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To say it has been a roller coaster start to 2026 for Chelsea would be a massive understatement.

New Year’s Day brought news of Enzo Maresca’s departure, and just a few days later, Liam Rosenior was announced as his permanent replacement.

There is an understandable reservation from some in the fanbase about the 41-year-old’s appointment due to his relative lack of top-flight experience, but he remains highly rated and, by all accounts, seems to have done a good job with Strasbourg.

Moreover, with the transfer window now open, the club can ensure he has the best chance of success by bringing in some more top-quality players.

Moreover, the fact that Antoine Semenyo now appears to be off the market shouldn’t be a concern, as Chelsea already has their own version of the dynamic winger in someone who could be an even bigger star.

Who Chelsea might sign in January

Despite the window only opening a week ago, Chelsea have already been linked with a host of exciting players.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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One area of the team that most fans agree needs attention is central defence, and the good news is that the club has been linked with one of the most exciting young defenders in European football, Jérémy Jacquet.

The 20-year-old gem, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed an “insane CB in the making”, is currently plying his trade with Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais.

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 3% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles in the attacking third, the top 4% for interceptions, the top 6% and the top 12% for key passes and more, all per 90.

Combine that with the fact he’s 6 foot 2 and, in the words of analyst Ben Mattinson, “dominant in aerial duels,” and it’s easy to see why so many teams are keen to sign him.

Moving up the pitch a little, another player heavily linked with the Blues is Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.

The England international reportedly has a price tag of around £100m, and while that is an enormous sum, it’s easy to see why the Eagles value him so highly.

Despite being just 21 years old, the former Blackburn Rovers star has already amassed 121 senior club appearances and, on top of his three England Caps, was a crucial part of the South Londoners’ FA Cup-winning side last season.

Finally, while the West Londoners were linked with Semenyo for a brief moment before Christmas, they quickly backed away, and it now looks like the Bournemouth star will be heading to the Etihad this month.

However, fans shouldn’t be too disappointed as Chelsea might just already have their own answer to the dynamic attacker for Rosenior to get the most out of.

Chelsea's answer to Semenyo

While this Chelsea squad has some weaknesses, it also has more than a few seriously talented and exciting players who could help Rosenior make a positive start to life this season.

He might not be the most important player at the moment, but arguably the most exciting, and the one who could be the manager’s answer to Semenyo is Estevao.

The Blues finally got their hands on the teenage sensation in the summer after signing him in 2024, and to say he has been looked at as one of the next great players would be quite the understatement.

Estevao’s Palmeiras record

Appearances

83

Minutes

5610′

Goals

27

Assists

15

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

Minutes per Goal Involvement

133.57′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

After all, Mattinson labelled him a “future Ballon d’Or winner” before he had even put pen to paper with the West Londoners, and while that might seem a tad over the top, he did leave Brazil with an incredible record of 27 goals and 15 assists in only 89 appearances for Palmeiras.

Subscribe to the newsletter for Chelsea transfer insights Curious about how potential signings fit Chelsea’s rebuild? Subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth transfer analysis, player scouting profiles and tactical context — plus wider club coverage to keep perspective on each move.

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Moreover, he has already made quite the impact on these shores, scoring a last-minute winner against Liverpool and a sensational goal against Barcelona all before the turn of the year.

It is this ability to drive with the ball at his feet and score a goal out of nothing that makes it easy to see him as the club’s answer to Semenyo.

Furthermore, while he seems to be a little bit more effective on the right, he is someone who can and has played in other positions, from the attacking midfield to the opposite flank.

Finally, like the Cherries star, the young Brazilian is also a hugely entertaining player to watch; he is someone who can and almost always will get the fans on their feet at some point in a game.

Ultimately, while Rosenior would likely have loved to have Semenyo on the books, Chelsea have already signed him an answer to him in Estevao.

Related Chelsea line up British record move to sign £130m Neto upgrade for Rosenior

The incredible international would be the perfect signing for Rosenior and send Neto packing.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes

The January transfer window is now officially open for business and the Glasgow Rangers squad could look fairly different by the time it slams shut.

One player whose future at Ibrox remains in doubt is central midfielder Nicolas Raskin. It was reported last month that the Gers may be willing to accept an offer for him in January, amid interest from Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Turkish giants Besiktas have also been linked with an interest in the Belgium international, who is said to be valued at around £13m by the Scottish Premiership outfit.

Rangers make offer to sign new midfielder

If the Gers do end up cashing in on the midfield star, amid interest from Besiktas and Spurs, then the club will have to bring in a replacement to bolster Danny Rohl’s squad.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to reports in Italy, Glasgow Rangers are interested in a deal to sign central midfielder Emil Bohinen from Genoa in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the 26-year-old star’s representatives have brokered an offer from the Gers and sent it to Genoa, who are set to cut his loan with Venezia short in order to facilitate a January transfer.

It does not reveal how much the Scottish giants have offered to sign the English-born talent, but it does state that Eredivisie clubs and Spezia are also keen on snapping him up this month, which means that there is significant competition for his signature.

Sport Witness also suggest that the interest could come from Rohl because Bohinen has been linked to a Championship move in the past, and the German boss managed Sheffield Wednesday for two seasons before his Ibrox switch.

Why Bohinen would be a dream Raskin replacement for Rangers

The Gers should push to win the race for the Norwegian talent because he could be a perfect replacement for Raskin, should the club decide to cash in on the Belgian this month.

Like the current Rangers star, Bohinen is a combative central midfielder who can win duels, complete passes at an impressive rate, and chip in with goal contributions at the top end of the pitch.

Those attributes even earned him a comparison to Mikel Merino from talent scout Jacek Kulig back in 2020. Merino, since then, has gone on to sign for Arsenal and score 14 goals in 71 matches for the club.

Bohinen has only started one match for Venezia in the Serie B this season, per Sofascore, which means that he has not had the opportunity to showcase his quality on the pitch.

Last season, however, the Norwegian central midfielder caught the eye with his performances on loan with Frosinone in the second half of the campaign in the second division in Italy.

24/25

Raskin (SPL)

Bohinen (Serie B)

Appearances

35

12

Goals

4

3

Minutes per goal

657

338

Pass accuracy

87%

91%

Duels won per game

6.6

5.3

Ground duel success rate

57%

63%

Aerial duel success rate

56%

70%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Bohinen’s statistics in that league last season suggest that he could be well-suited to replacing Raskin in the middle of the park for the Light Blues.

The Belgian star has been a well-rounded midfielder throughout his time at Ibrox, providing quality at both ends of the park, and the Genoa talent appears to be a similar profile of player.

Bohinen’s goalscoring potential was also on display in his last two Eliteserien seasons with Stabaek, scoring nine goals and providing seven assists in the 2019 and 2020 campaigns combined, per Sofascore.

Subscribe to the newsletter for transfer insight Dig deeper into Rangers transfer moves by subscribing to the newsletter for scouting-led analysis, player comparisons, and tactical context. Understand replacements, valuation debates, and what midfield signings would mean for the squad.

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He provided a reminder of his quality at the top end of the pitch for Frosinone in Italy last season, but has not had the minutes in the current campaign to show the best version of himself.

If Rangers can reach an agreement with Genoa to bring him to Ibrox, Bohinen has the potential to be their perfect replacement for Raskin and their own version of Merino, due to his combination of ball-winning and goalscoring attributes in the middle of the park.

At the age of 26, he would also step in as a signing who can make an immediate impact, as the central midfielder is not a young and inexperienced player who would need time to settle in.

Related Just imagine him & Moore: Rangers now hopeful of signing £4m-rated star

Rangers are reportedly hopeful of signing this star who could be a dream partner for Mikey Moore.

Posts ByDan Emery

That is why he could be the perfect replacement for Raskin, should the Belgian star leave this month, as the Gers would need a star who can hit the ground running in his place.

	RP Singh teed off for his first six in international cricket © AFP

Lee’s rewind
India had lost a couple of quick wickets in the first session when Brett Lee steamed in to VVS Laxman. Lee was about to leap into his delivery stride when Laxman, possibly distracted by a fly or something behind the sightscreen, backed away. Lee stood surprised for a few moments before pretending to run backwards, as if he was rewinding the film. Laxman, who is never too far from an apologetic look, was one of many who let out a hearty smile.Friends reunited
It’s the first Test visit to Perth for Matthew Hayden since Justin Langer retired and Hayden’s leg injury has meant the pair has had plenty of time to spend together. They had dinner together on Thursday and shared something that has not been seen publicly for 12 months – a hug. The former partners embraced after a brief stint in the ABC commentary box so the moment could be caught on camera and posted on the broadcaster’s website.RP’s mighty swish
It was the penultimate ball before tea and RP Singh, who was facing Andrew Symonds, was expected to down the shutters. RP, though, decided it was time he smashed an international six. Planting his front foot out, he teed off like a golfer, lofting the ball over long-on. It was something he hadn’t managed in eight previous Tests, 38 ODIs and eight Twenty20s. The next delivery, pitched on leg stump, was kicked away nonchalantly before RP proudly strode back to the pavilion.Tortoise and hare
Mahendra Singh Dhoni had shelved his attacking shots in the national interest, taking 43 balls over 5 before his fire ignited briefly. India were pushing ahead cautiously when Dhoni broke free, launching himself at Michael Clarke and collecting a straight six which was more in tune with his usual method. However, he slipped back into a sombre mood until breaking out to hit his second six, which came off Symonds.Ishant digs it out
Australia had just broken through a nagging 51-run stand when Ishant Sharma, India’s No.11, walked in. His first-innings cameo in Sydney showed he could hit, but few would have expected him to dig out a dart-accurate yorker from Stuart Clark first up. Faced with one at 131kph, he juddered his bat down and the inside edge raced away to fine leg for four. Clark might have felt the effort was good enough to get a wicket; he saw Ishant grinning instead.Local relief
Australia had to take quick wickets in the first session and after a slow first half hour things looked up for the home team when Virender Sehwag sliced a drive to Michael Hussey at gully. Except he dropped it. At the time it felt like a costly miss, but Clark bowled Sehwag in the next over as India lost 4 for 46.

Gold League
Rawalpindi reached the top of the Gold League table with 21 points after they beat Faisalabad by 232 runs in their fourth-round Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Cricket Championship Gold League match at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.Resuming at their overnight score of 277 for 8, Rawalpindi, who have never won the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, added only eight more before being bowled out. Faisalabad, chasing 337, were bowled out for 104 in 32.5 overs with no batsman scoring even 20. Sohail Tanvir got 4 for 24 and ended with a match haul of 7 for 73. Najaf Shah and Yasir Arafat got three each and both ended with six for the match.Rawalpindi displaced Peshawar from the first position after Peshawar succumbed to a two-wicket defeat to Sialkot on January 26. Faisalabad remained at the bottom of the table with no points from their three matches.Rawalpindi will next play Karachi Urban at the National Stadium Karachi while Faisalabad will host Peshawar in the fifth round of the tournament starting February 1.A stubborn display by the Lahore Shalimar batsmen, coupled with poor light conditions, deprived Karachi Harbour of an outright victory as their match came to a draw on the final day at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.Lahore Shalimar were set a target of 383 and were 44 for no loss at the end of day three. But only 31.4 overs of play were possible on the final day and Lahore Shalimar ended at 176 for 3.The opening stand between Humayun Farhat and Ahmed Shehzad powered Lahore Shalimar to a 107-run start. Farhat hammered 59 off 61 balls with nine fours and a six while Shehzad made 42 off 77 balls with eight fours.Atif Maqbool got 2 for 71 with his offbreaks and Aamer Sajjad (35) was at the crease along with Arsalan Mir (11) when stumps were drawn.Karachi Harbour managed three points having gained a lead in the first innings. This takes their overall tally to 12 after four matches placing them fourth in the seven-team points table. A win would have given them nine points which would have enhanced their total to 18 and put them on par with Peshawar at second place.Silver League
A seventh-wicket partnership of 108 between Bilal Khilji and Kamran Hussain helped Multan earn a creditable draw against Abbottabadin their Silver League match at the Multan Cricket Stadium.Set a target of 321 Multan had made 71 for 3 at the end of day three. On the final day they batted just short of 86 overs and lost nine wickets to reach 291 at stumps.But a draw meant that Abbottabad had to be content with only the three points for gaining a first-innings lead. Multan, meanwhile, stay at the second spot in the table with 21 points to their credit.Kashif Naved, unbeaten overnight at 31, set the tempo for Multan’s fight for survival contributing 65 off 109 balls. Then, from 142 for 6, Khilji and Hussain pulled them out of trouble. Khilji remained unbeaten on 73 batting for almost four and a half hours while Hussain hit 51 off 100 balls.Sajid Shah, Abbottabad’s right-arm fast-medium bowler, took 3 for 52 that gave him a match haul of 9 for 100. Junaid Khan chipped in with three for 51 with his left-arm medium-fast bowling. Multan, who were demoted from the Gold League last season, must win against Islamabad in the fifth round at Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad if they are to make the Silver League final against the same side.

Scorecard

Sachin Tendulkar played some sparkling shots during his 74© Getty Images

In an absurdly laid-back opening for what promises to be an intense series, staged in a setting more English than sub-continental, the Indians cruised along merrily and racked up 298 for 4 against Pakistan A on the first day in Lahore. Led by half-centuries from the top four and, on a flat pitch on the slightly slow side, the Indians blunted the varied attack.Playing in the idyllic Bagh-e-Jinnah ground, a tranquil patch circumscribed with trees, in front of close to 500 spectators watching from behind pickets, the Indians, expectedly, chose to gain some batting practice ahead of the first Test in six days’ time. Two batsmen for whom the game mattered the most, Gautam Gambhir and Wasim Jaffer, ensured that the suspense lasted a bit longer – doing just enough to find their groove, but not enough to seal a Test berth – while two that followed, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, revelled in the relaxed setting, cruising along to composed half-centuries as well.Faced with an opportunity to stake their claim, in abnormally chilly conditions, Gambhir and Jaffer began cautiously but soon overcame any threat posed by the four-pronged pace attack. Umar Gul, staking a claim for a Test recall, was guilty of bowling too short, on a surface not offering too much lift, while Rao Iftikhar Anjum and Yasir Arafat struggled to extract too much seam movement. Mohammad Irshad – similar to Shoaib Akhtar in action and not too far behind in speed – was the most threatening of the lot but Gambhir and Jaffer blunted all without too much fuss.Gambhir was the first to turn aggressor, latching on to anything slightly wide, ripping a couple of fierce cuts, and driving with customary verve. With the axe looming, he backed himself when the ball was there to be hit, cracking nine fours en route to his fifty. He fell soon after reaching the landmark but Jaffer picked up the baton and kept the scoreboard ticking. Unfurling some gorgeous cover-drives, and dissecting the fielders to a nicety, he was on his way to entering the sort of zone that has made him such a mighty force in domestic cricket back home. He was confident enough to attempt some cheeky glides, one ramped over the slip cordon, but fell victim to trying one too many, nicking a good-length cutter from Gul.Unlike the two openers, Dravid didn’t take any time to open out. With a picnic-atmosphere catching on as the game meandered, he unobtrusively motored along, mastering the faster bowlers, dismissing the spinners and racing to his half-century. Irshad was pulled with gusto while the two legspinners, Mansoor Amjad and Imran Farhat, were made to look inadequate. What Dravid began, Tendulkar continued and looked in spanking touch for little over two hours in the middle. There was a certain joy in watching colossal performers entertain a holiday crowd, classical strokeplay adorning a rustic setting. Tendulkar often couldn’t contain his boyish cheek, attempting paddle sweeps, and observing such a figure bask in a relatively obscure stage had a charm of its own.Amjad is definitely a promising bowler possessing the required weapons but had no clue when in one over Tendulkar decided to have some fun – steered through cover, whipped through midwicket and pulled square. Nothing could stop him, or so it seemed, until he under-edged a short and wide one from Arafat, looked back to see Zulqarnain, the wicketkeeper, pull off a beauty and without any hesitation, walked. Tendulkar had had his fun, Arafat, as he was to say later, had got his “dream wicket”, the Indians had got some valuable practice and an already peaceful Bagh-e-Jinnah got a bit quieter. A tour had started in utter calm, and one still had to come to grips with the fact that it’s India in Pakistan.How they were outGautam Gambhir c Rao b Irshad 53 (81 for 1)
Wasim Jaffer c Zulqarnain b Gul 58 (153 for 2)
Rahul Dravid c Raza b Farhat 63 (220 for 3)
Sachin Tendulkar c Zulqarnain b Arafat 74 (279 for 4)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has told the Mumbai High Court that it has decided to cancel the tender for its television rights, and has indicated that it will initiate two new bids. ESPN-Star Sports, which had gone to court to challenge the BCCI’s decision to award the rights to Zee Telefilms, has withdrawn the case after the cricket board’s notification.The board’s representatives told the court that their tender with Zee was “not concluded”, as the draft letter sent by them had not been accepted by Zee, and negotiations were still on. They said that they would make arrangements to telecast the matches themselves, and float two new tenders – one for the rights of the next three series, and the other for the next four years.ESPN-Star withdrew its petition after the BCCI’s announcement, but Zee was furious. Zee’s lawyer asked the court to note that the ruling on the case itself had not yet been given, and that the surety amount of US$20million that the board had asked for had been given and accepted.Zee said it would initiate legal action against the board’s decision. Subhash Chandra, the company’s head, made allegations of connivance between the Board and ESPN-Star Sports: “The court could also see it clearly,” he claimed. “But since the petitioner ESPN-Star Sports, in collusion with the BCCI counsel, withdrew the petition, the court had no option than to record the statement and pass no order.”It is obvious that the board’s worries are far from over. To start with, what was expected to be a windfall season for Indian cricket is likely to begin in the red. The forthcoming series against Australia, which was expected to be a licence to print money, may well now end up in a deficit. But as a BCCI official admitted, that is the least of their concerns at the moment: “Our problems might have just begun.”

West Indies 240 and 418 for 7 (Sarwan 105, Chanderpaul 104) beat Australia 240 and 417 by three wicketsOmari Banks and Vasbert Drakes propelled West Indies to a nerve-wracking three-wicket victory on the final morning in Antigua, as Australia’s quest for an unprecedented clean sweep in the Caribbean came unstuck in the most thrilling fashion possible. Banks, who finished unbeaten on 47 in only his second Test, showed maturity beyond his 20 years, as he and Drakes overcame the early loss of Shivnarine Chanderpaul to knock off the 46 runs that remained of the highest fourth-innings chase in Test history.After a fractious and utterly compelling final session on Monday, the atmosphere in the Antigua Recreation Ground was unrecognisable this morning. If the teams had been able to reach a conclusion last night, West Indies would surely have won at a canter, but with a chastened and reinvigorated Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie charging in with a newish ball, there were no foregone conclusions on offer.

The moment of victory: Stuart MacGill is despondent as West Indies celebrate

All of the Caribbean feared the worst when Chanderpaul, whose stunning strokeplay had put the Aussies to flight, lasted just one more Brett Lee delivery. Coming round the wicket, Lee straightened one on off stump, and Chanderpaul nibbled a catch through to Adam Gilchrist. He was gone for a magnificent 104, but like Sarwan before him, he appeared to have left the job uncompleted.There are worse men to have coming in at No. 9 than Drakes, however. He and Banks drew the sting of Australia’s assault with a calmness that was in stark contrast to the chewed fingernails in the stands and dressing-rooms. Drakes was greeted by a ferocious bouncer from Lee, then miscued an exocet from Gillespie into no-man’s land behind the wicket, but in the eighth over of the day he flicked Lee for a much-needed boundary, and West Indies were up and running.In the same over, Banks opened his account for the day, before finally connecting with one of his flowing cover-drives, to beat a floundering Andy Bichel to the rope. With 27 still needed for victory, Steve Waugh recalled Stuart MacGill, who had been subjected to a drubbing on Monday evening. Immediately Banks flashed MacGill through the grasping hands of Matthew Hayden in the gully, and Justin Langer was unable to prevent another boundary.

Omari Banks: the hero of the final day

Then MacGill lobbed one into the slot, and Drakes hoofed it mightily over cow-corner for six – it was a decisive moment. In one blow, the crowd emerged from behind their metaphorical sofas, as the total passed 400 and the target ducked below 20 runs. Gillespie though wasn’t finished, and nearly decapitated Drakes with another perfectly directed bouncer, but Drakes responded with a fortuitous inside-edge to the fine-leg boundary.The teams took drinks with 11 runs still required, but when umpire Shepherd turned down MacGill’s stone-dead lbw appeal against Drakes, Australia’s last chance had gone. Banks slapped at a MacGill full-toss and edged down to fine leg for four, and it was left to Drakes to seal the win, with a spanking cut through point. West Indies had achieved the impossible – preserving their proud home record and breaking India’s 27-year-old record, to complete an astonishing run-glut of a series, in which 17 centuries were scored in four Tests.

Kent Spitfires cut Leicestershire’s lead at the top of the Norwich Union League first division to just two points after surviving yet another last ball finish to land a eight-run win against Yorkshire in Canterbury.Just two days after their last ball victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol, Spitfires managed to defend their disappointing 45-over total of 216 courtesy of a three wicket burst in four balls in the final over of the game by the league’s leading wicket-taker Martin Saggers.With Phoenix needing 13 runs for a victory that would have hauled them clear of the relegation dogfight, Saggers ran in to remove the off stump of David Byas with his second ball, york Richard Dawson with his next and then have Richard Blakey caught on the long-off boundary to secure Kent’s ninth win of the campaign.The hosts looked as good as beaten at the mid-way point of the reply as Darren Lehmann and Anthony McGrath reached 89 for two, but in-form Lehmann made a vital misjudgement in reverse sweeping Min Patel to top edge a catch to fly slip.McGrath, who was dropped on seven after skying a chance to deep cover, re-grouped by way of a fourth wicket stand worth 108 in 21 overs with Craig White.Just 62 were required with 10 overs to go and, with seven wickets in hand, a partisan St Lawrence crowd of 4,000 were watching in silence as their title hopes seemingly slid away.But then White holed out to long off and McGrath, after reaching his maiden league century from 139-balls, ran himself out to revive Kent’s victory and title hopes once again.The hosts were probably 20 short of what they perceived to be a defendable total as only James Hockley with 66 from 82-balls managed to post a half-century on a slow but true pitch.Hockley was one of three wickets taken by Lehmann’s left arm spin in a burst of three for five in eight balls that ripped the heart out of the home middle order batting.

The future of Northamptonshire County Cricket Club looks uncertain after a request to the ECB for emergency financial help and an examination of the benefits of selling their ground and moving to an out-of-town location.The club, who have already borrowed several hundred thousand pounds from a group of directors earlier this year, have been instructed by the ECB to undergo an independent financial review to ascertain whether they fill the criteria for borrowing. It is believed they require around £500,000 to meet urgent financial obligations.The ECB has assisted counties in the past but with a full-scale review of the professional game in progress, it cannot be assumed that further largesse will automatically be forthcoming.Whether Northants seek to move headquarters or even become the first of the first-class clubs to dissolve remains to be seen. Increasingly, though, the current arrangement appears unsustainable.Northants declared a loss of £305,636 last year and are forecasting another heavy loss for 2015. They have already accepted that their prize asset, the England one-day allrounder David Willey, is likely to leave the club at the end of the season – Willey is contracted until the end of 2016 but had a verbal agreement allowing him to leave if he wished – and are looking at other cost-saving measures. The player wage bill is certain to be reduced.Former club captain Stephen Peters, Scotland international Kyle Coetzer, fast bowler Maurice Chambers and David Murphy are all expected to leave at the end of the season, while younger players such as Ben Duckett, the former England U19 captain, and Rob Keogh, who is the subject of interest from Essex, could also depart.The deeper concern is that this time of year, with T20 revenues secured, should be easier in terms of cash flow. Most clubs suffer more in the autumn when income streams dry up and bills have to be paid.Northants have previously borrowed from Northamptonshire County Council to redevelop their ground and to maximise potential revenue from T20 cricket.They were scheduled to repay the money from ECB receipts, but that income has been damaged by the international retirement of Graeme Swann and the non-selection of Monty Panesar. In the past, Northants have received performance-related payments (worth over £100,000 a year for Swann) as the ‘developing club’ of the two spinners.Financial pressures have encouraged an examination of whether Northants should abandon their ground, situated close to the centre of Northampton, and move to a spot further out of town.Indeed, ESPNcricinfo understands that the club have invested in a research project to identify a potential new location for the ground and, with the local council’s help, are considering a patch at Sixfields near Northampton Town’s stadium.The cricket and football clubs used to play on adjoining grounds until the football club upped sticks in 1994. Northants members would need to sanction such a move.The club bought the freehold on their Wantage Road ground in May 2012 and had the site valued, in its current condition, at around £4.5m. With planning permission, it could be worth more than £10m. The club’s chairman, Gavin Warren, is also a director of a Bleu Star Land and Property Ltd; a company whose tag line is: “unlock the full potential of your assets.”The club state there is a covenant on their ground which makes it impossible to obtain planning permission. They also claim they have not applied for an emergency loan from the ECB. Both these claims are disputed by club insiders and sources at the ECB.Underlining the impression that club is ailing, ESPNcricinfo also understands that Northants was reported to the ECB for failing to have lunch prepared for players and officials during the Championship match against Derbyshire. The chief executive, Ray Payne, is also not a full-time presence at the ground.In the shorter term, the County Tavern, the pub owned by the club, could also be sold. It has been listed for sale before – and valued at around £550,000 – but withdrawn before completion. However, if the directors’ loans have been taken against the value of the pub, the sale of it may not benefit Northants CCC. Such matters will be scrutinised by the independent financial review before any loan is approved.

The ankle is healing but will Shoaib Malik be fully fit in time to face Zimbabwe? © AFP

Shoaib Malik, the Pakistan captain, needs a further three weeks to recover fully from the ankle injury that curtailed his tour to India. It also means that he faces a race against time to be fit for Pakistan’s next assignment, an ODI series against Zimbabwe, which begins from January 26.Malik missed the final two Tests against India recently after injuring his ankle during a post-Test warm-up and now begins an injury rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy.”Doctors have removed the plaster from Shoaib Malik’s ankle today and have advised him to undergo a rehabilitation programme for the next three weeks,” Ahsan Malik, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman, told .Malik will be working with Sohail Saleem, the PCB’s chief medical officer, and trainer Abdul Saboor. “He (Malik) is feeling much better and is confident of regaining full match fitness ahead of the series against Zimbabwe,” Ahsan said.Another vital player, Mohammad Asif, also begins his comeback from the elbow injury that has nagged him over the last year. Asif underwent surgery in Australia earlier this month to rectify the problem and is now hoping to recover in time for the home series against Australia to be held in March-April.”Asif will work at the NCA according to plan prepared for him by David Dwyer (the Pakistan team trainer),” said Ahsan. He added that Asif will undergo physical training sessions for several weeks before he even begins to bowl. Fellow fast bowler Umar Gul has also recovered from his back problem and will start bowling in the nets at the NCA from January 1.