All posts by h716a5.icu

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has launched a programme aimed at educating its cricketers and officials on staying clear of corruption in the game and maintaining appropriate standards of conduct

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-2011The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has launched a programme aimed at educating its cricketers and officials to stay clear of corruption in the game and maintaining appropriate standards of conduct on and off the field.”We have held lectures for all the regional teams including coaches who are part of the domestic structure and also for the national under-19 and A team players and support staff,” former wicketkeeper Wasim Bari, who heads the programme, told The participants were given lectures on the ICC’s anti-corruption code and the PCB code of conduct. “We are also telling them how to behave in a dressing room, how to interact with strangers and outsiders and how to avoid getting lured into corrupt practices,” Bari said. “We are preparing them for international cricket.”Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who are currently serving minimum five-year bans from the ICC’s anti-corruption tribunal for their role in a spot-fixing scandal during last year’s tour to England, were not allowed to take part in the programme. One of the steps for their rehabilitation in the verdicts was their involvement in such programmes.”Since they have appealed against their bans the matter is technically sub-judice,” said Bari. “So we can’t involve them at the moment.”Lectures were delivered in Urdu and a manual based on the ICC anti-corruption code and the PCB’s own code of conduct in Urdu was also distributed. The PCB also plans to hire foreign experts to give future lectures.On Wednesday the PCB also introduced stricter regulations for agents wishing to represent their players commercially, a consequence of the alleged misdeeds of player-agent Mazhar Majeed in the scandal that saw Asif, Amir and Butt punished.The developments are part of initiatives recommended to the board by the ICC’s task force on Pakistan. Last October, in the immediate aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal, a concerned ICC had recommended a series of remedial measures for the PCB to implement in an effort to clean up the game in Pakistan.The task force, headed by ECB chairman Giles Clarke, was deputed to work with the PCB in the implementation.

Derbyshire’s chances of hauling themselves off the bottom of the County Championship were hit by heavy rain which washed out the second day of the match against Middlesex at Derby

26-Aug-2010
ScorecardDerbyshire’s chances of hauling themselves off the bottom of the County Championship were hit by heavy rain which washed out the second day of the match against Middlesex at Derby.No play was possible before lunch after overnight rain and further showers during the morning left the County Ground outfield saturated.Umpires Neil Mallender and Stephen Gale decided there was no chance of conditions improving enough for the game to start and made the inevitable decision following an inspection at 1.30pm.It means four sessions have now been lost after rain halted play on the opening day three overs before the scheduled team interval.Although the forecast is better for the next two days, it looks unlikely that Derbyshire will have enough time to force the win they need to close the gap on Surrey, who are one place above them at the foot of Division Two.Middlesex are in a decent position on 228 for three with opener Scott Newman unbeaten on 119, his second Championship century of the season, but the chances of them being able to put Derbyshire under enough pressure to claim victory already appear slim.

India and Sri Lanka look set to welcome back injured troops for the final Test of the series

Sidharth Monga at the SSC30-Jul-2010Both sides look set to welcome back injured troops for the final Test of the series at the P Sara Oval on Tuesday. Gautam Gambhir and Lasith Malinga, if fit, should walk back into their respective sides, while Yuvraj Singh presents India with a conundrum. Kumar Sangakkara, the Sri Lankan captain, said Malinga – the biggest factor in the series so far – was on track to recover from the stiffness and fever that kept him out of the second Test.”[Looks] pretty good for the third Test,” Sangakkara said. “He had a lot of stiffness and soreness after the first Test. He had a bout of fever as well. We’ll assess his conditions as soon as we start training again. Everyone has been keeping an eye on him. If he’s back for us for the third Test, it’ll be a bonus.”India had more fitness worries on day five when Sachin Tendulkar didn’t take the field. MS Dhoni, though, quelled fears of a serious trouble. “Sachin had a stiff groin, but as of now he looks good,” he said. “Yuvraj is fit, Gautam Gambhir is also raring to go. This is as of now, but if anybody goes to sleep and gets up with something I”ll let you know tomorrow.”Yuvraj brought drinks out today, and also fielded for a bit, making a diving save at cover too. His return to fitness creates a selection headache because his replacement, Suresh Raina, has scored a century on debut.”It’s a perfect question to ask, which means if I answer it right now, there will be four days [between now and the start of the third Test] of coverage, then on the fifth day, I will decide which guy to play,” Dhoni said. “So I would prefer to keep it out for the next three days and we just have to wait till 9.30 on the day of the start of the next Test match.”

William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, has said the extra motivation of moving above Zimbabwe in the ICC rankings will egg his side on to complete a 2-0 sweep

Cricinfo staff16-Jul-2010William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, has said the extra motivation of moving above Zimbabwe in the ICC rankings will egg his side on to complete a 2-0 sweep of Bangladesh in the one-dayers in Belfast. Ireland comprehensively won the first match on Thursday by seven wickets, with Porterfield’s unbeaten century being the cornerstone of the victory.”It is only a fantastic result if we can make it 2-0 tomorrow [Friday],” Porterfield said after Thursday’s win. “We need to win both games to stay above Zimbabwe in the [ODI rankings] table and that will be the target.” A loss in the second ODI will keep Ireland in 11th spot, while a win will push them to 40 points, six clear of 10th-ranked Zimbabwe.In the first game, Porterfield was named Man of the Match for his fifth ODI century – his first against a Test-playing nation. His brisk 118-run opening stand with Paul Stirling set up a comfortable victory with five overs to spare. “That’s as good an innings as I’ve ever played for Ireland,” he said. “I was feeling good from the word go. Paul Stirling took a lot of the pressure off me with the way he batted. After that Alex Cusack was solid and made sure there would be no collapse.”The one aspect of the team’s performance he was unhappy with was the fielding. “We dropped a couple of catches, so we will be out to eradicate that, but the team have been batting like that for a while now and it was great to carry on the form the lads showed in Holland.”

West Bromwich Albion have conceded their chances of getting promoted back into the Premier League next season after failing to sustain their charge for automatic promotion and slipping out of the play-off spots – the Baggies now currently lie in 13th in the Championship.

As a result, Steve Bruce will be working hard over the summer and next season to ensure that the Baggies can challenge again and hopefully secure promotion back into the top flight in their second season following relegation in 2021.

The Baggies boss has given an in-depth interview with The Express & Star this month on his plans for his revival of the team at The Hawthorns, with one player, in particular, being singled out as a key player for the future of West Brom.

Bruce has been full of praise for Taylor Gardner-Hickman and his progress in the team saying;

“He has done very, very, well for us in midfield. He’s young. He’s desperately eager to succeed. He is one of our own and that always goes down well.

“He has had a decent start to his career. And we’re looking at big things for next season.”

The 6 foot 1 ace who was hailed “menacing” and “a cut above the rest” by journalist Joe Ellis, has been in fine form since becoming a more consistent starter for his boyhood club in the Albion senior team this season.

Gardner-Hickman has won the majority of his ground duels (55%), is successful in the majority of his dribbles (53%) and has made 2.2 tackles, 0.7 key passes and 0.6 interceptions on average per game in his 19 Championship appearances, proving that he clearly has the potential to offer a lot to his team next season as they push for promotion.

The 20-year-old secured his long term future with the club by signing a contract back in December that extends his stay at the club for another four-and-a-half years, so judging by Bruce’s comments the plan is to fully integrate him into the team with the youngster able to offer his services in both a full-back and right midfield position.

There is no doubt the future is bright for Gardner-Hickman but the West Brom manager will have his work cut out to improve and rebuild the team following a disappointing season to inspire better quality performances and positive results next season to compete for their opportunity to climb out of the Championship.

AND in other news: Talks ongoing: WBA must swoop for “talented” £25k-p/w target who’d be a “big asset”

Manchester United have made an offer to sign Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, according to El Chiringuito journalist Darío Montero (via Sport Witness). 

The lowdown: Big-money player

Signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 for what was then second-biggest transfer fee in world football (£135.5m, as per BBC), Dembele has struggled to recapture his best form in Catalunya.

Despite directly contributing to 64 goals in 147 outings for the Spanish giants, the 24-year-old has also missed 96 matches through a variety of injury issues since arriving at Camp Nou.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

With Dembele set to become a free agent at the end of the season (Transfermarkt), a fresh update has emerged from Spain…

The latest: Offer made for Dembele

As per Montero, as translated by Sport Witness, the Red Devils and Paris Saint-Germain are both keen on signing the 2018 World Cup winner.

It is claimed that United are ‘offering’ Dembele a salary between €10m and €15m (£8.4m-£12.6m) per year.

Hailed as an ‘exceptional player’ by team-mate Dani Alves upon the Brazilian right-back’s return to the La Liga club, the 27-cap forward could yet remain at Barcelona should Xavi and the club act quickly.

The verdict: Worth the risk

It is an undoubted gamble to pay such high wages to a player who is so prone to injury, but without the expenditure of a transfer fee, the signing of Dembele has the potential to be a masterstroke for United if they can pull it off.

So far this season, the versatile forward has scored twice and provided 11 assists in 29 appearances across all competitions, highlighting his wizardry with a league-high 2.8 successful dribbles completed per match whilst earning the second-highest overall rating in La Liga with 7.61 (Sofascore).

Considering that the Spanish top flight is Europe’s second-highest ranked league in UEFA’s association club coefficient, it is no mean feat to be a performance leader at that level of football.

Incoming United manager Erik ten Hag will have to choose between Jadon Sancho, Anthony Elanga and Marcus Rashford for the wide attacking berths at present, leaving ample room for a player of Dembele’s proven quality.

In other news: Red Devils in pole position to sign Premier League star…find out more here

An exciting Newcastle United transfer claim has been made regarding their plans for the rest of the January window…

What’s the talk?

Magpies reporter Chris Waugh has stated that he is expecting further signings between now and the end of the month, with the club prepared to increase their efforts in the coming days.

Replying to a fan’s question on The Athletic, he said: “Nice to chat with you, too! I do expect more, yes. Centre-back is the priority and it’s something they’re keen to finally get sorted. Nothing is imminent, though, but I do expect they’ll try and push it on this week.”

Delight for Eddie Howe

Eddie Howe will surely be delighted with this news, as it suggests that his squad will be strengthened further by the end of the month.

The former Bournemouth boss will want as many players in as possible to improve his side as the results have simply not been good enough this season. Newcastle are 19th in the Premier League table and on course to be relegated from the top flight, which is why new additions could be crucial as the current squad have hitherto proven themselves to be short of the quality required for this level.

Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood have already been added to the squad and both played in the 1-1 draw against Watford on Saturday. The former showcased his quality with a fine display, winning nine duels, making five tackles and four interceptions and creating two chances for his team-mates from right-back, as per SofaScore.

This suggests that he is up for the fight and able to bring quality to the table, so results could improve if the club manage to sign a few more players who are able to do the same. If they can continue to pick up experienced professionals like Trippier to come in and hit the ground running, it could be a major boost for the Toon.

Therefore, Howe will be delighted with the news that the club are set to push on this week in the transfer market to make further signings. It is now up to Nick Hammond and PIF to ensure that they are able to get deals over the line to strengthen the squad and give the head coach the best possible chance of keeping the Magpies in the top flight beyond the end of the current campaign.

AND in other news, Terms agreed: NUFC closing in on third January signing who will leave Howe elated…

Australia have arrived in Ireland for the opening match of their tour of the British Isles, but they will have to shake off some rust ahead of the ODIs against England

Cricinfo staff15-Jun-2010Australia have arrived in Ireland for the opening match of their tour of the British Isles, but they will have to shake off some rust ahead of the ODIs against England. They begin with a one-off one-day international against Ireland on Thursday and Cameron White conceded the Australians might be out of practice, having had a month off since the World Twenty20.”There probably will be a little bit [of rustiness], no doubt against Ireland,” White told AAP. “The important thing is by the time were down to Southampton we should be up and going and ready to go. The three or four weeks that everyone has had since the World Cup will be good and hopefully we can hit the ground running.”The five-match series against England begins at the Rose Bowl next Tuesday, before the Australians move on to two Twenty20s and two Tests against Pakistan. The Ireland game will be an especially useful warm-up for the six members of the squad who were not in the World Twenty20 group, including the captain Ricky Ponting.The pitch in Dublin is likely to be slow and low, which could help Ireland become more competitive. The Ireland veteran Trent Johnston said his colleagues were aiming to give the visitors as tough an introduction as possible on their six-week tour.”When we get out there and execute our plans the way we want to we can be a pretty dangerous team,” Johnston said. “The last thing they’ll want to do is play England after being beaten by Ireland.”We’re not going to kid ourselves, the 11 guys will have to play the games of their lives to be close to Australia. People didn’t give us much chance of beating England last August and we should have beaten them, we lost by three runs; that was quite disappointing. We’re going to get out there and give it a go, that’s all we can do.”

Rangers have seen many players come and go out of the club during previous transfer windows, some on loan and some on permanent deals.

As happens with a lot of clubs, some deals don’t end up working out as well as all parties involved would have hoped.

However, one deal that took place at Ibrox in recent memory that definitely worked out well for the Gers is their 2017 swoop for Alfredo Morelos.

Signed from HJK Helsinki during the 2017 summer transfer window, the striker has gone on to make 224 appearances for the Gers across all competitions.

In those appearances, the Colombian has scored 113 goals and provided 51 assists along the way, cementing himself as a crucial attacking player for the team.

With 26 league games under his belt in this SPFL campaign, the 25-year-old has found the back of the net 11 times and provided seven assists.

To further highlight how much of an attacking threat the centre-forward is, no other player in the SPFL has managed to have as many shots on target as Morelos (37) this season.

This shows just how much of a nuisance he is to pretty much every opposition goalkeeper he comes up against in the league.

His overall performances have also earned him a seasonal rating of 7.35 from WhoScored, making him the second-highest rated player in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad.

Back in March 2018, Transfermarkt had the Colombia international’s market value listed as £1.58m, whereas it now stands at £11.7m, highlighting a significant increase of 640%, undeniably as a result of his impressive goalscoring efforts since joining the Gers.

Labelled as a “brutally ruthless” player on the pitch by Helsinki CEO Aki Riihilahti, that’s exactly what he’s been in front of goal since he became a Rangers player.

Taking all of this into account, it’s hard to deny that Ross Wilson and Rangers hit the jackpot when they secured the £31.5k-per-week Morelos’ signature back in 2017.

Given what he’s been able to deliver on the pitch in terms of his attacking output, it’s safe to say that this deal has been a real bargain for the club.

Moving forward, with the striker currently out for the rest of the season with an injury, Van Bronckhorst will undoubtedly be hoping that he will be able to get back out on the pitch and firing again by the time their next campaign kicks off.

AND in other news: Wilson must finally launch Rangers bid for “strong” 125 G/A gem, he’s a “real threat”

Windward Islands beat Jamaica by 17 runs, but both teams went through to the semi-finals since Jamaica still had a better net run-rate than Guyana and Somerset

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jan-2011Windward Islands beat Jamaica by 17 runs at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, but both teams went through to the semi-finals since Jamaica still had a better net run-rate than Guyana and Somerset. Windwards completed their third win after electing to bat and scoring 165, a total that proved a few too many to chase for Jamaica. Windwards’ openers got them off to a brisk start, and then Devon Smith and Keddy Lesporis got half-centuries in quick time. Smith remained unbeaten on 58 off 39 balls. Seamer Krishmar Santokie took three wickets for Jamaica while David Bernard was their most economical bowler, giving away just 20 runs in his four overs.Jamaica lost a couple of early wickets in their chase, and left-arm spinner Gary Mathurin, who was used as an opening bowler by Windwards, stifled their innings, as he bowled a miserly spell of four overs for just nine runs with one wicket. Marlon Samuels and Wavell Hinds resurrected Jamaica’s innings, both getting half-centuries, but they couldn’t score fast enough and ended up falling well short of the target.

In the first match, Somerset had comfortably beaten Combined Campuses and Colleges. Somerest chose to bat, reached 165 and then restricted CCC to 123 in a dominant performance. Nick Compton and James Hildreth did the bulk of the scoring for Somerset, putting together a 90-run partnership for the second wicket. Hildreth stayed unbeaten on 69, and Craig Meschede played a cameo at the end, hammering 26 off 11 balls.CCC were never in the chase, as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Seamer Steve Kirby did the early damage for Somerset, and finished with figures of 3 for 26, and then left-arm spinner George Dockrell put the choke on in the middle overs, taking 2 for 15 in his four overs.