The England & Wales Cricket Board has announced that it will be taking legal action against Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the PCB, after describing his allegations that England’s players accepted a bribe to lose the third ODI at The Oval as “wholly irrespons

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2010

Andrew Strauss: not impressed by Ijaz Butt’s remarks•PA Photos

The England & Wales Cricket Board has announced that it will be taking legal action against Ijaz Butt, the chairman of the PCB, after describing his allegations that England’s players accepted a bribe to lose the third ODI at The Oval as “wholly irresponsible and completely without foundation”.However, in a strongly-worded statement on behalf of the ECB and the England team, it was announced that the final two matches of Pakistan’s tour would go ahead as planned. “It remains in the best interests of world cricket, the players and in particular of cricket supporters that the tour should continue, and it would set a dangerous precedent to call off a tour based on the misguided and inaccurate remarks made by one individual.”Butt’s allegations were of such extraordinary gravity that the ECB waited almost 24 hours before formulating its official response, and their statement was only issued after a lengthy meeting between the ECB and Team England, which stretched late into Sunday night. Present at the discussions were the ECB’s chairman Giles Clarke, the CEO David Collier, the managing director of England Cricket, Hugh Morris, and the England Captain and Coach, Andrew Strauss and Andrew Flower, who went on to have a subsequent meeting with all of the England team.”The team deplores and rejects unreservedly the suggestion that any England cricketer was involved in manipulating the outcome, or any individual element, of the third NatWest Series ODI at the Brit Insurance Oval between England and Pakistan last week,” read a statement issued on behalf of the England team. “The players fully understand their responsibilities as representatives of their country, and would not countenance giving less than 100% in any match they play.”In the circumstances, England’s players were, by the admission of their captain, Andrew Strauss, extremely reluctant to complete the series, and the rawness of the emotions between the two sides was demonstrated by an altercation in the Nursery Ground nets shortly before the start of the the Lord’s ODI, between Jonathan Trott and Wahab Riaz. There had been some speculation that the toss would be delayed as a result, but the game eventually got underway as scheduled.”We would like to express our surprise, dismay and outrage at the comments made by Mr Butt yesterday,” said Strauss. “We are deeply concerned and disappointed that our integrity as cricketers has been brought into question. We refute these allegations completely and will be working closely with the ECB to explore all legal options open to us.”Under the circumstances, we have strong misgivings about continuing to play the last two games of the current series and urge the Pakistani team and management to distance themselves from Mr Butt’s allegations. We do, however, recognise our responsibilities to the game of cricket, and in particular to the cricket-loving public in this country, and will therefore endeavour to fulfil these fixtures to the best of our ability.”Angus Porter, Chief Executive of the PCA, added: “The players appreciate the difficult position the ECB finds itself in, and is fully supportive of the actions taken by the Board, along with the ICC, to ensure all allegations of wrong-doing are properly investigated and acted upon. We will continue to cooperate closely with the ECB, with the aim of ensuring that the work to root out corruption is not derailed by mischievous attempts to detract attention from the real issues.”The ECB reiterated its faith in the integrity of its players by expressing its gratitude for the “outstanding conduct” of the players since the first allegations surfaced against the Pakistan team during the fourth Test at Lord’s, and added that it would be taking “all legal and disciplinary action which may result from Mr Butt’s comments”.”The ECB will continue to offer ICC its full support in taking the strongest possible action against all areas of corruption and is pledged to offering the ACSU its full support at all times,” continued the statement. “Given the current sensitivities surrounding this issue, ECB believes it is imperative that any serious allegations made against another team or player should be presented through the proper channels to the ACSU. Both ECB and Team England view the comments made by Mr Butt as defamatory and not based in fact.Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and the Olympics, said: “I welcome the decision by England to play the last two games of this tour. It is a pragmatic decision that is in the best interests of world cricket.”

A round-up of the fourth day of the second round of matches in the Super League of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2010Group BAbhimanyu Mithun took four wickets to help set up Karnataka’s victory•Cameraworx/Live ImagesAbhimanyu Mithun took 4 for 94 to set up an eight-wicket victory for Karnataka over Punjab at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. After Karnataka had dominated the first two days, Yuvraj Singh got a half-century on day three to take Punjab to 173 for 2 in their second innings, leaving a draw as the most likely result. Karnataka’s bowlers had other ideas, though. Vinay Kumar dismissed Vishwas Bhalla off the second ball of the final day before left-arm seamer S Aravind bowled Yuvraj for 79. Mithun, who was given a BCCI contract two days ago, then took three wickets to rip through the middle-order as Punjab slumped to 322 all out. Karnataka openers KB Pawan and debutant KL Rahul made light work of the 140-run target, both getting half-centuries. Karnataka move up to second in the Group B table with five points from a single game, while Punjab are last with one point from two games.Orissa held on for a draw against Uttar Pradesh on the final day at the Dr Akhilesh Das Stadium in Lucknow, but the home side picked up three points for their first innings lead. After enforcing the follow-on, UP’s opening bowlers Sudeep Tyagi and RP Singh, who had taken six wickets in Orissa’s first innings, struck early to leave Orissa tottering at 68 for 4, trailing by 90 with almost 50 overs remaining. A gutsy 44 off 144 balls by Biplab Samantray took Orissa into the lead, but when Tyagi took his fourth wicket of the innings to leave Orissa at 165 for 8, there was still time for a UP win. Former India fast bowler Debasis Mohanty and Basant Mohanty played out a nervous half hour to save the game for Orissa. Debasis was eventually bowled by RP, who took 3 for 29, as Orissa finished their second innings at 171 for 9. The three points took UP to second in the Group B table with six points from two games, while Orissa are in fourth.Group AForm Guide

Tracking ESPNcricinfo’s players to watch this season
R Ashwin: Dismissed six Delhi batsmen to to complete a ten-wicket match haul, though Tamil Nadu got only one point from the match
Piyush Chawla: Took 2 for 31 in 23 overs as Orissa just about hung on for a draw
Ravindra Jadeja: Failed with the bat, but took five wickets in the second innings though he couldn’t prevent a Gujarat win
Jaidev Unadkat: Took two wickets but couldn’t force a Saurashtra win
Yuvraj Singh: Moved from 54 to 79 before being dismissed; couldn’t stop Punjab from losing outright
Virat Kohli: Flopped in the second innings, making seven
Abhinav Mukund: Helped himself to a half-century in a match heading for a draw

Gujarat scraped through to a two-wicket win against Saurashtra on a frantic final day at the Lalabhai Contractor Stadium in Surat as both sides lost eight wickets each and play extended into the 90th over of the day. Saurashtra started day four in prime position at 60 for 2 with a 70-run first innings lead. Siddharth Trivedi, the Rajasthan Royals seamer, started the fightback for Gujarat bowling Shitanshu Kotak with the score on 70. Bhushan Chauhan and Ravindra Jadeja were then out on the same score and Saurashtra folded for 125 before lunch. Trivedi took 3 for 32 and legspinner Salil Yadav ran through Saurashtra’s tail to finish with 4 for 44. Chasing 196, Gujarat got off to a shaky start and at 68 for 4 all three results were still possible. An 82-run stand between Bhavik Thaker (42) and wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel (42) put Gujarat on top before Ravindra Jadeja, who took 5 for 59 in the second innings, swung the game again getting Thaker and Patel out in quick succession. Pratharesh Parmar, a 22-year-old playing in only his second first-class match, held his nerve to take Gujarat through with an unbeaten 32 off 45 balls. Gujarat ended up with five points from a match that looked destined for a draw after there was no play on day one and are now top of Group A with eight points from two games. Saurashtra languish at the foot of the table with just one point.Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer once again displayed a cautious streak as he decided to not enforce the follow-on against Bengal on the final day at Eden Gardens despite having a 325-run first innings lead. Mumbai opted for some meaningless batting practice instead and reached 286 for 1 at the close of play, with Jaffer and Omkar Gaurav getting centuries. Mumbai move into third position in Group A with six points but it could well have been 10 as they were in dominant positions in both this match and their first game against Saurashtra. Mumbai’s bowlers had dismissed Bengal for 296 by the end of the third day, but with the opportunity to bowl another 90 overs at the opposition, they settled for the three points, resulting in a dull day on which Jaffer’s personal tally of first-class centuries increased to 42. It was his third century in four innings in the tournament.R Ashwin celebrated being given a BCCI contract two days ago with his third 10-wicket haul in first-class cricket, taking 6 for 87 for Tamil Nadu in Delhi’s second innings, but it was Delhi that took three points at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai thanks to their first innings lead. As he did on the second day, Ashwin took an early wicket on day four and soon had two more reducing Delhi from their overnight score of 122 for 2 to 147 for 5. Delhi continued to slide and declared at 209 for 9 setting Tamil Nadu a target of 320 in about two sessions. Opener Abhinav Mukund scored 59 as Tamil Nadu reached 143 for 3 at stumps. The three points take Delhi to fourth position in Group A, while Tamil Nadu move down to second.Only 15 overs were possible on what could have been an interesting final day between Railways and Assam at the Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi. Chasing 176, Railways openers M Suresh and V Cheluvaraj had batted just seven overs before the match was called off due to bad light. Assam picked up three points thanks to a five-run first-innings lead and are in sixth place in Group A, one point above Railways who have two points from two games. After the day’s play one of Railways’ stalwarts, 33-year-old Kulamani Parida, announced his retirement ending a career spanning 15 seasons and 108 first-class matches. Parida had been called for throwing in the one over he bowled on Friday. After his action was put under the scanner during last year’s Ranji season, Parida had announced that if he was called for throwing in this match it would be his last.

Group A

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts Quotient For Against

Gujarat 2 1 0 0 10 8 1.219 766/28 853/38 Tamil Nadu 2 1 0 01 0 6 1.256 820/25 992/38Mumbai 2 0 00 2 0 6 2.528 1694/20670/20 Delhi 2 00 0 2 0 4 1.000986/28 916/26 Bengal 20 0 0 2 0 40.521 861/23 1366/19 Assam 2 0 1 0 1 03 0.673 822/40 672/22 Railways 2 0 0 0 20 2 0.975 670/28 736/30 Saurashtra 2 0 1 01 0 1 0.626 760/30 1174/29

Group B

Teams Mat Won Lost Tied Draw Aban Pts Quotient For Against

Baroda 2 1 0 01 0 7 1.509 1032/26 789/30Uttar Pradesh 2 0 00 2 0 6 1.265 765/201058/35 Karnataka 1 10 0 0 0 5 1.670566/12 565/20 Orissa 20 0 0 2 0 40.714 768/29 965/26 Haryana 2 0 1 0 1 03 0.746 1002/35 844/22 Himachal Pradesh 1 0 0 0 10 1 0.827 374/12 565/15 Punjab 2 0 1 01 0 1 0.795 1207/36 928/22

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha…

What’s the talk?

According to Portuguese outlet Record, the Magpies are among a number of clubs keen on sealing a transfer for him in the summer due to his impressive form in Portugal this season.

The report claims that Manchester United, Wolves and Tottenham are also in the running for the player with a £50m (€60m) release clause, which means that the Toon could face fierce competition for his signature.

Diame 2.0

Eddie Howe must secure a deal for Palhinha, as the 44-year-old would be bringing in Newcastle’s new midfield powerhouse – a Mo Diame 2.0 if you will.

Diame excelled at winning possession back for the Magpies during his time at the club, as he spent one season in the Championship and two in the Premier League on Tyneside.

In the 2017/18 top-flight campaign, he averaged 4.4 tackles and interceptions per game in the middle of the park before averaging 3.7 per game the following season in the Premier League. The Senegal international was able to catch the eye with his dominant midfield displays as he went flying into tackles to get the crowd off their feet.

By signing Palhinha, Howe would be bringing in another player who could get St James’ Park rocking with the 26-year-old’s ability to take the ball off the opposition.

The Portuguese international has averaged 4.3 tackles and interceptions per game in his country’s top flight this season, whilst making 4.9 per game in the Champions League. This shows that the 26-year-old, described as a “special player” by his manager Ruben Amorim, is a monster in midfield who wins the ball back on a consistent basis for his team, much like Diame did for Newcastle.

Palhinha has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.13 for Sporting as he has been able to deliver consistently brilliant performances throughout the campaign. He has been able to put in complete displays to go along with his knack for making tackles and interceptions and this is why he would be a fantastic signing for the Magpies heading into next season.

Therefore, Howe would find Diame 2.0 in a deal for the Portuguese machine, and that is why he must work hard to get a move over the line in the coming months. The 26-year-old would bolster Newcastle’s options in the middle of the park, and fans would surely love to see a tough-tackling battler arrive through the door to improve their team.

AND in other news, Forget Trippier: £13m “Rolls-Royce” is saving NUFC’s season, he’s their “figurehead”…

Devendra Bishoo, Anthony Martin, Jason Holder, Jonathan Carter and Kirk Edwards are the uncapped players named in West Indies’ preliminary 30-man squad for 2011 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2010Legspinners Devendra Bishoo and Anthony Martin, fast bowler Jason Holder, and batsmen Jonathan Carter and Kirk Edwards are the uncapped players named in West Indies’ preliminary 30-man squad for the 2011 World Cup.The list also included former captain Ramnaresh Sarwan and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, both of whom were excluded from the recent tour of Sri Lanka. Fast bowlers Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor, who have just begun their comeback from long-term injuries, were not included. Brendan Nash is the only player on a WICB central retainer contract left out of the mix.The squad will be trimmed by half for the tournament, which starts on February 19 in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India.Squad: Lionel Baker, Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh Jr, Sulieman Benn, Dave Bernard Jr, Tino Best, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kirk Edwards, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Jason Holder, Anthony Martin, Nikita Miller, Nelon Pascal, Kieron Pollard, Kieran Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Gavin Tonge, Devon Thomas.

L Balaji’s 12th first-class four-wicket haul helped Tamil Nadu bowl Assam out for 184 on the opening day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Assam began cautiously after TN chose to field on a pitch that had plenty of carry, and the openers had seen off 13.3 overs, adding 24 before debutant seamer Sunil Sam made the first breakthrough. Dheeraj Jadhav, Assam’s top-scorer last season, slashed and edged to the wicketkeeper. Sridharan Sriram, the left-hand batsman who hails from TN, could not make an impact against his old team-mates, and became Balaji’s first victim when he cut to gully. Parvez Aziz played offspinner R Ashwin with confidence and had moved to 36 with six boundaries. He also fought through a stream of bouncers before offering S Badrinath a catch off Balaji’s bowling. Badrinath had to dive low and to his left at second slip to take the chance. When star import Amol Muzumdar departed for a duck, nicking Balaji behind, TN sensed an opportunity to shoot Assam out for a low score. The spinners Aushik Srinivas and R Ashwin nipped three wickets between them, while a couple of run-outs added to Assam’s woes as they stumbled to a score under 200. TN’s openers Abhinav Mukund and Srikkanth Anirudha then batted with determination to take their side to 21 without loss by the close.Wasim Jaffer purred along to his 40th first-class century, while Rohit Sharma missed his ninth by seven runs as Mumbai launched their title defence by scoring 340 for 7 on the opening day at the Bandra Kurla Complex against Saurashtra. On a day that would have left both sides reasonably satisfied, there were several important individual performances that stood out. Dropping himself to No. 3 in the absence of the injured middle-order bulwark Ajinkya Rahane, Jaffer carried on his penchant for plundering domestic hundreds, after Jayesh Odedra’s double-strike. At the other end, with the selectors’ eye on his fitness and temperament, Rohit launched himself into the Saurashtra attack with typical elegance. His 93 came off 86 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes, leading Mumbai to 252 for 2 and in sight of a towering score. Then came the third most significant performance of the day, from another India hopeful. Ravindra Jadeja has had his place in the Indian questioned by all and sundry, and he responded with an incisive spell with the game threatening to run away. He dismissed Sharma, Abhishek Nayar and Ramesh Powar, leading Saurashtra’s resurgence in the evening session and left them with an opportunity to finish Mumbai’s innings early on the second day.For more on this match, click here.Opener Arindam Das’ seventh first-class century was the highlight of the opening day at the Feroz Shah Kotla as Bengal posted a dominant 313 for 2 against a Delhi attack that struggled for incisiveness. Ten months after the abandonment of an ODI due to an underprepared pitch, the Kotla track was at its benign best as Das settled down for a big innings, in Shreevats Goswami’s company. The pair raised 133 in 37.2 overs, giving the hosts a taste of what was to come before Goswami fell for 68, the first of Mithun Manhas’ two wickets. Abhishek Chowdhury was more cautious, but it did not affect Bengal’s speed of scoring as Das shifted gears upwards. Manoj Tiwary who came in at Chowdhury’s exit kept the momentum going with an unbeaten 47 off 80 balls. At the other end, Das, kicked on after reaching his ton and finished the day unbeaten on 150. His knock included 19 fours, and he looked good for more when stumps were drawn.For more on this match, click here.Yuvraj Singh managed a half-century but, like the rest of his top-order mates, was guilty of throwing away a start, as Uttar Pradesh held Punjab to 279 for 6 on the opening day at the Bhamashah Stadium in Meerut. Sarul Kanwar began in aggressive fashion after Punjab chose to bat, striking eight fours in his run-a-ball 42. However, after an opening stand worth 56, Praveen Kumar removed Kanwar and Ravi Inder Singh off successive overs, exposing Punjab’s middle order. Uday Kaul rebuilt in Yuvraj’s company, the pair raising 61 for the third wicket before a mini-collapse reduced Punjab to 143 for 5. Karan Goel rose to the occasion, and along with Vishwas Bhalla, lifted his side to respectability with a 72-run alliance. Piyush Chawla prised out Bhalla, but Harmeet Singh counterattacked with four fours and a six in his 29, taking Punjab to stumps along with Goel, who was unbeaten on 56.Gujarat‘s top order gave a good account of themselves without managing to dominate the Railways attack, leaving both sides on par at stumps on an attritional opening day at the Karnail Singh Stadium. Every Gujarat batsman got a start in a score of 234 for 4, but only one managed to reach fifty, while most bowlers gained respect without making enough entries in the wickets column. Jay Desai and Priyank Kirit Panchal ground out an opening stand of 58 in 28 overs before exiting on the same score. Niraj Patel and Parthiv Patel showed more urgency in a stand of 74, but both failed to kick on, as Gujarat found themselves unable to reap the rewards of solidity. That partnership, however, eased the pressure on the remaining batsmen. Bhavik Thaker, coming in at No. 5, did better than the top four, ensuring he crossed his half-century and remained unbeaten at stumps. His innings included two fours and a six off consecutive deliveries from Faiz Fazal. Debutant Pratharesh Parmar held up the other end with an undefeated 28 and the pair will want to push ahead on the second day. Parthiv praised his batsmen for their effort. “The wicket was green and two-paced,” he told the . “So, it was a challenge to play the first 30 overs and we did it.”Opening bowler Basanth Mohanty completed his sixth first-class five-wicket haul as Orissa bullied Baroda, reducing them to 99 for 9 on a curtailed day at the Barabati Stadium. After overnight rains delayed the start by half an hour, Orissa captain Shiv Sundar Das had no hesitation in bowling after winning the toss in damp, seamer-friendly conditions. Baroda’s batsmen, star players Yusuf Pathan and Ambati Rayudu included, had no answers against Basanth in an innings where only three batsmen managed to enter double-figures. Things could have been far worse for Baroda if not for Rakesh Solanki’s unbeaten 44. Debasis Mohanty, Alok Chandra Sahoo and Dhiraj Singh complemented Basanth’s efforts with a wicket apiece as Baroda derailed in shocking fashion.Himachal Pradesh‘s bowlers contained Haryana on the opening day, as the visitors crawled to 204 for 4 in Dharmasala. After choosing to field, the hosts started well, with seamer Jitendra Mehta removing Nitin Saini for five, but wickets were hard to come by after that. Rahul Dewan held vigil for 40 watchful overs, his 46 pushing the score to 88, before he perished against Ashok Thakur. Manav Sharma and Hemang Badani carried on in the same vein, their partnership of 74 spanning nearly 30 overs before Manav fell four short of his half-century. Badani brought up his 37th first-class fifty, and the first for Haryana, but more importantly, ensured he was unbeaten till the end.

MatériaMais Notícias

O desabafo de Romero, depois da saraivada de críticas que recebeu por dizer que o Santos era um time pequeno, após o empate de 1 a 1 no Pacaembu, domingo, foi um abuso. Não que o jogador não tivesse todo o direito de dar sua versão – embora sem muito convencer – sobre a polêmica que causou com sua afirmação preconceituosa. Na entrevista, justificou-se afirmando que sabe da grandeza do Santos, parecia ter sido bem instruído ao falar do rival, e que sua crítica foi apenas à comemoração de um empate pelo adversário, como se fosse uma vitória. O problema é que o paraguaio foi além das explicações. Colocou-se numa posição de vítima, disse que é perseguido, que é obrigado a enfrentar tudo e todos desde que chegou a Brasil há quatros anos, que sofre discriminação por ser paraguaio. Pode ter até razão em boa parte do que fala. Mas, ao reclamar do preconceito, usou da mesma arma e esbanjou preconceitos. Generalizou reclamações contra os jornalistas, contra a mídia, contra os brasileiros. Caiu na armadilha que tem semeado a intolerância e os radicalismos no futebol e em uma sociedade cada vez mais alimentada pelas redes sociais. Simplesmente não precisava ser assim.

Quer ler mais opinião e informação todos os dias? O LANCE! Espresso é uma newsletter gratuita que chega de manhã ao seu e-mail, de segunda a sexta. É uma leitura rápida e saborosa como aquele cafezinho de todos os dias, que vai colocar você por dentro das principais notícias do esporte. A marca registrada do jornalismo do LANCE!, com análises e contextualização de Luiz Fernando Gomes. Clique aqui e inscreva-se.

Pundit Paddy Kenny has been reacting to an injury update regarding Tottenham midfielder Oliver Skipp, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Skipp still out

The 21-year-old has been ruled out since the end of January with a groin problem, missing Spurs’ last seven games in all competitions as a result.

Antonio Conte’s side haven’t shown any signs of consistency during that time, combining away wins over Manchester City and Leeds with defeats to Burnley and Middlesbrough.

The Italian confirmed on Friday that he will once again be without Skipp on Monday night against Everton, news which has caught the eye of Kenny.

The Latest: Kenny reacts to Skipp’s injury absence

Talking to Football Insider, the former Sheffield United goalkeeper labelled the 21-year-old’s continued absence as ‘huge news’ and even described it as ‘devastating’ for Conte.

Kenny staed:

“Losing Skipp for such a long period is a far bigger blow than people think.

“His energy, dynamism, work rate, ability on the ball, these are things that Antonio Conte really rates, as he usually picks him when he’s fit.

“It is no coincidence that Spurs’ results have been mixed, and pretty poor, while he has been out.

“Losing him for the next match is huge news, devastating really, as he helps make the team tick.”

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The Verdict: Return needed soon

Conte green-lighted January exits for Tanguy Ndombele, Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso, which has left him with just four central midfield options.

Rodrigo Bentancur joined Skipp on the injury table in recent weeks, leaving Conte with only Harry Winks and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in that part of the pitch.

The January signing is now available to return against the Toffees, but having Skipp back as soon as possible also seems to be imperative as Spurs look to finish in the top four and get back into the Champions League.

In other news: Spurs and Conte gifted another injury boost pre-Everton as ‘team player’ now declared fit

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘ready’ to ‘finalise deals’ for three players ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Five signings?

Sky Sports journalist and North East reporter Keith Downie has said that the St. James’ Park faithful will now look to make at least five major signings in the summer.

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As well as a permanent deal for Aston Villa left-back Matt Targett, they are also looking at signing a new central defender, playmaking forward, striker and goalkeeper, and could add even more to that list if departures create openings in the squad.

The Latest: Deals in place

Taking to Twitter, transfer insider Graeme Bailey has revealed that the Tyneside outfit are now ‘ready to press ahead’ with transfer plans that were ‘set in motion’ in the January window, and will look to ‘finalise deals’ for Targett, Jesse Lingard of Manchester United and Hugo Ekitike of Reims.

Expanding in his article for 90min, the journalist also revealed that they have ‘enquired’ about the possibility of signing Dean Henderson from Manchester United or Bernd Leno of Arsenal, while they are looking at Sevilla’s Diego Carlos and AFC Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly to strengthen the centre of defence.

The Verdict: Exciting

These are exciting times for the Toon Army as their summer transfer plans already seem to be in motion, and it looks as if they could make at least five major signings by the end of the window.

The names that Bailey has mentioned fit into each position reported by Downie and the new owners may not stop there if they can ship out some of the fringe players at the club too.

Nonetheless, with Premier League safety all but guaranteed, they can now look forward to the next stage of the project, and fans should be delighted to see they aren’t hanging around after the naturally rushed nature of the January window.

In other news, find out which ‘world-class’ UEFA Champions League winner NUFC are now eyeing here!

Muttiah Muralitharan’s team-mates expect no lessening of the offspinner’s powers as he begins life as an international limited-overs specialist

Peter English19-Oct-2010

Kumar Sangakkara loves having Muttiah Muralitharan in his side•AFP

Muttiah Muralitharan’s team-mates expect no lessening of the offspinner’s powers as he begins life as an international limited-overs specialist. Murali, 38, retired from Tests in July with a record 800 wickets and after taking a break has been increasing his load ahead of engagements in Australia over the next three weeks.He is part of the squad that has just landed in the country, a place in which he has often been treated poorly on both sides of the fence. The captain Kumar Sangakkara smiles when he talks about Murali’s impact on the team and he will bolster the squad after missing the home tri-series victory in August.But Sangakkara turns serious when discussing criticism of Murali. “It’s always been unjustifiable if Murali has not been received well in any country,” Sangakkara said. “Just for the bowler he is, the character he is, he is a wonderful human being. However the fans react to him, or whether they accept him, it doesn’t matter in the long run because the whole cricketing world love him for who he is. And he’s very secure in that.”Murali was called for throwing at the MCG in 1995-96 and boycotted the 2004 tour here following comments from John Howard, Australia’s prime minister, over his action. While he was adored during the tsunami fundraising match in Melbourne in 2005, he was part of a Sri Lankan group that had eggs thrown at it in Hobart two years ago.”We just want him to enjoy himself and play for as long as he wants to play and be part of our team,” Sangakkara said. “It’s a joy to see him play. For us to have him in our side is a huge boost of confidence.”Murali has come to Australia via South Africa, where he was part of Chennai’s Champions League T20 victory, taking three wickets in the final. In 22 ODIs Down Under Murali has 31 victims at 32.70, with the home batsmen usually content to see out his overs.The coach Trevor Bayliss expects Murali to benefit from his Test-free workload and not suffer during the transition. “At this stage of his career having a rest every now and then will be good for him,” Bayliss said. “He’s just had a little bit of time off and he’s come back from the Champions League full of beans, and is bowling really well in the nets.”The Sri Lankans open their tour with a one-day game against Queensland at the Gabba on Friday and have some more fine-tuning before a Twenty20 in Perth on October 31 and three ODIs the following week. While it is hard to know what long-term benefits the visitors can achieve from such a short series, Sangakkara’s aims are clear.”Hopefully we get a victory in the series, that’ll be great for us going forward,” he said. “We know how tough it is in Australia. We’ve been here before and we’re yet to win, this is a great challenge to the guys.”

يثق مهاجم منتخب ألمانيا الأول، توماس مولر، في قدرات زملاءه للتأهل إلى دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس العالم 2022 بعد الخسارة أمام اليابان والتعادل مع إسبانيا في الجولتين الماضيتين من مرحلة المجموعات.

ويعاني منتخب ألمانيا في تلك النسخة من كأس العالم التي تقام على أرض قطر، حيث لم تظهر الماكينات بالمستوى المطلوب تحت قيادة المدير الفني، هانزي فليك.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هازارد وكورتوا يوضحان حقيقة الخلافات داخل منتخب بلجيكا بعد الهزيمة من المغرب

وتحدث مولر في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “سبورت” الكتالونية، وقال: “سنتابع عن كثب المباراة الأخرى بالمجموعة (إسبانيا واليابان)، لكننا بكل تأكيد سنقدم كل ما لدينا أمام كوستاريكا”.

وتابع: “الفوز هدفنا، لكن نتيجة 8-0 قد تكون ممكنة ولكنها غير واقعية في كأس العالم، نحن المرشحون المفضلون للتغلب على كوستاريكا على الورق، يجب أن نفوز”.

وأضاف: “نحترم كوستاريكا كثيرًا، بعد كل ما شاهدناه أمام اليابان بعد الهزيمة أمام إسبانيا 7-0”.

وواصل: “بعد الهزيمة من اليابان، كنا بين المطرقة والسندان، لكن كانت هناك شرارة ترشدنا إلى التركيز الذي كنا نحتاجه، استطعنا تدارك الأمر أمام إسبانيا ونعلم إذا فزنا أمام كوستاريكا ستكون لدينا فرصة في التأهل”.

واستمر: “لقد تحسنا كثيرًا أمام إسبانيا، أعتقد أن لدينا فرصة للصعود، سنلعب من أجل الفوز أمام كوستاريكا التي كان فوزها أمام اليابان لصالحنا، ونجحنا أمام إسبانيا في التصدي لفرصهم وحصلنا على نقطة في النهاية”.