All posts by h716a5.icu

Eoin Morgan wants to learn from the experience of his first two Test matches after Ian Bell’s broken foot created an unexpected chance for him to push a claim for an Ashes spot

Cricinfo staff20-Jul-2010Eoin Morgan wants to learn from the experience of his first two Test matches after Ian Bell’s broken foot created an unexpected chance for him to push a claim for an Ashes spot. Morgan admitted he put extra pressure on himself against Bangladesh and now wants to take on Pakistan in a more relaxed state of mindWith Paul Collingwood rested for England’s first series of the season Morgan was given the opportunity at No. 6 and, although he looked comfortable while compiling scores of 44 and 37, he twice wasted the opportunity to build something more substantial against a weak attack. With Collingwood returning to the five-day fold against Pakistan Morgan was going to be the man to make way, but he is now eager to make the most of a second opportunity following Bell’s injury against Bangladesh.”I like to take my chances and be as relaxed about it as possible. Against Bangladesh it was different because I was probably building it up more than I should have,” he told the . “I was a bit anxious when I went out to bat but when I was out there I was quite relaxed, it was fine.”Test-match cricket is the ultimate,”he added. “I won’t be satisfied finishing my career just being good at the shorter forms of the game.”The prospect of playing in the Ashes has arrived very quickly for Morgan who 12 months ago wasn’t an established member of the England side in any format. He is still trying to grasp his swift elevation which has already seen him become a key component of the one-day and Twenty20 units.”I only came into the side a year ago and a lot has happened since then, if I have another year like this, I will be very happy,” he said during a Jaguar Academy for Sport event. “But it means taking every opportunity as it comes. The last time England played in Australia in an Ashes series in 2006-07, I was in South Africa with Ireland at a training camp. So playing in an Ashes series was a million miles away and it was the same for me last year.”Whenever Morgan’s Test future is discussed his underwhelming first-class record is a talking point. His average stands at 36.65 and due to his development as a Twenty20 cricketer he has had very few outings in the longer formats in the last 12 months. When he plays for Middlesex against Sussex this week it will be his first Championship match since August 2009, but Morgan isn’t overly concerned about bridging the gap to Test cricket.”The England captain [Andrew Strauss] has seen me play at Middlesex enough times to know what I am like,” he said. “I need to get a lot of runs because the competition for places is fierce. I will be looking to get as many runs as I can. You have a longer time to get in and you can bat all day. Sometimes you might have to dig in and sometimes you might have to lash it.”Strauss, who will also play against Sussex in preparation for the series against Pakistan, is confident Morgan can translate his limited-overs form into Test matches.”Eoin’s two greatest strengths are that he can play the situation exceptionally well in the shorter forms of the game and he has the game to adapt to any conditions he encounters,” Strauss said. “There is no reason why he can’t bring that strength to Test cricket. He has a clear mind, reads the situation well, and he can play in a number of different ways.”That flexibility is a great strength and if he does get the chance to play, it will be great to see him transfer that from the shorter form into the longer form of the game. There is no reason in my mind at least that he cannot go on and have a successful Test career as well.”

West Ham United are interested in a deal to bring Aaron Hickey to the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Pete O’Rourke, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, while a move may not be possible in the January transfer window, David Moyes’ side are keeping a very close eye on the Bologna left-back ahead of a potential swoop this summer.

This would appear to back up a previous claim made by ExWHUemployee, who also suggested that the Irons boss is keen on a move for the 19-year-old defender.

Speaking about West Ham’s interest in the Scotland under-21 international, O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “I can’t see a deal happening this window but it is maybe one that West Ham are keeping an eye on for the summer.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how exciting a talent Hickey is proving to be, the potential of West Ham making a move for the left-back this summer is sure to be one which will leave their fans buzzing.

Indeed, over his 19 Serie A outings so far this season, the £11.7m-rated defender has been in exceptional form for Bologna, having already bagged four goals, as well as taking 0.8 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

The £16k-per-week teenager has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping his side to keep five clean sheets, in addition to making 0.9 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 0.8 clearances per game and winning 62% of his duels.

These returns have seen the left-back average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.91, ranking him as Bologna’s sixth-best player in Serie A.

As such, when taking into account that West Ham’s current first-choice left-back Aaron Cresswell, is now 32, it would indeed appear a wise move by Moyes to start considering who would be a good fit to eventually replace the Englishman in his starting XI, with Hickey looking like an ideal candidate.

In other news: Ex reveals West Ham “talks” for “ridiculous” January signing, he’d be a major upgrade

West Ham United have made a move in a bid to bring Bamba Dieng to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by French media outlet RMC Sport (via the Daily Mail), who claim that both West Ham and Crystal Palace have made an approach to Olympique de Marseille regarding a deal to sign the centre-forward this month.

The report goes on to state that the Ligue 1 side are now in a position where they have to sell in order to balance their books, and could let the 21-year-old leave the club for a fee of just €10m (£8m) in the current market.

The next Drogba

With a new centre-forward very much being a priority for David Moyes over the remainder of the January transfer window, the news that Dieng looks as if he will be available for such a small fee this winter is sure to have intrigued the 58-year-old Hammers manager.

And, it is clear to see why the Scot would be interested in a deal to sign the Senegal international this month, not only because West Ham’s only current senior centre-forward is Michail Antonio, but also because the 21-year-old is clearly a player who boasts a remarkable amount of potential for the future.

Indeed, over his 14 Ligue 1 outings this season – only seven of which have come as starts – the £7.2m-rated hitman has already scored four goals and created one big chance for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.5 shots per game and finding the back of the net every 136 minutes of football played.

These returns have led to the player who Jorge Sampaoli dubbed “explosive” receiving some extremely high praise, none less so than from El Hadji Diouf, who stated of Dieng: “He’s a striker, a Didier Drogba. All he can do is score goals. He is a young person with a future. All I have to say is keep his head on his shoulders, keep working. He is an attacker who ends up in the box.”

As such, it would appear as if a move for the 21-year-old would be a very wise move for Moyes to make in the coming days, as, should Dieng continue his current rate of development following a switch to the London Stadium, the Hammers could very well have the next Drogba on their hands.

In other news: Moyes could form a deadly front three as WHU plot late Jan offer for £15m “greyhound”

Mazhar Majeed, the man at the centre of the spot-fixing controversy that has engulfed the ongoing Lord’s Test between England and Pakistan, is known to many members of the Pakistan team as a UK-based agent

Osman Samiuddin29-Aug-2010Mazhar Majeed, the man at the centre of the spot-fixing controversy that has engulfed the ongoing Lord’s Test between England and Pakistan, is known to many members of the Pakistan team as a UK-based agent. Along with his brother Azhar, Mazhar claimed to represent the interests of a number of Pakistan’s top cricketers in the UK.Mazhar was arrested by Scotland Yard on Saturday night on suspicion of a conspiracy to defraud bookmakers. He was caught on camera by claiming to have bribed Pakistan’s bowlers to bowl no-balls at previously agreed moments during the Test. He claimed to the paper to have up to seven players from the side working for him, though so far only four have been named.Cricinfo understands that the brothers have known many members in the team since at least 2006, the last time Pakistan toured England. It is unclear whether any official agreement was signed between the players and the brothers, but over a number of years Azhar and Mazhar have handled various sponsorship and marketing contracts for the players in the UK.How familiar the brothers are with the players is also evident from the UK-based , a popular fan website that regularly carries out interviews with Pakistan’s top cricketers. In a number of interviews with players such as Salman Butt and Saeed Ajmal, Azhar and Mazhar were thanked for setting up the interaction.For a while, between 2008 and 2009, the website had a regular section called “The Agents Views”, in which Azhar would update readers on the activities of a number of players. The introduction to this section calls Azhar the UK-based agent for a number of players including Abdul Razzaq, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Abdur Rauf as well as others.The same website also revealed that Mazhar was in Australia during Pakistan’s tour at the start of this year. Pakistan lost every single international through the series; an inquiry in the aftermath of the fractious tour revealed that coaches Aaqib Javed and Intikhab Alam suspected Kamran Akmal of deliberately underperforming. Allegations centred, in particular, around the second Test in Sydney, which Pakistan lost from a dominant position by 36 runs.However, insisted Mazhar’s role was purely to set up interviews. “Let us clarify that Mr. Majeed was a representative for the said players who allowed us access to interview these players,” they told Cricinfo. “There is no other connection with him or his organization as far as PP is concerned – our only mission was to bring the voice of the players to the fans and also take feedback to the players.”The inquiry committee looked into other matches as well, including the Twenty20 international in Melbourne, which Pakistan lost by two runs. Board officials stopped short of using the term match-fixing, but privately conceded that players might have underperformed to undermine others as part of rampant factionalism and politicking within the side.While in Australia, the players apparently sent a video message to their Under-19 counterparts, at that time across the Tasman Sea in New Zealand preparing for the World Cup final against Australia. And a post underneath the thread thanks Mazhar, “who is currently in Australia with the players for sending clips to PP [Pakpassion]”.

Ravi Bopara knows his England axing during last year’s Ashes career was the make-or-break point of his career but believes he has emerged stronger after reclaiming a place in the one-day set-up

Andrew McGlashan13-Sep-2010Ravi Bopara knows his England axing during last year’s Ashes was the make-or-break point of his career but believes he has emerged stronger after reclaiming a place in the one-day set-up.Bopara was omitted from both of last winter’s tours to South Africa and Bangladesh before returning for the World Twenty20 where he made one appearance when Kevin Pietersen flew home for the birth of his child.He then reclaimed a one-day berth for the final match against Bangladesh at Edgbaston after Ian Bell suffered a broken foot and has now pushed Luke Wright out of the starting XI against Pakistan.He certainly adds a classiness to the middle order that Wright has failed to bring, although is still trying to learn his role. His skied drive off Saeed Ajmal at Headingley, with 13 needed from 12 balls, almost gave Pakistan a route back into the contest, but Bopara is adamant he is a far more complete cricketer from the one who was dissected by Australia a little over 12 months ago.”Experiences like that either make you a better cricketer, or they destroy you completely – I know for a fact they have made me a better player,” he said. “Whenever I have played this summer, especially in one-dayers, I have felt I have been batting really well.”It hasn’t always been like that in the Championship – because the pitches have been terrible for a lot of matches. But the one-day wickets have been brilliant, and I’ve been striking the ball more cleanly than I ever have. I feel more positive, all round. I feel more of a senior player.”His poor Ashes series has left Bopara wanting to make amends but it’s unlikely he’ll be able to force his way into the squad for this winter’s Australia tour with England’s batting already well-stocked for options. Time, though, is on Bopara’s side and if this year’s series does pass him by he’ll have plenty more chances to banish the memories of 2009.”I am desperate to make things right,” he said. “I would love to get the opportunity to do that. But I am not the sort of person now that likes to look too far ahead. My job is to go out and play against Pakistan at The Oval [on Friday] and help to win the series. If you look too far ahead you get ahead of yourself, and stop thinking about the important things you are doing now.”Having fallen out of favour with England he is now having to resume his career where there is space in the line-up rather than where he really prefers to bat at No. 3. There is unlikely to be any room at the top of the order in the near future, but Bopara is confident he has the skills to adapt to any role Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss want to give him.”I am batting down the order at the moment, but fortunately I’ve always practised the skills you need to bat there – sometimes coming in during the last five overs – as well as batting at the top. I’d like to bat at the top of the order because that is where I have scored my runs for Essex. But right now, I don’t think there is a spot there [for England]. The guys at the top are doing well, and we are winning – so there is no reason to change.”Part of Bopara’s rehabilitation after last season involved travelling to New Zealand and being an overseas player with Auckland. He’d been offered the chance of an England Lions place, but felt a complete break from the international set-up was what he needed. And Bopara now believes a similar, if shorter-term, option can work for Pietersen after he agreed a two-week stint with the Dolphins in South Africa ahead of the Ashes.”That is a very wise move,” Bopara said. “The move I made to Auckland was very good for my game, and me as a person. I had time to myself, away from everybody and all the coaches. I loved being away, and doing things on my own.”I’ve never really liked too much advice, or too many people having their input. I take advice, but prefer to work things out for myself.I think Kevin is the same sort of person – and I think him going away to Natal will be a great move for him, and a great move for English cricket. I hope he then comes back into the Ashes, and shows how good a player he is.”

Mumbai have everything that it may take to become a top Twenty20 side, yet in three years they have no silverware to show for their efforts. The game against South Australia could be the first step towards correcting that

The Preview by Sidharth Monga13-Sep-2010Match factsMumbai v South Australia, Tuesday, September 14
Start time 1730 (1530 GMT)Solos from Sachin Tendulkar will not do for a side with Mumbai’s depth•AFPBig PictureMumbai Indians seem to have everything a team might need to become the best club side in the world. They have Sachin Tendulkar at the top, who has taken Twenty20 batting to a new risk-free plane. They have talented Indian domestic batsmen in the middle. They have Lasith Malinga, perhaps the best bowler in the format, to go with Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan, who more than hold their own against international sides, leave alone club teams. Their owners are one of the richest families in India, and they have spent merrily in acquiring the services of Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and JP Duminy among others.
Still they are neither the IPL champions nor have they got off to a good start in the Champions League, losing to the Lions, a team whose collective fame and earnings pale in comparison to Pollard’s from one IPL season. From their last two matches, Mumbai will know they can do with better captaincy and pre-match strategy. In the IPL final, Pollard was given just three overs to win a match. They have been almost apologetic in using their rich resources. In the Champions League opener, neither Malinga nor Zaheer opened the bowling. Why not hit some helmets and break some toes straight up? Despite the presence of five specialist bowlers in the side, the part-timers bowled four overs for 49 runs.Now Mumbai are up against a side that has won a match based on a captain’s solo. Michael Klinger, a Victorian, moved to South Australia two seasons ago, didn’t play a single Twenty20 for them last season, but walked into the Champions League side as captain. Their first match showed why. While the rest of the top order struggled, Klinger got a golden bat emblazoned on his cap, a rather subtle recognition for the tournament’s highest scorer at the time, breaking away from the IPL’s honourable tradition of gaudy caps.Tendulkar nearly did a similar solo in the first game, but in a team of Mumbai’s quality he shouldn’t be required to do solos, only better strategy shall do.Team newsA niggle to Saurabh Tiwary cost Mumbai some firepower in the middle order, and they will be hoping he is fit to play. They also need to realise that Dwayne Bravo is a better, classier, more valuable cricketer than Pollard, and they can’t afford to keep benching him. Not when their fourth overseas player, Ryan McLaren, is bowled for just one over and has hardly any role with the bat. Abhishek Nayar has been called up as cover for the injured Dhawal Kulkarni, but is unlikely to figure in the final XI even if he makes it in time.
Mumbai Indians 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Sachin Tendulkar (capt), 3 Ambati Rayudu (wk), 4 JP Duminy, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Saurabh Tiwary/R Sathish, 7 Dwayne Bravo/Ryan McLaren, 8 Ali Murtaza, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Lasith MalingaSouth Australia would like to retain their winning combination.South Australia Redbacks 1 Michael Klinger (capt.), 2 Daniel Harris, 3 Graham Manou (wk), 4 Tom Cooper, 5 Callum Ferguson, 6 Cameron Borgas, 7 Daniel Christian, 8 Aaron O’Brien, 9 Shaun Tait, 10 Gary Putland, 11 Cullen BaileyWatch out for …Kieron Pollard has played for so many teams it was inevitable he would come up against old mates one of these days. Good job that he plays a sport where who he is playing for is clearly defined. He is not at the risk of, say, instinctively passing the ball to the wrong team.
Callum Ferguson is back from his knee reconstruction, and his 27-ball 47 in South Australia’s first game suggested he had never been away. Watch out for more improvisation from the man whose Australia limited-overs career was on its way when he got injured.Key contestShaun Tait v Lasith Malinga It will be a day to rejoice for the slingers of the world. Which of these round-arm hounds does better might just determine the course of the match.Stats and trivia Sachin Tendulkar has hit just 20 sixes in his 1437 runs. Among those who have crossed 1000 runs in the format, only Gautam Gambhir (20 sixes out of 1844) and Murray Goodwin (21 sixes out of 1671) have higher runs-to-sixes ratios. Lasith Malinga has bowled 34 batsmen in his Twenty20 career. Only five men have found the stumps more often. Shaun Tait has 25 bowled victims.

Everton are reportedly now eyeing up a move to sign young Chelsea talent Levi Colwill in the summer.

The Lowdown: Colwill thriving at Huddersfield

The 19-year-old is currently thriving on loan at Huddersfield Town, helping them climb to third place in the Championship table and being a mainstay in the team.

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He was recently one of their best players in a 2-0 win at home to fellow promotion-chasers Luton Town as he won five of his duels and made four clearances, two interceptions and one tackle (SofaScore).

Nonetheless, there are high hopes for him back at Stamford Bridge, where former Blues star Paul Canoville has even backed the young defender to be ‘better’ than first team regular Andreas Christensen.

The Latest: Everton lurking for Colwill

As per the official website of Italian football journalist and transfer insider Gianluca di Marzio, Everton are among a number of clubs to have ‘expressed an interest’ in Colwill.

Leicester City, Southampton, Fulham and the Terriers themselves would also be interested in signing him this summer, should the latter gain promotion to the Premier League.

However, Chelsea have been ‘delighted’ with the progress that Colwill is making, and Thomas Tuchel is now set to make a ‘final decision’ on him during pre-season.

The Verdict: Sign him

Coming through the youth ranks at Chelsea, and now impressing at Championship level, Colwill is clearly a player with a lot of potential.

Described by Anton Ferdinand as a ‘Rolls Royce’ who has ‘got everything’ to go to the ‘very top’, the 19-year-old has a very high ceiling, and Frank Lampard would no doubt be eager to help develop him on Merseyside having come from his former club.

Nonetheless, with competition for his signature set to increase after a successful season, the Toffees must sign Colwill now in order to avoid disappointment later.

In other news, Everton are also eyeing this ‘unbelievable’ magician on a free transfer

New Zealand A were the more motivated and determined team on day two of the second unofficial Test against Zimbabwe A, surging powerfully ahead with some excellent late-order batting to declare at 526 for 8

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2010
Scorecard
New Zealand A were the more motivated and determined team on day two of the second unofficial Test against Zimbabwe A, surging powerfully ahead with some excellent late-order batting to declare at 526 for 8. That effort was followed up by some fine bowling and catching and by the end of the day Zimbabwe A had four good wickets down for only 104 runs, and were facing a difficult struggle to save the follow-on.New Zealand A, 329 for 4 overnight, were obviously intent on building a total of at least 500, almost regardless of time. They followed the same policy they had adopted on the previous day: see off the opening bowlers and then take advantage of the second string. Five runs came in 25 minutes against good bowling from Tinashe Panyangara and Njabulo Ncube, but then James Franklin attempted a half-hearted drive against the former and edged a catch to the keeper to depart for 47 off 136 balls.His partner Reece Young was more aggressive, especially through the covers, and reached his fifty with a slice to the boundary that just cleared backward point. After he was dismissed for 76 off 123 balls, Jeetan Patel made only four and the score slipped to 406 for 7 – the last two wickets having fallen to Vusi Sibanda’s gentle seamers. As New Zealand A play three batsmen whose natural position is No. 11 – No. 9 Brent Arnel has a career batting average of less than six – it appeared that the innings was almost over, even though Gareth Hopkins was still there.Again, though, a Zimbabwean team showed its inability to break through the opposition tail. Arnel was perhaps fortunate to survive an appeal for a low catch to mid-on, which the umpires decided they were unable to be sure was valid. Arnel took the opportunity to dig in and lend invaluable assistance to Hopkins, who handled the situation of batting with the tail very well.He never seemed to panic or worry about retaining the strike, but played his strokes calmly and skillfully. That pair added 71 before Arnel left, and then Bhupinder Singh also lent solid support, allowing Hopkins to reach a well-deserved century off 116 balls, with 15 fours. At this point New Zealand A declared, not long before tea, with their total 526 for 8. Njabulo Ncube recorded the best figures, taking 3 for 87, while the inexhaustible Panyangara deserved better than 1 for 88 off his 34 overs.Zimbabwe were kept under pressure by New Zealand’s bowlers from the start, Steve Marillier spending 35 uncomfortable minutes at the crease before edging a rising delivery from Chris Martin, while Vusi Sibanda slashed at his first ball and was brilliantly caught by Martin Guptill leaping to his right at second slip. Zimbabwe A were 16 for 2 in the ninth over.After a short recovery, Zimbabwe A suffered a major blow as their in-form batsman, Tino Mawoyo, edged a ball from Franklin down the leg side and was caught by the diving keeper, out for 23 out of a total of 29. After Charles Coventry was caught at slip after an unnaturally reticent innings of 7, Forster Mutizwa’s response was to assault the spin of Patel, hammering him for a four and a six, while Malcolm Waller also responded positively. The pair put on 43 together by the close and lived to fight another day – and fight is what they will have to do.

Glasgow Rangers are now set for a big financial boost after getting through the second leg of their UEFA Europa League play-off tie on Thursday night.

The Lowdown: Memorable night

It was certainly a memorable night for the Teddy Bears against one of the biggest clubs in European football, managing to draw 2-2 at Ibrox after beating Borussia Dortmund 4-2 away in the first leg.

They will now face Red Star Belgrade in the next round of the competition and will be hoping to progress further with the likes of Barcelona and Sevilla still left.

The Latest: Financial gain

Speaking to Football Insider, sources from Rangers have revealed that they are now set to bank a further £11m from top-ups in addition to whatever they earn from the forthcoming knockout games, adding to the £7.8m that they have already received from performance-related payouts.

The Gers could earn another £930k if they overcome Red Star in the next round, and they already have £6.6m from TV payments.

The Verdict: Big boost

The amount of money that the Light Blues have earned already, on top of what could still be yet to come, is a big boost for them ahead of the summer.

They will need a sizeable transfer budget in order to improve the squad, and they could also use their extra financial muscle to renew the contracts of players such as Connor Goldson, whose deal expires in the summer.

Nonetheless, the Gers may fancy their chances against Red Star, and after defeating a side like Dortmund, who knows how far they can go in the Europa League.

In other news, this big Rangers injury claim has been dropped ahead of Sunday’s clash with Motherwell

Leeds United look set to miss out on long-term target Noussair Mazraoui, who is edging closer to a move to Bayern Munich, Fabrizio Romano reports.

The Lowdown: Leeds links

The Whites were first linked with a move for Mazraoui back in October, with reports in November then suggesting that Victor Orta was readying a move for the 24-year-old.

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As we know, a move for the versatile right-back never materialised in the January window, however, Leeds were still name-checked with an interest in Mazraoui just last month.

The Morocco international is out of contract with Ajax in a matter of months so Orta could have snapped him up for free this summer, but it doesn’t look as if Elland Road will be his next destination.

The Latest: Romano’s post

Romano took to Twitter on Tuesday morning, revealing that Bayern are prepared to complete a deal for Mazraoui ‘in the coming days’.

The transfer expert added that a ‘verbal agreement has been reached’ following a productive meeting with agent Mino Raiola.

The Verdict: Dest instead?

It could well be a busy summer at Elland Road in regards to incomings and outgoings, with journalist Pete O’Rourke believing the Whites will be ‘looking at a right-back’.

Barcelona’s Sergino Dest has been linked with a move to Yorkshire, a transfer that O’Rourke labelled as a possible ‘big deal’ ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge.

One thing we do know is that it looks extremely unlikely that Mazraoui will be joining the club, which is a blow for Orta and co, so they may decide to step up their interest in Dest as a result.

In other news: ‘Set to leave…’ – Journalist says Leeds midfielder will now quit Elland Road this summer.