Chat-World » the strikers appeal to West Ham chiefs.Alexandre Lacazette -

World cricket has had to deal with a mind-bender this week. It began with the biggest of the Big Three (the BCCI) standing up for the smallest and weakest of their tribe when BCCI president Anurag Thakur said two-tier Test cricket was fundamentally against the basic purpose and identity of the ICC.This placed the BCCI directly against the Big Threes Minor Two (Cricket Australia and the England & Wales Cricket Board) as the passionate backers of two-tier Test cricket. CA and ECB were supported by Cricket South Africa (CSA), who have made a stirring comeback to the big stage, and by New Zealand Cricket (NZC), largely loyal allies to anyone who needs their number. Two years ago, CSA had been cast into the darkness by the Big One with not a squeak of protest from the Minor Two. But two years are an eon in cricket administration and in CA, ECB and CSA, we now have a Mid-Sized Three promising to steer cricket towards yet another new dawn.Once the BCCI had stood up for the cricket boards of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, the two-tier plan was out the window before it even made it to the table. But wait. This has happened before. In the 1990s, it was called the Asian Block v the Old Order and Jagmohan Dalmiya headed those conflagrations. So where are we today? Has cricket gone back to the old days? Is it Asia v the Old World? But where is Pakistan? Wasnt South Africa usually on the BCCIs side? Whats happening?After the Dubai ICC meeting, which the ICC insists was not a meeting but a members workshop, all that remains is a vast vagueness.The first public mooting of the two-tier Test idea was heard in June this year from ICCs chief executive David Richardson, who said, A number of member countries are finding that theyre not getting as much from their TV rights for bilateral cricket and they see the need to change and introduce some meaningful context.The buzz words that offer us some clues in Richardsons statement are TV rights. They will help us understand that, contrary to popular belief, Two-Tier is not the Jedi Knights of the ECB-CA-CSA versus the Imperial Stormtroopers of the BCCI fighting over the Kingdom of the White Flannels. The two-tier Tests form only a small part of a larger drama unfolding over the play field of cricket politics.Over the next 24 months, two key media rights cycles will be going on sale. This month, the ECB is expected to offer to the counties their plan for an eight-team city-based T20 league, as well as a revised version of international cricket coverage. It is rumoured that the ECB will go into the market for the next set of TV rights deal within the next few months, a year before their deal with Sky TV (estimated to be about ￡280m over four years) runs out in 2017. This deal, first signed in 2012, forms 80% of the ECBs income.The bid for Cricket Australias international rights, up for sale around 2018 for the 2018-2023 period, will have to match the $500m it earned from Channel 9, in the face of the overwhelming popularity of its Big Bash.So what the ECB, CA and CSA (with the support of the boards of Pakistan and New Zealand) are seeking is to form a collective to ensure bigger, better, more watertight broadcast deals for their international bilateral series, particularly when they face increasing pressure from domestic T20 leagues - a pooling together of overseas rights by a group of countries, to be overseen and managed by an independent administrative body.One of the reasons cited is the shrinking of the Indian market, due to the fact that the Indian broadcasters interested in buying overseas rights have shrunk from three to two. The coalition is expected to offer its member boards the power of collective bargaining with broadcasters. Whichever TV network wants to broadcast the Ashes in India will also have to buy the Pakistan v New Zealand bundle, or whatever other package the coalition wants to put together. If this new multinational coalition of the willing so wishes, that independent administrative body could well be the ICC.If this new coalition does come into being - and there are plans to push it through before the ICCs October board meeting - it hopes to lead to far less dependence on every member nations bilateral deals with the BCCI. It is what the Mid-sized Three hopes will work to rope in a few more doubting comrades. In theory that is. Whether such camaraderie outlasts the self-interest hardwired into every cricket boards DNA will make for the tactical and psychological case studies of the future.A successful push for the two-tier system would have helped these boards, the CA and ECB in particular, ensure that they wouldnt have to deal with home-and-away tours against weaker nations. West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe would have been immediately dropped from the top tier and would not have featured in these countries international calendars when offered to broadcast bidders. Cricketing arguments were made forcefully and loudly over the uncomfortable fact that economic benefits of the two-tier Tests would earn for a select few over the less privileged.?You could argue that the BCCIs stand against two-tier cricket, even while acknowledging that it has the confidence of being able to dictate terms to broadcasters rather than vice versa, turned out to be quite rather Jedi Knight. In terms of giving Test matches primacy, the BCCI is hosting 13 this year and the team has just returned from four Tests in the West Indies. Over the last three years India have toured Zimbabwe three times and played 11 ODIs and five T20Is against them.Another proposal that emerged from the Dubai workshop was about a playoff to pick an official Test champion once every two years. The top two ranked teams will face off in a single Test to decide a winner, though who would own the rights or make the revenues isnt clear yet. The ICCs old FTP, in which every country plays the other home and away in a four-year cycle is now being discussed as a nebulous six-year cycle, with every team playing the other at least once. More vagueness.There is another dynamic at work here - the running battle between the BCCI and the ICCs newest chairman, Shashank Manohar, who headed the BCCI not too long ago. The BCCI believes that Manohar is responsible for betraying its cause and passing word onto the other members that in the face of the Lodha Committee recommendations, the BCCI is rowing up a very dangerous creek and the time to strike at its control over international cricket is now.Manohars icy response was: Im the independent ICC chairman, so I have to look at the best interests of the ICC. Its for the BCCI representative to look after the best interests of the BCCI. But he also said he didnt agree with the two-tier system. Personally, I was against the idea, because the value of the second-tier teams would be negligible.Crickets suits are going to launch themselves into another bloody skirmish between now and October. Dont go looking for Jedi Knights among them, because there arent any. The only Force that works here is cash. T. J. Carrie Jersey . White came in fourth place in the event. He was the two-time defending gold medallist. The gold medal went to Swiss snowboarder Iouri Podladtchikov. Baker Mayfield Jersey . -- Aldon Smith believes he is on the path to being sober for good. http://www.cheapbrownsjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-christian-kirksey-jersey . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. 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West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan often speaks freely on transfer matters, and his statement above makes clear the clubs summer recruitment plan.Ahead of their move to the Olympic Stadium, Slaven Bilics side have been linked with a big-money move for a new striker, and the West Ham boss reportedly has £20m available to make it happen. In recent seasons theyve shopped in Turkey, Mexico and the French second division, but if the gossip pages are anything to go by, this summer could be very different.They have been linked with some of European footballs best and brightest, so we take a look at five forwards who could be wearing West Ham colours next season…Zlatan Ibrahimovic - PSGThe PSG striker remains the dream target - the only problem is, West Ham find themselves towards the back of a long line.They have been keen to talk up their interest, with Sullivan admitting: Id love to sign Ibrahimovic, but whether hed come I dont know. David Sullivan would absolutely love to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic Bilic was a little more reserved, writing in his Evening Standard column: We are ambitious and determined to progress, but to be realistic, we are not yet a club who those kind of players would consider.Ibrahimovic is expected to leave PSG when his contract expires this summer, and Sky Sports News HQ understands Man Utd could be his destination if Louis van Gaal departs.But theres still hope for West Ham fans - Swedish journalist Olof Lundh believes Ibrahimovic, having played in Paris, Milan and Barcelona, would prefer a move to London over Manchester. Ligue 1 strikers linked to West Ham Age Height Goals Assists Zlatan Ibrahimovic 34 6ft 4in 30 11 Alexandre Lacazette 24 5ft 7in 16 2 Michy Batshuayi 22 6ft 0in 14 9 Christian Benteke - Liverpool Christian Benteke has been on the fringes of the Liverpool team since his move Things havent gone to plan for Benteke at Liverpool. Hes made more Premier League substitute appearances than starts, and has just eight goals in his maiden campaign to date.His Belgium national team colleague Divock Origi has leapfrogged him in the pecking order, leavingg Benteke, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury, looking on from the end of the bench.ddddddddddddullivan admits West Ham admire the forward, but his wages could be a problem, while Sky Sports reported in March that they were interested.For his part, Benteke insists hes really happy at Liverpool, but considering the success Andy Carroll has enjoyed in recent weeks, its easy to see the strikers appeal to West Ham chiefs.Alexandre Lacazette - Lyon Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette is one of the top goalscorers in France He signed a new Lyon contract last summer, but Lacazette has since revealed he has an understanding with club president Jean-Michel Aulas that allows him to leave after this season if the right offer comes in.Sky Sports reported in March that West Ham were interested, he reportedly turned down Newcastle in January, while Arsenal and Tottenham have all been linked, but the forward has conditions on a move. No 1, his new team must be playing Champions League football, and No 2, they cant play kick and rush.The second criteria shouldnt be a problem, not with former Ligue 1 star Dimitri Payet pulling the strings, but Champions League qualification may be just beyond the Hammers this season.Wilfried Bony - Man City Wilfried Bony was linked to West Ham before he moved to Swansea At the turn of the year, Wilfried Bony told Sky Sports no player is happy sitting on the bench. Fast forward four months, and the Ivorians mood cant have improved.He has started just 17 matches for City in all competitions this season, playing a cumulative total of 280 minutes of football from a possible 2070 in 2016.West Ham had Bony bought for £8m and £40,000-a-week in 2013, according to Sullivan, only to watch him join Swansea instead.Hes likely to cost much more now, and like Benteke, meeting his wage demands could be an issue for a club unlikely to be playing Champions League football.Despite his struggles at Man City, hes still the same striker who terrorised Premier League defences in south Wales and the Daily Mirror believe he remains a West Ham target.Michy Batshuayi - Marseille Michy Batshuayi is a target for a host of clubs across Europe this summer The lesser-known of the five targets, Batshuayi is another highly-rated Belgian striker. The Marseille forward is reportedly available, but Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham have all been mentioned, while West Ham have the 22-year-old among their top targets, as reported by Sky Sports in March.Once again