All posts by h716a5.icu

MS Dhoni has said all the players in India’s squad will get a game before the knockout stages, meaning R Ashwin and Suresh Raina will be in the XI on Sunday, against West Indies

Sharda Ugra in Chennai19-Mar-2011The reception given to MS Dhoni at his pre-match media briefing before India’s final group match at the World Cup reflected none of the heated arguments on in print or television, or even outside the media conference room at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Rather than a barrage of unpleasant questions about captaincy, the Indian team’s batting performance in Nagpur, Ashish Nehra’s 50th over or R Ashwin’s debut, the treatement could be described as cordial. “Happy Holi, Mahi,” a reporter said, referring to the famous festival of colours that will spread across most of India over the weekend. Dhoni wished the reporter back warmly. When the question about the batting did turn up, Dhoni decided to leave the colourful quotes behind and tried splashing some whitewash over Nagpur.Dhoni was asked whether there had been a thorough debrief after India lost their last nine wickets for 29 runs in their defeat to South Africa. He replied: “The beauty of our batting side is that you don’t need to always pinpoint what went wrong or what needs to be done. The amount of experience we have got, the moment you commit a mistake you realise, okay, this is what exactly went wrong.” What happened in Nagpur, he said did not “need to be addressed in a big way. Most of us have played over 100 games. But the better sides are the ones who do not repeat their mistakes in short intervals.”India’s biggest mistakes in its two matches against top-flight teams – England and South Africa – he said, had been to take their foot off the pedal after the best of starts. “It’s not only about how well you have started the game and how long you have dominated, you can’t say you have won a game till it’s over. It is a big learning and hopefully we won’t repeat the same mistakes that have happened so far. We are human beings; we are always supposed to commit mistakes. Hopefully the interval between two will be long.” All of India will be wishing that the interval would at least be longer than the next two weeks.R Ashwin is likely to get a game after cooling his heels for the previous group-stage matches•Associated PressAfter being pretty tight-lipped about team selection through the tournament so far, Dhoni stuck his neck out this time, and said “everyone” on his team “would have played at least one game before the knockout stage.” Translated that means that the two men who have not had a match so far, Suresh Raina and R Ashwin, will be in the XI on Sunday.Dented reputation or not, what India still has is belief within the batting and the fact that the unit as a whole is “due”. Their captain said so with emphasis. “Our seven batsmen have not fired at their best. If we get a really good day on the field with the batting department, we have the capabilities of putting huge totals on the board and it will definitely be a par plus score.”The question that produced the response was one about the batting. But, as if on autopilot, Dhoni produced a spontaneous, unsolicited comment on India’s fielding, just in case anyone would slip the question in. “I do not see plenty of improvement in the fielding department. We are definitely not as good as some of the teams in the present World Cup but on our own we have shown that we are improving. Our good fielders are doing better every game and our safer fielders are getting better in each and every game.”Sunday’s match would be the last game for India with a safety net of any kind – Bangladesh’s loss on Saturday has guaranteed their path to the quarter-finals – yet an unconvincing performance against West Indies is, unlike one of India’s practice sessions, not an option.

New Zealand wrapped up the Twenty20 series 2-1 with a nine-run win in a low-scoring match at Hove

The Bulletin by Liam Brickhill02-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Suzie Bates was Player of the Series as leading scorer from either side with 94 runs in three games•Getty ImagesNew Zealand wrapped up the Twenty20 series 2-1 with a nine-run win in a low-scoring match at Hove. After the despair of their narrow defeat in the World Twenty20, New Zealand have fought hard in this series to bounce back after losing the first game and looked a jubilant outfit when an accurate final over from the impressive Sophie Devine sealed the result, and the series, for them.New Zealand knew they would have to scrap to defend a sub-par 124 for 8 after opting to bat first, but England’s tactics allowed them to re-group in the field and once Sarah Taylor had been castled by Nicola Browne wickets fell at regular intervals. England had been favourites before the second innings got underway, but without pressure to score quickly from the outset they dug themselves into a defensive hole with some overly-cautious batting.After the snail-paced start, Charlotte Edwards began to find some fluency but then chipped Devine to Browne at cover for a-run-a-ball 19 in the ninth over. Claire Taylor then fell to an ugly smear that looped gently to the same fielder to leave England struggling at 46 for 3 in the 11th over. Her dismissal triggered a middle-order collapse as two balls later Laura Marsh flashed Devine straight to Kate Broadmore, who then rattled Jenny Gunn’s stumps as three wickets fell in the space of seven balls.England had recovered from a similarly dire position in the second game at the Rose Bowl, but their chase never recovered today. Danielle Wyatt showed some hustle in her 17-ball 16, but with the run-rate climbing too many risks had to be taken and when she and Lydia Greenway fell in the 17th over to offspinner Lucy Doolan England were as good as buried.Though Doolan and Devine had been in the wickets with the ball, it was a team-effort in the field that sealed the win and it had been a similar story when New Zealand batted. Aimee Watkins and Suzie Bates – who top-scored again today and was named Player of the Series – laid the platform with a patient 50-run opening stand that gradually gained momentum.Though Danielle Hazell ran through New Zealand’s top three in an inspirational display of slow bowling, Browne and Devine picked up the mantle with an aggressive 28-run partnership that took up only 16 balls and seized back the momentum for the visitors. The experienced pair of Nicky Shaw and Katherine Brunt – who topped 75mph with the ball – pegged back New Zealand’s charge, but despite the narrowness of the eventual winning margin the visitors were in control for most of the game.

Arsenal will definitely sign a midfielder before the end of the month…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who delivered a major update on the Gunners’ transfer plans on Twitter this week.

“Arsenal will definitely go for a new midfielder,” he said.

“Arthur has been discussed internally as reported here days ago, he’s in board/Arteta list together with 2 more candidates – but it’s not advanced with Juventus yet.

“Bruno Guimarães in January, more than difficult.”

Exciting news

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is in desperate need of bolstering his engine room this month, otherwise, the north London giants run the risk of ruining the Spaniard’s good work this season.

Indeed, the club finds itself back in the race for a top-four finish. Sat in fourth place with only a four-point advantage to seventh, the Gunners cannot afford any slip-ups in the coming weeks.

However, the 39-year-old is light on options in the middle – that’s because first-choice midfielder Thomas Partey and Mo Elneny are at the Africa Cup of Nations and the rarely-seen Ainsley Maitland-Niles has joined AS Roma on loan.

It really leaves him with just summer signing Albert Sambi Lokonga to partner Granit Xhaka, with players like Emile Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard of the more attacking nature.

One injury or suspension to either of these names could cause Arteta plenty of problems.

Whether Arthur is the answer or not very much remains to be seen but it’s clear the club need reinforcements and it’s certainly hugely encouraging that they “will” find a solution, as Romano states.

Therefore, this latest development should leave the Emirates Stadium faithful absolutely buzzing heading into the rest of the month. It seems as if Arteta will be backed and that will only bolster their chances of securing a place in Europe next season.

AND in other news, David Ornstein drops huge transfer update on Arsenal’s striker search…

Cricket Kenya has been forced to cancel a short tour to England after a contractual dispute arose between the board and the players on the eve of the trip

Martin Williamson18-Jun-2010Cricket Kenya has been forced to cancel a short tour to England after a contractual dispute arose between the board and the players on the eve of the trip. The players are refusing to travel unless the board agree to their contract demands, and Kenya’s preparations for the World Cricket League Division One tournament in Netherlands have been thrown into turmoil.The trip to Rochdale, Lancashire was meant to have been a warm-up for the competition in Netherlands, and the players’ decision was only relayed to the board hours before they were due to leave. It is believed that the boycott will leave CK around $50,000 out of pocket.The contracts for the 16-man national squad expired at the end of May and had been expected to be renewed without difficulty, CK offering a 10% pay rise despite continuing poor on-field performances from the team.However, last week a four-man deputation claiming to represent the squad met with CK officials and set out new terms which were deemed unacceptable. They included reverting to a number of old terms and conditions which had been set aside a few years ago after the ICC, African Cricket Association and CK decided they stifled new players.Surprisingly, the deputation did not contain any of the current squad but did include Maurice Odumbe, Steve Tikolo and Kennedy Otieno as well as Isaiah Odhiambo. Various demands were made by these “representatives” involving radical changes to the structure of the contract – including huge increases to players’ remuneration. Various other complaints unrelated to the contract – including a complaint against the behaviour of the chairman of selectors – were deferred. They also refused to allow any board member to approach the team directly.On Wednesday, the quartet appeared on television and launched a vicious attack on the board, demanding among other things that several key officials stand down. CK attempted to broker a solution, offering interim contracts with assurances that the issues would be addressed on the team’s return but this was declined.”It’s the same old story,” an insider said. “They are trying to use a tour as blackmail.” The role of the seemingly self-appointed gang of four was also heavily criticised. “We will not be put against a wall to deal with people like this.”An official statement said: “Cricket Kenya regards this conduct by these ‘players’ representatives’ as outrageous and disgraceful. Having regard to the gratuitously offensive nature of the allegations made and the questionable agenda of the former players involved, the Cricket Kenya Board unanimously resolved not to engage with these ‘player representatives’ any further.”The player representatives concerned had no authority whatsoever to go public in this way. They are neither accredited formally by the players nor are they part of a properly registered players association. Their sole function was to negotiate terms with Cricket Kenya on behalf of the players. The players’ contracts specifically forbid any player from engaging with the press and to criticize the national board. It is plain that their real motive was intended solely to undermine and embarrass Cricket Kenya.”Kenya’s cricketers are already highly paid, with senior players earning around $1500 a month, almost ten times the national average, and juniors around $800.Aside from the considerable loss of goodwill among those in England who have bent over backwards to accommodate the Kenyan tour, there is also concern over preparations for the World Cricket League Division One tournament which starts early next month. The squad has already been submitted to the ICC, although CK is believed to be prepared to send a weakened side if the stand-off continues.”Cricket Kenya stands by its decision and is determined not to be held to ransom by the national team – or by its so-called ‘representatives’- in this way,” the statement concluded.The position of Maurice Ouma as captain also appears untenable. He accompanied the four delegates to the original meeting and by refusing to even allow the board to talk to the team it seems likely he will be replaced.

Allrounder James Franklin has been called up to replace the injured Hamish Bennett for the remaining two Tests against India

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Nov-2010Allrounder James Franklin has been called up to replace the injured Hamish Bennett for the remaining two Tests against India. Bennett, who injured his groin while bowling on the first day of the Ahmedabad Test, will return to New Zealand for further testing and rehabilitation.Doubts about Jesse Ryder’s ability to bowl in the next game also factored into the selection of Franklin, as the New Zealand selectors wanted someone who could bat and bowl.”It’s an unfortunate injury for Hamish, which will see him miss the remainder of the Test series against India, Mark Greatbatch, the New Zealand coach said. “However, it does create another opportunity for James Franklin to come back into the Blackcaps squad.”Franklin showed good form with bat and ball in Zimbabwe, where he successfully led New Zealand A to a series win.”New Zealand A won two of the three unofficial Tests they played against Zimbabwe, with Franklin making 180 runs at an average of 60, with one century, and taking 10 wickets at an average of 17.2. Franklin hasn’t played Test cricket for over 18 months though. His last Test came, coincidentally, against India in Wellington in April 2009. Over 26 Tests, he has made 644 runs at an average of 21.46, and taken 80 wickets at 32.65, with a best of 6 for 119.Franklin will arrive in Hyderabad on November 10, two days before the start of the second Test.

Northern Districts joined Auckland at the top of the points table after they comprehensively beat Canterbury by eight wickets at in Hamilton

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2010Northern Districts joined Auckland at the top of the points table after they comprehensively beat Canterbury by eight wickets at Seddon Park in Hamilton.Northern Districts won the toss and chose to field, after rain delayed the start of play and the match was reduced to 18 overs. It looked like James Marshall had made the correct decision when Robi Nicol, coming off a match-winning half-century against Otago, was dismissed by Graeme Aldrige in the second over. Canterbury were 37 for 3 at the end of six overs and looked in danger of collapsing cheaply. However, Ryan ten Doeschate combined with Shannan Stewart and Carl Anderson for handy partnerships of 44 and 38 to steady the innings. But once ten Doeschate was dismissed on 119, the Canterbury innings fell away and they could only reach 138 for 8.Opener Daniel Flynn blasted 45 off 19 balls to get Northern Districts’ chase off to a cracking start. Flynn and David Warner added 54 runs before Flynn was dismissed. South African import Herschelle Gibbs at No. 3, together with Warner, cemented Northern Districts’ win with a 79-run partnership. Warner was unbeaten on 52 as Northern Districts completed an easy victory in just under 14 overs.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the itinerary of the ‘home’ series in the UAE against South Africa in October and November this year

Cricinfo staff31-May-2010The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the itinerary of the ‘home’ series in the UAE against South Africa in October and November this year. The series will be shared between the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium; the two grounds will join Sharjah, which has hosted Pakistan in the past, as Test venues in the UAE. The series will feature two Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 international.Cricket South Africa had agreed to the PCB’s proposal of playing a series on neutral ground, back in April. The PCB even explored the possibility of playing matches in Sharjah, but have decided to restrict it to two venues. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have hosted one-dayers and Twenty20s but never staged a Test.” I am very grateful to Dr. Mtutuzeli Nyoka (CSA president) and Gerald Majola for their understanding of our position and supporting us to make this even possible,” PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said. “I would like to especially thank the Emirates Cricket Board for their unwavering support to Pakistan Cricket.”Pakistan has not hosted an international series since the Lahore attacks in March last year, and was stripped of its rights to host the 2011 World Cup as a result of the volatile security situation in the country. The UAE, with strong links to Pakistan cricket, emerged as an alternate ‘host’ and Pakistan have played ODI series against Australia and New Zealand in Dubai and Abu Dhabi since last year. Pakistan also played a ‘home’ Test series against New Zealand late last year, and will also ‘host’ England and Australia in England later this summer.Schedule:Oct 27: Only Twenty20, Abu Dhabi
Oct 29: 1st ODI, Abu Dhabi
Oct 31: 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
Nov 2: 3rd ODI, Dubai
Nov 5: 4th ODI, Dubai
Nov 8: 5th ODI, Dubai
Nov 12-16: 1st Test, Dubai
Nov 20-24: 2nd Test, Abu Dhabi

Taylor Gardner-Hickman has been having quite a week after celebrating his 20th birthday as well as signing a new contract with West Brom on the same day.

The Albion academy graduate secured a four-and-a-half year deal with the club after making a great impression on Valerien Ismael and the West Brom fans.

Speaking after signing his contract, Gardner-Hickman said: “I’m absolutely delighted. This is my boyhood club. I’ve been here since I was seven and to finally achieve a long-term contract is a dream come true.

“I’ve been working really hard and I was hoping that one day my chance would come. Thankfully it came and I’ve been fortunate enough to be around the squad for a while now.”

The youngster has displayed some impressive performances for the Baggies’ first team this season, especially in the game against Reading a few weeks ago, where SofaScore gave him the highest player rating (8.3) of anyone in Ismael’s side.

According to the website, in that match alone, Gardner-Hickman recorded an 89% pass accuracy, with more touches on the ball than any other midfielder, and won 11 out of his 17 duels.

Ismael has been one of the first to sing the youngster’s praises, calling him “fearless” after his outstanding contribution whilst stepping up to the first team as he said: “He represents exactly what we want to see from young players. He’s hungry, he has desire, he’s fearless. He also has a lot of quality.

“After Dara O’Shea, I think he is the second one with the same profile and I’m delighted to be able to work with him in the years to come.”

Albion will take on their first fixture of 2022 tomorrow against Cardiff City at The Hawthorns, and we’re sure the homegrown talent will be eager to come in for his first start since that impressive outing against Reading three weeks ago.

It could be the perfect opportunity for Gardner-Hickman to get stuck into the second half of the season, and if he gets his chance this weekend, he could be a game-changer from full-back with his all-action play. Indeed, Albion have failed to win or even score since his last start for the club.

The club believe he has what it takes to succeed by offering him a new contract in recent days; now it’s over to Ismael to place his trust in the 20-year-old and back up the aforementioned glowing praise.

In other news: Carlton Palmer weighs in on one potential January signing for Albion

According to 90min, Paris Saint-Germain midfielders Georginio Wijnaldum and Julian Draxler are open to being part of a loan swap deal which would involve Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele or Dele Alli heading in the opposite direction.

The Lowdown: Ndombele and Alli exiled at Spurs

According to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano, Spurs and PSG are still in talks over a loan move for club-record signing Ndombele, and the Lilywhites are considering various options as a direct replacement for the midfielder.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Lilywhites manager Antonio Conte has exiled the 25-year-old at N17, leaving the Frenchman out of the matchday squads for their previous two Premier League games, and he has even forced him into training alone at Hotspur Way.

Dele Alli has also faced a similar situation under the 52-year-old, having been excluded from Spurs’ matchday squad for the London derby against Chelsea and making the starting XI just four times in all competitions during the Italian’s reign at the club.

The Latest: Wijnaldum and Draxler open to Spurs loans

90min editor Sean Walsh reported of Wijnaldum and Draxler’s interest in a possible loan switch to Tottenham, sharing a link to his article via Twitter.

In the tweet, he summarised: “Georginio Wijnaldum and Julian Draxler are open to joining #THFC on loan, potentially as part of deal to send Tanguy Ndombele or Dele Alli to PSG.”

This news arises as the Ligue 1 club have been deciding on which players they could include as part of a swap deal to lure Ndombele or Dele away from Spurs.

Wijnaldum would be open to a return to the Premier League and his representatives have informed Tottenham of his willingness to move back to England. Draxler is said to also be an option for Spurs, as the German has been on the fringe of the PSG squad for several years, so it seems likely that the club would be willing to let him leave on loan.

The Verdict: Good deal for all parties

With the details of the deal yet to be determined, it is hard to determine the plausibility of a complex swap deal. However, looking at the players involved on paper, Spurs are seemingly getting a good deal, especially when you consider that the two potentially outgoing midfielders have both been effectively exiled by Conte.

Having made 217 Premier League appearances and won some of football’s biggest competitions, Wijnaldum is a proven player who could make an instant impact in Spurs’ midfield.

Draxler could also prove to be a shrewd signing who could provide Conte with depth in the attacking positions. He has excelled in the Bundesliga in previous years, and squad rotation may be crucial if Tottenham are to achieve Champions League qualification, so they could do a lot worse than bringing in the Germany international too.

In other news – “Still in talks”: Fabrizio Romano provides the latest on exit-linked Spurs colossus

A major Newcastle United transfer claim has emerged ahead of the summer transfer window…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Dean Jones has claimed that Bruno Guimaraes is not the best player that the club will be able to attract in the market, despite his sensational start to life at St James’ Park this season.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “Watching Guimaraes and seeing the scenes when he scored that last-minute winner, they’ve embraced him.

“You’ve seen the banners and heard the songs about him. They love Guimaraes. And the best thing about it is there’s better to come. They will sign better players than him.”

Supporters will be excited

This update will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling excited, as the prospect of better players than Bruno coming in is a tantalising one.

The Brazilian has been outstanding since arriving at the Tyneside club from Lyon in January and has quickly proven his quality at Premier League level. He has averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.25 across 13 appearances in the top flight, scoring four goals and providing one assist from central midfield.

Guimaraes has also made 2.7 tackles and interceptions and won 5.7 duels per game. This shows that he is getting stuck in defensively to help his team at one end of the pitch, in addition to showcasing his quality on the ball at the other end with his goal contributions.

In the Newcastle squad, no player with five or more appearances in the top flight has averaged a higher rating than the Brazil international. Dan Burn’s score of 7.01 is the closest score to the midfielder’s, which shows that he has been a step above his team-mates since he joined in the winter.

Kieran Trippier averaged a score of 7.68 in his four outings before he picked up an injury but, from that sample size, it is difficult to draw conclusive assessments as to whether or not he is better than Guimaraes.

Now, imagine Newcastle signing multiple players who are better than the former Ligue 1 gem! If he is capable of performing to such a high standard on a regular basis in the Premier League, just how good are the players that PIF are now looking to target?

Fans will surely be excited by the club’s plans, as per Jones’ claim, and will be looking forward to the summer transfer window as they await the next star to come through the door at St James’ Park.

AND in other news, “I’m told”: Insider reveals deal NUFC are set to complete, supporters will be buzzing…