تلقى منتخب مصر تحت 17 عاماً الهزيمة الثانية في مشواره ببطولة كأس الخليج 2025 أمام العراق بهدفين دون رد، وذلك بالمباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم.
والتقى منتخب مصر مع نظيره العراقي، في ثاني مبارياته ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الخليج العربي 2025 المقامة في مدينة أبها السعودية.
ويشارك منتخب مصر للناشئين تحت 17 عامًا مواليد 2008، بقيادة أحمد الكأس في بطولة كأس الخليج، بعدما تمت دعوته عقب انسحاب الإمارات.
طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | منتخب مصر للناشئين يسقط بثنائية أمام عمان في أولى مبارياته بـ كأس الخليج
وتشهد البطولة مشاركة 8 منتخبات وزعت على مجموعتين؛ تضم المجموعة الأولى منتخبات السعودية وقطر والكويت واليمن، فيما جاء منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثانية إلى جانب عمان والعراق والبحرين.
وكان منتخب مصر قد استهل مشواره في بطولة كأس الخليج بالهزيمة أمام عمان بثنائية، ضمن منافسات الجولة الأولى من مواجهات دور المجموعات، على ملعب مدينة الأمير سلطان الرياضية.
ومن المقرر أن يلعب منتخب مصر مبارته القادمة أمام البحرين ضمن مواجهات الجولة الثالثة لبطولة كأس الخليج 2025. موعد مباراة مصر القادمة أمام البحرين في كأس الخليج
تقام المبارة يوم الخميس الموافق 4 سبتمبر، في تمام الساعة الرابعة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، على ملعب استاد ضمك.
“He has looked very good at No. 4. He is a great stroke-maker, can play all shots and go through the gears”
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2024
Williamson on Ravindra: “One of his biggest strengths is being very calm”•AFP/Getty Images
New Zealand have called all the shots so far in the Mount Maunganui Test, and go into day three with a lead of 431 to boot. However, Kane Williamson is not getting carried away just yet, and has called on his team to “maintain their discipline and play the long game” as they look to go 1-0 up against South Africa.Williamson himself contributed 118 to New Zealand’s cause, but it was his “outstanding” team-mate Rachin Ravindra who stole most of the headlines with a fluent 240. Speaking after the first day’s play, Ravindra did not hold back in his praise for his “idol” Williamson, and on Monday, the roles were reversed, as it was the New Zealand captain’s turn to laud the 24-year-old.”Ravindra is simply a class act to watch from the other end,” Williamson said. “One of his biggest strengths is being very calm. He’s clearly got the skills and the game as we’ve seen in ODIs, but to go through the gears here, in such a calm temperament, speaks volumes. Their bowlers weren’t giving much away, so we had to keep each other focused.Related
Red-hot Williamson puts the stamp on NZ's day again
Ravindra 240 and Jamieson's burst make it NZ's day
'Pure batting bliss' – Ravindra lauds his 'unbelievable' idol Williamson
“We did a lot of groundwork and South Africa were extremely disciplined with the ball. It was quite difficult to use the pace on the surface, so we just wanted to up the run rate from a position of strength. I wasn’t able to, which was frustrating, but other guys came in and went through the gears in the middle session.”Ravindra has looked very good at No. 4. He is a great stroke-maker, can play all shots and go through the gears. That’s his style. He made the most of the opportunity. He’s quite natural and is loving every moment. From a team’s perspective, we’re loving his attitude to move us forward.”It was an outstanding innings and a special moment for him, but the milestone alone wasn’t enough. You can see he also wanted to put the team in a strong position.”After amassing 511, New Zealand then made further inroads by rattling South Africa’s top order, reducing the visitors to 80 for 4. Williamson believes that with the pitch deteriorating and wind possibly coming into play later on, it is essential that his bowlers be “mindful” with their plans.”Throughout today, and the last part of yesterday, both teams were trying to just hang in there. There was little bit on offer which made it hard to hit through the line, so it was all about just trying to stay with your plans and not lose patience. We had our moments. We were trying to understand where we want to be as a team and took risks when needed to. We gave ourselves the opportunity. Now we need to be mindful with the ball, be disciplined and play the long game, and see how the game unfolds.”We’re in a relatively strong position, but it’ll be hard, South Africa bat deep, the pitch will deteriorate, so let’s see.”Brand rues missed chancesSouth Africa, too, are not waving the white flag just yet. Their captain Neil Brand, who finished with six wickets, is confident that “one big partnership” is all that they need to get right back into the game.”It’s been a tough grind today, but we didn’t expect anything less,” he said. “New Zealand played well, but we also gave away a few chances which didn’t help. But we can still do something very much special here.”There wasn’t much of a chat on how we wanted to bat. I told everyone to play their natural games. There were a few strange dismissals, and ideally you don’t want to be two or three wickets down so soon. But these things happen. We have two great batters in David Bedingham and Keegan Petersen at the crease, and anything can happen.”
da brwin： Representantes dedo América-MG, do Atlético-MG e do Cruzeiro estiveram em uma reunião no Ministério Público de Minas (MPMG) para discutir medidas e ações em prol do combate à violência nos estádios e a proteção do torcedor em dias de jogos.
Após o encontro, a Promotoria de Justiça de Defesa do Consumidor expediu recomendações aos clubes para que não cedam ingressos para torcidas organizadas suspensas ou banidas dos estádios por decisão administrativa, ou judicial.
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da bet sport： A ata da reunião pediu também que os clubes só aprovem planos de segurança e transporte para os torcedores com a anuência da Polícia Militar. O MPMG solicitou a PM fiscalizar, ainda que por amostragem, o número de seguranças privados nos estádios durante as partidas.
À Prefeitura de BH, o MP pediu para assegurar o transporte das torcidas aos estádios conforme o plano de ação apresentado pelos clubes. Também estiveram na reuniãorepresentantes da Polícia Militar, da Federação Mineira de Futebol (FMF), da Prefeitura de BH, do Setra BH e dos estádios Independência e Mineirão.
#MPMG e entidades envolvidas na organização de eventos esportivos no estado discutiram, nesta tarde, planos preventivos de combate à violência e proteção do torcedor nos dias de jogos de futebol.@Atletico @Cruzeiro @AmericaMG @FMF_Oficial @pmmg190 @prefeiturabh @MinasArena pic.twitter.com/IuX77f6Iux
da pixbet： It was a night of conflicting emotions for Arsenal last night.
da premier bet： Mikel Arteta’s side finally returned to Premier League football after two weeks off for the international break, and while they looked a little rusty, they picked up all three points, winning 2-1.
However, Jurrien Timber and Gabriel Magalhães both came off injured and while the former didn’t look too bad, the latter appeared to be holding his hamstring, which could be terrible news ahead of next week’s Champions League game against Real Madrid.
Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore
Furthermore, while they ultimately won, the home side’s performances were mixed. Some players really stepped up, while others looked poor, including one Arteta signing who has to be dropped ahead of the next two games.
Arsenal's stand-out performers vs Fulham
So, before we get to the disappointing player in question, it’s worth looking at those who played well last night; the team did win, after all.
While Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have received much of the praise following last night, deservedly so, other starters stepped up to the plate, such as Declan Rice.
The former West Ham United captain had a good international break, starting both games for Thomas Tuchel, and carried that form back into the match against Fulham as he was seemingly here, there, and everywhere throughout the 90 minutes.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Granted, he did miss a chance towards the end of the game, firing well over the bar, but in all, it was a composed and dominant performance, as fans have come to expect, and enough to earn a 7/10 match rating from football.london’s Tom Canton.
Arsenal's JurrienTimbercelebrates after the match
Two players who did one better than the Englishman were Timber and Merino who received 8/10 match ratings from the journalist.
Before coming off, the former put in a brilliant showing, getting forward to help out in attack and making several impressive defensive contributions, including a vital tackle on Antonee Robinson in the second half.
Merino scored yet another goal for his efforts, and while it was a little scrappy, he continues to deliver for his manager and teammates.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t all great last night, as there was one Arsenal ace who underwhelmed and once again showed that the club should probably be looking to move him on as soon as possible.
The Arsenal star who must be axed after Fulham
It is a cruel irony that Arteta got Saka back from injury last night and then lost Timber and Gabriel. What makes it worse is that Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori are also injured.
So, with few options, the manager turned to Jakub Kiwior to replace the Brazilian titan.
While he’s shown glimpses of quality in the past, this performance further reinforced the idea that Arsenal need another centre-back in the summer and that, as podcaster Phil Costa claims, he just “isn’t good enough” to regularly feature for the Gunners.
As he was against Fulham earlier in the season, the Polish international looked uneasy at the back, unconvincing on the ball and was a significant step down in quality on the man he replaced and the star he was playing alongside.
It might sound harsh, but it’s an opinion shared by Canton, who awarded him just a 6/10 on the night and laid part of the blame for the Cottagers’ goal at his feet for his ‘tussle’ with the rapid Adama Traore.
Interestingly, his statistics for the game are rather mixed, with the positive being the fact he won four of five ground duels, made five clearances and completed 93% of his passes.
Kiwior’s game in numbers
Minutes
74′
Clearances
5
Tackles
3
Dribbled past
1
Errors Leading to a Shot
1
Aerial Duels (Won)
1 (0)
Ground Duels (Won)
5 (4)
Lost Possession
4
Passing Accuracy
41/44 (93%)
All Stats via Sofascore
However, on the other hand, he lost 100% of his aerial duels, made an error that led directly to a shot and was dribbled past, which, if it happens against Fulham, could be a serious problem against Real next week.
Therefore, if there is any chance that White, Timber, or even Rice can fill in at centre-back in the next two games, Arteta must drop Kiwior from the starting lineup, as he’s just not good enough to start for a team like Arsenal.
Better than Saka: 8/10 Arsenal star just dropped his best game in years
Bukayo Saka returned to the Arsenal team as they beat Fulham 2-1.
اتخذ الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، بقيادة الدنماركي ييس توروب، قرارًا غير متوقع قبل أيام قليلة من انطلاق بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، وذلك في إطار استعدادات الفريق للسفر إلى الإمارات لخوض المنافسات المرتقبة.
وبحسب الموقع الرسمي للنادي الأهلي، فقد قرّر ييس توروب، اصطحاب جميع اللاعبين المقيدين في قائمة الفريق، بمن فيهم المصابون، ضمن البعثة المتجهة إلى الإمارات ظهر اليوم، استعدادًا للمشاركة في بطولة كأس السوبر المصري.
ويستعد الأهلي لخوض مواجهة قوية أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا مساء الخميس المقبل، في إطار الدور نصف النهائي من البطولة، حيث يسعى الفريق لتحقيق الفوز والتأهل إلى المباراة النهائية المقرر إقامتها مساء الأحد القادم.
طالع أيضًا | رمضان السيد يهاجم لاعبي الأهلي وتوروب: زيزو “العملاق” اختفى.. وسنحتل المركز الأخير في السوبر
ويدخل الأهلي البطولة بطموح الحفاظ على سجله التاريخي، إذ يُعد الأكثر تتويجًا بكأس السوبر المصري برصيد 15 لقبًا، ويأمل في تعزيز رقمه القياسي من خلال إضافة النجمة السادسة عشرة في النسخة الحالية.
يذكر، أن الفائز من مباراة الأهلي وسيراميكا كليوباترا سيلاقي الفائز من مواجهة الزمالك وبيراميدز في نهائي كأس السوبر.
da betcris： West Bromwich Albion’s action-packed summer has been full of change so far.
da supremo： Obviously, the first notable change occurred in the dug-out when Ryan Mason was finally unveiled as Tony Mowbray’s late successor, but more alterations have taken place since.
Centre-back titan Semi Ajayi has exited the Hawthorns for Hull City, on top of Grady Diangana reportedly looking as though he’s heading to Valencia in Spain.
West Brom defender Semi Ajayi.
Mason could instantly soften the blow of Ajayi departing the West Midlands by securing the signature of Nat Phillips, with reports now suggesting that the Liverpool colossus will move to West Brom permanently this summer.
Unfortunately, this is unlikely to be the only major loss Mason will have to stomach as the enthralling transfer window chugs along, with rumours already coming back to the surface that first-team star Tom Fellows might also be off.
Fellows' future at West Brom
It did feel as if it was going to be inevitable that any interest in Fellows would be reignited, with the England U21 international very firmly back on the radar of David Moyes’ Everton, as per a report by TEAMtalk last week.
The exciting attacker is just fresh off a breakout Championship season that saw him collect a jaw-dropping 14 assists in league action, on top of also powering home four strikes for his failed playoff-chasing outfit.
Therefore, it’s not a shock to see the Toffees chasing him, with Mason desperate to keep hold of him as he aims to guide the Baggies to promotion, especially as Josh Maja – who linked up with Fellows to devastating effect last season – edges closer to being back from injury.
But, Fellows might well feel he’s ready for the step-up to the Premier League now, as a reported price-tag of £10m begins to be circulated.
Whilst bolstering their centre-back numbers was a top priority in the wake of Ajayi upping and leaving, adding in more dynamic, creative attackers will be seen as more paramount if Fellows does exit.
West Brom's ideal Fellow replacement
According to a report by the Express and Star, West Brom could soon swoop in for AFC Bournemouth ace David Brooks on a loan basis, with Mason and Co just one of several Championship clubs keeping close tabs on the Welshman’s situation at the Cherries.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
He might well come in, therefore, and be a necessary short-term option for the Baggies to get over their homegrown product’s departure.
Indeed, the 27-year-old’s last electric loan spell away from Bournemouth down in the EFL resulted in Southampton clinching promotion at the close of the 2023/24 season.
Fellows might well even attempt to follow in Brooks’ footsteps if a Premier League switch soon opens up for him, with the 27-year-old – away from firing home two strikes for the Saints during that campaign – first getting to grips with the senior game in the Championship with Sheffield United.
Rising through the ranks with the Blades, he scored three goals and supplied eight assists in South Yorkshire.
As a result, a bumper £11.5m to the South Coast occurred, and whilst he does have a healthy 11 goals and six assists next to his name too in the luxuries of the Premier League, it’s his productive numbers in the second tier overall that will be solely catching Mason’s eye.
Brooks’ Championship numbers by season
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
23/24
17
2
5
21/22
7
1
0
20/21
32
5
6
17/18
30
3
5
Sourced by Transfermarkt
In total, Brooks has a sterling collection of 11 goals and 16 assists at the challenging level, with that assist haul particularly eye-catching as West Brom aim to effectively replace Fellows’ creative flair.
Hailed as “sublime” by Eddie Howe during his early Bournemouth days, this is a signing that will be seen as a statement to the rest of the Championship.
David Brooks
Throw Phillips into the mix and West Brom might well be deemed as serious promotion candidates, irrespective of high-profile exits souring the mood.
West Brom could sign a "fabulous" Diangana replacement who's an EFL veteran
While Grady Diangana nears to a move away from West Bromwich Albion, the Baggies could be about to land his ideal replacement.
ذكرت تقارير إعلامية اليوم الإثنين، أن نادي ريال مدريد يستعد لاتخاذ قرار وإجراء هام بشأن لاعبه، بعد الأحداث التي شهدتها مواجهة الكلاسيكو الأخيرة أمام برشلونة بالدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.
ريال مدريد نجح في تحقيق الانتصار على غريمه التقليدي برشلونة بهدفين مقابل هدف واحد يوم أمس الأحد، في قمة الجولة العاشرة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو.
وسجل هدفي ريال مدريد كلًا من جود بيلينجهام، وكيليان مبابي، وكان الفريق الملكي أفضل من برشلونة في مجريات المباراة.
لكن مواجهة الكلاسيكو شهدت أحداثًا مؤسفة عقب نهاية المباراة، حيث حدث شجار بين لاعبي ريال مدريد وبرشلونة بسبب مشكلة بين لامين يامال من جهة، وفينيسيوس جونيور، وتيبو كورتوا، وداني كارفاخال من جهة أخرى.
اقرأ أيضًا .. بعد طرد بيدري.. بطاقة حمراء و6 صفراء في مشادة الكلاسيكو بين ريال مدريد وبرشلونة
وأسفرت هذه الأحداث عن تعرض حارس مرمى نادي ريال مدريد، أندري لونين، للبطاقة الحمراء بالفعل، في حين تلقى فينيسيوس جونيور بطاقة صفراء.
لونين بحسب تقرير حكم المباراة سيزار سوتو جرادو، حصل على البطاقة الحمراء بعدما ذهب بطريقة عدوانية إلى دكة بدلاء برشلونة بعد نهاية اللقاء ليشتبك معهم، مما جعله يتعرض للطرد.
وذكرت صحيفة ذا أثلتيك، أن ريال مدريد سوف يستأنف طرد لونين وسيتقدم بطلب رسمي للاتحاد الإسباني، حيث لم يفهم محيط الفريق الملكي طرد الدولي الأوكراني.
وأضاف المصدر، أن لونين رأى دكة بدلاء برشلونة بأكملها تتجه نحو فينيسيوس جونيور للاشتباك معه، في حين وقف حارس المرمى الأوكراني لحماية زميله.
The committee will have seven days to submit its report
Mohammad Isam30-Jan-2025
Durbar Rajshahi is one of the teams who has not paid its players•Durbar Rajshahi
The Bangladesh government has formed a fact-finding committee to look into the BPL’s non-payment of players during the 2024-25 season. The country’s sports ministry made the announcement on Thursday, amid the payment issue heating up.”The attention of the National Sports Council (NSC) has been drawn to various media reports about the players’ payment issue in the ongoing BPL,” the sports ministry said in a press release. “The country’s image, through the BCB and BPL, will be hurt if the payments are not made according to the contracts.”The three-member committee comprises the NSC director (sports) Humayun Kabir, assistant director (sports) Sajia Afrin and the NSC chairman’s private secretary Saiful Islam. The committee will have seven days to submit its report.The payment issue has become a major headache for the BCB, who reportedly didn’t take bank guarantees from all the BPL teams before the tournament. There are reports of more than one team not having paid their players. The Durbar Rajshahi players have led the protest so far. Their local players boycotted a practice session in Chattogram, and the overseas players boycotted the match against Rangpur Riders in Dhaka.The BCB has said it will take legal action against the Rajshahi franchise, while the World Cricketers Association’s chief executive Tom Moffat expressed his disappointment over the issue.
da doce： It’s already been a busy summer at Celtic, so how many more signings will they make?
da luck： On Friday, Benjamin Nygren was presented at Parkhead, arriving from Nordsjælland for a reported fee of £1.3m.
He is the club’s third summer edition, after Ross Doohan and Kieran Tierney, but are the Hoops in the market for another full-back, one that Nygren would enjoy playing alongside?
Celtic's left-back latest
Greg Taylor’s contract at Celtic officially expires on Tuesday, and his six-year stay in Glasgow will come to an end, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that he has ‘agreed’ to join Greek Super League side PAOK Thessaloniki on a Bosman.
During his time at the club, Taylor made 216 appearances, 199 of which were starts, and was the undisputed first-choice left-back the vast majority of the time.
Celtic defender Greg Taylor
Taylor arrived from Kilmarnock to replace Tierney in 2019, the inverse is the case this time round but, with the returning hero infamously injury-prone, Brendan Rodgers will need a more than competent deputy.
Thus, as reported by Mark Pirie of the Daily Record, Keita Kosugi – who is valued at £2m by Football Transfers – is their first-choice target, with Celtic touted to sign him.
Sportbladet have previously documented Paris Saint-Germain’s interest in the full-back, while Djurgården’s sporting director Bosse Andersson told the same Swedish outlet that Kosugi will only be allowed to leave for “quite a lot of money”.
Nevertheless, this looks like a deal Celtic could get done.
How Keita Kosugi would improve Celtic
Just 19 years old, Kosugi joined Djurgården in March 2024, following a successful trial with the Stockholm-based side, and these are his statistics for the club so far.
Keita Kosugi Djurgården career statistics
Statistics
Kosugi
Appearances
45
Starts
42
Minutes
3,708
Goals
5
Assists
2
Conference League starts
16
Conference League goals
2
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt
As the table outlines, from the moment he arrived, the Japanese teenager has been a first-choice starter for Djurgården, a key figure in the team that reached last season’s Conference League semi-finals, scoring against Víkingur Reykjavík and Rapid Wien en route.
Scout Elijah Michiels describes his performances as “excellent”, praising his “crossing abilities….great overlapping runs and fast acceleration”.
So, let’s take a look at his statistics from last year’s Conference League.
Keita Kosugi Conference League 24/25 statistics
Statistics
Kosugi
UECL rank
Minutes
987
14th
Completed passes
403
46th
Progressive carries
23
28th
Touches
653
25th
Tackles
23
18th
% of dribblers tackled
85.7%
8th
Blocks
22
3rd
Interceptions
12
24th
Clearances
46
15th
Statistics courtesy of FBref.com
As the table outlines, Kosugi ranked highly for a wide variety of metrics in last season’s Conference League.
This includes defensive statistics, tackles and blocks, but also progressive carries, emphasising his attacking capabilities.
Han June of Football Asian labels him “one of Asia’s hottest young prospects”, outlining his “fearless defending”, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout notes that ‘pace…work rate and technique’ are his primary attributes, all of which make Kosugi ”a modern defender’.
Meantime, writer Kai Watson notes that he is a “promising attacking threat”, which could see him link up well with new arrival Nygren down the left-hand side. The latter man scored 16 goals in 2024/25, with four of those coming from just eight outings on the left wing.
Most expensive SPFL signings (timeless) Rangers Celtic
The Swede, who is capable of operating on either flank, would surely thrive with a dynamic, overlapping full-back in support, meaning, should Kosugi arrive, he could form an unstoppable partnership with his fellow new recruit.
Ajer 2.0: Celtic make enquiry to sign "imposing" £5m titan
Celtic are reportedly pursuing a deal to sign the central defender this summer.
ECB chief executive cites market dynamics for growing gender pay gap amid PCA critcism
Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Dec-2024
Tom Curran, Sam Curran and Adam Zampa celebrate the Invincibles’ title in 2024•Alex Davidson/Getty Images
Richard Gould, the ECB chief executive, says English cricket must not apologise for attracting the world’s best men’s players, as he faced down claims from the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) that Thursday’s upheaval to the Hundred’s pay structure for the 2025 season will only benefit overseas players.Top salaries in the men’s Hundred will rise from £125,000 to £200,000 (a 60% increase) and £100,000 to £120,000 (20%) for the second tier. However, the other four salary bands, which cover all but four players in 15-man squads, will receive hikes of between 3 and 5%.The announcement was greeted with disdain by the PCA, with interim-chief executive Daryl Mitchell stating he was “extremely concerned” at how the changes had been pushed through. Having been part of initial talks on how the injection of money would be spread across the board for the upcoming competition, Mitchell believed Thursday’s news reflected “a severe lack of communication and consultation”.Tymal Mills and Sam Billings, two players who have been ever-present since the Hundred’s inaugural season in 2021, took to X to voice their concerns. Billings, who captained Oval Invincibles to successive men’s titles, said: “Remarkable how a category gets a 60% increase yet most others get under 5%… Who has come up with this???”Speaking on Friday in Hamilton ahead of England’s third and final Test against New Zealand, Gould admitted he was taken aback by the PCA’s criticism, stating it was “not what I want to hear”. However, he held an unapologetic line about lifting the top brackets to court the best talent in the world, arguing that the dissenting voices had come from a “small section of male players”.”I don’t accept that,” Gould said, when asked if the top pay packets are almost exclusively reserved for overseas talent. “Because that band also includes central- and potentially contracted (England) players, so you’ve effectively got through that top band. And so, no, I don’t accept that at all.”Competition from overseas leagues, including Major League Cricket in the USA, has been a factor in the ECB’s approach to top-tier salaries, with Pat Cummins admitting to ESPNcricinfo that he hadn’t considered the Hundred when signing a lucrative four-year deal with San Francisco Unicorns last year.”This is a global market. We want the best players, irrespective of nationality. If you’re the best player, you’ll be paid the most,” Gould added. “You only have to look at the IPL and the differential and the spread. And if you look back over the last couple of years, we haven’t had as many of the best players in the world that we wanted in the men’s. We want more, and we’re not going to be apologetic in terms of our ambition to get them here.”Once we’re there, then the money is much easier to spread it throughout the squad. It is a very, very competitive market for a very small number of players, and we are not going to be pushed aside on that. We are going to compete, and we have to compete because we need the best players playing in our competition.”Gould also countered the PCA’s suggestions the ECB are guilty of widening the gender pay gap between the men’s and women’s competitions, citing market forces. While the top women’s bracket has increased by 30 percent, they will be earning three times less than their male counterparts. Next year, the difference in pay will have risen from £75,000 to £135,000.In 2022, the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) called for gender pay parity in the Hundred by 2025. The ECB pushed back on the timeframe as unrealistic in its response to the report, which Gould reiterated.”The gap has got bigger because of market dynamics,” he said. “That wasn’t a recommendation we said we could deliver on and we have been very up front on that. We have seen a significant increase in the salaries we have been able to put into the women’s game.”I’m really looking forward to the point that every county club in the country now has a women’s team. You know, I think in five years’ time, we’ll look back and go, ‘How did it take us this long?’ But I think that’s a really, really significant step for us.”Related
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Relations between the ECB and PCA are at an all-time low with disagreement over Hundred salaries following dissent over an issue regarding a new, more stringent No Object Certificate (NOC) policy.A group of domestic players have been blindsided by what they deem as legislation that restrict their earning opportunities. Those hamstrung by the new regulations are ones who have red-ball commitments written into their existing county deals.Though no NOCs have been rejected yet, with 80 handed out to male players in 2024 so far, a group of around 50 cricketers have floated the prospect of strike action in the form of boycotting the 2025 Hundred.Gould accepts there is nuance to the latest NOC stance, particularly for white-ball players with ad hoc agreements with their clubs. Tom Curran, for instance, has been on a white-ball contract with Surrey since 2022, but made two County Championship at the end of the 2024 season as the club negotiated other absences.Nevertheless, Gould believes the updated measures will “protect the sanctity” of county contracts. He also hopes a boycott does not come to fruition.”That may have been discussed on a call with with a variety of representatives, but I’ve heard nothing in that regard and I sincerely hope that’s that’s not the case.”