All posts by h716a5.icu

Zimbabwe’s selectors are sweating on the availability of former captain Tatenda Taibu for the five-ODI series against Sri Lanka starting in Harare on Thursday.

Steven Price in Harare15-Nov-2008Zimbabwe’s selectors are sweating on the availability of former captain Tatenda Taibu for the five-ODI series against Sri Lanka starting in Harare on Thursday.The squad is due to be named after the four-day match between Zimbabwe Select XI and Sri Lanka, which ends today at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. The team will then fly to Harare for training with Zimbabwe A, who are set to play the tourists in a warm-up match at Queens Sports Club on Monday.Taibu, an experienced top-order batsman and wicketkeeper, was left out of the team for the current game after selectors said he was not in the right frame of mind to play.A very reliable source within the Zimbabwe camp said the chances of Taibu being available were slim. “He has issues with the board and at the same time in his private life, he is really going through a difficult time, it would not be a surprise if he is not available to play against Sri Lanka,” the source said. If Taibu is absent, Regis Chakabva, another diminutive wicketkeeper, will be given the duties.Veteran left-arm spinner Ray Price, who was omitted for the four-day match, is expected to be named in a squad which is again woefully short of experience.

Flocking to Twitter, many Tottenham Hotspur fans have erupted over the official announcement of third major summer signing Cristian Romero after long talks.

Spurs have been attempting to sign the Argentine from Atalanta over these last two weeks with the Serie A side having remained stubborn in negotiations for a period.

However, news broke recently of an agreement between the clubs as Tottenham now finalise his signing and make an announcement.

Romero has joined the Lilywhites as Nuno Espirito Santo’s third major summer signing after deals for both Pierluigi Gollini and Bryan Gil, but his arrival in particular finally puts an end to Spurs’ long, long search for a star centre-half.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-gossip/” title=”Tottenham latest gossip!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Tottenham have been trying to sign a colossal defensive presence since last summer, sending Steve Hitchen out to negotiate with Inter Milan for the attempted signing of Milan Skriniar in 2020 (Alasdair Gold).

Romero, though, is arguably worth the wait given his credentials – having won the Serie A MVP award for best defender over 2020/2021.

Here’s how Spurs fans went wild for the big announcement, flocking to reply to the club’s official Twitter account.

Spurs fans erupt over Romero signing

“YES YES YES”

Credit: @GCSportsBetting

“Buzzing with this, don’t know much about the lad till we linked few weeks back.. The way players and football reporters talk about him u can only be excited.. Voted best defender in Serie A, just off back of Copa America victory.. Hopefully he hits the ground running.” 

Credit: @Lee88Jay

“Absolutely beautiful”

Credit: @conkhailou12

“Let’s goooooooo”

Credit: @EWF423

“So happy with this signing! Think this could be a game changer”

Credit: @Rozzi_B

“Top signing, and what we’ve been crying out for. Hopefully more to come”

Credit: @JasonKeatley

“A proper CB, tears in my eyes”

Credit: @WilliamsDan61

“Paratici masterclass”

Credit: @PaaaarthD

In other news: Alasdair Gold shares ‘further good news’ for Spurs involving Paratici target, find out more here.

Manchester City youngster Liam Delap has got a huge career in the game according to former City defender Michael Ball.

Delap scored 30 goals in just 27 appearances last season for Manchester City, including a goal in the Carabao Cup against AFC Bournemouth which was his senior debut.

After an impressive season for City’s academy there have been a number of clubs chasing the youngster, but according to Football Insider it appears that Stoke City have beaten everyone and are close to signing Delap on loan.

Former Cityzen defender Michael Ball has been full of praise for the striker and believes he will do very well in his career, telling Transfer Tavern: “I think he’s got a huge career in the game and you know whatever decision he makes will be up to him and good luck to him.”

 A loan move away from the Etihad Stadium may benefit Delap as City appear to be adding even more talent to their squad this summer. Journalist Fabrizio Romano reported that City were pushing to complete a deal for Jack Grealish in the next few days from Aston Villa and the club have also been linked with a summer move for Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

With the possibility of two new arrivals at the Etihad, it may hamper Delap’s game time in the first team, so a season out on loan playing regularly may help the youngster to develop his game further.

Cricinfo previews the ninth match of the second ICL season between the Ahmedabad Rockets and Mumbai Champs

Cricinfo staff16-Oct-2008Match factsOct 17, 2008
Start time 7.30pm (1400 GMT)
Damien Martyn has looked comfortable in the Twenty20 format, top scoring with 52 of 38 balls in the last game against Chennai © ICL
Big PictureIt’s early days in the tournament but both teams will be looking to register their first points as the ICL party moves to Ahmedabad. While Ahmedabad looks for the home advantage having lost their two opening matches against the Delhi Giants and Chennai Superstars, Mumbai may have the slight edge after narrowly missing out against the Chandigarh Lions in their only match by two wickets.Clearly, chasing targets has proved to be the Achilles heel for Ahmedabad, who boast the likes of Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Damien Martyn, Ryan Campbell and Murray Goodwin. While Sodhi’s fireworks towards the end did narrow the margin of defeat against Delhi, Martyn ran out of partners during his 38-ball 52 in the chase against Chennai. The bowling department remains a concern with the Indian players yet to contribute significantly. More will be expected of Rakesh Patel, Sunil Kalia and Sridharan Sriram in the next game as they look to back Jason Gillespie and Heath Streak.Mumbai captain Nathan Astle has been disappointing with the bat, but he came close to puling it off for Mumbai in their first game with the ball (4 for 19). Together with Taufeeq Umar at the top, he will look to provide a flying start as Mumbai try to shrug off the disappointment of the first season. Michael Kasprowicz took 3 for 14 against Chandigarh, and Mumbai would hope for a good performance from both him and new-ball partner Johan van der Wath.Players to watchDamien Martyn: A relaxed, classical batsman, more in the Test mould, he has looked at ease in the fastest format of the game. The Ahmedabad captain is also an elastic fieldsman but is perhaps more famous for his brutal reverse-sweeps.Heath Streak: A complete package. A fast bowler with tremendous stamina and strength, he was the first Zimbabwean to reach 100 Test wickets. An extremely capable batsman, the Ahmedabad talisman is also a magnificent outfielder with a howitzer-like throw.Nathan Astle: Who can forget the fastest double-century against England in Christchurch (222 of 168 balls)? Clearly the pressure of captaining Mumbai after taking over from Brian Lara is a myth as is evident from the 229 runs he has scored in the 13 ICL Twenty20 matches so far.Kiran Powar: The left -and batsman was clearly the star for Mumbai in the last match with a gritty knock of 45 which helped post a competitive total. With his first performance displaying tremendous maturity, a lot of responsibility rests on Powar’s shoulders this season.Quotes”There is no ‘one’ stiffest challenge. Challenges in this tournament will come from all quarters.”

.”We tried to perform our best last year but unfortunately things did not work for us. This time we are concentrating on fitness. Last time we had an issue – we were not able to click as a team.”

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s interest in Tottenham midfielder Oliver Skipp.

What’s the talk?

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are interested in a deal to sign the 20-year-old on loan before the end of the month.

The report claims that the Magpies have identified him as a midfield target, but Spurs are yet to make their mind up over whether or not they want to send him out on loan. Newly-promoted Norwich are also hoping to bring him back for a second season at Carrow Road.

Bye-bye Hayden

Southampton have been linked with a deal for Newcastle midfielder Isaac Hayden this summer, and it could be time for the Magpies to wave bye-bye to the former Arsenal man and dip into the transfer market to find a replacement for him.

Skipp could be that man. The 20-year-old enjoyed a sensational year on loan at Norwich in the Championship last season as he helped the Canaries win the title. In 45 appearances, he averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.90, highlighting his quality and consistency throughout the campaign. He was also named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year alongside ex-Newcastle duo Tim Krul and Adam Armstrong.

The England under-21 international made 3.8 tackles, interceptions and blocks per game, whilst also completing 1.2 key passes and dribbles per match. This shows that he is adept at getting from box to box and making an impact at both ends of the pitch.

Norwich head coach Daniel Farke admitted at the end of last season that the Canaries are not able to afford a permanent move for the midfielder, whilst labeling him a “perfect lad”.

He told The Pink Un: “We would never be able to sign a highly-rated player like Oliver Skipp. Not on a permanent deal. It would be an unbelievable amount of money for our club.

“When you bring young players from the best clubs in the world there is always a risk.

“We saw the potential, we looked into his character a lot and we knew he would be fully convinced to give everything, not thinking I don’t need to work to prove I am the best in my position.

“Oliver is a perfect lad. So humble. He is a brilliant loan signing.”

The £24k-per-week powerhouse has barely been tested at Premier League level, but his statistics in the Championship were excellent and Farke’s comments show that he rates the youngster very highly. Therefore, the 20-year-old could be a superb signing for Newcastle if he is able to translate his performances across to the top flight, making him a potentially perfect replacement for Hayden if the latter departs for the south coast.

AND in other news, “That’s a non-starter” – Liam Kennedy rules out chance of one star making a sensational NUFC return…

The Champions League, a proposed multi-nation tournament featuring top domestic Twenty20 teams, took a short step forward on Thursday with officials from India, South Africa, Australia and England wrapping up a “basic discussion”

Ajay S Shankar in Dubai03-Jul-2008The Champions League, a proposed multi-nation tournament featuring top domestic Twenty20 teams, took a short step forward on Thursday with officials from India, South Africa, Australia and England wrapping up a “basic discussion” on the governing structure, prize money and regulations. With the league looming – it is slated to take place later this year – the officials will meet again next week for further talks, Cricinfo has learnt.”There are still a lot of issues to be sorted out and we are meeting again next week todiscuss that,” an official who was part of the meeting told Cricinfo. “We are hopeful that we can hold the tournament this year but we will have to discuss this further.”Those who attended the meeting, held on the sidelines of the ICC annual conference here, are believed to include Lalit Modi, the BCCI vice-president and IPL chairman, Gerald Majola, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa (CSA), James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, and David Collier, the chief executive of the ECB, all representing their boards.They did not discuss the issue of barring cricketers associated with the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL) from playing in the tournament but the BCCI – a prime mover of the Champions League – and Cricket South Africa are adamant about excluding such players.The ECB, meanwhile, will continue to abide by the trade laws in England that have seen 15 of their 18 counties employing around 25 ICL cricketers this season – and which puts the ECB at risk of missing out on the Champions League.Yet it does not appear unduly worried over that possibility because, according to a source, the ECB has been approached by “other parties” to take part in similar tournaments. The source revealed that Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, who is well-connected in the Middle East, has received an “offer” with prize money that is “clearly more than what is being offeredfor the Champions League” from an UAE businessman to take part in asimilar tournament “with other teams”.Significantly, Pakistani officials were not part of the meeting, thoughthe BCCI had stated last month that Pakistan would be one of theparticipating teams. “All I confirm is that teams from India, Australiaand South Africa are taking part. We will finalise the fourth nation oreven a fifth in due course,” the official said.He did not mention England but the very fact that the four national boards who discussed the issue formally today included the ECB, following an agreement in principleamong them in June, indicates that England is still very much inthe frame.

Aston Villa have had an opening bid of £30m for Leon Bailey turned down by Bayer Leverkusen, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Bailey links

Bailey was first identified as a Villa target back on Wednesday. The Daily Mail suggested that Villa see the 23-year-old as an attainable target and were preparing an approach for the winger.

It seems as if Villa have skipped the approach and have gone straight in with an official offer, though, according to recent reports.

The Latest: Friday report

According to a report from Football Insider on Friday, who were informed by a Villa source, the club firmed up their interest with a formal offer.

It was worth £30m, however, the Bundesliga side rejected the bid, with Villa possibly needing to match or exceed their club-record deal for Emiliano Buendia to sign the Jamaican.

The Verdict: Positive signs

Although Villa weren’t successful in their opening bid for Bailey, it’s good to see the club have been proactive, especially after long-term target Emile Smith Rowe signed a new Arsenal deal earlier in the week.

Villa had two offers turned down by the Gunners for the midfielder at £25m and £30m, and Villa may well have to up their opening bid for Bailey by £5m to stand a chance.

It appears Villa aren’t hanging around when it comes to their summer business, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the club increased their offer slightly in an attempt to strike an agreement with Leverkusen before the new season.

In other news: ‘Get it done’ – Many AVFC fans flock to John Percy’s ‘perfect’ update. 

Rangers have been linked with a move for Caleb Chukwuemeka recently and the 19-year-old could be the man to replace Jermain Defoe in Steven Gerrard’s side at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Rangers are interested in signing the Northampton Town striker, although it is Aston Villa who have made the first official move to sign him, as they saw an offer rebuffed by the League Two side recently.

The Villans arguably hold an advantage over Rangers in the race to sign him, as his younger brother Carney plays for their academy, but Gerrard will be hoping that he can be tempted into a move to Ibrox.

Despite featuring 28 times for the Cobblers’ senior side, Chukwuemeka is yet to sign a professional deal with the club and will reportedly become a free agent in January, which suggests that he could be a very cheap option for the Gers this summer.

Jermain Defoe’s heir?

Defoe recently signed a new one-year contract at Rangers but will take on some coaching work as his influence in the first-team dwindles, and Chukwuemeka could be the man to step up as his replacement when he does eventually retire from professional football.

The 38-year-old has scored 32 goals in his 72 appearances for Rangers thus far and is always likely to pop up with a goal when he does play due to the incredible goalscoring instincts that he possesses.

It bodes well for the future that he will be coaching some of Rangers’ brightest prospects and if Chukwuemeka were to arrive at Ibrox, Defoe would no doubt be in regular conversation with him on how he can improve his game.

The teenage forward has scored twice in his senior career thus far but is highly regarded at the League Two club, with former manager Keith Curle singing his praises last season, saying:

“Caleb has got an unpredictability about him and he can be unorthodox at times. What we’re trying to do is get the fundamentals in place in his play without taking away that excitement and that freedom in his play.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

If Chukwuemeka does arrive at Ibrox and starts to score consistently, there’s no reason why he can’t be the long-term replacement for Defoe at Rangers, so Ross Wilson should definitely be looking to bring him in.

And, in other news… Jordan Campbell drops big update on Ibrox “mountain”, Rangers fans will be buzzing

Shoaib Akhtar’s ban has been suspended by the Lahore High Court pending a full and final judgement

Cricinfo staff04-Jul-2008
Shoaib Akhtar’s ban has been suspended pending a final judgement but the fine still remains © AFP
Shoaib Akhtar’s ban on playing for Pakistan has been temporarily suspended by the Lahore High Court pending a full and final judgement, which technically means the fast bowler is eligible to play for Pakistan. The fine imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the original punishment remains however.Shoaib was banned on April 1 from playing cricket for Pakistan for five years by the board’s disciplinary committee, for comments he made to the media about the board earlier in the year. He had criticised the board’s policy on central contracts, as well as playing conditions in a domestic tournament.After the ban was announced, Shoaib went on to level serious allegations against Nasim Ashraf, the board chairman, in a series of TV interviews. The charges led to a defamation lawsuit being slapped against him by Ashraf and the board though the lawsuit was eventually dropped.A subsequent appellate tribunal reduced his sentence to 18 months butimposed a hefty financial fine on him of Rs 7 million ($105,000 approximately). Unhappy with the judgement of the three-man tribunal, headed by a retired chief justice, Shoaib then filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court last month.”Akhtar’s appeal of stay against the ban was upheld,” Tafazzul Rizvi, the PCB lawyer said. “This means he is temporarily allowed to play until the writ petition is fully heard.”According to a source close to Shoaib’s legal team, the judgement is only an interim one until the court hears out the whole case. It is unlikely that the case will proceed at any pace until at least September, after the summer break. “He is technically allowed to play for Pakistan now,” said the source.Understandably, Shoaib was pleased with the decision. “I am relieved. I want to play for my country and my fitness is up to the level,” Shoaib said. “I might go to England to play a few county or league games to gain match fitness.”I want to play in the Champions Trophy and win it for my people. I am thankful to the PCB chairman for his support in the last two months.”Ashraf said only that the decision of the court will be respected. “We have to establish what the court has said but we will always respect the decision of the court. It is up to the selectors to see whether he will be picked.”Whether or not he will have an opportunity to play is another question. It is unlikely that the selection committee will pick him, despite the paucity of pace resources in the current side, given his recent run-ins with the board. “We respect the court’s decision,” Salahuddin Ahmed, chief selector, told Cricinfo. “Shoaib’s selection in the future will be based on his fitness and his match fitness.”The future of Mohammad Asif, Pakistan’s other leading fast bowler, is also unclear: he is the subject of an internal three-man board inquiry after he was detained in Dubai for 20 days for allegedly being caught in possession with a drug at Dubai airport.In any case, Pakistan have no international assignments until late August, when New Zealand are scheduled to visit for three ODIs, though even that is yet to be confirmed. In September, Pakistan is scheduled to host the ICC Champions Trophy.

Derbyshire have successfully signed Wavell Hinds as a Kolpak player after taking advantage of the ECB’s weakening position towards trying to refuse registration

Cricinfo staff20-May-2008
Finally a Derbyshire man: Wavell Hinds has his Kolpak deal © AFP
Derbyshire have successfully signed Wavell Hinds as a Kolpak player after taking advantage of the ECB’s weakening position towards trying to refuse registration.Hinds was initially signed as a Kolpak last October, but his registration was refused due to his links the Indian Cricket League and Derbyshire were planning on having him as their one overseas player for the Twenty20 Cup. However, the ECB have had to back-track on their hardline stance and have subsequently allowed Justin Kemp, Andrew Hall and Johann van der Wath to take up their respective deals.Derbyshire have jumped at the chance to secure Hinds as a Kolpak, meaning they can play Chris Rogers, the Australian opener, as an overseas at any time.”After all of the trials and tribulations and the obstacles we have faced – it is great that Wavell is finally joining us,” head of cricket, John Morris, said. “He should have been here from April and it is disappointing that he has missed out on the early part of the season. However, being able to add a player of his calibre to the squad from the beginning of June is a terrific boost.”Hinds, who has played 45 Tests and 114 ODIs, is set to make his debut in County Championship match against Worcestershire at Chesterfield on June 6.