All posts by h716a5.icu

Jamie Cox, the Australia selector, says there is still a definite place for spinners in the modern game, but he is unsure what it is

Cricinfo staff15-Mar-2009
Marcus North is the latest spinner to be employed by Australia © Getty Images
Jamie Cox, the Australia selector, says there is still a definite place for spinners in the modern game, but he is unsure what it is. The current slow-bowling tendency in the national team is to use part-timers such as Marcus North and Michael Clarke, and Cox, the former Tasmania opener, said the landscape had altered since he retired in 2006.”The game for a spin bowler has changed, and changed really fast,” Cox said in the Sunday Herald Sun. “There’s still a definite role for them, but what is it? Is it the traditional role of slow spin to negate or is it just staying in the contest, getting into the contest by bowling lots of lots of balls and doing the team thing?”Australia have used the specialists Beau Casson, Jason Krejza, Nathan Hauritz and Cameron White, along with North, Clarke, Simon Katich and Andrew Symonds since Stuart MacGill retired last year. Bryce McGain is currently in South Africa but neither he nor Hauritz have been used in the opening two Tests.Cox said a good spinner in Australia would get two or three opportunities in a whole season on a surface that suited them. “It’s a very different landscape and we [the national selectors] are getting bashed from pillar to post over it,” Cox said.”But you look at what happens in Perth this year, Brisbane and Bellerive … all the wickets are falling to seam bowlers and batting averages are way down. In the space of five years it’s become a completely redefined role and a really tough one.”

Some Liverpool supporters absolutely love Jurgen Klopp’s comments regarding Trent Alexander-Arnold playing in midfield in the future, as the manager spoke in theÂbuild-up to Sunday’s clash with Leeds.

The 22-year-old has blossomed into one of the most exciting young players in Europe, having jumped from academy prospect to superstar at Anfield in recent years.

Alexander-Arnold has made the right-back spot his own under Klopp – although he is not first-choice for England – registering 45 assists for the Reds and showcasing outrageous technical ability at times.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326â€]

The youngster occasionally played in midfield during his academy days and Gareth Southgate decided to play him in that role in England’s win over Andorra during the international break.

Speaking on Friday [via Paul Joyce on Twitter], Klopp made it clear where he will playing Alexander-Arnold, saying it makes no sense to move him from right-back.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-2/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans love Klopp’s comments on Alexander-Arnold

These Liverpool fans loved what they heard from the Reds boss, taking to Twitter in response to Joyce’s post.

“Shots fired”

Credit: @WEBBZJAY

“Facts lol”

Credit: @_mehussain

“That’s a brilliant quote!”

Credit: @only_lars

“Sometimes I just love this man”

Credit: @bondz1e

“BOOM…”

Credit: @dctwittwoo

“I love this”

Credit: @THIAGOLFC6

“Amen!”

Credit: @aldic2

In other news, some Liverpool fans are unhappy about one player potentially starting against Leeds. Read more here.

Last year the cricket provided its own answer to the hype and hyperbole. Ifit does the same again, the minor inconveniences of the build-up may even beforgotten

Lawrence Booth17-Apr-2009On Tuesday evening, at a press conference that turned into a double actbetween Lalit Modi and Shah Rukh Khan, the chairman and commissioner of theIPL began an answer by waxing eloquent about a ‘carnival of cricket’ and ended it by referring to the testing conditions that await Indian batsmen in South Africa. The order in which he made hispoints may have been instructive: this year, as last, the IPL is basing itsruthless business model on entertainment. Now, as then, cricket feelssuspiciously like a means to an end. Perhaps the sooner we get used to theidea, the sooner we can all move on.It may not be easy. An email that landed from the company employed to do the IPL’s public relations cheerily alerted us to the floats which were scheduled to drive around Cape Town as part of Modi’s plan to seduce the locals. They would, it said, contain players and other celebrities. No matter that the IPL has moved to another continent: Shah Rukh and Preity Zinta, interviewed by Mark Nicholas during the mid-innings break in Monday’s one-day international between South Africa and Australia in Port Elizabeth, remain irrepressibly to the fore.The mass transportation across the Indian Ocean Modi referred to has been reasonably fluent, which reflects well both on the ad hoc hosts and the drive and efficiency of Modi himself. Blockbusters are not supposed to take an unexpected twist as early as the second chapter, so the fact that a 36-day, 59-match tournament is taking place at such short notice is a miracle in itself, even if Modi’s claim that all has been ‘smooth sailing’ is stretching the self-congratulation a little.In reality there are plenty of thorny issues beneath the surface. The small matter ofthe suiteholders at Newlands, who pay good money every year to watch cricketfrom the comfort of their own personalised boxes but have now agreed (someof them, at least) to make way for the IPL’s great and good, needed hours ofEaster-holiday meetings to resolve. Castle Lager’s parent company,SABMiller, have reluctantly consented to pay for the privilege of servingbeer at the grounds which have been their own private drinking dens for years.And now we are going to have time-outs, dreaded by those who fear theAmericanisation of the sport but regarded as a no-brainer by the money menwho spy extra advertising opportunities.These, though, are the details, and the bigger picture, for the time being at least, is less finicky. Ticket sales for Cape Town’s back-to-back double-headers (expect more new terminology as the tournament progresses) have been so overwhelming that Newlands was a sell-out within a couple of hours of tickets being made available; this week an extra 5,000 seats were conjured from very nearly thin air. That probably tells us what we already knew: that South Africans love their sport and Cape Townians their cricket, even at the end of a domestic season which might have sated other nations’ appetites. But it’s impressive nonetheless: grey England, with the competing attraction of the County Championship, could not have pulled off a similarstunt.Modi has made all the right noises, of course. He was gratitude personifiedon Tuesday evening, cooing over Cape Town’s welcome and even tugging at theheart strings by claiming that the decision to relocate to South Africa wasthe ‘most difficult of my life’. Shah Rukh, meanwhile, did his bit bypointing out that it was in South Africa in late 2007 that he first fell forshort-form cricket. India pushed him in the right direction by lifting theWorld Twenty20 and even revealed that his house is full of South Africanfurniture. This is a tournament that knows it is a temporary guest, but asthe thorny issues indicate it is clearly determined to behave like the manabout town.All of which leaves us with the cricket, for it’s easy to forget that allthe celebrities, all the mutual back-slapping, all the professed affinitybetween two nations, would be nothing without a bat and a ball. Genuinequestions await. Will Shane Warne overcome a year of rustiness to rip hislegbreaks and rally the Rajasthan Royals? Will Kevin Pietersen slipeffortlessly back into the role of captain? Will Sourav Ganguly overcome hisirritation at John Buchanan’s multiple-skipper theory? Will Delhi Daredevilslive up to their billing as pre-tournament favourites?Last year the cricket provided its own answer to the hype and hyperbole. Ifit does the same again, the minor inconveniences of the build-up may even beforgotten.

Leicester City have received a significant boost ahead of their opening Europa League encounter with Italian giants Napoli.

The Foxes will be hoping to kick their Group C campaign off with a victory at the King Power Stadium this evening, and they’ll be confident of doing just that.

What’s the word?

That’s partly because Brendan Rodgers confirmed several first-team stars have recovered from fitness concerns in time to be available for selection against the Azzurri.

When asked about injuries in Wednesday’s press conference, the 48-year-old said: “We’re looking good on that front. It’s just Wesley (Fofana) and James (Justin) who are unavailable.”

Fofana and Justin are long-term absentees, but the return of fellow defenders Jonny Evans, Jannik Vestergaard and Ricardo Pereira will make Leicester considerably stronger.

Brendan Rodgers will be delighted

Summer signing Vestergaard made his comeback over the weekend, playing the first hour against Manchester City before making way for Evans, who then also got some vital minutes under his belt.

With Vestergaard making way after an hour against City, there were some worries that he may have missed this game with Napoli but it looks like he’s available for selection once again.

The duo’s presence in the heart of defence could be vital to the Midlands outfit’s chance of success against Napoli after Caglar Soyuncu’s shocking start to the season.

For both club and country, the Turkey international has been way below his usual high standards in the opening weeks of the campaign, and the likes of Lorenzon Insigne and Victor Osimhen will provide a real test to whoever forms the Leicester backline.

It should be an intriguing and entertaining matchup between the two teams, and Rodgers will be delighted to have some of his more senior defenders available for action.

And, in other news…Fabrizio Romano provides update which may leave Leicester fans feeling concerned 

Former Leeds United defender Gaetano Berardi is yet to find a new club since leaving the Whites, as reported by reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Berardi leaves Leeds

The defender spent seven years as a Leeds player but his time at Elland Road came to an end in the summer, with Marcelo Bielsa seeing no future for him at the highest level.

The 33-year-old made 157 appearances for Leeds in total, proving to be a popular figure along the way, even though injury problems affected him negatively.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Hay provides key update

The hope was that Berardi would be able to sign for a new club, but speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic on Tuesday, Hay confirmed that wasn’t the case, also ruling out a return to Leeds:

“No he hasn’t, or he hadn’t last time I checked. Which seems odd because he seemed like he’d be a very good signing for someone.

“I don’t see him coming back here because he and his family were keen to return to the continent.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-16/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: One that got away

At 33, Berardi admittedly doesn’t have too many years ahead of him and little to no sell-on value, especially as he has suffered a cruciate ligament injury in the past.

It would be great to see him find another team, however, perhaps even showing Bielsa that he could have still done a job for Leeds.

Berardi was once hailed as ‘very important’ by the Whites manager, highlighting his quality and showing that things may have panned out differently were it not for fitness issues.

Given the injury catastrophe the boss is currently suffering in the heart of his defence, hindsight suggests a one-year extension could have benefited both parties.

In other news, a pundit has backed one Leeds contract strategy. Read more here.

The PCB has included Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Imran Nazir, all three of whom participated in the ICL, in the list of 30 players for the World Twenty20 to be held in England in June

Cricinfo staff06-Apr-2009The PCB has included Abdul Razzaq, Naved-ul-Hasan and Imran Nazir, all three of whom participated in the ICL, in the list of 30 probables for the World Twenty20 to be held in England in June. ICC approval will be required to field the three players in the tournament. The PCB had earlier gone along with the decision of the Sind High Court in February to temporarily lift the ban on 17 ICL-contracted players and permitted them to participate in domestic cricket. Razzaq, Naved and Nazir have been absent from the international scene for more than a year after opting to join the unauthorised league.”We have Razzaq, Hasan and Nazir in the preliminary squad but their inclusion in the final team will depend on clearance from the ICC,” Abdul Qadir, the PCB’s chief selector, said.The ICL has maintained that it is willing to release some of its foreign players from their contracts if they have been called up for national duty, but hopes they would return for the October-November edition of the tournament later in the year.Also included in the squad is Shoaib Akhtar, who had earlier been named in a 15-man squad for the ODI series against Australia in the UAE. Shoaib returns to international cricket after being ruled out of the scheduled tour of Bangladesh, which was suspended due to security concerns, as a result of a knee injury.Apart from the known faces in the Pakistan team, the squad for the World Twenty20 also includes Wahab Riaz, who impressed in the recently concluded RBS Cup domestic tournament, and Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad, who also feature in the squad for the series against Australia.Pakistan Squad: Younis Khan (capt), Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Khalid Latif, Shahzaib Hasan, Ahmed Shehzad, Umar Amin, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Fawad Alam, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat, Kamran Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Aizaz Cheema, Mohammad Aamer, Wahab Riaz, Imran Ali, Danish Kaneria, Abdul Rehman, Yasir Shah, Kamran Akmal (wk), Sarfraz Ahmed, Abdul Razzaq*, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan*, Imran Nazir** – Inclusion in final team subject to ICC approval

West Ham face Manchester United for the second time this week as they begin their Carabao Cup campaign this evening.

David Moyes takes his side to his former stomping ground for the third-round clash at Old Trafford and he is left with plenty to think about in terms of team selection, with fixtures aplenty in the coming weeks.

The Irons will return to Premier League action on Saturday, when they return to the north to face Leeds United, before hosting the first-ever Europa League group stage game at the London Stadium in just over seven days time.

United will be the more confident of the two sides heading into this clash, having defeated the Hammers 2-1 on Sunday afternoon, though it came close to being a different story as club captain Mark Noble missed a last-minute penalty to salvage a point.

But what sort of side could we see from Moyes tonight? Here’s what Football FanCast are predicting…

Both the Premier League and the Europa League should take priority for the east Londoners, so it would not be a surprise to see some form of rotation in Manchester today.

There could be as many as eight changes as Moyes weighs up the return of Michail Antonio. We’re expecting the 58-year-old to keep his leading talisman fresh for the test of Leeds this weekend in what is a massive call, so Jarrod Bowen may well lead the line once again.

He, along with Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma, are the only players to remain from Sunday’s defeat.

We could see two further debuts for the Hammers’ summer signings, with Paris Saint-Germain loanee Alphonse Areola coming in for veteran Lukasz Fabianksi between the sticks, and he may have a new back four in front of him.

The likes of Aaron Cresswell, Kurt Zouma, Angelo Ogobonna and Vladimir Coufal should be rested alongside Antonio, meaning Arthur Masuaku and Ryan Fredericks take up the full-back positions with the vastly-experienced Craig Dawson partnering Issa Diop, who impressed in Croatia last week, in the middle.

Whilst two of West Ham’s Czech stars aren’t likely to feature, new arrival Alex Kral could make his first bow for the club, partnering Noble in the middle, handing both Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice a well-earned rest.

They could be joined by Manuel Lanzini in a three-man engine room.

Predicted Hammers XI vs United (4-2-3-1): Areola; Masuaku, Diop, Dawson, Fredericks; Kral, Noble (c), Lanzini, Benrahma, Fornals; Bowen.

AND in other news, Moyes must unleash “exceptional” West Ham titan tonight, could be big in the long run…

The Nottinghamshire batsmen took the initiative during the morning session at Trent Bridge, as the home side cruised home by six wickets to beat Somerset

John Ward at Trent Bridge09-May-2009
ScorecardAli Brown scorched 63 as Notts won by six wickets•Getty ImagesIt is an all too rare phenomenon these days: a county match starting its final day with a result virtually certain and both teams apparently equally poised to win or lose. But it was the Nottinghamshire batsmen who took the initiative during the morning session at Trent Bridge, the home side cruising home by six wickets.That was exactly how Nottinghamshire did it, by calm, confident and professional batting with no sign of nerves. The Western Australian Adam Voges was the man taking the most credit, as he calmly compiled 73 not out by waiting for the bad ball and scoring off it without unnecessary flourish or extravagance. His partner at the finish was Ali Brown (63 not out), the former Surrey power-hitter who has matured into a dependable batsman able to adapt his game to the circumstances. The home crowd may have had their doubts about their team’s chances, especially after their fragile batting last season, but Voges and Brown from the very start played as if there was simply a job of work to be done and they had no doubts in their ability to accomplish it. Even Brown’s six over long-off that ended the match was a cool, calculated hit by a craftsman who had just completed a job of work and could now retire for a cuppa – or perhaps something a little more toxic.Notts began the day on 112 for 3, still needing 149 for victory on a ground not noted for high scoring. In their favour was the fact that they faced a bowling attack sadly lacking in potency for a Division One team. Charl Willoughby was the main threat, but if they could see him off, the rest would not be too difficult. The first two overs were significant, and that was possibly when the match was in essence won and lost. Willoughby took a couple of overs to settle down, Ben Phillips strayed in line, and the batsmen – Voges and his overnight partner Samit Patel – made their intentions immediately clear, adding 16 runs off those 12 fateful deliveries.Willoughby did get his act together and produced a fine delivery that came in and trapped Patel lbw for 35, but that was to be Somerset’s only bright moment of the day, as Brown came in and his whole body language stated that he was the man to complete the job.The bowling at the other end proved a continual problem for Somerset, the bowlers haemorrhaging runs in a steady flow, until Zander de Bruin came on with an economical spell just before lunch. By then Voges had reached his 50 with a smart dab through the slips off the erratic Peter Trego. Somerset had just one chance, when Willoughby returned just before lunch and almost immediately misjudged a none too difficult return catch from Brown, who then had 32. This was the final nail in their coffin. At lunch Notts needed only a further 36 runs, which took them just over 20 minutes of the afternoon session before Brown (50 off 81 balls) sealed the game with his side’s only six of the match.A crowd of a few hundred watched in typical English spirit: doubtful of their team’s ability to do the job to start with, but willing them onwards with enthusiastic clapping for every run with little vocal encouragement until the final stroke of the game, and then they drifted quietly away, but not before the home fans took pleasure in seeing the updated Division One table displayed on their scoreboard with their team on top, the only ones with two victories after three rounds.As for Somerset, they must be seriously worried about their future in this division when their bowling is so weak. They will be hoping to do better when the 40-year-old Andy Caddick returns after a niggling injury.

Steve Bruce’s job is ‘not under threat and is unlikely to be any time soon’, according to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards. 

The lowdown

Newcastle sit 17th in the early Premier League table, having failed to win any of their first six matches.

They were held to a draw by newly-promoted Watford last weekend despite positing an xG of 2.23, relative to their opponent’s 0.77.

Their defending is also a worry. Only bottom-of-the-table Norwich City (16) have conceded more goals than Newcastle’s 14.

The latest

Edwards has been ‘reliably informed’ that Bruce has the confidence of the powers-that-be at the club. They don’t see him as being ‘under pressure’ at the present time.

In fact, they believe ‘performances have deserved more points’ and that ‘the dressing room is united’ in support of the 60-year-old behind the scenes.

There’s also satisfaction at the style of play, with Newcastle now ‘more entertaining to watch than previous years’.

The verdict

When Callum Wilson returns from injury, the likelihood is that Newcastle will start picking up the points to move up the table and away from danger.

But this ringing endorsement of Bruce is still a little worrying. It points to a major disconnect at the club, with fans sure to take serious offence to the verdict on Bruce’s play style.

It’s also claimed that the dressing room are all behind him, but then how do they explain the fractious atmosphere at the training ground? 

In other news, fans slammed this man’s display against Watford. 

Cricinfo presents the plays of the day from the ICC World Twenty20 match between India and Ireland at Trent Bridge

George Binoy at Trent Bridge10-Jun-2009Loose start to the day
The Sri Lankans sent down a spate of massive leg-side wides against West Indies during the afternoon match at Trent Bridge and the malaise lingered into the India-Ireland match in the evening. Irfan Pathan took the new ball and let his first delivery slip far down the leg side. His second, though, was on target: a near perfect outswinger beat the outside edge of William Porterfield’s prod.Alert moment of the day
Andre Botha inside edged Zaheer Khan towards fine leg and returned for the second run. As he was approaching his crease, he saw the throw from Irfan Pathan speeding towards him and hastily ducked out of the way. He was more alert than the bird which flew into Jacques Rudolph’s throw during a recent county game.Wait of the day
After the glut of boundaries from Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan, the fans watching the second game had to wait patiently for the big hits. Ireland hit their first four in only the fourth over – Andre Botha rocking back to cut Zaheer past backward point – and their only six in the 16th over when Andrew White top-edged a pull over the boundary.Careless moment of the day
Never forget to ground your bat. It’s a lesson that’s ground into schoolboys but it’s something international cricketers forget to do every once in a while. Their opponents are usually good enough to make them pay for it. Today White punched the ball towards mid-on and set off for an easy single. The non-striker Regan West, though, was ambling towards the wicketkeeper’s end and was spotted by an alert Suresh Raina, who was sprinting in from the deep. He swooped on the ball and threw it flat and fast towards the wicketkeeper. The ball crashed into Dhoni’s pads and bounced on to the stumps. West was over the line but his foot was in the air and so was his bat.Mismatch of the day …
… was Zaheer against Ireland’s top order. Bowling at a brisk pace, Zaheer moved the ball both ways under lights and was too hot for Ireland’s batsmen on a cold evening in Nottingham. He cut Jeremy Bray in half with an inswinger to the left-hander before shattering the stumps with a yorker next ball. Zaheer then had Porterfield and Andre Botha edging length deliveries to Yusuf Pathan at slip before retuning in the penultimate over to induce an edge from Andrew White.Send-off of the day
Boyd Rankin had conceded only 22 runs off 3.5 overs. His last ball, though, was a length delivery and Rohit Sharma made room, lifted his bat high, swung hit hard, and deposited the ball amid the fans beyond the midwicket boundary. Incidentally, Rankin had begun his spell with a short and wide ball which Gautam Gambhir dispatched to the point boundary.