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Inter Milan teenager Kevin Zefi has been seen as a potential summer signing by Newcastle United in the summer transfer window and a big update has now emerged.

How old is Kevin Zefi?

The Irishman is just 18 years old currently and moved to Inter from Shamrock Rovers two years ago, such was his ability as a young and emerging footballer.

While Zefi is yet to make a senior first-team appearances for the Serie A giants, he has shone in the youth teams, scoring six goals and registering seven assists for the Under-17 side, as well as an incredible 16 strikes in just 13 games for the Under-18 outfit.

The young winger signed his first professional deal last years and is contracted at Inter until the summer of 2024, but it could be that he moves on before the current transfer window closes at the end of this month.

Newcastle have emerged as strong potential suitors for Zefi and a fresh update further suggests that he could be plying his trade at St James' Park in the very near future.

Will Newcastle sign Kevin Zefi?

Eddie Howe revealed Lewis Hall would be the last first-team signing, but according to NUFC Blog, Newcastle are now expected to sign Zefi for the academy:

"Newcastle United look set to follow the signings of AC Milan youngster Cathal Heffernan and Chelsea’s Lewis Hall with the arrival of fellow 18-year-old Kevin Zefi.

"Zefi is being advised by former Toon defender Stephen Carr and is set to join our U21s after a breakthrough in talks. He also plays at international level alongside Toon duo Alex Murphy and Reece Byrne; two players Dan Ashworth has brought to the club’s academy over the past 12 months."

This is a very exciting update for Newcastle, as they continue to show that they are not only planning for the present, instead making sure they sign young players with big futures in the game.

In Zefi, they have someone who is considered something of a wonderkid, with former coach Shane Robinson explaining what makes him so special:

“Kevin is that type of player that catches the eye easily – he backs himself 100% in possession of the ball. He has lovely balance and uses his body very well to protect the ball.

"He has worked very hard on his overall game over the last number of years and deserves credit for that, he has gone up through the levels impressively from U15 to U19 with First Division appearances last season also."

While Zefi clearly wouldn't be arriving as an important member of the senior setup to begin with, given his lack of experience, he is someone who could continue to start at youth team level, gradually blossoming into a top-level footballer who can cut it on the biggest stage.

Read the latest Newcastle transfer news HERE…

It is always hard to gauge how a youngster will develop, with injuries and work ethic always potentially getting in the way, but the former Shamrock ace has all the tools to make it and could be a future hero on Tyneside.

Manchester United winger Antony registered his first goal of the season during Sunday’s 4-2 win over Newport County in the FA Cup.

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• Antony scores first goal of season
• Plans to 'close' himself off to focus
• Wants to turn around season for Man Utd

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  After making a huge transfer from Ajax in the summer of 2022, the £86 million ($109m) signing has struggled with form. The criticism was intensifying since Antony had failed to score or assist all season – until the win over Newport County, when his dreadful streak came to an end. Antony provided a first-half assist for Bruno Fernandes' early goal. Then, after Newport equalised to tie it 2-2, the Brazil international scored on a rebound. The Brazilian has now vowed to close himself off and use his first goal to help himself turn his season around.

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• WHAT ANTONY SAID

  Speaking to the media, Antony said: "I fought hard to reach the levels of playing for this club, I know I can build on yesterday’s performance and continue to show my qualities. I pushed myself day after day for better performances.

  "I will continue to completely close myself off to improve & play the football that United hired me to do. The whole club, every fan, deserves the best from each one of us. United is one of the main clubs in the world, where everyone wants to be and it's where I want to build my story.

  "I know it hasn't been an easy season, we didn't get the results we wanted as a team, but we never stopped working and focusing on what needed to be done to improve."

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Erik ten Hag will be fully hoping that Antony can turn his season around as his side has been suffering in the final third of the field, lacking that finishing touch with all of his forwards having misfired so far this season. The Red Devils will have a tough battle ahead of them if they want to make it to the Champions League places for next season as they sit eighth on the Premier League table, 11 points off Aston Villa in fourth.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ANTONY?

  The Brazilian is likely to be starting for the Dutchman's side on the right side of attack when they take on Wolves on Thursday, February 1 at the Molineaux as he looks for his first goal contribution in the Premier League this season.

Aston Villa have bolstered their playing squad with three new signings during the summer transfer window but one of their players is now being touted with an exit…

What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?

According to the Daily Mail, Burnley have submitted an offer of £12m to sign Villans attacking midfielder Aaron Ramsey ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.

The report claims that the Clarets are in talks with the club over a deal to snap up the England youth international after they won promotion from the Championship last term.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

Unai Emery has brought in Youri Tielemans, Moussa Diaby, and Pau Torres to strengthen his team and it remains to be seen whether or not he is willing to sanction an exit for Jacob Ramsey's brother.

How good is Aaron Ramsey?

The Villa head coach must avoid the first big transfer blunder of his time at the club by keeping hold of the English dynamo instead of selling him to Burnley this summer.

Ramsey is an exciting young talent who is coming off the back of an impressive second-tier campaign with Norwich and Middlesbrough on loan.

The Villans should not be quick to move on such a promising prospect as the potential is there for him to be a big player for the club in the future if he is able to develop and translate his Championship and academy form over to the Premier League.

Last season, Ramsey averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across 29 league matches for Boro and the Canaries combined, which is a score that only three Villa players – John McGinn, Emi Martinez, and Douglas Luiz – bettered in the Premier League.

The magical technician produced an impressive eight goals and four assists from an attacking midfield position, which shows that the young gem is capable of making things happen at the top end of the pitch with regularity despite his age and inexperience.

Meanwhile, no Villa midfielder managed more than six top-flight goals during the 2022/23 campaign and only two players in that position provided more than four assists.

Ramsey, who was dubbed "selfless" by ex-boss Michael Carrick, caught the eye in the Championship after enjoying a terrific time at U21 level for the Villans. He racked up 15 goals and eight assists in 30 U21 matches for the club prior to his first-team breakthrough.

This shows that the 20-year-old magician has been able to make a big impact for Villa's youth team and at two different second-division clubs, which means that he has been able to adapt and remain consistent despite having to play in varying leagues and with various managers and teammates.

Therefore, Ramsey could be able to handle the step up to the Premier League with Villa and could be a player with the potential to burst onto the scene this season as a goal scoring and creating midfielder.

This is why Emery must not sanction a move toTurf Moor for the academy graduate as he could be a terrific option for the Spanish head coach and improve his midfield's goal output if given an opportunity over the months to come.

Cameos from de Villiers and Behardien gave an inexperienced bowling attack enough runs as cushion and they used it well to topple Bangladesh

The Report by Mohammad Isam26-Oct-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsQuinton De Kock smashed 59 off 44 balls•CHARL DEVENISH/AFP/Getty ImagesAnother match, another win for South Africa: nothing much has changed on this tour. The hosts took the first T20I in Bloemfontein by 20 runs, but for the first time in four weeks, Bangladesh put up a proper fight.Quinton de Kock smacked a half-century, AB de Villiers, in one of his moods, hit eight boundaries in his first 16 balls and Farhaan Behardien produced a fine knock as finisher to take South Africa to a total of 195. Then, Dane Paterson, Andile Phehlukwayo, Beuran Hendricks and debutant Robbie Frylinck picked up two wickets each to keep Bangladesh down to 175 for 9 in 20 overs.Mehidy Hasan and Shakib Al Hasan bowled effectively against a set of rampaging batsmen. Later, Soumya Sarkar and Mohammad Saifuddin did well to put pressure an inexperienced South African attack. It wasn’t enough, but it was something worth talking about from the visitors.After JP Duminy decided to bat, the home side banked on two strong partnerships to post a competitive total. A 79-run second wicket stand between de Villiers and de Kock gave them the foundation before the unbroken 62-run fifth wicket stand between David Miller and Behardien gave them the sparkling finish.Bangladesh’s bowlers started well, taking their earliest first wicket on tour when Mehidy removed Hashim Amla in the second over. De Villiers arrived at the crease at that point and saw de Kock hit three fours before getting down to business himself.He started with two fours off Rubel Hossain in the fifth over that went for 14. He struck Shafiul Islam for four boundaries in the next over that went for 18. In the seventh over, de Villiers hammered Saifuddin for two more fours as South Africa got 44 runs in these three overs.Over the next three overs though, Mehedi and Shakib gave away only 20 runs and that made a difference as de Villiers went for another of his big shots only to hole out to long-off. He finished with 49 off 27 balls.A spell of 27 balls without a boundary was broken in the 12th over when the South African stand-in captain JP Duminy tonked a full toss over deep midwicket. It was the only bad ball in Mehidy’s entire spell, which yielded 2 for 31.Imrul Kayes completed a great catch at long-on to remove Duminy in the 13th over, which also included a marginal run-out call which went South Africa’s way. De Kock, the batsman reprieved, fell lbw to Rubel Hossain in the 15th over, having made 59 off 44 balls. And though he wasn’t too wasn’t happy with the decision he didn’t even try to review it.Behardien and Miller came together with the score on 133 for 4 with five overs left. They only got five boundaries in that time, but by pinching twos at every opportunity, they were still able to ransack 62 runs.Bangladesh took to the chase in earnest, Kayes smashing the first ball from Paterson for four over mid-off and Sarkar joining in with a massive six over mid-on.They kept up with the required rate while the field restrictions were on – for the cost of Kayes’ wicket – but their hopes of building on such a fine start were put to bed by Frylinck and Phehlukwayo. One made Shakib his maiden T20I wicket and the other trapped Sarkar lbs for 47.Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah followed Sarkar to the pavilion, leaving Bangladesh at 101 for 5 in the 12th over. The contest was as good as done when Sabbir Rahman, the last specialist batsman, fell 15 balls later. Paterson added the exclamation point to that statement, taking two wickets in two balls, one of them off a scorching yorker, as Bangladesh kept unravelling.It was against this backdrop that Saifuddin made a composed 39 off 27 balls. He hadn’t allowed South Africa to get too many in the last over of their innings and he ensured they wouldn’t bowl Bangladesh out, taking 15 runs off the last over of the match.

Lionel Messi is not a big fan of Jamie Carragher and the Liverpool legend’s punditry, but CBS Sports have stepped in to try and end that feud.

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Argentine icon not a fan of ex-Reds defenderHas previously branded him a "donkey"Christmas message sent to famous punditWHAT HAPPENED?

It has been revealed that Inter Miami superstar Messi is refusing to appear on the American television network due to their ties with Carragher. The ex-England international has previously admitted to being called a “donkey” by the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT MESSI'S LOOKALIKE SAID

While there is no sign of the pair patching up their differences, CBS Sports have lined up a doppelganger to deliver a Christmas message to Carragher. The lookalike said on Wednesday night: “This is a message for Jamie. As it is the season of goodwill, no one should be alone at Christmas. I have decided that you should Never Walk Alone. Here’s my Christmas gift to you…” The video then cuts to an image of a donkey.

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GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Carragher was able to laugh along with the jokes being aimed in his direction, with the former Liverpool defender seeing the funny side of a long-running feud that he never intended to spark.

A beloved Wrexham company is unveiling its latest collaboration with Wrexham AFC player Jacob Mendy to take its store to the next level.

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Jacob Mendy promotes his clothing brandCollaborates with local store in WrexhamStore had received donations from Reynolds and McElhenneyWHAT HAPPENED?

To launch his already established apparel line, Mendy was invited by a business called Wrexham Trainer Revival, owned by Shaun Carr, to their store on November 30, per . The Wrexham winger's clothing brand, Encore Clothing, debuted in 2022 and offers imaginative, edgy and contemporary designs. Items from the Encore line, such as hats and t-shirts, will be available for purchase in the store starting at 4 pm local time.

AdvertisementWHAT CARR SAID

The Wrexham Trainer Revival owner said [via ]: "Today starts our late-night Christmas opening and we’ve got a very special guest coming down to launch his new clothing brand ‘Encore.' Jacob Mendy will be in store and upstairs at Casual Kids Lab from 4pm until 6pm kicking off his new range."

"Mendy has been amazing with us popping in the shop messaging asking how we are getting on, I said we would love his brand in store and Mendy has made that happen, he’s an amazing down-to-earth person, and looking forward to it."

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This comes after the devastating break-in at that same business earlier this month, during which more than £7,000 worth of merchandise was stolen. Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds generously gave £3,500, and locals collected an amazing £4,700 to assist the owners in getting back on their feet. Mendy, along with fellow Wrexham AFC player Elliot Lee, backed the store's reopening and exhorted Wrexham citizens to patronise small businesses.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

The defender will be available at the store later today from 4 pm until 6 pm kicking off his new range before being involved on the field with the Red Dragons when they take on Yeovil Town on Sunday, December 3.

Manchester United are now targeting Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow, who could be brought in alongside Andre Onana, according to reports from the Netherlands.

Which goalkeeper are Man United signing?

Man United goalkeeper David de Gea officially became a free agent on Friday following the expiration of his contract, and it is now looking increasingly likely that the Spaniard will not return to Old Trafford for the upcoming campaign.

As such, Erik ten Hag is tasked with bringing in a suitable replacement, and Onana is at the top of the list, as the manager retains a good relationship with the Inter shot-stopper from their time working together at Ajax.

The Cameroonian is viewed as a huge upgrade on De Gea due to his distribution and reading of the game, however, he will not come cheap, as it is believed it will take offers in excess of £50m for Inter to consider a sale this summer.

Not only is Onana emerging as a key target, but Dutch outlet 1908 reports the Red Devils hold a concrete interest in signing Bijllow, who could arrive at Old Trafford in addition to the Inter 'keeper (via Sport Witness).

The report explains that United are looking to replace De Gea, though Feyenoord are apparently not interested in allowing the £6k-per-week goalkeeper to leave and are pushing for him to sign a new contract.

Voetbal International reports the player himself would love to make the switch to Old Trafford, but at the moment, it appears as though Feyenoord will stand in his way.

Who is Justin Bijlow?

The Rotterdam-born goalkeeper has played for Feyenoord throughout his entire career, and he has impressed enough to be called up for The Netherlands on several occasions, amassing a total of eight caps for his national side.

Hailed as "brilliant" by members of the media, the 25-year-old has recorded a very impressive average clean sheet percentage over the past year, placing in the 92nd percentile compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level.

Given his international experience and impressive performances at club level, it is unclear whether the Dutchman would be happy playing second fiddle to Onana, who would surely be first-choice if he costs over £50m.

If he is willing to accept a more limited role, Bijlow could be a fantastic addition to Ten Hag's squad, who could even be capable of pushing for a starting spot.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been offered the chance to sign Harry Maguire this summer, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Harry Maguire?

Recently, CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs spoke on the United Stand YouTube channel and stated that Maguire could be a surprise target for the Old Gold this summer as Julen Lopetegui eyes defensive reinforcements.

Jacobs gave some further insight into Wolves' interest in Maguire this off-season, stating: “I would actually keep an eye on Wolves. One dark horse for Maguire. Even though he has not had as good a season this season as the season before, Max Kilman is being looked at by a variety of clubs, so Wolves could lose a centre-back, and that might open the possibility later in the window for them to look at a player like Maguire.He is on their radar as well. There are going to be offers for Maguire.”

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are also keen on the £190k-a-week ace, who is also attracting attention from clubs overseas.

The report states that despite several clubs being open to offering him a new challenge, Maguire is said to be content at Manchester United despite falling further down the pecking order at Old Trafford during 2022/23.

talkSPORT understand that Maguire is keen to fight for his spot at Manchester United and is 'reluctant' to leave the Red Devils, where he is currently club captain.

Speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Jones would have his doubts over Maguire's suitability to Wolves should he complete a move to Molineux.

Jones told FFC: "I mean, the Maguire one surprises me a bit. I'm not really sure how that fits with anyone's vision, whether it's Harry Maguire or Wolves, so I'm not so sure about that one, but this is the time when they're trying to put the feelers out and find clubs that will buy and actually show some interest in Harry Maguire. I can believe that it's been put to them. Would they be interested?"

Would Harry Maguire be an ideal addition for Wolverhampton Wanderers?

Maguire is an experienced head that could potentially be an intelligent signing by Wolves if he was to be enticed to swap Old Trafford for Molineux this summer.

The Sheffield-born star – who has been dubbed a "monster" by some in the media – was utilised mainly as a rotational squad option during 2022/23 and made 31 appearances in total for Manchester United, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored show that the 30-year-old had his wits about him regarding sniffing out danger across the term, as he completed an average of 2.6 clearances per match in the Premier League.

As per FBRef, Maguire also excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of aerial duels won, successfully coming out on top in around 3.01 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the top 12% for this metric.

Nevertheless, Wolves would need to beat off stiff competition from a number of clubs in England and around Europe if they were to snap up Maguire in this window.

Rangana Herath conceded 400 career wickets would be “nice to have”, while reiterating that at 39, he considers his future in the game after every series. Having taken 6 for 59 in Sri Lanka’s victory in Galle, Herath is now the most successful left-arm spinner in Tests, surpassing Daniel Vettori’s career tally of 362. This was also his 29th five-wicket haul – only Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Richard Hadlee and Anil Kumble have achieved more.”If you can get to a target like that it would be terrific, because very few people have taken 400 Test wickets,” Herath said. “I’d love to get there, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll be in this form forever. But I’ll keep playing and contributing as I can for the team and for the country, and hope that the wickets keep coming.”That Herath is now among the most successful bowlers in the game is all the more extraordinary, given he did not have a long run in the team until he was 31. Before 2009, when he became a fixture in Sri Lanka’s Test XI, Herath had played only 14 Tests at sporadic intervals.”I have no regrets about starting late,” he said. “I have already played 79 Tests and I am happy with what ever I have achieved so far.”Herath needs 34 more Test wickets to get 400, and if matches are played per-schedule, Sri Lanka play six further home Tests this year before they are due to go overseas for a bilateral tour. In those matches, Herath may find himself sharing the spin duties with two other slow bowlers, however – Sri Lanka now having fielded three specialist spinners in each of their last four Tests on the island. Unusually, in this match, they also played two seamers, bringing the number of frontline bowlers to five. As acting captain, Herath said having so many bowlers at his command provided him with a wealth of possible strategies.”We talked a lot about playing six batsmen and five bowlers, and ultimately it was the selectors who made that decision,” Herath said. “I look at it the positive way. I have loads of options when you have three spinners. When we bowl long spells bowlers will get tired, so in that situation having five bowlers is a clear advantage.”As you saw today, playing against three spinners with such a large score to get is difficult for the opposition. The pitch wasn’t turning as much as usual, but we had the bowlers who did well – Dilruwan Perera and Lakshan Sandakan gave a lot of support.”Though Sri Lanka were rarely pushed in this match, they did drop three catches in the first innings. Catches had been liberally spilled in recent tours of South Africa and Australia as well. 

”After a game we look at the weak points in all three departments, and we have to be more cautious when it comes to fielding, as we missed a few chances,” Herath said. “But we are learning. We will work hard and come good.”

The shares of the BCCI and the ECB in the ICC’s revenue pie have reduced, even as cricket’s governing body aims at a sense of equity in revenue distribution

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Feb-2017

ESPNcricinfo can reveal details of the ICC’s new financial model that was proposed to Full Members at last weekend’s board meeting in Dubai. The models are part of a broader report, produced by an ICC working group committee, which seeks to provide the basis of a new constitution for the game.The draft of a new constitution was passed in principle at the meeting, with seven members voting for it, two opposing and one abstaining. Members will now bring thoughts, suggestions and concerns to the table in April, which may result in changes to the draft.The biggest obstacle will be the financial model and, in particular, the BCCI’s objections to it. ICC revenues for this rights cycle – 2015-2023 – are estimated to be around US $2.5 billion. Some estimates suggest revenues may go as high as $2.7 billion. The projections in this model are for revenues up to $3 billion. These are based on the possibility of additional ICC tournaments being added to the existing cycle. ESPNcricinfo has seen the model, from which a number of things stand out.

ICC Gross Revenues
(in US$) 2.5 billion 2.6 billion 2.7 billion 2.8 billion 2.9 billion 3 billion BCCI 255-260 270-275 285-290 305-310 320-325 335-340ECB 120-125 130-135 135-140 145-150 155-160 160-165CA 110-115 120-125 125-130 135-140 140-145 150-155CSA 110-115 120-125 125-130 135-140 140-145 150-155PCB 110-115 120-125 125-130 135-140 140-145 150-155WICB 110-115 120-125 125-130 135-140 140-145 150-155NZC 110-115 120-125 125-130 135-140 140-145 150-155SLC 110-115 120-125 125-130 135-140 140-145 150-155BCB 110-115 120-125 125-130 135-140 140-145 150-155ZC 75-80 80-85 85-90 90-95 95-100 105-110IRE 50-55 55-60 55-60 60-65 65-70 70-75AFG 50-55 55-60 55-60 60-65 65-70 70-75No contribution, no cost
The most controversial aspect of the 2014 Big Three financial model was the idea of contribution costs, and the realisation that not all members bring to the game an equal amount of money. What each Full Member earned in total from the ICC revenue was a percentage figure of the total revenues (the contribution cost, based on contributions made, and provided as compensation for playing in ICC events: the BCCI had a 20.3% share, ECB 4.4%, Cricket Australia, 2.7% and so on) plus an equal share of the surplus (which is how revenues had been divided until then). The seven non-Big Three boards also got an additional $10 million over eight years as part of the Test Cricket Fund.In the new model, this breakdown of earnings is redundant as is the contribution-cost element. Instead one lump sum figure is provided for each board. But the principle behind contribution costs remains because in every projection, the BCCI gets a bigger share of the pie than every other board – twice as much, in fact, as the next.The Big Three take a hit
In the new model, the percentage shares of the BCCI and ECB in the total pie have gone down, while that of CA remains roughly the same. But a quick calculation will tell you why the BCCI is unhappy with these models. Not only is there no real formula behind them, but the Indian board takes the biggest hit from the 2014 model.In that model, for gross ICC revenue of $2.5 billion, the BCCI stood to earn between 17.6-18% of the revenue (between $440-445 million*). In the new model, at the same gross revenue, it gets 10-10.2%. That is a reduction in potential earnings of between $180-190 million. The percentage share does increase should the ICC’s revenue increase but it isn’t a large spike: if the ICC gets $3 billion as revenue, the BCCI’s share will be between 11.16-11.33%.Under the 2014 model, the ECB stood to take 5.8-6%, whereas now its share is 4.8-5%, or between $20-30 million less. CA’s share was between 4.4-4.6% in the last model and is more or less the same now. As with the BCCI, their shares will increase should the ICC’s total gross revenue increase. That is the case with all boards.Equity
The ICC said in its press release after the meeting that a sense of equity played a big part in the determining of these figures. That much is clear in the fact that below the BCCI and ECB are seven boards that stand to get essentially the same share for nearly any projected value of total gross revenue.It would seem as if the ICC has tried to preserve both a sense of contribution cost – by recognising the right of the BCCI to the largest share – and, by narrowing the gap between them and the others, ensuring a degree of equality among the boards beneath them. The problem, of course, is that there remains no set formula behind these numbers – they remain, essentially, arbitrary figures.Welcome Ireland and Afghanistan
You will not have missed the last two entries in the first table – Ireland and Afghanistan. The status of both was discussed at the board meeting; Afghanistan’s domestic multi-day tournament was given first-class status, thus fulfilling one key prerequisite to play Test cricket.This model – as well as the Test league structure – is perhaps the clearest sign yet that there is a will to have them playing Tests, or at least be part of the big boys’ club. Over eight years (with ICC gross revenues of $2.5 billion) each could earn $50-55 million.Goodbye Test Cricket Fund
One of the redeeming features of the Big Three model was the introduction of a Test Cricket Fund that sought to subsidise unprofitable bilateral series outside the Big Three. That amounted to $10 million for each of the seven boards over the eight-year cycle. The first payments were made to these boards last year.This move is likely linked to the introduction of a league structure for Test cricket, which, in theory, means that all bilateral contests have greater context, and thus, greater financial value and so do not need subsidising.*