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There is a possibility Andrew Flintoff may not play for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2009 season of the IPL

Cricinfo staff22-Feb-2009
Andrew Flintoff is currently suffering from a hip injury © AFP
There is a possibility Andrew Flintoff may not play for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2009 season of the IPL if it will endanger his chances of turning out for England during the summer. ECB chief executive David Collier said the board would be “concerned if any player was carrying an injury that may affect his participation in the Ashes series”.”There are medical clauses. The IPL are very responsible in that area and we have very, very strong relationships with Chennai,” Collier said. “Andrew’s own team will also be looking at the injury prognosis. We would need to review it, obviously this has only just happened. But there are injury provisions in both sides of the contracts.”Flintoff, who was bought for a record $1.55 million by the Chennai Super Kings at the IPL auction, is currently suffering from a hip injury and is set to miss England’s fourth Test against West Indies beginning in Barbados on February 26. His progress is being monitored in the hope that he will be fit for the final Test in Trinidad, which starts on March 6, and the five ODIs that follow.England’s tour of West Indies ends on April 3 and Flintoff will be available to play in the IPL, which begins on April 10, for three weeks before the home series against West Indies from May 6. That series is followed by the World Twenty20 in England and the Ashes.

Many Everton fans have been left reacting to some transfer news on Kyle Walker-Peters.

As per a report from earlier on in the week by The Daily Telegraph, which has since been shared by Mike McGrath on his Twitter page, the Goodison Park faithful made an enquiry to try and sign the Southampton ace in the final days of the summer window, but they did not entertain any deal.

Walker-Peters has plenty of experience of playing in the Premier League for both Tottenham Hotspur in addition to the Saints (Transfermarkt), and has recently shown that he can fill in at left-back as well as on the right.

However, one could question whether he is an upgrade on Seamus Coleman, who got more assists than him in the Premier League in the 2020/21 season, while also averaging more key passes, crosses and long balls per game (Whoscored).

Everton fans on Walker-Peters enquiry

These supporters of the Merseyside club gave some fairly mixed reactions as the news was shared on Twitter, with one Toffee even going as far as to claim that Walker-Peters is an ‘excellent’ player:

“Think Walker-Peters is a decent player tbf but now it’s about keeping an eye on a number of RB options we could possibly have in the future”

Credit: @AidyDews

“I think he did well personally. They have to sort that in January”

Credit: @MatthewKneale1

“Shame. Walker-Peters is an excellent player.”

Credit: @the_staveros

“Thank god for that”

Credit: @GraemeMcV

“Someone tell Marcel Brands that players exist outside of England”

Credit: @efcdoyley

“We should’ve got the right-back KWP was replaced by but that’s too clever for Everton”

Credit: @james_gavo3

In other news, find out what transfer revelation has Blues fuming here!

Flocking to Twitter, many Rangers fans were left unimpressed with the performance of defender Filip Helander during their encounter with St. Johnstone in the Premiership this afternoon.

Steven Gerrard’s men are now sitting top of the table, aiming to defend their Scottish title after regaining domestic dominance from bitter rivals Celtic last season.

It was Rangers’ first league crown in ten years with the Ibrox giants now looking to stay on top north of the border, something which will require real consistency from the Light Blues, particularly in defence.

Their Old Firm rivals made a plethora of transfers in the summer and appear to mean business, even despite their own sub-par start to the 2021/2022 campaign.

The Teddy Bears are also looking around at both capital sides Hearts and Hibernian who have enjoyed an electric start, something which can’t be said for defender Helander today.

The 28-year-old, who started the early kick off encounter at McDiarmid Park, was at the mercy of fans who weren’t particularly pleased with his outing – with the Swede earning the lowest match rating on SofaScore of any outfield Gers player.

To make matters worse, his display ended with a worrying-looking injury.

Find all of their verdicts on the player down below.

Rangers fans slam Helander

“Poor from Helander there”

Credit: @mikeyrfc16

“Embarrassing from Helander”

Credit: @Temporalcoldwar

“Not even the slightest bit surprised, Helander turned inside out yet again Another pathetic performance”

Credit: @MidfieldJack

“Helander got turned inside out. This belief he is our second best CB id baffling”

Credit: @GP_Byrne

“Helander would give Shane Duffy a run for his money there man shambles”

Credit: @LeeSWillams1

“Helander – come oan man!”

Credit: @telavivrangers

In other news: ‘Brilliant’, ‘Always liked the SNP’…Many Gers fans thrilled by big pre-Lyon news, find out more here.

Kenya begin their campaign for a 2011 World Cup berth in the upcoming ICC World Qualifiers to be held in South Africa. They have been a fixture in each of the World Cups since 1996, and their captain Steve Tikolo is keen to seal a place in the tournament

Cricinfo staff24-Mar-2009Kenya have been a fixture in World Cups since 1996 and are looking to make sure of a 2011 berth with a top-four finish in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers that begin next week in South Africa. Their captain Steve Tikolo said the World Cup “means a lot to us”. “This is a World Cup Qualifier so we need to do very well to be among the four teams to qualify so the guys are looking forward to it… Qualifying for the World Cup still means so much to me and it is vital for Kenyan cricket that we get there,” he said.Kenya first hit the headlines, beating West Indies in Pune in the 1996 World Cup. They had an impressive run in 2003 in South Africa, reaching the semi-finals after beating Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. However, they have since failed to meet expectations. Kenya emerged victors in Division 1 of the World Cricket League and have picked a young team including players such as Elijah Asoyo, Rakep Patel and Seren Waters. The one notable omission from their squad is veteran allrounder Tony Suji.”We certainly have some good players coming through so that is encouraging. We have a good mix between the young guys and those of us who have been around a while,” Tikolo said. “We have prepared well. We have been to South Africa for a number of games so I would say we are confident.”Kenya are tipped as one of the favourites to qualify – the top four teams win a place in the next World Cup – but Tikolo was wary of complacency.”But it’s important for us to remember that being the strongest or one of the strongest teams in the competition doesn’t count for anything if you don’t perform on the particular day. I wouldn’t say we’ll go there thinking we are the top side and that we’re going to walk all over the other teams but I can confidently say we have prepared well.”

Fabrizio Romano has revealed what he’s heard about next season’s transfer plans from Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension Fabio Paratici.

The Lowdown: Five in for Nuno era

With the last transfer window closing over a fortnight ago, Spurs have started the Nuno Espirito Santo regime with nine points from a possible 12 and five incomings as they look to return to the top six of the Premier League.

Bryan Gil, Pape Matar Sarr (loaned back), Emerson Royal, Cristian Romero and Pierluigi Gollini all arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, totalling 615 minutes of football between so far this season.

But with the future of Harry Kane unclear in the next year or two, news has emerged about Spurs’ striker hunt next season.

The Latest: Paratici moving swiftly

Speaking on his ‘Here We Go’podvast, [via The Spurs Express], Romano has revealed that Spurs are ‘already looking at potential strikers for summer 2022’.

The club didn’t bring another striker in during the previous transfer window and have Kane as the only out-and-out forward at the club, with teenager Dane Scarlett a constant figure on the substitution list.

Carlos Vinicius was at the club on loan from Benfica last season and struggled to impress with one Premier League goal in only nine appearances.

The Verdict: Needs to happen

Watching Tottenham’s performance at Crystal Palace on Saturday all but proved their desperation for another forward. With Kane sincerely struggling against a resolute Palace defence, he failed to touch the ball inside the Eagles’ box and there was no plan B to help him out.

Another striker at the N17 club provides a different outlet of attack for Nuno’s side and provides extra competition for Kane.

Heung-Min Son is capable of putting in a shift down the middle, but his best position is down the left and they miss his presence whenever he is played as a striker.

Fabio Paratici’s successful start to his time at Spurs will be blighted if he cannot secure an able deputy or even future replacement for Kane, so it is great to hear he is already plotting for next summer.

In other Tottenham news, a Serie A striker remains on Spurs wishlist for next summer. Find out more here.

Allan Donald, the Warwickshire bowling coach and former South Africa fast bowler, has tipped 20-year-old seamer Chris Woakes to make the England national team

Cricinfo staff14-Apr-2009Allan Donald, the Warwickshire bowling coach and former South Africa fast bowler, has tipped 20-year-old seamer Chris Woakes to make the England national team in the future.Woakes was picked in England’s 30-man preliminary squad for the World Twenty20 in June after a successful first full season in 2008. His 42 wickets at 20.57 apiece were pivotal to Warwickshire gaining promotion from Division Two. “There is no question that he will play for England at some stage,” Donald said. “When that is, I don’t know.”Donald said he was keen to see how Woakes responded to two new challenges this season: playing against opposition of a higher calibre in the first division, and dealing with the extra pressure after being named in the provisional squad.”There is always that ‘second-season syndrome’ and now all of a sudden it’s not Division Two, it’s Division One. There are some quality teams with some quality cricketers out there.”Woakes’ first match of the season was when he turned out for MCC against Durham, and his next game will be the Championship game against Somerset in Taunton starting Wednesday.”Our first game is against a serious team with quality players like Justin Langer and Marcus Trescothick. No doubt they will take the test to him but my job is to look after him mentally and make sure he doesn’t stray off the right road.”As a young cricketer your name gets thrown about in the press and that will happen even more now he is in the 30-man England squad. It will be interesting to see how he handles it now his name is out there and England colours are beckoning.”

Glasgow Rangers have now been backed to lose Glen Kamara by Frank McAvennie, despite him signing a new deal at Ibrox.

The Lowdown: Kamara deal

Steven Gerrard’s team confirmed on Wednesday that Kamara has signed a new contract, keeping him with the Light Blues until 2025.

However, sources from Ibrox have told Football Insider that the Gers have protected the value of the central midfield player with the new deal, but there is an agreement in place that he will be allowed to leave at a certain price.

The Latest: McAvennie on Kamara

Speaking to Football Insider, former Scottish Premiership striker now pundit McAvennie has now claimed that Kamara will still go in next summer’s transfer window despite his new contract:

“All this means is whoever buys him has to pay more money.

“That’s all it means. It makes no difference to whether he will stay or go. I’m sure he will go, maybe not in the winter, next summer.

“Rangers have done well to tie him down and Kamara is a class act for letting them do that.

“But in Scottish football, if the right money comes in, the player will go. Nothing has changed.

“Unfortunately that’s the way. Kamara is one of the better players and the Rangers fans will be delighted.

“He doesn’t do much wrong, the boy. It’s a great move by the club but it makes no difference to whether he stays or goes.”

The Verdict: Inevitable

Unfortunately for RFC fans, it is inevitable that Kamara will go eventually, especially if a club from the Premier League come calling.

Football Insider reported earlier this month that Arsenal made a move to try and re-sign him during the summer, and a number of other sides in the English top flight were interested in his signature.

At 25 years of age, Kamara does not have many big moves left in his career, and the chance to play in the Premier League may be too tempting to turn down.

Nonetheless, Rangers must keep hold of him for as long as they possibly can, and when the time comes, the new deal means that they can demand a reasonable transfer fee.

In other news, find out what potential blow an injury expert has dealt to Rangers here!

For Graham Onions it was one of those moments when he didn’t mind being woken up by a phone call

Andrew McGlashan29-Apr-2009For Graham Onions it was one of those moments when he didn’t mind being woken up by a phone call. Geoff Miller, the national selector, was on the other end of the line and Onions was soon wide-awake to the news that he was in England’s squad to face West Indies next week.”It’s absolutely brilliant. I got a phone call at 7.30 this morning from Mr Miller,” an ecstatic Onions told Cricinfo. “It was a great feeling to wake up and get that call.”For all his personal joy, it was a morning of contrasting emotions for Durham’s quick bowlers. In another room of the team hotel in Taunton, where they are based while playing Somerset in the County Championship, Onions’ team-mate Steve Harmison also received news from Miller. For him, however, it was a much more galling experience as his international career was again put on hold.Onions was left in the difficult position of feeling understandable disappointment for his team-mate, who he said offers him regular advice, but realising that Harmison’s omission effectively created him his chance.”Steve has been great. He’s been through some really good times and through some tough times,” he said. “He’s a great person to have in the team and to bowl alongside. I think he will be a loss to England, but it gives me the opportunity to push my name forward and hopefully I will get the nod in the first Test. I’ve not really spoken to Steve much this morning, but I’m sure he will give a little more help and wish me all the best.”Onions’ call-up marks quite a turnaround for someone who had an injury-hit 2008 as Durham claimed their maiden Championship title. He played just five matches in the campaign and even when he was fit again struggled to get back among the team’s strong pace pack. “When I got injured, I couldn’t get back in the team so that shows how strong the Durham squad is,” he said. “I’m just lucky at the moment that I’ve been in the team and done quite while.”For a player in early season it’s all about making sure you perform when the right people are watching. Onions picked his moment perfectly when he took 5 for 56 against Yorkshire – including the wicket of Michael Vaughan – last week in front of James Whitaker, one of Miller’s co-selectors, and he said it was a relief to realise he was still firmly in the selectors’ thoughts.”It was nice to think I was still in their minds even though I wasn’t involved in the winter squads or last summer,” Onions said. “When you aren’t involved you always think that maybe your chance has gone, but I knew I’d bowled well last week in front of James Whitaker and I was in the right frame of mind after good preparation for the summer.”Onions was first picked by England in 2006 when he was named in the one-day squad that was taking on Pakistan. He admits at the time to being extremely raw, but feels he is now much better equipped to deal with the demands of international cricket.”When I first got called into the one-day squad I think I was renowned as someone a little bit hot-headed who could only bowl quick,” he said. “The good thing is I’ve not lost any of that pace, which is great, but I’ve become a lot more controlled and know what I’m doing with the ball.”I can bowl a bouncer or a yorker whenever I want and I feel my skills have improved ten times and on the mental side I’m much better. When things get tough I can go to different plans. It’s a hugely exciting time for me now and I just can’t wait to get going.”

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered an update on Marcelo Bielsa’s former assistant Diego Flores, and even gave his verdict on whether he could eventually replace the Leeds United boss.

What’s the story?

Writing on Twitter, he said: “Diego Flores made a very quiet exit from Leeds United last year, deciding he was ready for a rest. He’s now taken up his first manager’s job (at Godoy Cruz) and between intense running, ruthless subs and a quick impact, it looks like he’s a chip off the old block.”

And then, in a follow-up article for The Athletic, Hay added: “Marcelo Bielsa’s staff were ecstatic about escaping from the Championship and nobody doubted Flores’ part in it. He was an assistant and colleague on whom Bielsa had leaned in more ways than one during the previous two years. Flores, from Cordoba in Argentina, was a sharp analyst with a growing interest in day-to-day coaching. Bielsa trusted him and used him briefly as his media interpreter, taking Flores with him to football seminars in the Americas.

“Bielsa lost him with reluctance because Flores was dependable and blessed with the analytical nous Bielsa valued but the demands at Leeds were heavy — long hours, few days off — and the now-40-year-old wanted space to draw breath. At Leeds, Flores was regarded as a bright and intelligent member of Bielsa’s inner circle, multi-lingual and compliant.”

Could he be a Bielsa successor?

Given everything Bielsa has done and achieved in his spell as Leeds United boss, it’s become almost unimaginable to think of a future without the charismatic Argentine sitting on his haunches in the dugout at Elland Road, barking out instructions and cutting an animated figure.

Bielsa has very much become part of the furniture in Yorkshire, and the Whites’ current Premier League status is more down to him than anyone else.

When the time does come when Bielsa decides to call it quits, then Andrea Radrizzani and co will have a sizeable task on their hands. If they opt to replace him with someone who could try and continue Bielsa-ball, then Flores may well be that man.

And, after a question from a fan about whether Flores could be seen as a potential successor to Bielsa, Hay responded: “Unless his impact is incredible in Argentina, I think the Leeds job would come too early for Flores to be seriously considered. I might be wrong but he’s at the very start of his managerial career. Early days for him. I know what you mean about the transition from Bielsa – a prospect that everyone will be anxious about when the time comes.”

As Hay says, it’s early days, but given how much of a trusted figure he was of Bielsa’s, and the fact he appears to be “a chip off the old block”, it could well turn out to be an inspiring appointment.

Whatever the case, Hay’s verdict is sure to leave fans intrigued about whether Flores could make a return to Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Leeds are still tracking this star…

Justin Kemp has become eligible to participate in official cricket after terminating his contract with the ICL

Cricinfo staff02-Jun-2009Justin Kemp, the South Africa allrounder, has become eligible to participate in official cricket after terminating his contract with the ICL. Cricket South Africa (CSA) CEO, Gerald Majola, said Kemp – who represented Hyderabad Heroes – complied with the amnesty offer by the board, where the players associated with the unauthorised league were given till May 31 to end their contracts.”Justin Kemp is the first ICL player to meet these conditions and he is now eligible to play South African franchise cricket after the six-month cooling off period,” Majola said. “We are very happy to welcome Justin back into the fold, and wish him all the best for the future”.Kemp last played in the ICL in November 2008, and will be available for selection when the South African cricketing season begins in September this year.Kemp’s decision comes after CSA unveiled an amnesty offer for ICL players in May, after the BCCI had started the trend, offering its players a chance to return to the official fold on April 29.Other South African players who had joined the ICL include Nicky Boje, Dale Benkenstein, Andrew Hall and Johan van der Wath.Meanwhile, senior England officials have confirmed the vast majority of the nation’s ICL-contracted players have severed ties with the unsanctioned league. Sean Morris, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, told the “pretty much everyone has cut links with the ICL,” while Giles Clarke, the ECB’s chairman, predicted the demise of the tournament could bolster the county game.”If ICL is shown to be at an end then this is good news for international cricket,” Clarke told the . “I have been vehemently against unauthorised cricket from the outset. It causes great problems for the game. The collapse of ICL might well increase the number of international players available for English counties”