All posts by h716a5.icu

The newly-laid track at Feroz Shah Kotla is less than six months old with fresh soil brought from abroad and the grass yet to spread evenly along the 22 yards, making life agonising for the batsmen

Nagraj Gollapudi in Delhi09-Oct-2009The newly-laid track at Feroz Shah Kotla is less than six months old with fresh soil brought from abroad and the grass yet to spread evenly along the 22 yards. All this makes it difficult for the ball to bounce higher than your hips while rising mostly to the level between the knee and shin, thereby making life agonising for the batsmen. Yet in truth, Victoria, the foreigners, romped home with such aplomb, it almost didn’t matter.For this to happen in Twenty20 cricket, usually the batsman’s fiefdom, is unimaginable. Yet the pitch at the Kotla was the talking point today in both the games. A good statistic that could shed light on the matter: of the 26 wickets to fall on the day, half were clean bowled.”I don’t know how bad a wicket it is, but it is not an ideal wicket for a Twenty20 game because you just don’t have a chance to come back,” Gautam Gambhir, leading the Delhi Dardevils for the first time, said. That he didn’t lay the blame entirely on the low and slow nature of the pitch was a just thing to do. That was only because the opposition batsmen adapted much better to the challenging conditions.Victorian left-hander Rob Quiney followed in the footsteps of fellow countryman Simon Katich, who had proved a few hours earlier that the best way to score on such a difficult pitch was to play the waiting game. The formula worked wonders and Quiney top scored with 40. Quiney didn’t go into a shell though, playing some handsome drives including three sixes, as he took full toll of the bad deliveries, which came as gold dust in such a low-scoring affair.Having witnessed the Eagles disintegrate against the formidable New South Wales, Delhi had a clear idea about the dos and don’ts. Yet their batsmen played with an urgency that was misplaced. Though Gambhir denied that his batsmen played with doubt in their minds, the reality was, barring Gambhir and Sehwag, the Delhi batsmen lost their wickets to cross-batted heaves and pulls. They played as if they had to slay the demons in the pitch.The trouble was those demons were in their minds. In contrast, Quiney, and Katich earlier, showed more composure to pick the right balls, and the wide gaps, to make progress.”It wasn’t that bad,” Cameron White, Victoria’s captain said. “It was little bit slow and kept down but we knew we had to adapt to such conditions when we came here and we did that today.”Gambhir said Delhi fell short of the par total of 140-145, which New South Wales had successfully managed to achieve earlier in the afternoon. He felt the best remedy for playing on such a pitch was to set a realistic target and bat towards that. Fair enough, but he would agree that the batsmen in the subcontinent are a pampered lot, spoiled by the benign surfaces on offer.For decades, batsmen from the subcontinent have become adept at prospering on the flat pitches and have always found it difficult to recalibrate their games, which could be looked at as a down point. Delhi’s collective failure today highlights that negative amply.

Many Wolves fans have been left slamming the display of Francisco Trincao in their game away at Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

The Portugal international was dragged off by Bruno Lage for Daniel Podence in the 68th minute of the match with the score still at 1-0 to the Eagles, summing up his lack of impact.

He lost out on three of his duels, and also failed to record a single shot on target, successful dribble, key pass or cross, while he lost possession of the ball on no fewer than on 14 separate occasions, one of the highest out of his teammates (SofaScore).

With the likes of Podence and Adama Traore left on the bench, Trincao will now feel as if his place in the starting eleven is under threat.

Wolves fans on Trincao display

These members of the Molineux faithful slammed his performance on Twitter, with one WWFC supporter even going as far as to claim that the winger was ‘worse than awful’:

“Trincao has been poor”

Credit: @craigthewolf

“Trincao makes Harry Maguire look like Usain Bolt”

Credit: @dtr2527

“Dreadful from Trincao”

Credit: @WolvesBoiWonder

“Painful watching Trincao in this sort of game”

Credit: @andrewhos

“Trincao has been worse than awful today”

Credit: @w2020plus1

“Trincao off for me offered nothing today”

Credit: @gaztivist18

In other news, find out what Lage comments had Wanderers buzzing here!

Norwich City have reduced their shortlist of managerial targets to just two names.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a recent David Ornstein report for The Athletic, in which the journalist revealed that Stuart Webber has narrowed his search for Daniel Farke’s replacement in the Norwich dugout to only two individuals.

It is also claimed that despite the club’s rather speedy identification of Farke’s potential successor, no conversations with managerial targets had taken place prior to the German’s sacking on Sunday, while the club are also thought to be hoping to have appointed a new head coach within a week.

Fans will be buzzing

While the reaction to Norwich’s sacking of Farke was somewhat mixed from the club’s fanbase, the news that City already appear to be closing in on the 45-year-old’s successor is sure to have fans buzzing.

Indeed, with the Canaries’ 2-1 win over Brentford on Saturday moving the club level on points with Newcastle United, as well as just five away from safety, there is certainly a great deal left to play for at Carrow Road this season.

And, with a two-week international break ahead of the club, now would appear to be the perfect time for City to appoint a new manager, as the incoming coach will have ample time to settle into life at Norwich, as well as being afforded an extended stretch of time to work on fitness and tactics on the training ground with his new side, all without the worry of upcoming fixtures.

Furthermore, should the club be successful in their attempts to bring in a managerial target in the coming weeks, the new boss will also be able to assess the current ability of his playing squad, before making a decision as to which positions that may need strengthening in the January transfer window.

As such, with a crunch match against Southampton coming up on November 20, it is certainly a case of the sooner the better regarding Webber’s appointment of a new coach, something which appears to be on the cards following Ornstein’s latest report.

In other news: Webber could land NCFC’s dream Farke heir with “attractive” coach, he’s a perfect fit

Ramnaresh Sarwan has told his inexperienced team-mates they must be mentally strong to tackle Australia

Peter English18-Nov-2009Ramnaresh Sarwan has told his inexperienced team-mates they must be mentally strong to tackle Australia in their own backyard. Sarwan started his third Test tour Down Under with 73 on the opening day of the warm-up against Queensland, but both new openers missed out as the West Indians were dismissed for a below-par 271.Australia has been a hard place to visit for Sarwan, who has 218 runs here in six Tests, but his role has suddenly increased following the departure of Chris Gayle on Wednesday to be with his sick mother in Jamaica. The 15-man squad was already light on experience following the end of the drawn-out players’ strike and Sarwan, a former captain, has already taken on more responsibility.”We have been trying to do that, especially the senior guys like myself, Shiv [Chanderpaul] and Chris,” he said. “I don’t think nothing much will change [with Gayle’s departure], it’s important we help the younger guys as much as we can.”Nine years ago Sarwan started his first Test trip to Australia with scores of 0,0,2,1 and 0 before gaining his first half-century in the final match in Sydney. “It’s pretty tough here,” he said. “I had my first baptism here in 2000-01, but that made me mentally tough. I’ve said to the young guys you have to remain mentally tough in this part of the world. You guys play pretty hard and it will be a pretty good challenge.”Both Adrian Barath (0) and Travis Dowlin (2), the only specialist openers in the squad now Gayle has left, were dismissed by the time the score was 10 against a Queensland line-up containing two opening bowlers appearing in their maiden first-class games. “It wasn’t the type of start we wanted to get off to and we’re a bit disappointed,” Sarwan said. “But at the start the ball was doing quite a bit. Unfortunately we lost a few wickets, but myself and Shiv batted pretty well through that period, but it’s disappointing we didn’t bat through the day.”Chanderpaul made 41 before he was out pulling and Dwayne Bravo sparkled over 49 runs in 53 deliveries until he edged the legspinner Daniel Doran. Sarwan was closing in on a century after tea, but his stay ended when he was ruled caught behind to the debutant Luke Feldman.”I would have liked to have gone on and got a hundred, but nevertheless I got 73 and, most importantly, I spent some time at the crease because I haven’t played a four-day game for quite a while,” he said. “On the other hand as a team we’ll be a bit disappointed not to have scored 300.”

The India captain has stood by his decision to bat first in the sixth ODI against Australia in Guwahati, and has blamed the team’s inconsistent batting for the series defeat

Cricinfo staff08-Nov-2009India needed to win the sixth ODI against Australia in Guwahati to stay in the series but, less than an hour into the contest, their hopes were snuffed out. Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson wrecked their formidable top-order, reducing them to 27 for 5, a situation MS Dhoni described as a “bit too much” to come back from.”The pitch didn’t misbehave in any way, though there was a bit of movement for the fast bowlers early on,” Dhoni said after India lost the series 4-2 with a game in hand. “I said at the toss also that the first half-an-hour would be crucial and if we negotiate that we could set the total that we had in mind.”I think 27 for 5 was a bit too much. Even 150 was looking very difficult after that and we were fortunate to cross the mark after that. If we lost maybe one or two wickets, it would still be decent because you had the chance of getting back. We had a seventh batsman and we have also seen Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar contributing to a certain extent.”Dhoni batted first on winning the toss on a pitch he felt would aid the spinners as the match progressed. However, the Australian fast bowlers exploited the assistance it offered after an 8.30 am start and found movement in the air. The Indian fast bowlers failed to gain similar movement later in the day and their spinners had too little a total to defend. The batsmen’s failure to contribute collectively was also a significant factor in India’s three defeats while chasing in Vadodara, Mohali and Hyderabad.”We haven’t backed the opportunities that we have got. A majority of the batsmen haven’t contributed at the same time,” Dhoni said. “In the games where our top order didn’t perform, our middle order also didn’t bat well. In the end we have lost the series. We have done well in patches in this series but we haven’t grabbed the opportunities.”

Lots of Glasgow Rangers fans have been going wild over news involving Giovanni van Bronckhorst amid their continuing manager search.

It has been reported that the Dutchman is a ‘strong contender’ to replace the departed Steven Gerrard at Ibrox.

As shared by Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth on his official Twitter page, the representative of Van Bronckhorst has now claimed that ‘positive talks’ have been held with the Light Blues over the vacant managerial role, with footage shown of the 46-year-old himself leaving London.

He would most certainly be a popular choice among a lot of Gers supporters, given that he is a two-time Premiership winner as a player with the club. He also did very well as a manager at Feyenoord, who he guided to their first Eredivisie title in 18 years back in the 2016/17 season (BBC), in addition to winning four other major trophies with the Rotterdam club.

Rangers fans on Van Bronckhorst manager news

These Rangers fans went wild as the news was shared on Twitter:

“Looks good to me”

Credit: @NickyTay55

“That is all”

Credit: @alanrankin77

“Ahhhhhhhhh it’s happening”

Credit: @JamieRFC14

“SIUUUUUUUU”

Credit: @__1872Scott

“Here we go, time for Gio.”

Credit: @jmc_1872

“Love to see it”

Credit: @cameron56689617

In other news, find out what international news has left these Gers fans buzzing

Australia’s cricketers have expressed reservations over the ICC’s recently introduced Umpire Decision Review System

Alex Brown22-Dec-2009Australia’s cricketers have expressed reservations over the ICC’s recently introduced Umpire Decision Review System and proposed day-night Tests. Although 87% of state and international players surveyed by the Australian Cricketers’ Association said they were in favour of the UDRS, 92% said they wanted to see better technology used to assist umpires in the decision making process.The UDRS proved a major talking point throughout the recently completed Frank Worrell Trophy series in Australia – right up until the final dismissal of Kemar Roach in Perth – and it has polarised opinion within the Australian playing ranks. Precisely half of the surveyed Cricket Australia contracted players described the system as either successful or very successful, with 43 % unsure and seven % labelling it unsuccessful.”Players would like to see the technology have the ability to definitively determine whether or not a batsman is out,” Paul Marsh, the ACA chief executive, told Cricinfo. “Whilst players are supportive of the concept of using technology, they are yet to be convinced of the effectiveness of the current technology being used.”It’s human nature to expect technological tools to be foolproof and there’s no doubt the new system is experiencing some teething problems. Now that the game has gone so far down the path of allowing technology to assist in on field decision making, the players would like to see the game invest in the technology being used so it’s as good as it can be.”A week after David Morgan, the ICC chairman, suggested twilight Tests would be staged within the next two years, the ACA survey found 57% of state and international players were opposed to the concept, up substantially from the previous year. Almost 30% of CA contracted players said they would be amenable to day-night Tests if an appropriate ball was developed, with another 21% willing to consent only for matches against minor Test playing nations. But with the majority against the concept, the ICC and CA could be facing a tough sell.”The game does need to find an appropriate balance between the commercial and cricketing considerations,” Marsh said. “Many players don’t want to entertain day-night Test cricket because of the traditions of the game and the fundamental changes required. Others are more open-minded to it, however this is only on the proviso that the game isn’t compromised by doing so.”The most significant issue is whether or not a ball can be developed that can be used at night time. If an appropriate solution can be found I’m confident players and the ACA will be supportive of introducing day-night Test cricket. However, it does concern us that in some quarters there is talk of compromising the quality of the ball in order to introduce day-night Test cricket.”Meanwhile, the majority of surveyed Australian state and international players said they harboured some degree of concern over the World Anti-Doping Agency’s controversial “whereabouts” clause, which was rejected by the Board of Control for Cricket in India earlier this year. Fifty percent of players said they were worried about the divulging of personal information to the drug testers, with another 13% unsure.”Australian players wholeheartedly support the fight against drugs in sport and accept the need for an anti-doping policy,” Marsh said. “The whereabouts requirements under the new WADA code are, however, onerous and have created concerns for players around the world.”Having to advise the drug testing authorities as to your whereabouts for an hour a day, three months in advance isn’t an easy task and we have contended that international cricketers are accessible enough for nearly all of the year given their current playing and training commitments. The ACA and players have, however, taken a pragmatic approach to this issue and will comply with the code in the interests of the overall fight against drugs in sport.”

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou is contemplating sending Liam Shaw out on loan this January.

What’s the talk?

In recent comments cited by Glasgow Live, the Bhoys boss revealed that talks will take place with the 20-year-old regarding his short-term future at the club in the coming weeks, before suggesting that the defensive midfielder could be sent out on a temporary deal in the January transfer window in order to further his development in professional football.

When asked why Shaw, as well as fellow summer signings Osaze Urhoghide and James McCarthy, have played so few minutes this season, the 56-year-old said: “It certainly hasn’t been an easy introduction for any of our players and the fact so many of them have already hit the ground running and made an impact is great and positive.

“The key to that is to keep going obviously because again we’re only in the early stages of developing this football team and our players. With the three guys you’ve mentioned, all different scenarios.

“Osaze and Liam, [it’s been] difficult for them in the fact that sometimes when you bring in young players – they’re certainly players we brought in as development players – [it’s] much easier to bring those kinds in when the team is settled.

“But, obviously, we brought them in at a time where a lot of new players are in the team, the team’s finding its way. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to get a lot of game time for them but they’re working hard at training every day. They’re pushing themselves. I believe even though they haven’t played, they’ve improved as footballers. If you train every day with us, one thing I will say is you will improve.

“It’s about now getting them the right opportunity, that may be here, that may be a loan deal somewhere but we’ll make those decisions come January. We’ll sit down with the boys and see what the best way forward is.”

Nightmare

While it is indeed true that, should he not be awarded much first-team football under Postecoglou over what remains of the current campaign, a loan away from Parkhead would better suit Shaw’s development as a footballer, the fact that the midfielder has not played a single minute senior football this season is rather odd.

Indeed, following an appearance in a pre-season fixture, the 56-year-old appeared to be impressed with what he had seen of the 20-year-old, stating: “Liam Shaw was good [against Sheffield Wednesday]. He grew into the game, like a lot of the young guys. Liam’s got a real presence about him. He’s a big lad. He’s only beginning his steps in the professional world.”

Furthermore, it is not as if the midfielder is completely inexperienced in professional football, as he made 19 Championship appearances for Sheffield Wednesday last season, over which he scored one goal and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.3 key passes, 0.4 interceptions, 0.7 tackles and winning 3.4 duels per game.

As such, while it is undeniable that Shaw is still very much at the beginning of his professional career, and undoubtedly has much developing to do in the game, when considering the fact that Tom Rogic’s injury highlighted just how short Postecoglou is of options in the middle of the park, the argument that sending Shaw out on loan in January could turn into something of a nightmare for Celtic is a rather easy one to make.

Indeed, while there is the January transfer window to consider, should further Celtic players pick up injuries between now and Christmas – the busiest time of the footballing calendar – the manager could well be very much in need of a young and exciting versatile midfielder to plug a gap in his side, something that sending Shaw out on loan would starve Postecoglou of.

In other news: Ange must finally unleash “immense” £270k-rated gem on Sat, he’s just what Celtic need

South Africa have had to shelve plans to assess their spin-bowling options after they were forced to withdraw Imran Tahir from the squad for the final Test against England

Andrew McGlashan in Johannesburg11-Jan-2010South Africa have had to shelve plans to assess their spin-bowling options after they were forced to withdraw Imran Tahir from the squad for the final Test against England. Tahir, the Pakistan-born legspinner, was thought to have qualified for South Africa last April, but issues have arisen around his residency situation and it’s unclear when, or if, he will be able to start an international career.It is a messy affair for Cricket South Africa, who have been caught unawares by the latest development. There is even uncertainty over whether Tahir, who is married to a Durban woman, has spent enough time in South Africa over the last four years, or whether the problem stems from him not having a local passport.”To be honest, I’m not 100% sure,” Mickey Arthur, South Africa’s coach, said. “I think it’s something with Home Affairs and hopefully we will get some clarity on it over the next couple of days.”Although he was named in the 15-man squad for the Wanderers, Arthur said that Tahir had not been in line for a debut at the Wanderers, even before this situation arose. However, the management were keen to watch him ahead of the India tour next month, and haven’t given up hope of being able to include him on that trip.”We had him mind for down the line, we feel we need an attacking spinner because we go to India, then West Indies,” Arthur said. “He was the guy we had our eye on. I’m sure we can try and get something sorted at Home Affairs but he certainly wasn’t available for this Test. We included him to have a look at him and to see if he fits the bill.”Although Tahir is now out of the frame for the immediate future, his original selection shows South Africa aren’t convinced by their current spinning options. Paul Harris began the series with a five-wicket haul at Centurion, but has gone steadily downhill to the extent that he was outbowled by JP Duminy in the second innings at Newlands.Mike Procter, the convenor of selectors, voiced his concerns to Cricinfo a few days ago. “It is a little disappointing when your frontline spinner wasn’t able to extract more on a wicket that turned.”Arthur said that Tahir’s call-up would have been a chance to see the spinner at close quarters. “It would have been exploratory. When we brought him in we certainly weren’t thinking of him playing here, it was a case of seeing what made him tick, getting to know him a little and having a look at him in training just to convince me in my mind that he has what it takes. Unfortunately that’s probably not the case now, but we’ll see how it pans out.”The other problem for Tahir at the moment is a lack of first-class cricket, having fallen out of favour with the Titans, who have identified a future legspinning prospect in the 23-year-old Shaun von Berg. Though Tahir is set to move to the Durban-based Dolphins franchise for next season, he has had to rely on the amateur three-day competition to keep him in action of late.”He’s still bowling, getting five-fors and ten-fors each week,” Arthur said. “I’m not entirely sure what the issues are between him and the Titans, but the Titans obviously aren’t going to pick him because they’d rather pick the young leggie they have. We’ll play Imran Tahir by ear.”

Reports have suggested that Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips could favour a move to Liverpool instead of Manchester United, due to the Whites’ rivalry with the latter club.

The Lowdown: Phillips on the move?

The 25-year-old has matured into one of the most influential midfielders in the country, not only thriving for Leeds but also winning England’s Player of the Year award and playing a central role in their run to the final of Euro 2020.

Phillips’ quality, couple with the Whites’ struggles so far this season, may suggest that his head could potentially be turned by a move at the end of the campaign.

The Leeds midfielder has been tipped to join Liverpool in the past, and a fresh rumour has now emerged regarding the situation.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375277″]

The Latest: Liverpool over United?

According to The Daily Star, Phillips believes that a mooted £60m move to Manchester United would leave too much bad blood at Leeds, considering the dislike that both clubs have for one another.

It is mentioned that Liverpool could duly be viewed as a better option, with the midfielder potentially joining the Jurgen Klopp revolution at Anfield.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-25/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Hard to keep him

While it is painful for any Leeds fan to accept the idea of Phillips wanting to move on – England manager Gareth Southgate has hailed him as ‘magnificent’ – he may feel that he has come as far as he can at Elland Road.

His loyalty cannot be questioned and it wouldn’t be a massive shock if he saw out his contract until 2024 out of respect for the Whites, but it feels most likely that he will move elsewhere soon.

Having acquitted himself so well on the big stage for England during the summer, Phillips belongs at a Champions League-playing club in order to go up another gear. Liverpool would be ideal, with their pressing and possession-based game perfect for the Leeds hero, who is averaging an 83.7% pass completion rate and 2.6 tackles per game in the league this season.

In other news, another Leeds player has been tipped to join Liverpool. Find out who it is here.