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Aston Villa have recently submitted an offer for Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia, and the Spanish club’s stance on sanctioning a departure has now been revealed.

Villa have stepped up their pursuit of a new centre-forward with Ollie Watkins failing to reach his usual lofty standards in the Premier League this season, netting just one goal and receiving criticism from former Arsenal striker Ian Wright back in September.

Wright said: “As a player, I think that he should be doing more for what he’s capable of doing.

“He’s a channel runner, gets in the box, he gets on the end of things. I think he could be a lot sharper with his finishing, and I thought that’s what he’d be working on.”

Fortunately, the Villans have managed to find goals from other sources, which have propelled them up the table in recent weeks, rising to sixth after a dominant 4-0 rout of AFC Bournemouth in their final match before the international break.

That said, Watkins’ poor form is likely to still be a concern for Unai Emery, and the manager has seemingly decided to bring in another striker capable of challenging for the Englishman’s place in the starting XI.

Aston Villa submit offer for Gonzalo Garcia

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa have offered €20m (£18m) offer for Real Madrid forward Garcia, and they are looking to finalise a deal as quickly as possible, given that the Spaniard’s value could plausibly rise as the season goes on.

Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers have lodged bids of their own, so there will be competition for the 21-year-old’s signature, but a deal could be there to be done, as the Spanish club view cashing-in as an ‘attractive financial opportunity.’

As one of the first clubs to make contact with Madrid, Villa should be well-placed to get a deal done, not least because their main rivals seem to be newly-promoted Sunderland and a Wolves side at serious risk of relegation.

Hopefully, it will only be a matter of time before Watkins starts scoring again, but the 29-year-old having some healthy competition could kick him into gear, and there are signs the Real Madrid starlet could push for a starting spot.

Lauded as a “goal machine” in the media, the youngster performed remarkably well at youth level in the 2024-25 campaign, netting 26 goals in 37 games for RM Castilla, before going on to impress considerably at the Club World Cup, netting four goals for the senior side.

That said, it would be a risk to sign Garcia, given that he is yet to prove himself in the Madrid first team over a sustained period, and 21-year-old FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, who scored 19 league goals last season, could be an interesting alternative option.

Aston Villa fighting to sign Samu Aghehowa Aston Villa fighting to sign Samu Aghehowa amid interest from Tottenham and Arsenal

Recent reports have indicated that Aston Villa would be keen on signing Porto forward Samu Aghehowa.

ByJames O'Reilly Nov 5, 2025

Celtic have now been told how long they’ll have to wait to appoint Kjetil Knutsen with their search for a new manager taking another frustrating blow.

The Bhoys have been in no rush. After Brendan Rodgers’ shock exit, they know that they can’t afford to get their next appointment wrong and have handed Martin O’Neill the position on an interim basis to buy themselves some time.

Related Pumas now happy for Juarez to join Celtic as Hoops eye secret release clause

A boost for the Bhoys…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Nov 8, 2025

To the 73-year-old’s credit, he has so far rolled back the years in the dugout. A Champions League defeat at the hands of Midtjylland aside and victories over Old Firm rivals Rangers and Falkirk have represented a step in the right direction.

Even after those three games, however, O’Neill has continued to distance himself from the permanent job. In midweek, he told reporters that he’ll be at Celtic until they no longer need him, before revealing that he’d be “absolutely fine” if Sunday’s Kilmarnock clash is his final game.

Alas, as the search for the next Celtic manager has continued, so have the rumours that they could yet turn to O’Neill until at least the end of the season. And it’s easy to see why. The Northern Irishman is about as experienced as it gets, representing a safe option until the right candidate emerges.

A decision to keep their interim boss until at least next year would also allow Parkhead chiefs to play the long game and perhaps land a frontrunner for the job in the long-term.

Celtic handed fresh Knutsen problem

As Graeme Bailey told 67 Hail Hail, Knutsen wants to finish his Champions League campaign with Bodo/Glimt before taking any job with Celtic. This means that the Bhoys could be forced to wait until next year with the Norwegian side’s last group game coming in 2026.

As things stand, they sit 29th and unlikely to qualify for the next stage. This means that their final Champions League game may well be against Atletico Madrid in January before Bodo take a break from football altogether until March. It’s then that it would make perfect sense for Knutsen to take the job.

What also helps Celtic’s pursuit is that the 57-year-old is reportedly keen to take the job if he gets his Champions League wish. So, the big question for Celtic will be whether he’s worth the wait.

A deeper dive into his history suggests that the Bodo/Glimt boss is certainly an interesting option. Having managed the club since 2018, Knutsen can boast four Norwegian league titles and showed his managerial expertise in full with a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on the European stage this season.

Andy Robertson makes Celtic return decision

South Africa allrounder had declared the innings when he was on 367 not out, 33 short of Lara’s world record

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2025

Zimbabwe Cricket

South Africa allrounder Wiaan Mulder has said Brian Lara told him that he should have attempted to break the record for the highest individual score in Test cricket during the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.Mulder, South Africa’s stand-in captain for the match, was batting on 367 at lunch on the second day when he declared the innings. He finished 33 short of Lara’s record of 400 not out against England in Antigua in 2004.”Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be,” Mulder had said after declaring the innings. But he later revealed that Lara had different views.Related

Gayle on Mulder's 367* declaration: He 'panicked and blundered'

Mulder: 'Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be'

“Now that things have settled a little bit, I’ve chatted a little bit to Brian Lara,” Mulder told . “He said to me I’m creating my own legacy and I should have gone for it. He said records are there to be broken and he wishes if I’m ever in that position again, I actually go and score more than what he had.”That was an interesting point of view from his side, but I still believe I did the right thing and respecting the game is the most important part for me.”Mulder’s 367 not out is the highest individual score for South Africa, and the fifth highest overall. He said that South Africa’s head coach Shukri Conrad had told him, “Listen, let the legends keep the really big scores.” South Africa went on to win the Test inside three days, by an innings and 236 runs.Earlier this week, Chris Gayle, who has two Test triples to his name, told that Mulder had “maybe panicked” and made an “error” by not chasing the “once in a lifetime opportunity”.”If I could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400,” Gayle said. “That doesn’t happen often. You don’t know when you’re going to get to a triple century again. Any time you get a chance like that, you try and make the best out of it. If you want to be a legend… how are you going to become a legend? Records come with being a legend.”

Manchester City remain level on points with arch-rivals Manchester United and six adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal after suffering a 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Sunday. Pep Guardiola’s side headed to the West Midlands unbeaten across their last nine fixtures in all competitions, but a solitary strike from Matty Cash proved to be the difference in a match that saw Erling Haaland draw a blank for just the second time this season.

City started brightly at Villa Park, with the ball being worked into promising wide areas that lacked a more pinpoint delivery. The hosts did, however, grow into the game and saw Ollie Watkins’ movement pose plenty of problems to City’s high defensive line, though the England international’s uncharacteristic struggles in the final third continued as he failed to make the most of opportunities that came his way.

Cash endured no such issues when breaking the deadlock in the 19th minute. Bernardo Silva and Haaland failed to close the Villa full-back quickly enough on the edge of the box, allowing him to drift onto his left foot from 20 yards out and crash an effort into the bottom corner.

Haaland fired a tame shot at Emi Martinez as City sought an immediate equaliser, while Josko Gvardiol did Morgan Rogers a favour when making little of an apparent shove inside the penalty area, but Villa came closest to a second before the break as captain John McGinn fizzed another strike from distance narrowly past the post.

Haaland has 24 goals for club and country this season, with Tottenham the only team to have kept him out before running into Villa, but the prolific Norwegian was surprisingly quiet as City lacked an attacking spark as a collective. They were unable to turn possession into something more tangible, with Villa prepared to sit deep and break out on the counter.

Savinho almost forced a leveller on the hour mark, but his low drive from seven yards out was somehow flicked over the crossbar by Pau Torres. At the other end, former City academy star Jadon Sancho forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into a double save, before Haaland had a goal disallowed for offside and painfully collided with the post as Villa held on.

GOAL rates Manchester City's players from Villa Park…

• AFP
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (5/10):

  Could do nothing about the goal, with those in front of him failing to close Cash quickly enough. Happy to act as a sweeper keeper and displayed impressive reflexes to keep Sancho out, having caused himself problems when palming into the winger’s path.

  Matheus Nunes (4/10):

  Not a natural full-back despite being asked to fill in there on a regular basis. Villa would have expected Sancho to pose the Portugal international more problems, having slipped beyond him with ease at one stage.

  Ruben Dias (5/10):

  Left isolated with the lively Watkins at times, particularly in the first half, leading to him chasing back towards his own goal more often than he would have liked. City’s high press was beaten too easily far too often, leaving their defensive unit exposed.

  John Stones (4/10):

  Stepped into midfield at every opportunity, leaving City with three at the back. Is comfortable on the ball, but was unable to make Guardiola’s side tick. Was given a tough time by the movement of Watkins.

  Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

  Always encouraged to get forward, but that can leave space behind. Could have made more of a push from Rogers in the first-half that would have given VAR a big penalty call to make, but offered no appeal.

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• Getty
  

  Midfield

  Tijjani Reijnders (5/10):

  Capable of driving through midfield with the ball, but needs to make better decisions when pushing on. Fired one wayward shot well off target when a pass should have been made. Booked for a clumsy challenge on Watkins.

  Phil Foden (5/10):

  Has enjoyed filling a central playmaking post this season, but was unable to pull the strings on this occasion. Had one well struck second-half shot blocked and struggled to find space between the lines. Booked when chasing back to stop a Villa counter.

  Bernardo Silva (4/10):

  Made a bright start as he drifted wide from his central berth and found pockets of space. His influence waned from there, with the Portuguese unable to impose himself on proceedings. Was taken off as Guardiola sought inspiration from the bench.

• Getty
  

  Attack

  Savinho (5/10):

  Boasts quick feet and is full of running, but lacks end product. Got into plenty of promising positions, but his final ball let him down. Picked up a yellow card for a reckless tackle on Rogers and failed to hit the net with two second-half strikes that struck shirts and boots in claret and blue.

  Oscar Bobb (4/10):

  City were unable to get him on the ball in areas where he could hurt Villa. His most notable contributions early on came when tracking back to help defend. Came as no surprise when he was replaced midway through the second half.

  Erling Haaland (4/10):

  Had more touches in his own box than Villa’s during a quiet first half – with his only sight of goal coming when opening up his body too much and firing straight at Martinez. Barely had a kick after the break, with his one notable contribution seeing a close-range goal chalked off after Marmoush drifted offside in the build up.

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• Getty
  

  Subs & Manager

  Jeremy Doku (5/10):

  Always full of direct running, which ensured that Cash was forced to sit much deeper. Got to the byline on a couple of occasions, but was unable to drill a dangerous cross into the box.

  Nico Gonzalez (4/10):

  Collected a yellow card for a needless challenge on Digne, and snapped into at least one more that left him walking a disciplinary tightrope. Finished the game bloodied and bruised.

  Nico O’Reilly (5/10):

  Caught ball watching shortly after being introduced, which almost proved costly, but made amends and was allowed to surge forward from left-back as he overlapped beyond Doku.

  Rayan Cherki (5/10):

  Brought on to add more creativity to City’s midfield, but was unable to get into the game. Will expect more from himself.

  Omar Marmoush (N/A):

  Drifted offside which cost Haaland a late equaliser.

  Pep Guardiola (5/10):

  Will have been left disappointed with City’s display in the opening 45 minutes. They improved after the break, but were unable to get key men into the game. Has a chance to make sweeping changes for the midweek Carabao Cup clash with Swansea.

قاد النجم المصري عمر مرموش فريقه مانشستر سيتي للتأهل للدور المقبل في كأس رابطة المحترفين الإنجليزية، بعد إقصاء سوانزي سيتي من الدور الرابع بثلاثية لهدف.

وافتتح سوانزي سيتي التسجيل عن طريق جونزالو فرانكا في الدقيقة 12 من أحداث الشوط الأول من المباراة.

وفي الدقيقة 39 وبمجهود فردي رائع تعادل الدولي البلجيكي جيريمي دوكو لصالح مانشستر سيتي، لينتهي الشوط الأول بتعادل الفريقين.

اقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | عمر مرموش يسجل هدف مانشستر سيتي الثاني أمام سوانزي

وفي الدقيقة 77 أحرز مانشستر سيتي الهدف الثاني عن طريق النجم المصري عمر مرموش بتسديدة رائعة من زاوية صعبة.

وفي الوقت المحتسب بدل الضائع أحرز ريان شرقي هدف مانشستر سيتي الثالث بعد تمريرة رائعة من جفارديول ليسدد الفرنسي تسديدة أرضية في شباك سوانزي. أهداف مباراة مانشستر سيتي وسوانزي سيتي اليوم

ولعب عمر مرموش طوال أحداث المباراة خلال الشوطين، ولم يقم بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي بتغيير اللاعب الذي أهدى له التأهل للدور المقبل في كأس الرابطة.

Northamptonshire forced back after flying start with new ball

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Apr-2025Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen continued his prolific start to the season by leading an impressive fightback on the opening day of the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match against Northamptonshire at Derby.The 41-year-old followed a century in the first game against Gloucestershire and 96 at Leicester on Monday with 89 out of a fourth wicket stand of 169 with Brooke Guest who was unbeaten on 87 when bad light ended play at 6pm.Madsen, who this week signed a one-year contract extension, passed 25,000 runs in all formats as his side recovered from 29 for 3 to close on 216 for 4.Northants’ decision to bowl first on a cloudy but dry morning had looked a good one when they made early inroads with the new ball.Both David Lloyd and Caleb Jewell started confidently until Luke Procter struck twice in consecutive overs from the City End.Lloyd was beaten by one that swung in to trap him on the crease and Harry Came played and missed several times before he edged low to third slip for an 11-ball duck.Jewell has enjoyed life on the county circuit, scoring half centuries in each of his first four innings, so not surprisingly looked in good touch until he got a ball from Liam Guthrie that moved away enough to take the outside edge.Northants would have been relieved to see the back of the Australian but that was their last success of the session as Madsen and Guest played with assurance against inconsistent bowling.Justin Broad and Dom Leech paid the price for straying in line and length with Guest reaching his 50 which came off 69 balls in the penultimate over before lunch.The break did not disturb the concentration or eye of the Derbyshire pair who were quickly into their stride with Madsen clipping Procter to the ropes before straight-driving him for another four.He posted his 50 with a seventh four, courtesy of a misfield on the midwicket boundary, which also brought up the century stand from 142 balls, with the visitors struggling to impose any sort of control.Guest pulled Guthrie for six and the runs continued to flow until Madsen was drawn into driving at a wide ball from Broad and was caught behind.But the stand with Guest, Derbyshire’s highest for the fourth wicket against Northants at Derby, had put the hosts in a decent position before rain delayed play for two-and-a-half hours.Conditions improved enough for the match to resume at 5.35 with 22 overs to bowl but after Guest dispatched Leech to the point boundary, the umpires took the players off the field for bad light seven balls later.

Aaryan Sawant’s 130 and Archie Vaughan’s five-for has South Africa U19s on the ropes

ECB Reporters Network05-Feb-2025

Sawant’s century was his first in an England shirt•Getty Images

South Africa U19s 224 & 145 for 8 (Rowlers 71, Vaughan 5-18) lead England U19s 353 (Sawant 130, Fonseka 52, Rossouw 5-74) by 16 runsEngland Men U19s were closing in on victory after a dominant third day of the second Youth Test against South Africa Men U19s in Cape Town.Aaryan Sawant’s maiden century in an England representative shirt helped the Young Lions to a first-innings lead of 129 before skipper Archie Vaughan’s five wickets reduced the hosts to 145 for 8.Vaughan’s side fell just one wicket short of victory in the first Youth Test last week, but took control of this contest on the back of Sawant’s patient 130.The Middlesex right-hander, starting the day on 83, reached his century from 255 balls and after almost six hours of batting before he was the victim of another unlucky run out.Sawant’s dismissal went viral on social media last week when he was run out after a sweep cannoned off the helmet of Jorich van Schalwyk at short leg and back onto his stumps.This time the 19-year-old watched on in disbelief as Bandile Mbatha dropped a return catch that deflected off the bowler’s leg and then onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end with Sawant again out of his ground.Crucially, Sawant had added 127 for the ninth wicket with Alexander Wade (49 not out) by then and the Young Lions were bowled out for 353 to pocket their 129-run first-innings lead.The value of that partnership was reinforced when a Tazeem Ali direct hit from square leg ran out Van Schalwyk before the Warwickshire leg-spinner had Muhammad Bulbulia, who scored a century in the first Youth Test, leg before.Vaughan then turned the screw as South Africa Men U19s lost 5 for 37. The Somerset all-rounder took all of the wickets in the collapse on his way to figures of 5 for 18 from 13.5 overs.Vaughan secured his fifth wicket from what was the final ball of the day when Jason Rowles looped an edge to Ben Dawkins at first slip after a defiant 71.

Chelsea have pulled off a dramatic late move with very little clues in the build-up, with BlueCo’s latest transfer deal seemingly coming out of nowhere.

Enzo Maresca’s side, once again, have been one of the Premier League’s busiest clubs in terms of incomings and outgoings. The west Londoners have shaken hands on 23 transfers in total, including exit deals and pre-agreed transfers prior to this summer, but that number doesn’t even factor in their various loan deals for the likes of Aaron Anselmino and Marc Guiu.

Joao Pedro

Noni Madueke

Jamie Gittens

João Félix

Jorrel Hato

Djordje Petrovic

Liam Delap

Lesley Ugochukwu

Dario Essugo

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

Mamadou Sarr

Renato Veiga

Estevao

Armando Broja

Kendry Paez

Carney Chukwuemeka

Alejandro Garnacho

Mathis Amougou

Basir Humphreys

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Marcus Bettinelli

Christopher Nkunku

Alfie Gilchrist

Lucas Bergstrom

This number also includes their latest new arrival, winger Alejandro Garnacho in a £40 million deal from Man United, as Chelsea finally reached an agreement after weeks of talks with the Red Devils.

The Argentine bagged 11 goals and 10 assists in all competitions last term, with Garancho arriving at Chelsea after the club completed extensive background checks on his character/personality (Matt Law), not to mention an eight-year scouting mission.

While their deal for Garnacho had been meticulously planned and thought out, the same cannot be said for Brighton starlet Facundo Bounanotte.

We’ve heard precious little about any prior interest from Chelsea in the 20-year-old, but Maresca has now added to his contingent of former Brighton players with a temporary deal for him.

Chelsea agree deal to sign Facundo Bounanotte on loan from Brighton

As per Fabrizio Romano and other reliable media sources, Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Bounanotte on loan, hijacking Leeds United’s long-awaited deal for him in the process.

This also comes after Tottenham hijacked Chelsea’s move for Xavi Simons, with Bounanotte potentially coming as an alternative to the Dutchman.

Whilst not of the same calibre, past praise for the player should have supporters fairly intrigued – as Bounanotte has been likened to footballing icon Lionel Messi.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers stated on August 1st that his squad needed attacking signings to replace the quality that has been lost this year, through Nicolas Kuhn, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Jota.

The Northern Irish boss said: “I think it’s very clear. We need to improve in the front end of the pitch. The attacking department has always, and always will be, the strengths of my teams. We’ve lost important players in that area, and we need to replace players in that area.”

19 days later and the Hoops started their Champions League play-off tie against Kairat at Parkhead with James Forrest, Adam Idah, and Daizen Maeda as their front three, with Hyun-jun Yang as the only natural winger in reserve.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, despite the level of opposition, the match ended in a 0-0 draw with few chances for either side, and some home supporters decided to voice their concerns with boos.

Adam Idah's toothless performance for Celtic

The Ireland international failed to score in the opening two games in the Scottish Premiership, missing three ‘big chances’, but was rewarded with another opportunity to impress on Wednesday night.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

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Unfortunately, Idah did not impress at Parkhead in the first leg clash and was substituted at half-time in favour of Yang, which allowed Maeda to play through the middle.

In his 45 minutes on the pitch, per Sofascore, the former Norwich marksman registered zero shots, created zero chances, and only completed five passes. Toothless.

However, Idah was far from the only Celtic attacker who failed to perform. Rodgers should also ruthlessly ditch James Forrest from the starting XI for the second leg.

Why James Forrest should be dropped

As aforementioned, Rodgers wants more attacking players in the building and that is why it feels harsh to criticise the veteran Scottish winger too badly, as he may not have been playing if the manager had his way with transfers already.

However, you have to deal with the situation at hand and that is why the manager should drop Forest, who was given a 5/10 player rating by the Scotsman, for the second leg, as he was just as ineffective as Idah at the top end of the pitch.

Whilst the Irish striker did not do himself any favours with some of his touches, the lack of quality in the wide positions also meant that the forward was starved of service most of the time.

Vs Kairat

Idah

Forrest

Minutes

45

70

Touches

12

48

Shots

0

1

Dribbles completed

1/1

1/4

Big chances created

0

0

Crosses completed

1/2

0/0

Duels won

3/7

1/3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Forrest had 36 more touches than Idah yet did not attempt a single cross into the box in an attempt to create a chance for his teammates.

His lack of quality in his attempted dribbles played a part in that because his failure in three of his four attempts limited the space he had to put crosses into the box, as he was unable to beat his opposing full-back to create the space that was needed.

Ultimately, Celtic should not want to be relying on the 34-year-old, who scored one goal in all competitions last season, to win them matches in the Champions League, but that is the situation they have found themselves in.

It did not work on Wednesday night and that is why Rodgers should roll the dice with Yang out wide on the right for the second leg, unless the club are able to wrap up a move for a new winger in the days leading up to the trip to Kazakhstan.

Related Yang upgrade: Celtic have serious interest in deal for "flamboyant" winger

Celtic reportedly have a serious interest in a star who would be a big upgrade on Hyun-jun Yang.

Posts ByDan Emery Aug 20, 2025

This latest development adds to growing uncertainty about the Champions Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2024

According to the PCB’s post, the tour is scheduled to start from November 16•Getty Images

A fresh twist in the 2025 Champions Trophy has thrown the ICC’s trophy tour into confusion, a day before it was supposed to begin in Pakistan, after the BCCI objected to the PCB’s plan of taking the tour to Muzaffarabad, which is the capital of Pakistan Administered Kashmir, a territory disputed by India and Pakistan.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the BCCI notified the ICC about its objection on Friday, a day after the PCB put out a post on X (formerly Twitter) announcing the dates and venues for the tour would be heading to.It could not be confirmed if the BCCI lodged its objection in writing or verbally. It is understood that no approval or rejection has been made yet and that the ICC is still in discussions on the final plan of the trophy tour.Related

Hybrid model for Champions Trophy? ICC likely to take call on November 26

Champions Trophy saga: Blame lies with ICC leadership

The Champions Trophy is thrilling, unpredictable, edge-of the seat stuff (and that's just the negotiations)

Champions Trophy: PCB wants an explanation in writing from India for refusal to travel

India will not travel to Pakistan for 2025 Champions Trophy

The PCB’s post did catch the ICC by surprise given that it is an ICC event, and such communication is usually announced through its channels.According to the PCB’s post, the tour is scheduled to start from November 16 but given the BCCI’s objection, it wasn’t clear at the time of writing whether it will now go ahead on that day. On their X post, the PCB said the trophy tour would also take in other popular tourist destinations including Skardu, Murree and Hunza.There is a possibility that the tour may begin in an initial phase by taking the trophy – of which Pakistan are the defending champions – to the venues that are to be used in the tournament – Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi – and then take in the other venues during a second phase of the tour.