All posts by h716a5.icu

Though Kumar Sangakkara tried to put on a brave face by speaking of trying to find the find the right combination, Punjab’s downward spiral will only continue unless Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan get their act together

Jamie Alter in Mohali27-Mar-2010This sluggish, lopsided and almost painful to watch Twenty20 affair was summed up in two overs, the last of Kolkata Knight Riders’ innings, which transformed the game, and the sixth of Kings XI Punjab’s reply.Punjab began that fateful final over well, conceding a single and picking a wicket, but Irfan Pathan bled runs off the remaining balls. Later in the night, having just taken Ajit Agarkar – in his come-back over – for four and six in two deliveries to get the asking-rate under control, Yuvraj Singh failed to curb his enthusiasm and slogged one high into the sky. When it finally came down, it landed in the outstretched hands of an athletic Manoj Tiwary, who covered ground and never lost sight of the ball to pull off a cracker. Those two overs summed up Punjab’s plight this season and will no doubt return to haunt them if their campaign continues to remain so woefully inept. Their two most experienced Indian players just haven’t hit a rhythm with their primary tasks.A total of 162 for 4 from 19 overs was decent, but it wasn’t daunting. Then Tiwary larruped Irfan’s last four deliveries for 20 runs and lifted the run-rate by nearly one an over. With the batsmen ready to swing at whatever came their way, spin was not an option for Kumar Sangakkara, but was Irfan the right man for the job? His three overs had cost 21 runs for one wicket, and Shalabh Srivastava, who had 2 for 23 from three overs, was the alternative. As it transpired, Sangakkara’s decision proved unsuccessful, but he should have seen what was coming.Irfan came into this match with a bowling average of 47.66 and an economy rate of 8.66. He had taken three wickets in five games. A vital player for Punjab, given his all-round ability, he had been floundering in his main occupation. Given his descent as a bowler in the last few years, his lack of penetration must have come as no surprise. Irfan was once again the trundler that fans have now grown accustomed to. There was no pace and Tiwary slapped the short ball for a flat six; a full and wide delivery was drilled past cover; an even fuller ball disappeared back over Irfan’s head for a maximum; the last one was so predictable that Tiwary was already hanging on the back foot to get four more.An innings that had begun in rampant fashion with Brett Lee being flayed for 19 runs ended on a similar note. Irfan’s body language said it all as he walked off the field. He had again failed to deliver as a bowler. Like Yuvraj with the bat this season, Irfan’s failure as a bowler capable of striking with the new ball and at the death has really hurt this team. Unlike in Test cricket, where you can have a poor session, or 50-over cricket, where you can go for a few runs in the Powerplays before staging a comeback, Twenty20 is merciless. A couple of bad overs and the game slides out of reach. Irfan had four bad deliveries and that made a big difference in the ultimate result.When Agarkar began the sixth over of Punjab’s reply, he was holding a cricket ball for the first time on an IPL field this season. His first ball was on the pads but Yuvraj, who had boldly decided to open, missed out. The next two deliveries were vintage Yuvraj, and hinted that he was finally going to roar and that Agarkar, much to the delight of many a sceptic, was proving to be cannon fodder. Those two brute shots from Yuvraj had all but leveled the asking-rate. But yet again, one of Punjab’s vital players chose to disappoint. Impetuosity got the better of Yuvraj and he couldn’t resist going for another six. The steepler went up into the night and it was that man Tiwary who was in the thick of things again.The team’s top batsman had been dismissed and with that the chase fizzled out. Yuvraj’s poor form is directly linked to Punjab’s failings. Today he appeared clueless against Shane Bond, beating beaten by pace, and edging outside off a few times. He saw Agarkar come on and thought he had an escape route, but it didn’t work out. Given the dead nature of the Mohali pitch, Sangakkara would have expected his batsmen to make a fist of this chase. Instead, Bond began with a one-run first over in which he sent back Ravi Bopara, and then Yuvraj lost it once again. That wicket set in motion one of the ugliest chases in the IPL, with all the batsmen playing well below their best. This was a match that Punjab could have won, and they will look back regretfully at another damning passage of play where they simply refused to go forward. At the fall of the third wicket, Sangakkara was joined by Mahela Jayawardene and the Sri Lankan duo stitched together 34 runs in six overs, allowing the asking rate to go past 15.Punjab’s campaign is yet to take off and the wheels are already coming off rapidly. Given the way their two best Indian players failed, in the capacity they are most expected to deliver, this loss – their fifth in six games – will hurt a lot more than most. Though Sangakkara tried to put on a brave face by speaking of trying to find the best position for players to bat, and that the only way to go was up, the downward spiral will only continue unless Yuvraj and Irfan get their act together.

The most important sporting event this year for the country of South Africa starts in June, but for the cricket team the next five days are what matters

Andrew McGlashan in Cape Town02-Jan-2010The most important sporting event this year for the country of South Africa starts in June, but for the cricket team the next five days are what matters. Defeat at Newlands is an unthinkable prospect as it would mean back-to-back series defeats on home soil and that is not the record of a team that wants to dominate the world stage.Since the heavy loss in Durban the hosts have insisted that there isn’t a need to panic, but the feeling is growing that a tipping point is being reached on many levels. Graeme Smith has an impressive CV as captain, but a series loss to England would be a major blot. The same is true for coach Mickey Arthur, whose relationship with Mike Procter, the convenor of selectors, has been under the microscope for some time.Smith has overseen the departures of two England captains – Nasser Hussain in 2003 and Michael Vaughan 2008 – so it would be a twist of fate if roles were reversed. However, he is the safest of the main men when it comes to his position, partly because he is a strong figure and commands respect, but also because there are no obvious candidates to replace him. That is not the case for Arthur or Procter and they are the two who will be increasingly nervous should South Africa’s poor form continue into the New Year.”We’ve had many, many important Test matches. But obviously being one down in the series so far, this is a crucial one,” Smith said. “As a team we have prepared well and it’s about following those processes over the next five days. There will be times when the game is on the line, but let’s hope we can manage those breaking points better than England.”Despite winning just a single Test in 2009, Smith remains comfortable in his role and is confident that he still has the backing of the team. “No doubt about that, if I didn’t I would walk away,” he said. “I’ve been a part of seeing two England captains walk away so I’ve had a lot of experience of looking at things. I’m very comfortable, but if someone felt differently then so be it and we look to extend our careers in other ways.”You constantly reassess your position as captain, even through the good times I have reassessed whether I’m the right man for the job. From a personal perspective I’m pretty relaxed about that, I’m pretty comfortable with what I’ve achieved.”Smith can draw on past experiences of hauling his team back from behind in a Test series at home. India, in 2006-07, and West Indies in 2007-08 each took a surprise early advantage before the home side fought back with consecutive victories. Coupled with South Africa’s impressive Newlands record it means the home side can’t be underestimated, but Smith knows there are no room for mistakes.”We’re ready for tomorrow. We were outplayed in Durban but we’ve been honest about that, had a look in the mirror and guys have trained and prepared well,” he said. “It’s a ground where we’ve got a lot of confidence and we want to build on that now in the next five days.”Sometimes it’s difficult to put your finger on the little thing that’s missing. It’s been disappointing that we haven’t been able to produce. Our style of play hasn’t changed. But the players maybe haven’t produced the level of performance of the previous two years. It’s important we get back to that now, starting tomorrow.”Dale Steyn should be more of a threat in this game after putting 34 overs under his belt in Durban in his first match back from injury. However, he will need to lead from the front and show why he is ranked as the leading bowler in the world. It’s time for South Africa’s match-winners to stand up.

Wolves have had some outstanding individual performers that have made up for injury issues in the team, with a particular young defender making an impact this season.

What’s the word?

Max Kilman has taken to the Wolves team like a duck in water, with impressive performances throughout his game time in Lage’s side this season.

His most notable performance came during the game against Everton where the defender played in a back three alongside Conor Coady and Romain Saiss, where he looked more than comfortable defending against Demarai Gray and Richarlison.

The 24-year-old not only flourished defensively, winning eight out of ten duels vs the Toffees but managed to find the back of the net scoring his second career goal in the game.

Now, he has reportedly caught the eye of England Manager, Gareth Southgate, and Wolves reporter, Tim Spiers, has weighed in on Twitter regarding the rumour;

“Maximilian Kilman’s performances this season have put him on England’s radar.”

“The defender was called up by Ukraine earlier this year but because he’s played competitive futsal for England he couldn’t switch nations.”

The Englishman was hailed “outstanding” by his club captain and teammate, Conor Coady, after his performance against Fulham last season, highlighting why he should be in the frame for international acclaim heading into 2022.

“I thought he was outstanding, but I would expect nothing else from him. He’s brilliant to have around and is a brilliant professional – he listens to the manager, he learns off the lads who’ve been playing there the last couple of years and I think you could see that today,” the skipper said.

Wolves fans will surely be over the moon to hear that their player is on the radar of the England manager and could be included in further international fixtures, especially after the £14k-per-week defender has secured his future by signing a new contract with the club only a few weeks ago.

There is certainly room for the player to grow and develop in his role at Molineux, and he clearly has become an important part of the Wolves set up more recently playing as the right centre back in the back three.

If he continues to thrive in Lage’s side the sky is the limit for the young defender, who could find himself landing a spot on the plane to Qatar for the World Cup this time next year.

In other news: Lage could be exploring other positions for Adama Traore

An update has emerged regarding the make-up of new Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst’s backroom staff at Ibrox as he aims to bounce back from the Gers’ crippling defeat last weekend…

What’s the talk?

According to Gazet van Antwerpen, via Sport Witness, the Dutchman is hoping to complete a deal to land Royal Antwerp talent coordinator Zeb Jacobs in the coming days.

The report claims that there is a concrete interest from Rangers in the 26-year-old, who currently works on youth development with the Belgian outfit, and they are looking to finalise a move ‘soon’.

Buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this news as it suggests that van Bronckhorst wants to place an emphasis on youth development at Ibrox. Jacobs is said to have impressed Gers chiefs with his work in Belgium – developing young players and helping them progress into the first team.

This means that he could come in and help to bridge the gap between the academy and the senior team. Whether that means he will come in and directly work with the starting XI with a specific focus on the younger players or in the academy helping the stars of tomorrow push on to reach van Bronckhorst’s side remains to be seen, but it is good news either way for supporters who want to see the next ‘one of their own’ play at Ibrox.

Nathan Patterson is currently part of the first-team set-up and playing a backup role to James Tavernier at right-back and Jacobs’ arrival could potentially help him kick on and nail down a starting berth.

The likes of Juan Alegria, Aaron Cervantes and Tony Weston could also benefit as they attempt to make the leap from academy football to making their Scottish Premiership debuts.

This is why the Ibrox faithful will be buzzing with this news as it could see a number of young players make their way at Rangers, should Jacobs have the desired impact upon his arrival.

They will also be delighted with van Bronckhorst wanting to make this a priority as it shows that he is willing to offer chances to younger players and will not rely on senior heads to get him out of every situation.

It is now down to Ross Wilson and the Dutchman to ensure that they can iron out a deal with Antwerp in the coming days to bring him to Ibrox.

AND in other news, Gio could save Wilson millions with Rangers beast who is a “winner and warrior”…

The very shape and variety of this attack, the threat of wickets alive in each of them, did for New Zealand at the Basin Reserve

Cricinfo staff06-Dec-2009At the end of the third day’s play, with New Zealand 70 for 3 and facing the daunting task of chasing down the fourth highest fourth-innings score, Daniel Vettori was a confident man. Shortly after New Zealand were bowled out for 263 during the second session on day four to lose the Test, Vettori’s tone was far more terse as he turned the heat up on his batsmen following another poor display.”It’s pretty simple. It smacks us straight in the face that that first-innings batting performance put us in the position that we are in,” he said. “To bowl a team out for roughly 250 in both innings was a fantastic achievement but we couldn’t back it up with the bat. That has been our problem for a long time. We’re searching for ways to address it but not getting it right.””There was no excuse for our first-innings performance,” he said. “It can’t be explained and you can’t apologise for it. It was devastating for our bowlers to do so well and then to only bat for 36 overs. In my mind I have to balance not being too scathing with trying to give these guys some confidence going in to a deciding Test match. There’s no point getting down because if you get another chance, you have to take it.”A volley of possible reasons for a recurring theme were thrown up to Vettori at another monotone post-match press conference. Was it a confidence issue? Was it just a simple lack of self belief? Or was it a matter of technical shortcoming with the batsmen?”It’s probably all of those,” he said. “Guys have fought their way back into the team with strong first-class performances so they should be in a good space about their form, and others have got some Test-match performances under their belt … but I think if we could pinpoint it that would make a huge difference. At the moment, of our top six Ross Taylor is the only one who is stepping up and leading.”As a selector, Vettori must now sit down with his fellow decision makers this evening and take some tough calls before the third and final Test in Napier next week. Tim McIntosh, who came into the series with some good first-class form, continued a disappointing trend of failing to get a start. He has scored 37 runs in four innings, including a first-ball dismissal in the first innings of the first Test. Martin Guptill has twice been dismissed in the first over of an innings and averages 18.75. Daniel Flynn, seen at one stage as a long-term candidate for No. 3, has 57 runs in four innings. Grant Elliott, taking Jacob Oram’s spot at No. 6, has not inspired much confidence either.”A couple guys are going to come under severe scrutiny … and that’s only right,” said Vettori. “That is the nature of Test cricket. You get some chances but not too many. Some of the guys are going to have some tough news but there are three other selectors to consult on that. The team will be out either tonight or tomorrow morning.”Napier has a reputation of being a flat batting track, and there is a chance that a few players will be given another shot to try and bat their way into form and confidence. “This was a pretty good deck too, so if you couldn’t score on this then it’s frustrating,” said Vettori. “Particularly for the guys at the early stages of their Test careers, maybe that will weigh in their favour.”Vettori said he would have to sit down with his fellow selectors before he could name possible replacements for a shaky middle order, but confirmed that bar Taylor, “the top six would be scrutinised”. Pressed to name individuals, Vettori singled out those in form in the four-day Plunket Shield – Craig Cumming, BJ Watling, and Neil Broom – and said that “anyone scoring runs would be considered”.

International news agencies have boycotted the first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand in Dunedin because of problems with the PCB’s newly-implemented terms and conditions for media

Cricinfo staff28-Nov-2009International news agencies have boycotted the first Test between Pakistan and New Zealand in Dunedin because of problems with the PCB’s newly-implemented terms and conditions for media. The deadlock shows few signs of ending even as the first Test drew to a close.Agencies such as AFP, AP and Reuters refused to sign the PCB’s media accreditation terms and conditions and refused to cover the series after the first day of the Dunedin Test. Though both sides have been in negotiations, with a break in Pakistan for Eid until early next week and the second Test due to begin on Thursday, chances of a breakthrough appear slim.Details of the contentious clauses are unclear, but the PCB said it had conceded a number of points and that agencies were asking for more. “We have made a number of changes, even though we didn’t need to, but they have asked for more,” Nadeem Sarwar, PCB’s general manager of media, told Cricinfo. “The other changes they are asking for require detailed legal input and we have to refer to our lawyers over them to see if they can be done.”The series in New Zealand is actually a ‘home’ series for Pakistan, after it was shifted out of the country because of security concerns, so the media accreditation process is the PCB’s. The PCB said the policy was “aligned” with that of the ICC and that conditions were the same as those that applied during the ODI leg of the series, played in Abu Dhabi and Dubai earlier this month, which was covered by all the agencies. “They are the same conditions as those that applied in Abu Dhabi and are aligned with the ICC media terms and conditions for the Champions Trophy and the upcoming U-19 World Cup,” Sarwar said.The problems are believed to be similar to the ones news agencies and Cricket Australia have faced recently, which led to no coverage by those agencies of any Tests in Australia over the last two summers.

Celtic are bracing themselves for an offer for Rory Mahady in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football Scotland, who claim that Manchester City are keeping a very close eye on the situation of the 15-year-old shot-stopper, and have sent scouts to watch the Celtic starlet in action on a number of occasions this season.

The report goes on to suggest that Pep Guardiola’s side could look to make a move for the Scotland U16 international in the coming months, a deal which would see the Bhoys receive a cross-border compensation fee for the teenager’s services.

Big blow

Considering just how highly-rated Mahady is at Parkhead, should Manchester City indeed make a move for the teenager in the near future, and the goalkeeper goes on to agree to a switch south of the border, it would undoubtedly come as a huge blow to Ange Postecoglou and his side – who have made something of a habit of waving goodbye to their most talented youngsters in recent seasons.

Indeed, as recently as last summer Celtic saw their highly-rated 17-year-old attacking midfielder Josh Adam leave for Manchester City, while 18-year-old centre-back Liam Morrison and 17-year-old right-winger Barry Hepburn also both left Glasgow for Bayern Munich in the past two years.

As such, should Celtic continue this trend of developing exceptionally talented young players only for them to be snatched away by bigger sides before they have even had a chance to feature in the first-team, the question must be asked as to whether there is much point in the Bhoys having an academy at all.

However, it would nevertheless appear advisable for Postecoglou to do all he can to avoid a repeat of Adam’s move to City with Mahady, as, with Celtic’s current number one, 34-year-old Joe Hart, very much entering the twilight of his career, the 56-year-old manager will be in need of a new first choice in the position in the not too distant future.

And, if Mahady continues to develop at his current rate, he would appear to be an extremely solid candidate for the role in a few years’ time, meaning his loss would undoubtedly be something of a disaster for the Hoops.

In other news: Nicholson must sanction swoop for £7.5k-p/w ace dubbed The Wall, he’s what Celtic need

Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium will host the final of the 2011 and two additional matches, the tournament’s local organising committee announced

Cricinfo staff14-Oct-2009Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium will host the final of the 2011 World Cup and two additional matches, the tournament’s local organising committee announced after a meeting in that city on Wednesday. Mohali will host one semi-final and Ahmedabad a quarter-final, and each will also get two other games.The rest of the 29 matches allotted to India have been divided equally between Eden Gardens, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Nagpur; their four games each will also include one India game.The scheduling marks a continuation of Eden Gardens’ return to the mainstream – it has not hosted an ODI since 2007, when former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, a rival of the current Sharad Pawar-Shashank Manohar faction, returned to power in the state. However, it will begin its preparations for the World Cup with a one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka in December.The remaining matches will be divided between Bangladesh (eight games) and Sri Lanka (12) and the full schedule of the 14-nation tournament is to be announced in Mumbai on November 9.Sri Lanka will stage the other semi-final and one quarter-final, while Bangladesh will host the opening ceremony on February 18 and two quarter-finals.The 14 teams have been divided into two groups with the top four from each qualifying for the quarter-finals. Group A features defending champions Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya. Group B comprises India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic is a doubt for the Hoops this weekend against Livingston, according to Football Scotland reporter Jack Thomson.

The Lowdown: Rogic a regular

Rogic, who Ange Postecoglou called ‘brilliant’, has been a regular for the Hoops this season. He’s featured in each of Celtic’s 22 games so far, scoring once and registering four assists.

The Australian had to be replaced just before the interval against Hibernian on Wednesday through injury, with Postecoglou fairly coy over the extent of his hamstring problem following the win at Easter Road.

However, Football Scotland believe the 28-year-old is doubtful as Celtic look to make it six wins from six in October.

The Latest: Rogic a doubt

Thomson shared a story on Football Scotland on Friday morning, sharing numerous details regarding the Celtic Park clash this weekend.

When it came to team news, he claimed that Rogic is a doubt for Saturday and will more than likely join Greg Taylor on the sideline, with Christopher Jullien and James Forrest still looking to return to full fitness.

The Verdict: Hopefully nothing serious…

Rogic has been a mainstay in Postecoglou’s side this season in what has been a busy few months, so it might not be the end of the world if he does miss one game to recover and ultimately have a rest.

However, it would be bad news if Rogic was sidelined for a long period of time, as Postecoglou has relied on his fellow countryman for a creative spark through the middle – nobody in the squad is completing more than his 2.3 dribbles per game.

Rogic, Callum McGregor and David Turnbull have been Postecoglou’s go-to midfield three for large parts of the campaign, so losing one of the trio for a long period of time could be a blow just as the Hoops started to gather some momentum.

In other news: ‘That has been alleged’ – Devlin’s worrying answer on ‘quick’ Celtic signing and Dermot Desmond. 

After cruising to a 5-1 victory over FC Porto in their latest Champions League fixture thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, Liverpool are back in Premier League action today with a showdown against Manchester City at Anfield.

Ahead of the clash against Pep Guardiola’s side, the Reds were handed a double injury blow with Jurgen Klopp revealing that Trent Alexander-Arnold and Thiago Alcantara will be unavailable through injury.

Taking this into account, let’s take a look at how we think Liverpool will set up against City – we expect Klopp to make two changes from the team that started in midweek.

How will Liverpool line up against City?

In goal, we expect Alisson Becker to continue despite managing to concede three goals in Liverpool’s previous league outing in their 3-3 draw against Brentford.

At right-back, with Alexander-Arnold out and Klopp listing Neco Williams, James Milner and Joe Gomez as potential replacements for the injured defender, we feel as though Klopp will stick with Milner, who played in the right-back position against Porto before being substituted in the second half, perhaps to rest him before the City game.

At left-back we expect Andy Robertson to start after impressing in midweek by earning himself an overall match rating of 7.9/10, the highest of any Liverpool defender on the day according to SofaScore.

For the two centre-back positions, we feel Klopp will stick Virgil van Dijk but drop Joel Matip to give £70k-per-week Ibrahima Konate the chance to prove himself against a top team after taking part in Liverpool’s 3-0 Carabao Cup match against Norwich City.

In midfield, we expect Liverpool to stick with the same trio that played against Porto with club captain Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Curtis Jones, who provided two assists in midweek and earned himself a higher match rating than any other Reds player on the day with 8.5/10 (as per SofaScore).

As for Liverpool’s attacking line, we think Klopp will stick with Mane and Salah after their success in midweek but replace Diogo Jota with Roberto Firmino to reward him for his goals against Porto.

Whether Klopp makes these changes or not, everyone who plays in the match will have to be at the top of their game if the Reds are going to beat the Manchester club, especially in an attacking sense given City have only conceded one goal so far this season.

In other news: Klopp must trust “remarkable” £140k-p/w LFC ace on Sunday, could be difference-maker – opinion