All posts by h716a5.icu

South Africa have agreed to play two Tests, in addition to three ODIs, on their tour of India

Cricinfo staff03-Jan-2010India will host South Africa for a full tour, comprising two Tests and three ODIs. Though the dates for the tour, scheduled for early this year, are yet to be finalised, India’s request to play two Tests in what was originally planned as an ODI series has been accepted. Nagpur and the Eden Gardens, which is undergoing renovation for World Cup 2011, have been confirmed as the two Test venues.Kolkata, which will host its first Test since 2007, has had trouble with its floodlights over the last two seasons, the latest incident occurring in the one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka.Kanpur, Jaipur – which had missed out during the Australia series last year – and Ahmedabad have been decided as the three ODI venues.India were propelled to the No.1 position in Tests following their 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka and the prospect of playing just two Tests in the next ten months, as initially scheduled, had raised fears of them being unable to preserve that position. Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa’s chief executive, had said the board would make space for the Tests, as requested by the BCCI, which would lengthen the tour by a week.”They [India] have requested we play two Tests and three ODIs and we are still considering it,” Majola had said. “We still have to consult with the South African Cricketers’ Association, the team management, our playing regulations and fixtures committees, as well as the board. It would extend the tour by another week, but we would like to accommodate them and I don’t foresee a problem with it.”

It’s not often that a teenager has made more senior appearances for his national team than his domestic outfit, but that’s the case of Estonia colossus Maksim Paskotsi at Tottenham Hotspur.

During the international break, the 18-year-old, who turns 19 in January, picked up his tenth and 11th caps for the Blueshirts as they were beaten by world no.1 Belgium and the Czech Republic.

In those matches, he played against some pretty star-studded names, ranging from Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne to other Premier League players like Christian Benteke and Vladimir Coufal.

Paskotsi even displayed impressive versatility in playing as a central defender in a back-three and as a right wing-back – that’s got to please his new Tottenham manager Antonio Conte, who deploys a very similar system.

Only a handful of teenagers in Europe have made more appearances for their country than the Spurs academy prodigy, which is a telling sign that the north Londoners could have a future star on their hands.

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Given the recent injury blow to Cristian Romero and doubts over their current backups, including academy graduate Japhet Tanganga, the teenager could save the club millions in upcoming transfer windows as a potential solution to their mini-crisis.

Paskotski is said to be “one of the most talented players in Estonia”, which perhaps isn’t an impossible task given the pedigree that the nation carries. However, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig, he is comparable to Manchester United beast Raphael Varane in playing style.

His tacking and intercepting, pace, anticipation and aerial ability are all thought to be key strengths, which will only bolster his claims in becoming a first-team regular in years to come, by which stage he will eventually be considered a home-grown talent, too.

The Estonian has also proven to be a goal threat, having bagged five times in 20 appearances for the U18s.

Paskotski could save the club, particularly owners ENIC, plenty of money in the future should Conte decide to utilise him in the coming weeks and months. If he’s lining up against some of the best on the international stage, then it can’t hurt to try him out in the cup competitions, at the very least.

AND in other news, Spurs reportedly make “the biggest offer” to sign £31.5m-rated “animal”…

West Bromwich Albion are currently in a vulnerable position in the Championship table, after being comfortable in the top three for most of the season, they have now dropped to fourth with the potential of falling as far as seventh if they don’t win their game at the weekend.

A number of players have been linked to be signed by the club in the January transfer window, and now another potential signing has been added to the long list of Albion candidates that could save their season.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic reporter, Steve Madeley, West Brom could potentially sign Aston Villa striker, Keinan Davis.

The 23-year-old striker has only started two games for Aston Villa this season and is struggling to get first-team football with the side, which could tempt him into a move to a team where he will get more match time, develop his game and gain more experience.

Madeley was asked in a Q&A which strikers Albion should sign in January, where he revealed he had heard that Keinan Davis could be a potential new addition for the Baggies.

“Honest answer is, I don’t know,” said Madeley, when he was asked about which strikers should sign.

“It’s hard to know who is available, who would be interested in signing and who Albion could afford.

“I’ve heard Keinan Davis at Villa mentioned, and that sounds like a pretty sensible suggestion.”

Will West Brom make the move for Davis?

It’s pretty clear that something needs to change at West Brom, with the attacking and finishing attributes of the team having the most to answer for and there needs to be a focus on getting the Baggies back to winning ways to secure Premier League promotion.

Davis could be the right man for the job if he is up for the difficult challenge of getting the side in a position to be promoted back to the top-flight next season, he’s still young and could really grow into the team with the right guidance and freedom to be creative in attack.

Former Aston Villa teammate, Jack Grealish hailed the £2.7m-rated forward as “unbelievable” when they played together, he said;

“He’s so, so strong. He’s one of the best hold-up players I’ve actually played with and that includes the likes of [Christian] Benteke. He is unbelievable.”

It’s clear to see why too, as the youngster has scored nine times and assisted as many strikes in 35 outings for Aston Villa U23s, proving that with regular minutes under his belt, he can score with great regularity. It’s that kind of goal-scoring prowess that Albion definitely need over the winter.

West Brom have now played almost five hours of football without a goal and have only had 30.3% of their shots on target so far this season, with only five other teams in the league having a lower shot on target percentage. Thus, signing Davis could help to fix that seismic issue.

Valerien Ismael will lead his side out on Saturday afternoon against Coventry City in a must-win game that could be the difference in them being third or seventh by the end of the weekend, depending on the results of those around them.

In other news: Valerien Ismael could be sacked before Christmas

The fast bowler has been named in Australia’s squad for the two remaining ODIs against Pakistan, after being rested for the first three games

Cricinfo staff26-Jan-2010Fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has been named in Australia’s squad for the two remaining ODIs against Pakistan after being rested for the first three games. With the series already wrapped up 3-0, the selectors left out Shane Watson and Doug Bollinger, both of whom have been key members of Australia’s home season, from the 13-man squad.Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of national selection panel, said: “The selectors have taken the opportunity to manage the workload of Shane Watson and Doug Bollinger, who will return home and not be considered for selection in the last two games against Pakistan.”Ryan Harris, who was added as a shadow player for Peter Siddle for the third ODI in Adelaide, was retained in the squad following his Man-of-the-Match winning five-for in the game.Siddle’s health continues to be monitored after he complained of a back problem before the second ODI. “Peter Siddle’s back soreness continues to improve and we will assess him at training on Thursday before a decision is made regarding his availability for Friday’s match in Perth,” Alex Kountouris, the team physio, said. With the series in the bag, Australia have their sights set on a series whitewash when they take on Pakistan in Perth on Friday and Sunday.Squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke (vice-capt), Brad Haddin (wk), Ryan Harris, Nathan Hauritz, James Hopes, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges and Cameron White.

A number of Manchester United supporters are pleased after Dean Henderson was linked with a loan move to Eredivisie giants Ajax in January.

A new era has got underway at Old Trafford, with Ralf Rangnick winning his first game in charge against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

With a winnable run of fixtures coming up, there is a feeling that United could build some momentum and get themselves back in the Premier League top four.

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One player who hasn’t featured much at all this season is Henderson, with the goalkeeper finding himself behind David De Gea in the pecking order and making just one solitary Carabao Cup appearance.

According to Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst on Twitter, the Englishman could move to Ajax on loan next month in order to enjoy more playing time.

Man United fans react to Henderson rumour

These United fans have been reacting positively to the rumour on Twitter.

“This would be class for Deano, he needs it”

Credit: @MufcKeaneo

“Would be very good for him”

Credit: @Fergie1boy

“This is perfect for him”

Credit: @ezxreal_

“Will be a good move for him imo”

Credit: @UtdSwizz

“Then we can get Ten Hag next year”

Credit: @Abhishek_Utd31

“YESSSSS! Very good for his development. Just on loan please. He can definitely at some point become the United number 1.”

Credit: @nerdz_am

In other news, one United player could reportedly remain at Old Trafford. Find out who it is here.

A round-up of the action from the seventh day of matches in the 2009-10 Vijay Hazare Trophy

Cricinfo staff18-Feb-2010East ZoneOrissa maintained their perfect record in the tournament, beating Bengal by six wickets at the Barabati Stadium. Bengal would have fancied their chances after getting to 283 batting first, but Paresh Patel’s sparkling unbeaten century during the reply ensured victory with 10 balls to spare. While opener Sudip Chatterjee laid a solid platform during the Bengal innings with 53, Manoj Tiwary top scored with a quick 86. A 102-opening stand between Patel and Natraj Behera (55) ensured Orissa were on top from the start of the reply. Two half-century partnerships from there on had the hosts in the driver’s seat as Patel finished on 123 off 129 balls, hitting 10 fours and three sixes en route.Bengal’s hopes in the tournament hinged on the result at the Ravenshaw College Ground but even as Tripura beat whipping boys Assam by seven wickets, the net run-rate of +0.185 was not enough for them. A disciplined bowling effort from Tripura first up restricted the opposition to 172. Nishit Shetty then starred with a 92-ball 81 during the chase, and had able support from Bappa Das (47) during their third-wicket partnership of 115. Shetty remained unbeaten as Tripura sealed the win in the 38th over.North ZoneHaryana stormed to the top of the points table with a 208-run demolition of Jammu & Kashmir at the Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium in Rohtak. Twin centuries from opener Rahul Dewan and wicketkeeper Nitin Saini were the high points of Haryana’s innings after they chose to bat. While Dewan smashed 10 fours and two sixes during his 140-ball 131, Saini’s 109 comprised nine fours and a six. J&K were never in the hunt chasing down the imposing 313, and lost wickets cheaply. Three double-digit scores summed up their plight and they were put out of their misery in the 36th over, making them the worst-placed bottom team across all zones with -3 from five losses.Punjab were made to sweat by Himachal Pradesh in a high-scoring thriller at the Shah Satnam Ji Stadium in Sirsa. With both teams in with a chance to qualify for the next stage, Punjab made a rousing start by piling up 344 for 8. The opening partnership between captain Karan Goel (72) and Ravi Inder Singh (92) set the tone and MS Gony’s late cameo added to the run-feast. Hemant Dogra’s 50 meant HP made a bright start to the reply, and captain Paras Dogra took up the reins with a breezy 109, including three fours and eight sixes. No. 8 Rishi Dhawan’s contribution of 31 came off 18 balls, but with his departure, HP needed 11 off seven balls. However, the task proved too tough for the last-wicket pair Sarandeep Singh and Jitender Mehta, with the former being run out off the last ball.With an aim to qualify for the next stage, Delhi put in strong display to beat Services by 113 runs at the Tata Energy Research Institute Oval in Gurgaon. Mithun Manhas’ classy 148 made all the difference after Delhi chose to bat. He struck 10 fours and a six during his 154-ball innings and was partnered well during a 133-run third-wicket stand by Rajat Bhatia (56). Right-arm fast bowler Shadab Nazar’s five-for made little difference as Delhi managed 311 for 6.What Services lacked during the reply was a sizeable contribution from one of the batsmen. A string of forties was not enough as right-arm seamer Parvesh Chikara helped himself to four wickets. Services succumbed in the 48th over to hand Delhi five crucial points.

Fresh from a thumping 5-0 win over Morecambe on Tuesday, Sunderland welcome Plymouth Argyle to the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon looking to extend their unbeaten run in League One to six matches.

The Black Cats are just two points off of the League One automatic promotion places in fourth, albeit that Wigan have a game in hand, and a victory over Argyle could see Lee Johnson’s side climb into the top two.

On the chalkboard

Just a matter of days on since the thrashing of Morecambe, Johnson will be craving a performance of similar magnitude today against a side one place below and two points behind the Black Cats. Argyle will also be under new management in Steven Schumacher after Ryan Lowe departed for Preston North End in the week.

The Wearside club have an array of youngsters amongst their ranks this season, but one who has particularly stood out of late is Nathan Broadhead.

The striker netted a brace against the Shrimps on Tuesday having scored his first league goal for the club two weeks ago away at Cambridge United. As well as the goals against Morecambe, the Everton loanee scored with 67% of his shots, as well as completing 75% of his passes and making 41 touches. Simply put, he was excellent.

It’s no secret that the start of the campaign didn’t go to plan for the 23-year-old, who has been limited to just ten league appearances so far this season. Five of those have come in the last five games, highlighting his rising value within Johnson’s squad.

The Black Cats manager labelled the Welshman “flexible”, as well as stating that “he’s a really good finisher”.

Despite being a centre-forward, Broadhead was deployed on the left-hand side of a front three in a 3-4-3 formation on Tuesday, which could be the 23-year-old’s pathway into a regular starting spot.

Ross Stewart is currently the club’s top scorer with 11 goals in 20 league appearances this term, suggesting that the flexibility highlighted by Johnson will be a crucial trait if the Everton loanee is to put together a run of games.

We published a piece on this site in recent days staking the case for Leon Dajaku to also start against Argyle, yet the biggest threat from the left flank could come from Broadhead.

With a hectic run of fixtures coming up for the Black Cats which will be crucial for their promotion push, the 23-year-old could be a crucial asset and should be relied upon to build on his recent goalscoring form.

In other news – Big relief: Sunderland handed major injury boost which will surely have Johnson buzzing

Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah counterattacked admirably, and the latter completed his maiden Test ton, to take Bangladesh past the follow-on mark on the third day in Hamilton

The Bulletin by Andrew Fernando17-Feb-2010Stumps
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outMahmudullah played well for his maiden ton and took Bangladesh past the follow-on mark in Hamilton•Getty ImagesA rousing seventh wicket stand between Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah rescued Bangladesh from the follow-on the third day at Seddon Park. New Zealand batted for five overs before bad light intervened, but lost the wicket of BJ Watling, to finish 154 ahead at stumps.Shakib and Mahmudullah combined with Bangladesh reeling at 196 for 6, and added a stroke-filled 145, in the process setting a new Bangladesh record for the seventh wicket, to propel the score past 400.Earlier in the day, the New Zealand seamers, supported by the ever-threatening Daniel Vettori had run rampant, demolishing the touring top order by picking up five wickets for 127 runs in the first session. Chris Martin and Tim Southee set the tone early, bowling a niggardly line and length to induce fatal errors from the overnight pair. Tamim Iqbal’s innings retained little of the breathtaking panache from the previous evening, and he was out to a Southee delivery that was not short enough to pull. The remainder of the Bangladesh top order crumbled spinelessly under the relentless pressure, and things looked bleak going in to lunch at 211 for 6.The New Zealand captain had the cushion of runs to play with, and it showed. The slip cordon was jam-packed for the seamers all morning, and a veritable swarm of close-in catchers encircled the Bangladesh batsmen while the spinners were in operation. The familiar Bangladesh collapse that ensued suggested that the match was heading to yet another embarrassing defeat for the tourists, but Shakib and Mahmudullah were on hand to arrest the slide and save face for Bangladesh.Both batsmen were circumspect at the start of their partnership, seeing off testing spells from Chris Martin and Daryl Tuffey, before being spurred into action by the introduction of spin from both ends. Using their feet to negate the gentle turn on offer, the pair flayed the slow bowlers to all corners in the afternoon session. A series of powerful drives was punctuated with lovely instances of deft touch, Shakib in particular using the lap-sweep and the scoop shot productively. Jeetan Patel was the primary victim of the duo’s assault, ending wicketless in the innings after having conceded 53 runs in 10 overs.Chris Martin broke the resistance soon after tea with the second new ball, though replays showed that Shakib’s under-edge bounced well short of Brendon McCullum, who claimed the catch instantly. It was an unfortunate end to a special innings from Shakib, who had overseen Bangladesh’s rescue-operation only to fall in sight of a well deserved maiden ton. Mahmudullah however, was not to be denied and, reached the landmark soon after Shakib’s departure with a boundary to square leg. He was eventually trapped in front by Daniel Vettori for a fantastic 115, while the rest of the tail perished around him. Bangladesh were all out for 408, their sixth highest total in Test matches, but still 145 runs adrift of New Zealand’s first innings score.The New Zealanders then batted out five overs of spirited bowling from the Bangladesh seamers, who created enough pressure to have BJ Watling brilliantly run out by Shakib for 1. The hosts are still well in control of the test match, ending the day effectively at 154 for 1, but Bangladesh showed encouraging signs of fight, and will hope for early wickets tomorrow if they are to challenge a New Zealand, who will hope they have seen the best that their opponents have to offer.

A number of Liverpool supporters are delighted after new photos showing Harvey Elliott recovering from his serious injury emerged.

The Reds have had to make do without the talented 18-year-old since the middle of September after he suffered a broken ankle away to Leeds United.

It was a cruel blow for Elliott, who had made a hugely promising start to the season, making three Premier League starts in the early weeks of the campaign.

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The midfielder has been making admirable progress in his recovery, however, and it now looks as though he could even feature as soon as next month.

On Monday, Liverpool’s official Twitter account posted photos of Elliott in action on the training pitch, suggesting his recovery is going swimmingly, as he is even working with a ball already.

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Liverpool fans love Elliott images

These Reds fans took to Twitter to provide their reactions to the images, showing their delight in the process.

“Yeah boiiiiiiiii”

Credit: @LilLoubieLou

“Great to see”

Credit: @Ricky_Gr8ness

“Inter are not ready for the Salah, Trent, Elliott link up triangle”

Credit: @fishtoes22

“Things you love to see in your timeline”

Credit: @lubomerkov

“What a sight”

Credit: @lfc_ali21

“Harvey Elliott will save our season during AFCON”

Credit: @NoSwearingHere7

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has given an update on a possible Liverpool transfer. Read more here.

Tuesday’s game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore was a template of how, finally, the Indian cricket fan’s experience could match up to the best.

George Binoy at the Chinnaswamy Stadium16-Mar-2010Spectators in India, for too long, have had to tolerate sub-standard conditions•Getty ImagesA smooth entry: “Quite long queues, don’t wait too long [to leave for the stadium]” warned a colleague already at the Chinnaswamy. Entering a stadium in India can be an unforgettably unpleasant experience because of aforementioned queues, bottleneck entry points and the slow processing of tickets and security checks by officious policemen.The security was tight today but unobtrusive – spectators got in quickly, past the impressive electronic turnstiles, were frisked smoothly and reached their seats without constantly thinking it would have been easier to watch the game on television. All along the way there were enough volunteers to help with directions and in easing the rush.Don’t bring your own, we’ll give you some: The list of items spectators are forbidden to bring with them is long and all encompassing. You wouldn’t get in with a large flag, or something to create a din with. But the organisers were handing it all out. ‘Cheer kits’, Royal Challenger flags, inflatable noisemakers and more. The props were everywhere and the fans used them. The result was a sea of waving flags and an awful din.F&B: The last time around, even expensive seats at IPL games witnessed an unseemly rush for food, a shortage of water and fights at the wine and beer counters. There’s no liquor on sale this time but plenty of food and beverages – even pizzas delivered to your seat, fairly warm and tempting – and, crucially, lots of free bottled water. That may seem trivial to cricket fans elsewhere but a huge step up from the regular in-stadia food and drink in India.Play the funky music : A clever compere knows how to work the crowd, and picks the right moments to rouse them. Today’s DJ had his moments. In the ninth over Anil Kumble stopped two powerful drives from Ravi Bopara off his own bowling. The second one hurt him and he walked away, calling for the physio to come and attend to his hand. The compere urged the crowd to get behind their captain, beginning the chant of “Jumbo, Jumbo”. It caught on quickly and soon “R-C-B, R-C-B” became the rallying call as Punjab’s openers forged a threatening partnership.He then played his music – theme songs for both Bangalore and Punjab – and repeatedly urged the crowd to cheer whenever the cricket stopped: in between balls, between overs, during time-outs. It was incessant and an assault on the senses of the more sedate cricket fan who’d also want to pay attention to field placements, bowling changes and other minutiae. But if the proof of the pudding is in the eating, there was dancing in the aisles, on chairs, and on some walls too.The local connection: Pick your players with care. Bangalore have made a concerted effort to build domestic talent within their team. They bought Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa, Karnataka players who were Mumbai Indians in 2008, and when they batted today, the crowd responded magnificently.Admittedly they didn’t have much to cheer for while Punjab were stacking up 203, but there was a terrific atmosphere when Pandey began to tee off. The noise built to a crescendo when Uthappa, at No. 3, overtook Kallis during a game-changing half-century. He felt it too. “It’s a great feeling when you get that sort of backing in front of your home crowd,” Uthappa said. “I feel very much an integral part of the side now [after shifting from Mumbai].”It’s not just television: The IPL’s big bucks come from selling television rights. Ticket sales make up only a tiny percentage of the revenue. However, to achieve their goal of building a fan base for each of franchises, and filling stadiums, the organisers would do well to follow Bangalore’s example. Kolkata already had a faithful following. Not all of the others do.Location, location, location: The modern trend of building stadiums in the middle of nowhere, as in Nagpur and Hyderabad, has its advantages but the Chinnaswamy’s location in the heart of Bangalore puts it right at the top of the pile. Where else in India can you come out of a cricket ground and, within a five-minute walk, be in the city centre? Where else, indeed, is the weather pleasant enough to walk around the square mile of pubs and restaurants?The complaints: It’d also be nice if none of the seats were broken, especially if the ticket costs Rs. 2750.