All posts by h716a5.icu

India have not named their XI for the fifth ODI in Cuttack, but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said key players would be rested

Cricinfo staff25-Nov-2008
India might rest their key players for the upcoming games against England © Getty Images
India have not named their XI for the fifth ODI in Cuttack, but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said key players would be rested. What not to expect, according to Dhoni, is a drop in the intensity of the side that has won the series, with untried players looking to make an impression.Batsman Virat Kohli, allrounder Irfan Pathan and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha are yet to get a game in the series, and Dhoni felt the team would be equally committed. “There will be few changes in the side tomorrow,” he said. “But at the same time we have to keep up the commitment and intensity, though we have won the series 4-0.”One of the reasons why the intensity will be up is because some of the players who are our bench strength will get a chance to play in the coming games. So they will want to perform and prove themselves. That will really help to keep the intensity up.”Not too many changes are on the cards, however. “It’s not always that you lead a series 4-0. But we will not be making too many changes,” Dhoni said. “Maybe one or two in batting and one in bowling department, so that we still play with our best team. It is tough to rest the in-form players but at the same time for the team’s benefits you have to bring in few changes at an opportune moment like this.”While England chose to cancel their practice session in the morning on Tuesday – they had a team meeting instead – India had optional nets. Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel skipped the session. “We had an optional session. The guys who wanted to rest are back at hotel, spending sometime in the gym,” said Dhoni. “At times, it helps. It’s not always going onto the field and practising. Sometimes rest helps you more than a good session of practice.”The series may be won, but Dhoni felt the team could still improve. “As a team we want to improve in each and every department. It’s a constant process,” he said. “Everything right from batting, bowling, fielding and running between wickets has to be improved. You are never in a situation when you think that there’s no scope for improvement.”

As if it wasn’t riddled with gimmicks already, the organisers of the Stanford 20/20 for 20 have announced more for next weekend’s $20 million match

Cricinfo staff27-Oct-2008As if it wasn’t riddled with gimmicks already, the organisers of the Stanford 20/20 for 20 have announced more for next weekend’s $20 million match.The main one is that if the game ends in a tie, then rather than a bowl out, there will be a one-over-a-side winner-takes-all finale. Each team will select two players – one to bowl and one to bat – for what will be called a Super Over. Whichever pair scores the most will win.Other rules for the competition include there being a five-run penalty for dissent, and the third umpire has the ability to over-rule his on-field colleagues. Just as World Series Cricket spawned several innovations that became part of the mainstream, it is likely the ICC will be monitoring the way things go in Antigua.

Southampton take on Everton in their opening Premier League fixture on Saturday and Ralph Hasenhuttl can amend the Saints’ woeful record at Goodison Park by unleashing new signing Tino Livramento.

Southampton’s last win at Everton came 24 years ago in 1997, whilst the Saints haven’t won an opening day fixture in the Premier League since 2013, so the omens are not looking good as Hasenhuttl’s side prepare for their trip to Merseyside.

The Austrian will be without two of his key players from last season, with Danny Ings having completed a move to Aston Villa, whilst Jannik Vestergaard is on the verge of signing for Leicester City, so it could be a tough season for the Saints.

Romain Perraud, Dynel Simeu, Armando Broja (on loan), Adam Armstrong and Livramento have all joined the Saints this summer, and the latter could be the difference-maker against Rafa Benitez’s side this weekend.

Should Livramento start vs Everton?

Much of the Toffees’ threat could come down the left-hand side, with Lucas Digne’s crossing ability likely to cause a lot of problems again this season, especially with the aerial prowess that both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison possess.

Therefore, stopping him could be the key to Southampton picking up three points against Everton, so locking down the right-hand side might well be something that Hasenhuttl is considering.

Whilst Livramento is naturally a full-back, he has played further forward during his time with Chelsea and was named the academy player of the season earlier this year after contributing a number of goals and assists from wing-back for the Blues.

The youngster certainly impressed on his first appearance in a Saints shirt in a recent friendly against Athletic Bilbao, with Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach singing his praises after the game, saying: “What a way to introduce yourself to the Saints fans! With his first touch of the ball, he pressed to win it and with his second, he played a delicious ball over the top for Walcott to score. He looked so comfortable on the ball and had a real awareness of the role he was playing. Brilliant.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Therefore, if Hasenhuttl were to select him playing ahead of Kyle Walker-Peters on the right wing for Southampton in his 4-2-2-2 setup, it could make the Saints a lot more defensively secure. It would also allow Livramento more freedom to get forward and attack, which could be the difference as the south coast club seek to begin their Premier League campaign with a long-overdue three points at Goodison Park.

In other news… Tom Leach drops huge Southampton transfer update, fans will be worried

Keinan Davis’ proposed loan move from Aston Villa to Stoke City is off due to the forward picking up another injury, according to John Percy.

As to be expected, a number of Villa supporters have been sharing their thoughts on the update via social media.

According to The Telegraph’s Percy, Davis’ temporary switch to the Championship with Stoke is off the table as the forward is now ruled out for two months through injury.

The 23-year-old made just 18 appearances under Dean Smith last season, with only three of those coming as a starter. He has had his injury issues in recent seasons, and it seems that he is now set for another spell in the treatment room.

The striker still has three years remaining on his Villa Park deal, but it doesn’t look like he’ll get a full season of regular game-time away from the Midlands this time around.

Villa fans react

@villareport shared Percy’s claims about Davis via Twitter on Tuesday. Here is what these Villa fans had to say, with many sharing their sympathy for the forward.

“Genuinely gutted for him :(“Credit: @avfc_tomc”Jeez….poor lad”Credit: @gazapearce”Gutted for him”Credit: @ror_rjp”The guy just can’t catch a break. Feel for him.”Credit: @JayVtid”Keinan is so unlucky”Credit: @catrinavfc”poor guy”Credit: @1874danIn other news: ‘Wow’ – Many AVFC fans react as more exit news emerges. 

A round-up of matches on the third day of the ICL 20-20 Domestic Tournament

Cricinfo staff24-Sep-2008Stuart Binny smashed 86 off 53 balls but it was not enough to prevent Hyderabad Heroes from slipping to a five-wicket defeat against Delhi Giants in Hyderabad . Binny hit four sixes and eight fours, but none of the other batsmen could score at over a run a ball, and Hyderabad were restricted to 144 for 5. Left-arm medium-pacer Shalabh Srivastava took 2 for 28 for Delhi while TP Sudhindra bowled an economical spell of 1 for 14 in four overs. Delhi opener Dishant Harendra Yagnik led the run-chase with 52 off 41 balls. He received support from Jai P Yadav and Abbas Ali, who scored 23 and 31 respectively, and they reached the target with seven balls to spare.Chandigarh Lions’ captain Dinesh Mongia struck an unbeaten 72 off 40 balls to seal a comfortable six-wicket win against the Mumbai Champs in Bangalore . Chasing a target of 136, Chandigarh lost opener Manish Sharma in the first over and then slipped to 44 for 4. Mongia held one end up, hit nine fours and two sixes, and received support from wicketkeeper Sarabjit Singh, who made 25, to see Chandigarh home in the 18th over. Earlier, Delhi had struggled to 135 for 7 off their 20 overs. Opener Robin Morris top scored with 46 but his team kept losing wickets at regular intervals.Aggressive innings from Royal Bengal Tigers’ top three batsmen drove them to 193 for 4 against Ahmedabad Rockets and helped set up a 72-run win in Hyderabad. Deep Dasgupta scored 22 off 17 balls but it was Rajiv Kumar’s 79 off 58 balls and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala’s 64 off 39 that propelled Bengal to a formidable total. None of Ahmedabad’s batsmen got going, Sachin Dholpure’s 20 was their highest score, and they were dismissed for 121 in the 19th over. Eklak Ahmid, Mihir Diwakar and Shibsagar Singh took two wickets each for Bengal.

Mushtaq Ahmed, the former Pakistan legspinner, has announced his retirement from county cricket due to persistent knee trouble

Cricinfo staff27-Aug-2008
Mushtaq Ahmed walks into the sunset after six fruitful seasons with Sussex © Getty Images
Mushtaq Ahmed, the former Pakistan legspinner, has announced his retirement from county cricket due to persistent knee trouble. For the last six years, Mushtaq has been an integral member of the English county side Sussex, during which they won three County Championship titles.It was a difficult decision, Mushtaq admitted, as he thanked his team-mates and staff at Sussex.”I would firstly like to thank Allah for providing me with this great family,” Mushtaq said. “This is a very hard decision for me to make, as I feel that I could possible play one more year, but out of respect, I would only do that if I felt 100% per cent and I wouldn’t want to risk that for the family.”I am going to miss playing for the club greatly. I am truly honoured to have spent six wonderful years here. There are not enough words to express my gratitude to the club, but I would like to specially thank Peter Moores, Mark Robinson, Chris Adams, all my team-mates, all the fans and everyone who is part of this magnificent family for all the opportunities and memories that they have provided me with.Adams, the Sussex captain, hailed Mushtaq as one of the county’s most valuable overseas players.”Mushtaq’s legacy at the club is that he leaves us statistically, romantically and emotionally the best player to ever pull on a Sussex shirt,” Adams said. “In view of the impact he’s made, it’s difficult to think of another cricketer who has achieved or done more for one county. His legacy extends beyond the playing arena, as I’m sure all that have been graced by his presence will agree. He is simply a great man.”Mushtaq, 38, last played for Pakistan in 2003. Overlooked by his country, he carved out a very successful county career, and in 2003 he became the first bowler in five years to take 100 wickets in the English season. That was instrumental in guiding Sussex to the first Championship title in their history, a feat he and they repeated in 2006 and the following season. He has bowled over 26,000 overs in all competitions, taking 598 wickets. He ends his first-class career with over 1400 wickets.

Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to Steven Gerrard’s starting line-up for the Gers’ match against Livingston on Saturday.

The Light Blues will kick off their Premiership title defence with a clash against Livingston at Ibrox. Of course, the 55-time Scottish champions didn’t lose a single game at all in the league last year (thefishy.co.uk), and they will be hoping to replicate that or at the very least retain their trophy this time around.

Around an hour before the match, Gerrard’s first XI has been selected. There is no place for Allan McGregor or Borna Barisic, while Fashion Sakala will start ahead of Cedric Itten despite the latter netting three times in pre-season.

Fellow new signing John Lundstram is on the bench – either way, this is a strong team that will expect to win this match.

The starting line-up was shared on Twitter by the Gers’ official account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the XI below

“I like the look of sakala but seems unfair on itten.. waited his time and been impressive pre season. If he cant start now what hopes he got”

Credit: @Gordonhannay

“delete”

Credit: @hannahfirman_30

“Thats…..bold”

Credit: @BasherSoccer

“What a random line up. Love it”

Credit: @martinsuth90

“Didn’t see that team coming! Let’s go”

Credit: @a22an

“Never seen that coming”

Credit: @KelmanPeter

In other news, Rangers fans slam this club update.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could be set to secure the signature of Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho.

What’s the story?

According to the Birmingham Mail, Wolves are favourites to land the 29-year-old this summer as new manager Bruno Lage continues to make his mark on the first-team squad.

This comes after reports from Spain suggested that they just one of a number of top-flight teams interested in securing his services.

Bruno Lage needs him

Lage has only been in the Molineux hot seat for a matter of weeks, but the Portuguese tactician has already brought four new signings to the club.

Former Olympiacos goalkeeper Jose Sa recently arrived on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee, joining Yerson Mosquera, Francisco Trincao and Rayan Ait-Nouri in committing their futures to the Midlands outfit.

However, with several stars such as Ruben Neves, Adama Traore and Pedro Neto thought to be allowed to leave Wolves over the coming months, Lage may need another marquee signing in order to ensure success next season.

And Coutinho’s availability has provided the perfect opportunity for the club’s hierarchy to secure a significant acquisition for their new boss.

At Liverpool, the Brazil international showcased his world-class ability on a regular basis, often bamboozling opponents with his outrageous skill and catching unsuspecting keepers off-guard with his long-range shooting.

Speaking about his compatriot previously, Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino commented: “He’s phenomenal. You simply can’t say that he’s not a magician.

“He has magical powers. He produces plays that don’t exist, that you couldn’t make up.”

Coutinho has been unable to replicate his form at Anfield for Barcelona, though, and found himself loaned out to Bayern Munich for 2019/20.

The South American creative talent enjoyed a relatively successful 12-month stint with the Bundesliga giants, scoring 11 goals and providing nine assists in 38 appearances as Bayern won the treble.

But the bad luck continued for Coutinho upon his return to Barca last season, with a serious knee injury ending his campaign in December after just 14 uninspiring outings.

On his day, the £27 million-rated gem is a top-class operator, capable of playing for the world’s best teams, but unfortunately for him, those days have been few and far between since he left English shores three-and-a-half-years ago.

Joining a side where he’s guaranteed game time and will undoubtedly be the main man could well resurrect Coutinho’s career, meaning Wolves would be an ideal destination, and the club must try and sign him this summer.

And, in other news…Wolves may repeat their Cutrone howler if Lage signs “ungrateful” 56-cap flop 

Bermuda took the lead in the three-match ODI series after beating Canada by three wickets in a closely-fought game, reduced by rain to 36 overs a side, at the Maple Leaf North-West Ground in King City

Cricinfo staff29-Jun-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

Ashish Bagai scored his fifth half-century for Canada © CricketEurope
Bermuda took the lead in the three-match ODI series after beating Canada by three wickets in a closely-fought game, reduced by rain to 36 overs-a-side, at the Maple Leaf North-West Ground in King City.Bermuda needed nine runs from the final over after debutant Chris Foggo had set up the chase with a watchful 60. Jakon Edness, the No. 7 batsman, had taken strike after tail-ender Ryan Steede managed to scramble two runs at the end of the previous over. Edness played out the first ball from medium-pacer Henry Osinde for no run but sealed the game with a six and a four off the next two deliveries.Foggo, the Man of the Match, and Steven Outerbridge, began the chase slowly, adding only 17 in the first seven overs before Outerbridge was caught behind off Osinde for eight. After that Fogoo started pushing for the runs, while Oronde Bascombe stayed cautious at the other end. In their partnership of 59, Bascombe only scored 19 and was caught by Osinde in offspinner Qaiser Ali’s first over.Qaiser picked up a second wicket in his next over as Bermuda’s required run-rate shot up to more than seven an over. It was captain Irving Romaine’s cameo 13-ball 21 that gave the chase a much-needed boost – in 2.5 overs he added 34 with Foggo – and when he fell Bermuda needed 42 off 44 balls. Having gone for 14 runs in his third over, Qaiser came to repair the damage in his fourth by removing Foggo when Bermuda needed 33 off 38 balls. While the required run-rate had come down to over five an over, Bermuda were steadily losing wickets – they lost two more by the 34th over. But Edness and Steede held their nerves to steer their side to victory with three balls remaining.Earlier, Ashish Bagai’s half century went in vain for Canada. Though, in going for runs, they lost five wickets for 37 in the last five overs, it was Canada’s third-wicket partnership between Ian Billcliff and Bagai that prevented them from posting a more competitive total. The two added only 27 runs in 9.1 overs. So even while none of Bermuda’s batsmen played a substantial attacking innings, the visitors were able to chase down Canada’s 155, suffering only a few scares in the process.

Deon Kruis, the 34-year-old Yorkshire fast bowler, has given the strongest indication yet that his playing days are coming to an end. Kruis, a South African who plays for the county as a Kolpak, is exploring other avenues beyond the field of play, includi

Cricinfo staff19-May-2008
Deon Kruis bags another wicket during his stellar 2006 season © Getty Images
Deon Kruis, the 34-year-old Yorkshire fast bowler, has given the strongest indication yet that his playing days are coming to an end. Kruis, a South African who plays for the county as a Kolpak, is exploring other avenues beyond the field of play, including media work and coaching.”I don’t want to keep the younger guys out of the team when I feel they’re ready,” he told the . “I don’t feel they’re 100% there yet physically and skill-wise, but, if it’s up to my wife, this will be my last season. It’s hard for her being in South Africa for basically five out of the six months on her own with the little girl.”This could be my last season, but I’m hoping to do maybe one more year next year. I’ve done some media work and it’s been interesting to sit on the other side of the fence. I’ve been in touch with the guys at Sky and I’d like to keep involved in the game in some way. We’ll just have to see how it goes.”Hamstring and calf injuries limited his appearances last year to just six first-class matches, but although his body is beginning to show signs of wear and tear, he was Yorkshire’s leading wicket-taker in the Championship in 2006 with 38 wickets in 13 matches. “Last season, in particular, was very frustrating for me,” he said. “I had injuries and, as you come towards the end of your career, you obviously want to be playing as much as possible. But I’ve worked hard and I feel really good now. I feel as if I’m bowling well and in good rhythm.”I’d like to get 60 County Championship wickets this year. I’ve done it before, but that was in the second division. This would be in the first division and a better achievement.”