All posts by h716a5.icu

Pakistan’s plans to test Ricky Ponting’s elbow with short-pitched bowling were scuppered by an MCG surface, according to Mohammad Asif

Osman Samiuddin at the MCG26-Dec-2009Pakistan’s plans to test Ricky Ponting’s elbow with short-pitched bowling were scuppered by an MCG surface doing a fair impression, according to Mohammad Asif, of the famously lifeless tracks of Faisalabad.Asif was Pakistan’s most successful bowler on a tough Boxing Day start to the series for the tourists, ending with two wickets as Australia steadily built up their total through near-centuries from Shane Watson, Simon Katich and a brief, but sparkling fifty from Ponting. The Australiancaptain was a doubt for this Test until two days ago due to an elbow injury sustained during the Perth Test against West Indies.Chris Gayle, the West Indies captain, reckoned after the match that his bowlers had opened up a “glaring” chink in Ponting’s armour, claiming the short, quick ball troubled him. Kemar Roach had struck him with one in the first innings, forcing him to retire hurt. As was widely expected,Pakistan’s attack – and the swift Mohammad Aamer in particular – tried going short to Ponting, but with little success. Asif, who eventually dismissed him with a fuller length ball, put it down to the flatness of the surface.”[The pitch is] not really good,” he said. “Actually the pitch was a real batting track and really slow. I just feel like I was playing in Faisalabad, in Pakistan. I don’t think this is an MCG pitch, or an Australian pitch. I’d heard that it was bouncy and fast, but it was slow and had low bounce.”We had a plan against Ponting, short-pitched, but the pitch was against the plan, quite slow, low bounce. We already had three fast bowlers and their openers did very well, they didn’t make mistakes. We accept that. Then we were tired and they made runs. We are just three fast bowlers and when Ponting came, we were really tired. Aamer bowled a few good bouncersbut we had to change plans eventually.”Ponting fell to the second new ball late in the afternoon, having sped to 57 off just 60 balls. He had upped the tempo as soon as he came in, picking off a soft ball and tired attack with little trouble; Asif engaged him in an intriguing old ball battle, but decided finally to take the newball after 82 overs.”Ponting and [Michael] Hussey played well and they were scoring seven to eight runs every over,” Asif said. “I just felt why not change the ball and so asked the captain, thinking we may have chance with new ball. He said OK, do if you want to do and that was only chance we gotand it worked.”Pakistan’s attack was hit by Danish Kaneria’s withdrawal on the morning of the Test with a finger injury he picked up originally in New Zealand. Saeed Ajmal toiled away for long spells, but with no fortune. “We missed Danish on this surface,” said Asif. “We had a plan to play two spinners but the ball hit his finger in practice and he couldn’t play. My personal opinion is we missed him.”

Out-of-favour Wolves winger Adama Traore has been linked with a move to European giants Real Madrid in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Traore loses his place at Wolves

The Spaniard has had a frustrating time of things at Molineux recently, with Bruno Lage only using him as an impact player.

Traore’s last start in the Premier League came against Leeds United over a month ago and he only featured for 14 minutes in last weekend’s 1-0 win at home to West Ham.

The 25-year-old has been tipped to move away from Wolves in recent weeks and now another rumour has emerged.

The Latest: Real Madrid linked with move

According to El Nacional, Wolves have actually offered Traore to Real Madrid, as Jeff Shi looks to offload him and his wages in January and possibly fund the permanent transfer of Hwang Hee-chan.

The £27m-rated winger’s current Molineux deal expires in the summer of 2023, meaning the club are slowly running out of time to get big money for him, and this report claimed that he is eager to leave the Black Country at the earliest opportunity.

Traore came through the youth ranks at Barcelona, so a move to their arch-rivals Real Madrid could cause some controversy back in Spain.

The Verdict: Time to take the money?

Traore has been a hit-and-miss figure for Wolves, providing entertainment value with his pace and dribbling ability – he comfortably has the most dribbles per game (5.4) in the Premier League this season – but he has often lacked end product.

A return of 10 goals and 18 assists in 144 appearances is not impressive given the attacking nature of his role in the team, and he doesn’t appear to be a key part of Bruno Lage’s plans.

For that reason, Wolves may be wise to take the money and run in January, using the funds to sign a more prolific replacement or even put it towards a permanent move for Hwang as reported.

In other news, a potential Wolves signing has reportedly been thrown into doubt. Read more here.

The IPL is set to become the first sporting event to be broadcast live on the internet video-sharing platform, Youtube, thanks to a partnership with Google

Cricinfo staff20-Jan-2010The IPL’s 2010 season will be broadcast live on YouTube, following an arrangement between the league and Google, owners of the internet channel. The deal – under which all 60 games will be shown live or on a short delay on a dedicated YouTube channel – will apply across the world, except in the USA, which will have re-broadcast options.The agreement gives Google exclusive online rights for IPL content for two years, with both parties sharing revenues from sponsorships and advertising. The press release does not specify whether the service will be on a subscription basis – content on YouTube is largely free to watch – but Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, indicated in a media interview that it would be free.The most significant aspect of the deal is the amount of control it gives the viewers, who will be able to customise their viewing experience by choosing between different camera angles. Additionally they will be able to freeze, fast-forward and rewind the feed, as well as watch replays at any time during the day, a choice that is unavailable to television viewers who are bound by broadcast schedules.The move is expected to give the IPL access to global markets, especially those where it does not have arrangements for live telecast. That includes the UK, where the rights were originally sold to the now-defunct Setanta and have not been re-sold – and where the internet will now be the sole medium for fans to watch the IPL.This will be the first such deal in the cricket world, though in 2008 the International Olympic Committee had hosted highlights of the Beijing Games in countries that didn’t receive any telecast.”This changes the world of sports broadcasting. The internet has changed the lives of everyone and this will do the same for sport,” Modi told the . “We are now taking our event truly global for the first time. Google gives us access to 500 million pairs of eyes every single moment of the day. There are a few countries where the feed will be near as live which means there will be a delay of only a few minutes, but most places will be able to see live streaming of the action.”We do not have a live feed in the UK. People in the UK keep asking me why they can’t see it. Now if they have a broadband connection they can get it for free. It is about broadening the fan base, after that everything follows,” Modi said.”We are thrilled to have the IPL as our global partner,” said Shailesh Rao, a senior manager of Google India. “YouTube offers an open platform for sports and entertainment companies to take their content to a global audience and a great opportunity for advertisers.”

While Celtic have seen their league form drastically improve under the leadership of Ange Postecoglou in recent months, with the Bhoys remaining undefeated over the last eight Premiership fixtures, the 56-year-old Hoops manager will nevertheless be aware that his side will face one of their sterner tests of the season at Parkhead this evening.

Indeed, Robbie Neilson’s Heart of Midlothian side have also been incredibly impressive in the current campaign, sitting just two points behind Celtic in the league, as well as having already taken three points off of the Bhoys on the opening day of the season.

As such, Postecoglou will know that he must get his team selection spot on against Hearts if he is to have any hope of his side reducing the gap between them the current Premiership leaders, with one player who the Greek-Australian coach simply must call upon tonight being Nir Bitton.

Game-changer

With Tom Rogic’s hamstring injury leaving Celtic somewhat short in the middle of the park, Postecoglou opted to slightly change his setup in the middle of the park, playing the more defensively-minded Bitton in place of the 28-year-old attacking midfielder.

And, while this change would, on the surface, appear to make the Bhoys more defensive, Bitton has in fact flourished in the absence of Rogic, with the 30-year-old being one of the Hoops’ most impressive players over the last four fixtures.

Indeed, in this period, the £720k-rated Israel international has enjoyed 353 touches of the ball, completed 269 passes, made 15 tackles and won a whopping 31 duels, with these metrics seeing the £14k-per-week midfielder average a SofaScore match rating of 7.33.

As such, while both Bitton and Rogic look as if they will be available for selection against Hearts this evening, Postecoglou simply must unleash Bitton ahead of the Australia international.

Not only would he help to solidify Celtic against a side who have already scored 25 goals in the league, the man the 56-year-old manager himself dubbed “influential” has also proven to be something of a game-changer in the middle of the park in the absence of Rogic.

In other news: Celtic handed big transfer boost ahead of January, fans will be elated

Manchester City fans are beaming on social media over the news that five City youngsters may get the opportunity to play against RB Leipzig in the Champions League.

As per reports from Simon Bajkowski (as shared on Twitter by City Xtra), Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, Josh Wilson-Esbrand, James McAtee and CJ Egan-Riley have all trained with the Manchester City first-team this week ahead of the club’s away fixture against RB Leipzig in the Champions League.

All five youngsters have been included in the full 20-man squad and many may expect some to get playing time and gain valuable experience on the biggest stage.

19-year-old Palmer has already demonstrated his talents in Europe having scored once after coming off the bench twice and playing 35 minutes in the competition this season.

Fans will also hope to see more of McAtee, as the midfielder was able to produce a shot on target in the three minutes he played after coming on as a sub in City’s 3-0 win over Everton.

Man City fans erupt

As a result of this news highlighting the possibility of the youngsters getting playing time, these fans have flocked to City Xtra’s tweet, expressing their excitement in response.

“things you love to see”

Credit: @JanYoUnchained

“McAtee to start please”

Credit: @RA7821_

“Let’s go”

Credit: @mohamedamiin2

“Play all of them!!!”

Credit: @cityiskillingme

“4 of them should start I think”

Credit: @Obi_BALR

“Literally nothing to lose. Its more like a friendly game”Credit: @Karabo__KP

Two uncapped players – the batsman Greg Lamb and allrounder Shingirai Masakadza – have been included in a 15-man squad for Zimbabwe’s upcoming five-ODI tour of the Caribbean

Cricinfo staff12-Feb-2010Two uncapped players – the batsman Greg Lamb and allrounder Shingirai Masakadza – have been included in a 15-man squad for Zimbabwe’s upcoming five-ODI tour of the Caribbean. However there was no place in the squad for Dougie Marillier or Andy Blignaut, whose hopes for international comebacks had been boosted when they were named in a 30-man provisional squad on February 1.Lamb, 28, has been in top form during the domestic season since he returned home to Zimbabwe after five years with English county Hampshire. Shingirai, the younger brother of Zimbabwean vice-captain Hamilton Masakadza, has also been in stellar form.Prosper Utseya has been named captain of the touring side that also included Tatenda Taibu. Sean Ervine, who was one of the rebel group which openly clashed with Zimbabwe Cricket in 2004, and Anthony Ireland, who has also returned to Zimbabwe ahead of the domestic Twenty20 competition, are still restricted by contracts with teams overseas.Zimbabwe will play one Twenty20 and five ODIs against West Indies ahead of the ICC World Twenty20, which begins in late April.Squad: Prosper Utseya (capt), Brendan Taylor, Tatenda Taibu, Hamilton Masakadza, Ray Price, Graeme Cremer, Charles Coventry, Vusi Sibanda, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Greg Lamb, Elton Chigumbura, Shingirai Masakadza, Timycen Maruma, Chris Mpofu, Kyle Jarvis.

Derbyshire have announced that tickets for their two-day game against Australia starting July 8 have gone on sale

Cricinfo staff23-Feb-2010Derbyshire have announced that tickets for their two-day game against Australia starting July 8 have gone on sale.Australia are touring England for a five-match ODI series in June and July and will play warm-up games against a number of county sides that are crucial revenue generators for county clubs. Keith Loring, Derbyshire’s chief executive, said the fixtures are already generating excitement.”The forthcoming visit of Australia is already creating a buzz around the county,” he said. “Derbyshire supporters – and those who simply want to catch a glimpse of Australia’s all star team – can ensure their place at the match by booking tickets now.”This is without doubt the earliest we have ever gone on sale for a game and the early signs already suggest the decision is proving to be more than justified.”As well as encouraging early ticket sales, over 200 corporate sales have already been sold for this match – a figure that is climbing with each passing day. The Australia match is one component in what promises to be a thoroughly enjoyable summer of cricket which includes more Twenty20 matches than ever before in the new Friends Provident t20 competition.”Tickets can be purchased online at derbyshireccc.com, by calling the ticket hotline on 01332 388 101 or in person at the club’s main reception, Grandstand Road, Derby, DE21 6AF.

Nottingham Forest have been linked with a January move for Aston Villa forward Keinan Davis.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa fans have been giving their thoughts to the transfer rumour on social media.

According to reliable reporter John Percy, Davis is one of three possible winter window loan additions at the City Ground alongside Arsenal’s Folarin Balogun and Norwich City’s Adam Idah.

Davis has made just one Premier League appearance this season and has scored just six goals in 86 games as a Villa player.

He has recently been linked with a move to Norwich to reunite with Dean Smith, but it appears as if a temporary move to the second-tier with Forest could also be on the cards.

The 23-year-old’s current deal expires in 2024, with Steven Gerrard a big fan of the forward after trying to sign him for Rangers.

Villa fans react

This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply to Percy’s claim on Twitter, with one believing he would be ‘unbelievable’ for Steve Cooper’s side in the Championship.

“Pleaseeeeee”

Credit: @____shhh______

“I’ll drive Keinan there myself”

Credit: @MasonUTFV

“Davis would be unbelievable for them but not sure he would want to go to a club that can’t get promoted or give any service since Matty cash has left”

Credit: @VillaWatch1

“They’ve been very good since Cooper got appointed tbf”

Credit: @aston_1997

“Keinan Davis with a good run of games will be a very add for any Championship side. He’s shown it in spots but he’s never fit for long enough.”

Credit: @Bosey82

“I agree a loan is best for him but given they have Lewis Grabban who is the captain & has 9 goals + 3 assists as well as Lyle Taylor, he may not start IMO”

Credit: @Total_Villa

In other news: ‘Excellent’ ace thinks his Villa career ‘is over’; he’s now eyeing a permanent exit. 

It was another case of what could have been for Bangladesh as they mixed talent and frustrating naivety to stutter to 330 for 8 on the opening day in Dhaka

The Bulletin by Sahil Dutta20-Mar-2010Bangladesh 330 for 8 (Tamim 85, Mahmudullah 59, Swann 3-94) v England
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTamim Iqbal’s glittering innings lit up the morning for Bangladesh•PA PhotosIt was another case of what might have been for Bangladesh as they mixed talent with frustrating naivety to stutter to 330 for 8 on the opening day in Dhaka after their innings had been launched by a blistering 85 from 71 balls from Tamim Iqbal. Mahmudullah contributed a silky half-century and captain Shakib Al Hasan returned to form with 49, but England chipped away after opting to play five bowlers.In oppressive heat and on a track remorselessly lifeless for the quick bowlers the visitors toiled hard. They were punished whenever they strayed by a Bangladesh side bristling with positive intent but unable to buckle down and build something more substantial. The tone was set by Tamim’s sizzling assault in the morning session.He celebrated his 21st birthday by launching into England’s new-ball bowlers, dispatching Tim Bresnan for 23 from three overs and pinning Alastair Cook on the defensive almost immediately. He was dropped twice, a tough chance on 7 by Paul Collingwood at second slip and a much simpler offering to Cook at mid on 35 from a leading edge, and they cost England.Having climbed to No. 2 in the world following his Man-of-the-Match outing in Chittagong, Graeme Swann’s introduction was supposed to halt the run glut but Tamim was in no mood to let up. Identifying Swann as the pivotal threat in England’s attack Tamim picked off two boundaries from his first over before unfurling four more in successive deliveries a couple of overs later, the last of which was handsomely deposited over mid on as he bought up a half century from just 34 balls.Having sauntered to 80 with almost an hour remaining before lunch it appeared Tamim was on his way to becoming only the fifth player in Test history to make a century before lunch on the first day. The fireworks had left Cook desperately seeking some stability and it came from his second spinner, James Tredwell, who was making his Test debut at the expense of Michael Carberry.Despite lacking the effervescence that makes Swann such a force, Tredwell has a game honed through a decade in the English shires, and he proved accurate enough to induce a poorly-executed sweep from Tamim which, in a flurry of bat and gloves, looped up to Matt Prior although the ball came off the forearm. Tamim looked disgusted to have been given out he had every right to feel aggrieved.Having prized an opening Swann then burst through with a two wickets, trapping the debutant Jahurul Islam in front for a sixth-ball duck before removing Junaid Siddique, a century-maker in his last innings, in similar fashion after lunch. With England on the brink of taking control Shakib joined Mahmudullah for an enterprising 59-run stand.Mahmudullah was unhurried and untroubled, working the ball around nicely and feathering boundaries during a half-century reminiscent of VVS Laxman. He reached his 50 with a languid cover drive off Swann and looked set to go on, but drove lazily to point against the first ball of a new spell by Steven Finn. It was Finn’s only joy on a tough day. He was on the wrong end of Tamim’s attack during the morning session and failed to find the consistency and bite, albeit on a very placid track, that he produced at Chittagong.Meanwhile, Shakib chose to swipe his way out of poor form. Having been dismissed twice by Swann in the first Test, Shakib took the attack to his nemesis, slog-sweeping and cutting well, without quite giving an air of permanence. He reached 49 before missing an attempted heave across the line to give Tredwell his second wicket of the day. Once again Bangladesh needed a period of rebuilding.Mushfiqur Rahim had picked up where he left off in Chittagong, displaying technique and temperament during a calm knock that threatened to edge the day for Bangladesh before he fell to a snarling delivery from Bresnan to the second new ball. On a day where nothing even offered to move off the seam Bresnan got one to climb and jag away from Rahim. With the shadows lengthening Abdur Razzak attempted an ambitious slog to leg to become Swann’s third lbw victim of the day and epitomised the regular lapses of concentration that continue to haunt Bangladesh’s progress.Throughout the day Cook’s captaincy was more robotic than insightful, chasing the ball and quickly reverting to defensive fields as England flagged in the late-afternoon heat. Yet on a pitch that looks like it could deteriorate come the latter stages, their eight wickets ensured the edge after a fluctuating day.

Aston Villa will be looking to return to winning ways when they travel to Carrow Road to take on Norwich City in their Premier League clash this evening.

Steven Gerrard’s charges slumped to their second defeat of his short reign with a 1-0 loss against Liverpool last time out, although there’s no shame in falling to the in-form title challengers at this moment in time.

However, the 41-year-old tactician will be desperate for a positive response from his side when they take on a team currently stuck in the relegation zone.

During Gerrard’s five-game spell at the Villa helm, the former Rangers boss is yet to settle upon a first-choice forward line.

The likes of Leon Bailey, Ashley Young, Emi Buendia and Jacob Ramsey have all partnered Ollie Watkins up front, while Danny Ings has been absent from the starting XI since Gerrard’s first fixture against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Ings made his return to first-team action at Anfield as a second-half substitute, though, and now may be the perfect opportunity for the summer signing to be unleashed from the off once again.

After arriving at Villa Park via a £25m move over the summer, the Midlands outfit had high expectations for the former England international following his impressive exploits for Southampton.

Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison once compared him to Robbie Keane for his “first-class” movement on the south coast, while Ralph Hasenhuttl, his former boss at St Mary’s, lauded his exploits as “unbelievable”.

The £16m-rated hitman showcased his truly top-class finishing ability throughout 2019/20, finishing just one strike behind Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy after bagging 22 goals for the Saints.

Ings then followed that up with a further 12 efforts last term as niggling injuries disrupted his campaign, but they weren’t enough to stop Villa from splashing the cash in order to secure his services.

And now Gerrard must present the clinical striker with an opportunity to replicate that form in the Claret and Blue of Villa.

His charges have failed to score three or more goals in a game since 18 September, while only John McGinn can match Ings’ tally of five goal contributions in the top-flight throughout 2021/22.

Therefore, Gerrard would be wise to unleash his most potent attacker back into the starting lineup when Villa take on a team rooted to the bottom of the table, giving his side the best chance of securing all three points.

And, in other news…Huge setback: Gregg Evans reveals “big blow” for Aston Villa, Gerrard will be gutted