أعلن البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، التشكيل الأساسي للأبيض لمواجهة مودرن سبورت بعد قليل، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري.

ويلتقي الزمالك مع مودرن سبورت،في إطار الجولة الثالثة من عمر الدوري المصري، على ملعب استاد هيئة قناة السويس.

طالع | في بيان رسمي.. الزمالك يناشد الرئيس السيسي لحل أزمة أرض أكتوبر

ويبحث الزمالك عن استعادة الانتصارات بعد التعادل مع المقاولون العرب في الجولة الثانية من الدوري سلبيًا.

ويتواجد الزمالك في المركز السادس برصيد 4 نقاط، بينما يحتل مودرن سبورت المركز السابع بنفس الرصيد بعد مرور جولتين.

ودفع البلجيكي فيريرا بالبرازيلي خوان ألفينا في مركز الجناح الأيمن بشكل أساسي للمرة الأولى بعد ظهوره في المباراة الماضية بديلًا، بجانب الفلسطيني عدي الدباغ في مركز الهجوم. تشكيل الزمالك أمام مودرن سبورت اليوم

في حراسة المرمى: محمد صبحي.

الدفاع: محمود بنتايج، محمود حمدي “الونش”، حسام عبد المجيد، عمر جابر.

الوسط محمد شحاتة، ناصر ماهر، عبد الله السعيد، شيكو بانزا، عدي الدباغ.

الهجوم: خوان ألفينا بيزيرا.

Marco Verratti has opened up on the evening he and Neymar helped convince Lionel Messi to join Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona.

Verratti reveals his role in bringing Messi to PSGMidfielder recalls magical evening in IbizaItalian played 416 games for the ParisiansFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Verratti has revealed that then-PSG team-mate Neymar invited him, Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes to a surprise dinner with Messi while the Argentine star was still at Barcelona. Shockingly, the iconic attacker soon made the switch to the French capital.

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Messi made a shock free transfer to the French giants in 2021 after debt-struck Barcelona confirmed they could not afford to extend his contract. He arrived in Paris amid much fanfare and while he was unable to guide them to Champions League glory and light up the Parc des Princes in the manner expected, Italian midfielder Verratti remembers the unusual evening that may have played a key role in the move.

WHAT VERRATTI SAID

Verratti said in an interview with Gazzetta: "I remember a great night that became almost magical. We are in Ibiza, Neymar comes to me and tells me that tonight we will also be having dinner with Leo Messi. So I, Leo, Paredes, Ney and Di Maria end up at the table. We talk and we're fine. And we give him, so to speak, a head like this so that he can come to Paris. Late in the evening we say goodbye and the next day we read that there are problems between him and Barcelona. Then, in the early afternoon Neymar calls me: “Marco, Leo comes to us”. Incredible: from having him at dinner to having him as a team-mate. Magical evening."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Messi is currently starring with Inter Miami in MLS, having scored 18 goals in as many matches. Their next game is against Atlas in the Leagues Cup this week.

Warner and Pant set things up with half-centuries, and Khaleel and Mukesh finished the job with the ball

Shashank Kishore31-Mar-20241:53

Aaron: ‘Really good move for Pant to bat at No. 3’

At approximately 11 on Sunday night, Visakhapatnam came alive. ‘Hosts’ Delhi Capitals were on their way to their first win, but the result suddenly seemed irrelevant.MS Dhoni strode to the middle to bat for the first time since last year’s final and immediately sent the decibel levels soaring, walloping his first ball for four behind square leg and bludgeoning his third through extra-cover.Pant cops over-rate fine

Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant was fined INR 12 lakh (USD 14,000 approx.) after his team was found to be short of the minimum required over rate after taking time allowances into account. It was his first over-rate offence of IPL 2024.

When he hit Khaleel Ahmed for an inside-out six in the next over, the crowd threatened to blow the roof off. Chennai Super Kings still needed 46 off 12; one run more than a side had ever made off the last two overs to win in the IPL.Mukesh Kumar was tasked with bowling a clutch over. His figures until then read 2-0-16-3. One more good over would close the game out, more or less, and he delivered, bowling a series of wide yorkers that Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja couldn’t get underneath.MS Dhoni smoked an unbeaten 37 off 16 in his first innings of IPL 2024•BCCIThe over went for 5, and Super Kings needed 41 off six. Impossible if extras didn’t come into it.That was no reason for the crowd to stop. Dhoni was on strike. They wanted him to turn the clock back. And he did, walloping Anrich Nortje for two fours and two sixes. Dhoni finished 37 not out off 16, Super Kings fell short by 20 runs, but you couldn’t quite say if the fans in yellow were disappointed at the result or ecstatic at watching their hero do his thing.After he scythed a full-toss for six to finish the game, the realisation dawned that the Capitals had picked up their first win of the season, a result set up by David Warner and Rishabh Pant with the bat, and finished off by Khaleel and Mukesh.Matheesha Pathirana ended with 3 for 31•Associated PressShaw, Warner lay down the markerPrithvi Shaw made 106 runs in eight innings in IPL 2023, at an average of 13.25. When he didn’t begin the season, you wondered if the Delhi Capitals were looking beyond him already.Turns out they weren’t.Coming in for local boy Ricky Bhui and slotting in at the top of the order, Shaw laid the foundation with a 93-run opening stand in 9.3 overs with David Warner.All the trademark elements of a Shaw innings were on display: sumptuous driving, fierce cuts and delectable wristwork. Warner was more muscle, but he also had a tantalising effect with his leg-side strokeplay. When he brought up his half-century off just 32 balls, Capitals were flying.Rishabh Pant hit four fours and three sixes•BCCIPathirana makes a splashYou didn’t know until last week if Matheesha Pathirana would feature in the tournament at all. But in taking a blinder at short third in the 10th over, leaping full-stretch and pulling off a one-handed stunner while airborne, he put to rest any concerns over his back. Warner saw his jaw-drop in disbelief at the athleticism, and had to drag himself off.Pathirana was only warming up.His second act was even more sensational, even though it’s something we’ve come to expect.A ball after being dismissed for six in the 15th over, he splayed Mitchell Marsh’s middle stump with a pinpoint yorker. Two balls later, he had Tristan Stubbs with another toe-crusher. Capitals were fast ceding momentum, and by the end of that over had slipped to 134 for 4.Pant comes to the partyThe early part of Pant’s innings seemed like a struggle. He kept losing his shape when balls were dug into the pitch on a length. At 23 off 23, the frustration seemed all too evident. But he backed himself to emerge from the rut, and when he did, it was breathtaking.He took down Mustafizur Rahman first and Pathirana next, peppering the long-on boundary with his strong bottom hand and the shovel he’s known for. When he sliced Pathirana in the same over to the point boundary, he’d brought up a 31-ball half-century. A 19th over that went for 17 helped give Capitals momentum to finish on 191 for 5.Khaleel Ahmed put Capitals on top with the early wickets of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rachin Ravindra•BCCIKhaleel’s stunning spell3-0-9-2.The left-arm quick left Super Kings in a rut right at the top. Ruturaj Gaikwad was taken out by late seam movement back in. Rachin Ravindra holed out to mid-on, frustrated by his inability to put bat on ball. Khaleel’s first 12 balls brought three runs.Daryl Mitchell and Ajinkya Rahane treaded cautiously, seemingly to try and bat deep. Occasionally, they played shots that delighted the purist. Like a flicked six by Rahane off Rasikh Salam. The pair revived the innings with a 68-run stand, but the asking rate had swelled to 11.70 with 10 overs remaining.Capitals didn’t have Kuldeep Yadav due to a niggle. Axar Patel had a job to do. And he broke the partnership by having Mitchell caught and bowled. He could have had Impact Sub Shivam Dube third ball as he tried to hack one over cow corner, but the bottom edge was put down by Pant.Mukesh leaves his imprintTasked to bowl the tough overs, Mukesh picked up two in his first over, the 14th, to leave Super Kings gasping. He felled Rahane with a slower one that he hit to long-on, and Sameer Rizvi with a superb seam-up delivery that he nicked to short third.With Super Kings needing 79 off 30, Anrich Nortje bowled a gun third over full of wide yorkers to deny the batters. The over went for just seven and all the pressure that had crept up consumed Shivam Dube as he picked out long-off in the 17th over to give Mukesh his third wicket.The game seemed done. And then Dhoni walked out, sending everyone into throwback mode even though the game had gone beyond Super Kings’ reach.

Match Details

Delhi Capitals (eighth) vs Gujarat Titans (sixth)
New Delhi, 1930 IST (1400 GMT)

Big picture – Axar, Kuldeep vs Rashid, Noor

There’s only so much wriggle room in the mid-table, with Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans desperately needing winning momentum in the second half of the league phase.The Capitals have swung from sublime to ridiculous. They have four of the best powerplay performances by a bowling team this season, but they also have the second highest economy rate in the first six overs, after conceding 125 and 88 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders.The Capitals had nearly taken their net run rate positive after dismissing Gujarat Titans for the season’s lowest total last week in Ahmedabad, but that high was short lived as Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma fired Sunrisers to 266 for 7 at the Kotla.While they lost that chase against SRH, the Capitals provided a peek into what their future could look like, with Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs and Abishek Porel batting like daredevils. But the youngsters are likely to be tested by the Titans, who have a spin attack comprising Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad and R Sai Kishore.Capitals also have the spinners to match the Titans. Axar Patel had dream figures of 4-0-29-1 in a game where over 450 runs were scored, while Kuldeep Yadav bounced back after a first-over shellacking from Abhishek to take four wickets. They could capitalise against one of the slowest top orders this season and a middle order that has lacked the role-clarity that was so crucial to their success in the previous two years. The spinners on both sides, however, will have to contend with a venue that has traditionally been a nightmare to bowl on with its short square boundaries.Related

• Axar, Mukesh speak out against Impact Player rule: 'It only works for a batter's convenience'

• Head starts, a Dhoni finish, and Narine's maiden ton

• An extra over for one bowler – would it help counter the battering in T20s?

Form Guide

Capitals LWWLL (last five matches, most recent first)
Titans WLWLL

Previous meeting

Titans were bowled out for 89, a total that the Capitals chased down in 8.5 overs. The fast bowlers Mukesh Kumar, Ishant Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed made the difference for DC that evening in Ahmedabad.

Team news and impact player strategy – A game for Kushagra?

Delhi Capitals
Mitchell Marsh is unavailable for the remainder of their campaign due to a hamstring strain. Ishant is also a doubtful starter as he continues to manage back spasms.Prithvi Shaw is likely to be subbed in or out for one of Khaleel Ahmed or Mukesh Kumar depending on whether Capitals bat or bowl first. If they are in trouble batting first and need an extra batter as an impact player, they could consider bringing in Jharkhand’s Kumar Kushagra.Probable XII: 1 David Warner, 2 , 3 Jake Fraser-McGurk, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Tristan Stubbs, 6 Abishek Porel, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Sumit Kumar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Mukesh Kumar, 12 Gujarat Titans
Titans are likely to swap Sai Sudharsan and Mohit Sharma as the Impact Player, depending on whether they bat or bowl first. While Sudharsan’s performances have been middling, Mohit has the fifth-best economy rate in the death overs among those who have bowled at least 10 overs since IPL 2023.Probable XII: 1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Wriddhiman Saha, 3 , 4 Azmatullah Omarzai, 5 David Miller, 6 Shahrukh Khan, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Noor Ahmad, 12 David Warner has scored 37 runs in his last four innings•BCCI

In the Spotlight – Warner and Gill

David Warner has scores of 1, 8, 10 and 18 in his last four innings. He has played the last two games with a finger injury he picked up while attempting a lap sweep on April 12. Jake Fraser-McGurk is making heads turn with his powerplay hitting – a strike rate of 236 off his first 10 deliveries – and presenting a case to be considered for the opening slot. While there’s no imminent threat to Warner’s place, another low score could give Capitals something to think about.Shubman Gill was outstanding in IPL 2023, where he had a strike rate of more than 160 in six of his seven fifty-plus scores. This season, he has managed only one half-century in eight games, with his total tally at 289 runs. His form has somewhat mirrored his team’s batting fortunes and a big second half for Gill could be the boost Titans need to make a pitch for the playoffs for the third successive season.

Stats that matter

• The head-to-head between Anrich Nortje and Shubman Gill reads: three dismissals in six innings at an average of 11.30.
• The Capitals’ powerplay economy of 10.37 is the second highest among all teams this season.
• Umesh Yadav has a favourable match-up against Warner, with five dismissals in 11 innings.
• Rishabh Pant has fallen three times to legspin this season.

Pitch and conditions – Rain on the radar?

Last year, the re-laid pitches at the Kotla offered lateral movement and bounce for the seamers. This season, the Capitals played their first few home games in Vishakapatnam to give the pitches in Delhi time to recover after hosting the WPL. On their return to Delhi last week, records tumbled when Sunrisers smashed 266, and the curator expects another run-fest. There was a thunderstorm that forced both teams to abort their training sessions on match-eve.

Quotes

“There are still a lot of things to learn for Jake Fraser-McGurk. He isn’t a finished product and there is no better place to learn than the IPL. He needs to make it big like [Yashasvi] Jaiswal last night. He is a terrific kid; I like the way he is learning. We aren’t stopping him from doing the things he wants to do but we are also trying to make him learn a few things on the run.”

Former Manchester United star Brandon Williams has impressed on trial at Hull and has now attracted interest from several clubs.

• Williams a free agent currently
• Has impressed in recent trial with Hull
• Could be set to restart career

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Williams looked set for a big career after bursting into the first team at Manchester United aged just 19 but it hasn't worked out that way. The left-back went on loan to Norwich and Ipswich and was finally released by the Red Devils in 2024 when his contract expired. Williams has since opened up on the off-field problems he has struggled with during his career.

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  There is now hope that Williams can resurrect his career after impressing recently on trial at Championship side Hull City which has led to plenty of interest in the defender, according to the Daily Mail. Hull are considering offering the 24-year-old a contract, while there is also said to be interest from other clubs in the Championship as well as abroad.

• TELL ME MORE….

  Williams was handed a 14-month suspended jail sentence in May and ordered to do community service following a high-speed car crash. Hull head coach Sergej Jakirovic addressed Williams' recent issues when offering him a trial, saying: "I like to help people because everyone deserves a second chance in life. I spoke with him very honestly, and I explained to him what I expect from him.

  "We will be very careful, very, very slow. We have time, so we will try to help him. I think the quality is there because he was on a high level at Man United, so his quality is there. We need him to bring good fitness, and then we will make a decision."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WILLIAMS

  Williams has spoken about his desire to return to football and may now be handed a second chance to revive his career in the Championship which is due to restart this weekend.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco anunciou nesta quarta-feira a contratação do lateral-direitoPumita Rodriguez. O jogador atuou na última Copa do Mundo pelo Uruguai e custou cerca de 2 milhões de dólares (R$ 10,7 milhões) aos cofres vascaínos.

O atleta pertencia ao Nacional, do Uruguai. O contrato do lateral é válido por três temporadas. Antes do anúncio oficial do clube,Pumita Rodriguez já falava nas redes sociais como jogador do Vasco.

+ MERCADO DA BOLA: Acompanhe as movimentações dos clubes nesta janela de transferências

RelacionadasVascoVasco decreta luto de sete dias, destaca orgulho de ter Pelé como torcedor e fará homenagem em São JanuárioVasco29/12/2022VascoCom Nenê e Pedro Raul em um tempo, Vasco perde para o Bangu em jogo-treinoVasco30/12/2022Fora de CampoInfluenciador monta top-10 dos maiores clubes brasileiros e gera debate nas redesFora de Campo01/01/2023

+Adeus ao Rei Pelé: veja imagens do cortejo pelas ruas de Santos

O Gigante da Colina vem agindo intensamente no mercado em busca de reforços para 2023. Nos últimos dias,Pedro Raul,De Lucca,Léo, Lucas Piton eRobson Bambu foram anunciados. O clube também espera acertar comOrellano nas próximas horas.

Na última temporada,Pumita Rodríguez disputou 44 jogos pelo Nacional e marcou três gols. Com passagens pela Seleção Uruguaia, ele é conhecido pela força física e chega para qualificar o sistema defensivo cruz-maltino.

Newcastle United are reportedly considering a bid for an Aston Villa stalwart as they try to salvage a disastrous summer transfer window.

Newcastle had terrible summerDesperate for new signingsEye Aston Villa stalwartFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are considering a move for Aston Villa captain John McGinn. The 30-year-old is high on the Magpies' list of targets, with Eddie Howe's side admiring the midfielder's 'reliability and character'.

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Not much has gone right for Newcastle this summer. Star striker Alexander Isak wants to leave, Manchester United seem primed to beat them to Benjamin Sesko's signature, and long-term goalkeeper target James Trafford joined Manchester City instead of them, too. If they could sign McGinn, that would be a quality and experienced signing for Newcastle as they try to find some positives from this off-season.

DID YOU KNOW?

The report adds that the Scotland international 'could be available' this window, with the former Hibernian man currently having two years left on his contract. Villa have already rebuffed interest from Everton, so Newcastle may have their work cut out to sign McGinn – who joined the Villans in 2018 – this summer. 

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AFPWHAT NEXT?

While Newcastle try and make some statement signings before the Premier League season begins in less than a fortnight, Howe's team take on Espanyol and Atletico Madrid in their final pre-season games on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

اعترف ليونيل سكالوني، مدرب منتخب الأرجنتين بأنه كان قريبًا من ترك مهنة تدريب كرة القدم عقب الفوز ببطولة كأس العالم قطر 2022.

وتوج سكالوني بلقب كأس العالم للمرة الثالثة في تاريخ الأرجنتين بعد عامي 1978 و1986 بعد الفوز على فرنسا بركلات الترجيح بقيادة ليونيل ميسي.

وقال سكالوني في مقابلة مع قناة “AFA Estudio” ونقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”: “بعد قطر، كانت هناك فترة كنت فيها منهكًا وكنت بحاجة إلى الاستشفاء بطريقة ما وفكرت بترك التدريب، اليوم أنا أكثر استرخاءً بكثير”.

وأكمل: “أفضل ما حدث لي على الإطلاق هو الفوز بكأس العالم مع الأولاد، وليس أكثر من ذلك، إنه أمر حدث وسيبقى، لا أشعر بأي حال من الأحوال بأنني أكثر من مجرد مدرب، كنت واضحًا منذ البداية أنه من الضروري تحقيق التوازن في الانتصارات والهزائم”.

وأضاف عن بداياته كلاعب: “كان هناك العديد من اللاعبين الأفضل مني، لكنهم بقوا هنا ولم يحبوا السفر، اللاعبون العظماء لم ينجحوا لأنهم لم يكن لديهم من يدعمهم”.

اقرأ أيضًا | قلق وردود عنيفة.. قرار جديد من يويفا بشأن مباراة برشلونة وفياريال بـ أمريكا

وأردف: “لا أحد يستطيع أن يجهزك للتخلي عن كرة القدم، كنت أعتقد أن الأمور ستكون أسوأ، لكن زوجتي تستحق الثناء دائمًا تقريبًا لأنها تفهمت الوضع وساعدتني”.

واستطرد: “عليك تعويض جزء ناقص بجزء آخر، تركت كرة القدم وبدأت ركوب الدراجات بعد شهرين، لا أعرف كيف يفعل ذلك الشباب الذين لا يفعلون شيئًا آخر، عليّ التدرب”.

وأتم: “التنس والشطرنج بالمقارنة مع كرة القدم، فالأولى هي رياضة فردية ويمكن أن يكون للمباريات الفردية فيها تأثير أكبر بكثير، والثانية هي رياضة تخطط فيها لشيء ما، وخصمك لشيء آخر، وكل ما أعددته قد لا يكون يستحق العناء”.

Another potential overlap could be South Africa travelling to Pakistan for an ODI series as prep for the 2025 Champions Trophy, pencilled in for mid-February

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2024The third edition of the ILT20 is set to be on a collision course with the BBL and potentially the SA20 in 2025. As per the fixtures of the ILT20, a six-team franchise-based competition in the UAE, announced on Friday, the tournament is set to run from January 11 to February 9 in 2025.While the dates for both BBL and SA20 haven’t been announced, ESPNcricinfo understands the former is set to run until January 26 while the latter will start soon after the New Year’s Test against Pakistan ends in Cape Town on January 7. Another potential overlap could be South Africa travelling to Pakistan for an ODI series as preparation for the 2025 Champions Trophy, pencilled in for mid-February, also in Pakistan.Adding to the complexities of the ILT20 is also a possible clash with the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), although the ILT20 has been a far more lucrative proposition for top players. These clashes with other leagues have meant a high turnover in players throughout the ILT20, with teams making signings for exclusive windows, even as players jet in and jet out from one competition to another.Related

JP Duminy named Sharjah Warriorz head coach in ILT20

Kane Williamson opts out of New Zealand central contract for 2024-25

PCB confirms PSL expansion from 2026 with two new teams

The BBL suffered a mass exodus of overseas players for the finals series last season when the ILT20 started on January 19 but a few overseas players were at least able to play most of the regular season before leaving for the UAE. That will not be the case next summer for those who are contracted to the ILT20.The BBL was hoping to offset any potential clashes with overseas leagues by having Australia’s home-grown Test stars available to play after the Sydney Test against India finishes on January 7. But Australia has a two-Test tour of Sri Lanka scheduled for late January to early February and it understood that the Test players might only be available for three BBL games, if at all, depending on who needs a rest after five Tests against India in seven weeks.Speaking to ESPNcricnfo recently, David White, the CEO of ILT20, had admitted the January-Feburary 2025 was a crowded window with the “added complications” of the Champions Trophy. White had said the ILT20 would look at all options including moving the window to the October-November period subject to ICC’s FTP which comprised bilateral engagements.Eventually the ILT20, which received List A status from ICC prior to the 2024 season, has decided to stick to the same window the tournament has been played over the last two years.”Having considered all aspects, the January-February window for Season 3 has turned out to be the most suitable,” White said in a media release on Friday.Last week, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a radical move to push PSL to an April-May window, in an effort to avoid an increasingly crowded December-February window including hosting the eight-team Champions Trophy. In case the PSL does move to April-May window, it could have a positive impact on ILT20. In 2024 the PCB had allowed top Pakistan players to feature in the ILT20, which White said “spiked’ crowd attendances at the three venues in the UAE.

Mark Nicholas has left his role as chair of Southern Brave’s board. His decision to step down comes as he prepares to take over as Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) chair, at a time when the club – who are proprietors of Lord’s – could become majority owners of London Spirit.Nicholas, who captained Hampshire during his playing career, is a close friend of the club’s ex-chair Rod Bransgrove. He was appointed chair of Southern Brave – who are run jointly by Hampshire and Sussex – in 2019 ahead of the Hundred’s launch, but has now stepped down from that role in recognition of his growing involvement with MCC.Southern Brave filed paperwork to Companies House last week stating that Nicholas has resigned as a director of the company. An MCC spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo: “We can confirm that Mark has left his role as chair of Southern Brave. There aren’t currently any plans for him to join the board of London Spirit.”Related

• Mark Nicholas recommended to take over as MCC chair

• Mervyn King to replace Mark Nicholas as MCC president

• Hundred sell-off could be cricket's 'Premier League moment' – Leicestershire chief exec

• ECB secures counties agreement on Hundred 'direction of travel'

Nicholas has been MCC president since last year, and will take over as chair in October. He has been prominent in the club’s communication with its members around the imminent changes to the ownership model of Hundred teams, which is expected to see the ECB hand 51% stakes to their hosts – in London Spirit’s case, MCC.MCC has discussed the possibility of owning a stake in London Spirit with its members since late last year and Chris Rogers, the club’s treasurer, is chair of a ‘Hundred working group’. Nicholas has expressed his interest in MCC becoming majority owners, telling members he likes the idea of the club coming together to support a single team under its banner.The global profile of Lord’s means that London Spirit is expected to be the most lucrative team when the ECB invites bids later this year. MCC may consider using a potential windfall as an endowment for the MCC Foundation, to invest in the club’s museum, and to continue to improve the facilities at Lord’s, with approval recently granted for a £61.8 million redevelopment of the Allen and Tavern Stands.