All posts by h716a5.icu

Left-handed batsman Wavell Hinds has been named in the West Indies’ 13-member squad for the fourth 2002 Cable & Wireless Test against India, starting at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Friday here.

Derrick Nicholas07-May-2002Left-handed batsman Wavell Hinds has been named in the West Indies’ 13-member squad for the fourth 2002 Cable & Wireless Test against India, starting at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Friday here.Hinds, who last played for West Indies in the historic two-Test road series against Pakistan in Sharjah, replaces opening batsman Stuart Williams as the only change to the squad that assembled in Barbados for the third 2002 Cable & Wireless Test that West Indies won by 10 wickets on Sunday.West Indies drew level 1-1 in the five-Test series with Sunday’s victory at Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval where India has lost seven of the eight Tests they have contested there.Squad: Carl Hooper (captain), Brian Lara (vice captain), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pedro Collins, Cameron Cuffy, Mervyn Dillon, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Dinanath Ramnarine, Adam Sanford, Ramnaresh Sarwan.

A source from Newcastle United has dropped a bombshell ahead of the opening of the summer window.

The Lowdown: Transfer window awaits

The summer transfer window is fast approaching, with the St. James’ Park faithful looking to bring in some good additions as well as shift deadwood in order to have the best squad possible to compete in the 2021/22 Premier League season.

Joe Willock is likely to be a player that they will look to try and sign on a permanent deal from Arsenal given his impact in the North East, while other players, namely Andy Carroll and Dwight Gayle for example, face uncertain futures.

The Latest: Transfer bombshell dropped

Football Insider revealed a “bombshell” on Tuesday evening – Mike Ashley is refusing to spend big while talks over a potential takeover of the Tyneside club by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group continue.

A source from the Magpies has told the news outlet that the board have now passed on the message to Steve Bruce that he will only have a transfer budget of between £8-10m to work with.

That would rule out the possibility of signing Willock permanently as the Gunners are thought to want closer to £20m, while quite frankly it is just a ridiculously low transfer kitty for an established top flight side in 2021.

The Verdict: Transfer blow

If the Toon only have a mere £8-10m to spend in the market, then that really is a big blow.

Not only would they likely miss out on Willock unless they could raise funds by selling other players, but it means that they would hardly be able to compete in the market against their fellow rivals in the top flight, despite the financial impact of the global pandemic.

NUFC will really want to kick on next season with fans back in the ground, but this latest piece of news will surely not appease them one bit, and now a takeover cannot come soon enough.

In other news, find out what ‘fascinating’ takeover insight a sports lawyer has dropped here!

Herefordshire 348-6 (PS Lazenbury 143, A Farooque 85) Wales 7-1

CricInfo03-Jun-2002Norfolk 239/8d (C Amos 95, AR Clarke 5-84)
Buckinghamshire 24-2
Cheshire 229 (SJ Renshaw 98)
OxfordshireDevon 388/8 (GTJ Townsend 131, KAO Barrett 84)
Shropshire 28/0Herefordshire 348-6 (PS Lazenbury 143, A Farooque 85)
Wales 7-1.Lincolnshire 295/7d (M Dobson 81, M Fell 57*, J Trower 52)
Staffordshire 15/0Dorset 392/8 (SWB Rintoul 139, TCZ Lamb 81, MG Miller 79)
Wiltshire 15/1

Tottenham Hotspur may have been handed a huge boost in their bid to bring their former manager Mauricio Pochettino back to the club this week…

What’s the word?

According to Duncan Castles, the Argentine is not Real Madrid’s top target to replace Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu, which means that Spurs have one less problem to worry about if they are to secure his sensational return to north London.

Speaking on a recent episode of ‘The Transfer Window’ podcast, the Sunday Times journalist revealed: “It’s not clear to me – from what I’m hearing from Madrid – that he’s the preferred candidate to take that job for them any longer.

“They watched what happened towards the end [of his spell] at Tottenham and what’s happened in Paris, and we all know that it’s easy for a coach’s status on the market, in the space of one job and one season of performance in a job, and I think that’s where Pochettino is at the moment.”

The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke first revealed Spurs’ interest in Pochettino on Thursday, claiming that chairman Daniel Levy had held talks with the Paris Saint-Germain boss and that the 49-year-old was even open to returning to Spurs.

However, doubts quickly arose after the La Liga club were mooted with the Lilywhites’ fan favourite by Goal, who claimed that he was their first-choice option.

Pochettino has previously suggested that it would be a “dream” to manage Los Galacticos one day, so their interest will always cause some considerable concern among the N17 faithful.

A big boost?

This fresh claim should certainly come as rather exciting news for supporters, as many have struggled to contain their desperation to see their former coach return to the club as Jose Mourinho’s successor.

As revealed by This is Futbol, several members of the Lilywhites faithful have displayed their excitement over the news that Pochettino could come back to the club. One fan likened it to “Christmas Eve”, another dubbed it a “madness” and a further supporter claimed to be “salivating uncontrollably”.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-managerial-updates-transfer-news-rumours-gossip-and-more-levy-kane-enic” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, managerial gossip, transfer rumours and more!”]

Now that Real Madrid do not appear to be in the running, this will only bolster the Spurs fans’ hopes and dreams even more, as it’s one obstacle which is no longer blocking a return from happening. Instead, it will now be on Levy to do whatever he can to secure the former Southampton man’s services.

Pochettino is currently under contract at the Parc des Princes until the summer of 2022, with an option of a further year, and it’s thought that the Ligue 1 giants have no intention of letting him go.

That is perhaps the biggest hurdle standing in Tottenham’s way, although it should come as pleasing news to many that they do not have to battle Champions League-bound Real Madrid as well.

As a result, Castles’ latest update is an exciting development in Spurs’ quest to fill their vacant managerial role. The door has opened for Levy to strike but can he do it? Only time will tell.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Kane: Levy must seal Spurs swoop for 40-cap gem dubbed “very talented” by Pochettino…

According to Tuttosport, via Sempre Milan, Tottenham are to provide strong competition to Juventus in the race to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma this summer.

The Lowdown: Donnarumma to leave Milan

22-year-old Donnarumma, who is Italy’s first-choice goalkeeper, is to leave AC Milan this summer after he decided not to extend his contract at the club (via Goal.com).

Juventus have been previously linked with a move for the shot-stopper.

The Latest: Spurs eye Donnarumma

However, it seems Tottenham are also interested in signing Donnarumma. Arsenal, Chelsea, PSG and AS Roma have also been mentioned as potential suitors.

The Lilywhites are also said to be eyeing Wojciech Szczesny should they not be able to capture Donnarumma.

The Verdict: World class

Even at the age of just 22, Donnarumma has plenty of experience under his belt. He has already made 251 appearances for Milan after making his debut as a 16-year-old (Transfermarkt) – he has been a permanent fixture in the side ever since.

He also has 26 caps for his country, with him having replaced Gianluigi Buffon as his nation’s number one.

The 6 foot 5 ace was even called “one of the best five goalkeepers in the world” by former Juve manager Andrea Pirlo (Reuters).

The competition for £54m-valued Donnarumma (Transfermarkt) is fierce. But Spurs could do with a long-term goalkeeping option as Hugo Lloris’ future remains uncertain (The Sun)

This is a big summer for Daniel Levy and co at Tottenham – the outcome of the chase for Donnarumma could display how ambitious they really are.

In other news, Spurs prepare a contract offer for this four-time Champions League winner.

Somerset Seconds lost their 2nd XI Trophy match against Worcestershire by the narrowest of margins

Richard Walsh24-Jun-2002Somerset Seconds lost their 2nd XI Trophy match against Worcestershire by the narrowest of margins.Batting first Somerset scored 312 for 5 thanks to an aggressive 101 from Pete Trego, off 91 balls and a chanceless unbeaten 124 from nineteen year old Arul Suppiah, his first for the seconds.Together the couple put on 152 for the Somerset second wicket to set the visitors a challenging total.The Worcestershire reply was built around Philip Weston, who made 95, and Gurdeep Kandola who made 110.Going into the final over that was bowled by Pete Trego Worcestershire required 6 runs for victory with five wickets in hand.The visitors took one run off the first ball, and then Pete Trego performed the hat trick. The fifth ball produced a scampered bye and the last ball was dispatched to the boundary for 4 to give Worcestershire victory by 2 wickets.Pete Trego ended with 4 for 76 to add to his century, but still ended on the losing side.Somerset Seconds travel to Bristol to play against Gloucestershire in the 2nd XI Trophy tomorrow.

Both Crystal Palace and Norwich City have been linked with a move for FC Koln defender Sebastiaan Bornauw recently.

And, according to Bild, the Bundesliga side are looking to receive at least €15m (£13m) for the centre-back’s services this summer.

The 22-year-old, who has two caps for Belgium, was a regular in Germany last season. He made 24 league appearances and scored his only goal of the campaign in a 1-0 win over Schalke on the final weekend.

Wolfsburg are also keen on signing Bornauw, so should the Eagles wish to bring the defender to London, they may need to act relatively fast, despite not having a manager in place.

Palace have three senior central defenders out of contract in a matter of weeks at this moment in time in Scott Dann, Gary Cahill and Mamadou Sakho.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the asking price for the Palace target on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.

This is what these Eagles supporters had to say in reply, with one describing it as ‘positive news’.

“We have to make this happen”Credit: @matthew_poole30″Please do it”Credit: @Kikoojap3″Positive news”Credit: @CPFCMax9″Give it to me”Credit: @Kevbartleyy”That would be great for #CPFC. That would be so important after Sakho is no longer there!”Credit: @VK_FCA1907″Without a manager, these are not real links. Agents spreading news.”Credit: @PalaceScout

In other news: Eagles keen on Chelsea defender, find out more here. 

An unbeaten half-century from debutant Vikram Atri gave Nottinghamshire theupper hand on the first day of their tour match with West Indies A at Trent Bridge

Sean Beynon03-Jul-2002An unbeaten half-century from debutant Vikram Atri gave Nottinghamshire theupper hand on the first day of their tour match with West Indies A at Trent Bridge. Atri made a patient 57 as the home side reached 149-3 before the weather closed in.The 19-year-old is a good example of Nottinghamshire’s excellent record inrecruiting British Asians. England batsman Usmaan Afzaal plays for the club,while pacer Nadeem Malik and talented batsman Bilal Shafayat are making their way in the game. Notts also gave debuts to teenagers Samit Patel, and Will Smith in an experimental line-up.Whilst Notts cannot be blamed for fielding the majority of their second team, West Indies A deserve some sympathy. The public reaction to their tour has been non-existent, and playing (and frequently losing) against average teams is not the ideal preparation for the international cricket that must surely be the ultimate aim of the squad. Perhaps a system of England A, Under-19 and Under-21 teams would provide a more stimulating opposition though this would, understandably, be challenged by counties not wanting to lose their stars mid-season.After winning the toss on a cloudy morning, acting captain Wayne Noon opted to bat. Atri, along with Guy Welton (43) – who oozes potential – looked confident against the visiting openers. Marlon Black and Tino Best looked lacklustre, though Best extracted a little pace from a bland strip.Welton cruised into the forties with a succession of front-foot boundaries. His fluency was countered by a more dogged effort from Atri. Welton eventually fell, bowled by a quick one from Best, but Atri and Shafayat saw the Midlands county through to lunch without further alarms.Shafayat (27) and Kevin Pieterson (1) fell soon after lunch. Jermaine Lawsonpicked up both wickets, trapping Shafayat lbw before bowling Pieterson, whofaced only two balls in nearly three quarters of an hour at the crease.Atri opened up a little after he was joined by Patel (11*), stroking ninegraceful boundaries. The West Indian bowlers again looked weary, clearlymissing the steadying influence of giant left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn. Reon King had been left out, with Ryan Hinds making his first appearance on tour.With the weather forecast for tomorrow a little more promising, Notts will probably be content with more batting practice. Trent Bridge was soulless today, with rippled applause echoing through empty stands. It was hardly the stuff of dreams, though it is a day that Atri should remember for the rest of his life.

Waqar Ahmad Photo © PCB The English cricket season starts in early April and ends in late September and does not really coincide or clash with seasons of other cricket playing countries

Waqar Ahmad23-Jul-2002
Waqar Ahmad
Photo © PCB
The English cricket season starts in early April and ends in late September and does not really coincide or clash with seasons of other cricket playing countries. The Pakistan cricket season starts after the monsoons in September and ends in late April when it’s too hot to play.Every year, the English cricket season provides opportunities to Pakistani cricketers to go there, travel around, and take in the sight of cricket being played in lush greenery all over the country, meet different people, enjoy the hospitality and even play professional cricket. This is an experience in itself for any serious cricketer apart from the opportunity to play league, club and for some, even top class county cricket.
Shoaib Akhtar
Photo © CricInfo
But, at the same time, every English cricket season brings with it a few problems for the Pakistan Cricket Board. These stem from commitments and contracts made by Pakistani cricketers for playing professional cricket there or more aptly, referred as ‘proing’ in England.Cricketing activity through an approved ICC policy called ‘globalization of cricket’ has increased all over the world and thus it’s cricket season the whole year round.In certain situations, a Pakistani cricketer and the PCB have to decide individually and jointly whether the player should play for his country or his county. The absence of any clear-cut policy by the PCB and the lure of attractive professional fee complicate the issue. In some cases a player ends up playing for neither of the two.One cannot deny the fact that no country in the world matches the splendour of cricket in an English summer. It is just great to be a young cricketer and pro in a county or a league team.A recent PCB press release has made it known to all and sundry, Shoaib Akhtar, the fastest bowler in the world, will not be going to play in the Morocco Cup this August. It further clarifies that Shoaib Akhtar is carrying an injury that needs to be treated in England. Strangely enough and very recently, millions saw Shoaib Akhtar bowling thunderbolts at the Australians. He appeared absolutely fit and surely no further proof of his fitness is required.The fact of the matter is that Shoaib Akhtar is irked with PCB because he was denied permission to play in England for the remainder of the English season for a county or club. One can pose the question, had he been allowed, like fellow cricketers Abdul Razzaq, Saqlain Mushtaq and Azhar Mahmood, would he have reported unfit in defiance and disgust?All cricketers love to spend summer in England and Shoaib is no exception. It is a way of relaxing and recharging one’s batteries.Shoaib, besides, being the current hottest property in cricket circles, is probably worth at least UKP 100,000 per season. This is the kind of money Wasim Akram used to make playing for Lancashire in his prime years and why should Shoaib be denied this or more?Looking at the problem from another angle, one can infer that the three young cricketers named above, signed contracts with their respective counties some time ago and that too with the permission of PCB. On the other hand, the counties as per previous practice must have agreed to release them for the Tangier tournament in August and ICC trophy in Sri Lanka in September but not for the recently concluded ODI tour to Australia. Shoaib Akhtar’s desire to sign up with an English club is perhaps an afterthought and a bit too late in the day, having no real parallel with the case of the three cricketers already playing in England. It seems to be PCB’s own method of drawing parallels.Some may conjecture, the PCB administration does not want Shoaib Akhtar to over exert in county cricket lest he expose himself to injury or extreme fatigue prior to more important assignments than Morocco. Others may think the PCB wants to look after the fastest bowler on the planet like a prize horse.The other aspect of the matter, which is correlated to his desire to play as a professional in England this summer, is fee and remuneration he receives from PCB. So far, he has shown extreme restraint over the fee he has been receiving which is reportedly roughly equivalent to that of Azhar Mahmood.Shoaib Akhtar although a man of few words, temperamentally responds to various situations created by himself, the PCB or natural circumstances in his own peculiar manner. He is neither aggressive nor unreasonable.Those who know him since the beginning of his first-class cricket career may well recall, he started as a professional with PIA at a meager thousand rupees or about $17 per month. He then moved on to ADBP.In 1997-98 Shoaib Akhtar toured South Africa under Rashid Latif’s captaincy. His selection for the tour was opposed tooth and nail by a senior selector because Shoaib in the selector’s opinion had no idea about swing bowling. On top of it, as soon as the team landed in South Africa Rashid Latif decided to send him back due to some undisclosed injury and requested Basit Ali as the replacement. Of course at that point in time, Shoaib Akhtar was oblivious to happenings around him. When contacted by the PCB he exhibited a remarkably cool temperament and the sagacity to analyze and react to a complex and somewhat political situation. As a young player he confronted his captain and assured him that he was fit to take on the South Africans and in the second Test took 5 for 43 to secure himself a permanent place in the team. He has not looked back since.More fuel is added by the PCB’s pay structure for Test players which is based on ‘seniority’. This means a player who has played more matches will get more money compared to one who has played fewer. It’s a difficult formula and incorporates a slab system. More variables are added in the equation for matches played abroad, however, the basis remains seniority. Unfortunately, more often than not, the pay structure formula seems unfair and unjust in the case of a junior but high achiever. For example, Aaqib Javed was a junior player when he established a bowling ODI world record by taking seven wickets in a match in Sharjah that Pakistan won. The poor chap ended up receiving the smallest cheque, not enough to buy a return ticket from Sharjah to Lahore!Shoaib Akhtar as he gets older and because of his hurricane like bowling approach is not likely to remain on top as the fastest bowler for a very long time. One can safely presume that after the World Cup 2003 he will turn into a fast swing bowler at speeds around 138-142 kph. His control and swing will increase and the ability to reverse swing in the late overs of an ODI or as the ball wears, in a test match, will also increase. Perhaps he will no longer be able to electrify a stadium full of people with his frightening speed but will be able to achieve far better figures than he has so far.All said and done, it does seem unjust to pay him on the basis of a junior cricketer, according to the present pay structure formula.Cricket is a highly commercialized game today and is crossing over into new countries. One feels, we may soon see the Chinese and the Japanese wielding the ‘willow’. Cricket has taken on soccer in roping in advertisement revenues from multinational conglomerates and soon cricket might even have the upper hand.PCB also needs to wake up to the immense opportunities and challenges provided by the modern commercial world of sports, advertisement and broadcasting. PCB is a rich institution and should remain one. All of Pakistan’s sports bodies look up to PCB as a role model and trendsetter. It is disturbing when PCB officials moan and groan over India’s refusal to play against Pakistan and the resultant imaginary loss of income. There are nine other test-playing countries, dozens of venues and hundreds of sponsors in the world, so why harp on missing out with India.Coming back to the topic, the standoff between Shoaib Akhtar and PCB must come to an end. PCB should do away with its age-old unjust seniority based formula and look for a new more equitable formula on the basis of both, seniority and performance. High achievers should be placed in a higher bracket with lots of perks and benefits commensurate with remunerations that other countries are paying. Shoaib Akhtar or other stars should be allowed to play in England.We can only wish Shoaib Akhtar good luck and hope that he enjoys the English summer while it lasts.ED: Waqar Ahmad is an ex-cricketer, writer, commentator and a past Secretary of Pakistan Cricket Board. Email: [email protected]

Aston Villa are eyeing a move for Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, with a major transfer update hinting that a move could be more likely this summer.

What’s the story?

Despite having a firmly established centre-back partnership in Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings – the latter of course now with the England squad for Euro 2020 – it appears that Dean Smith is keen on reinforcing in that area.

According to Complete Sports, Villa are among a host of Premier League clubs interested in signing Adarabioyo, with West Ham and Southampton also said to be keen on him.

The report follows on from Fabrizio Romano’s claim that the centre-back has a release clause of just £10m in his Fulham contract.

Premier League proven

While the centre-back might have been playing for a Fulham side which was relegated, that certainly doesn’t take away from how impressive he has been at Craven Cottage, or how good he could potentially become at Villa – you only have to look at Liverpool signings the likes of Georginio Wijnaldum and Andy Robertson in recent years to see that.

Having been described as a “high quality, class player” and “immense” by Tony Mowbray, his former boss at Blackburn, Adarabioyo has the kind of pedigree which could really bolster Smith’s side.

Mowbray said: “The reason we brought him was because of his attributes. He’s 6ft 5in, he’s very very quick, his distribution is as a good as any centre-back in the division.”

The former Manchester City starlet is also significantly better than any of Villa’s defensive options when it comes to playing out from the back, and even anyone in the entire squad – his 57.7 average passes per game at an accuracy of 86.2% would rank him top among all of Villa’s players.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/aston-villa-dean-smith-transfer-window-premier-league-villa-park-emi-buendia-gregg-evans-gossip-rumours-update-news” title=”Read the latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news!”]

It’s no surprise that City manager Guardiola has previously called him “exceptional”, or why Villa are keen on landing him this summer.

Given his tender age of 23, his Premier League experience and his homegrown status, Adarabioyo fits everything that Smith recently suggested Villa would be targeting in the transfer window.

It’s exactly why the Villa boss would surely love to have him at the Midlands club.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has dropped an exciting Aston Villa transfer claim…