All posts by h716a5.icu

Sri Lanka have made changes to their squad for the five-ODI series against India, bringing in left-hand batsmen Jehan Mubarak and Malinda Warnapura

Sa'adi Thawfeeq12-Aug-2008
Malinda Warnapura’s impressive showings in the Tests has earned him a berth in the one-day squad © AFP
Sri Lanka have made changes to their squad for the five-ODI series against India, bringing in left-hand batsmen Jehan Mubarak and Malinda Warnapura. The 15-member squad does not include allrounder Kaushalya Weeraratne, who was selected in the original list of 14.Warnapura and Mubarak will also feature in a Sri Lankan XI that will take on the Indians in a warm-up match at the P Saranvanamuttu Stadium in Colombo on Friday. Chamara Kapugedera has been named captain of that side, which includes Mahela Udawatte, Chamara Silva, Weeraratne, Dilhara Fernando and Thilan Thushara. Kaushal Silva, the former Under-19 player, was chosen as wicketkeeper while legspinner Malinda Bandara provides the slow-bowling option.Mubarak had not been selected in Sri Lanka’s initial 14-member squad for the India ODIs but was in the 15 chosen for the Champions Trophy. He was to tour with the Sri Lanka A team to South Africa but will now stay back with the senior team. Kanchana Gunawardene, the Nondescripts Cricket Club opening batsman, replaces him in the A team.Warnapura, 29, has only played one ODI, against Pakistan last year. He was in impressive form in the Test series against India, which Sri Lanka won 2-1. He scored 243 runs at 60.75, with a hundred in the first Test at the SSC, and two fifties.Sri Lankan XI (from):
Chamara Kapugedera (captain), Upul Tharanga, Mahela Udawatte, Malinda Warnapura, Jehan Mubarak, Chamara Silva, Kaushal Silva (wk), Malinga Bandara, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Dilhara Fernando, Thilan Thushara,Chanaka Welegedara.

Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard believes he should be allowed to name more substitutes in the Premiership rather than the seven currently permitted.

The Lowdown: Gers get off to winning start

The Gers were in fantastic form as they kicked off their Premiership campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Livingston.

The Ibrox outfit will now move on to the Champions League, where they face Malmo in the first leg of their third qualifying round.

The Latest: Gerrard wants rule change

Speaking after the victory, Gerrard suggested managers should be allowed to name more substitutes domestically. He told Rangers TV (via The Daily Record):

“It (having squad options) is a lovely problem, I want the squad to be as strong as we can and have good players in every position.

“Over the course of the season we’re hopefully going to play 60 games, if it’s a successful season.

“So everyone needs to be ready. It was tough today, leaving people out of the 18.

“I think the rule needs to change.

“I understand why it has to be three subs but I think it needs to be more options from the bench like it is in the Champions League.

“But I don’t make the rules around here.”

The Verdict: Easy to say

Of course, you can understand why Gerrard would want that. At Ibrox, he has a big squad and a lot of options to choose from – having more players on the bench will give him more flexibility and would keep more of his squad members happy.

However, other than perhaps Celtic, the rest of the sides in Scotland’s top tier do not have the squad size or depth that the Gers possess. Given only three players can be replaced during the course of a match, seven substitutes is already a big enough number to choose from.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this article.

Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh ran through Delhi’s batting order and completed a 187-run win for Rest of India in the Irani Cup match in Vadodara

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Sep-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Harbhajan Singh picked up 4 for 31 in Delhi’s second innings © AFP
The challenge facing Delhi on the fourth day – they needed 265 runs with seven wickets in hand – was always going to stretch them, and their batsmen, with the exception of Gautam Gambhir, caved without a fight. They were bowled out within the first session: Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh exploited the cracks in the pitch to pick up seven wickets, and Rest of India won the Irani Cup for the 21st time by 187 runs in Vadodara.The slide started in the second over of the day. Gambhir had batted aggressively on the third evening and needed a stable partner. Aakash Chopra, who had not opened because of an ankle injury, joined him with a runner. He had scored 182 in last week’s Nissar Trophy and a confident 42 in the first innings against a versatile and experienced attack. Chopra’s resistance in the second innings, however, ended with his first ball. He drove away from his body at a Zaheer Khan delivery and inside-edged it on to his stumps.Kumble brought Harbhajan on inside the first hour to take advantage of the wearing pitch and the offspinner struck immediately. Mithun Manhas tried to pad a delivery but the ball turned into him, deflected off the bat handle, and went to Rahul Dravid at first slip. The only point of interest after that was whether Gambhir, who scored steadily despite the regular setbacks, would reach his century. He fell on 91, edging an attempted cut off Kumble to Mahendra Singh Dhoni.This was the last opportunity for the national players to get match practice ahead of the Tests against Australia and coach Gary Kirsten would have expected more. Before the start of the game he, and Kumble, had said this game was an important component in their preparation for the Australia series and each individual had a role to fulfill and understood it well.If Sourav Ganguly doesn’t make the Test squad, it will open up a vacancy in the middle order. Two of the contenders for the spot, S Badrinath and Mohammad Kaif, had the opportunity to push their claims in the Irani Cup but failed to turn in convincing performances. Badrinath looked in discomfort in the first innings and did not move his feet. He made a scratchy 16 off 62 balls before he was bowled while trying to cut. He was more confident during his 36 in the second innings before he was struck on the elbow and bowled once again by Ishant Sharma.Kaif had made adjustments to his batting stance after chats with Kirsten but met with little success. He failed to convert a start in the first innings, top-edging a pull to midwicket, and edged a scorcher from Ishant off his second ball in the second innings.One of the biggest positives was the performance of the bowlers. Zaheer Khan bowled wicket-to-wicket and focused on the batsman’s weaknesses: he exploited Sehwag’s slow footwork and trapped him lbw with one that cut in during the second innings. Ishant was hostile and extracted pace and bounce from a slow pitch, Munaf Patel proved his recovery was on the right path, while both Kumble and Harbhajan showed how dangerous they could be on a helpful surface. Only RP Singh was erratic with his line and length.The most significant outcome from this game, however, was the resolute batting of Rahul Dravid, who opened for Rest of India. His poor form over the last year has hurt India but here he succeeded in the most demanding of situations. As the wicket grew slower, Dravid stuck it out for nearly five hours in the second innings. He played the majority of the deliveries confidently, used soft hands to block short balls aimed at the body, and waited for the bowler to feed his strengths.It was the sort of preparation Dravid would have hoped for ahead of the Australia series and it was a terrific example of mental discipline for the rest to follow.

Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, is insulted by claims from Virender Sehwag that Australia cheated during their acrimonious SCG victory in January

Cricinfo staff08-Oct-2008
Ricky Ponting has said Australia were honest in their catching during the Sydney Test © Getty Images
Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain, is insulted by claims from Virender Sehwag that Australia cheated during their acrimonious SCG victory in January. Sehwag said therewas no point in having a catching pact for the four-Test series, whichstarts in Bangalore on Thursday, because it wasn’t applied properly on theprevious occasion.”That’s fairly insulting,” Ponting said. “In the first innings [at theSCG] I didn’t claim a catch because I wasn’t 100% sure.”It’s amazing how they’ve picked out a lot of negatives from that game anddon’t seem to be speaking about the Perth Test [the third match of thatseries, which Australia lost], where we probably had the same thingshappen to us. Not one member of the Australian team has spoken about it.We go about our cricket in different ways.”Kumble, however, downplayed the issue. “I’m not really aware of what he [Sehwag] said. That’s all in the past. Let us not dwell on the past.”Sehwag said the Australians appealed for one-bounce dismissals at the SCG.”We’d have won the Sydney Test match if they hadn’t claimed catches takenoff half-volleys in that game,” Sehwag told ESPN-STAR.India lost by 122 runs after Michael Clarke, who picked up a contentioustake off Sourav Ganguly on the final day, collected three wickets in thefinal over. Shortly after, Anil Kumble said only one team played the matchin the spirit of the game. The fixture was also controversial for a seriesof umpiring mistakes, excessive appealing, batsmen not walking to thickedges and the race row between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds.Kumble said on Wednesday the Sydney affair would not affect either team inthis series. “Let’s not sit and dwell on what has happened in the past,”he said. “I’m sure this series will be played in the right way.”Ponting said the fact India were still talking about the defeat was a goodsign for Australia. “I’m not sure what they are trying to achieve,” hesaid. “It was a Test we won, a crucial Test for the overall series. As Isaid at the time, it was one of the best moments I’ve had on a cricketfield. To win the way we did was an outstanding effort by the team.”

Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley has confirmed Celtic’s approach for Liam Scales, The Scottish Sun report.

The Lowdown: Scales links

Celtic were linked with a move for Scales at the beginning of the week after The Irish Mirror’s Paul O’Hehir claimed the Hoops were in talks with Rovers for the 22-year-old.

Dermot Desmond has a 25 per cent stake in the Irish champions, and a move for Scales could cost Celtic a ‘significant’ six-figure fee.

Scales can play at centre-back, left-back, left-midfield or defensive midfield and the Hoops were willing to pay €700,000 for his services.

The Latest: Bradley’s comments

Shamrock Rovers manager Bradley recently spoke out about Scales and the rumours of a move away.

His comments were relayed by The Scottish Sun, with Bradley confirming Celtic’s approach for the versatile defender.

“I expect him to be with us (next week). I speak to Stephen daily and I’m well clued in on where it is and who is interested and the timeline on it.

“I fully expect Liam to be with us next week. But there is a lot of serious interest from the English Premier League and Scotland.

“It’s always been there for the last year. We’ve had a number of managers ring myself and Stephen (McPhail) regarding Liam and watching him on a weekly basis.

“That has been there as well as Celtic and others. There is a lot of interest. There have been bids put down.”

The Verdict: Time to move

With interest from the Premier League, it seems as if Celtic need to look to wrap up a deal relatively quickly.

The longer talks go on, the more expensive Scales could come, should a Premier League club with superior finances enter a bidding war with the Hoops for the Irishman.

Celtic have already brought in three players to Ange Postecoglou’s senior squad under the age of 22 in Liel Abada, Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide, so adding Scales to their ranks could be another shrewd step in the club’s long-term plan.

In other news: Celtic ‘in talks’ to sign 25 y/o who has same agency as superstars like Son and Varane. 

Liverpool youngster Neco Williams is reportedly set to stay at Anfield for the 2021/22 season, despite previous claims that he could depart on loan this summer. 

Williams has made 25 appearances for Liverpool’s first-team, which includes 14 from the 2020/21 season, in which the senior squad struggled with a number of injury problems.

Reports since emerged that Williams could leave the club in search of regular game time, but The Athletic now claim that the Welshman is set to remain at Anfield for the upcoming league campaign, which gets underway this weekend.

Speaking in an interview with Love Sport Radio (via TBR Football), former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland labelled Williams as ‘superb’ for his performances when called up, and it now looks as though he will have a chance to stay and prove the former Red right.

Plenty of Liverpool supporters took to social media to react to this reported update on Williams’ future with the club, with a number of fans being left frustrated.

Take a look at the best of the reaction from the Anfield Watch Twitter account, who shared the update, leading one fan to label the youngster as ‘overrated’:

Reds fans react

“Overrated and nowhere near the level of Trent…maybe we should spend in a backup Rb.”

Credit: @jitendrasuthar4

“No one wants him.”

Credit: @acupoftea100

“Not good enough at all.”

Credit: @ahmed_inty

“Means he has no suitors.”

Credit: @BrokenNixon

“He needs regular football and experience. He should be treated like Van Den Berg.”

Credit: @K0rtal_M0mbat

“He needs to go on loan to the Championship.”

Credit: @fre_flow

“Seems like great guy but Neco just no where near levels required not even for back up.”

Credit: @baker9d14

Intikhab Alam was only offered the job as Pakistan coach after Javed Miandad turned down an offer of a fourth stint in the position. Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said Miandad had been Pakistan’s first choice to replace Geoff Lawson, who was sacked as the

Cricinfo staff27-Oct-2008
Pakistan wanted Javed Miandad to take the reins of the team again © Getty Images
Intikhab Alam was only offered the job as Pakistan coach after Javed Miandad turned down an offer of a fourth stint in the position. Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, said Miandad had been Pakistan’s first choice to replace Geoff Lawson, who was sacked as the coach on Friday.”Intikhab was our second choice after we first went for Javd Miandad,” Butt told . “But it was very good of Javed to tell us that he was not interested in the position and that he would rather help us in other ways in an advisory capacity.”Intikhab will first take charge of the team in Abu Dhabi but I hope that he will remain in the post for two years but this needs to be cleared by the board first. I know that Intikhab has an excellent rapport with the players and I am keen for him to take Pakistan cricket back to where it belongs, and to give us the success we should be having.”Miandad most recently held the coaching role from 2003 to 2004, when he was eventually replaced by Bob Woolmer. He had also been coach in 1998-99 and 2000-01. Intikhab has also had a previous spell as the team’s coach, from 1999 to 2000.

Crystal Palace have opened talks to sign Watford midfielder Will Hughes after he turned down the chance to sign a new contract at Vicarage Road, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Playing a regular part in the Hornets’ successful promotion bid in 2020/21, the 26-year-old registered two goals in 31 appearances across the campaign [Transfermarkt], but he could now be set for a move to south London after being frozen out under Xisco Munoz.

After knocking back a new deal with his current employers, Hughes has now opened talks with the Eagles over a move to Selhurst Park [Daily Mail].

He has been training with the under-23 side at Watford in recent weeks, prompting Palace manager Patrick Vieira to try and swoop for the Weybridge native, who can perform in central midfield, attacking midfield or on either flank.

A BBC profile on him in previous years noted his “trickery and the attacking flair” and also made reference to reported interest from Barcelona at the time, indicating the raw talent that the 26-year-old possesses.

In light of this news, plenty of Crystal Palace fans took to social media to express their opinions on the situation.

Crystal Palace fans react

Replying to popular Crystal Palace fan outlet PALACE XTRA on Twitter, here is what some fans had to say about the club’s reported talks over Hughes:

“I’d be happy as a start with Hughes coming in! We need some bite and tenacity in the middle of the park!!”

Credit: @stephenpengi69″Hughes, Amad/Nelson & Nketiah/Dike and I’m happy”Credit: @ReeceJMT”He takes the place of James McCarthy.”Credit: @oliasofcpfc”We desperately need a winger”Credit: @BRL__18″This to me is a player we are crying out for. I’m all for this signing, if we can get him.”Credit: @EaglesPerchCPFC”Is he any good? Will he be an upgraded on what we have? Where is his best position?”Credit: @HalesKeithhalesIn other news, many Crystal Palace fans react to links with a £37m man. Read all about it here.

Niall O’Brien has extended his contract with Northamptonshire by three years, while Riki Wessels has signed a new two-year contract

Cricinfo staff07-Nov-2008Niall O’Brien has extended his contract with Northamptonshire by three years, while Riki Wessels has signed a new two-year contract.”We are pleased by the commitment shown by the wicketkeeping pair who both shone with the bat in 2008,” a spokesman for the club said. “Niall, who has just returned from international duty, was in sensational form last season with the bat, scoring over 850 Championship runs and piling on the runs in one day competitions, in a new pinch-hitter role.”Riki finished the 2008 season with almost 600 Championship runs, and his brilliant form led him to becoming one of the most reliable batsmen in the latter half of the season.”

Graham Roberts has told Manchester City to pay £160m or they simply won’t sign Harry Kane this summer.

The Premier League champions have made just one bid for the England captain of around £100m, which was rejected by Daniel Levy, who values him in excess of £150m.

Tottenham want to keep their star striker despite his off the field actions having missed training in a bid to push a move to City.

Kane later came out and denied missing his return to Hotspur Way but was then left out of Spurs’ opening day victory over Pep Guardiola’s men, although his lack of a pre-season could have been the reason for his exclusion – with the 28-year-old only joining the rest of his teammates on Friday.

Reports from The Times believe that City are set to return with an improved offer, although it’s still less than Tottenham’s asking-price, which means it’ll most likely be rejected by Levy.

Several Manchester City plays have seen their names thrown into the ring as part of a possible deal to bring Kane to the Etihad Stadium.

But Roberts exclusively told Football FanCast that City simply must pay the money or look elsewhere:

“All they have to do is pay £160m, that’s it. There’s no good throwing in Sterling, Silva, Laporte, those players are on mega wages. Sterling hasn’t signed a new contract because he wants £400,000 per-week.

“Pay us what Harry Kane is worth, Pep Guardiola should stop talking about players who aren’t his. If he wants him, come up with the money, and I’m sure the club will sell him to you.

“But are you going to pay what he’s worth? He’s worth £160m, pay it.”