All posts by h716a5.icu

Aftab Gul, Salman Butt’s lawyer, has withdrawn from the spot-fixing case against his client

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2010Aftab Gul, Salman Butt’s lawyer, has withdrawn from the spot-fixing case against his client. “I don’t think the suspended players will get justice, so I have withdrawn,” Aftab said.The ICC had on Friday set up a three-man tribunal to hear the spot-fixing allegations against Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif from January 6 to 11 in Doha, Qatar. The panel is headed by Michael Beloff QC, the ICC code of conduct commissioner, who had earlier rejected the appeals of Butt and Amir against their provisional suspension following the allegations. This had led the players’ lawyers to raise objections on Beloff’s presence in the tribunal.”It is no use fighting this case because the ICC tribunal has already decided what to do. Having this hearing is all a drama,” Aftab said, according to the .Khalid Ranjha, another of Butt’s lawyers, told that Beloff had already showed his intention by rejecting the appeals. However, Shahid Karim, Amir`s lawyer, said he was ready to defend his client in the final hearing even if their objection against Beloff`s presence was not accepted.The three players were provisionally suspended by the ICC in September for their alleged involvement in the spot-fixing controversy during the Lord’s Test. In a sting, Mazhar Majeed, a player agent, claimed to have paid Amir and Asif to bowl no-balls to order with the collaboration of Butt. The players lodged appeals against their suspensions, though Asif eventually withdrew his, and they were heard in Dubai in October. Beloff, who chaired the hearing, rejected their appeals, following which the PCB proceeded to revoke their central contracts.The hearing of the appeals was only meant to establish whether or not the ICC followed the correct procedures in provisionally suspending the players, and not their innocence or guilt. The trio face the possibility of criminal charges in the UK, and evidence gathered by Scotland Yard has been passed on to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Manchester United have been boosted in their efforts to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong this summer following a fresh transfer update.

The Lowdown: United linked with De Jong move

Erik ten Hag has been confirmed as the Red Devils’ new manager ahead of next season, with the Dutchman hopefully making numerous good signings in the summer as they look to improve drastically in the Premier League.

One player with whom United have been linked is De Jong, with the 24-year-old impressing for Barcelona this season, chipping in with three goals and three assists in La Liga.

A fresh update further suggests that Ten Hag could get his man, with the pair having worked together during a successful spell at Ajax.

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The Latest: Journalist provides De Jong update

Speaking on El Chiringuito [via Barca Universal],  journalist Jose Alvarez claimed that Barca would be happy to let De Jong leave if a €70m (£58.9m) offer were to arrive on their desk.

The Dutchman’s current deal at Camp Nou expires in the summer of 2026.

The Verdict: Sign him up, Erik

De Jong could be a perfect summer signing for United, with midfield an area which has often come in for criticism at Old Trafford.

The Netherlands international would bring poise and control in the middle of the park, enjoying a 91.4% pass completion rate in La Liga this season, along with being hailed as ‘extraordinary’ by his manager Xavi.

De Jong joining United would feel like a statement signing, and the fact that he and Ten Hag know each other so well would further suggest that it would be a match made in heaven.

In other news, Erik ten Hag is reportedly keen on bringing a Premier League player to United. Read more here.

A round-up of the fifth round of games in South Africa’s domestic SuperSport Series, with wins for the Titans and the Cobras, a double-ton by JP Duminy, and a century by Albie Morkel

Firdose Moonda19-Dec-2010Rain didn’t only have a say in the Test match between South Africa and India at SuperSport Park in Centurion, but in the SuperSport series too. The first day of the matches between the Knights and the Warriors in East London, and the Cobras and the Dolphins in Paarl were washed out. The Lions and the Titans were the only teams that played on all four days. All three fixtures saw players on the fringes of the South Africa side record good performances.The Cobras slotted into second place with an innings-and-166-run victory over the Dolphins in Paarl. Play got underway on day two after a wet first day and the Dolphins chose to field, hoping to get some assistance from the overcast conditions. The going was tough for the Cobras openers. Alistair Gray took 199 balls to make his 57 runs but he and Andrew Puttick laid a solid platform for the middle order to launch from.Owais Shah made just 20 but Justin Ontong and JP Duminy cashed in. Ontong has been having a quietly successful season and scored 127. Duminy made his claim for national selection as loudly as he could. He became the second batsman to score an unbeaten double-century this weekend (Jacques Kallis being the other) in the country. Duminy’s 200 not out came off just 201 balls as the Cobras declared on 515 for 5. None of the Dolphins bowlers stood out. Imran Tahir, the highest wicket-taker this season, missed the match because of a back injury. Fellow legspinner Keshav Maharaj was the most successful bowler with 4 for 214.The Dolphins had a shocker in reply and were bowled out for 99. Vaughn van Jaarsveld was their highest scoring batsman and scored just 23. Cobras seamer Vernon Philander finished with figures of 4 for 33. With a 416-run deficit, the Dolphins were made to follow on and fared only a little better in their second outing. Van Jaarsveld scored 57 and Ravi Bopara made 74, but the Dolphins line-up left a lot to be desired. Philander’s three second-innings wickets left him with seven for the match.The Titans stamped their authority on the top of the table with a four-wicket win over the Lions in Potchefstroom. The Titans batted first and found themselves in trouble early on, at 57 for 3, but were rescued in magnificent fashion. Titans wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn scored 92 and Albie Morkel made an impressive return to form with 182 runs. Opener Pieter Malan, legspinner Shaun von Berg and seamer Gerhardus Viljoen also made half centuries and the Titans were bowled out for 513. The Lions spinners were the only ones who enjoyed success with Werner Coetsee and Dale Deeb sharing six wickets between them.Coetsee also starred with the bat in the Lions first innings. He put on 166 runs for the fifth wicket with Zander de Bruyn, who scored 109. The Lions were bowled out for 352, giving the Titans a 161-run lead, which allowed them to enforce the follow-on. The Lions were bowled out in their second innings for two more runs than they were in the first. Neil McKenzie’s 130 was the only century of their second innings with Jean Symes’ 43 the next highest score. Von Berg’s 4 for 130 and Viljoen’s 3 for 50 were the best figures for the Titans as they were set a target of 194 to win.Fast bowler Friedel de Wet was the biggest threat to the Titans getting there. He took the first three Titans wickets to reduce them to 72 for 3. Jacques Rudolph’s 60 had a calming effect on a line-up that was losing wickets quickly. Coetsee, Deeb and seamer Craig Alexander took a wicket apiece and even though the Titans were being pegged back, Morkel and von Berg took them to victory. The Lions have dropped from second to third in the table after the result.In East London, the Knights and the Warriors drew after two high-scoring first innings. Warriors fast bowler Wayne Parnell ripped through the Knights top three and reduced them to 65 for 3 in the ninth over. Centuries from Ryan Bailey and Morne van Wyk, who shared a 236-run fifth wicket partnership, took the Knights to a respectable 430 for 8 declared. van Wyk carried over his superb form from the MTN40 tournament and ended on 150 not out.The Warriors had few problems in their innings, with the top five all making healthy contributions. Wicketkeeper Arno Jacobs was one of two centurions after scoring 110. Kelly Smuts was unbeaten on 100 at the end of the match. The captains shook hands on a draw after he reached his century. The Warriors were on 499 for 5 and were ahead by 69 runs.Batsman of the week: For making the national selectors sit up and take notice of his desire to get back into the Test arena, JP Duminy’s 200 not out earns him the award.Bowler of the week: Vernon Philander’s match-haul of 7 for 73 against the Dolphins lifts him to third in the bowling charts with 23 wickets. He has the best average out of the top ten bowlers.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has just been handed a major boost in the hunt to sign Inter Milan star Stefan de Vrij this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Conte eyes move…

The Italian, who is reportedly plotting a major overhaul at Spurs over the next transfer window, has allegedly targeted Inter’s central defensive ace as part of his summer plans for the Premier League side.

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De Vrij was a mainstay in Conte’s 2020/2021 Scudetto-winning side with reports claiming that the 52-year-old wants to bring his former star to north London.

Indeed, Tottenham are firmly in the mix for de Vrij as his San Siro contract continues to run down.

Currently set to expire in 2023, the Dutchman is entering his final year at Inter, prompting clubs to sit up and take note – including Spurs and transfer chief Fabio Paritici.

The Latest: Conte gifted boost…

According to Football Insider, an extremely promising update has now come to light, with Inter now willing to green-light his sale at well under half of his original price tag.

As per their ‘recruitment source’, the cash-strapped European heavyweights have told de Vrij he can leave for just £15 million.

That’s £25m less than what they were previously demanding at £40m, opening the door for Spurs and other interested clubs to snip the colossal defender at a bargain price.

The Verdict: Take advantage…

A centre-half is said to be one of Conte’s major priorities this summer and sealing de Vrij’s signing at such a meagre price would certainly go some way to appeasing the ex-Chelsea boss.

Lauded as a would-be ‘unbelievable signing’ by journalist Dean Jones, the 30-year-old proved his quality under Conte at Inter last season – making more clearances per 90 than any Inter player in Serie A (WhoScored).

He also completed a brilliant 93.8% of his passes out from the back, highlighting his composure and assurance as an elite, ball-playing defender who would seriously upgrade Tottenham’s backline.

While his age indicates he wouldn’t be too much of a long-term option, de Vrij could certainly plug gaps in the meantime, and for £15m Spurs have little to lose.

In other news: Source: Conte now green-lights exit for ‘perfect’ Spurs player who ‘100%’ wants to quit! Find out more here.

Despite the threat of two players skipping the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 tournament in Hong Kong over non-payment of a bonus promised by USACA, the entire USA squad departed as scheduled

Peter Della Penna16-Jan-2011Despite the threat of two players skipping the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 tournament in Hong Kong over non-payment of a bonus promised by USACA, the USA squad departed as scheduled on Saturday morning from JFK Airport in New York. The only player missing was Rashard Marshall, who was excused due to a death in his wife’s family according to USACA vice president of operations Manaf Mohamed. Marshall is reportedly in Trinidad and will leave on Monday to join the squad for the tournament which starts on January 22.Two anonymous players had told ESPNcricinfo last week that they were considering staying home unless they received an overdue bonus for winning Division Four in Italy last August. Everyone came to the airport, even though it is understood that the bonus still hasn’t been paid.USA coach Clayton Lambert is hoping the team will now be able to focus on the task at hand, finishing in the top two to advance to Division Two in the UAE this April.”For us, it’s all about playing well,” Lambert said. “Once we play as a team, there’s no infighting; everybody kind of rallies around each other. Most of our guys have a bit of first class or international experience so that helps. All we need to really do is go and execute because our talent-level can match any team that is in this particular Division Three. So what we need to do is go and execute and play better than they do.”Several of the teams in the tournament have had solid preparation for Division Three. Oman and Hong Kong both went to Sri Lanka to play a series of warm-up matches against local sides while a number of Papua New Guinea’s players participated in the Australian Country Championships. Denmark also planned a five-day camp in Sri Lanka so it appears that USA and Italy are the only teams entering the tournament without any significant preparation prior to arriving in Hong Kong. Lambert acknowledged that that but said he hoped the team’s early arrival in Hong Kong could make up for it.”Of course it’s a concern. The last time we played any decent cricket was a month ago. I’m hoping that all of the guys are serious enough to keep up their training. I just have to see where we are. The good thing is that we have one week prior to the tournament. We should be able to adjust by then.”USA has one warm-up game scheduled against Hong Kong on Monday, less than 24 hours after they land, followed by four days of practices ahead of the first official match against Hong Kong on Saturday. Lambert hopes the squad will make good use of the next five days in order to start the tournament right.”The most important thing is to see how well the guys acclimatise, how well their bodies adjust. The game that we’re going to play, it’s the very first full day after we get to Hong Kong. I would have liked it to be a couple of days later so we could sort of get ourselves acclimatised. I’m just looking to see how well they adjust to the new conditions. We want to have a feel of how the wickets are going to play.”The USACA board meeting scheduled to take place in New York this weekend in conjunction with the team’s departure was cancelled due to “inclement weather.” New York received about six inches of snow on Tuesday, but has had no weather problems since. A decision was due to be taken at the meeting regarding the announcement of the date for this year’s USACA general elections. It is unknown when the board meeting will be rescheduled.

South Zone romped to their first Duleep Trophy title since 1996 with a seven-wicket win over North Zone

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRobin Uthappa hammered three sixes in his 71 off 45 balls•Sivaraman Kitta/K SivaramanAfter a patient, and at times innovative, performance by their bowlers, South Zone’s batsmen played as if they had already made plans for a celebration on Sunday, scoring at 7.52 an over and making sure they completed the win on the fourth day itself. The victory marks the first time South has lifted the Duleep Trophy since the 1995-96 season.North had stumbled from 230 for 3 to 317 all out, leaving South 178 to win and Robin Uthappa had no intention of waiting until the fifth day to complete the chase. Uthappa went berserk on a flat track, smashing fours and sixes to all parts of the ground. The contest between Ishant Sharma and Uthappa was one to watch, after the two had been involved in an altercation on the second day that had cost them both their match fee. Uthappa was the clear winner of the bout. He slapped Ishant for six in his first over, and then pulled him for four in his next.One sensed at this stage that Uthappa was looking to finish it on Saturday itself, and that was made clear in the next over, when Uthappa mauled a hapless Sumit Narwal for 19 runs. On a slow wicket that was providing no sideways movement, Narwal was treated like a gentle medium-pacer. Uthappa was lucky to have an edge carry over the slips for four, but the next three shots were all off the middle of the bat. He dismissed Narwal over mid-on for four, guided him over the slips for another boundary, and then pulled him over fine leg for his second six of the innings.The mayhem continued when Amit Mishra brought himself on, with Uthappa favouring the straight boundaries but mixing things up with a reverse sweep to the deep point fence. When Uthappa holed out to Narwal, skying one to long-off, he had scored 71 off 45 balls with three sixes, and South had already brought up their 100 with 14 overs bowled.Yashpal Singh dismissed Amit Verma in the next over, but there was little respite for North as Manish Pandey came in and played in typically aggressive fashion. Pandey smashed three sixes and two fours before falling to Yashpal Singh, but by then South needed just 12 runs to win. Abhinav Mukund had been relatively quiet while Uthappa was around, but opened up after his opening partner was dismissed. He finished the match with a six over long-on off Shikhar Dhawan. South had taken just 23.4 overs to reach North’s total.The target North set was never going to be enough, and they would have hoped to have got more after Mithun Manhas and Paras Dogra had put together 85 for the fourth wicket. Sreenath Aravind had switched to left-arm spin instead of his seamers, and got the crucial wicket of Manhas, for 79. Manhas got a leading edge and Pandey took the catch at cover. Dogra was soon to follow, this time to South’s regular left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, playing an unnecessary slog and holing out to cover.Yashpal Singh held one end up, but the wickets kept falling at the other end. Aravind got another with his left-arm spin – an arm ball deceiving Uday Kaul – and Abhimanyu Mithun wiped out the tail with the new ball.North were out for 317, and though the speed of South’s chase was unexpected, they were always favourites to win after dominating most of the match.

An analysis of various scenarios that determine qualification for the quarter-finals from Group B

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan 17-Mar-2011England’s tremendous comeback against West Indies gave them an 18-run victory in their must-win encounter in Chennai. With that victory, they have given themselves every chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals. South Africa are the only team from Group B who have ensured qualification and there are a number of possible scenarios that will decide both the teams qualifying and the position of the teams that qualify for the knockouts.Scenario 1: Bangladesh lose to South Africa and India beat West Indies
In this case, Bangladesh will be eliminated because of their inferior net run rate. South Africa will finish top of the group with ten points and India will finish second with nine points. England and West Indies will finish third and fourth respectively.Scenario 2: Bangladesh beat South Africa and West Indies beat India
England will be hoping this scenario does not happen. If Bangladesh beat South Africa, they will move to eight points and West Indies will also finish on eight if they beat India. With three teams level on points and number of wins, the net run rate will decide the standings. West Indies and South Africa will take the top two spots and Bangladesh the third spot. India will edge out England for the fourth position barring a huge defeat against West Indies.A highly unlikely situation that can result in England’s progress at the expense of India is if West Indies make 300 and dismiss India for 117 or if West Indies can dismiss India for 150 and chase the target down in 20.3 overs.Scenario 3: Bangladesh beat South Africa and India beat West Indies
This scenario will eliminate West Indies as they will finish on six points as compared to Bangladesh and England, who will have eight and seven points respectively. India will move to the top spot with nine points and South Africa by virtue of a higher net run rate will finish above Bangladesh in second position.Scenario 4: Bangladesh lose to South Africa and India lose to West Indies
This scenario will pitchfork West Indies to the second spot, with eight points. South Africa will lead the group with 10, while India and England will both make the cut, with seven points, and their positions will be decided by NRR. With three wins and three losses, Bangladesh’s campaign will end on six points.Scenario 5: A washout or a tie in the Bangladesh v South Africa game
If points are split in Mirpur, Bangladesh will finish level with England on seven points, but with a poorer NRR. This will confirm England’s passage, while Bangladesh’s hopes of progressing will rest on India either beating West Indies, or losing by a margin huge enough to bring their NRR crashing down below Bangladesh’s. A close West Indian victory in Chennai will, however, end Bangladesh’s World Cup.Scenario 6: A washout or a tie in the India v West Indies game
This is a scenario England will be hoping against, if Bangladesh manage to upset South Africa in Mirpur. With eight points each, Bangladesh, South Africa and India will then make the cut, while West Indies will pip England for the fourth spot on NRR despite being tied on seven points. If Bangladesh, however, lose in Mirpur, a tie or washout in Chennai will leave India second in the table behind South Africa, while West Indies and England will qualify in third and fourth positions.In the highly-unlikely event that both games are either tied or washed out, India will move up to eight points and second on the table, while England, West Indies and Bangladesh will finish with seven points. With the poorest NRR of the three, Bangladesh will again be the team missing out.

Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, said he knew his side were in with a chance of defending 221 if they could get past South Africa’s top four batsmen and into the longish tail

Osman Samiuddin at the Shere Bangla Stadium25-Mar-2011Five months on from arguably their lowest moment on the field, New Zealand returned to the Shere Bangla Stadium and pulled off what must rank as one of their finest triumphs anywhere. Before the game, Daniel Vettori had shrugged off the significance of this venue and their 4-0 series loss to Bangladesh last year, maintaining that a World Cup quarter-final against South Africa was a different ball game altogether.A shock 49-run triumph saw New Zealand into their sixth World Cup semi-final, an “amazing achievement” Vettori said for a small cricket-playing nation. “You have to move on from those things [the 4-0 loss], otherwise you will talk about them forever. South Africa, quarter-final, completely different opposition; we had experience of the ground, which suited us well and we have a team that, when it is playing well, suits those conditions, and that is what happened today.”With South Africa cruising at 108 for 2 chasing 222, New Zealand looked out of the game for three-quarters of it. But South Africa’s long tail, starting with Johan Botha at No 7, and a pitch not as easy for batting as it may have first looked, meant Vettori believed through the chase there was a chance.Daniel Vettori said it was an amazing achievement for a small country like New Zealand to have made six World cup semi-finals•AFPThe surface, and the occasion, he said, made 220-odd appear closer to 250. “We were desperate to get into that middle to lower order; that was our whole game plan, do whatever we can to get down there. It was always about getting past AB de Villiers. Their top four has proven themselves over a long, long time. They’ve got fantastic records, and I thought if we could break through that, particularly getting down to No. 6 and Botha at No. 7 meant they had a longish tail. The whole talk while we were out there and before the game was just to take wickets.”New Zealand will now travel to Colombo early on Saturday, where they will take on the winner of the quarter-final between Sri Lanka and England. They haven’t yet gotten past the last four in five previous attempts, though. But, Vettori preferred to look at just getting there as the bigger feat.”You can look at it as an amazing achievement for a country so small. That’s a better way to look at it for a country of 4 million people, and we’ve made so many semi-finals. People will put a negative slant on it but I think it’s a wonderful achievement for a country so small.”It’s a very happy dressing room, not only because we won a quarter-final, but because the performance we put in was very satisfying.”

Paul Valthaty has done his reputation no harm in the IPL, but he has more to do before he can get a call-up to the Mumbai Ranji team, Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer has said

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-2011Paul Valthaty has done his reputation no harm in the IPL, but he has more to do before he can get a call-up to the Mumbai Ranji team, Mumbai captain Wasim Jaffer has said.”This performance [in the IPL] will help him. He has made those runs against quality bowling and I’m sure the selectors will keep that in mind,” Jaffer told the . “However, you can’t judge someone for first-class cricket based on performance in Twenty20 games.”It’s a different format. He has to do well in tournaments like the Times Shield [in which Valthaty plays for Air India] and prove himself.”Labelling Valthaty ‘talented’, Jaffer said the injury he suffered below his eye during the Under-19 World Cup in 2002 and inconsistency have set him back. “He was a good cricketer at the U-19 level. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury and then had a few lean years, when he was in and out of Mumbai teams.”He has always played the odd remarkable innings in the Times Shield, but then would have a lean run. He was very inconsistent. However, with age people do mature and he has become better.”Valthaty grabbed the national spotlight by powering Kings XI Punjab home in a big chase against Chennai Super Kings with a blistering century on April 13. Since then, he has been trading places at the top of the IPL’s leading run-scorers’ table. However, he hasn’t played first-class cricket and has represnted Mumbai in one List A game.Jaffer – who played his last international match in April 2008 and has had a good run in the 2010-2011 Ranji Trophy averaging 80.88 – also said he is “hopeful” of breaking into India’s Test team, should the seniors choose to take a break during the tour of West Indies this summer.

Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth have been ruled out of the Test series against West Indies

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2011Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth have been ruled out of the Test series against West Indies, further weakening an Indian squad already missing several first-choice players. Zaheer has a right ankle problem, Sreesanth has a right elbow problem and both are undergoing rehabilitation. Medium-pacers Abhimanyu Mithun and Praveen Kumar have been named as their replacements in the Test squad.Shoulder injuries to Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir had forced the selectors to opt for a pair of inexperienced openers in M Vijay and the uncapped Abhinav Mukund. Sachin Tendulkar wanted to spend some time with his family and opted out of the tour as well.While the batting was hit hard by these withdrawals, the bowling initially had a stronger look with Zaheer – who skipped the limited-overs leg of the tour – expected to lead a full-strength attack in the Caribbean. His and Sreesanth’s absence will now add further fuel to the debate on the impact of a cramped IPL schedule on the Indian team.Zaheer’s long-standing struggle with various injuries have caused him to miss games regularly. A shoulder injury made him miss India’s tour of Sri Lanka last year, and he was forced to sit out of Tests against New Zealand and South Africa due to groin and hamstring strains.Sreesanth hasn’t been far behind on the injured list, returning home last year from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka after damaging his thigh and knee.It has taken the absence of the first-choice bowlers again for Mithun to make a return after impressing during his debut Test series in Sri Lanka last year. He was ignored for the South Africa tour that followed, with the selectors opting for Umesh Yadav and Jaidev Unadkat.Praveen, who is currently playing the ODI series in West Indies, is a regular for India in the limited-overs format. He has played 50 one-dayers but is yet to play a Test.The Test squad was expected to leave for the West Indies on Sunday, June 12, but the departure has now been delayed.