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Ninety seven players, including 26 from Pakistan and several former ICL cricketers, have registered for the third IPL auction

Cricinfo staff02-Jan-2010

Ninety-seven players, including 26 from Pakistan and several latterly with the ICL, have registered for the third IPL auction, which will be held on January 19. The list also includes four players from Associate countries – Rizwan Cheema and Khurram Chohan (Canada), Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands), Niall O’Brien (Ireland) – as well as former Zimbabwe nationals Murray Goodwin and Ray Price.Prominent among the players who were part of the unofficial ICL are Shane Bond, who recently retired from Test cricket, Damien Martyn, Chris Cairns, Saqlain Mushtaq and Justin Kemp.The Pakistanis – the current world Twenty20 champions – include Mohammed Aamer and Umar Akmal, and the list also includes the exciting West Indian Kieron Pollard.Merely registering, however, does not guarantee the player will be included in the auction list. The IPL will send the list of 97 names to the franchises who will then select those players they would like included in the auction. The selected players will be informed of their inclusion by January 5.The number of overseas players a franchise may have on its roster is capped at ten and at present it is unclear how many slots are available. In 2009, over 100 players registered for the auction out of which 50 went under the hammer to fill 17 available overseas slots. The IPL said it expected the number of places to be substantially lower this time.The list sets a “preliminary expected availability” date against each player’s name and, intriguingly, those from Australia and South Africa have been marked as free from the conclusion of their domestic competitions – the Sheffield Shield, in the case of Australian players, and the Standard Bank Pro20 series for South Africans. This suggests that the league has shifted from its earlier stated position, that players would have to put the IPL above their domestic tournaments and be available for the entire season.That decision, taken in November, said defaulting players would face penalties including termination of player contracts and a ban on future participation, although Lalit Modi, the league’s chairman, told Cricinfo that this would only happen in a worst-case scenario.Registered players
Pakistan: Mohammed Aamer, Shahid Afridi, Shahzad Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Yasir Arafat, Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Khalil, Abdur Rauf, Khalid Latif, Azhar Mahmood, Shoaib Malik, Khurram Manzoor, Saqlain Mushtaq, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Imran Nazir, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami.Sri Lanka: Malinga Bandara, Indika de Saram, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Thilina Kandamby, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suranga Lakmal, Jehan Mubarak, Thisara Perera, Dammika Prasad, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Gihan Rupasinghe, Upul Tharanga, Kaushalya Weeraratne, ChanakaWelegedara.South Africa: Yusuf Abdulla, Nicky Boje, Zander de Bruyn, Tyron Henderson, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Andre Nel, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Johan van der Wath, CJ de Villiers.New Zealand: Shane Bond, Ian Butler, Chris Cairns, Brendon Diamanti, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Nathan McCullum, Daryl Tuffey, Lou Vincent.West Indies: Carlton Baugh, Tino Best, Daren Ganga, Wavell Hinds, Kieron Pollard, Kemar Roach, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons.Australia: Brad Haddin, Phillip Hughes, Ashley Noffke, Jason Krejza, Ben Laughlin, Graham Manou, Damien Martyn, Clint McKay, Adam Voges.England: Tim Bresnan, Anthony McGrath, Eoin Morgan, Monty Panesar, Adil Rashid, Jonathan Trott Usman Afzaal, James Foster.Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan, Shahriar Nafees.Canada: Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan.Zimbabwe: Murray Goodwin, Ray Price.Ireland: Niall O’BrienNetherlands: Ryan ten Doeschate

Celtic winger Karamoko Dembele may not be in line for a return to first-team action any time soon.

What’s the latest?

That’s according to a claim made by Kieran Devlin, with The Athletic journalist revealing in a recent Q&A that the 18-year-old’s injury sustained in pre-season appeared to be a break rather than a less serious knock, something which could see the forward ruled out until well into the new year.

When asked by a fan why Dembele has not featured for Celtic so far this season, Devlin said: “He’s also injured, *think* it turned out to be a break in the end but conflicting information on that.”

Postecoglou will be livid

Considering Dembele’s regular involvement in Celtic’s pre-season campaign this summer, in addition to Ange Postecoglou appearing incredibly excited to work with the teenager this season, the news that Dembele could remain sidelined until well into next year will undoubtedly have left the 56-year-old manager livid.

Indeed, shortly after his arrival at the club, the Greek-Australian coach singled the winger out for praise, stating: “He is obviously a hugely talented boy. He has been here for a while and I guess he gets an opportunity now.

“I think the way we play will suit him. He was positive [against Charlton Athletic], not just with the ball, he also worked hard without the ball. Yeah, I thought he did well. I never worry too much about age, at either end of the spectrum. It is more about can they do what we want them to do.

“He has been in and around the first-team squad for a little while now. I think he wants to break through and be a first-team player so I see no reason why anybody needs to protect him from that.”

And, when taking into account the excitement that surrounds the youngster, – the prolonged absence of the forward will undoubtedly start to raise questions as to whether he can indeed go on to fulfil his undoubted promise.

For instance, French publication L’Equipe once named Dembele as one of “the wonders of European football” alongside the likes of Ansu Fati, Joelson Fernandes, Sebastiano Esposito, Mohamed Ihattaren and Karim Adeyemi back in 2019.

Indeed, should the England U18 international find himself ruled out of action until after the rapidly approaching January transfer window, in which Postecoglou will look to bring in further reinforcements to his current attacking options at Parkhead, Dembele could well find his route to first-team football even more blocked than at present – something that does not bode well for his development in professional football whatsoever.

In other news: “Continuing talks”: Sky journalist reveals transfer update that Celtic fans will love

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.”

Shridath Ramphal, the former Commonwealth general-secretary, who had been appointed to broker a deal in the stand-off, said a feared labour shutdown might also result from the breakdown in talks

Cricinfo staff02-Sep-2009

Mediation efforts between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indian Players Association (WIPA) over the dispute regarding payments and contracts have collapsed. Shridath Ramphal, the former commonwealth secretary general, who had been appointed to broker a deal in the stand-off, said a feared labour shutdown might also result from the breakdown in talks.”It was another bad day for West Indian cricket which, without fundamental changes, is now likely to deteriorate further,” Ramphal said in a statement. Ramphal said the sides had been close to a deal a day earlier but talks were derailed after one side tabled a new draft agreement, not making public any more details of the sticking points.He also invoked assistance “of various kinds to make implementation of the agreement feasible. However, all that changed dramatically when one party introduced an entirely new document and refused to negotiate on any other.”The dispute erupted in July when 13 of the leading West Indies players made themselves unavailable for the first Test against Bangladesh in St Vincent, citing pay and contract issues. The WICB was forced to field a weakened squad which resulted in Bangladesh sweeping both the Test and one-day series.Ramphal was appointed mediator on July 21 after current Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) chairman and Guyana president Bharrat Jagdeo met with top representatives from both sides. Jagdeo, in his statement, said he was “disappointed to learn of the failure” of WICB and WIPA to reach and agreement but added that he was “not wholly surprised.””CARICOM governments will have to consider what next to do to save West Indies cricket, and West Indians everywhere, from still further humiliation,” Jagdeo wrote. He blamed the WICB for failing to disclose to him and the WIPA that the board had already selected a ‘second-string’ team for the upcoming Champions Trophy in South Africa and hinted it was the WICB board that demanded a new document be considered.”The president (of the board) later apologised for the omission but the damage had been done. Mediation was weakened from the start,” Jagdeo said. “Now, it seems that the mediation has been the victim of the same spirit of board insistence on getting its own way whatever the consequences for our cricket.”

Liverpool remain interested in signing West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen in the future, according to reliable journalist James Pearce.

The Lowdown: Bowen downs Liverpool

The Reds suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season on Sunday, deservedly losing 3-2 away to an inspired West Ham side.

The Hammers are flying at the moment, sitting in third place, and Bowen is a key part of David Moyes’ plans, starting all 11 league games to date in 2021/22 and providing two assists against Jurgen Klopp’s side at the weekend.

He was linked with a move to Liverpool in the summer but he ended up staying put at West Ham, where his current contract expires in 2025.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

The Latest: Pearce reiterates Liverpool’s interest

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after Sunday’s game, Pearce said that the Reds are still keen on Bowen as a potential future signing.

When asked if Liverpool retain a strong interest in the 24-year-old, the journalist replied: “We revealed back in the summer that Bowen was on LFC’s shortlist for attacking targets. I can see why given his outstanding form so far this season. There’s certainly interest but that’s as far as it goes currently. He’s on a long contract. One to keep an eye on.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-10/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Ideal attacking addition?

While some Kopites scoffed at the Bowen rumours back in the summer, his performances for West Ham are showing exactly why Liverpool are interested.

He may not necessarily be the Hammers’ star man, but he is a key cog in an effective machine, scoring two goals and registering four assists in the league this season.

Bowen would add much-needed depth to Liverpool’s attack, especially with Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino now all either in or around their 30s. That’s not to mention the Brazilian currently being injured and the other two due to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been critical of one player’s display against West Ham. Read more here.

An update has emerged on Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard, regarding Newcastle’s interest in his services.

What’s the talk?

Spanish reporter Edouardo Inda has claimed that the Magpies are interested in signing the Belgian international forward in the January window.

Speaking on El Chiringuito TV, Inda said: “The Newcastle want Hazard. I do not rule out that it comes out in the winter market”

Imagine him & Saint-Maximin

Newcastle must secure a deal to sign Hazard in January as he could be a sensational addition to the squad and improve their chances of storming up the Premier League table by forming an exciting partnership with Allan Saint-Maximin.

The Magpies could take advantage of his difficult situation in Spain to bring him back to England. He has only scored five goals in 51 games for Real Madrid, but his previous form for Chelsea suggests that he could be a terrific option for Newcastle in the Premier League.

In 352 appearances for the Blues, he managed 110 goals and 92 assists – including 85 goals and 61 assists in 245 top-flight matches. This shows that he is a proven player in England who knows how to score and create goals consistently.

Former French international Christophe Dugarry once compared Hazard with Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry, saying: “He’s faster than Zidane, more technique than Thierry Henry.”

Magpies legend Alan Shearer previously claimed that the Belgian had the potential to become the best player in world football. He said:

“He (Hazard) has been the Premier League’s outstanding player over the whole campaign, and he deserves the individual recognition. That is how I felt in 1995 when I won the title with Blackburn Rovers and was also Player of the Year for the first time.

“The bad news for Chelsea’s rivals is that at 24, Hazard is only going to get better. In three or four years, I think we could be talking about the Belgian being the best player in the world – he has the potential to be that good.”

These quotes illustrate the potential Hazard has to be a sensational addition to Newcastle’s squad if he can get back to his best after his struggles in Spain.

Imagine watching him and Saint-Maximin at St. James’ Park, with both players being exciting wingers who like to dribble with the ball and create chances. Saint-Maximin has a career average of 4.9 dribbles and key passes per game, whilst Hazard’s is 5.5.

This means that Newcastle could have two supremely talented wing wizards to get them off their seats at St. James’ Park, which could also cause nightmares for defenders as they attempt to deal with them both.

AND in other news, Newcastle could unlock Willock by signing £100k-p/w beast who helps others “flourish”…

Sheffield Wednesday confirmed on Thursday evening that teenage goalkeeper Jack Hall has signed professional terms at the club.

And, as to be expected, a number of Wednesday fans have been reacting to the news on social media.

Hall, who turned 17 earlier this month, has progressed through Wednesday’s academy and has been a regular in training in Darren Moore’s first-team squad.

He’s also featured for the club’s Under-23’s and made his England Under-18 debut during the current international break. The shot-stopper played on Monday in a 3-0 win over Russia, featuring for 45 minutes.

Hall described penning pro terms at Hillsborough as a ‘dream’, although Wednesday didn’t confirm the length of his first contract on their official website.

Wednesday fans react

Sheffield Wednesday posted the update regarding Hall on their official Twitter page, with one fan labelling it as ‘brilliant news’. This is what these supporters had to add, with many sharing their positive thoughts.

“Heard this lad got a big big future”

Credit: @Fletch19852

“Watched him for a few years when my lad was at the academy, brilliant keeper and destined for the top.”

Credit: @TonyCle13466821

“Excellent, congratulations Jack”

Credit: @nicolarowlinson

“Boom”

Credit: @NickOfTheBrown

“Brilliant news. Well done to Jack and the family. Dedicated and deserved.”

Credit: @LeeNobl60846790

“Learning from mistakes finally”

Credit: @RamblersAnonym1

ScorecardNew boy at home: Ian Blackwell’s 95 helped Durham out of trouble on the opening day•Getty Images

Durham and Yorkshire shared an enthralling first-day’s play at the Riverside Ground, and honours finished about even. Tim Bresnan’s superb bowling had Durham in difficulties early on, but Ian Blackwell, aided by Phil Mustard, led a determined fight-back as the balance of the match slowly swung away from the visitors.This was a match between the giants of the past and the giants of the present: Yorkshire, with 30 outright Championship titles to their credit, facing Durham, the newest first-class county, but the reigning champions. Last year Durham enjoyed two convincing Championship victory over their mighty southern neighbours, but three days earlier Yorkshire won the FP Trophy match between the two teams, so neither could start the match claiming to be overwhelming favourites. The weather played up to the occasion, with Durham belying its reputation for chilly Aprils with a mild, sunny day and a good pitch, which did, however, offer some movement to the bowlers.Both these sides possess strong seam attacks, but Matthew Hoggard was not at his best in his opening spell and Michael Di Venuto took advantage. Bresnan, however, bowled superbly and seized the wicket of Mark Stoneman (2), who aimed a rather desperate drive at a ball that moved away from him and edged a difficult low catch to the keeper, Gerard Brophy, who took it well in front of first slip. Di Venuto pulled Hoggard twice for four, but when he tried to take a similar liberty with Bresnan, he skied a catch straight to mid-on. It bounced out of Hoggard’s hands, but to his relief he managed to snatch the rebound before the ball hit the ground.Bresnan was most impressive, making the ball move and lift, beating the bat frequently. He had Will Smith, on 6, dropped at third slip from a difficult chance and his opening spell read 8-2-11-2. Deon Kruis also bowled well and found good movement, while Steven Patterson removed Gordon Muchall, pushing forward to be caught at the wicket. After lunch the strike bowlers returned with a vengeance and gave the batsmen a torrid time, beating them frequently. Hoggard this time bowled magnificently and he soon found the edge of Smith’s bat to leave Durham 82 for 4. For half an hour minutes the batsmen struggled to survive until the bowlers tired, but then Dale Benkenstein fell victim to Kruis for 17, poking outside the off stump to give Brophy another catch.Blackwell, who is quickly finding his feet at his new home, came to the rescue of his side. On 26 he sliced a ball for four just over the slips, while his partner Phil Mustard also enjoyed some luck as he played himself in, but they settled down to build the critical stand that altered the entire aspect of the match.Blackwell scored a century for Somerset against Yorkshire at Scarborough last year and they still haven’t been able to work him out successfully. This time he just missed three figures, going for 95 as he drove across the line to Hoggard, armed with the second new ball, and gave Brophy his fifth catch of the day to end a crucial stand of 107.Bresnan was as good at the end of the day as he was at the start and if anything made the ball do too much as Mustard persistently drove in vain at deliveries cutting away from him. He had Liam Plunkett dropped at second slip, but later in the same over the batsman fell to third slip for 10. Shortly afterwards Mustard reached a dogged 50, scarcely recognizable from some of his dashing one-day knocks, but exactly what his team needed in these circumstances. As the Yorkshire bowling tired a little the aggressive Callum Thorp picked up some easier runs to take Durham past 300. This match holds great promise for a fascinating contest.

Manchester United extended their winless run in the Premier League to four games in dramatic fashion over the weekend after they were thrashed 5-0 by fierce rivals Liverpool.

The Red Devils were picked apart by their far superior opponents during a dreadful 90 minutes, increasing the pressure on under-fire manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Naby Keita opened the scoring after just five minutes at Old Trafford after the visitors ruthlessly exposed the gaping holes in United’s defence, and it was a sign of things to come.

Before half-time, a Diogo Jota tap in and a Mohamed Salah brace had already put Jurgen Klopp’s charges out of sight, but things got even worse following the interval.

The Eygpt international completed his hat-trick on the 50-minute mark, and Paul Pogba’s red card ten minutes later rounded off a humiliating afternoon for the 20-time English champions.

It’s a result and performance that ultimately puts Solskjaer’s position in the dugout under intense scrutiny, but the players on the pitch also have to take a share of the blame.

And arguably nobody was more underwhelming on Sunday than club captain Harry Maguire. He clumsily collided with left-back Luke Shaw for the second goal – who also had a nightmare against the Reds – and was unable to prevent the onslaught as he failed to lay a glove on Liverpool’s ruthless attack.

The England international was slow to react to almost every situation throughout the 90 minutes and was outwitted by Roberto Firmino on numerous occasions.

As a result of his below-par display, Maguire was awarded a match rating of just 4.8 out of 10 by FotMob, the lowest total received by any outfield player.

And when looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to see why. The 28-year-old attempted just one tackle which he lost, failed to block a single shot or make an interception, and made just two clearances, highlighting his hugely ineffective performance.

Since returning from a calf injury following the international break, the usually dependable centre-back has put in three calamitous showings against Leicester City, Atalanta and Liverpool, and Solskjaer will be hoping his leader can return to form as soon as possible.

And, in other news…Forget De Gea: Man Utd liability who lost possession 13x had a shocker against LFC

Nothing could prepare Nathan Bracken for what he would experience

Alex Brown11-Feb-2009
Ricky Ponting plays a game of cricket with some of the bushfire victims in Whittlesea © Getty Images
Nothing could prepare Nathan Bracken for the experience. The morning after he had celebrated his 100th one-day international for Australia with a series-levelling victory over New Zealand, Bracken and his Australian team-mates stood amongst the injured, the bereaved and the displaced from the devastating Victorian bushfires that local police fear have claimed 300 lives.”You can watch the reports and think you have an understanding of what’s going on,” Bracken said. “But it’s not until people are standing in front of you telling their stories that it really hits you.”The previous evening, the Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke proposed that the team fly to Melbourne to lend their support to the bushfire relief effort. Clarke’s call came on a day in which the Australian cricket community had raised an estimated $7 million for victims of the blazes, and was enthusiastically embraced by team-mates.But few could have envisaged the sights, smells and stories that would confront them. By Wednesday afternoon, having spent several hours at the Whittlesea emergency recovery centre and the burns unit of the Northern Hospital in Epping, a member of the squad phoned Cricinfo from the team bus. “I have never seen it more subdued in here.” he said. “It has been a confronting day for everyone.”Hours earlier, the Australians arrived in Whittlesea and met with victims and relief workers behind closed doors. The contrast could not have been more stark. On Tuesday, the Australians had roamed the lush green outfields of the Adelaide Oval, cheered and revered by a parochial South Australian crowd. Now, they stood amongst the scorched earth of rural Victoria, speaking with those who have lost loved ones and homes.”There are people who have spent their whole lives working for their home, and then saw it all taken away in 30 minutes,” Bracken said. “I was speaking to one lady who had lost her father, and she burst out in tears. All I could do was give her a hug. There is just a lot of people hurting.”There is an incredible spirit. I was speaking to two girls who had lost everything, and yet they were talking about giving their vouchers away to a friend of theirs who had lost her cousin. Family are helping family and neighbours are helping neighbours. Your heart goes out to all of them.”After lunch, the Australians reverted to what they knew best – a game of cricket against the locals, which brought much needed levity to those who have had little to smile about in recent days. The team then ventured to the burns unit at Epping’s Northern Hospital for an unannounced visit. Traumatised patients and exhausted staff apparently welcomed the distraction to mingle with their sporting heroes, and the opportunity to talk cricket, not fires.”It has been an amazing day in many ways, and we probably didn’t even see the worst of it.,” Bracken said. “We didn’t go to where the fires went through towns, but to where all the people were. It was unbelievably hard to hear all the terrible stories, and I can’t even imagine what it’s like for the firefighters and rescue workers who are having to go into these devastated areas. They’re the heroes.”The day ended with a flight to Brisbane ahead of Friday’s Chappell-Hadlee decider. The Australians are unlikely to make many changes to their line-up from Tuesday’s match in Adelaide. Which is not to say they are unchanged.