Fans without tickets were turned away from Scotland’s World T20 match against Zimbabwe at the VCA stadium in Nagpur today, as there are no ticketing facilities available at the ground.The tickets for the match are priced at 100 rupees for the East and West stands and 200 rupees for behind the bowler’s arm (approx £1.10 and £2.20 respectively). However, many supporters were obliged to travel back to the old VCA stadium in central Nagpur to purchase their tickets, meaning that that those that chose to do so were forced to miss much of the contest.The current stadium, which was inaugurated in 2008 and has a capacity of 45,000, lies 20km outside the city centre, a journey time of approximately 40 minutes by auto-rickshaw. However, the main ticketing system remains still situated at the old venue. A VCA official said it was not possible to have ticketing at both grounds.The BCCI, who declined to comment, are in overall charge of the ticketing policy for the tournament, but the arrangements for each match are at the discretion of the individual state associations. Dharamsala, the other venue that has so far hosted matches, has chosen to sell tickets for the qualifying rounds at the gate.The VCA spokesman added that advertisements for the ticketing policy had been placed in local papers but was unable to explain why the information had not been passed on to the BCCI or ICC, so they could warn fans who were travelling in from other grounds.The atmosphere inside the stadium, which came in for heavy criticism on the opening day of the tournament, was marginally improved for today’s contest, thanks to an influx of some 250 children from nearby schools. However, approximately 100 fans remained locked out of the ground at the start of Zimbabwe’s innings. The venue is too remote to support any local pubs or cafes in which to watch the contest, or to access the ICC’s online ticket-booking service that could have resolved the issue.”We love cricket, which is why we are here even in this heat to watch Scotland take on Zimbabwe,” one group of college students from Nagpur told ESPNcricinfo. “But we can’t book online because of the network and the ticket sales are going on at the other ground. There’s so few people in, why can’t they just let us in. We are even willing to pay at the gate.”One group of Scotland fans, who encountered similar problems during Tuesday’s opening round of fixtures, including Scotland’s defeat against Afghanistan, had been mistakenly informed that they could buy their tickets at their hotel.Privately ICC officials are frustrated that common sense has not been used, especially with the already low turn out for these matches.

Chelsea are now open to offers for Hakim Ziyech and have set their price amid interest in the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Ziyech's future?

The Blues playmaker’s contract at Stamford Bridge isn’t set to expire until 2025 but his future has recently been uncertain after falling out of favour which has seen him make just six top-flight starts this season. Football.London have reported that Todd Boehly could be set to sanction a mass exodus this summer to try and help with the financial aspect of things and the 30-year-old is one of the names to have been included on the list of players who could potentially be facing the axe.

West Ham United and Fulham are two clubs that have already been credited with an interest in the winger should he be made available for transfer at the end of the season and there now appears to be another rival who has entered the race to secure his signature.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur have “registered an interest” in signing Ziyech during the upcoming window. Paris Saint-Germain are also expected to join the running after they saw a loan move collapse in January. The Blues forward “could look to leave” SW6 ahead of the new term after dropping down the pecking order where the Irons and the Cottagers are once again both name-checked alongside Spurs.

It’s believed that Frank Lampard's side would “accept bids” in the region of £20m which is a staggering £18m less than the £38m they initially paid for him when he joined from Ajax. PSG are currently his “preferred option”, but the Lilywhites would be the “most likely” to acquire him should he remain in the Premier League.

Should Chelsea keep or sell Ziyech?

Ziyech has been hailed a “joy to watch” by journalist Josh Bunting and he certainly can be on his day, but Chelsea clearly don’t see him as part of their long-term future so they should cash in whilst there is significant interest.

The Moroccan international has not featured in any of his side’s previous six top-flight outings, the last four he was completely omitted from the matchday squad and the other two he was an unused substitute. Additionally, the Dronten native has made 19 appearances across all competitions this season but has only recorded one assist during that time showing that he’s failed to prove himself when given the opportunity to play.

Finally, Ziyech is pocketing £100k-p/w in the capital which is an awful lot of money for someone who’s nothing more than a bench warmer so Chelsea letting him go would help free up their wage bill and generate funds for potential new signings in the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur have Oliver Glasner on their managerial shortlist, but he would not be willing to leave Eintracht Frankfurt before the end of the season.

Who will take over from Conte?

It does seem as if Spurs are set to part ways with their Italian manager in the coming days with reports suggesting the club are now discussing a compensation package for his early departure.

This will leave Spurs with 10 Premier League games remaining until the end of the campaign which may prove problematic in finding a manager who is willing to jump straight into the job.

Some reports would suggest Daniel Levy may look to Ryan Mason and a makeshift backroom staff for the remaining games before bringing in their long-term option for the summer.

One manager who would not be open to joining in the next week or two is Glasner, according to Fabrizio Romano, who does, however, believe the 48-year-old would be open to a Premier League move in the summer:

"I wanted to clarify on Glasner, that from what I understand, at the moment for the immediate situation, March/April, there is no way. So Glasner is not leaving Eintracht during the season.

"This is the feeling around the [Austrian] coach. At the end of the season, he will explore the options also in the Premier League."

Would Glasner be a good appointment?

There are certainly two ways of looking at the potential appointment of Glasner in north London if they are to seriously target him as Conte's successor.

This season may feel slightly underwhelming on the back of last season with Frankfurt currently six points off the Champions League spots in the Bundesliga table.

And their recent form has been incredibly underwhelming with no win to their name in their last six games across all competitions which included a 5-0 aggregate thumping in the Champions League (via Transfermarkt).

Like some of the other managers believed to be on Fabio Paratici's shortlist, Glasner does typically use a similar set-up to Conte with the use of wing-backs.

So in that sense, he could be viewed as someone to come in and keep the identity of the current side but potentially bring some fresh ideas.

Something which may also prove to be an attractive bonus for Spurs is his achievement of winning the Europa League last year with the German side.

Spurs are obviously in the middle of a trophy drought which will not be ended this season having recently been knocked out of the FA Cup and Champions League.

And given the north London club's issues this season, they could well find themselves playing in the second-string European competition next season – a competition in which Glasner has a good pedigree.

Australia’s stand-in coach Justin Langer was full of praise for David Warner’s newfound professionalism and focus, after he steered Australia home against West Indies with an unbeaten fifty

Daniel Brettig07-Jun-2016So single-minded a Test cricketer was Justin Langer that team-mates have often spoken of the almost monastic fanaticism with which he pursued team and individual success for Australia. So it was telling that he spoke with enormous admiration for the cricketer David Warner has become, epitomised by his busy intensity in Australia’s victory in their tri-series opener against West Indies.The past week in New York and Guyana has been the first time Langer was able to get a look at Warner up close since he resigned as Australia’s assistant coach to take up the head coach role with Western Australia in November 2012. At that point, Warner’s performances were strong enough, but he was on a spiral of bad behaviour that led to his suspension from part of the 2013 Ashes tour for throwing a punch at Joe Root in a Birmingham nightclub.Three years on, Langer speaks of Warner in the same way as he does about former team-mates and close friends Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden – an unlikely scenario in the past, and a measure of how far the teetotal and focused Warner has come. This applied not only to the national team, but also to his work for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, where Warner played a large part in securing the trophy for his side.”I just admire David Warner so much, it’s not just his performances on the field but his actions off the field,” Langer said ahead of Australia’s second match against South Africa on Tuesday. “He’d probably be the first to admit that a few years ago he was pretty hard to manage; he liked to do things his way. But really he looks super-focused at the moment. He’s super-fit, you see his running between the wickets, he’s an elite athlete now and that takes great discipline.”He’s been rewarded for that, he’s been rewarded for his discipline and he should be really proud of the fact he has become a great role model for our young Australian cricketers and cricketers around the world. He’s become so fit and disciplined in what he’s doing and he’s so consistent, that’s what great players do. I really respect David Warner’s career, but I really respect his last year or so, because you can really tell, like a lot of great players do, there’s a trigger moment where he really switched on and he’s now cashing in on that.”Expanding on this theme, Langer said he was delighted by the Australian players’ willingness to adapt to foreign conditions without so much as a warm-up match, a mindset vital for bigger battles ahead, notably next year’s Champions Trophy in England.”What I feel is it’s a fantastic team of young men,” Langer said. “There’s no trouble-makers. They’re all really good blokes. They all work hard, they’re all hungry. We had two things [to focus on before the match against the West Indies]; the first was to adapt and the second was to look after each other. We all get on well, we’ve got good camaraderie and they’re really good people.”I was nervous, particularly about some of those big fast bowlers coming back. They’re all fit and they’ve got some bowling under their belts, but not match practice. I always get nervous when we don’t have match practice. Having said that, I thought one of our main themes was being able to adapt. We’ve got a different coaching staff, we’re in a different country, we’re playing on different wickets. Our main theme was adapting to the conditions and we did that very well.”Looking after each other is a lot easier – I always maintain – when you have that good camaraderie in the group. It’s like the glue that keeps things together when you’re under pressure. I like coming into a team that gets on well and everyone’s good mates.”Langer, never one to take the game or success for granted, was aware South Africa could well be in a fighting mood following their opening defeat to West Indies. Warner’s professionalism and the team’s good spirit should only help Australia’s cause as they seek to notch up another win.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta may have just performed a U-turn over selling defender Kieran Tierney as a report shares some exit news out of the club.

Who could leave Arsenal this summer?

The Premier League title-chasers are flying high and currently on course to beat champions Man City to their first triumph in nearly 20 years. Owing to the incredible job Arteta has done in north London, their failed pursuit of a top-four finish last season now feels like a distant memory.

Indeed, the Gunners are currently eight points clear at the top of the table, and while City have a game in hand, Arteta's side are still firmly in the driving seat. However, as is inevitable, some fringe players have been unable to contribute as regularly as they'd like – prompting links with a move away from the club.

The likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Rob Holding, for instance, have been mentioned as possible candidates for the chopping block – as well as the likes of Folarin Balogun and Nuno Tavares, who are both currently out on loan away from the Emirates.

Tierney was also thought of as a possible exit but it appears Arteta has changed his mind about the player.

Reliable reports have suggested recently that the Scotland international could leave and Arteta 'won't stand in his way' (Northern Echo), but a new claim has revealed that Tierney could now stay beyond this summer.

Football Transfers states Arteta is now 'reluctant to sell' the former Celtic star and 'would like to keep' him alongside Holding, Smith Rowe and Balogun. It's added that Tierney is 'important' to Arsenal's manager as there is a belief both Takehiro Tomiyasu and Tavares are not viable alternatives to Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back.

Should Arsenal keep Tierney?

Despite finding regular minutes hard to come by, thanks in part to injuries and the form of Zinchenko, we believe he could still play a role for years to come – with Sir Alex Ferguson even once calling Tierney 'phenomenal'.

The defender was actually a regular figure under Arteta last season, starting 22 league games and ranking among their top seven best-performing players by average match rating (WhoScored).

Tierney has chipped with three assists over the 21/22 domestic campaign, and while that might not seem like a mind-blowing number, it was actually the fifth-highest return in their squad (WhoScored).

Even as more of a rotational option, the player is a solid Zinchenko alternative to call upon, yet it remains to be seen whether Tierney would be satisfied with such a role personally.

Tottenham Hotspur could look to the Championship for one of their summer signings, according to reports…

What's the latest on Tottenham's interest in Nathan Wood?

Renowned transfer guru and journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed the Lilywhites' interest in Swansea City defender Nathan Wood.

"Nathan Wood, attracting interest after 2002-born CB impressed on England U21 debut and been outstanding for Swansea this season," he tweeted. "Understand Arsenal and Tottenham are monitoring his performances closely. Swansea looking to try and extend his contract to prevent summer move."

The 20-year-old cost the Welsh outfit just £400k from second-tier rivals Middlesbrough last summer and made his first England U21 bow only last month.

Who is Nathan Wood?

Spurs have had mixed success when dipping into the EFL for first-team talent, ranging from the early success of Dele Alli to the yet-to-be-seen talents of Djed Spence but there is good reason to think that Wood would be a worthwhile signing.

Capable of playing both centrally and out wide in a defensive role, the former Crewe Alexandra could follow in Ben Davies' footsteps, having also signed from the Swans back in the summer of 2014.

Whatever you think of his quality, he has been a solid servant for the club on what is nearly approaching a decade and his versatility, particularly in recent years with the regular transition of management, has been crucial. A lot of his time has been spent at left-back but under Antonio Conte, he has often looked the part as a left-sided centre-back.

Wood started his career out as a left midfielder as a result of his rapid pace, having once clocked a 100m time of just 13.07s. For comparison, Gareth Bale ran an 11.4s attempt aged 14 and Spurs fans know all about his acceleration.

This speed makes him an intriguing prospect in defence, especially if he were to lineup alongside someone like Eric Dier, who isn't going to outrun many forwards in the Premier League.

The 20-year-old, once lauded as a "talented" starlet by journalist Craig Johns, has been impressed for Swansea and that's reflected by the fact that only four other players have managed more minutes in the Championship this term. He leads the squad in terms of passing accuracy (91%) and ranks second for aerial duels won (two per game), showing that he's a physical presence too.

It remains to be seen how much Wood is likely to command at the end of the season but in the English gem, Spurs could well find another Davies-like stalwart that can become a mainstay in defence for years to come.

Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad have been honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Cook has been awarded a CBE, having previously received an MBE five years ago, while Broad has been made an MBE

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2016Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad have been honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Cook has been awarded a CBE, having previously received an MBE five years ago, while Broad has been made an MBE.Cook became the first England batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs – and the youngest of all time – during the Chester-le-Street Test against Sri Lanka. Broad is currently the No. 3 ranked bowler in the world having held the top spot earlier this year.”Receiving this kind of honour means a great deal to me and it’s also a hugely proud moment for me and my family,” Cook said. “I also see this as recognition for my team-mates, my coaches and family and friends who have all helped me in my England career over the last ten years – and, of course, the England fans who have always given me such fantastic support at home and abroad.”Broad said: “It’s an honour and a privilege to be recognised in this way. I’m obviously delighted and very proud. It is a lovely moment for my family too. My parents will be delighted after guiding me into cricket and instilling me with a love of the game from an early age.”Cricket has been a constant part of my life ever since and I would like to dedicate this honour to all the people that have supported me at different stages of my career. They’ve all helped me fulfil my dream of playing cricket for my country. “Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, paid tribute to both players saying that Cook had become a “true great of the game” and Broad was “one of England’s finest ever fast bowlers”.”It’s great to see our England players win national recognition and this is a tremendous honour for both players,” Graves said. “Alastair’s cricketing achievements now place him among the true greats of the game and he can be very proud of what he has given to the England team over the past decade – both as a world-class opening batsman and a highly successful England captain. His dedication and determination to succeed are an object lesson to any young cricketer and today’s news is a fitting honour for one of this country’s finest sportsmen.”Stuart is rightly renowned as one of England’s finest ever fast bowlers and his new-ball partnership with James Anderson has been an integral part of the England Test side’s recent successes. Today’s award also caps off a wonderful for year for Stuart in which he produced career-defining spells of fast bowling at Trent Bridge and Johannesburg which will live long in the memory of all England fans. Our congratulations to Stuart on an honour which will mean a huge amount to him and his family.”

Sri Lanka Cricket has suspended Kithuruwan Vithanage from all forms of cricket for one year for his part in a public brawl in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2016Sri Lanka Cricket has suspended batsman Kithuruwan Vithanage from all forms of the game for one year for his part in a public brawl in Colombo. In a hearing conducted on June 16, SLC’s disciplinary committee found Vithanage guilty of misconduct and in breach of the ICC code of conduct.The suspension not only makes Vithanage ineligible for international and Sri Lanka A team cricket, he is also unable to represent his club – Tamil Union – in the Premier tournaments, and is barred from any provincial tournaments in the coming domestic season. SLC’s severity on this occasion is a reflection of existing displeasure at Vithanage’s conduct. In September 2014, Vithanage was docked his full match fee and handed a “suspended sentence of one year” after leaving the team hotel overnight in the middle of a Test match he was playing. It is understood that at least two other breaches of conduct had been dealt with informally.In this case, SLC said its disciplinary committee “was presented with written and oral evidence from witnesses to the incident in question and Vithanage was invited to present similar evidence in his defence.”After a closed hearing, and in consideration of the evaluation of the evidence presented, the Disciplinary Committee has recommended an immediate suspension, specifically drawing attention to the fact that the conduct of Vithanage is ‘unacceptable when considering his status as a public figure, and a role model for the youth of Sri Lanka’.” Vithanage can appeal the decision.He last played for Sri Lanka during the tour of New Zealand in December and January, but his modest returns on that tour had seen him drop out of contention for national selection. Vithanage, 25, has scored 370 runs at an average of 26.42 in ten Tests, and has also played six ODIs and three T20Is.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka should be fit to play this week despite doubts over his fitness.

What's the latest Arsenal injury news?

On Wednesday night, the Gunners have arguably one of the biggest games in their recent history as they travel to Manchester City.

Right now, Mikel Arteta's men sit at the top of the Premier League, but defeat at the Etihad would see that lead drop to just two points with City having played two fewer games.

With that being the case, Arsenal really need to get a result away from home and will be hoping to have Xhaka involved from the start.

However, the Switzerland international missed the club's 3-3 draw with Southampton, and according to manager Arteta, remains a doubt.

Speaking ahead of the game, the Spaniard explained (via Evening Standard): “Xhaka is hopefully able to train today, still a doubt.”

Despite this, while talking on his YouTube channel, Watts didn't seem overly concerned by the vagueness of Arteta's response.

Indeed, the journalist insisted: "I think Xhaka will play. I'll be surprised if he doesn't.

"Look, he's been ill… If he trains today, then he plays, in my opinion. I know Mikel's saying he is a doubt, but I'd be very, very surprised if Granit Xhaka doesn't play.

"If he's able to train today, if he's fit enough and healthy enough, and he's recovered from this illness in time to be able to train today, then he plays at the Etihad."

Will Granit Xhaka play against Man City?

Of course, Arteta sadly confirmed that key centre-back William Saliba will miss the game, saying (via Evening Standard): “There has not been real improvement unfortunately on him.

“So we are still waiting, we are still hopeful, but obviously it is another week that has gone by and he hasn’t been able to train with the team.

“At the moment, we don’t have him. We are preparing for this game without him and the next game is probably going to come too close as well, so we have to go week by week at the moment.”

With that being the case, it feels vital that Arsenal must get at least get £120k-per-week midfielder Xhaka back on the pitch against City.

After all, he's played in 31 of 32 league games this term – with an average WhoScored rating of 6.97 – showing how important he is to the team.

With that being the case, Xhaka has at least had a great fitness record up until now so he will hopefully be able to overcome this illness and take part on Wednesday night.

The tale of an utterly one-sided contest was summed up neatly by the reactions of the two dressing rooms when Middlesex finally finished Hampshire off

Will Macpherson at Merchant Taylors' School01-Jun-2016
ScorecardJames Fuller impressed on his Championship debut for Middlesex (file photo)•PA PhotosThe tale of an utterly one-sided contest was summed up neatly by the reactions of the two dressing rooms when Middlesex finally finished Hampshire off.Middlesex, who took maximum points having waited six painstaking, flat-decked, rain-wrecked draws for a win, sang their long-awaited team song raucously and enjoyed a couple of cleansing, hard-earned beers. Hampshire, seven days after a brilliant win over Nottinghamshire, sat down for a 20-minute, sombre-sounding debrief. They had been trounced – out-batted, out-bowled and out-fought, and only the rain had prevented an innings defeat from arriving sooner. They claimed just one bonus point but subsequently lost it, and another point too, for a shoddy over-rate. They left with one point fewer than they arrived and joined Surrey at the foot of Division One.It was the pace and carry of James Fuller, who took a five-wicket haul on his Championship debut for Middlesex, that finally did for Hampshire. Fuller was signed from Gloucestershire primarily to help Middlesex remedy their white-ball woes but, having impressed all and sundry with a simple, friendly attitude and the ability to bowl 90mph, he was handed a debut here with Steven Finn – who popped by for that post-match beer – on England duty and James Harris rested.Having had a bye in week one, this was Middlesex’s seventh consecutive game. Tim Murtagh and Toby Roland-Jones bowled brilliantly, picking up six and five wickets respectively, but Fuller’s fresher legs, and the extra bounce they helped generate, were invaluable.It was Roland-Jones, as so often, who picked up the first of the six wickets his team required, as Joe Weatherley – who looked a cricketer at ease on Championship debut – lost his off-bail. More like his director of cricket, Angus Fraser, by the day – in gait and bowling style – Roland-Jones is simply the kind of cricketer who makes his team-mates look better.In the field, it is hard to recall an error. With the bat, coming in at No. 10 when many sage judges believe he could be as high as seven, he so often adds useful runs. With the ball, he bowls long spells off an even longer run-up and can play the pacy enforcer – as he did for much of the match here – or nag on line and length.Roland-Jones was left frustrated for the rest of the day, just missing the outside edge or, when he found it, the nick not quite finding a hand. After Weatherley fell, Jimmy Adams dug in, as he had late on Monday and during the 17 overs on Tuesday, to make 78, pulling when Roland-Jones dropped short and clipping neatly off his legs, too.Adam Wheater drove nicely and the pair shared 53 before falling in consecutive overs. James Franklin made the vital breakthrough, having Adams lbw, then Wheater failed to move his feet and was caught at the wicket to become the first of Fuller’s three on the day. A brief shower brought an early lunch shortly after.Fuller’s first four balls upon resumption were as short and sharp as any in the match. With the trap set, Tino Best tried – and failed – to hook all three. The fourth was fuller and Best simply found mid-on, just as he had in the first innings. It is hard to recall notably animated celebrators Middlesex, irked at the beamer Best bowled Adam Voges on day two and angry at the way he had been speaking to their close fielders in the short period before lunch, toasting a dismissal more raucously. After his second pair in consecutive matches, Best was told exactly where to go, and it would have been noted that he did not return for a handshake at day’s end.Before then, Mason Crane had some fun, edging for the rafters, but soon slapped Fuller to point and, after Ryan McLaren – who lacked luck throughout the game – played some fine strokes to delay the inevitable, James Tomlinson edged Ollie Rayner to slip.There was much to discuss at Hampshire’s debrief. Best, in many ways, appears to be becoming an apt embodiment of the team as a whole; brilliant on the good days – such as the spectacular win over Nottinghamshire last week when he was so electric – but miserable on the worst ones (these were very much four of the worst ones), and with an injury never far away. For all those injuries, as their captain Will Smith pointed out afterwards, of this XI only Weatherley and Crane have played fewer than 100 first-class matches, yet performances remain brittle and bipolar.”It seems to be a pattern for us in this format,” Smith said. “When we have our backs to the wall, we do something, like we did last week, but it’s about having that mentality from ball one and not getting yourselves into these situations.”A couple more weeks like this, you sense, and last year’s great escape will be required all over again.