All posts by h716a5.icu

Surrey have poured water on speculation that Chris Adams, the former Sussex captain, is set to join the club on a three-year contract as their cricket manager

Cricinfo staff09-Dec-2008
Chris Adams led Sussex to three Championship titles in his 11 years as captain © Getty Images
Surrey have poured water on speculation that Chris Adams, the former Sussex captain, is set to join the club on a three-year contract as their cricket manager.”Further to recent media reports regarding the appointment of a new Surrey cricket manager, the club at this stage are only in a position to confirm that the process is still ongoing,” a statement issued on Wednesday said. “To find the right person for the job, a thorough recruitment process was undertaken and discussions have taken place with a number of potential candidates.”Adams’ move was on the cards ever since Gus MacKay quit as Sussex’s chief executive at the end of September to take up the post of Surrey’s managing director. Adams was shortlisted for the vacancy at Hove but lost out to David Brooks.Should he end up at The Oval, he will have his work cut out. The county were relegated from the Championship top flight in 2008 after a dismal summer and coach Alan Butcher left soon after. Between them, MacKay and Adams are likely to have to make some tough calls over the playing staff ahead of the start of the 2009 season.Adams has made no secret of his desire to move into management, and had been linked with posts at several counties. He captained Sussex for 11 years and led them to their first three Championship titles before standing down as captain at the end of last season.”I have hugely split feelings,” Adams, who played 10 games for England, was quoted as saying in the . “Leaving the county has been incredibly difficult.”

Bayern Munich are said to be interested in a deal to take Tottenham midfielder Tanguy Ndombele to the Allianz Arena, with the Bundesliga champions willing to give Corentin Tolisso to Spurs in exchange, as per Sky Sports.

The Lowdown: Nuno eyes final additions before transfer window closes

In a season of transition for Spurs on and off the pitch, new manager Nuno Espirito Santo will be keen to finalise the last cluster of his summer recruitment in order to have a squad he considers to be effectively re-structured as 2021/22 progresses.

Bringing in top talent will be key to this prospective aim, although the Portuguese coach might also be seeking to trim his squad of fringe players if need be.

Indeed, it could be a case of one in and one out at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium following recent reports.

The Latest: Bayern Munich eye Ndombele-Tolisso swap deal

Bayern Munich were reportedly willing to offer around £17.2m plus Tolisso in order to secure the services of Ndombele, with Spurs rejecting an advancement of preliminary talks [Sky Sports].

The French midfielder is rumoured to have asked to leave north London this window, whilst he was omitted entirely from the matchday squads for their first two games of the season.

The 24-year-old has found it difficult to make an impact for the Lilywhites since making a club-reocrd £54m move from Lyon in 2019.

The Verdict: Swapping Ndombele for Tolisso plus cash would be good business

Swapping out the enigmatic Ndombele for an experienced Champions League winner in Tolisso could prove to be an intelligent move by the Tottenham hierarchy if they pull it off.

In 2020/21, the French playmaker helped his side to a Bundesliga and UEFA Super Cup double, registering three goals in 24 appearances [Transfermarkt]. Economical in possession, the 5ft 11in ace recorded an 87.2% passing accuracy across the campaign [WhoScored].

Once labelled as ‘very dangerous’ by former Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge [Bavarian Football Works], Tottenham could do a lot worse than try to initiate this proposed swap agreement.

In other news, Tottenham are in the running to sign this Spain international. 

Harry Kane made his long-awaited return to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon and now he appears likely to remain in north London, according to reports…

What’s the word?

The Daily Mail have revealed a major update on the situation this week.

It’s claimed that the general feeling among those at Hotspur Way is that any move for the 28-year-old England international is ‘virtually impossible’ with just one week to go until deadline day.

Spurs are said to believe they are winning the battle to keep their leading talisman in N17 heading into September. Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy has always remained adamant that Kane is not up for sale and as the transfer window draws to a close, his stance has not wavered.

Manchester City are expected to launch another bid for the striker but it remains to be seen whether it meets the £150m valuation and even then, if the Spurs supremo will cash in at such a late stage.

Big boost

This claim should leave many in north London absolutely buzzing, perhaps none more so than manager Nuno Santo.

The Portuguese coach took over from Jose Mourinho earlier in the summer and was left with a lot on his plate. The last thing he would have wanted is to deal with this ongoing saga, particularly as he tries to get his ideas and system across to the squad.

Kane has been integral to Spurs’ fortunes for several seasons – for example, the Englishman contributed towards 54.4% of all their league goals scored in 2020/21, whilst he’s found the net once every 118 minutes throughout his Spurs career, having bagged at least 19 goals every season since 2014/15, via Transfermarkt.

Nuno’s start to life in the dugout has been perfect so far. It’s two wins from two and they are yet to concede a goal, which is a vast improvement on last season as defensive problems were their one major Achilles heel.

However, they have struggled to find the net, scoring just one goal in each game, which is a decrease on their 1.79 goals-per-game ratio for last season. It’s no coincidence with Kane out of the starting XI.

Heung-min Son has been filling in up top in his absence and whilst he scored against Man City on the opening weekend, he did not look himself against Wolves at the weekend.

As per SofaScore, he registered only 28 touches (fewest of any Spurs starter) and registered just the one shot on target. In just 18 minutes as his substitute, Kane managed to record half his touches and match his attempts on goal.

Having the £108m-rated talisman available to Nuno evidently makes the north Londoners a much bigger threat, which in turn makes the Portuguese’s chances of bringing success to the club all that greater.

As a result, if the general feeling across the Spurs camp is that Kane is staying, then it gives the head coach one massive boost heading into the rest of the season.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Ndombele: Paratici could find Spurs’ next Dembele in £26m “outstanding talent”…

Jesse Ryder will miss the fourth one-day international against West Indies in Wellington on Saturday because of “inadequate preparation”

Cricinfo staff09-Jan-2009
Jesse Ryder: “I thought I had reached the point where I could control my drinking better, but that is obviously not the case” © Getty Images
New Zealand batsman Jesse Ryder will miss the fourth one-day international against West Indies in Wellington on Saturday because of “inadequate preparation”. Ryder missed a team meeting on Thursday morning and was unable to train in the afternoon after a late night of drinking.Ryder was fined after a disciplinary hearing for missing both the meeting and training. New Zealand have called up Mathew Sinclair as a replacement and he will bat at No 3.”We are all disappointed that this has happened. Since February last year, we have witnessed encouraging signs from Jesse both on and off the park,” Justin Vaughan, chief executive of New Zealand Cricket, said. “These vast improvements meant Jesse was recently given more latitude in his personal decision making. In hindsight, this was premature. However while it is a drinking-related issue, it does not compare with last February in its severity.”In February, Ryder had put his hand through a window while trying to gain access to a toilet area that had been accidentally locked. The injury occurred in Christchurch the morning after New Zealand’s ODI series win against England and it later emerged that he was also out drinking until 1.30am on the eve of a game. He had to undergo surgery and was sidelined until September.Ryder apologised to his team-mates at training for his latest indiscretion. “I have not only let myself down, but also my team-mates, support team and the cricket fans in general,” Ryder said. “I thought I had reached the point where I could control my drinking better, but that is obviously not the case.”I am only now starting to appreciate the size of the challenge that I face. I am totally committed to overcoming this problem and understand I will have to work even harder with the support group around me.”The five-ODI series against West Indies is currently level at 1-1.

A devastating eight overs from Ben Laughlin and Nathan Rimmington sent Victoria crashing to a huge defeat and confirmed Queensland’s place in the FR Cup decider

Cricinfo staff11-Feb-2009
Scorecard

Nathan Rimmington was one of the destroyers for Queensland © Getty Images
A devastating eight overs from Ben Laughlin and Nathan Rimmington sent Victoria crashing to a huge defeat and confirmed Queensland’s place in the FR Cup decider. The Bushrangers lost 6 for 12 in the middle of their chase and threw away the opportunity to book a definite home final.At one stage Victoria were in serious danger of failing to reach their all-time lowest one-day score of 65 but Clint McKay and Bryce McGain rescued them from that humiliation by taking the score from 8 for 56 to 9 for 86. McGain’s 9 from 58 balls gave him some practice for the Test tour of South Africa and he was the last man out, one of two victims for Chris Simpson.Laughlin’s three wickets came in his first two overs as his accurate and aggressive bowling removed Brad Hodge for 25 and Andrew McDonald for 17. Rimmington then followed Laughlin’s lead and got rid of Adam Crosthwaite, John Hastings and Shane Harwood.It was a brilliant effort from the Bulls after they failed to make full use of the chance to bat first and posted 9 for 230. But after McKay had grabbed 3 for 22 to reduce the Bulls to 4 for 56 their recovery was reasonable. No Queensland batsman passed 40 but Andrew Symonds and Simpson chipped in with 39 each.All the attention was on Symonds, who struck three fours and a six before he sliced an attempted slog off McGain that went to backward point. Queensland and Victoria are likely to play off in the final although Tasmania technically have a chance to take Victoria’s spot if they can earn a double bonus point against Western Australia.

With no wins from their opening two Premier League games of the season, Leeds United will be hoping for another happy hunting when they make the trip to Burnley on Sunday afternoon.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side produced one of their finest displays of the campaign last term when they beat the Clarets 4-0 at Turf Moor, thanks to goals from Mateusz Klich, Jack Harrison and a brace from Rodrigo too.

But while the forwards fired on all cylinders, Diego Llorente’s presence at the back, especially in the absence of club captain Liam Cooper, built the cornerstone of such an impressive performance and result – he finished the game with the highest match rating of any defender on the pitch for either side as per Sofascore.

And, following his comeback from injury in midweek against Crewe in the Carabao Cup second round, Bielsa must unleash him in the Premier League for the first time this season when the Whites head back to Turf Moor.

The “imperious” Spaniard became a regular Leeds’ defence in the final few weeks of last campaign, starting 13 of the last 14 games in the top-flight and coming up with some impressive performances – not least netting a late equaliser against Liverpool.

He earned a WhoScored match rating of 6.90, which marked him out as the Whites’ second-best centre-back after Cooper, who was also the actually the only player at the club to win more headers per game than Llorente’s 2.2.

Given that ability to win the aerial challenges, the Spain international will be a vital presence at the back to deal with the likes of Chris Wood up front, while he will be equally valuable when it comes to set-pieces and handling the likes of James Tarkowski and Ben Mee.

The £18m-rated ace could well be Bielsa’s game-changer in helping to counter Burnley’s physical approach.

Meanwhile, Leeds are plotting a late swoop for this “phenomenon”…

The Afghanistan players are expecting a huge reception back home in Kabul after winning the World Cricket League Division 3 in Argentina

Cricinfo staff02-Feb-2009
Afghanistan know they have plenty of hard work to put in if they are to realise the dream of playing in the 2011 World Cup © ICC Cricket-Europe
The Afghanistan players are expecting a huge reception back home in Kabul after winning the World Cricket League Division 3 in Argentina. The team left Buenos Aires on Sunday night and will arrive in Afghanistan on Tuesday, and fast bowler Hamid Hassan was anticipating a large crowd turning out to greet them.”I am very excited about seeing them,” he said. “When we won Division 4 in Tanzania there were lots of people at the airport. So as we have won Division 3, there will be even more people there, blocking the roads and celebrating by banging drums.”I really enjoy the celebrations as we have such great fans. The people in Afghanistan pray for us and are waiting for the trophy to come home so we can all celebrate together.”However, the players also know they have plenty of hard work to put in if they are to realise their dream of playing in the 2011 World Cup, and once the party is over it will be straight back to work, preparing for the World Cup Qualifiers beginning April 1.Hamid, himself, will be off to play first-class cricket in Pakistan after a couple of days’ rest in Peshawar, and the team is expected to get together either in India or Pakistan in early March for a training camp ahead of the qualifiers.The joy was writ large on wicketkeeper Karim Khan’s face as well. “I am very, very happy,” he said. “We won Division 5, we won Division 4, now we have won Division 3 and if we all work hard we will get to the World Cup. This is our country’s dream and this is my dream, and the Afghan people are very happy.”I have seen the Afghan websites, I have seen the newspapers and people have said they will be coming to the airport to meet us. Even the president may be coming to see us at the airport.”However, he said the players would need to lift their game if they were to take the final step, though he believed they had the ability to perform well at that level.”Hopefully, we can beat the likes of Kenya, Bermuda and UAE and get to the World Cup in 2011,” said Karim. “It is my dream to play ODIs and face the likes of Pakistan, Australia, England and India. I have faced Shoaib Akhtar from Pakistan, India’s Irfan Pathan and Australia’s Mitchell Johnson in the nets, and I want to play them in a real match.”Karim will be back in training with former Pakistan wicketkeeper Rashid Latif, who acted as his personal coach in the build-up to the event in Argentina, and helped him improve his game.”I sent an email to Rashid Latif to thank him for all his hard work with me,” said Karim. “I used to be an offspinner but now I am a very good wicketkeeper. Rashid has invited me for more training in Karachi in 15 days’ time so I am going for more hard work on my wicketkeeping and my batting.”It would be amazing to come from the refugee camps and play cricket with the big nations and try and beat a Test-playing country. That would be the greatest achievement of our livesRaees Ahmadzai, Afghanistan middle-order batsmanMiddle-order batsman Raees Ahmadzai also believed that Afghanistan would need to raise their game to do well at the qualifiers. “I am very happy that I am going to play for my country in the World Cup Qualifier but we need to work on our game and avoid the mistakes we made against Uganda, and in the first match against the Cayman Islands,” said Raees.”Our first priority is to qualify for the top six – that will be our first target so that we can play ODIs for the next four years. We want to get through to the second stage of the competition and try and get in the top four, as that would be a real gift for the Afghan people. It would be amazing to come from the refugee camps and play cricket with the big nations and try and beat a Test-playing country. That would be the greatest achievement of our lives,” he said.The top four sides from the qualifiers will go on to feature in the 2011 World Cup, while a top-six finish will secure ODI status for the next four years, as well as automatic qualification for the Intercontinental Cup.Afghanistan progressed as the first qualifier and will be placed in Group B alongside Kenya, The Netherlands, Bermuda, UAE and Denmark. Uganda will be up against Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Oman and Namibia in Group A.The fixtures for the qualifiers in South Africa from April 1-19 will be released shortly.

Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos has appeared to share his happiness as he remained at Ibrox beyond the end of the transfer window.

The Lowdown: Morelos linked with exit

For much of the summer, Morelos was heavily linked with a move away from the 55-time Scottish champions.

He was even said to have agreed personal terms with Portuguese outfit Porto (Antena 1), but a concrete deal failed to materialise.

The Latest: Morelos shares Instagram posts

On Transfer Deadline Day, Morelos took to social media platform Instagram to share a couple of posts (via Ibrox News).

He posted a couple of images from Rangers’ 1-0 Old Firm victory over Celtic at the weekend, both of which showed him and his teammates celebrating.

Seemingly then, the enigmatic striker’s feelings are clear and there is no ill-will there about not getting his big move this summer.

The Verdict: Another big season

£10.8m-valued Morelos (Transfermarkt) has already made it clear he sees his future elsewhere than Rangers. He said he hopes to play in a more prestigious league at some point (Goal.com), while he dreams of playing in the Premier League (Radio Caracol). However, for another few months at least, he finds himself in Scotland.

The best way for him to achieve his goals is to perform at the best of his ability throughout the term, rather than sulk about not getting the big move he dreams of, and he certainly seems to be going the right way about it.

The Colombia international has started relatively well, finding the back of the net three times in seven matches in all competitions (Transfermarkt). If he can fire the Gers to another Premiership title, he may get the move he is looking for while securing the Light Blues a bigger fee along the way, a win win for everyone.

In other news, Rangers fans react to this man’s exit.

Cricinfo previews India’s prospects for the women’s World Cup 2009

Cricinfo staff06-Mar-2009
Mithali Raj seemed untouched by the ups and downs of the team as she scored 526 runs at 52.6 in 15 matches in 2008 © Getty Images
Though they have a new captain and a mix of youth and experience, just as they did in 2005, India are unlikely to reach the dizzy heights they did last time round. Losses in England and Australia prior to the World Cup have dented their confidence; add to that an unsettled opening pair, lack of experienced spinners, a fast bowling unit that failed in Australia and a dismal fielding record, and the combination does not look match-winning.India have never done well in Australia, failing to win any of the five Tests they played there since 1977 and losing all eight ODIs since 2006. They had the chance to see two World Cup venues – North Sydney Oval and Manuka Oval – when they toured in October 2008, but could not score more than 180 runs or take more than six wickets in any of the matches.If they are to hope for a good show in the World Cup, India could do worse than looking back to their path of success in 2005. Jhulan Goswami, Mithali Raj, Anjum Chopra, Amita Sharma and Rumeli Dhar were members of the squad that hadn’t been given a chance of reaching the final. They were helped by two washed-out games but bounced back incredibly from a loss to New Zealand to beat the same opposition in the semi-final. India lost their openers for 38 but a 66-run stand between Raj and Chopra took them to an eventual total of 204. The target was modest but a run-out in the second over, followed by two wickets in four balls by Nooshin Al Khadeer put India firmly on top. The final was a forgettable affair for the Indians, but this time they will need a lot of inspiration just to get there.Know your competitionEngland The toughest team of the group. Since the Ashes win in 2007, England have been brimming with confidence and have been quite unstoppable. But then India need just to avoid being bottom-placed in their group to make it to the Super Six.Pakistan Most likely to be fourth. They struggled against India and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup and should be easy to overhaul. However, India will not take a chance and field a weaker side in their opening game of the tournament.Sri Lanka They won all their Asia Cup matches except the ones against India but be warned. On their day they could beat an under-prepared side.Stars of 2009Mithali Raj seemed untouched by the ups and downs of the team as she scored 526 runs at 52.6 in 15 matches in 2008. Of her six half-centuries, three were in Sri Lanka, two in England and one in Australia. She will be India’s batting mainstay and they will need her to convert the fifties into hundreds if they are to have any hope of beating the top sides.Anjum Chopra deserves a mention for this will be her fourth World Cup. She hasn’t performed above average since her comeback in the Australian series but her experience will come in handy.Sulakshana Naik will be batting with a new opening partner after Jaya Sharma was dropped for the World Cup. Since her return to the side for the England tour – after two years out – Naik has scored more than eight runs only thrice in eight games. As the senior opener, the job of giving India a solid and fiery start will be on her.Squad: Jhulan Goswami (captain), Amita Sharma, Anjum Chopra, Anagha Desphande (wk), Rumeli Dhar, Thirush Kamini, Harmanpreet Kaur, Reema Malhotra, Sravanthi Naidu, Sulakshana Naik, Snehal Pradhan, Mithali Raj, Punam Raut, Priyanka Roy, Gouher Sultana
Group fixturesMarch 7 – India v Pakistan, Bradman Oval
March 10 – England v India, North Sydney Oval
March 12 – India v Sri Lanka, Bankstown Oval

Tottenham missing out on Wolves winger Adama Traore is not the end of the world, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast.

Traore was linked with a move away from Molineux throughout the summer transfer window and Tottenham were said to be one team keen on his signature.

According to The Telegraph, the north London club had a loan offer rejected for the 25-year-old as his former boss Nuno Espirito Santo eyed up a reunion.

He was a key player for Nuno during the Tottenham manager’s time at Wolves, making just over 130 appearances under him. Still, for Palmer, missing out on Traore is not too much of a blow for Spurs.

“Not the end of the world,” the ex-Leeds United star said to FFC when asked for his opinion on Tottenham failing to sign Traore. “If you’re talking about Tottenham being a top-six side, top-seven side, I don’t see how he fits into that team.

“He’s done well since he’s come into the Premier League, but again, it’s that inconsistency with him. I don’t think he’s a top, top player.”

Traore has certainly done well at times since joining Wolves, winning plaudits from those in the game such as Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. But he is inconsistent, managing just the two league goals last season.