positions at the new Colorado Springs office, which is set to open next month. According to Anderson, ten candidates were shortlisted for in-person interviews from over 100 applications received for the positions of USA project manager and USA project officer.

Jermaine Blackwood returned to form with a patient half-century while R Ashwin scalped three wickets in the second innings as the Indians’ warm-up game against West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI petered out into a draw in Basseterre

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jul-2016
ScorecardJermaine Blackwood compiled a patient 143-ball 51•AFP

West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwood returned to form with a patient half-century while R Ashwin scalped three wickets in the second innings as the Indians’ warm-up game against West Indies Cricket Board President’s XI petered out into a draw in Basseterre.Resuming from their overnight deficit of 158, batsmen Joel Campbell and Shai Hope started slowly. After striking Ravindra Jadeja for two sixes, Campbell holed out to mid-on for a 59-ball 31.Five overs later, Hope was caught by Virat Kohli at leg slip and the President’s XI were 70 for 3. However, Blackwood, who is part of West Indies’ Test squad for the India series, and Vishaul Singh expelled the Indians’ hopes of a win with a 62-run fourth-wicket partnership off 31 overs.”I’m fully confident,” Blackwood said after play. “The first innings [I] was looking to bat as long as possible, [I] have the feel of the bowlers. Now I know what they have to offer. I tried to pick the gap, not try to be as aggressive as my normal self and changed my approach. [I’m] always going to be confident, even if I get one ball or make a hundred, I’m still going to be the same Jermaine Blackwood.”Vishaul was run-out for 39 and Blackwood was bowled by Ashwin for 51 off 143 balls, but Montcin Hodge and Rahkeem Cornwall added 39 for the sixth wicket. Cornwall was caught behind for 21 off Mohammed Shami but with an Indian win seeming unlikely, the game was drawn with 78 overs bowled in the day.Seamers Shami and Shardul Thakur bowled 11 and 12 overs respectively, while spinners Ashwin, Jadeja and Amit Mishra shared 43 overs among them.”In both the (warm-up) games, pitches in St Kitts were slow,” Thakur said after the game. “We are expecting slower wickets in the Test matches. If there is a slow wicket the next time we play, it won’t surprise us. We are ready for it. Doesn’t matter what the pitch is – slow or fast. Effort matters. To put in that effort is my job.”India begin their four-Test series against West Indies in North Sound, Antigua from July 21.

Leeds United loanee Charlie Cresswell has undergone surgery on a fractured eye socket and will miss the rest of the season as a result.

What’s the latest injury news on Cresswell?

Cresswell has been out on loan with Championship side Millwall where he has made 30 appearances in all competitions. The 20-year-old has even weighed in with five goals in the second tier, with Gary Rowett’s side currently in the playoff places.

However, the Leeds defender has missed the last three games after suffering a "significant" injury against West Brom at the beginning of the month. There has now been an update on the player’s condition, one that isn’t good for either Cresswell or Millwall.

Reporter Rich Cawley relayed an update regarding Cresswell in the last 48 hours, stating on Twitter that the Leeds gem has undergone eye surgery and will miss the rest of the season.

He added that Cresswell has a five-to-six-week recovery period, but even if Millwall reach the playoff final, would more than likely miss out due to not being match fit.

What next for Cresswell at Leeds?

Cresswell has enjoyed a positive loan spell at The Den and has been the club’s second-best performer this season, leading the way for clearances and blocks made, as per WhoScored.

His average match rating is actually better than any Leeds player, and the Whites’ survival hopes could well have a say in Cresswell’s future. The youngster was heavily linked with a permanent exit from Elland Road back in January, however, he is still under contract in Yorkshire until 2025.

Leeds have been leaking goals in the Premier League in recent weeks, shipping for against Arsenal, five vs Crystal Palace and six last time out against Liverpool, so if they are relegated, Cresswell may find himself with a chance to break into the club’s first-team plans. He could even look at forcing his way into the first-team setup even if Leeds stay up following his successful loan spell, but that may depend on who is in charge heading into the 2023/24 season.

The England U21 international has done his chances no harm this season, though, being hailed as “excellent” by Rowett and his Transfermarkt valuation increasing to a career-high figure. It is unfortunate that his season is now over, but it’ll be interesting to see where he is plying his trade in the 2023/24 campaign.

Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine were controversial inclusions in West Indies’ squad for the ODI tri-series. They had not played international cricket since November 2015, and did not take part in West Indies’ domestic 50-over competition, which was considered to be one of the WICB’s criteria for selection.The two of them, however, proved the match-winners in the opening game of the tournament, with Narine’s 6 for 27, the best ODI figures by a West Indies spinner, helping bowl South Africa out for 188 and Pollard’s unbeaten, run-a-ball 67 sealing a four-wicket win.Phil Simmons, West Indies’ head coach, praised the pair’s contributions, highlighting Narine’s effort to bounce back from a difficult period, in which he has remodeled his bowling action after it was found to be illegal.”They are the two guys who took the game away from South Africa, and it showed that they’re very important to our cricket,” Simmons said. “Narine himself, coming back from everything he’s been through, to come and perform the way he did today, you have to give him a lot of kudos for his grit and his determination, to come out of where he’s been and to come back and perform like this.”Pollard showed his ball-striking ability by hitting six sixes, but waited for the right moments to play his big shots on a sluggish pitch. West Indies were a slightly shaky 76 for 4 when he walked in and took over.”Pollard’s experience showed there,” Simmons said “His ability to hit the ball but also his experience to guide young [Darren] Bravo and so on through the end. [It] showed in [South Africa’s] innings too, [AB] de Villiers guiding [Rilee] Rossouw. And also, I think we came out and [showed] a little bit more grit and a little bit more determination today.”Simmons was heartened by what he felt was an improved fielding display from his side.”I think, again, the bowling has been fantastic and the fielding is getting to where I would like to see, it’s improving all the time,” he said. “Everybody knows that we can bowl and we can bat, but the fielding in particular has been improving and that has helped in us keeping teams to low scores.”

Mitchell Johnson is set to play BBL cricket for the first time after signing with the Perth Scorchers for the 2016-17 season

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-2016Mitchell Johnson is set to play BBL cricket for the first time after signing with the Perth Scorchers for the 2016-17 season. Johnson, 34, announced his retirement from international cricket during last summer and has only played in the IPL since then, but the lure of staying involved via the BBL was appealing.”I was never going anywhere else and always wanted to stay here and be part of the community,” Johnson said. “To be able to play for the Perth Scorchers, where I live and where I’m based, is perfect for me.”It’s exciting to be able to play Twenty20 cricket. A lot of the boys have told me about the Big Bash and how good it’s become, not only from a spectators’ point of view but also from a player’s point of view. It’s really good to play and it’s only getting bigger and bigger.”Johnson’s signing comes after the Scorchers lost a key drawcard with spinner Brad Hogg defecting to the Melbourne Renegades. Johnson said he would enjoy working with the Scorchers’ talented group of young fast bowlers, including fellow left-armers Joel Paris and Jason Behrendorff.”I’ll hopefully be able to guide these young guys in the right direction,” Johnson said. “I want be a mentor and bowl alongside these guys. I want to be involved in the coaching side of things which has become a bit more of a focus for me. I also want to enjoy it and have some fun.”

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be targeting Xabi Alonso as their next potential manager and Jamie Redknapp has hailed the 42-year-old amid the reports.

Are Spurs eyeing Xabi Alonso as their next manager?

The north London club's season is currently petering out on a whimper at the moment following a stretch of four league games without a single victory.

Indeed, their last four games in the Premier League have only provided Spurs with one win as their defence has seen 14 goals conceded in those matches.

Amid their struggles in the Premier League, a managerial merry-go-round has been going on in the background with Ryan Mason having been handed the responsibility following the departure of both Antonio Conte and Cristian Stellini.

But it seems as if Daniel Levy is still targeting a different permanent manager ahead of the summer with the likes of Julian Nagelsmann being linked with the club.

The search appears to have expanded to other young up-and-coming managers with the Bayer Leverkusen boss, Alonso, also believed to be on their radar.

Indeed, Dutch reports suggest the former Liverpool midfielder is, in fact, the leading candidate for the job in north London amid links to Feyenoord's Arne Slot.

And speaking to the media, Sky Sports pundit Redknapp has hailed the Spaniard and suggested he could be an excellent fit for the Lilywhites:

"Since he's gone there transformation in that team has been astronomical. So he obviously knows what he's doing and such a classy guy, classy player.

"See, I'm not surprised one bit that Tottenham are in for him but there'll be a lot of other clubs as well."

Would Alonso be a good fit for Spurs?

The 42-year-old has now been at the helm of the Bundesliga side for 31 games across all competitions in which he has overseen 17 victories (via Transfermarkt).

There have certainly been some frustrating defeats along the way including to the likes of Augsburg in the German top flight.

However, Leverkusen have now put together a run of 14 games across all competitions without defeat – including 10 wins.

Alonso has been described as an "exciting" prospect by journalist Manuel Veth and his 4-3-3 formation has produced a return of 65 goals from his 31 games at the helm.

But there will be major question marks asked over his side's ability to defend having also conceded 40 times in those games.

And that is something which is certainly an issue in north London with Tottenham holding the sixth-worst defensive record in the Premier League – despite sitting up in sixth spot.

Alonso's playing career can leave no questions, but given Leverkusen look set to lose out on Champions League football under Spaniard to the likes of Union Berlin and potentially Freiburg, he may need to do more to earn the Spurs job.

Tottenham also look set to miss out on the Champions League spots this season, but could Alonso be the man to change that for next season?