All posts by h716a5.icu

The South Zone wing of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) had somegood news as Deepak Chougule was chosen for higher honours and draftedinto the main centre of the NCA at Bangalore

Staff Reporter09-May-2001The South Zone wing of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) had somegood news as Deepak Chougule was chosen for higher honours and draftedinto the main centre of the NCA at Bangalore. Chougule, an attackingyoung batsman from Karnataka has moved to Bangalore after head coachof the South Zone academy Syed Kirmani received communication to thateffect from Bangalore. Chougule has been replaced at Chennai byKarnataka left arm seamer Steve Lazarus.The inclusion of Lazarus has caused some consternation as he was notin the stand-bye list earlier selected. The left armer played forSouth Zone in a warm up game against the touring England Under-19 teamrecently. In that game Lazarus impressed with some sharp spells,scalping the wicket of the dangerous Nicky Peng early on.Chougule meanwhile has already made a bit of a name for himself inIndian age group cricket. Scoring a breezy 97 against England Under-19at Chennai, Chougule caught the eyes of scribes all around. Nostranger to big scores, Chougule once tonked 400 not out in a singleday for Karnataka against Goa in an Under-13 match in 1996-97 inChennai. That effort still stands as a junior world record.Earlier, when Karnataka off spinner Mulewa Dharmichand and Andhrabatsman Gnaneshwara Rao were shifted from the South Zone academy tothe main centre, they were replaced by standbyes Nalini Reddy and DTamilkumaran. Since this was as already established as a practice, itcomes as a surprise that the three remaining stand-byes wereoverlooked. NK Aneesh Kumar, Sachin Shetty and Hareish Raza might havereason to feel hard done by as they have been overlooked when anopening came up.Ashok Kumbhat, the secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association wasnot impressed with the decision to overlook the stand-byes and call inLazarus. “It is only fair that one of the boys from the stand-bye listgot a chance,” said Kumbhat to a newspaper in Chennai. The list ofstand-byes was drawn up in a junior selection committee earlier.

Manchester City have been linked with a move for Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic recently and he could be the ideal alternative to Erling Haaland in Pep Guardiola’s side should he join this summer.

According to Corriere Dello Sport (via Sport Witness) the Serbian striker is being considered as a potential replacement for the legendary Sergio Aguero at the Etihad Stadium this summer, although the youngster is also attracting interest from the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Real Madrid.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed a superb season with Fiorentina, contributing 19 goals and three assists in 32 Serie A appearances, which has helped him earn an impressive 6.87 average WhoScored rating for his performances in Italy’s top flight.

Whilst many Manchester City fans may have been hoping to see their club sign Borussia Dortmund sensation Haaland this summer, it would take a huge amount of money to prise the Norwegian away from Signal Iduna Park ahead of next season, whilst agent Mino Raiola is also sure to demand an enormous fee in any potential deal.

Therefore, Guardiola’s side should turn their attention elsewhere as they look to bring in a replacement for Aguero, and Vlahovic could be the perfect man to succeed him at the Etihad.

The former Partizan Belgrade marksman is a similar style of striker to Haaland, as he stands at 1.9m (6 foot 3) and would therefore offer Guardiola’s side an aerial threat up front, something which they have lacked at times this season.

Although there is no doubt that the Citizens have enjoyed a superb season, there have been occasions, notably in recent defeats to Leeds and Chelsea, where they have lacked a physical presence and goalscorer up front, something which Vlahovic could definitely provide.

The 21-year-old, who is currently valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, has averaged more successful aerial duels per game (2.8) and more shots per game (2.5) than any naturally attacking Manchester City player excluding Kevin De Bruyne this season, so he could definitely add an attacking threat in Guardiola’s side next term if he comes to the Etihad.

He also believes in his own ability, suggesting in an interview earlier this season that he can get to Haaland’s level, so he looks to be a hugely worthwhile signing for the Citizens, and Txiki Begiristain should definitely consider him as an option this summer.

In other news… City can sign their ideal heir to £150k-p/w beast with “outstanding” Premier League star

Former Australian all-rounder Greg Matthews has issued a warning to England’s victorious Test cricketers

CricInfo21-May-2001Former Australian all-rounder Greg Matthews has issued a warning to England’s victorious Test cricketers.”I am supremely confident that Australia will triumph by a clear two-Test margin,” Matthews claimed.Far from being impressed by England’s continued run of fine form and their crushing of Pakistan at Lord’s, Matthews preferred to point to the weakness of the opposition.”I am just looking at the black-and-white facts,” Matthews told BBC Radio Five Live. “Pakistan were exceptionally weak and England bowled exceptionally well – full marks to you,”Matthews conceded that Caddick or Gough had bowled well for England but insisted that neither would make it into the Australian team.”I think our bowling attack is terrific,” he said. “We have got the greatest fast bowler in the world at the moment in McGrath, we have got the quickest in Lee who is chomping at the bit and then we have got someone special in Gillespie. Damien Fleming bowls awesome swing, we have got the greatest spinner in the history of the game (Shane Warne),” he continued.”Caddick has done extremely well, but I just think that if you weighed them up man for man, who could squeeze into the Australian team? Goughie has just taken 200 Test wickets and he is inspirational, but he is not going to knock any of our guys out of the team. I am sorry Goughie, you are in my team, but on the bench.”In something of a surprise Matthews urged England to prepare turning pitches, contrary to most expectations that seamers will be the dominant force this summer.”I think I am being generous giving you a Test,” Matthews said, ” but that’s only because the only chance you have got is to prepare an absolute Bunsen Burner (turner) because that is the only weakness that Australia have shown over the last 15 years.”They do very well on seasoned wickets, they are exceptionally well lead, they are very well structured. There is not one stone that has been left unturned.”England are unlikely to take any notice of Matthews’ less than generous comments however. They have upset the form book often in the last 12-months, winning on the sub-continent while Australia lost, and Matthews’ remarks came on the day that Gough rose to fourth in the world rankings, ahead of Lee, Gillespie, Warne and Fleming.Nasser Hussain, too, is unlikely to pay much attention. He admitted to finding England’s turn around in fortunes so swift that even he was surprised.”At the moment you have to pinch yourself a bit, but success breeds confidence and the good memories from last year stay with you and next time we come to Lord’s there will be good memories again,” he said.”We are playing some good cricket at Lord’s and we’ve turned things around ourselves and when that happens the crowd gets behind us. Some of the noise during that Test I’ve not heard, apart from last year, for a long time, the noise and the roar when Gough and Caddick run in lifts the whole side and it puts pressure on the opposition.”Gough insisted that England have acquired a winning habit that will stand them in good stead.”We’re a good side, we have character, we have experience and we’ve got the habit of winning at the moment and if we can keep it going, it does make a difference,” he said.”It’s just like Manchester United in football, who’ve had a decent run over the last few years and they believe they are going to win the league every year. They have that belief and if you have that, you will take some beating. The last few Test matches, with the wins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka and the win at Lord’s in the first Test of the summer when the pressure was on us to perform, has given us that.”

Newcastle United have reportedly made an approach to sign Gael Kakuta in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Kakuta a forgotten man

Some members of the St. James’ Park faithful may be familiar with the name Kakuta given that he was a youngster on the books with Chelsea, and even managed to win a Premier League title and FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge (Transfermarkt).

Kakuta, now 29 years of age, has progressed a lot since then, and is currently doing very well in Ligue 1 for RC Lens, with no fewer than 11 goals and a further five assists in 33 games in total so far over the course of the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Newcastle make Kakuta approach

As per Foot Mercato, the Tyneside club have made an approach to bring the DR Congo international to the North East.

This deal would be done in the summer, once his time in Lens ends after a loan spell at the French side from Amiens SC.

The Verdict: Newcastle should be wary over Kakuta

The Magpies should not be looking to jump the gun in order to sign Kakuta, despite his impressive record in France this season – Steve Bruce’s team should be wary over how it did not quite work out in English football for him as a young prospect in London.

That’s not to say they should completely rule out a transfer, depending on the fee being demanded, Kakuta could be a shrewd addition to his squad, and may be someone to keep an eye on when the market officially opens.

However, we feel there are better options out there, perhaps at a younger age with more room to grow.

In other news, find out what big claim has been dropped on the potential takeover here!

Former Liverpool midfielder Paul Stewart has exclusively told Football FanCast that he’s surprised Thiago Alcantara has struggled to adapt to English football.

The Spanish midfielder arrived last summer with a weight of expectation on his shoulders following a glistening career with both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, where he won more than 20 major honours, including 11 league titles and two Champions Leagues.

A knee problem and Covid-19 saw Thiago restricted to just two appearances before Christmas, with that knee issue sustained in the Merseyside derby ruling him out for more than two months.

Since returning in late-December, the 30-year-old has started all but three of Liverpool’s Premier League matches, and scored his first Reds in the crucial victory over Southampton earlier this month, although he’s yet to assist in 29 games in all competitions.

Thiago, who was loved by Pep Guardiola during their time at Munich, has improved of late, though, and would have most likely claimed the man of the match award at West Brom on Sunday had it not been for Alisson’s dramatic last-gasp winner.

“He came with a lot of hype behind him, and I thought he would slot straight in,” Stewart told Football FanCast.

“But a lot of these players find the Premier League difficult because the game isn’t the same week in, week out.

“They might be playing Arsenal, who pass the ball around one week, but then you might be at Burnley at Turf Moor and if you don’t fight you are coming away with nothing. And I haven’t seen that in Thiago. Some of these players, and Thiago being one of them, find that side of the English game difficult.”

In yet another demonstration of selectorial indecision, Graeme Smith has been called up to join a South African squad that now numbers 14 for the fourth Standard Bank one-day international against Australia in Bloemfontein on Saturday

Peter Robinson28-Mar-2002In yet another demonstration of selectorial indecision, Graeme Smith has been called up to join a South African squad that now numbers 14 for the fourth Standard Bank one-day international against Australia in Bloemfontein on Saturday.The squad for Saturday’s game was originally due to be announced on Wednesday after the third ODI in Potchefstroom, a match that ended in a tie thus preserving Australia’s 2-0 lead in the seven-match series. This squad was also intended to serve for the remaining four games in the series.Instead the selectors have now added Smith to the original squad of 13, saying that it will be "re-assessed" after Bloemfontein for the last three games. The only conclusion to be drawn from all this is that at this point the selectors have no real idea of what is broken in the South African team and even less clue as how to fix it.In Potchefstroom South Africa dropped opener Gary Kirsten and fast bowler Roger Telemachus, bringing in all-rounder Andrew Hall and Neil McKenzie to bat at number four. The inclusion of McKenzie pushed Boeta Dippenaar, the only top or middle order to show any sort of form in the first two ODIs.Predictably enough Dippenaar failed in Potchefstroom as, for the third time, did Herschelle Gibbs. Smith, meanwhile, has opened the batting all season for Western Province and went in at three for South Africa in the second and third Test matches with Jacques Kallis dropping down to four.If Smith is to open in Bloemfontein in place of Gibbs then why, it has to be asked, has Gibbs (and Kirsten for that matter) been retained? By naming a squad of 14 just two days before a match the selectors appear to be saying that they’re still not sure of what 11 they intend to field on Saturday.The common sense approach, surely, would have been to name an 11 or, at most, a 12 and then, if necessary, "re-assess" for the last three games.With less than a year to go before the World Cup, it is clear that no long-term vision or plan has yet emerged. The only cause for optimism at the moment comes from the news this week that the original tenure granted to the selectors until after the World Cup has been rescinded and that a new panel will be elected at the United Cricket Board’s annual meeting in August.Whether that will be too late to make sense of the current confusion that surrounds the South African team remains to be seen.The squad is: Shaun Pollock, Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Gary Kirsten, Lance Klusener, Neil McKenzie, Makhaya Ntini, Jonty Rhodes, Graeme Smith, Roger Telemachus.Smith has been replaced in the SA ‘A’ team to play India ‘A’ in Kimberley from March 30-Apirl 2 by Griqualand West batsman Loots Bosman. Bosman’s place as12th Man in that team has been taken by his Griqualand West team-mate ZahirAbrahim.

It may be a controversial call to make, but Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa must surely consider moving on from Liam Cooper, starting with today’s Premier League final day clash against West Brom.

The captain has been an ever-present for Bielsa’s side this season in the Premier League when he’s been available, making 24 appearances.

However, in recent weeks and months, the Whites have had a glimpse of a future without the skipper holding down the defence and, to their credit, they have done quite well without him. Indeed, in the 13 games for which he hasn’t taken to the field, they’ve won five times, drawn four and lost just four.

Their memorable win over Manchester City last month came after the Scotland international was sent off at the Etihad Stadium, his team-mates digging out a 2-1 victory in his absence.

While the £25,000-a-week defender, who will turn 30 this summer, is hardly close to joining the retirement home, Leeds have the perfect blend of quality and youth in their centre-back options. The likes of Robin Koch, Diego Llorente and Pascal Struijk, not to mention Leif Davis and Charlie Cresswell from the academy, are all very much players who have their best years ahead of them.

Struijk in particular has grown exponentially this season, with the £6.3m-rated powerhouse becoming a massive presence at the back and earning huge praise from former Leeds striker Noel Whelan, who said: “I thought he was phenomenal at the back. I can’t tell you how impressed I am with this kid. He went through a stage of playing in Kalvin’s role but that was the wrong choice by Bielsa for me. He is a centre-half all day long. You can see him growing in that position.

Those sentiments were echoed by another ex-Whites player in Dominic Matteo, who added: “He reads the game a lot better than he’s credited for. He’ll get even better too. Struijk is one to look out for.

“There’s plenty of work to be done but, with the size of him, his physicality, his passing, he’s got it all and can step into midfield. He looks very calm on the ball, players who are a bit erratic are not for me but he looks comfortable in possession.”

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With Leeds being linked with a move for another centre-back this summer in the form of Sampdoria’s Omar Colley, it just goes to show that Bielsa is keen on rejuvenating the back-line.

Today’s clash against West Brom offers the Argentine the perfect chance to embrace the future without Cooper in the starting line-up.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing a move for this South American starlet…

Sri Lanka’s cricketers departed on Thursday morning for the United ArabEmirates confident of reclaiming Sharjah’s desert crown from a full strengthPakistan side in the bi-annual triangular

Charlie Austin05-Apr-2002Sri Lanka’s cricketers departed on Thursday morning for the United ArabEmirates confident of reclaiming Sharjah’s desert crown from a full strengthPakistan side in the bi-annual triangular.Waqar Younis’s Pakistan powered to a an easy victory in November and SriLankan coach Dav Whatmore is therefore looking for a special show of character from the Sri Lankan players.”Against Pakistan I want to feel a real positive intent,” said Whatmore. “Asfar as I am concerned, I glad that we are going to be playing a fullstrength Pakistani side – bring them on, that’s what I say.””I am interested to see how we go. This doesn’t mean that we have to win – Iam looking at the performance and want us to meet them head on.”With nine straight wins in Test cricket under their belt, Whatmore senses anew inner strength within the side: “Success is about creating the rightmindset and I believe that the most important reason for our recent successhas been an increase in mental toughness.”Sharjah will mark a major change in the Sri Lankan’s one-day strategy, withKumar Sangakkara sliding up the order into the openers berth, a positionWhatmore believes he is ideally suited to.”Sanga’s promotion represents a significant change in our approach toone-day cricket – a change that I believe will improve it, although we alsohave the option of reverting back at any stage,” he said.”The thinking behind it is that when playing in England, and on somesurfaces in Australia and South Africa, we cannot afford to lose to manywickets in the first fifteen overs. The degree to which we take risks needsto be reduced.”Sanga has been batting at six and seven in the order, positions that haven’t really agreed with his style because he finds it difficult to manoeuvrethe ball into the gaps right from the start.”But he has shown that he has the necessary skills for playing against thenew ball: he has a good, solid temperament, strong self belief, an organisedtechnique, has the ability to bat for long periods and is no slouch whenwell set.”Sangakkara’s promotion opens up a space at number six – a slot that Whatmoredescribes as the “hardest position in the order” – for either TillakaratneDilshan or Romesh Kaluwitharana.”Traditionally, the younger batsmen have not been given much of a chancebatting in the lower middle order – this could be an excellent opportunityfor Dilshan,” said Whatmore.Sri Lanka will play a warm-up game on Friday against the United ArabEmirates before taking on Pakistan in the first game on Monday.An injury ravaged New Zealand side, fresh from their dramatic seriesleveling Test win against England, are the third team in the tournament.

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa can finally wave goodbye to Kiko Casilla this summer by signing QPR’s Seny Dieng.

What’s the story?

The Athletic’s Phil Hay previously claimed towards the end of last season that Casilla is “one of the players we’ve been expecting Leeds to move on in the summer”.

And, after reports suggesting that Leeds are one of a number of Premier League sides tracking Dieng’s progress in the Championship, West London Sport have delivered an update on the situation ahead of the summer transfer window.

They revealed: “There have so far been no enquiries about Dieng despite speculation about his future resulting from his performances since leapfrogging both Lumley and Kelly to become first-choice keeper.”

Bielsa must land Dieng

While Leeds have yet to make a summer move for the 6 foot 4 Dieng just yet, Bielsa must surely ensure that the Whites do so and snap him ahead of the new Premier League season.

With Casilla being firmly relegated to being Illan Meslier’s number two, and Meslier’s emergence onto the scene, Bielsa must surely look to offload the £40k-a-week earning Spaniard this summer.

Speaking after Leeds’ FA Cup loss to Crawley Town earlier this season, journalist Daniel Storey, slammed: “I think Kiko Casilla was the other game-changer in a negative sense because I don’t think he should be playing for Leeds for non-football reasons, but he probably shouldn’t be playing for Leeds for football reasons after today.”

Meanwhile, Leeds TV podcaster, Oscar Mario called him a “complete liability”, and despite Bielsa’s surprise decision to bring him back into the fold on the final day of the Premier League season, his time at the club is surely up.

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In Dieng, the Leeds boss will have the perfect chance to wave goodbye to Casilla and bring in the kind of goalkeeper who could potentially challenge Meslier for that number one jersey.

Meanwhile, Bielsa may be heading for a major early window howler at Leeds…

According to The Sun, Mauricio Pochettino wants a return to Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

The Lowdown: Pochettino struggles in France

Pochettino left Tottenham towards the end of 2019 to be replaced by Jose Mourinho. He eventually took the Paris Saint-Germain job a year later, taking over from Thomas Tuchel.

However, he has not had the best of times in the French capital – his PSG side were beaten to the Ligue 1 title by Lille even though Pochettino has averaged 2.21 points per game since moving to the Parc des Princes (Transfermarkt).

The Latest: Poch wants Spurs return

Now, it is being reported Pochettino could return to north London and wants a second crack with Tottenham.

The report also adds the Argentinian could be Spurs’ best chance of keeping Harry Kane at the club.

The Verdict: Dilemma

Pochettino did a fantastic job at Tottenham – Dele Alli once admitted he is an ‘amazing’ tactician. Many will point out he failed to win a trophy during his time there, but he turned the Lilywhites into a regular Champions League outfit, while they even reached the final of that competition in 2019, losing 2-0 to Liverpool in Madrid.

He also seemingly had a great relationship with Harry Kane, who recently revealed his desire to leave Tottenham (Sky Sports). Therefore, there are plenty of reasons as to why a return to Spurs could work out. On the other hand, though, it would feel like a step backwards – both parties have moved on since their previous partnership.

In other news, David Ornstein makes this Harry Kane claim.