All posts by h716a5.icu

Already through to the semi-finals, a third win for Pakistan, against Australia, might help India, should they beat West Indies in Johannesburg, to join them in the final four

Osman Samiuddin in Centurion29-Sep-2009Pakistan captain Younis Khan finds himself in a unique position as his men take on Australia tomorrow in Centurion. Already through to the semi-finals, a third win in the group might help India, should they beat West Indies in Johannesburg, to join them in the final four.Though Pakistan will experiment with their line-up against Australia to account for injuries as well as giving their bench strength a run, there will be no let-up in their approach. There is even a part incentive, says Younis, in the hope perhaps of playing against India in the final.”I am just planning about each game as it comes,” Younis said. “I wish for India to play in the final against us but we will not worry about that in our game tomorrow. We’ll be trying our best. My wish is to win against the top teams, like South Africa, Australia and India. There is nothing in my mind about losing to Australia, and whether India will be out. It is only about what I can do for my country.”When Pakistan beat India by 54 runs at Centurion, it was one of the best-attended games in the tournament, in which crowds have generally been poor. The game was sold out two weeks prior to the match being played, prompting Younis to call for more games between the two neighbours.Currently, relations between the two countries have cooled considerably from the mid-2000s, following the Mumbai terror attacks last year. That, in turn, has affected cricketing relations between the two and, until the Centurion game, they had not played each other in an international in over a year.”Who was the biggest winner when we played at Centurion? Cricket. India and Pakistan should play. If we do not play, cricket will not benefit. Players become big names when they perform in these matches. The biggest sold-out crowd here was for that game.”Younis did, however, ask for these games to be treated as normal matches, appealing for calmer reactions from fans on both sides following good or bad results. “We lost to India in the Twenty20 final. Then we beat them the other day, what difference does it make? If we win a final, we’ll be so happy anyways that we won’t care which team we beat. All I say is, keep it normal. Don’t hype us up too much if we beat India, or don’t bring India down so much if they lose. This is not how life should be on winning or losing. Life should go on as normal. If Dhoni loses then don’t get after him or get after us if we lose. Leave sports as sports.”

According to a report by The Telegraph, a fresh twist has emerged in Newcastle United’s pursuit of a new manager – and it involves Frank Lampard.

The Lowdown: Search goes on for Bruce heir…

Following the sacking of former Magpies boss Steve Bruce, the search is set to continue for his ideal successor as PIF deliberate how best to take Newcastle into the new era.

Former AS Roma boss Paulo Fonseca has been tipped as the overwhelming favourite, and reliable reporters like Fabrizio Romano have said that progress is indeed being made in talks.

Other sources suggest that his appointment could even be made ‘official’ soon, although conflicting updates also suggest that the search is far from over.

Sharing another twist in the quest to hire a new Newcastle manager, The Telegraph have some news.

The Latest: Lampard name dropped…

As per reliable Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards, the Saudi Arabians – who have a majority 80% stake in Newcastle through the nation’s Public Investment Fund – are personally weighing up a ‘big name manager’ and ‘like the idea’ of hiring Lampard.

Despite his lack of silverware, with his most recent role at Chelsea proving fruitless, their attraction to Lampard is due to the ‘pulling power’ he could have for players and sponsors.

A Premier League legend, the 43-year-old is also likely to have been spoken to ‘in the last few days’, but the report is quick to stress that this hasn’t yet been confirmed.

The Verdict: Right man?

Thinking from a publicity perspective, the Magpies’ new owners may have a great point when considering Lampard for the role given his profile.

However, a footballing point of view dictates that it is very debatable that the former Derby head coach may be the right man to take Newcastle forward, given his inexperience and lack of trophies.

Given how his tenure finished at Stamford Bridge, with his win percentage only marginally better than Blues flop Andre-Villas Boas, PIF could be best served considering other candidates for the role of Bruce’s successor.

In other news: ‘In the coming week’…PIF could also turn to ‘world class’ boss over Fonseca, he wants Newcastle! Find out more here.

Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the Cobras for not showing enough fight in their final league-stage match against Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Monday

Cricinfo staff22-Oct-2009Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the Cobras for not showing enough fight in their final league-stage match against Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Monday. The match was reduced to a dead rubber with the Cobras already through to the semi-finals, but the South African side failed to chase a modest 115, crumbling to 84.Gavaskar, who is also a television commentator with the host broadcaster ESPN Star, wrote in his syndicated column that the Cobras should have approached the chase more seriously even in a match of no consequence. Only three batsmen crossed double-figures and in addition there were three first-ball ducks.”The Cape Cobras’ attitude to their last game of the Super Eights game was disappointing to say the least. Sure, it was not a great pitch to bat on, but it certainly wasn’t one where a team lost by 30 runs chasing a modest total,” Gavaskar wrote.”The game could have been a lot closer than it was if the Cape Cobras hadn’t given up at the half-way stage. They may be happy that their semi-final is in Hyderabad where they have had such good results, but losing is never easy to recover even if it was dead rubber.”The Cobras will meet the in-form Trinidad & Tobago – unbeaten in the tournament – in the semi-finals on Thursday. The Cobras too were unbeaten till the game against Delhi but Gavaskar warned that the break in momentum could affect their chances of qualifying.”There is nothing like match practice and no amount of net sessions are going to simulate the tensions and the pressures of a real match,” Gavaskar said. “That’s why it is important for the players to feel that tension and see how they react to it both skill-wise and temperament-wise. If the Cobras had fought on and won or even got close to the target, they would have been in an even better frame of mind than they would be now.”Just like winning is a habit so also losing can be contagious and the Cobras will have to lift themselves up considerably to get the better of the Caribbean team.”Gavaskar added that T&T, on the other hand, have set a fine example. “The Trinidad and Tobago guys have been focussed and have fought back from impossible situations to win. They have an array of big hitters who can accelerate the scoring at will and Daren Ganga has used his bowling options shrewdly to maximise their effectiveness.”The winner will meet New South Wales in the final in Hyderabad on Friday.

Taking to Twitter, journalist Rudy Galetti of Sportitalia has just dropped an exciting Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving AC Milan star Franck Kessie.

The Lowdown: Spurs target Kessie deal…

Amid his precarious contract situation at the San Siro, with his current deal set to expire in 2022, Spurs are seemingly among the clubs interested in signing Kessie as a free agent next summer.

Even before the arrival of new manager Antonio Conte in what is a phenomenal appointment, the Lilywhites have been heavily linked with a move for Milan’s midfield enforcer with approaches having already been made.

Calciomercato claimed back in September that Spurs made an offer to Kessie and his entourage of around €8 million-per-season (£6.7m) to try and convince the player.

After Conte’s arrival at N17, reports of Tottenham’s interest have only escalated with La Gazzetta dello Sport (Get Italian Football News) even saying that the club are in very advanced talks over an agreement with the player.

Now, a fellow source from Italy has taken the story one step further in an exciting claim.

The Latest: Galetti makes exciting claim…

Taking to social media, the Sportitalia reporter says that Spurs now have a ‘close agreement’ to sign Kessie.

He also tips a salary of around €10 million-per-season (£8.4m) with a maximum commission for the player’s agent.

The Verdict: Get it done…

We believe the potential signing of Kessie would be Paratici’s biggest masterstroke yet and the ideal first signing of Conte’s era in charge of the club.

An all-round midfield general, the 48-cap international already has plenty of experience on the biggest stages at a fairly young age and landing him for free would be an incredible piece of business.

Bypassing his lofty market valuation, estimated to be around £49.5 million, Kessie’s contract situation at the San Siro could be Tottenham and Conte’s biggest gain.

He would certainly add steel and composure to the Spurs midfield area going by his superior pass success rate compared to every Spurs regular with more than one start.

Kessie has completed a brilliant 90.8% of his passes to teammates so far in Serie A, more than any Lilywhites man who’s played over 90 minutes of football in the Premier League.

He also adds goals – with two in the league already this season and 13 last – and bite in the middle of the park, boasting 1.5 tackles per game this term in the Italian top flight, per Whoscored.

He could be exactly the type of figure Tottenham need as they aim to get back in among the best in Europe.

In other news: £106k/p-w ‘champion’ could now be tempted to join Spurs, Conte ready to take immediately…find out more here.

A round-up of the third day’s action from the fifth round of matches from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Cricinfo staff05-Nov-2009Group APakistan Customs stitched up a comfortable win, their first of the season, over Lahore Shalimar at Muridke. They began the third day with a lead of 181 and could only add a single run to that this morning, but by keeping Lahore Shalimar to 244 they allowed themselves an easy chase. Mohammad Iftikhar, the right-arm medium-pacer, struck twice early and then down the order to apply the pressure and the only batsman to reply was Sohail Idrees. Idrees batted 158 deliveries for an unbeaten 104, which contributed 59% of the total. However, it could ultimately only help set a target of 63, which was knocked off in 7.3 overs despite the loss of the openers.Zarai Tarqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) dominated the first half of the day, thanks to Kashif Daud’s six wickets, but a batting collapse handed the momentum right back to Habib Bank Limited(HBL) at the Marghzar Cricket Ground. From an overnight lead of 122, ZTBL added a further 117 to their score as Daud ran down the order for a career-best 6 for 72. The captain Hasan Raza’s 33 and an unbeaten 36 from Mohammad Aslam at No. 9 could yet prove to be crucial given the situation at stumps. Set a target of 240, ZTBL slipped to 91 for 5 with Sarmad Anwar taking three wickets.In Rawalpindi, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) finished a fine day’s work needing another 70 runs to win with eight wickets in hand. That this was the result was down to their work in the field, when they dismissed Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) for 180 after their own innings came down for 293. No major partnerships were allowed to flourish as four of the five bowlers used restricted KRL. There was just one half-century, from Ali Khan, and despite losing two before stumps, including the opener Naeemuddin for a first-ball duck, SNGPL are in prime position to achieve their fourth win in a row.Sui Southern Gas Corporation (SSGC) didn’t buckle under a weight of runs – not yet, at least – and held out for another day against National Bank of Pakistan in Faisalabad. From an overnight 274 for 2, NBP declared at 441 for 5 with Rashid Riaz (63*), Mansoor Amjad (45) and Qaiser Abbas (38) piling on the misery for SSGC. Trailing by 259, SSGC replied with a steady second innings to ensure NBP will have to work a little harder on the final day. There were no substantial contributions but SSGC reached 143 for 6, leaving NBP four wickets to take for their third win of the season.An interesting tussle between Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) at the Gaddafi Stadium ended with the latter chasing 262 with ten wickets. PIA began the third day with a lead of 55 and extended it to 279 thanks to key roles at the top and down the order. Rafatullah Mohmand (48) and Adil Nisar (61) added 106 for the opening wicket but suffered a wobble after they and Jahangir Mirza (52) fell. However, the last five wickets rallied to add 129 and that set PIA a tough target. In the 2.3 overs left in the day they knocked off 17 of those.Group BYoung fast bowler Mohammad Rameez capped an outstanding match by adding a career-best 8 for 27 to five in the first innings, helping table-toppers Rawalpindi beat Peshawar by 75 runs at the National Ground. Rameez was unstoppable with the new ball and utterly flummoxed Peshawar for a paltry 77. It was a stunning turnaround from Rawalpindi who, after being forced to follow on after making just 81, were carried to 334 thanks to Usman Saeed (79) and Zahid Mansoor (81). The pair rallied the top order confidently and a couple key hands down the order helped set Peshawar a target of 153. They didn’t even get near, with Rameez slicing them apart amazingly. Rawalpindi have won four from four.A tidy outing in the field set up a nine-wicket win for Sialkot over Quetta at the Jinnah Stadium. Kamran Younis carried from an overnight 147 to 182 and the wicketkeeper Ahmed Butt made 94 to help the score to 354 even as Arun Lal took four more to finish with 7 for 87 against a lack of support. Then Quetta folded for 156 in 39 overs to Sialkot’s seam attack, and a target of 16 was easily achieved.Faisalabad, despite making 309, were forced to follow on by Islamabad at the Diamond Club Ground. The pressure of trying to get near Islamabad’s first innings of 485 told as no big stands were formed; the 84 for the second wicket was the best Faisalabad managed. Imran Ali battled with 73 from the top but received little support and Faisalabad needed 52 from Mohammad Salman and an unbeaten 39 from Zulqarnain at No.10 prop up the scorecard. Shehzad Azam (4 for 121) and Nasrullah Khan (3 for 96) shared seven wickets. Following-on, Faisalabad were 0 for no loss at the close.Chasing 316, Multan finished day three on 99 for 3 against Karachi Blues at the National Stadium. Multan only added nine to their first-innings total in the morning, after which Rizwan Haider and Zulfiqar Babar ran through Karachi Blues to dismiss them for 167. The duo struck all down the order and didn’t allow the opposition to dominate; there were no half-centuries while Shahzaib Hasan (42), Asad Shafiq (32) and Tanvir Ahmed (33) were cut off after they got starts. Shahzaid finished with 5 for 74 and Babar 4 for 43. Multan lost a couple wickets early on but were steadied by the No. 3 Rameez Alam’s unbeaten 58.Lahore Ravi replied well to Hyderabad’s 377, thanks to the opener and captain Kashif Siddiq’s 121 at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Siddiq, who resumed on 70, saw his side slipped from 114 for 2 to 149 for 6 but found assistance from the lower order. Waqas Ahmed (33), Mohammad Irshad (65)and Adbul Ghaffar (27*) were superb in getting the score up to 348. In their second innings Hyderabad finished the day on 61 for 3, a lead of 90.

Manchester United have now learned the price of Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, with the January transfer window fast approaching.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet Tuttosport (as relayed by the Daily Mirror), United will need to splash out between €45m and €50m (£38.5m and £42.5m) if they are to land highly-rated 21-year-old.

However, the Red Devils are set to face a battle to secure Tchouameni’s services over the coming months, with Serie A giants Juventus and European champions Chelsea also credited with an interest in his services.

Murtough could end Utd’s midfielder hunt

By sanctioning a move for Tchouameni over the coming months, football director John Murtough could solve United’s defensive midfield woes that have plagued the club over the last few years.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has often opted for a double pivot of Fred and Scott McTominay throughout his two-and-a-half-year reign, but the duo both prefer more advanced roles have been exposed in their makeshift positions on numerous occasions.

As a result, several potential targets have been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but with the likes of Declan Rice and Wilfried Ndidi set to command astronomical fees, Tchouameni has emerged as a viable alternative.

His domineering displays in the centre of the pitch have caught the eye of several impressed onlookers over the last 18 months, with current Monaco teammate Cesc Fabregas amongst his admirers.

“He has the potential to be a complete midfield player,” the former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea maestro wrote on Twitter. And now his compatriot and United star Paul Pogba has also lauded his talents.

“He’s not a boy; he’s a man. It’s a pleasure to play next to him; he provides a lot, plenty of energy, technical quality and extraordinary physicality. I hope to play plenty of games together and always be on his side,” the World Cup winner said.

Tchouameni got the ideal opportunity to show just how effective his partnership with Pogba could be in Manchester after lining up alongside him during France’s National League final victory over Spain back in October.

The duo worked perfectly in tandem with one another throughout the 90 minutes, with the United star enjoying the attacking freedom that his more disciplined and defensive-minded colleague allowed him.

Whether Pogba will be at United next season remains to be seen, but Tchouameni’s mature display was evidence that he has the potential to become the holding midfielder that Solskjaer so desperately craves.

And, in other news…Forget Fred: Man Utd’s “perfect” £22.5m-rated maestro can fill Ole’s huge Pogba void

Dave Currie has assured he has no ill feelings towards Jesse Ryder after the temperamental batsman verbally abused at him in the dressing room after smashing a chair

Cricinfo staff23-Nov-2009New Zealand team manager Dave Currie has assured he has no ill feelings towards Jesse Ryder after the temperamental batsman verbally abused him in the dressing room after smashing a chair during a Champions Trophy match against Sri Lanka in September. New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Justin Vaughan said he was aware of the incident but the offence wasn’t “serious” enough for Ryder to face a stringent penalty.Ryder pulled a left abductor muscle early in his innings but he still managed to smash 74 off 58 balls with the aid of a runner. However, he took his frustrations out by smashing a chair with his bat near the boundary rope and the has reported that when the manager tried to calm him down, Ryder told him to “**** off, you stupid old ****.” Currie copped abuse again when he suggested that Ryder see a doctor. The injury ruled out of the tournament and it could take another month for him to return.Currie said that Ryder’s abuse was more a spur of the moment reaction after getting out. Ryder has had a history of behavioural problems in his short international career and NZC have punished him for his offences, yet kept faith in him.”What do I say? Firstly I’d agree it wasn’t a hanging offence,” Currie said. “Clearly he was a bit grumpy and we felt we had to take some action around that. We have, it’s been dealt with, and we’re looking forward to having him back. You wouldn’t hope to have that behaviour but you accept cricket’s emotional. The other side of the coin is you don’t want bland, unemotional blah … and not be pissed off about getting out either.”Currie added that Ryder had apologised for his actions. “We went through a process, we’re fine,” Currie said. “This stuff happens in teams all the time, emotions can get ahead of yourself. “I like him, he’s a character and teams need characters.”Ryder was fined 15% of his match fee by the ICC match referee for smashing the chair and he was reportedly fined again by NZC but Vaughan said the board decided to deal with it behind closed doors. Ryder escaped a serious reprimand after NZC had given him a stern warning after an incident at a Christchurch bar, where he sustained a hand injury, and Vaughan added that Ryder was too talented a player to be sidelined for too long.”When we said that, it was in relation to a particularly serious incident where he did himself harm by carrying on like an idiot,” Vaughan told the same paper. “Jesse is still a work in progress and we didn’t want to raise the last incident because there seemed no point in publicising that.””Every sporting code has these types of individuals who are enormously talented yet have other issues and we’re still working out how to unlock the key to getting the best out of Jesse Ryder but it’s Jesse who has to understand that more than anyone and figure out the way forward.”We’re going to have to be tough on him. We’ve been caught in the past, and not just with Jesse but with other players, by bringing people back too soon; our team doesn’t need that. When Jesse comes back we need to be absolutely certain he’s fit and ready to go, we’re not going to rush him back just because he’s such a good a player, that’s not the way we want to operate.”NZC has, of late, been dealing with player issues in private. The news of two A team players, Aaron Redmond and Neil Broom breaking a team curfew in Chennai broke out three months after the incident.

Everton have up to three positions in mind as they look to strengthen their squad in the January transfer window, The Liverpool Echo’s Phil Kirkbride reports. 

The lowdown

Everton spent just £1.8million in the summer, the lowest of any club in the Premier League.

They found their hands tied by Financial Fair Play (FFP) obligations.

All that money went on Demarai Gray, while they also brought in Andros Townsend, Salomon Rondon and Asmir Begovic on free transfers.

Gray and Towsend have been hits so far, each recording five goal contributions (via WhoScored).

But Benitez may feel further additions are needed, with his side lingering in the bottom half of the table after dropping 15 points in their first 11 fixtures.

The latest

Chief Everton writer Kirkbride reports that Everton want to add ‘quality’ to their ranks in January and that Rafael Benitez has asked Marcel Brands to seek out ‘suitable loan targets’.

Up to now, discussions have centred on the wide areas and central midfield, but Benitez is also ‘keen to strengthen’ at right-back.

The verdict

This tallies with the Blues’ reported interest in taking Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek on a temporary deal. He’d certainly bring quality, if his performances at Ajax are anything to go by.

It seems that Everton are still limited in the amount they can spend on transfer fees, hence their preference for the loan market. But that doesn’t mean they can’t significantly improve the squad, even if it’s just on a short-term basis.

One right-back who has been mentioned in connection with a switch to Goodison is Lille’s Zeki Celik, who started 28 games in the French outfit’s road to Ligue 1 glory last season, scoring three times. At 24 years of age he seems the perfect understudy for the ageing Seamus Coleman.

In other news, fans were buzzing over this injury update. 

Asad Rauf has gone from TV umpire to on-field official for the second day of the Adelaide Test after Mark Benson was unavailable due to being “unwell”

Alex Brown at Adelaide Oval05-Dec-2009Stats a turnaround
Heartbreaking in Brisbane, record-breaking in Adelaide: the West Indians have been anything but predictable this summer. Following their three-day defeat at the Gabba, only the most optimistic of souls would have predicted them capable of making an impression on the record books at the Adelaide Oval the following week. But consider the following: the 68-run stand between Brendan Nash and the six-swatting Ravi Rampaul set a new tenth-wicket record for West Indies in Tests against Australia. Their eventual team total of 451 marked the first time the West Indians had breached the 450 barrier away from home since the Multan Test of 2006. It was also their highest score against Australia since 1993, when a certain Brian Lara plundered 277.How’s this for openers?
Not to be outdone, the Australians managed a statistical achievement of their own in the lead-up to stumps on day two. Shane Watson and Simon Katich raised their first century stand as openers, taking their overall partnership tally to an impressive 479 runs at 79.83 from seven innings. Watson assumed the role of aggressor, driving and cutting with authority, while Katich was happy to compile at a more measured rate on an Adelaide Oval strip ideal for batting.Shrug of honour
Greg Chappell completed a lap of honour before an appreciative home crowd – and a few preoccupied construction workers – during the tea break. Chappell was greeted enthusiastically as he passed by his eponymous stands to the east, but the applause was somewhat more subdued at the other side of the ground. The entire western section of grandstands has been removed as part of the Adelaide Oval’s A$450m redevelopment, leaving Chappell to shrug and wave to a few hard-hatted workmen as his open-top car passed by what is now a construction site.Trouble and streak
Adelaide Oval security staff were slow out of the blocks when a streaker hurdled the fence and made a beeline for Chris Gayle and Sulieman Benn on Saturday afternoon. The man slowed to a stroll and chatted with the West Indian duo for several seconds before he was whisked away by the fuzz. Gayle and Benn didn’t seem to mind: both were laughing as he was escorted from the playing surface.

Leeds United could make a move for Reading midfielder John Swift in the January transfer window due to Marcelo Bielsa’s affection for the player, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Swift move

The 26-year-old has been a star performer for the Championship side this season, scoring eight goals and chipping in with seven assists in the league.

Swift was linked with a move to Leeds last week, with Bielsa potentially bolstering his midfield options in the process.

Burnley and Wolves were both also believed to be in the mix, though, so acquiring his services may not be easy.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Hay hints at transfer

Replying in the comments section of his article for The Athletic, Hay admitted signing Swift isn’t out of the question:

“I can definitely see the value in signing a centre mid in the window, partly to help this season but partly to create one less job for the summer window (which will be far more active).

“Was interesting to see John Swift linked over the weekend because Swift is someone Bielsa quietly admires.”

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The Verdict: Solid squad addition

There can be a snobbery when it comes to Premier League clubs signing Championship players – some Leeds fans reacted negatively to links with Huddersfield Town’s Lewis O’Brien in the past – but Swift could be a shrewd signing by the Whites.

His goal and assist tally from midfield speaks for itself and Bielsa called him a ‘great player’ last year, with the Leeds boss certainly knowing a thing or two about what makes a footballer special.

His current boss, Veljko Paunovic, has also hailed Swift as ‘fantastic’, and he could provide competition for places in the middle of the park, also acting as long-term signing given he is still only just entering his prime.

In other news, a journalist has provided a key Kalvin Phillips update. Read more here.