All posts by h716a5.icu

South Africa’s tour match against Tasmania has been scrapped due to the switch in dates of the Champions League

Cricinfo staff01-Sep-2008
South Africa will miss a chance to fine-tune in between the first and second Tests against Australia © Getty Images
South Africa’s tour match against Tasmania has been scrapped due to the switch in dates of the Champions League Twenty20 in India in December. The change was caused when the international tournament for domestic teams, which involves sides from Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, England and India, was rescheduled from its original spot after the now-postponed Champions Trophy.The first Test between Australia and South Africa in Perth was moved last month to accommodate the change and South Africa will have a two-day game against Western Australia before the three-Test series starts on December 17. They were due to face Tasmania in the lead-up to the Boxing Day Test, but there is no longer enough space for the fixture.Cricket Australia confirmed the alterations while unveiling their revamped domestic schedule for the summer. Western Australia and Victoria are Australia’s representatives in the Champions League and their fixtures in early December had to be shifted to create the Twenty20 window.The first round of Sheffield Shield matches will start on October 10 while the FR Cup now opens on October 8, with Western Australia playing New South Wales at the WACA. The reshuffle also means the Warriors will have four of their first five Sheffield Shield contests at home. “The WACA will be the centre of cricket in Australia throughout October and November,” the chief executive Graeme Wood said, “and given the Warriors’ outstanding record at home in recent seasons, it will be a great opportunity to burst out of the blocks and kick-start our season.”

Is there ever a bad time to be offered £500,000 for three hours’ work? Publicly, Kevin Pietersen would never admit that the Stanford contest, which is now looming large in England’s sights, is an unwanted distraction, but privately he might actually

Andrew Miller at Cardiff04-Sep-2008
Kevin Pietersen and the Man of the Series, Andrew Flintoff, have brought the best out of one another © Getty Images
Is there ever a bad time to be offered £500,000 for three hours’ work? Publicly, Kevin Pietersen would never admit that the Stanford contest, which is now looming large in England’s sights, is an unwanted distraction, but privately – in the guise of England’s brand-new, results-driven captain – he might actually prefer for the fuss to blow over.That is because, after the Oval Test victory and a thumping 4-0 scoreline in the subsequent one-dayers, Pietersen has got a taste for glory the old-fashioned way. Though bad weather in Cardiff denied him a shot at an historic whitewash against South Africa, afterwards he challenged his players to continue their quest for self-improvement, regardless of the rewards that are starting to come their way.”At the end of the day, if you can’t get yourself up for that fixture, you can’t get yourself up for anything,” he said of the Stanford match. “But when people send you messages, they don’t talk about the cash you earn, it’s about where you are in the world, and now for me as captain, it’s really about the team.””I know there are a lot of players in the [dressing] room who have settled for some sort of comfort zone in some areas, but I don’t live with any comfort zones,” said Pietersen. “I don’t settle for mediocrity. I want my guys to perform, to chuck their talent around and be the best people they can possibly be. There’s no point in living if you don’t want to be as good as you can possibly be.”Rather than dwell on the one-off nature of November’s trip to Antigua, Pietersen preferred to reflect on the pleasure and prestige that a month of unbridled success had brought to him and his team-mates. “Playing against such a quality side as South Africa, you’re obviously an underdog,” he said, “but the way the guys have come out and done their business has been absolutely exceptional and I can’t fault anybody.”Pietersen’s leadership style was not expected to meet with such universal approval, but within a month of taking over from Michael Vaughan, he has transformed expectations within his squad, and resharpened the minds of several senior players who might, by their own admission, have been coasting in recent times.”With a new captain we’re all eager to impress and I feel Kevin has played a major role within the side,” said the Man of the Series, Andrew Flintoff. “He’s a confident lad and I think that’s rubbing off on the rest of the boys. He’s got a big work ethic and demands a lot of his players, and everyone’s responding well. We’ve done well so far, but I think we’ll be judged in five or six months’ time.”England’s 4-0 scoreline has hoisted them from No. 7 in the one-day rankings to No. 3, although had the final match not been washed out, that position might have been higher still. “The big incentive today was to end up at No. 2 in the world,” said Pietersen. “It wasn’t hard to get switched on for a day like today, because everyone was absolutely desperate to win.”Success begets success, and that is an ethos that Pietersen is very keen to cultivate as England stride towards a winter in India, followed by a tricky spring tour of the Caribbean. “I watched a very interesting interview with Ricky Ponting at the World Cup last year,” said Pietersen. “He was asked how easy or hard is it to captain Australia, and he said it’s easy because every guy wakes up looking to get better and better every day. I think it’s a recipe for success.”So far, it seems the Ponting method is working very nicely for Pietersen. “It hasn’t gone wrong at any stage,” he said. “I’ve been in a very fortunate position to make a few judgment calls and that’s it. The rest has looked after itself which is magnificent. When you look around the world, only Australia can match England in terms of fitness. The way the lads have been on the practice fields, I don’t think much can go wrong at the moment.”Pietersen is nevertheless braced for the inevitable downturn, but until it happens, he’s happy to go with the flow. “I live with the philosophy of really enjoying the good times, because when the bad times come along you always long for the good times,” he said. “We’ll enjoy the days like today, and the series we’ve had, because it’ll be tough in India. But if we keep ourselves fit and on the park, we’ll go from strength to strength.”

Manchester City fans are delighted with the news that Harry Kane has not turned up to training at Tottenham after his post-Euro 2020 holiday.

The Citizens are preparing for the new campaign as they look to defend their Premier League title. There have been no major new arrivals at the Etihad Stadium so far this summer transfer window, but Pep Guardiola’s side have been heavily linked with a move for England captain Kane (The Telegraph).

The 28-year-old England captain told Spurs at the start of the summer that he wishes to leave north London (Sky Sports), and City have been heavily linked with his services.

Now, it has been revealed by Paul Gilmour that Kane did not turn up for training, while Fabrizio Romano added it was his own decision not to arrive, rather than due to a Covid-19 quarantine or regulation.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Saints supporters, as they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Kane news below

“THE END IS NIGH”

Credit: @Carefree_Jam

“You love to see it”

Credit: @mcfcryan17

“Kyle Walker has done a madness”

Credit: @ReckersGaming

“first real good sign i was waiting for this”

Credit: @Alvinohhh

“Forcing a move to his dream club, We’re massive”

Credit: @xMcfc_oKx

“Harry Kane on strike, it’s beautiful”

Credit: @bernardooooV3

In other news, Man City fans also want to sign this left-back.

Liverpool’s summer transfer plans have suffered a potentially significant blow after a move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez was ruled out.

What’s the story?

According to The Athletic’s Liverpool reporter James Pearce, the 26-year-old is available in the current window, although his wage demands have so far proved too high for any potential suitor.

When asked in a Q&A for the website about the Reds’ chances of signing the midfielder, the journalist outlined: “Unless there’s a change of heart from Liverpool, I can’t see it. He’s been offered around to a host of clubs, but his wage demands are massive.” 

The Anfield outfit have been heavily linked with a move for Saul in recent weeks following the departure of Gini Wijnaldum, but it seems as though he’s unlikely to be arriving on Merseyside anytime soon.

[freshpress-poll

Liverpool fans will be absolutely gutted

News that Liverpool are thought to be out of the running for Saul will surely leave the club’s supporters feeling gutted.

Wijnaldum’s decision to leave the 19-time English champions following five successful years with the club has left a huge hole in the Reds’ engine room given his consistent presence in the starting XI, and the Atletico ace would have been an ideal candidate to fill it.

Indeed, his WhoScored average match rating of 6.76 was better than the Dutchman’s 6.62, while also eclipsing Liverpool midfielders Naby Keita (6.59), Curtis Jones (6.58), James Milner (6.48) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (6.18), which suggests that he could have been a significant enhancement to Jurgen Klopp’s squad in that department.

Over the last few campaigns, Saul has established himself as one of the best central midfielders in the game, winning one La Liga title, two Europa Leagues and one Copa del Rey throughout his time with Los Rojiblancos.

However, the emergence and incredible displays of Marcos Llorente forced Saul down Atletico’s pecking order last season, limiting him to just 22 La Liga starts.

The technically gifted maestro missed out on a place in Luis Enrique’s 24-man squad for Euro 2020 as a result, and he is now keen for a new challenge.

It seemed at various points throughout the current window that Saul’s new surroundings would be Anfield, but that prospect appears to be over for now at least, which will surely come as a source of much frustration for Kopites.

In other news… Bye-Bye Shaqiri: Edwards must sanction Liverpool swoop for “exceptional” £21.2m wizard 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said that Indian’s experienced middle-order batsmen are burdened more by their own high expectations than that of the fans and the media

Cricinfo staff06-Oct-2008
Mahendra Singh Dhoni thinks India’s spinners can hurt Australia © AFP
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said that Indian’s senior batsmen – Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman – are under pressure more due to their own high expectations than that of the fans and the media. With age catching up (Laxman, who turns 34 next month, is the youngest of the middle-order veterans) and all four of them in poor form during the recent Test series in Sri Lanka, their places have come under scrutiny.Dhoni, however, insisted that the seniors still have a lot to offer. “There is more pressure on them because of their own expectation level and because they have set the benchmark so high,” he told . “There is more pressure that comes from within.”I don’t think you can really write them off, they have plenty in them. But at the same time you have to look into the future. It’s all about transition, making a respectful last few years in their international career.”He also said that the seniors could still hold their own despite the presence of talented youngsters who are pushing for Test spots. “We definitely have players who are talented and can make it big, but at the same time, it’s not really about talent. Their adaptability and preparation matters.”He also said that Australia will find the going tough in the Tests if the pitches assist the spinners. “If it is a normal Indian wicket that starts to turn may be from the tea session [of the first day], then it will be tough for them. They will have to apply themselves to get the runs.” Spinners accounted for ten of the 12 Australian wickets that fell during their four-day game against a Board President’s XI in Hyderabad last week.

West Brom forward Kenneth Zohore will feature in Valerien Ismael’s plans for the first-team this season, despite rumours that he could depart the club this summer.

What’s the story?

Zohore has been with West Brom since 2019, and has made 21 appearances in total for the Baggies, although he spent last year’s campaign on loan with Championship side Millwall in search of regular minutes.

It has been reported by Yorkshire Live that Zohore wass attracting interest from the likes of Sheffield Wednesday in the previous transfer windows, with his future at The Hawthorns remaining ‘up in the air’ at this moment in time.

Speaking in a recent interview (quotes sourced from Birmingham Live), West Brom boss Ismael has revealed that Zohore does feature in his plans for the 2021/22 season, as the Baggies look to win promotion back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

“Ken I have to say, over the last two weeks, has raised his intensity for sure. At the beginning, we had some concerns about whether he can play at that intensity and buy in, but the last two weeks and the game against Birmingham show that we are on the right way with him.

“Strikers of that type you will need in the Championship, he can help us. He can score goals. He has the quality and he is part of the process.

“It’s up to him now to put the performances in on the pitch. My job, with the staff, is to make sure that he has the clarity in his head to know exactly what he has to do. I hope he can confirm what we have seen over the last two weeks.”

‘Powerful’

West Brom are well-equipped in their attacking options in the 2021/22 season, with Ismael having the likes of Karlan Grant and Callum Robinson available to him, as well as Zohore.

With The Express and Star reporting that they’re keeping an eye on both Daryl Dike and Manchester City youngster Liam Delap this summer as well, it is somewhat surprising that Zohore’s immediate future appears to be at the Hawthorns.

The former Cardiff City man has shown that he can perform to a good standard in the Championship, having played an important role in the Bluebirds’ promotion-winning campaign in the 2017/18 season.

Zohore netted nine goals in 39 appearances for Cardiff in that promotion-winning season, but hasn’t had much of an opportunity to impress in the Premier League.

The forward had an average Whoscored rating of 7.00 in the 2017/18 season for Cardiff, and could potentially be a good option to have for Valerien Ismael this term in the Championship.

Speaking in an interview with West Brom News, former West Brom forward Kevin Phillips labelled Zohore as a ‘big, powerful guy’, and predicted that he would want a move elsewhere back in the summer of 2020.

“He’s a big, powerful guy. I think the player himself will want to move on because he knows he won’t play next season. He’ll just want to go and play football. I’m sure of that.”

However, it looks like he’s now going to face a tough battle for his future at West Brom, especially if the Baggies are to add further depth to their squad in the near future.

Ismael choosing to keep the big forward around is a surprising decision, fans will be hoping that it turns out to be the right call.

And in other news, West Brom journalist says he’s expecting a battle for star forward’s signature…

Chris Rogers made his first century for his new state Victoria and helped them cruise to a first-innings lead over New South Wales at the SCG

Cricinfo staff05-Nov-2008
Scorecard

Chris Rogers celebrates his 150 © Fred Kelly
Chris Rogers made his first century for his new state Victoria and helped them cruise to a first-innings lead over New South Wales at the SCG. At stumps on the second day Victoria had extended their advantage to 70 and were 3 for 331 with David Hussey unbeaten on 59 and the nightwatchman Darren Pattinson yet to score.Rogers fell for 159 in the second-last over when he was caught off Nathan Hauritz, who picked up two wickets. But the six-hour innings from Rogers, who shifted from Western Australia during the off-season was enough to anchor a very strong performance from the Bushrangers.He had assistance late in the day from Hussey and earlier from Brad Hodge, whose 66 featured two sixes. Hodge departed when he tried to scamper through for a quick single and was caught short by the combined efforts of Peter Forrest and the wicketkeeper Daniel Smith.The only other success on a disappointing day for the Blues was the removal of Nick Jewell (38), who was caught trying to go over the top against Hauritz. But the star was Rogers, who has already proved a valuable signing for Victoria and is the state’s leading first-class run scorer so far this season.

Cricinfo previous the first final between Lahore Badshahs and Hyderabad Heroes

Cricinfo staff12-Nov-2008Match factsNov 13, 2008
Start time 7.30pm (1400 GMT)
31, 62 … will be be 124 for Inzamam on Thursday? © ICL
The Big PictureThere’s a sense of déjà vu. A best-of-three finals; Lahore Badshahs and Hyderabad Heroes making it past a tough league phase; the only thing seemingly different is that Ahmedabad will host the final instead of Hyderabad.Both teams come in to the clash geared up, with back-to-back wins against two of the frontrunners in the league stage – Lahore beat the Chennai Superstars and Hyderabad saw off the Royal Bengal Tigers – keeping them on their toes. It is perhaps fitting that the only game they played against each other this season, the tournament opener, didn’t go the full distance. (Lahore, chasing 166, were 30 for 2 when the lights went out.)It might be a repeat of the last tournament, but Lahore will be seeking to change one thing: the final outcome. It is just about doubling the prize money; last season, Lahore were highly tipped for the winners’ cheque, but were humbled 2-0 by Hyderabad, losing a bowl-out 3-0 in the second final.Hyderabad’s all-round balance gives them an advantage in this format, but Lahore’s big-name players – Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf and Saqlain Mushtaq – have been pulling their weight in recent games. Add to that the Ahmedabad factor. Hyderabad had the home advantage in their triumph, and Lahore have looked at home in Ahmedabad. They have delivered five wins in five games at the Sardar Patel Stadium, and the vociferous crowd support could be the X-factor in overcoming their strong opponents.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)Hyderabad- WWWLW
Lahore – WWWWLStats Imran Nazir has 18 sixes, the joint-highest along with Alok Kapali. How much will he dent the opposition’s confidence on Thursday? Nicky Boje’s economy-rate of 5.75 is the best in the tournament. Doing the same against a formidable Lahore line-up, though, will be a very tough ask. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan has been able to swing games with vital wickets towards the end, and with 17 scalps, is the leading strike-force in the tournament. He took 5 for 22 and forced the bowl-out in that gripping finale last season. Can he repeat those heroics again? 135 was the average total in the two finals in the last tournament. It is unlikely that will be the par score in Ahmedabad.Players to watchHe’s found the , and troubled the opposition with his repertoire of skills, but it is in the final that Lahore need Saqlain to deliver. There are some big-hitters in Hyderabad’s line-up, and small variations could be the difference between a hit and a miss.Abdul Razzaq, the Player of the Tournament when Hyderabad won, has had a quiet tournament with the bat. His 191 runs in nine games have come at a strike-rate of 112.35. He has been doing a good job with the ball, with eight wickets and an economy-rate of 6.55, to follow his 18 last season. Has he reserved that match-winning knock or spell, or both, for the big day?Bengal would have fancied their chances of a place in the final till Stuart Binny took charge in the semi-final on Tuesday. By smacking 45 off 26 balls in a chase of 162, Binny revelled in the pressure. There will be no lack of pressure in the final.While the bowlers have been gunning for Nazir, his opening partner Imran Farhat has put on useful scores in Lahore’s victories over Chennai. A 38-ball 63 and a 24-ball 45 in the semi-final set the foundation for the likes of Yousuf and Inzamam to build on. If the two Imrans get going, it’s unlikely Hyderabad will take the lead on Friday.Quotes”Tomorrow’s match will be a crunch match as it is the first game and winning it will give an advantage to the team. But we don’t have any specific strategy or plan for them. The game is the same, just name changes, so we would look to just stick to what we have done so far, just follow the basic plan.”
“They are an international team and have one of the most destructive opening pairs. We know that they can really get them off to a flier but on doing that they also provide a lot of opportunities and we would like to grab those chances with both hands.”

Sheffield Wednesday will reportedly attempt to tie Dominic Iorfa down to a new deal this summer, as they look to extend his stay at Hillsborough.

The Lowdown: Iorfa shines for Sheff Wed

The Owls have not have experienced the happiest time in their history recently, but Iorfa has been one of the few positives to emerge.

The 26-year-old has shone at centre-back for Wednesday, making 71 appearances to date and scoring five goals for good measure.

Iorfa was voted the club’s Player of the Year in 2019/20, highlighting how much of an influence he has had since arriving from Wolves in 2019.

The Latest: Owls keen to offer new deal

According to The Sheffield Star, Wednesday are keen on the idea of offering Irofa a new deal, with his current contract expiring next summer.

That means they could lose him on a free transfer at that point, so the club want to alleviate that issue. An offer could arrive in the ‘coming weeks’.

The Verdict: Hugely important figure

Iorfa is arguably one of Darren Moore’s most important players this season, given his stature at centre-back and the fact that his defensive partner Sam Hutchinson is an often injury-prone figure.

Having extended Josh Windass’ stay at Hillsborough, this would be another huge positive, enhancing Wednesday’s chances of success in the future.

Iorfa enjoyed an 89.1 percent pass completion rate in the 0-0 draw at Charlton Athletic last Saturday, highlighting his quality in possession – he is more than just a colossal 6 foot 4 defender.

In other news, Sheff Wed have reportedly shown interest in signing one player. Find out who it is here.

Fulham have made the first move in their bid to bring Michael Obafemi to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Football League World, who claimed that Tony Khan has made an approach to Southampton regarding the availability of the 21-year-old striker ahead of a potential move for the Republic of Ireland under-21 international in what remains of the summer transfer window.

Indeed, talkSPORT’s Alex Crook recently claimed in a post on Twitter that Blackburn Rovers, Bournemouth and Fulham, as well as a host of other Championship clubs, are interested in the striker, with whom Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are believed to be willing to part ways this summer.

However, following Football League World’s latest update, it would seem as if the Cottagers could be leading the race for Obafemi.

Fans will be buzzing

With Khan having already landed two impressive signings in the shape of Harry Wilson and Paulo Gazzaniga in the summer transfer window, reports that Fulham’s director of football appears intent on continuing the Cottagers’ business in the transfer market – particularly for a player as exciting as Obafemi – are sure to have the Craven Cottage faithful buzzing.

Indeed, despite starting just eight of his 21 Premier League appearances back in 2019/20, the £2.7m-rated centre-forward still bagged three goals, provided two assists and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 0.6 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

As such, taking into account that the £12k-per-week Obafemi is still just 21 years of age, the man who Hasenhuttl dubbed a “quality” player would very much seem to be an incredibly exciting prospect.

If Khan can follow up on his initial contact with an acceptable offer for the striker, the prospective signing of the Southampton starlet certainly appears to have the potential to go down as something of a transfer masterclass by the Cottagers co-owner.

In other news: Bye-bye Seri: Khan must seal Fulham deal for £518k-rated gem, he won’t cost a penny