All posts by h716a5.icu

The ICC’s chief investigator for corruption and match-fixing, Sir PaulCondon, is to visitPakistan in the last week of May

Agha Akbar03-May-2001The ICC’s chief investigator for corruption and match-fixing, Sir PaulCondon, is to visitPakistan in the last week of May. CricInfo has learned that thePakistan Cricket Boardinvited him during the ICC’s last meeting inMelbourne.Brig Munawar Rana, PCB Director, told CricInfothat as far ashe knew no investigation was on the agenda. “Our stance throughout hasbeen that wewould cooperate with the ICC on all matters, including corruption andmatch-fixinginvestigations,” he said.When asked whether Sir Paul would be meeting those Pakistanicricketers namedin the Indian Crime Branch’s report (which was released lastNovember, and on thebasis of which a number of Indian cricketers, including former skipperAzharuddin, werebanned for life) such as former captain Salim Malik, Brig. Ranaresponded that so far nosuch request had been made.Nine foreign players were named in the Indian report.A recent report emanating from India quoted Condon assaying that hewould be interrogating some Pakistani players.”In any case, if Condon requests such a meeting or meetings, ourresponse would bepositive and we would like to assist in any way we can. But since SalimMalik is not one ofthe contracted cricketers, we cannot make it mandatory for him to gothrough such ameeting,” said Brig. Rana.Sir Paul is currently touring Sri Lanka where he hasinterrogated former SriLankan captains, Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva.

Chris Hughton’s Nottingham Forest have been dealt a blow in their hopes of securing a move to bring Serdar Dursun to the City Ground.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by German publication Bild (via Football League World), who claimed that the Darmstadt centre-forward, who is reportedly of interest to both Nottingham Forest and Derby County, has entered into talks with Hamburg ahead of a potential summer switch.

The two Championship clubs had been put on alert regarding the £1.35m-rated striker prior to the January transfer window, when it was claimed that the 29-year-old was keen to seal a move away from Darmstadt this summer upon the expiry of his contract at the Bundesliga 2 outfit.

Hughton must move

So far this season, Dursun has been in exceptional form over his 30 league appearances for Markus Anfang’s side, with the striker bagging 21 goals and registering three assists for Darmstadt, as well as averaging a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.35, ranking him as the club’s second-best performer in the German second tier.

This kind of goalscoring form is something which has been desperately lacking at the City Ground this season, with top scorer Lewis Grabban finding the back of the net just six times over his 27 league appearances, while Lyle Taylor has scored on just four occasions over his 38 Championship outings for 16th-placed Forest.

As such, Hughton is likely to be keen to invest in some fresh attacking talent over the course of the summer transfer window in a bid to mount a promotion push in the Championship next season. The 1.9m-tall (6 foot 3) Dursun would appear to be both an improvement on Forest’s current options, as well as a cost-effective move for the club considering that the 29-year-old looks set to be available on a free transfer.

However, with recent reports suggesting that the centre-forward is entering into talks with Hamburg regarding a move, it would be most advisable for Forest to act quickly in order to try and seal a deal for the Turkish goal machine.

In other news: Hughton must sanction Forest swoop for 8-goal “winner” who fans would love – opinion

The Benson and Hedges quarter final defeat at the hands of Yorkshire was a "massive disappointment to all of the players" Somerset coach Kevin Shine said

Richard Walsh26-May-2001The Benson and Hedges quarter final defeat at the hands of Yorkshire was a "massive disappointment to all of the players" Somerset coach Kevin Shine said. "With no cricket for the next few days the players have got time off to go away and relax." He went on: "over the next few weeks Somerset have a huge schedule of matches, all of which are away from Taunton."During June Somerset play four vitally important County Championship matches and four National League matches. If the Cidermen are to retain their high-flying position at the top of the CricInfo Championship they will be hoping to gain substantial points from the match at Leicester starting on May 30th, whilst they will be looking to kick start their Norwich Union challenge by gaining revenge for the defeat they suffered at the hands of Kent when the travel to Tunbridge Wells on June 3rd.”It’s most important that the players put their disappointment aside and focus on the next series of matches. It’s crucial that we get back to our winning ways" said Kevin. "The return to fitness of Matt Bulbeck and Richard Johnson are huge plusses for the team, and will enable us to choose from almost our full strength squad. We will be looking to put out our best side for each game. Richard Johnson is likely to have final tests before the Leicester game on Wednesday and if he comes through then he will play. If not he will wait another game, he’s too valuable to risk."Regarding Matt Bulbeck he said: "Matt is a first class bowler and we should be getting him playing first class cricket. He’s performed well for the Seconds and in the Academy games but he’s a first team player. He’s fit for selection and has the quality that we would like to add to the attack. Now it’s up to Jamie."Two other players who are also back in contention for the team on Wednesday are teenager Peter Trego and Mark Lathwell who both performed well in the 4 day Championship match against Kent. "Both Trego and Lathwell will be in the "shake up" for the Leicester game," the coach added.Meanwhile after a few days of reflection, during which time he had spoken to Captain Jamie Cox, Coach Kevin Shine and Chairman of Cricket Vic Marks, Chief Executive Peter Anderson said: "Once again in front of a full house at Taunton we gave an uninspired performance. Did we play poorly or did Yorkshire play brilliantly? The truth lies somewhere between the two."He went on: "For Yorkshire Michael Vaughan and Darren Lehmann were brilliant, whilst collectively and individually nobody from Somerset stood up to be counted when it mattered. All we can do now is to continue to prepare in the way that we have done, which is professional."Were there going to be any changes? "Both the captain and the coach are reassessing their selection policy and the way we line up the batting side,"he said.He pointed out however: "All is not lost. It must be remembered that we finished top of our Bensons group, and this year qualified for the quarter final stages whereas last year we didn’t even qualify, and we are currently top of the County Championship table."Mr Anderson concluded: "Unfortunately we haven’t performed well at home, which is disappointing. I have every sympathy with our loyal home supporters who have not seen Somerset at their best this season."Meanwhile, after reading and reflecting upon the recently-published Condon Report into corruption in cricket, Peter Anderson made the following comments."As Lord Condon says in his report he hasn’t got any powers to investigate offences that have taken place in any other country. All he can do is liaise with them and try to assess how widespread the process is in that particular country. His report shows that in each and every country allegations have been made about the influence of bookmakers trying to fix cricket matches. The conclusions in the Condon report contain common sense interim measures aimed at helping cricket todeal with the situation.”There is no escaping the responsibility of those who play international cricket. They only have one question to ask themselves , "Am I bent or not?” It’s that simple. What people have to do is to stop thinking of being "Jack the Lad" and that I’m only committing a disciplinary offence. What they are involved in is a crime, a conspiracy to cheat, with cheat being the operative word.I’ve been at Somerset since 1989 and as far as domestic English cricket is concerned I haven’t seen any sign of this either on or off the field, or any disproportionate wealth to suggest that bookmakers are having an undue influence on the game."

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Leeds United midfielder, David Norris, has praised Stuart Dallas for the way he has taken to the Premier League so effortlessly this season.

Dallas has proved himself to be an extremely versatile player, even in the Premier League, as Marcelo Bielsa played him as a left-back earlier this season before deploying him in the centre of midfield for the majority of the campaign.

The £8,000 per week midfielder is reportedly set to be offered a new contract at Elland Road after a string of impressive performances this season, which has seen him score eight top-flight goals and also assist his teammates twice.

Speaking on how impressed he has been with Dallas this season and what he is like in and around the club, Norris exclusively told FFC:

“He has stepped up and not been fazed jumping up the leagues and he has taken the step up from the Championship into the Premier League fantastically.

“Wherever you play him, he gives you that consistency so he’s a great player to have in and around your squad, and I’ve heard that he’s also a good lad.”

With one of Bielsa’s most trusted players in Stuart Dallas expected to sign a new deal, it could signal the manager himself is waiting to sign a new contract at Elland Road.

Leeds can begin to plan for next season as they have no fears of being relegated and have their eyes firmly set on a finish inside the top 10.

Swansea City manager Steve Cooper has emerged as a managerial target for Crystal Palace.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, with the transfer insider claiming in a post on Twitter that, following the news of Roy Hodgson’s departure from Selhurst Park at the end of this season, Crystal Palace could look to appoint Cooper.

Romano said: “Official. Crystal Palace confirm Roy Hodgson to step down as manager at the end of the season. Frank Lampard is one of the options as the new manager, also Steve Cooper is on the list as a potential candidate. Crystal Palace board will decide in the next few days.”

Swansea disaster

Having managed within the Liverpool academy for a number of years, Cooper was then appointed in the England youth setup, taking control of the U17 side – where he led a team including the likes of Phil Foden, Morgan Gibbs-White, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Rhian Brewster to the U17 World Cup title.

Despite having no previous experience in professional football management, Swansea City then took a chance on the 41-year-old, appointing him as the new head coach at the Liberty Stadium in the summer of 2019.

Considering a manager of Graham Potter’s now apparent calibre had only managed a 10th placed finish in the Championship with the Swans in the season prior, it was perhaps unexpected that Cooper managed to guide the side to a top-six finish in his inaugural season in charge of the club, with his side narrowly missing out on reaching the play-off final after a 3-2 aggregate defeat to a very impressive Brentford team in the semis.

However, Cooper has proven this year that last season’s achievement was no fluke, with the Swans once again securing a top-six finish in the second tier, with his side currently holding a 1-0 advantage over Barnsley in the semi-final of the play-offs.

As such, it would appear that things are very much on the up at the Liberty Stadium under the 41-year-old, and it is unsurprising to hear that a Premier League side in Crystal Palace are keen on appointing the coach as Roy Hodgson’s successor this summer.

Although, Jason Levien allowing the manager to leave Wales without a fight would be something of a disaster for the Swans, as it would very much seem as if the club’s recent upturn in fortunes is a direct result of Cooper’s influence – and it would be highly advisable for the Swansea owner to do all he can to convince the coach that staying at the club would be the best thing for him, as it certainly would be the best thing for the club.

In other news: Bye-bye Ayew: Swansea must seal summer deal for “fantastic” 15-goal star – opinion

Trevor Ward smashed his first Championship century for four years and Vince Wells, Iain Sutcliffe and Ben Smith hit their best scores of the season to put Leicestershire in a strong position at Grace Road

Neville Foulger01-Jun-2001Trevor Ward smashed his first Championship century for four years and Vince Wells, Iain Sutcliffe and Ben Smith hit their best scores of the season to put Leicestershire in a strong position at Grace Road.When rain swept in to bring an early finish to the third day of the CricInfo Championship clash with Somerset, the home side had reached 348 for six in their second innings to lead by 361 runs.But on what is an excellent pitch for batting, skipper Wells may feel he still doesn’t have enough runs on the board to declare immediately on the last day. Somerset would be more than capable of chasing that target.The third day, however, belonged to Leicestershire. They began it by claiming Somerset’s last four wickets for 50 runs to dismiss them for 374 and gain a first innings lead of 13. James Ormond took three of the four wickets, while Neil Burns held two more catches to make it seven in the innings – a new wicket-keeping record for Leicestershire.Then the batsmen took over, with Ward completing his rehabilitation after three miserable years by following up his first innings score of 93 with a sparkling century.It took him just over two hours, came off 127 balls and contained 20 fours. He was eventually out driving to mid-off after scoring 119 out of an opening stand of 182 – Leicestershire’s biggest for two years.Ward’s opening partner Sutcliffe made his first-half century of the season before being dismissed for 58 and, after a mini-collapse, Smith and Wells hammered 132 in 24 overs for the fifth wicket.Wells was in explosive form, hitting 86 off 63 balls with 10 fours and three sixes while Smith made 66 off 128 balls with eight fours.On such a pitch Leicestershire are likely to find it difficult to bowl out Somerset in the day, although they will be encouraged by the fact that left-arm spinner Keith Dutch has claimed three of their six wickets.

Article: Rameez Raja’s Column after the 2nd Test at Old Trafford

Rameez Raja06-Jun-2001
Rameez Raja
Photo © PCB
It was most wonderful to see Pakistan come back from the brink and level the series at Old Trafford. Having been sent packing at Lord’s inside three days, making things turn around would not have been easy. In the circumstances, it indeed was a tribute to the commitment and character of the Pakistan team to make a comeback in the manner that they did.To me, it was proof positive that despite some setbacks in the recent past, this outfit has a lot of potential to produce high-calibre cricket and beat quality teams.I believe the most refreshing thing about Pakistan was the way they approached this Test match. There was not an iota of self-doubt as Waqar Younis won the toss and elected to bat. And then its batting, revolving around Inzamam-ul-Haq, put the England pace attack to sword in a most enterprising style. Putting 370 runs on the board in a day’s batting is no mean achievement, especially if it comes after an innings defeat, and the Pakistan dressing room must have breathed a sigh of relief at that.
The Pakistani crowd show their colours at the Warwick Road End
Photo © CricInfo
When England batted, Graham Thorpe and Michael Vaughan both scored hundreds in a massive stand of 267 runs. The two had very nearly batted Pakistan out of the Test, when the visitors made their second comeback by grabbing the last eight wickets for the addition of a mere 75 runs. This bowling performance immensely displayed how desperate the Pakistani camp was to wrest the initiative back. What is more, that collapse must have sown quite a few germs of doubt, and that probably was why England were a bit over-cautious going after the target – one of the factors which eventually cost them the match.Batting a second time, Inzamam again was absolutely unflappable. I have no doubt that at this point in time he is the best batsman in the world, and also the best that Pakistan has ever produced. His form with the bat for the last two years has been nothing short of phenomenal, and has taken his average spiraling close to 50. What is more important, like Javed Miandad he performs when it matters most – which is something you cannot say about many Pakistan batsmen.
Saeed Anwar avoids a bouncer from Gough
Photo © CricInfo
Saeed Anwar’s is a case in point. Anwar was really out of sorts in the Test series, but I believe he would find his touch in the one-dayers. Over the years, Anwar has been seen to be much more comfortable, having really mastered top level batting in the limited-overs form of the game.Anyway, having made England collapse once, the Pakistan attack had this confidence that they could repeat the feat, and once they had seen the backs of Atherton and Trescothick, with Waqar adding the prized wicket of Thorpe immediately in the last session, England crumbled to relentless pressure, allowing Pakistan to fashion a famous victory.A great morale-booster as it was for the Pakistan team, the win was really cherished by the large expatriate Pakistani community here. They have their much-wounded pride restored and their faith in their team stands rekindled. This should encourage the team a great deal in the triangular one-day series.Even in the worst of times, Pakistan’s performance in one-day cricket has been something to write home about. And I think that this latest turnaround in fortunes would have a reassuring effect. Since it’s a different ball game, there would be some changes and exciting young talent such as Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir and Shoaib Malik would find its way in the squad. Their presence would surely lift the fielding a great deal, and generally give the team a fresher, more robust look.While Pakistan is all fired up for Thursday’s opening NatWest Trophy game, England would be under pressure to reassess the situation. There would be more than enough cause to worry as regards class in their batting. With the Ashes round the corner, the two collapses must have served as a rather rude wake-up call. Let’s see how quickly, if at all, they recover from that.Ed: Rameez Raja is a former Pakistan opener and captain, a leading commentator on satellite channels and currently covering the England – Pakistan Series followed by the NatWest limited-overs triangular for Sky Television.

According to The Daily Record, Southampton are interested in signing Farense midfielder Ryan Gauld this summer.

The Lowdown: Busy summer ahead

This season was a mixed one for the Saints. They started fantastically and even reached an FA Cup semi-final, but they ended up finishing in the bottom half and put in an awful display at Wembley.

As such, Ralph Hasenhuttl is likely to demand new arrivals at St. Mary’s Stadium this summer.

The Latest: Saints eye Gauld

One of the players linked to the south-coast outfit is Gauld, who currently plays in Portugal for the recently relegated outfit Farense.

Legia Warsaw, as well as teams from the MLS and the Championship, are said to be interested in signing the 25-year-old this summer but the report indicates that a move to Southampton appeals to him.

The Verdict: Plenty of ability

Gauld may be a name familiar to some, especially in Scotland. He started his career at Dundee United, and his showings there even earned him comparisons with Lionel Messi (via The Sun). He has mainly struggled to live up to the huge expectations on his shoulders, but this term, he has impressed.

Although Farense were relegated to the second tier, Gauld scored nine goals and provided a further seven assists (Transfermarkt). Last term, he scored nine in 21 in the division below, indicating this campaign’s form is no flash in the plan. Valued at just £4.5m (Transfermarkt), his contract runs out at the end of this term – on a free transfer, this could be an inspired move from the Saints.

In other news, Hasenhuttl reveals the Saints are in talks to sign this 87-goal man.

Daniel James was signed as a 21-year old from Swansea City in 2019 but he has seen first-team opportunities severely limited this season and former Man United midfielder, Keith Gillespie, has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern, that the winger must step up his game.

James enjoyed a run of four starts in six games in February and March, but since the emergence of Amad Diallo and Mason Greenwood’s upturn in form, the Wales international has made one appearance since April 4th.

There were reports back in January that the winger was set to leave Old Trafford but with no form of deal materialising, he remains on the outskirts of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s regular starting lineup.

Speaking on how James has a big summer ahead of him as he has failed to perform on a consistent basis for Man United, Gillespie spoke exclusively to The Transfer Tavern:

“He’s nowhere near the starting XI at the minute so he needs to really step up because he’s been very disappointing for me.

“I liked him when he first arrived but he doesn’t perform often enough so he’s got a big summer coming up.”

Back in 2019, James expected to be signing for Leeds United but after Swansea did not trust Leeds to pay the full amount for James, the Welsh club pulled the plug on a potential deal and the winger ended up signing for Man United the following summer.

The £45,000 per week attacked has failed to nail down a regular spot at Old Trafford as he has been handed just 14 appearances in the Premier League this season with 10 of them being starts.

A strong batting performance from South Africa A has seen them wrest the advantage in their four-day encounter against India A at Goodyear Park, Bloemfontien

Staff Reporter07-Apr-2002A strong batting performance from South Africa A has seen them wrest the advantage in their four-day encounter against India A at Goodyear Park, Bloemfontien.When stumps were drawn at the end of the second day, the hosts were 313 for four in reply to India A’s first innings score of 291.In the morning, South African fast bowler Dewald Pretorius claimed the last two Indian first innings wickets for the addition of just seven runs to the overnight score. The young fast bowler, who grew up in an orphanage, bowled with great heart to claim six wickets. He might still prove Allan Donald right and step into the South African fast bowling great’s shoes in the coming years.When South African A replied, it was the turn of another young man with a lot of promise to impress the gathering. Jacques Rudolph had come desperately close to turning out for South Africa against Australia a short while ago. On Saturday, he was to provide yet another glimpse of his potential, stroking 14 boundaries and one six on his way to 97 before being bowled by left-arm spinner Murali Kartik.Rudolph’s partnerships of 62 runs for the first wicket with fellow-opener Puttick and 101 runs for the second wicket with Martin van Jaarsveld ensured that the hosts had a solid platform to build upon. Jaarsveld made 57 off 100 balls with eight fours and one six before falling to leg-spinner Amit Mishra.By the time Rudolph was dismissed, India had clawed their way back into the game and looked set to restrict the home team batsmen. But 19-year-old Hashim Amla (54*), another young man who has strung together a list of impressive scores, and Robin Peterson (55*) put paid to the tourists’ hopes, putting on 108 for the unbroken fifth wicket stand and giving their team the whip hand in the match.For India A, Kartik claimed two wickets while Mishra and Debasis Mohanty shared the remaining two.With two days of play left, South Africa A would now be hoping to rattle up a massive first innings lead before letting their bowlers loose on an Indian top-order that struggled in the first innings.