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The tournament, which had signed up Eoin Morgan, Kumar Sangakkara and Shahid Afridi among its icon players, failed to sell franchises within the stipulated time

Umar Farooq15-Nov-2018The inaugural Emirates T20x League has been cancelled, following the tournament’s failure to sell franchises within the stipulated time. The tournament was scheduled to be staged next month with Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi as the host venues.The league, a joint venture between the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and the OPi group, had gained ICC approval for the next 10 years subject to an annual appraisal. It was to feature five franchises – the organisers had not revealed their names, but it is believed they were meant to represent five Emirates of the UAE.”Following talks between the Emirates Cricket Board and event promoter OPi, it has been mutually agreed that the planned UAE T20x franchise cricket league will not take place in the UAE this coming December/January,” the ECB said in a statement. “The decision follows the conclusion of the Invitation to Tender process for tournament franchises.”Both the ECB and OPi had been hopeful of achieving the sale of five franchise teams for the first year of the tournament, and whilst negotiations had been completed on two franchise teams and a further three were well advanced, it was felt that there was no longer sufficient time to close the sales process and to successfully deliver and promote a December event.”During the ICC’s annual conference in Dublin in July, the chief executives committee (CEC) and the ICC Board had discussed – and reportedly come to a consensus on – limiting player participation to no more than three T20 leagues a year. According to the ECB’s statement, this too had impacted the league’s ability to attract commercial partnerships.”OPi, a privately-owned sports promoter, and the ECB had been working together since 2017 to develop the new franchise league, and had attracted interest and support from many of the world’s leading players and coaches,” the statement said. “The decision of the ICC in July to explore potential limitations on T20 cricket leagues and player participation in them, meant that investment into UAE T20x had to be curtailed throughout the summer in anticipation of a decision. This in turn impacted timings around commercial conversations with potential franchise buyers.”As such, the tournament was racing against time. It was supposed to begin on December 19, with a player draft scheduled for November 18. The organisers hadn’t signed a deal with a broadcaster either.Despite all this, the league had already announced five icon players – Eoin Morgan, David Miller, Andre Russell, Shahid Afridi and Kumar Sangakkara – with AB de Villiers also involved as a non-playing ambassador.The first season was supposed to feature 22 matches played over 24 days. Each of the five franchises was to comprise 16 players – six international and two emerging players from Full Member countries, three from Associate countries, two young players from the local domestic set-up and three UAE national cricketers.The venture was spearheaded by the former PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf, who during his term with the Pakistan board had initiated the idea of launching a T20 league within Pakistan. However, the idea never materialised under Ashraf.The T20x league operations were the responsibility of Salman Sarwar Butt, another Pakistani who was one of the driving forces behind the Pakistan Super League in 2016. He later parted ways with the PSL after the PCB failed to renew his contract.

Chelsea are monitoring the situation of a new striker as they consider bringing him to the Premier League, according to a fresh report.

Mauricio Pochettino's current options

The Blues have Nicolas Jackson, Armando Broja and Deivid Washington as their three natural options at centre-forward as it stands, but there’s a chance that two of them could be heading for the exit door in January.

According to Football Insider, Broja is attracting significant interest from Fulham ahead of the upcoming transfer window, while Washington could be sent out on loan in order to increase his experience and game time being just 18 years of age.

Todd Boehly and Mauricio Pochettino could enter the market to find some further reinforcements should they depart, and Hoffenheim’s Max Moerstedt has emerged as a potential target, with the 17-year-old teenager being a regular feature of his club’s various youth sides (Transfermarkt – Moerstedt statistics).

Germany’s youth international still has just under three years remaining on his deal, but that hasn’t stopped chiefs from deploying their scouts to assess their target’s performances as they consider making an approach in the coming weeks.

Chelsea set sights on Max Moerstedt

According to 90min, Chelsea are interested in Moerstedt and recently had representatives in attendance to watch him live alongside several other admirers.

“It was his performances at the recently concluded Under-17 World Cup in Indonesia, which Germany won, that particularly caught the attention of a number of suitors.

"Manchester United and Chelsea scouts were impressed. Brighton & Hove Albion, a club with a deserved reputation for identifying and developing young talent, also like what they see. It isn't just Premier League sides, though, with Juventus and Atalanta keeping tabs on Moerstedt too.”

Moerstedt is an "exciting" young prospect

Since the start of his career, Moerstedt has posted 57 contributions, 42 goals and 15 assists, in just 48 appearances, so it’s no surprise to learn that he is attracting so much attention, and given his record in the final third, he could be a wonderful recruit for Chelsea.

Pochettino’s target has had a taste of what it’s like to be successful having been crowned Bundesliga U17s winner with Hoffenheim, alongside World Cup and European U17s champion with Germany, so he may already possess that winning mentality that he could bring to London.

Standing at 6 foot 4, Mannheim’s native could turn into an ideal target man up top with his height and he’s able to provide a real physical presence when long balls are played to him, making himself a handful for the opposition’s defence to deal with.

For all of the positive qualities that he has in his locker, Moerstedt is a truly “exciting” player, as hailed by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and with him still being a teenager, the fact that he’s showing all this potential now means that he could go on to have a bright future ahead of him, possibly at Stamford Bridge.

Marcel Sabitzer turned hero for Dortmund as they beat Atletico Madrid to reach the Champions League semi-finals.

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Sabitzer provided two assists and scored a goalDortmund reach Champions League finalMidfielder missed an easy chance earlier in the matchGetty ImagesTELL ME MORE

Diego Simeone took a defensive approach, as expected, as Atletico looked to hold onto their lead from the first leg right from the word go. Former Manchester United midfielder Marcel Sabitzer found himself in a scoring position in the third minute of the game when he received a pass from Karim Adeyemi on the edge of the six-yard box. The Austrian took a first touch to compose himself but by the time he could take a shot, Cesar Azpilicueta made a crucial interception.

Just two minutes later, Alvaro Morata had arguably the best chance of the match to increase his team's lead as he found himself one-on-one with Gregor Kobel but failed to keep his attempt on target from a handshaking distance.

The hosts eventually broke the deadlock and restored parity on aggregate in the 34th minute when Mat Hummels sent a brilliant long ball from outside his boot towards Julian Brandt. The winger took a first touch before finding the back of the net. Five minutes later, Ian Maatsen made amends for his mistake from the first leg as he doubled his team's lead from Marcel Sabitzer's assist.

The Spanish side made a strong comeback in the second half as they pulled one back through Hummels' own goal. The veteran defender tried to block Mario Hermoso's header from a corner but the ball got deflected off his foot and entered the Dortmund goal.

Angel Correa then momentarily put his side in front on aggregate after scoring a second goal from a fantastic Atletico move but Sabitzer's brilliance in the final 20 minutes helped the Germans clinch the tie.

The former Bayern star provided an inch-perfect cross for Niclas Fullkrug's equaliser before finding the back of the net with a thunderous strike from the edge of the box to redeem himself for his earlier mistake.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE MVP

Sabitzer was the standout performer for the hosts by providing two assists and scoring the all-important goal towards the end which settled the tie in Dortmund's favour. The midfielder had a daunting presence across the pitch throughout the 90 minutes.

Getty ImagesTHE BIG LOSER

The Atletico defence completely crumbled in the final 20 minutes of the game as they were caught off guard during BVB's last two goals as Fullkrug and Sabitzer sealed the fate of the tie. For a team famed for their solidity down the years, it was nowhere near good enough.

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WHAT COMES NEXT?

BVB will be next seen in action on Sunday in the Bundesliga as they take on newly crowned German champions Bayer Leverkusen. On the same day, Simeone's side will face Alaves in La Liga.

Calling the MCG a “tough pitch to score runs on”, the Indian batsman believes the visitors have done well to seize the initiative

Sidharth Monga at the MCG27-Dec-20184:32

‘A tough pitch to score runs on’ – Pujara

India believe they have enough runs on the board to be able to force a result even though they had to bat almost two days for their score of 443 for 7. Cheteshwar Pujara, who batted 319 balls and spent 116.5 overs at the wicket, has seen enough misbehaviour in the pitch to give him confidence.”It’s a tough pitch to score runs on,” Pujara said. “If we look at the first two days, the number of runs scored is [relatively small]. In a way, I would say that 200 in a day is a tough task so I think we have enough runs on the board.”As we saw today, the pitch has already started deteriorating and has variable bounce on it. When I was batting yesterday and today, I felt there was a difference, and I don’t think it’s easier to bat now. From tomorrow I think it will get difficult to bat, and our bowlers have been bowling well so I think we have enough runs on the board.”This has been a pitch that has strangely both met the expectations and also confounded. Everybody expected it to be low and slow, which it is, but nobody expected it to deteriorate so much in two days that balls pitched from an identical spot back of a length have hit Pujara’s fingers and also his stumps. As a result, it has been difficult to score quickly and to run through batsmen, but India are optimistic now.Cheteshwar Pujara walks out for the second session•Getty Images”As batsmen it is tough to get used to this pace,” Pujara said. “You will feel it is slow, and then the odd ball kicks up, and I got hit on my finger three-four times. Those were not short balls. They were back of a length, and I got hit on my gloves. As a batsman there is always doubt when playing on such pitches, and I couldn’t have done anything about the ball that I got out to. So if it stays low, you have limited options.”I had to work really hard to get to my hundred. I had to bat almost more than four sessions to reach a hundred, which is hardly the [usual] case. Whenever I have batted I have got hundreds in three or four sessions, but in this game it looked I might have to bat more than four sessions to get to the hundred. It is a challenging pitch; as a batsman, I felt scoring was really difficult and, seeing the variable bounce, it will get tougher to bat on.”Aaron Finch, too, was left surprised by the deterioration. “This wicket is probably deteriorating more than we thought it would,” Finch said. “Even tonight it was skidding through, there were a couple that took off, so it’s still game on if we bat well and put India under pressure. I think all three results are still on the table, 100%. India, Australia and a draw.”An Australia win might be a touch optimistic to think of because they have a big batting innings to put in against bowlers who are good at attacking the stumps on a pitch keeping low.

India’s chief selector said the wicketkeeper-batsman, a ‘champion in the making’, wasn’t part of the Australia ODIs because he needed rest

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2019Rishabh Pant is “very much” part of India’s World Cup plans and his absence from the ODI squad currently taking on Australia is because he needed rest, according to MSK Prasad, the chairman of selectors.”Rishabh Pant played three T20Is and four Test matches in Australia and that had an impact on his body,” Prasad told PTI. “He needed complete rest for two weeks and then we will take a call on how many matches he will play against England Lions. Let me put it straight, he is very much in our World Cup plans. He is a champion player in the making and even he is not fully aware the kind of potential he has.”The England Lions team will tour India for five one-dayers and two unofficial Tests in January-February, and, as per Prasad, Pant is likely to feature in some of the one-dayers. Prasad also felt his selection committee was vindicated after picking Pant for the Test series in England in August, given his run with the bat and his glove work since then.”Ravi (Shastri) and Virat (Kohli) had advised him to put his head down and respect the match situation, and he did exactly that,” Prasad said, referring to the 21-year-old’s century in the fourth Test in Sydney. “He proved that he can switch gears seamlessly. When we picked him for Tests, experts were sceptical about his keeping but 11 catches in a Test, record dismissals in Australia series proves that selection committee is vindicated.”The latest young player Prasad’s panel has picked is Punjab’s Shubman Gill, who will join the team for their limited-overs tour of New Zealand. Prasad said that Gill had been picked as a reserve opener.”Shubman is comfortable both opening the innings as well as playing in the middle-order. For the New Zealand series, we are looking at him as the reserve opener behind Shikhar (Dhawan) and Rohit (Sharma),” Prasad said. “I won’t comment if he will make it to World Cup but he was phenomenal as an opener for India A in New Zealand.”We have discussed with Rahul (Dravid, the A-team coach) that Shubman is ready for international cricket. The best part is the clutch of A tours which has made all these players battle ready for the biggest challenge. Look at Hanuma Vihari and Mayank Agarwal… they don’t look intimidated when thrown into the deep end of the pool.”Prasad’s panel had rested Jasprit Bumrah from the home Test series against West Indies that preceded the Australia tour, and he held that if Bumrah had played that series, the bowler wouldn’t have managed to play all four Tests in Australia, where he played a leading role in securing a series win for India.”Trust me, had Jasprit played those two Tests against West Indies, he wouldn’t have played all four Tests against Australia,” Prasad said. “The support staff has really monitored him well. He is now fitter and stronger, and with [bowling coach] Bharat Arun continuously working with him, he has improved as a bowler.”But a lot of credit should go to Jasprit because Arun gave him a plan but it was up to him to make the effort to implement the plan. He has really worked hard. When we first picked him, so many were sceptical whether it was prudent to pick a white-ball specialist but at the end of the year, we can all see the results.”

Everton's takeover plans with American investment firm 777 Partners are reportedly in danger of collapse.

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Everton takeover hits roadblockAirline owned by 777 Partners falls into voluntary administrationHave defaulted on payments to advisors and suppliersWHAT HAPPENED?

Miami-based 777 Partners, having previously inked a deal to purchase majority ownership of Everton from Farhad Moshiri, now finds itself embroiled in turmoil. The firm's low-cost Australian domestic airline, Bonza, descended into administration after its fleet was repossessed, leaving passengers stranded and exacerbating financial strain, according to the

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The repercussions of Bonza's grounding have rippled through 777 Partner's operations, impacting its ability to meet financial commitments. AIP Capital, a key player in 777 Partner's financial ecosystem, has seized Bonza's aircraft in an attempt to pay back funds owed to its investors, exacerbating the firm's financial woes. AIP Capital had also set up a holding company, Phoenix Aviation Capital, which would lease aircraft to Flair, a Canadian low-cost airline, after penning "a definitive agreement to acquire the rights, interests and obligations of a portfolio of 30 737-8 aircraft from 777 Partners”. Affected parties, including Flair, initiated legal actions, as it has outstanding debts totalling nearly $30 million (£24m).

WHAT BONZA CEO SAID

“We have been informed this morning that effective 03:00 today that all our aircraft have had repossession proceedings commenced by AIP Capital, the aircraft lessor,” Bonza chief executive Tim Jordan told their staff in an email.

“This was a surprise to both ourselves and 777 Partners. We are currently assessing all options and will provide an update here just as soon as we have more information available to share. As a consequence to this, all first wave flights from all bases have been cancelled.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Despite 777 Partner's initial optimism and conditional approval for the Everton takeover, a series of obstacles have thwarted progress. Efforts to salvage the takeover bid have been met with temporary extensions and precarious negotiations. Mounting debts, missed payment deadlines, and unresolved financial obligations continue to cast a shadow of uncertainty over the future of Everton's ownership.

The Premier League have asked 777 Partners to include the conversion of loans from 777 to Everton into equity, the establishment of an escrow account to put in the money for the remainder of the campaign, provision of proof of funding for the completion of Everton's new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock and repayment of a significant £158 million loan to MSP Sports Capital, a New York-based investment firm, that had previously injected capital into Everton before 777's involvement. 777 Partners were granted only a temporary extension to repay the loan to MSP Sports Capital "within weeks" with the maturity date having already passed around 15 days before.

Leicester City just keep winning. Another comfortable victory against Plymouth Argyle this weekend meant that the Foxes have now picked up back-to-back wins in the Championship.

Breaking Reading's record of accumulating 106 points in England's second tier looks like a real possibility, which has been helped by the fact that Leicester maintained several players after the club were relegated from the top flight.

Former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray admitted that "they are Premier League" after the Black Cats were devoured by the Foxes earlier in the campaign.

Nevertheless, head coach Enzo Maresca is still looking to add even more Premier League quality to his squad ahead of the second half of the campaign and could be set to bolster his defensive department.

Leicester transfer news – Joe Worrall

In the aftermath of four consecutive defeats in the league, leaving the side just five points from the relegation zone, The Daily Mail reported that Nottingham Forest's club captain Joe Worrall has been asked to train away from the first-team group, alongside centre-back counterpart Scott McKenna. Furthermore, the outlet claimed that there were no behavioural issues, yet the duo have been put up for sale this coming January.

Another article published by The Daily Mail after the initial report has now claimed that Leicester City are monitoring Worrall ahead of the winter window, with Maresca looking to add depth and quality to his backline. Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough are also in the running for the 26-year-old centre-half.

Worrall has been with Nottingham Forest for quite some time and has been an integral part of the team in recent seasons, helping to guide the club to promotion back in 2022 under Steve Cooper in the playoff final. The manager even called his central defender "incredible" earlier this season.

Since returning from a loan spell at Rangers in 2019, Worrall has proven to be an important player for the Tricky Trees.

2019/20

48

4,313

2020/21

33

2,970

2021/22

46

4,170

2022/23

34

2,576

2023/24

6

439

However, there has been a massive dip in his involvement in the side this term, leaving the door open for a Leicester City swoop.

Joe Worrall's stats this season

Worrall could move to the King Power Stadium for relatively cheap. The CIES Football Observatory have placed the defender's market value at £4m, although Worrall still has a little under three years remaining on his contract, having signed a new deal back in September, so perhaps Leicester may need to cough up a little more than that.

The former Premier League champions currently have the best defence in the Championship, having conceded a mere 12 goals from 19 matches. Wout Faes and Jannik Vestergaard have been Maresca's preferred duo at the back and the pair have been very solid this season.

However, backup centre-back Harry Souttar has struggled for minutes this season and has played just 81 minutes of league action in total.

Speaking after his side's win at home to Plymouth on Saturday, Maresca explained that the Australian is being left out of the team due to the excellent form of Faes and Vestergaard. Having signed for £15m from Stoke City back in January, Souttar could leave the club in the near future, having already been up for sale during the summer.

Worrall could be the perfect replacement for the 25-year-old who, based on his last season in the Championship, outperformed both Souttar and Faes' stats this term.

Goals

0.02

0

0.05

Expected Goals

0.04

0

0.03

Progressive Passes

4.56

7.78

5.7

Progressive Passes Received

0.38

0

0.18

Switches Of Play

1.21

0

1.21

Tackles

1.9

1.11

1.39

Tackles Won

1.12

0.58

0.86

Interceptions

1.86

0

1.35

Clearances

3.26

1.11

3.39

Blocks

1.41

0

1.39

Aerial Duels Won

2.38

2.22

1.15

Worrall would certainly get into the squad over Souttar and could allow the latter to finally leave for pastures new, but there is a good chance that the Englishman takes Faes' place in the team as well by the end of the campaign should he move to the King Power Stadium.

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has revealed he has told Barcelona chief Joan Laporta to give up on plans for a Super League.

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Initial Super League scrapped in 2021Barcelona, Real Madrid & Juventus keep it on agendaPSG president labels plans 'stupid'WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona and Real Madrid remain the only two clubs keen on implementing a European Super League after its ill-fated launch in 2021. The proposed project quickly collapsed when a host of clubs promptly withdrew amid a fierce backlash from fans. Laporta continues to back the idea but has been told by Al-Khelaifi that's it's a "stupid" plan when the two men met recently when Barca faced PSG in the Champions League.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT AL-KHELAIFI SAID

He told : “I asked him, ‘When are you going to give up the stupid idea of the Super League?’ I’m sure he will give it up. It makes no sense.

“I have always said that the Super League is not going to exist. The Champions League is the best competition in the world for everyone, and those clubs (Barcelona and Real Madrid) are playing in the Champions League because they know how important it is."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Barca and Madrid were boosted in their hopes of creating a Super League in December when the European Court of Justice ruled that blocking breakaway leagues is against EU law. Laporta has claimed that such a competition could be up and running by next season and said he believed there were 15 clubs who would be willing to join. A host of the teams he mentioned, including Ajax, Feyenoord and Roma, were quick to hit back and refute the Barca president's claims.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA & PSG

PSG's win over Barcelona saw the Ligue 1 side book a Champions League semi-final spot against Borussia Dortmund. Both teams look set to be part of an expanded Champions League competition for next season, with PSG closing in on another French title and Barca currently second in La Liga.

Tottenham are reportedly "ready" to step up their move for a £20 million centre-back as chairman Daniel Levy and co chase more defensive options.

The centre-backs linked with moves to Spurs

There have been an array of top central defenders linked with moves to Spurs since Micky van de Ven's long-term injury. The Dutchman's hamstring problem is expected to keep him out until 2024, and since his absence, manager Ange Postecoglou has been winless in his last four Premier League games.

Tottenham interested in move to sign "fearless" £20m defender in January

The N17 outfit have set their sights on a new target for Ange Postecoglou.

ByChloe Chadwick Nov 27, 2023

Van de Ven's lack of involvement has highlighted a bigger issue, though, namely Tottenham's serious lack of cover in the position. Cristian Romero was suspended for a time too, meaning Postecoglou has been forced into starting makeshift pair Emerson Royal and Ben Davies at the heart of his defence.

Postecoglou really doesn't appear to favour Eric Dier either, but even the Englishman is now injured and unavailable as cover. While van de Ven and Romero could be partnering each other again next month, Spurs quite simply must avoid a scenario like this again later in the season.

Levy and new sporting director Johan Lange, as a result, are reportedly planning to sign a new centre-back for Tottenham in January. Uruguay defender Sebastian Caceres, Everton's Ben Godfrey, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, Genoa star Radu Dragusin, Union Saint-Gilloise's Koki Machida, Benfica starlet Morato, English starlet Jarrad Branthwaite and Sporting Lisbon's Goncalo Inacio have all been linked with Spurs since November.

These are a few interesting names to have been mentioned by reports in the media, with an update now coming to light on Godfrey.

Spurs "ready" to step up Godfrey move

According to 90min and journalist Graeme Bailey on X, Spurs are "ready" to step up a move for Godfrey who has found game time pretty difficult to come by under Sean Dyce this season.

It's believed the defender is "ready to leave" and determined for an Everton exit push amid Tottenham's chase for him, with the 90min report also claiming he'll cost around £20 million to prise away from Goodison Park this winter.

The Lilywhites are apparently "prepared to push ahead with a move" for Godfrey, who actually ticks many boxes as a pacey centre-back who could well be suited to playing Postecoglou's aggressive high line.

Tottenham scouts have actually been pretty impressed by the 25-year-old in recent seasons, so much so that he is now one of the prime candidates to reinforce what has been a stretched Spurs defence.

Godfrey's speed has also been highlighted by former Toffees defender Jonjoe Kenny, now plying his trade at Hertha Berlin, who called the Englishman "rapid" back in 2021.

Likes to tackle

Clears the ball out of defence often

“Ben Godfrey catches pigeons, simple as," said Kenny two years ago (via The Liverpool Echo).

“But when Ben gets going he’s rapid so I don’t know if they have a race or would have a race but yeah, it’s close between them two. Dominic is really quick too but I’d say Ben.”

The fast bowler suffered a left ankle injury while attempting a catch near the boundary during Sylhet Sixers’ BPL game against Chittagong Vikings on Friday

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2019Taskin Ahmed has been ruled out from the Bangladesh squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand next week. The fast bowler suffered a left ankle injury while attempting a catch near the boundary during Sylhet Sixers’ BPL game against Chittagong Vikings on Friday.Watch NZ v Ban live

Followers in the United States can watch New Zealand v Bangladesh live on ESPN+

“We can tell the extent of his injury after we get the MRI report but he is out of the ODI series against New Zealand,” Dr Debashish Chowdhury, BCB’s chief medical officer, said.The injury comes as a heartbreak for Taskin, whose BPL performances had earned him an ODI recall after more than a year out of the side. Taskin currently tops the BPL wicket-takers’ list this season, with 22 in 12 games at an average of 14.45, while maintaining an economy rate of 8.55.Either Ebadot Hossain or Shafiul Islam is likely to be named as Taskin’s replacement.