All posts by h716a5.icu

Doubts over whether Sri Lanka’s Test series against England in May 2009 will actually take place have resurfaced

Cricinfo staff26-Sep-2008Doubts over whether Sri Lanka’s Test series against England in May 2009 will actually take place have resurfaced after The Times reported that Durham, who host the second Test, have been told by the ECB to hold fire on selling tickets.The series clashes with the latter stages of the IPL, and a number of the Sri Lankan squad have signed lucrative contracts to play in that. Sri Lanka Cricket, however, stands to earn around £1 million from the England matches and is keen for them to go ahead. The tour was arranged earlier this year after the scheduled visit by Zimbabwe was scrapped by the ECB.Although the itinerary has been announced and both boards have said the trip will go ahead, there remain major question marks over who exactly Sri Lanka will send. If it is a weakened side then there would be concerns about the viability, not to mention the credibility, of the series.Around a dozen players maintain that they were given assurances that they could honour their IPL commitments before the tour was agreed.The ECB’s concerns that the series will be treated as of secondary importance will have been heightened by comments from Gamini Lokuge, Sri Lanka’s sports minster, following a meeting with SLC officials earlier this week. “I want the contracted players to honour their commitments with the IPL,” he said. “I don’t want the tour to England be called off. But the team on English soil can have non-contracted IPL players.”Earlier this month, Arjuna Ranatunga, the interim committee chief of SLC, insisted the tour would go ahead. “We have a memorandum of understanding with the England and Wales Cricket Board for the tour and we must honour that,” he said.

An update has emerged regarding Celtic’s interest in Rennes forward Mbaye Niang.

What’s the talk?

According to Foot Mercato, via EverythingCeltic on Twitter, the Hoops are interested in sealing a deal for the 26-year-old this summer.

The report claims that the French outfit are keen on offloading him before the end of the window as he is not a part of their plans moving forward, with Ange Postecoglou now preparing to swoop for him.

Bye-bye Edouard

Dominic McKay could strike gold for Celtic with a swoop for Niang, a talented player who has lost his way in the past 12 months. The Hoops could bring him in and help resurrect his career, whilst potentially replacing Odsonne Edouard with him.

Brighton have reportedly made an offer for the Celtic frontman and it could be the perfect time to cash in on him now that he only has a year left on his contract. Their offer is said to be an initial £18.5m which could rise above £20m with add-ons, which McKay could rake in and then use partially to secure a deal for Niang to replace the 23-year-old

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig once claimed Niang has the potential to become a ‘world-class’ forward. He said: “M’Baye Niang is getting better and better. He surely has the potential to become a world-class player.”

In a tactical preview of an Inter v AC Milan clash in 2016, Bleacher Report had this to say on Niang: “On the other side, M’Baye Niang brings a different threat. And with De Sciglio often remaining deeper, the Frenchman is—unlike Suso—tasked with remaining near his touchline and providing width on the left.

“This is done with the intention of isolating Niang up against the opposing full-back, where his pace, strength and skill make him an extremely tricky prospect in one-on-one situations.”

This shows that he has the ability to play at the top level, as he was clearly well-regarded whilst at Milan. He may not have lived up to his “world-class” hype just yet, having never been hugely prolific at any club, but Celtic could offer him a platform to get back on track, with his career far from over at the age of 26.

The centre-forward hit double figures in both the 2018/19 and 2019/20 campaigns for Rennes in Ligue 1 and scored 21 goals in total. This proves that he can score at an impressive rate in one of Europe’s best leagues, suggesting that he has the quality in front of goal to arrive at Celtic and become their talisman in place of Edouard. Therefore, McKay could strike gold by securing £20m+ for Edouard and replacing him with a talented player in the form of Niang.

AND in other news, Celtic in talks to sign £10k-p/w beast who is “incredibly fast”, Ange needs him…

Jon Holland, the left-arm orthodox spinner, is preparing for his first-class debut after being named in Victoria’s squad for their opening Sheffield Shield match of the season

Cricinfo staff08-Oct-2008
Jon Holland is set to make his state debut © Garry Sparke
Jon Holland, the left-arm orthodox spinner, is preparing for his first-class debut after being named in Victoria’s squad for their opening Sheffield Shield match of the season. Holland is also in line to play his first one-day match for his state as the Bushrangers enter the summer without the injured Bryce McGain and Cameron White, who is with the Test squad in India.Holland, 21, was one of the men who performed best for the Australian Institute of Sports against Bangladesh in the warm-up games in Darwin ahead of Australia’s ODI series. Greg Shipperd, the Victoria coach, said Holland deserved his opportunity.”Jon spent his winter in Brisbane at the Centre of Excellence,” Shipperd said. “His game has really come on after he played only a game or two at club level last year because of injury.”Victoria will also welcome Chris Rogers, the Test opener who has moved from Western Australia, and Damien Wright, the former Tasmania fast bowler, for both matches. One of the reasons Rogers left the Warriors was because of a lack of one-day opportunities and he will get the chance to open in Victoria’s first limited-overs match of the summer.The Bushrangers’ season starts with a one-day game against South Australia in Adelaide on Sunday followed by a Sheffield Shield match at the same venue. Victoria have again got a tough choice between wicketkeepers and chose Adam Crosthwaite for the FR Cup game and Matthew Wade for the longer version.David Hussey will captain the side in the absence of White. Darren Pattinson, the fast bowler who made a surprise Test debut for England during the Australian winter, was not available due to a groin injury.Sheffield Shield squad Chris Rogers, Nick Jewell, Brad Hodge, David Hussey (capt), Rob Quiney, Andrew McDonald, Matthew Wade (wk), Damien Wright, Shane Harwood, Jon Holland, Clint McKay, Dirk Nannes.FR Cup squad Chris Rogers, Rob Quiney, Brad Hodge, David Hussey (capt), Aiden Blizzard, Andrew McDonald, Adam Crosthwaite (wk), Damien Wright, Shane Harwood, Jon Holland, Clint McKay, Dirk Nannes.

Sporting CP defender Nuno Mendes could be one for the future at Manchester City, according to former City defender Michael Ball.

The Premier League champions have been linked with the 19-year-old this summer, with journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting the Citizens’ interest, but the club have no intention of paying the €50m price tag Sporting have put on him.

Mendes offers versatility as he can play as both a left midfielder and left-back, with the latter a position in which City rotated between Oleksandr Zinchenko, Benjamin Mendy and Joao Cancelo last season. At just 19 years of age, Mendes has already made 45 appearances for Sporting CP’s first team, with Ball believing he could be a player for the future.

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern: “If he comes to Manchester City, he’s got time on his hands, he can develop under Pep, learn off the players around him like Foden did, get parts here and there, so when he is ready in a year, 18 months’ time, he’s ready to bounce in and he knows the club and knows how Pep wants to play.

“So yeah, that could be one for the future for Manchester City but obviously for coming straight into that starting line-up, I think it’s just a stretch too far for both of them.”

Whilst City are interested in Mendes, another full-back playing in Portugal who has been linked with a move to Manchester is Benfica’s Alex Grimaldo. According to Pedro Almeida, there are talks between the two clubs, with Benfica reportedly wanting €30million for the full-back.

A round-up of the first day of the first-round matches of the Pentangular Cup

Cricinfo staff25-Oct-2008ScorecardAt 88 for 5, Federal Areas had been in danger of being bowled out on the first day of Pentangular Cup action in Karachi, but an unbeaten 103 from Usman Saeed ensured they finished with a respectable 270 for 9 against Sind.Sind’s trio of medium-pacers – Sohail Khan, Anwar Ali and Tanvir Ahmed – did the early damage after captain Shahid Afridi put the opposition in. Umar Amin’s 48 was the only substantial contribution from the top order before he was lbw to Tanvir, but Saeed, at No. 6, found support from allrounders Yasir Arafat (27) and Sohail Tanvir (45).The sixth and seventh wickets added 67 and 73 to put up a fight, but Tanvir Ahmed dismissed both Arafat and Tanvir, who hit seven fours, to keep his team in control. Naeem Anjum was out first ball to give Tanvir Ahmed his fifth wicket. Saeed, though, put on 33 with captain Iftikhar Anjum, and will resume batting on the second day with Shoaib Akhtar. Saeed’s 103 came off 186 deliveries, with 14 fours.
ScorecardThere was an unbeaten century in Quetta as well, but North West Frontier Province’s top order capitalised after Umar Gul chose to bat. The top three batsmen managed half-centuries, and two of them would perhaps be regretting not converting it to a big score.Left-hand opener Adnan Raees was the successful one; he finished the day on 122 not out as NWFP scored 293 in their 90 overs for the loss of two wickets. Yasir Hameed, the former international, did the bulk of the scoring as NWFP’s openers rattled up 104. His 72 needed just 78 balls, but he was out caught off left-arm spinner Saeed Anwar jnr.The rate of scoring reduced with Hameed’s fall, but runs came none the less for NWFP. Before he was bowled by Abdur Rauf on 82, Wajid Ali added 181 for the second wicket with Raees. Both batsmen scored at a strike-rate less than 50; Baluchistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq used seven bowlers in 90 overs.

Sunderland have completed a deal for Tottenham Hotspur left-back Dennis Cirkin on a three-year contract.

Enjoying a productive 2020/21 campaign, the Dublin-born left-back registered two assists in 14 appearances for the Spurs Under-23’s set up [Transfermarkt].

Now, he has made a surprise move to the North-East following recent developments.

Regarded as a coup for Lee Johnson’s men, highly-rated Cirkin joins Sunderland for an undisclosed fee and is rumoured to be ready to be involved in the Black Cats’ trip to Milton Keynes Dons this coming Saturday [Shields Gazette].

Positional counterpart Denver Hume’s future at Sunderland is now said to be unclear, owing to the move.

In light of this new signing, no wonder loads of Sunderland fans took to social media to voice their delight.

Sunderland AFC fans react:

Replying to the official Sunderland AFC Twitter account, here is how some supporters reacted to the transfer:

“THANK GOD”

Credit: @KINGMAGUIRE_

“singing of the summer”

Credit: @jpsleightholme1

“Sensible transfer recruitment this summer, things you love to see”

Credit: @Charlie9129″Get in, from reading spurs fans opinions on this lad we’ve got a cracking left back here. Welcome to Sunderland”Credit: @artlowy8″Sounds like a very promising signing! Welcome to the mad house”Credit: @mattymule”Welcome to Sunderland. All the best for the season ahead.”Credit: @sparkymarc23In other news, Sunderland fans rage over a ticketing update.

Dirk Nannes and Clint McKay took four wickets each to help Victoria bowl New South Wales out for 261 on the first day of their Sheffield Shield match in Sydney on Tuesday

Cricinfo staff04-Nov-2008
Fresh from a 11-wicket haul against Queensland, Dirk Nannes continued his good form taking 4 for 57 on the first day in Sydney © Getty Images
Dirk Nannes and Clint McKay took four wickets each as Victoria kept New South Wales to 261 on the first day in Sydney after the Blues had chosen to bat first. At stumps Victoria had faced two overs and were 0 for 3 with Chris Rogers on 2 and Nick Jewell yet to score.New South Wales lost all ten wickets to fast bowlers and the damage began when Nannes and McKay made early inroads by removing the openers Phillip Hughes and Greg Mail within the first two overs. However, they were revived by a 98-run stand for the third wicket between Peter Forrest and Usman Khawaja before McKay struck again to have Forrest caught behind for 33.Khawaja, playing his first Sheffield Shield match of the summer, was impressive in compiling 66 before he gave Darren Pattinson his first wicket of the campaign. Lower-order resistance from Grant Lambert and Daniel Smith helped New South Wales prop up their total and the pair put on 83.Smith, the wicketkeeper who has stepped up with Brad Haddin in the Test side, had battled for batting impact so far this season but his career-best 56 showed his potential. Lambert finished unbeaten on 48 as he lost his tail-end colleagues cheaply to McKay and Nannes.Nannes, who finished with 4 for 57, continued his good form in the competition – he had a match haul of 11 for 95 in Victoria’s nine-wicket win over Queensland in their previous match. McKay finished with 4 for 33.

West Bromwich Albion are reportedly in talks to sign Belenenses SAD forward Mateo Cassierra, as their search for striking reinforcements continues [Mais Futbol via Football League World].

The Lowdown: West Bromwich Albion look to bolster ahead of transfer window closure

Seeking promotion at the first attempt in 2021/22, newly crowned West Brom manager Valerien Ismael will be desperate to bring in personnel capable of out-gunning divisional rivals to ensure a swift return to Premier League football this campaign.

Making inroads in the transfer market well ahead of time, the Baggies have made three summer signings in the form of Alex Mowatt, Adam Reach and Matthew Clarke [Transfermarkt].

Now, the Midlands outfit look to be progressing in another pursuit, with a possible alternative to alleged target Andre Gray emerging.

The Latest: Baggies reported to be in talks with Cassierra

Turning their attentions to the Portuguese top-flight, the Baggies are said to have entered discussions to sign former Ajax striker Cassierra [Mais Futbol via Football League World].

Such details of any prospective deal remain confidential, however the 24-year-old has attracted interest from all around Europe this window.

He is out of contract in less than 12 months-time, which could conceivably make him an affordable option for West Bromwich Albion.

The Verdict: Cassierra would be an exciting signing for West Bromwich Albion

Keen to strengthen their attacking firepower, Cassierra would represent an exciting piece of business for the Hawthorns faithful.

Clinical in-front of goal, the 6 foot 1 ace would be capable of effectively complementing Karlan Grant, Callum Robinson and Kenneth Zohore in attack.

In 2020/21, the Colombian registered 12 goal contributions in 36 appearances; 11 goals and one assist [Transfermarkt].

Moreover, Cassierra’s rate of 1.3 shots per game across the year made him a constant menace to opposition backlines [WhoScored].

In a pivotal campaign for everyone connected with West Brom, having one extra player capable of sticking the ball in the back of the net can only be a good thing.

In other news, West Bromwich Albion are keen on a Jamaican international.

Ozan Kabak is reportedly one of the centre-backs that could be available to Southampton this summer, and he could be the ideal heir to Jannik Vestergaard.

What’s the word?

Following the Danish defender’s £15m move to Leicester City earlier in the transfer window, Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach compiled a list of potential centre-backs to replace him at St Mary’s.

That included Kabak, who spent the second half of last season on loan with Liverpool in order to aid their defensive crisis, and he would go on to make 13 appearances for the Reds, helping them earn a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Would Kabak be a good signing for Southampton?

Although he had some difficult moments in a Liverpool shirt, Kabak is still just 21-years-old and now has plenty of experience playing in the Bundesliga, Premier League and Champions League.

Whilst he is currently rated at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, Schalke’s financial woes suggest that he could be prised away in a bargain deal this summer, with some reports suggesting that the German side may even need to terminate his contract in order to balance the books, which would make him an extremely appealing option for the Saints from a financial perspective.

Hasenhuttl has shown a preference for signing younger players during his time at St Mary’s and Kabak could be the ideal long-term replacement for Vestergaard, although the Saints arguably do need an experienced head at the back if they want to avoid shipping so many goals again this season.

The Turkey international is clearly adept in the air, as he won 4.1 aerial duels per game in the Bundesliga and 2.9 per game in the Premier League last season, whilst he also boasts an impressive pass accuracy, which suggests that he could take over from Vestergaard when it comes to making the long switches of play to Southampton’s full-backs.

During his time with Stuggart, sporting director Thomas Hitzlsperger was full of praise for the defender, saying:

“It’s incredible how worldy-wise he is for his age. It’s astonishing. I see him every day and am amazed at how he mature he is. He wants to know everything; he wants to learn German right away and understand everything. That’s the kind of attitude we need. He’s already a role model, despite his age.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Therefore, given that he could well be available on a free transfer shortly, signing Kabak would make a huge amount of sense for Southampton this summer.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl can amend key Saints issue by signing “exceptionally good” free agent

A round-up from the latest MTN domestic championship matches in South Africa

Cricinfo staff01-Dec-2008Gulam Bodi’s 65 ensured a smooth win for Titans who chased down 188 to beat Dolphins in Benoni. Dolphins’ innings never really recovered from the position of 3 for 10 which Basheeru-Deen Walters (2 for 26) helped put them in, although Daryn Smit helped achieve a score of some respectability with a 52 from 66. Roelof van der Merwe’s slow-left-arm earned him 3 for 30 from his nine overs. Titans stumbled in their reply to 14 for 2 but Bodi and Martin van Jaarsveld (45 from 64) gave their innings substance while Farhaan Behardien cracked 29 from 38 to complete a three-wicket winWarriors heaved themselves off the bottom of the table with a crunching 83-run win over Lions at the Wanderers. Warriors set their opponents a challenging 245, but Robin Peterson – who was unlucky to miss out in the second Test against Bangladesh – ran through them with 5 for 11 from 7.5 overs. Only Jean Symes, with 53 from 60 balls, offered any resistance as Lions were blown away for 161 in the 36th over. Earlier, Warriors’ 244 was constructed by three innings of 38 and a blistering 30 from 19 balls by Riaan Jeggels.Rain ruined Cape Cobras’ run-chase against Eagles in Bloemfontein, with the Cobras reaching 57 without loss in pursuit of 204. Herschelle Gibbs was unbeaten on 32 while Andrew Puttick made 16. Eagles’ 203 for 8 owed much to Boeta Dippenaar, whose wonderful form continued with an 88-ball 63. The ageless Claude Henderson finished with 3 for 52, and the Eagles remain equal-top of the points table with Titans.

Titans 5 4 1 0 017 +0.034 953/187.2 1046/207.0 Eagles 5 3 1 0 1 17+1.236 1005/156.3 911/175.4 Cape Cobras 21 0 0 1 7 +2.244208/45.0 107/45.0 Lions 4 13 0 0 5 -0.298 908/180.0877/164.1 Warriors 3 1 20 0 5 -0.624 596/117.0 608/106.2 Dolphins 3 0 3 00 0 -1.398 552/135.0 673/122.4