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Dilip Vengsarkar, who was replaced by Kris Srikkanth as chairman of India’s national selection committee, has pledged his “full support” to his successor

Ajay S Shankar27-Sep-2008
Dilip Vengsarkar: “During the tenure of our selection committee, India has risen from No. 7 to No. 2 in the world rankings, and they are now very close to Australia” © AFP
Dilip Vengsarkar, who was replaced by Kris Srikkanth as chairman of India’s national selection committee, has pledged his “full support” to his successor. Vengsarkar told Cricinfo he will soon have a discussion with his 1983 World Cup team-mate to pass on information that will help in picking the Indian team for the home Test series against Australia.Vengsarkar looked back “with satisfaction” at his stint as chief selector and defended the controversial ouster of senior players, including Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, during his two-year tenure, saying those decisions have “yielded fruit”.”There was nothing personal against any player,” Vengsarkar said. “And I am sure they understand that too. I have always done my job with courage and conviction, and nobody can question me on that. As you can see, all those decisions have yielded fruit now.”He said that those “tough” decisions, which “created a lot of new options for the Indian team”, would not have been possible without the backing of his colleagues, Venkatapathy Raju, Sanjay Jagdale, Ranjib Biswal and Bhupinder Singh, all of whom were replaced today. “It’s probably for the first time in Indian cricket that we have had selection committee meetings which saw no arguments, or heated words, or even voting of any kind.”The new selection committee is scheduled to meet next week to pick the team for the first Test against Australia starting in Bangalore on October 9. “Srikkanth called me after being appointed as the chairman,” Vengsarkar said. “He said that he will call again to ask for my inputs to select the Indian team for the Australia Test series. And I have told him that he can call me anytime, day or night, and I will be there.”However, Vengsarkar refused to comment on the new eligibility rules for national selectors, especially the one that bars them from holding dual posts, which ruled him out of a third year at the helm. Vengsarkar is currently a vice-president of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA).Asked whether he was disappointed at being replaced, Vengsarkar said, “Why should I be? I am happy with whatever I have been able to contribute over the last two years. I will now take time off to relax, spend more time in my cricket academy, and will focus on a role in the media.”I have enough reasons to look back with satisfaction. During the tenure of our selection committee, India has risen from No. 7 to No. 2 in the world rankings, and they are now very close to Australia,” he said. “We have created a lot of new options for the Indian team. The India A team is now very strong, and we have watched and promoted youngsters across the board. The results are there for all to see, and I am sure the new selection committee will take it up from here.”

An update has emerged on reported Leeds transfer target Nahitan Nandez regarding his thoughts on a move to Elland Road.

What’s the talk?

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, the Uruguayan is closing in on a transfer to Italian giants Inter.

The midfielder, who is reportedly valued at €36m (£31m), is said to have turned down the opportunity to sign for Leeds this summer and pursue a switch to the reigning Serie A champions instead.

Bielsa will be fuming

Marcelo Bielsa will be fuming with this update as it suggests that Leeds did not do enough to convince Nandez to come to Elland Road this summer. Victor Orta failed to entice him to the Yorkshire club and now they will watch on as he completes a transfer to Inter in the coming weeks.

Of course, it is difficult to begrudge the player for deciding to sign with a team set to play Champions League football next term following their Serie A title success. Playing for Inter could be a dream come true for him if he is able to become a regular in the side and win major trophies in Italy, but that does not do much to dim the disappointment from the Leeds perspective.

Serie A expert Conor Clancy said earlier this summer that Nandez would have been a good addition to Leeds’ squad as his versatility could please Bielsa.

He told This Is Futbol: “Anywhere Bielsa wants to play him, he’d do a job. I like him a lot. I think he’s only about five foot seven, but you wouldn’t know it if you just watched clips of him, he is a little bit of a machine. He’s so powerful but at the same time, has really, really good ball control.”

This suggests that Nandez could have been a useful player for the Argentine coach as he is able to play in a variety of positions, whilst Clancy calling him “powerful” and “a machine” indicates that he has the engine that Bielsa requires from his midfield players.

Therefore, he will be sickened that Nandez will not be a Leeds player next season, because the midfielder seemingly has all the attributes needed to succeed in Yorkshire. It will now be down to Orta to identify alternative targets and bring in a quality player for Bielsa to forget about the Uruguay international.

AND in other news, He’s ready: Leeds could save millions with £20k-p/w machine who Bielsa loves…

Tottenham Hotspur have received their biggest boost yet over leading transfer target Cristian Romero…

What’s the word?

The North London outfit have been locked in talks to sign the Atalanta centre-back for several weeks now, with both clubs trying to come to an agreement over a suitable fee.

Personal terms have been agreed with the player but the move is yet to be finalised. However, that could now be accelerated after the Serie A outfit were given the green light to sign his replacement.

According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus defender Merih Demiral, who has also been linked to Spurs in recent months, is set to join Atalanta on loan, and this will be the key to unlocking Romero’s switch to the Premier League.

The 23-year-old is expected to cost around €50m (£43m).

Only a matter of time

It certainly seems as if Spurs are closing in on their third signing of the summer, having already brought in Romero’s former teammate and goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini on loan, as well as Bryan Gil from Sevilla.

This update is a massive hint towards the Lilywhites securing the 2020/21 Serie A ‘Defender of the Year’ and this should leave many fans absolutely buzzing as it means their defensive issues could finally be heading towards a resolution.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-team-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-copy” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

Indeed, a lot of Spurs’ problems under Jose Mourinho and then interim boss Ryan Mason were at the back. They leaked more goals than any of the other traditional ‘big six’ clubs last season as they finished in seventh place, their lowest since 2008/09.

After the departure of the vastly experienced Toby Alderweireld, Nuno Santo is left with only three central defenders, two of whom received a lot of flak last term.

Davinson Sanchez – described as a “real liability” – and Eric Dier were deemed to be “one of the worst” pairings in the Premier League by ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara, whilst Joe Rodon only started eight league games in his maiden top-flight campaign.

The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke lambasted Spurs’ defenders for individual mistakes, with the aforementioned senior duo often amongst it.

Nuno needs defensive reinforcements and soon, with kick-off against defending champions Manchester City less than two weeks away.

Romero led the league for interceptions per game (3.1) and also averaged two tackles, 3.6 aerial duels won and an 86.2% passing accuracy, via WhoScored, which makes him a perfect fit for Nuno’s system of playing out from the back.

Described as “phenomenal” by Serie A expert Conor Clancy to This is Futbol, the £31.5m-rated Argentina international seems very close to joining Spurs, handing the Portuguese coach a massive boost heading into the new season.

This will undoubtedly be music to the ears of many around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, especially those who have had to witness their defensive calamities in recent months.

AND in other news, “Some good news”: Alasdair Gold drops huge Spurs transfer update, fans will love it…

Cricinfo presents the plays of the day for day two of the second Test between India and Australia in Mohali

Cricinfo staff18-Oct-2008
Third time’s no charm: Matthew Hayden fell to Zaheer Khan again © Getty Images
Watchman by night, conman by day
Last night, it was a surprise when India chose to send in Ishant Sharma after Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal 12 minutes before stumps. But the nightwatchman did his job, and more. Yesterday he played most of the bowling from the time he came till the players went off the field – 15 balls out of the 19 bowled since his arrival yesterday.Today, unintentionally, he may have done India another favour by getting out to a short, rising delivery. Australia went in with that plan afterwards for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly, too, and the two received the gifts with ferocity and gratitude.Wise move of the day
In the 128th over of India’s innings, Dhoni disproved the law of equal and opposite reaction. Cameron White bowled him a gentle, flat delivery, but it was sent back to him about 1367 times the pace. White smartly didn’t go for the catch. With 465 already given away already, four runs wouldn’t have cost Australia a lot. But White did make sure his tour didn’t end right there, because had he got his hands to the ball, only God could have blessed his fingers.Zaheer – 3, Hayden – 0
Harbhajan Singh versus Ricky Ponting is history, for there is a new one-sided love story playing at a stadium near – or away – from you. Zaheer Khan has found a liking for Matthew Hayden, and the external forces have started conspiring to make the love materialise. Zaheer got some help from Asad Rauf in dismissing Hayden off the third ball of the innings. He dismissed Hayden in the second innings, too, lbw this time with one that might have just slid down leg. Again, in Hayden’s third innings of the series, Hayden contrived to get out. The ball hit his pad, then his inside edge, and then the middle stump. Poor old Matty. He had spent more than nine hours on the field.Mended when broke
In the fourth over of the morning, when Brett Lee tried to run Ishant out, he failed to collect cleanly a throw that was wide of the stumps. He split his webbing on the right hand in the process, and had to go off to get two stitches on the webbing. But when he came back later in the day, he seemed back to full fitness. He took a catch, falling backwards at long-ff, to dismiss the centurion Ganguly.Oops, Rudi did it again
What he gave to Ganguly yesterday, Rudi Koertzen took from Dhoni today. When he didn’t consult the third umpire before turning down an appeal for a stumping – Ganguly’s foot was in air then – he gave him a chance to get to a hundred, which he dutifully did. But when Dhoni looked close to a hundred, he came face to face with the wrath of Rudi. When he was given out lbw off Peter Siddle, it appeared he had played the ball, and at any rate it hit Dhoni outside the line of off stump. What are the chances Dhoni would give Kumar Sangakkara a call in the evening?There’s no such thing as pain
Dhoni came out like a happy hooker today, dismissing everything short. But when Lee, bowling from round the stumps, tuck him up with a perfect short-pitched delivery, straight, and shoulder high, Dhoni played it out in his own original way. The bat stayed low, and seeing there was no way to move out of the line, he took the blow on his body. The scene, though, looked like a tennis ball hit a brick wall. And Dhoni went back to hooking.

The chief executive of Namibia Cricket, Laurie Pieters, has blamed Namibia’s inferior professional setup for their defeat against Ireland in the final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup on Sunday

Cricinfo staff04-Nov-2008The chief executive of Namibia Cricket, Laurie Pieters, has blamed Namibia’s inferior professional setup for their defeat against Ireland in the final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup on Sunday.”We are obviously disappointed that we did not win the cup because that was our intention,” Pieters told , “but the fact that Namibia is not in the ICC’s High Performance programme had a lot to do with it.”The top six Associate member countries each received US$350,000 over the past year under the ICC’s High Performance programme. A small sum in the grand scheme of things but, for Associate cricket, this amounts to relative riches. Namibia, on the other hand – who are ranked in the top ten of Associates – only received US$50,000 from the ICC over the past year.”The additional funding helped to improve Ireland’s cricket, since they received professional coaching and played more international matches against top teams like England, the West Indies, New Zealand and South Africa. This gave them more exposure at the highest level and taught them to handle and apply the pressure better,” he said.”We must improve our ODI ranking. If we can reach top four or even the top six status, it will make a big difference. From next year it is expected that the top four Associate member countries will receive US$600,000 per year, while the fifth and sixth ranked nations will each receive US$500,000. If we can reach that level it will make a huge difference to our efforts to professionalise cricket in Namibia.”Namibia were deserved finalists in this year’s ICC Intercontinental Cup, but Pieters was clear about their path to future success: playing against the world’s best teams.”We will continue to try and piggy back on tours to South Africa and Zimbabwe by other Test-playing nations,” he said. “We tried to get Bangladesh, who are currently touring South Africa, to play here, but their programme was too full. Next year Australia will tour South Africa in April and we will like to invite them to play here, en route to South Africa.”

Celtic talisman Odsonne Edouard has been shortlisted by European giants AS Roma as they look to beef up their offensive arsenal, as reported by Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Celtic undergo mini-exodus as 2021/22 gets underway

As the 2021/22 season gets underway, new manager Ange Postecoglou has began to initiate the rebuilding processes needed at Parkhead in earnest.

Multiple senior exits were always likely this summer, as reflected by the departures of influential figures such as Scott Brown, Kristoffer Ajer and Olivier Ntcham [Transfermarkt], and the Hoops now look set to lose yet another prize asset following recent reports.

The Latest: Edouard on Roma shorlist as Dzeko exit imminent

Edouard is rumoured to be on a shortlist at the Stadio Olimpico to help bolster their striking options, as per Daily Record.

Circumstantially, this has come around as a result of the imminent transfer of Roma striker Edin Dzeko to divisional rivals Inter Milan, creating a need for a new centre-forward in the Italian capital to replace the two-time Premier League winner.

Mauro Icardi is also said to be on the Giallorossi’s radar, but his prospective financial expenditure within the realm of a transfer fee and wages makes him an unlikely candidate. [Daily Record]

Could this pave the way for the 6 foot 2 Edouard to make the switch to Roma?

The Verdict: Right time for player and club to amicably part ways

With only 12 months remaining on his contract in Glasgow, it would be wise for Celtic to take advantage of the Frenchman’s value and try to make a profit on his services.

In 2020/21, he made a sustained impact for the Hoops , registering 28 goal contributions in 40 appearances with 22 goals and six assists [Transfermarkt]. Furthermore, his average of 3.5 shots per game in the Premiership last year illustrated his ability to trouble defences regularly [WhoScored].

Once labelled as “magnificent” by former Hoops manager Neil Lennon [Glasgow Live], now may well be the correct time for Celtic and Edouard to amicably part ways while they can still recoup a transfer fee for him.

In other news, a Premier League club are in pole position to sign this Celtic star.

Top ICC officials and senior representatives from the hostnations of the 2011 World Cup will meet in Mumbai on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the tournament

Cricinfo staff03-Nov-2008Top ICC officials and senior representatives from the host nations of the 2011 World Cup will meet in Mumbai on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the tournament, to be co-hosted by India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.”The World Cup planning meeting will be held tomorrow where N Srinivasan(BCCI secretary), Saleem Altaf (PCB director general), Nizamuddin Chowdhury (chief executive Bangladesh) and Duleep Mendis (chief executive of SLC) will discuss various preparations issues along with Haroon Lorgat, ICC chief executive,” an ICC spokesperson toldCricinfo. Campbell Jamieson (general manager-commercial) and IS Bindra (principal advisor to the chief executive) will be the two other ICC officials attending.BCCI officials, when contacted, said the meeting was being held to provide an update to all parties concerned and chalk out plans for the event. “It’s an informal meeting between the various representatives and the ICC officials,” Ratnakar Shetty, BCCI’s chief administrative officer, said. Srinivasan confirmed his participation but said he would divulge further “details after the meeting tomorrow”.

Derby County have been handed a potential transfer boost by the EFL following the recent injury sustained by Colin Kazim-Richards.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Derbyshire Live, who relayed Sky Sports’ presenter Michelle Owen’s claim that the EFL may well be willing to make an exception to Derby’s ongoing transfer embargo on the basis that Kazim-Richards is ruled out for a significant amount of time.

The report states that as Wayne Rooney currently has 23 players of professional standing in his first-team squad, he cannot make any further additions to his squad in the summer transfer window.

However, according to Owen, the 35-year-old may be able to sign a replacement for Kazim-Richards, with the presenter stating: “We have spoken to the EFL following that injury to the Kazim-Richards and they have said ‘if it is a severe injury and if he is out long-term the EFL may be willing to make an exception to the rule based on medical advice’.”

Rooney will be buzzing

While the injury to Rooney’s only senior centre-forward will have undoubtedly left the manager gutted, if he is able to bring in a replacement for the 34-year-old in the coming weeks, this disappointment could quickly turn into delight.

Indeed, should the former England international indeed be permitted to sign a new striker, once Kazim-Richards has recovered from his injury, the 35-year-old will then have another option to choose from in attack, allowing him to rest and rotate between the two players – or potentially three players, including 19-year-old Jack Stretton – something that could well prove invaluable during the closing stages of the club’s Championship campaign.

However, it should be said that the length of time Kazim-Richards will be ruled out has not been determined as yet, nor have the EFL confirmed that Rooney will indeed be able to sign a replacement for the striker.

However, it is undeniable that, following the devastation of losing the 34-year-old to injury, the fact Rooney could be handed something of a get out of jail free card by the EFL will have the manager buzzing.

In other news: Lost possession 23x: “Appalling” dud who lost 66% of duels cost Derby big time vs Posh

Former All Leeds TV presenter Joe Wainman has tipped Leeds United to make a deadline day move for Nahitan Nandez after the midfielder’s move to Inter Milan appeared to collapse.

Nandez has been high on Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa’s wishlist since the transfer window opened and Corriere dello Sport reported the Whites were close to agreeing a £31million deal with Cagliari in June.

But the Yorkshire club were dealt a blow as Italian giants Inter entered the race for the midfielder’s services and, according to FC Inter News, Nandez made the San Siro his preferred destination.

The report revealed Nandez had already agreed personal terms, including a four-year contract, with the reigning Serie A champions.

However, the transfer saga took another shock turn when, according to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport via Semprinter, talks with Inter broke down earlier this week.

Wainman believes the 25-year-old Uruguay international, who made 34 appearances for Cagliari last term, could still head to Elland Road.

The JustJoe Football Show anchorman told The Transfer Tavern: “If Inter Milan can’t secure the signature of Nandez and it gets to deadline day, a move could happen.

“I think Leeds are waiting for changes in the market and a call from the agent or club to say he’s available. They might pounce then.

“We didn’t bring in Raphinha or Diego Llorente until late in the window last year because they became available at really cheap prices. If that happens with Nandez, why not?”

Gary Kirsten, the former South Africa opener and now India coach, has said his former team have a great opportunity to win a series in Australia for the first time

Cricinfo staff13-Nov-2008
Gary Kirsten believes Makhaya Ntini is part of the best pace attack in the game © AFP
Gary Kirsten, the former South Africa opener and now India coach, has said his former team has a great opportunity to win a series in Australia for the first time when the two countries meet next month. Kirsten played a key behind-the-scenes role in India’s 2-0 success over Australia, and was able to watch at close quarters how the opposition had been affected by losing a batch of world-class players.”Australia are in a natural life cycle… they have had a good dose of time with a very experienced, highly skilled team,” Kirsten told the . “Players have retired, with places filled by inexperienced players and Australia have come back into the pack a little bit.”South Africa have a real chance of doing something special against Australia this summer. It is one of their better chances, with Australia without players like Warne, McGrath and Gilchrist. It is up to South Africa to make the most of the opportunity.”Kirsten believes that Graeme Smith’s side has the resources to win in Australia. He said South Africa had an especially strong batting line-up and fast-bowling attack, which he rated as the best in the world.”Neil McKenzie, Hashim Amla and Ashwell Prince are starting to score quite regularly. The champion Jacques Kallis will come back to form, I have no doubt, and you have the world-class Graeme Smith.”South Africa have probably the best seam bowling attack in the world at the moment, with Makhaya Ntini or Andre Nel to back up Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. Paul Harris doesn’t appear to be a strike bowler – I presume Australia will look to try to target him, although that may play into his hands a little bit.”The one area Kirsten feels South Africa could fall down is their preparation, echoing comments from his former captain Kepler Wessels. They have one two-day match against Western Australia before three back-to-back Tests, beginning in Perth on December 17.”It’s a tough ask, playing three in a row like that,” he said. “I would recommend two warm-up games if India went there. It’s a different place, it’s very competitive cricket and you need to get the feel of Australia way before you walk into those big stadiums to play.”