Just two days after suffering their worst one-day series defeat in recent times, the Indians will find themselves in a school-like setting, against a team largely composed of freshmen. In a two-day work-out ahead of the first Test, they will take on an inexperienced Antigua & Barbuda side at the nondescript Police Recreation Ground.Rahul Dravid had no qualms in admitting that India were “out fielded” in the one-day series but, considering the arena served up for the practice match, his team would do well to shelve their acrobatic skills for the moment. A day before the match, the Police Recreation Ground resembled a football field. A furrow ran through the centre and there were several large chunks of rough patches on the outfield. The groundsman, a jovial man who bowls legspinners for the Police club, attributed this to the drought that the area is experiencing.The ground is also characterised by a distinct slope, one that might remind a few Indians of Lord’s. The main square, though, is situated on a mound, one that may remind Ramesh Powar of Shivaji Park, his club in Mumbai. The size of the field may get Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Singh Dhoni smacking their lips and at some stage of the game, spare balls may become a priority. Whether either will take the field is another issue, considering that the Indians might want to rest them ahead of the opening Test that is just three days away.With a number of weary legs doing the rounds, the Indians may want give a chance to the five players – Dinesh Karthik, Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman, VRV Singh and Wasim Jaffer – who have flown down for the Test series. The opponents they face, though, are largely unknown. Only Sylvester Joseph, who is leading the side, Adam Sanford and Kerry Jeremy, the medium-pacers, have played international cricket. Justin Athanaze, the promising Under-19 star, Chad Hampson, the talented medium-pacer, and Gavin Williams, a batsman who’s been playing club cricket in Australia, may be the others to watch out for.Indians Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid (capt), Yuvraj Singh, VVS Laxman, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth, VRV Singh.Antigua & Barbuda Sylvester Joseph (capt), Justin Athanaze, Adam Sanford, Kerry Jeremy, Anthony Martin, Devon Thomas, Chad Hampson, Gavin Williiams, Kerry Mentor (wk), Daniel Thomas, Michael Challenger, Greg Skepple, Stephen Matthew
It’s back to the drawing board for young Jehan Mubarak for whom the world seems to have turned upside down.Only two months ago he was leading the Sri Lanka `A’ team and was looked up as a future prospective cricketer for the senior side. But after a dismal failure in the first unofficial test against West Indies `A’ at Rangiri Dambulla where he disappointed with scores of 17 and 15 he finds himself on the sidelines.The tall and graceful left-hander who represents CCC in the Premier competition has been dropped from the squad of 14 for the remaining two `tests’ against the tourists and now faces a long haul of resurrecting his career all over again.Last year Mubarak was made captain of the Sri Lanka `A’ team that toured England. He not only led the side admirably but also made runs scoring 235 at an average of 47 inclusive of three fifties in three first-class matches. In the six one-day matches also he showed pleasing form to average 55.75 for 223 runs and two fifties.It was a memorable tour for the team because they won all seven one-day matches against county sides and had a win-loss-draw record in the three first-class games.Based on these performances the selectors picked him for the tour of Pakistan where he appeared in the two Tests but failed to make any worthwhile contributions with the bat scoring just 49 runs in four innings with a top score of 34.The selectors continued to persist with him and appointed him captain of Sri Lanka `A’ for the home series against England `A’ and Pakistan `A’. It was here that Mubarak’s form began to decline. He was totally out of sorts and failed to make an impression in any of the `tests’ or the one-day triangular except in the last `test’ against Pakistan `A’ at Dambulla where he scored a compact 80. His scores prior to that innings were: 10, 24, 11, 36, 0, 4, 0, 16, 2, 33, and 1.The selectors thought the weight of captaincy was affecting his batting and removed him from that post for the series against West Indies `A’ hoping that at least now he would deliver. But once again he failed.To sum up his disappointing run he has not made a century since scoring 169 for CCC against Ragama CC in a Premier trophy match in November 2003. It also happens to be the only century Mubarak has scored in six years of first-class cricket.For the 24-year-old Mubarak the world has not ended. He has been retained in the Sri Lanka `A’ pool and needs to get some runs behind him to once again attract the selectors’ attention.”To me Mubarak looks tensed up and mentally not there,” said chairman of selectors Lalith Kaluperuma.”He should be confident and play his normal game. He has been in the circuit for a long time and he should use his experience to come out of the situation. He couldn’t ask for a better person than Anura Tennekoon (the present `A’ team manager) to seek advice,” he said.Kaluperuma said that since the time Mubarak played for Sri Lanka in the under 19 World Cup the selectors have been nursing and guiding him all along.”I don’t thing any other cricketer has been given the amount of opportunities that Mubarak has. He has taken a long time to come out of his bad patch and there are others knocking on the door,” said Kaluperuma.Mubarak’s place in the fourteen has been given to Colts batsman Shantha Kalavitigoda.
South Australia’s Chris Duval has not yet broken into the state first team, but he has been spotted by the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.Duval, 20, left Pat Kelly and Tony Harris, scouts for the Dodgers, impressed when his pitches were timed at 137 kph.”He would be in the top one per cent absolutely, in the top one per cent of his age and his size,” Duval told ABC Sport. “He’s young, he’s a very strong big durable guy and he’s got arm strength which is something you can’t teach. All those three things you really can’t teach you know, they’re just God given."
Former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga has overturned a proposed sportslaw preventing politicians from holding office in sports bodies.Sports Minister Johnston Fernando introduced the proposed law in parliamentin February 2002 with the specific objective of de-politicising sportsadministrations, particularly the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka(BCCSL).However, the Supreme Court in Colombo upheld a petition by Ranatunga, amember of parliament, clearing the way for his participation in theforthcoming cricket board elections.Ranatunga had complained that the proposed sports law which preventedpoliticians from holding office in sports bodies was a “violation of hisfundamental rights”.He was convinced that Fernando was trying to prevent him from holdingoffice: “When I heard about the policy, I felt that someone was trying todrag me out of sports, an area in which I wanted to help."Ranatunga is likely to contest against former board president ThilangaSumathipala in cricket board elections at the end of March.
Middlesex and Hampshire had to settle for a draw, after heavy overnight rain and torrential showers in the morning, meant, despite the excellent efforts of the ground staff, that play would be impossible.With the batsmen on top after three days, the likelyhood of a winning result seemed unlikely. Hampshire led by 85 with all ten wickets outstanding overnight.One interesting factoid from a Hampshire point of view was the open bowling partnership of Chris Tremlett and Alex Morris. A combined height of 12’10” is thought to be by Hampshire scorer Vic Isaacs, Curator Neil Jenkinson and Handbook Editor Andrew Renshaw (all at Southgate), to be the tallest pair ever to open the bowling for Hampshire. Other tall players such as Malcolm Heath etc, have failed to emulate this feat with their partners.The record for Tremlett and Morris could be short lived, with the possibilty in the near future of the young Tremlett teaming up with England star Alan Mullally.
Mominul Haque will lead a strong Bangladesh A team for their tour to India later this month. The 15-member squad consists of 14 internationals including Al-Amin Hossain, who has been out of representative cricket since the World Cup.”Its my first tour abroad as a captain so looking ahead to make it memorable,” Mominul said. “It wont be easy considering we will be playing against the Indians at their own backyard but I am confident that we can put up a good show considering our strength. I think we have got an experienced squad and it will be good for our preparation ahead of the series against Australia.”Saqlain Sajib, the left-arm spinner, is the only uncapped player in the squad and it is learned that he was picked as cover for Taijul Islam, who has been given two weeks’ rest to recover from jaundice.
Bangladesh A tour of India
Sept 16 – 1st one-dayer v India A, Bangalore
Sept 18 – 2nd one-dayer v India A, Bangalore
Sept 20 – 3rd one-dayer v India A, Bangalore
Sept 22-24 – Three-day match v Karnataka, Mysore
Sept 27-29 – Three day match v India A, Bangalore
Al-Amin, who was sent home from Australia in February after a disciplinary breach, is one of four seamers in the team. Taskin Ahmed has been passed fit and will likely play multi-day cricket for the first time in over two years when Bangladesh A meet India A and Ranji Trophy champions Karnataka in Bangalore and Mysore. Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam complete the quartet.Anamul Haque, who lost his place in the senior side after injuring his shoulder in the World Cup, has been included in the A team while Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das and Sabbir Rahman are some of the other upcoming batsmen who have played international cricket in this team.Nasir Hossain and Mominul are the senior batsmen in the side, and Shuvagata Hom, who last played the solitary Test against India, is one of the batting allrounders in the side.Bangladesh A squad: Anamul Haque, Rony Talukdar, Liton Das, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque (capt), Nasir Hossain, Saqlain Sajib, Arafat Sunny, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Al-Amin Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Shuvagata Hom, Jubair Hossain.
Liverpool look increasingly likely to tie down Mohamed Salah to a new deal at Anfield, according to a significant transfer report which has emerged from Spain.
The Lowdown: Will Salah stay at Liverpool?
The future of the Reds superstar has been a big talking point in recent weeks, arguably affecting his performances on the pitch, with his influence decreasing slightly after a run of no goals in open play since February.
It remains to be seen what Salah’s decision will be regarding his next move, but recent claims have suggested that he could end up extending his stay at Anfield.
Another report is now doing the rounds which lends further weight to the theory that the 29-year-old could stay put.
The Latest: Big update emerges in Salah saga
According to Sport [via Sport Witness], ‘things have taken an unexpected turn’ with Salah’s future, and rumours of him leaving have been ‘turned upside down’.
It is stated that Barcelona have lost faith in signing the 29-year-old this summer and that the player is ‘about to say yes’ to Liverpool, coming just weeks after transfer claims from the same outlet that he had been strongly considering an exit from Merseyside.
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The Verdict: Vital to Liverpool’s future
This is a significant update regarding such a critical saga, with Salah a strong contender for being the world’s best player over the past 12 months, scoring 20 Premier League goals in 2021/22 to date.
Given his incredible level of fitness and dedication, there is no reason why the forward can’t remain in his prime for another four or five years, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema all still going strong well into their 30s.
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Salah signing a new deal would feel like a huge moment in the Reds’ present and future, showing that they are no longer a selling club and standing out as arguably Europe’s most exciting team instead.
In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a move for one top attacking player. Find out who it is here.
Watching pre-season games is fast becoming the bane of my life given the not so sociable kick-off times, yet one thing that has given me immense pride thus far is seeing players from the Castilla – the youth academy come through and play well amongst stars like Ronaldo, and not look out of place. Both Real Madrid and Barcelona have two of the finest academies in football, producing breakout star after star, yet how many youth team players have you seen your club utilise in the Premier League?
The answer is very few, with some youth set ups being quite frankly one up from pointless. Top clubs seem to be more focused on poaching what they feel is the next big thing from lower league or foreign clubs, only to have them play in the reserves before being sold to someone else lower down the food chain – Chelsea and Kakuta spring to mind here.
Yet take a look at a few of the lower league clubs, and Crewe in particular. Run by highly respected former manager Dario Gradi, the set-up has been highly successful in producing quality youth players who have been sold and allowed the club to keep going with the aid of this money, not to mention having highly successful careers themselves.
In the past we have seen Dean Ashton, Danny Murphy and Nicky Maynard to name but a few who have been sold and in the case of the older two gone on to represent England at International level. The latest of these starlets is Nick Powell, who has been sold to Manchester United after catching the eye of Fergie and having a superb season, winning all five of the end of year awards on offer at Crewe.
Likewise Reading have recently become ones to watch in relation to their youth set up, with Nas Bashir – now running his own academy – due a huge deal of credit here. Sigurdsson will be the most notable name from this set up to have gone on to a big move, yet plenty more are expected to flourish, all due to the nurturing they received when at the academy.
Why is this so rarely the case for the big boys? It begs the question if what is really needed is a man with a vision and the ability to get the very best out of the set-up, like Gradi and Bashir clearly have – is it their approach that is missing in the premier league or is it simply the fact that clubs are not prepared to develop players and allow them the time in the first team to come good in the world of top flight football which has now become so cut throat?
Bashir believes that not all kids will develop at the same rate, and Gradi puts in an eye watering amount of work with the young players to nurture them, focusing on the individual and teaching them to utilise both feet giving them experience they would be pressed to get at most other clubs – playing near enough 100 games by 23 is no easy task, yet Westwood and Murphy achieved this.
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Of course, clubs such as Crewe have to develop players and sell them on, ones like United do not, and with the FPP now making it easier than ever to poach players outside of the former catchment area, it doesn’t look like the big boys will have the incentive to develop a set up like Gradi’s anytime soon.
Scott Parker may have moved on to Tottenham, but West Ham has moved quickly to bring in two players, who should bring real quality to the Championship. David Bentley and Henri Lansbury have both joined the club in season-long loans.
Lansbury spent much of last season on loan at Norwich City, helping the club win promotion to the Premier League. There were rumours that Lansbury might be set for a permanent switch to Norfolk, but it is unclear if Arsenal would be prepared to sell the player at this stage.
In a way it is interesting that Lansbury has been allowed to leave Arsenal at all, considering Arsene Wenger had said that the player would get a chance in the first-team this season. Lansbury has also made appearances for Arsenal from the bench already in the Premier League this season. But it seems that it has been decided that Lansbury’s further education is best served by playing more regularly in the Championship.
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West Ham will be getting a player who is technically very good with great vision and passing ability to create chances for his new team-mates. Lansbury also likes to get forward and has a tendency to score goals himself. He also has a fantastic engine and work-rate, which is sure to make him a fans’ favourite this season.
David Bentley’s career has been going down the toilet at Tottenham, so he needed to get out and play some football. If the player can recapture the form that he showed at Blackburn after leaving Arsenal then West Ham should create plenty of chances.
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Clearly losing the services of Scott Parker is disappointing. However, the England midfielder was never going to put up with playing Championship football. West Ham fans should look to the future and remember that the club could well be back in the Premier League next season and there is no reason why Lansbury and Bentley can’t become permanent additions to the squad.
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Overall even though Parker has now gone the West Ham squad looks in good shape and the club is clearly in a good position to gain automatic promotion this season. It’s also good to see a number of English players in the squad and that should put the Hammers in good stead, when the club is back in the Premier League. With the move to the Olympic Stadium and an experienced manager at the helm things are going to get a lot better.
The rumours currently circulating regarding Charlie Adam’s potential move to Liverpool have drawn a wide array of attention. In particular Ian Holloway has suggested that Liverpool’s offer is ‘ridiculous’, ‘derisory’, ‘farcical’, the list goes on, pick your quote.
What I want to discuss here concerns not the transfer fee but the transfer itself. Are Liverpool mad?
Liverpool’s second choice striker is David N’Gog. With 9 goals in 55 Premier League appearances in his Liverpool career he is hardly flattering to deceive. Granted, he has not played many full games but that does not detract from the fact that he is distinctly average. Again I grant that he is only 21 and has potential but again that does not detract from the fact that he is not ready. Not ready for Liverpool’s first team, not ready for the Premiership, and not ready for a team that wants to contend to finish in the top 6, let alone the top 4.
In fact, to my knowledge, David N’Gog is the 52nd best striker in the Premiership.
I do not see the point in spending £30 million on a few decent players that will strengthen a weak squad when one player costing £30 milllion could dramatically improve the state of Liverpool’s predicament. The lack of depth in their midfield pales into insignificance when you analyse just how thin their strike force is.
Further still, a world class striker would allow Gerrard to play the role he is best in. Stevie has made the ‘box-to-box’ midfield role his own in the last ten years. He has only recently been deployed just off the striker. To be fair, he had an excellent season in 2008/9 playing this role but his skills as a midfielder cannot be forgotten. An extra striker would allow him to use these.
If Gerrard played under the best manager in the Premier League (Sir Alex Ferguson), he would play the role that Darren Fletcher currently plays. Ten times out of ten I would choose Gerrard ahead of Fletcher. It would mean playing 4-4-2 and not 4-3-3 and changing from the formation that saw them finish second. Surely Man United must be doing something right?
Instead of looking for another Alonso (a label banded around with Adam) they should look for a genuine partner for Fernando Torres. They should evolve, just as Man Utd have done over the years and adapt to suit what they currently need. Not try and recreate an excellent side of yester year (that did not actually win anything!)
Spending big cash may be a tough financial decision, but if they do not do it now they will lose more money in the long run. Key players like Carragher and Gerrard are getting on now and only have a few years left in them (Carra maybe even less). Crucially though is the question of how long will Fernando Torres continue to be content not playing Champions League football. If they lose their big guns, it is only a matter of time before even more serious financial investment will be needed to compensate for the money they have lost in missing out on European football.
Liverpool need to bite the bullet and splash out on a striker of genuine quality. They do exist (Llorente, Suarez, Aguero, Pazzini are a few off the top of my head). It would send such an exciting message to everyone involved at the club. A club that’s famously supreme morale is in a deep, deep trough.
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And for those who are interested in the 51 Premier League strikers in the league I rate higher than N’Gog, here you are…
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