Newcastle United are eyeing a move for Arda Guler, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.

Newcastle United transfer news – what is the latest on Arda Guler?

The youngster has attracted interest from a lot of Europe's elite clubs.

Indeed, Guler linked with a move away from Fenerbahçe this summer, and one thing that will potentially help him seal a move away is the fact that he has a £17.5 million release clause, though there is a hidden fee in his contract.

Arsenal have been reported to be interested in signing the youngster, as well as Newcastle, so it won't be easy as Mikel Arteta has built a real welcoming environment for young talents at Arsenal with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka thriving.

But, one thing that could stop both the Magpies and the Gunners in their tracks is the fact that Fenerbahçe are hoping to hand the winger a new deal at the club, which would get rid of any current clause that clubs could look to trigger.

What has Jones said about Guler amid Newcastle transfer interest?

And, to make things even more difficult, it looks as if the Magpies may have trouble meeting the player's demands, as Jones had this to say when speaking to GIVEMESPORT: "They are being linked with Arda Guler and to be fair this lad is a teen sensation, we are looking at someone that is talked about in Turkey as a generational talent. One of the best players they have ever produced.

This fits the profiling Newcastle want in terms of their second-tier signings, as they want to always have an eye on that next level of player that is ready to break through. But there is a slight issue here because from what I am told, Arda Guler is going to focus on making sure he chooses a club where he has genuine first-team opportunities."

How has Guler fared over in Turkey?

The player dubbed the 'Turkish Lionel Messi' by local reporters had a very strong league season last season, recording an average rating of 7.28 across his 20 appearances, in which he scored four and assisted three, which was the seventh-highest rating in the entire Super Lig.

The winger reportedly had a release clause of just €5m until the final game of the season, where he surpassed 1,500 minutes played and caused an increase to €17.5m (£15m).

Guler, who has been hailed as a "magician", is one of the most exciting prospects in the world, as Jones says, and the Magpies will be hoping that he chooses to continue his development and career at St James Park.

However, in reality it may be difficult for the Magpies to offer him consistent football at this moment in time as the likes of Elliot Anderson, Miguel Almiron, Joe Willock, Anthony Gordon, Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin all operate in similar areas to the youngster. But, there is no denying the pulling power that Newcastle now have with Champions League football and PIF at the helm, with the signing of Sandro Tonali recently providing proof of that.

With Kolkata Knight Riders pursuing a top-two finish in the league stage, batsman Chris Lynn is keen to play a match before the playoffs, ideally targeting a return against either Kings XI Punjab (May 9) or Mumbai Indians (May 13).Lynn trained with the Knight Riders squad on Tuesday in Kolkata, for the first time since dislocating his shoulder while fielding against Mumbai Indians last month, in his second match of the season.”The shoulder is slowly getting there,” Lynn told . “I had a cortisone injection the other day and it worked really well. I’d like to ideally play a game or two before the finals. It would be a bit unfair on the team-mates to rock up into a final not having played a game [since the injury].”Lynn injured his left shoulder while landing awkwardly during a dive in the match against Mumbai. He felt the shoulder pop out of the joint for about 30 seconds, and said he popped it back in himself. It was the third time Lynn had hurt his left shoulder in two years but his concerns went beyond his availability for the IPL: he has been picked in Australia’s Champions Trophy squad subject to a fitness assessment.Scans showed the injury was not as severe as had been expected and Lynn remained with the KKR franchise for his recovery. He worked with Knight Riders’ medical staff and Paul Chapman, the strength and conditioning coach of Queensland and Brisbane Heat, who is working with Mumbai Indians.”We worked out whatever I could do back home, I can do where I am now in Kolkata,” Lynn said. “It only makes sense I’m here trying to get fit to play some cricket before heading over to England. There would be nothing worse than going in under-prepared to a world tournament.”I’m going to have my first bat and I’m feeling really confident it about it. The shoulder has come up really well. It’s positive signs but I’ve still got a long way to go.”Lynn admitted that the multiple shoulder injuries meant he would have to be more careful on the field.”I can’t keep affording to have this time off when I’m hitting the ball so well, it’s so frustrating,” Lynn said. “I think I might just have to be one of those fielders you hide in the field. But as soon as I start costing the team runs in the field, that’s when I’ve got to have a hard look at it. I think I can still contribute a fair amount with the bat and still be good enough in the ring in the field.”Lynn had made an impressive start to the IPL, hitting an unbeaten 93 off 41 balls against Gujarat Lions and a brisk 32 against Mumbai. Following his injury, KKR used Sunil Narine as an opening batsman.Knight Riders are currently second on the points table, with seven wins in ten matches. After the match against Rising Pune Supergiant on Wednesday, they will play two away matches – against Royal Challengers Bangalore (May 7) and Kings XI (May 9) – with their final league match at home, against Mumbai (May 13).

An update has emerged on Chelsea and how much they would need to spend to land Aymeric Laporte in the summer transfer window…

How much is Aymeric Laporte?

According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, the Blues will have to splash out £30m to secure the signing of Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The reporter has stated that the London-based side are “monitoring” the Spain international’s situation as they eye a swoop for the excellent colossus.

His contract with Pep Guardiola’s men expires in the summer of 2025 but it is said that he could be moved on over the coming weeks, which comes off the back of him falling out of favour last term.

Italian giants Juventus are also competing for his signature and could provide Chelsea with competition for the former Athletic Bilbao ace.

How good is Aymeric Laporte?

The 29-year-old enforcer is an exceptional Premier League centre-back and has proven himself to be an outstanding performer in England over the course of a number of years.

Judging by his skill set and stylistic profile, he has the quality to be Mauricio Pochettino’s next version of Jan Vertonghen, who was a stalwart for the Argentine head coach during their time together at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Belgian made 212 appearances for the 51-year-old boss across six seasons, which makes him the fourth most-used player throughout the manager's career so far.

As a left-footed central defender, the now-36-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 or higher in four of his last five campaigns with Spurs. He also managed a rating of 7.22 or higher in two of those seasons, which would have placed him third in the Chelsea squad last term – above fellow defenders Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Trevor Chalobah.

This shows that Vertonghen competed at a high level during his time in the Premier League and Laporte is a player with the quality to deliver similar performances as a left-footed centre-back.

In six seasons with Manchester City, the Spanish warrior has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 or higher in five top-flight campaigns and a score of 7.09 or higher in three of them, which would place him joint-sixth in the Chelsea side at the end of 2022/23.

Laporte, who was once described as a “beast” by writer Muhammad Butt, is also an exceptional ball player at the back. Over the last 365 days, he ranks among the top 1% of players in his position across the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for progressive carries and progressive passes per 90.

This means that the £130k-per-week earner, who was once hailed for his "incredible" form by Guardiola, is one of the best centre-backs at the top level when it comes to progressing the ball through the third to start attacks for his team.

Vertonghen also excelled at that part of the game as he ranked in the top 4% or higher in both statistics among Premier League central defenders during the 2017/18 campaign under Pochettino's management.

Therefore, Laporte could be the manager's next version of the ex-Tottenham star as he has the ability to deliver consistently excellent performances week-in-week-out while being an incredible playmaker with his quality in possession.

Upon entering the field of play at Edgbaston, Virat Kohli dropped his kit bag a few yards from the pitch and went up to make his first assessment of the surface. Moments later, Kohli was joined by Anil Kumble, the India coach. Kumble had his hands in his pockets as Kohli spoke to him. Kumble then folded his arms as Kohli continued speaking. Later Kumble spoke and Kohli nodded his head – initially, with his hands in his jacket’s pockets before clasping them behind his back. Kumble then tested the hardness of the pitch by pressing his hands against the surface. After that brief chat, both men dispersed to begin training.This picture of the captain and the coach converging to discuss the nature of the pitch would hardly get a mention under normal circumstances. But the heightened intrigue over the future of Kumble in his current role, following the BCCI’s decision to not renew his one-year contract, has created a fog, where the focus on cricket has become unavoidably hazy.On Sunday, India play Pakistan – an encounter that Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur described as the biggest rivalry in cricket. A match in which if you succeed, you become a hero, according Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed. For Kohli, too, the match is significant – it will be first time he will lead India in a global tournament. However, the nature of this cricketing fixture has become “too boring” for him to hype the contest any further.It is Kohli’s way of detaching himself from the tension. Just like he has opted to switch off over the growing speculation about his relationship with Kumble, which, he says has been “really good”. He sees no point in getting touchy about an issue that he has no control over. If he gets distracted, it would affect the whole team.Kohli is aware that being the captain, and the team’s best batsman, who has previously beaten Pakistan on his own in Dhaka, Adelaide and Kolkata in three global tournaments, he needs to stay strong. And calm.”You have to handle stuff when you’re thinking about it. When I choose not to think about something, I don’t have to handle it. I carry on with my normal life,” Kohli said, explaining how he has ignored reports on discontent in the Indian dressing room over Kumble. “On the field I’m captain. Off the field, when I have my own time, I choose to get away from things and relax as any normal human being would do. So, I don’t take so much pressure on me all the time. It’s very important to switch off and switch on at important times.”The pressure, as Sarfraz cleverly said, is on India. The advantage Pakistan have is that at least a handful of their players have never played India before. Oblivious to the pressure a high-voltage match like an India-Pakistan contest brings, these youngsters have been told to go out and enjoy the game on Sunday.Kohli, on the contrary, having played Pakistan sporadically over the years, is aware of the “surprise” factor. “You cannot ever take them lightly. And not being familiar with the way they bowl or bat, I don’t think it’s going to be a massive factor for us because we, as a team, like to focus on what we can do. And if you play good cricket, that works against any side, whether you play them regularly or you don’t, you still have to play good cricket.”For Kohli and Kumble, the biggest challenge is to identify the right bowling combination considering they are spoilt for choice. In Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Umesh Yadav, India have a fast bowling quartet that could be the best in the tournament. With scattered clouds expected to hang over Edgbaston for the most part of Sunday afternoon, Kohli and Kumble might be tempted to include both Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah along with Shami. Kohli, on his part, has already said that the pair of Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav provides balance to the lower-middle order.By Kohli’s own admission, figuring out the right combination has been “on his mind” for the past week, more so, after his fast bowlers comprehensively dominated New Zealand and Bangladesh in the two warm-up matches. “There are all kinds of possibilities – two spinners, two fast bowlers, three fast bowlers, Hardik and a spinner,” Kohli said.Kohli, however, will not have a sleepless Saturday evening. “The team looks really balanced. We’re feeling really confident as a team. And that’s showing on how we’re playing in the warm-up games. The intensity was right up there, and that’s something that was really nice to see for me as a captain. It’s a good headache to have.”

Glasgow Rangers have significantly strengthened their squad throughout the summer, adding players such as Jack Butland and Cyriel Dessers, while freeing up some of the wage budget by releasing Allan McGregor, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos.

This business by Michael Beale could perhaps be the catalyst which launches a fresh era for Rangers as they look to get back to winning domestic trophies on a regular basis.

Give or take another couple of signings, the vast majority of Beale’s transfer business has been completed early, allowing him to get new players bedded in ahead of the challenges that await.

The onus will now be to ship players out of the Ibrox exit door. Scott Wright looks set to join Turkish side Pendikspor while Glen Kamara is attracting interest from Leeds United with a fee of £4m looking to be finalised for the transfer of the midfielder.

Another potential departure is that of Borna Barisic, as Premier League side Nottingham Forest are interested in luring him South of the border.

Former sporting director at the Gers, Ross Wilson, is looking to raid his former club and with the Croatian having just one year left on his deal, it could be the ideal chance to secure a decent fee for the player.

Ridvan Yilmaz could be set to take over as the first choice left back should he depart, having impressed at the back end of last season, yet Beale may have another player in mind in terms of long-term suitability for the role – Robbie Fraser.

Who is Robbie Fraser?

Yilmaz struggled largely during the majority of last season, missing 29 games through injury and starting only eight league matches.

He did show flashes of talent however, succeeding with 50% of his attempted dribbles, grabbing two assists and winning 62% of his ground duels, suggesting that he does enjoy pushing forward while remaining strong defensively.

He could go from strength to strength and if he hits his full potential, there will be big money offers from elsewhere for the Turkey international.

Robbie Fraser, the B team captain, certainly has what it takes to emerge from the academy and potentially stake a claim for first-team football as a long-term heir to Barisic.

There is no doubt the 20-year-old has the mentality to succeed, outlining his ambitions when signing a new contract in 2022, saying: “I feel like I’m getting closer to making that next step into the first team, hopefully. I felt that it was the right opportunity to push on.”

With seven assists and two goals across 40 games, the youngster has displayed the attacking qualities that have endeared Barisic to the Ibrox faithful, with the Croatian defender registering 57 goal involvements during his career in Scotland.

Like the 30-year-old, Fraser does enjoy taking the odd free-kick, scoring a “superb” effort in a match last year according to Jordan Campbell and this could also give Beale an added goal threat from set pieces.

Although yet to make his senior bow for the Light Blues, he did make the bench on three occasions last season, including for the tie against Ajax in the Champions League, showing that the club have plans for him going forward.

Umar Akmal failed two fitness tests in as many days and has been called back from England ahead of the Champions Trophy

Umar Farooq21-May-2017

Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has been asked to return from England after he failed two fitness tests in two days, ahead of the Champions Trophy next month. The selectors are considering Umar Amin and Haris Sohail as replacements.”He has failed two fitness tests during the ongoing camp there in England ahead of Champions Trophy,” PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan told ESPNcricinfo. “So since we have a policy not to carry unfit players, it has been decided to call him back and send a replacement. We have a deadline until May 25 so we are deliberating on the possible replacements.”Amin and Sohail have not played ODIs for a few years. Amin’s last match was in October 2014 while Sohail played his last ODI in May 2015 in Lahore against Zimbabwe.Akmal had been recalled to the ODI squad for the Champions Trophy, after being dropped from the team that toured West Indies in April. He had initially been excluded from that squad as well, after he was the only player, among 31, to fail the fitness test during the camp held at the NCA in March. However, he proved his fitness during the Pakistan Cup in Rawalpindi.In an annual assessment earlier this year, Akmal had weighed 91kgs with a fat-level reading of 115.6 – a measurement of over 100 is considered high.Fitness has become a priority for Pakistan in the recent past, with the PCB backing the selectors and the team management to enforce strict policies. “We had a set a fitness standard which isn’t really a tough one to start with,” chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq said. “But he still didn’t meet the average level. So whoever the player is, whatever his performance is like, we could not select him. Akmal being dropped is a reprimand and it’s a major blow for any player. He is a good player, we needed him, but we had to take a decision.”Akmal has also been involved in several disciplinary issues since his debut. In March last year, former coach Waqar Younis recommended that Akmal be made to earn his spot again in the national squad with consistent performances in domestic cricket. Earlier this month, he was also involved in a spat with Junaid Khan during the Pakistan Cup.

دافع ألفي هالاند عن نجله إيرلينج هالاند مهاجم مانشستر سيتي، ردًا على الانتقادات الموجهة إليه من جيمي كاراجر وروي كين.

ويتصدر هالاند قائمة هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز برصيد 20 هدفًا ورفع رصيده بعد التسجيل في فوز مانشستر سيتي أمام لوتون تاون (5-1).

وفي حديثه إلى “Viaplay Fotball” قال: “لديك خلفية كين وغيره من الخبراء، الذين قد يكون لديهم أجندة مختلفة قليلاً”.

وأضاف: “ربما يعتقدون أنه من المقبول بعض الشيء التوصل إلى ذلك (الانتقادات)، لكن الفريق يفوز، ولا يزال إيرلينج هو الهداف، لذلك لا يمكن أن يكون الأمر بهذا السوء”.

وسبق وصرح روي كين بعد تعادل مانشستر سيتي وآرسنال سلبيًا، أن هالاند لاعب دوري درجة ثانية.

ثم انتقد جيمي كاراجر هالاند بعد تعادل مانشستر سيتي 3-3 مع ريال مدريد مشيرًا إلى أنه ليس من الطراز العالمي.

Getting off on the right foot with supporters can be the start of a journey towards legendary status for a new player. Instantly form a good relationship with the fans, and they’ll be far more forgiving should anything go wrong throughout the season. Get off on the wrong foot, however, and you could quickly become public enemy number one.Pre-season gives supporters from across the world to get a glimpse of new arrivals for the first time, too, and line up, ready to get the latest shirt signed, or photo taken. There is a fine line between wanting a signature and simply failing to leave a player alone, though.It’s perhaps key to remember the human side of players, as shown by Manchester United’s summer arrival, Mason Mount.The midfielder couldn’t help but snap at United fans who had been asking for a signed shirt whilst on a pre-season tour.

What did Mason Mount say to a fan?

Snapping at fans, who had crossed the line with their desire for a piece of memorabilia by following him for three days, Mount refused to sign the shirt, relaying the fact that they had been following him, which you can see in the footage.

The midfielder was being pestered by fans after saying no multiple times and adding “sorry, lads”, he finally snapped, saying: “I ain’t signed for the last three days so I don’t know why you lot keep coming back.”

Whilst the fans will be left disappointed, following Mount for three days was always going to anger the midfielder, who, like anyone, is still entitled to a bit of privacy.

The former Chelsea man made his Manchester United debut in a recent friendly against Leeds United, as the Red Devils defeated their rivals 2-0, courtesy of goals from Joe Hugill, and Noam Emeran.

Rivals fans were quick to criticise his debut display, even putting together a compilation of some of his moments to forget.

Such is the case with many pre-season games, something tells us fans have been quick to jump to conclusions about a player’s performance. The real time to judge, however, will be throughout the forthcoming Premier League campaign.

What is the market value of Mason Mount?

Joining Manchester United for a reported £55m, Mount left Chelsea for fairly close to his current transfer value.

According to Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old is currently worth €60m (£51.36m), meaning that the Red Devils only paid an extra £3.64m than arguably warranted.

Considering the fact that Mount joined from a rival club, though, we’d say that Erik ten Hag and co got themselves quite the bargain this summer.

Speaking on joining United, Mount said in his first interview with the club: “It’s never easy leaving the club where you grew up, but Manchester United will provide an exciting new challenge for the next phase of my career.

“Having competed against them, I know just how strong a squad it is that I’m joining, and I can’t wait to be part of this group’s drive to win major trophies.”

Ahead of next season, he will hope to play a key role in taking things up another level at Old Trafford, building on the work that took place in the previous campaign under Ten Hag.

Newcastle United could finalise the deal for Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes next week should all go according to plan according to Rudy Galletti.

The Englishman scored 13 Premier League goals last season and is appreciated by Magpies boss Eddie Howe.

Will Harvey Barnes join Newcastle United?

It looks like the Englishman is finally going to secure his long-awaited move to Tyneside.

It was first reported on July 7th by Matt Law that the Champions League side were closing in on a deal for the 25-year-old, who had recently just suffered a devastating relegation with boyhood club Leicester.

Newcastle reportedly became the player's first choice, with the side beating out fellow Premier League sides in West Ham United and Aston Villa in convincing the winger to join their club, with manager Eddie Howe being incredibly keen on bringing in the forward who he believes is "tried and trusted" at the Premier League level.

However, according to Sky Sports, the Magpies are yet to submit an official offer for Barnes, with reports stating that the club is waiting on the sale of French attacker Allan Saint-Maximin in order to provide the funds to get the deal over the line.

West Ham has remained in constant contact with Leicester and are in a position to make a move should the potential switch to Tyneside collapse. However, according to Rudy Galleti, who was speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the deal could be finalised next week, with Newcastle willing to pay around £35m for the player that Leicester valued at £40m: “Unless there’s a twist, the next week will be decisive for Barnes to Newcastle. Discussions are ongoing at a good pace and Eddie Howe wants Barnes. Despite the talks being at a good stage between West Ham and Leicester, Harvey Barnes prefers to join Newcastle and he has already agreed the terms of his move. Now it’s up to the clubs, as Newcastle are willing to pay around £35m for the English player. As told, during the next week the deal could be finalised.”

Who else will sign for Newcastle United this window?

Once the side finalises the deal for Barnes, the club's focus should switch to defensive reinforcements.

Newcastle have already made a major move this window, securing the signing of AC Milan maestro Sandro Tonali for a fee reported to be £55m. The young midfielder who had been dubbed as the "next Andrea Pirlo" signed a five year deal and was a massive coup for the Magpies ahead of their first season back in Europe's elite competition in over two decades.

The club also pursued attacking midfield options, with reports linking them to both James Maddison and Dominik Szoboszlai, but both players instead opted for moves to Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool respectively. However, that is a position to keep an eye on for the rest of the summer should a player become available.

Defensively, Newcastle lacks depth, with the club only having three recognised senior centre-halves available in Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar. Reports have linked Howe's side with a move for Portuguese centre-back Goncalo Inacio, who currently plays for Sporting CP. The player reportedly has a release clause in his contract for €60m (£51.5m), however the Geordie club intends to complete a deal that falls "well below" the value of that clause.

It is an important summer for Newcastle ahead of their return to the Champions League, but securing this deal for Harvey Barnes will be a very positive step forward.

Simon Katich has attacked Cricket Australia over the board’s claim that it is being generous by offering pay rises despite losing A$33 million over the early seasons of the Big Bash League

Daniel Brettig31-May-2017Simon Katich has attacked Cricket Australia over the board’s claim that it is being generous by offering pay rises despite losing A$33 million over the early seasons of the Big Bash League. Katich contended that the announcement of the figure in CA’s MoU offer to players was “either an MoU negotiating tactic or a serious case of mismanagement”.Players have already rejected offer – ACA

Alistair Nicholson, the ACA chief executive, has reminded Cricket Australia that the players have already rejected their pay proposal, after the board’s attempts to resell it publicly over the past week.
“This is simply rehashing their offer from March in a different format,” Nicholson said. “Same numbers, same lack of transparency and same philosophies that the players have categorically rejected. Surely there is a point at which the penny has to drop and CA stop haranguing the players and come to the table to mediate.
“The players are resolute behind the Revenue Sharing Model, but we have also expressed flexibility at evolving this in to a model that supports investment, boosts grassroots funding and shares further risk in times of uncertainty. This is a very reasonable approach but CA do not appear to be serious about getting this done before June 30.”

CA has invested heavily in the BBL since its 2011 inception, but at the end of its second season in 2013, announced an overall profit of A$1.5 million for “domestic T20 operations”. Later that year, the board signed a five-year broadcast deal with the Ten Network worth $20 million a season, and the growth of the tournament on free-to-air television has led to widespread expectation its value will rise to up to $60 million a year during the next deal, due to be struck in 2018.Upon hearing of the purported $33 million loss, Katich argued that such a claim needed independent investigation, and added weight to the players’ claim for independent mediation to settle the present pay dispute. “The claims that CA has managed to lose money on the biggest success story in world cricket must be independently investigated,” he said. “Record crowds, record ratings, record sponsorships and merchandising sales each and every year, yet CA are claiming a loss. It defies logic and good business sense.”CA countered Katich by asking why the players had not previously raised the issue when it was disclosed in the board’s initial proposal last year. “The ACA were given this information six months ago, as part of Cricket Australia’s initial MoU submission,” a CA spokesman said. “They have not raised this issue once in that time, and it suggests they still do not understand that it takes 71% of cricket’s total investment to run elite cricket.”It also demonstrates why the current fixed-percentage model is hurting cricket, when the players are guaranteed a quarter of revenue regardless of the costs associated with putting on the game. The BBL, and now the WBBL, are an investment in growing the game. In particular, ticket prices have been kept low because the primary purpose is to attract more fans and families – and it has been hugely successful at that.”The board’s pay offer to the players, which it has pushed aggressively over the past week via media interviews and the release of a video featuring CA’s lead negotiator Kevin Roberts, offers guaranteed amounts over the next five years but locks all players out of a fixed percentage share of revenue that goes up or down depending on the game’s financial fortunes. International male and female players are offered a capped bonus system to access some of the game’s blue sky, but domestic players have been offered fixed wages. State contracts in particular are indexed to rise by less than CPI (Consumer Price Index of inflation) over the next five years.”It also defies logic that you would claim a financial loss, yet not recommend a model that shares the risk,” Katich said. “It may well be an ill-conceived negotiation tactic, which itself is silly given mediation is the way to go. The BBL and WBBL provide the best platform to promote cricket to kids and families given they are turning up to these events in their hundreds-of-thousands over the course of the season.”Katich, who previously took aim at CA with considerable effect in 2011 after he was unceremoniously cut from the list of centrally-contracted players, asked how a game flushed with funds over the past five years could chronically under-fund grass roots levels of the game – something CA has argued is a cornerstone of their push to break up the fixed revenue percentage model that has been at the heart of pay deals between the board and the players for the past 20 years.”The recurring question that keeps arising is, where does all the money go?” Katich said. “Is it drained by too much bureaucracy, executive salaries, entitlements and bonuses. One thing is for sure, it’s not drained by either the players or grassroots investments, which together account for less than 30 cents in the dollar. I have called for a cap on CA administrative costs before and this is more evidence of the need for that. And it is also now clear evidence of the need for an independent investigation.”