England debutant Shoaib Bashir enjoyed a memorable start to his Test career as he vied for centre stage with India’s next big thing, Yashasvi Jaiswal, on day one in Visakhapatnam.

Bashir was fast-tracked into the England side on the back of just six first-class appearances and began repaying that faith when he grabbed the big wicket of home captain Rohit Sharma in his fourth over.

His exuberant, fist-clenching celebration was a wonderful moment for the 20-year-old off-spinner, who grabbed a second late on when Axar Patel chopped to point, and may even have made up for the visa complications that added 10,000 air miles to his trip and delayed his arrival on tour.

Bashir was trusted to bowl more overs than anyone else and finished with two for 100 in 28 overs as India ran up 336 for six on a good batting pitch. Teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed added two of his own in the evening session, this second Test may hinge on the efforts of rising star Jaiswal.

He made a dashing 179 not out, carrying his bat from first ball to last in an exemplary knock. The 22-year-old, who made his name in the Indian Premier League and looks primed to inherit Virat Kohli’s mantle as the country’s next cricketing icon, never allowed England’s bowlers to breathe easily. Punishing any errors in line or length with bursts of controlled aggression. He hit 17 fours and five sixes, including a towering blow to reach his hundred.

On a pitch that is expected to break up and take sharper turn as the game progresses, England’s task looks a tricky one as they seek to build on the high of victory in Hyderabad.

Ben Foakes, meanwhile, reiterated his value behind the stumps with a pair of smart catches. The first, to see off Shubman Gill just before lunch, saw him dive in front of slip to make the ball his own, but the second was even better. He needed razor sharp reflexes and soft hands to cling on to Shreyas Iyer’s under-edge, with Tom Hartley the beneficiary.

James Anderson, replacing Mark Wood as the solitary seamer, gave up just six runs from his initial five-over spell but England were soon relying on spin at both ends. Joe Root shared the new ball, a gambit aimed at unsettling Jaiswal, but gave way to Bashir as Ben Stokes got his latest newcomer into the game early.

Despite having only 10 first-class wickets to his name, the Somerset prospect started confidently and settled into a steady groove. Sharma had been unusually quiet, grinding out 14 from 41 balls, but when he flicked Bashir round the corner to Pope it was a major first scalp for the youngster.

With Jaiswal putting away anything loose, India were still able to get the best of the first session and it felt a surprise when Anderson returned to take Gill’s outside edge 10 minutes before the break.

Jaiswal resumed on 51 and dialled up the intensity in the afternoon, lifting Root for six over extra-cover with an effortless back-foot drive. Hartley, coming back to earth after his match-winning seven-wicket haul last time out, overpitched a handful of times and was punished repeatedly by the opener.

It was Jaiswal who hit Hartley’s first ball in Test cricket for six and he took the Lancastrian on again here, driving emphatically and giving the fielders no chance to intercept.

He had one scare on 73, Root getting finger tips to a thick edge off Hartley, but moved fluently towards his hundred before reaching three figures with a handsome blow that went all the way over the ropes.

Foakes’ instincts nabbed England a wicket that could easily have gone begging, Iyer cutting a ball that shot through low and and nicking off the bottom edge. It was looking like a long final session at tea, with the score at 225 for three, and Jaiswal did his best to sap Ahmed’s enthusiasm when he clattered the teenage leg-spinner for six.

But Ahmed did not shirk the contest, attacking the stumps until he forced a mistake from debutant Rajat Patidar. Pressing forward in defence he ran it off the face of his bat and watched on as it spun back and unsettled a bail.

England looked like they would settle for four wickets but there was a bonus scalp for Bashir, who finished the day as he had started it, in celebration. It was something of a gift, picking out Ahmed with an uncontrolled cut, but it was Bashir’s height and bounce that made the stroke dangerous.

Srikar Bharat fell in similar style but this time the roles were reversed, Ahmed with the ball and Bashir adding a first to catch to his day’s achievements.

Gaelic Warrior will clash with highly-regarded stablemates Fact To File and Grangeclare West in the Ladbrokes Novice Chase at Leopardstown on Sunday.

Having decided against taking on Marine Nationale in the Irish Arkle over two miles and one furlong on Saturday, Willie Mullins instead runs Gaelic Warrior over an extra four and a half furlongs.

It is by no means an easy option, though, with Fact To File, so impressive in beating Zanahiyr last time out, and Grangeclare West, unbeaten in two over fences and a six-length winner of a Grade One, in opposition.

The two other runners in the race are both trained by Gordon Elliott. American Mike, who beat Fact To File on their respective chasing debuts, and Found A Fifty, although he is declared for the Irish Arkle 24 hours earlier.

There are also only five in the Ladbrokes Dublin Chase, with Mullins responsible for four.

El Fabiolo is a hot favourite having skipped the rearranged Clarence House. His three stablemates taking him on are all owned by JP McManus in Dinoblue, Sant Roi and Gentleman De Mee. Henry de Bromhead’s Captain Guinness is the only other runner.

Mullins is responsible for three of the five in the Chanelle Pharma Irish Champion Hurdle.

State Man, looking for a repeat win, will again clash with Impaire Et Passe, who chased him home at Christmas. Echoes In Rain is the other Mullins runner.

Bob Olinger and rank outsider Fils D’oudairies complete the quintet.

The other Grade One action sees Mullins’ Ballyburn clash with Gordon Elliott’s Farren Glory.

Ballyburn is a hot favourite but Farren Glory is unlucky not to be a dual Grade One winner already, having won the Royal Bond before travelling much the best in the Formby at Aintree when falling two out.

De Bromhead’s Slade Steel is another nice prospect among the 10 runners.

Wales host Guinness Six Nations opponents Scotland on Saturday with both countries looking to blast out of the starting blocks.

Momentum is key in European rugby’s blue riband tournament, and it could be a long campaign for whichever team ends up losing.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key talking points heading into the game.

Home sweet home for Wales

When it comes to making home advantage count in the Six Nations, Wales have repeatedly delivered against Scotland. It is 22 years since the Scots triumphed in Cardiff, a 27-22 victory secured through stoppage-time penalties kicked by Brendan Laney and Duncan Hodge. Current Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend was the fly-half that April afternoon, with hooker Gordon Bulloch scoring two tries, but it has been a tale of woe since then.

Eleven successive defeats – nine Six Nations games, one World Cup warm-up and an autumn Test – unfolded at an average scoreline of 29-14. Scotland did claim a Six Nations win on Welsh soil four years ago during the coronavirus pandemic, but that match was staged in Llanelli behind closed doors.

Flying Finn to fire Scots?

Scotland fly-half Finn Russell is one of world rugby’s genuine box-office talents, and a Six Nations tournament that will not see the likes of star names Antoine Dupont, Louis Rees-Zammit and potentially Marcus Smith this season needs Russell firing on all cylinders. The 31-year-old captains Scotland on Saturday, and he can be expected to relish that responsibility.

Russell lines up on the post-World Cup international stage after producing some command performances for his new club Bath in domestic and European arenas, with the west country club challenging for Premiership and Champions Cup honours. If he hits top form, Scotland will flourish.

Captain Jenkins in the spotlight

Exeter’s 21-year-old lock Dafydd Jenkins will become the youngest Wales captain since Gareth Edwards in 1968 when he leads his country out against Scotland. But such an honour being handed to him only 12 caps into his Test career should not come as a surprise. He first captained Exeter at the age of 19, and this season he has led impressively from the front, with Chiefs firmly in Premiership play-off contention and through to the Champions Cup round of 16.

“He pretty much gets everything right,” Exeter rugby director Rob Baxter said of Jenkins. “Our job is to try not to put too much on his shoulders, but at the same time he is exactly the kind of guy you want as captain of your team.”

Wales fans might need to be patient

Wales have enjoyed considerable success in the Six Nations, being crowned champions on six occasions, with four of those titles achieved in Grand Slam fashion. Five Triple Crowns can also be added to an impressive roll of honour as they have repeatedly punched above their weight, but any challenge for silverware this season appears unlikely.

The long road to World Cup 2027 in Australia starts with Wales fielding their least-experienced Six Nations starting XV since 2019, as a combination of factors mean players like Louis Rees-Zammit, Liam Williams, George North, Dan Biggar and Taulupe Faletau are unavailable. The Scotland game is followed by England at Twickenham, Ireland in Dublin and France at home, so Wales are unquestionably up against it.

Can Scotland handle expectation?

Six Nations history might be against them, but Scotland will arrive in Cardiff as firm favourites to end their dismal losing run. Wales field just seven of the side that lost to World Cup quarter-final opponents Argentina last time out, and players like Russell, wing Duhan van der Merwe and centre Huw Jones are genuine game-breakers more than capable of testing a new-look Wales side.

If the Scots hit their straps, then they could win with something to spare, setting themselves up for a Murrayfield showdown with France next weekend, but the biggest battle could be overcoming those Cardiff demons and keeping them at bay.

England will begin rebuilding for the 2027 World Cup when they clash with Italy in Rome on Saturday.

Here, the PA news agency looks at five talking points ahead of the Stadio Olimpico opener.

All change

While picking veteran fly-half George Ford might be an opportunity missed against the Six Nations’ weakest opposition – the inclusion of rookie Fin Smith would have provided a glimpse of the future – Steve Borthwick has shown a willingness to experiment elsewhere. Flanker Ethan Roots and inside centre Fraser Dingwall are given debuts while Smith, exciting wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and back row Chandler Cunningham-South will win their first caps if they step off the bench. Some of the changes have been forced on Borthwick by circumstance but it is still England’s biggest injection of fresh faces in the Six Nations since 2012.

Dingwall’s chance to shine

England have been unable to find a potent, enduring answer to who plays inside centre since Will Greenwood retired in 2004. The next player to be given the opportunity to prove he is the solution is Dingwall, who profits from injuries to Manu Tuilagi and Ollie Lawrence to take the number 12 jersey at the Stadio Olimpico and possibly beyond. The Northampton Saint has added three kilos of muscle for this season and plays with greater physicality as a result, especially in defence, but his true skill is an all-rounder who brings out the best in the players around him.

Release the handbrake

England must show greater ambition in attack or the goodwill generated amongst fans by finishing third at the World Cup will be washed away. The simplified, kick-focused, data-driven approach was acceptable for the first year of Borthwick’s reign given the need to pick up the pieces of the Eddie Jones era but a failure to add new layers will lead to unrest in the stands. New captain Jamie George has acknowledged that “you get people on their feet when they see tries being scored” and one of the hopes is that they play with greater freedom outside their own half.

Carrying threats needed

A concern hanging over England’s team selection is the lack of carrying power outside the explosive Ben Earl, who continues at number eight having taken the World Cup by storm. In particular, the backline is short on players who can muscle through heavy traffic in the absence of blockbusting centres Tuilagi and Lawrence. There are plenty of options to grind out yards up front, but few to blast big holes in the defence.

Quesada plots Roman ambush

Italy have a new head coach in Argentinian Gonzalo Quesada, who is expected to tighten up the loose game introduced by his predecessor Kieran Crowley. It helped deliver wins against Wales and Australia but the Azzurri self-destructed at the World Cup with crushing losses to New Zealand and France reversing the progress made in the previous 18 months. Since joining the Six Nations in 2000 Italy have recorded a win rate of only 11 per cent and have yet to defeat England in 30 meetings but traditionally they are at their strongest at the start of the tournament as France found out a year ago when they edged home by the skin of their teeth.

England debutant Shoaib Bashir enjoyed a memorable start to his Test career before a fine century from Yashasvi Jaiswal put India in charge on day one in Visakhapatnam.

Bashir, fast-tracked into the team after just six first-class appearances, was just four overs into his first international spell when he grabbed the big wicket of Rohit Sharma.

The 20-year-old off-spinner, whose entry into the country was held up by visa complications, clenched both fists and roared in celebration when the home captain turned him straight into Ollie Pope’s hands at leg-slip.

But it was hard work for the tourists after losing the toss on a good batting pitch, with Jaiswal striking a fluent 125 not out as they reached 225 for three at tea.

He judged conditions expertly and picked his moments to attack England’s inexperienced spin attack, bringing up his hundred in grand fashion as he skipped down the track and launched Tom Hartley for six.

With no real encouragement from the surface chances were hard to come by, and Ben Foakes proved his value behind the stumps to make sure two of them counted. He dived in front of slip to catch Shubman Gill just before the lunch break, giving James Anderson a timely breakthrough on his return to the side, and was even more alert in the afternoon session.

Hartley, the seven-wicket hero of Hyderabad, was the beneficiary of Foakes’ brilliant glovework but the 24-year-old left-armer struggled in the face of Jaiswal’s controlled aggression.

Anderson, replacing Mark Wood as the solitary seamer, gave up just six runs from his initial five-over spell but England were soon relying on spin at both ends. Joe Root shared the new ball but gave way to Bashir as Ben Stokes got his latest newcomer into the game early.

Despite having only 10 first-class wickets to his name, he started confidently and settled into a steady groove. Sharma had been unusually quiet in making 14 from 41 balls but when he flicked Bashir round the corner to Pope it was a major first scalp for the youngster.

With Jaiswal putting away anything loose, India were still able to get the best of the first session and it felt a surprise when Anderson returned to take Gill’s outside edge 10 minutes before the break.

Jaiswal resumed on 51 and dialled up the intensity in the afternoon, lifting Root for six over extra-cover with an effortless back-foot drive. Hartley overpitched a handful of times and was punished mercilessly by the opener, who punched the ball emphatically down the ground to leave the fielders no chance.

He had one scare on 73, Root getting finger tips to an edge off Hartley, but moved fluently towards his hundred before reaching three figures with a handsome six down the ground.

Gigginstown House Stud will be looking to potential future stars to provide them with more great memories at the Dublin Racing Festival.

The racing operation of Ryanair supremo Michael O’Leary is no stranger to success at Leopardstown’s flagship meeting, winning the feature Irish Gold Cup with both Conflated and Delta Work in recent years, and also picking up the Irish Champion Hurdle with Apple’s Jade.

The 2022 hero Conflated will be back again to do battle with Galopin Des Champs in the feature event of Saturday’s card, but the main hopes of success lie earlier in the day, when both Storm Heart and Predators Gold head into their respective contests as betting favourites.

Both trained by Willie Mullins, it is Predators Gold who could give Gigginstown the perfect start to the meeting in the Nathaniel Lacy & Partners Solicitors Novice Hurdle, with the five-year-old stepping up in trip following his Grade One runner-up effort over two miles behind Caldwell Potter at Christmas.

“He won his maiden over two and a half miles, then came back in trip at Christmas,” said Eddie O’Leary of Gigginstown.

“His run over two was very good but this is very much more his trip. We will see where we are with him.”

Predators Gold is immediately followed by ultra-impressive Punchestown scorer Storm Heart, who now faces the acid test of his capabilities in a red-hot running of the McCann FitzGerald Spring Juvenile Hurdle.

“He won a maiden hurdle and won it well, but this is the next level and it will tell us where we are,” continued O’Leary. “Hopefully he is lucky and we get to see where we are.”

There will not be an appearance from the exciting Gordon Elliott-trained bumper prospect Jalon D’oudairies, who seems destined to head straight for the Champion Bumper at the Cheltenham Festival.

However, stablemate The Enabler looks a useful alternative for the Donohue Marquees Future Stars I.N.H. Flat Race following convincing victories at Punchestown and Navan.

The Cullentra House handler’s Conflated will again feature in the Irish Gold Cup, as he bids to get his own ticket to Prestbury Park stamped in a race he caused an 18-1 shock two years ago.

“Conflated is entitled to go there again and after this he will be going to either the Ryanair or the Cross Country at Cheltenham,” added O’Leary. “Hopefully he puts up a good showing.”

What the papers say

Former Everton winger Ademola Lookman, 26, is attracting attention with his performances for Atalanta, according to The Sun. Atletico Madrid and Juventus are being linked with a summer move for the Nigeria international.

Defender Cedric Soares, 32, could still leave Arsenal, despite the transfer deadline passing. The window remains open in Turkey for another week and the Daily Mirror reports, via ESPN, that Galatasaray, Besiktas and Trabzonspor are interested in the Portuguese full-back.

West Brom were among three Championship clubs who enquired about defender Calum Chambers, according to the Daily Mail. The 29-year-old opted to stay at Aston Villa.

Liverpool and Arsenal are being linked with Eintracht Frankfurt teenager Hugo Larsson. The Daily Mirror, via German outlet Bild, said the 19-year-old midfielder has been dubbed “the next Rodri”.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Albert Sambi Lokonga: The Belgian midfielder, 24, could be given a fresh chance at Arsenal after impressing on loan at Luton, according to Football Transfers.

Stefano Sensi: The Italy midfielder, 28, is staying at Inter Milan despite passing a medical for a loan move to Leicester, reports The Daily Telegraph.

Shoaib Bashir made a memorable start to his England career, dismissing India captain Rohit Sharma on the first morning of the second Test in Visakhapatnam.

The 20-year-old off-spinner only arrived in the country six days ago, his visa application held up due to his Pakistani heritage, but was handed a debut in place of the injured Jack Leach.

Bashir claimed the first wicket of the morning session when Sharma flicked a catch to Ollie Pope, roaring in excitement and clenching both fists in celebration.

But it was hard work for the tourists after losing the toss on a good batting pitch, with India reaching 103 for two after James Anderson removed Shubman Gill just before lunch.

Yashavi Jaiswal led the way with 51 not out, biding his time and picking off bad balls as he collected six fours and a six.

Anderson, recalled in place of Mark Wood as the solitary seamer, kicked things off after Ben Stokes lost the toss and allowed just six runs from his first five overs.

The 41-year-old, who made his Test debut five months before Bashir was born, beat the bat a couple of times but the early signs suggested a flat track.

Joe Root shared the new ball but was unable to make his match-up with the left-handed Jaiswal pay off and soon made way for Bashir. The newcomer came to the crease with just 10 first-class wickets to his name across six matches, but quickly settled into a groove.

After three tidy overs he struck midway through his fourth, Sharma following a drifting ball and turning it to leg-slip after an unusually quiet 14 from 41 deliveries. Bashir’s team-mates thronged as he took in the moment, but with Jaiswal settling to his task there was plenty still to do.

Tom Hartley, England’s seven-wicket hero in Hyderabad, started steadily but was unable to create a chance and began to over-pitch as he searched for a breakthrough. Bashir held an end for 10 straight overs, erring only when he sent down a full toss which Jaiswal flogged for six.

Anderson got his side back into the fight in his second spell, taking Gill’s outside edge for 34 as Ben Foakes dived in front of slip to take the catch.

Shoaib Bashir made a memorable start to his England career, dismissing India captain Rohit Sharma on the first morning of the second Test in Visakhapatnam.

The 20-year-old off-spinner only arrived in the country six days ago, his visa application held up due to his Pakistani heritage, but was handed a debut in place of the injured Jack Leach.

Bashir claimed the first wicket of the morning session when Sharma flicked a catch to Ollie Pope, roaring in excitement and clenching both fists in celebration.

But it was hard work for the tourists after losing the toss on a good batting pitch, with India reaching 103 for two after James Anderson removed Shubman Gill just before lunch.

Yashavi Jaiswal led the way with 51 not out, biding his time and picking off bad balls as he collected six fours and a six.

Anderson, recalled in place of Mark Wood as the solitary seamer, kicked things off after Ben Stokes lost the toss and allowed just six runs from his first five overs.

The 41-year-old, who made his Test debut five months before Bashir was born, beat the bat a couple of times but the early signs suggested a flat track.

Joe Root shared the new ball but was unable to make his match-up with the left-handed Jaiswal pay off and soon made way for Bashir. The newcomer came to the crease with just 10 first-class wickets to his name across six matches, but quickly settled into a groove.

After three tidy overs he struck midway through his fourth, Sharma following a drifting ball and turning it to leg-slip after an unusually quiet 14 from 41 deliveries. Bashir’s team-mates thronged as he took in the moment, but with Jaiswal settling to his task there was plenty still to do.

Tom Hartley, England’s seven-wicket hero in Hyderabad, started steadily but was unable to create a chance and began to over-pitch as he searched for a breakthrough. Bashir held an end for 10 straight overs, erring only when he sent down a full toss which Jaiswal flogged for six.

Anderson got his side back into the fight in his second spell, taking Gill’s outside edge for 34 as Ben Foakes dived in front of slip to take the catch.

All-Star Jalen Brunson poured in 40 points and the New York Knicks overcame the loss of two starters again to rally for their ninth straight victory, 109-105 over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday.

Hours after being voted a first-time All-Star, Brunson scored 11 points in the fourth quarter in a game the Knicks trailed by 15 points. He shook off an eye injury late in the game and made a driving layup with 1:46 remaining to give the Knicks the lead for good.

Donte DiVincenzo added 20 points, Miles McBride had 16 off the bench and Isaiah Hartenstein contributed 12 points and 19 rebounds for New York, which was again without starters Julius Randle and OG Anunoby.

The Knicks, coming off a 14-2 January, have won nine in a row for the first time since a 13-game run from March 18-April 9, 2013.

Jalen Smith scored 22 points and Aaron Nesmith had 17 as the Pacers had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Maxey drops 49 as 76ers win

All-Star Tyrese Maxey scored a career-high 51 points with seven 3-pointers and Tobias Harris added 28 points as the Philadelphia 76ers stopped a four-game losing streak with a 127-124 win over the Utah Jazz.

Maxey shot 17 of 27 from the field, hit 7 of 9 from beyond the arc and was 10 of 11 from the line. He surpassed his previous career high of 50 points - set Nov. 12 at home against Indiana – with two free throws with 4.1 seconds left.

He joined Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson and Joel Embiid as the only 76ers to score 50 points in multiple games in a single season.

Lauri Markkanen had 28 points and 10 rebounds and Collin Sexton scored 22 for Utah, which has lost five of seven.

Short-handed Lakers stun Celtics

Austin Reaves scored a season-high 32 points and hit a career-high seven 3-pointers as the undermanned Los Angeles Lakers defeated the league-leading Boston Celtics, 114-105.

The Lakers became just the third team this season to beat the Celtics at home despite playing without top scorers LeBron James (left ankle) and Anthony Davis (Achilles tendon and left hip spasms).

D’Angelo Russell had 16 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds and Jaxson Hayes added 16 points and 10 boards for Los Angeles, which made 19 of 36 3-pointers.

Jayson Tatum scored 23 points and Kristaps Porzingis and Sam Hauser added 17 apiece. The Celtics have lost three of five at home after a 20-0 start at TD Garden.

Former England and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard retired as a player on this day in 2017 after a stellar 21-year career.

Lampard, then 38, widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s all-time greats, announced his decision on social media after spending the previous year at Major League Soccer side New York City.

He said: “After 21 incredible years, I have decided that now is the right time to finish my career as a professional footballer.

“Whilst I have received a number of exciting offers to continue playing at home and abroad, at 38 I feel now is the time to begin the next chapter in my life.

“I’m immensely proud of the trophies I’ve won, of representing my country over 100 times and of scoring more than 300 career goals.”

Lampard is the Premier League’s fourth-highest appearance maker (609) and sixth-highest goalscorer (177). He is also fifth on the all-time assists list with 102.

After starting his career at West Ham, Lampard spent 13 years at Chelsea and became part of his country’s ‘golden generation’ despite failing to win major honours with England.

The former midfielder is Chelsea’s all-time record goalscorer (211) and only three players have made more than his 648 appearances for the club.

He added in his retirement statement: “The largest part of my heart belongs to Chelsea, a club which has given me so many great memories. I will never forget the opportunity they gave me and the success that we managed to achieve together.”

Lampard won 11 major trophies at Stamford Bridge – three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups, the Europa League and the Champions League in 2012.

He made his senior England debut in a friendly win against Belgium in 1999 and went on to win 106 caps in total, placing him eighth on the all-time appearances list, and scored 29 goals.

After moving into management, he took Derby to the Championship play-off final and Chelsea to an FA Cup final, losing both games.

He avoided relegation with Everton in 2022 but was sacked the following January with the club 19th in the Premier League, and won just one of 11 games after returning to Chelsea in a caretaker capacity.

Yorkshire members will vote later this morning on whether to accept a loan offer from former chairman Colin Graves which would pave the way for his controversial return to Headingley.

Last month the existing board of the debt-ridden club recommended members back a special resolution at Friday’s extraordinary general meeting which, if passed, could ultimately lead to Graves and three associates being appointed to the board and unlock up to £5million in funding.

With time running out to keep the business viable, almost £15million owed to the Graves family trust and a host of other potential investors no longer at the table, the board said it was recommending a loan offer from Graves “having exhausted all other options” in its search for refinancing.

Graves’ reinstatement would represent a divisive move considering the racism scandal which has engulfed Yorkshire in recent years, an episode which partially took place during his first stint in charge.

Earlier this month he apologised to anyone at Yorkshire who had experienced racism, and expressed “profound regret” at the language he had used in a Sky Sports interview last June when he said there had been “a lot of banter”.

Azeem Rafiq, who in 2020 blew the whistle on the racism he experienced at Yorkshire, said Graves’ apology was not something he could accept, adding: “It’s got to be further than just words.”

The special resolution will only pass on Friday if 66 per cent or more of members vote in favour. Sources have told the PA news agency there is a concerted mobilisation against Graves, but it remains to be seen whether that will be sufficient to block his return.

Even if the resolution does pass, his reinstatement will still be subject to the Financial Conduct Authority approving the rule changes contained within the special resolution.

Graves said in a statement on Thursday: “Yorkshire members will vote tomorrow at the EGM on whether to ratify the board’s decision to accept my offer to the club.

“If, as I very much hope in the best interests of YCCC they do so, we will have to await the regulatory approval of the offer from the Financial Conduct Authority before forming a new board.

“The immediate responsibilities of that new board will be to elect a new Chairman and then begin work to resolve the YCCC financial situation.

“In the meantime, I will not be making any further comment.”

Premier League clubs spent just £100million in one of the quietest transfer windows in recent memory.

That figure, as estimated by leading finance company Deloitte, is down from a staggering £815m last January and an average of just over £319m since the 2016-17 season, when the value of domestic television rights first jumped past £5billion in a three-year cycle.

A relative plateauing of broadcast revenues and the threat of sanctions under the league’s profit and sustainability rules – with Everton already docked 10 points this season – have been cited as potential reasons for the lack of activity this month.

Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said: “After record-breaking spending in the last three transfer windows, Premier League clubs’ spending this January has been subdued.

“The more prudent approach is likely driven by the high level of spend invested during the summer window, but may also have been influenced by a heightened awareness of the Premier League’s financial regulations and the potential repercussions of non-compliance.

“Securing the highest-quality player talent remains pivotal for Premier League clubs, but we’ve seen in this window that retention has been of higher priority than attraction.”

Spending stood at around £70m going into deadline day – in line with the Covid-affected January 2021 window, when Said Benrahma, Amad Diallo and Morgan Sanson were the only arrivals league wide for fees in excess of £10m.

Thursday’s deals, including Morgan Rogers’ move from Middlesbrough to Aston Villa pushed that figure to £100m, but Radu Dragusin’s move to Tottenham for a reported £26.7m on January 11 remained the biggest of the month.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United have not made a single addition, while Manchester City’s £12.5m signing Claudio Echeverri was loaned straight back to River Plate.