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Gautam Gambhir, the Delhi Daredevils captain, has put down his team’s exit from the IPL to its inconsistency

Cricinfo staff18-Apr-2010Gautam Gambhir, the Delhi Daredevils captain, has put down his team’s exit from the IPL to its inconsistency. Delhi fell short by 11 runs against Deccan Chargers in what was effectively a quarter-final. Both teams, playing their final league game, needed a win to fill up the fourth semi-final slot, but Delhi, despite restricting Deccan to a gettable 145, faltered in their chase.”Whenever we have chased, we’ve lost early wickets. It’s been up and down for us, we just haven’t played as a team,” Gambhir said after the game. “We needed to win two out of five and we lost four out of five, we can’t afford to be that inconsistent. Hopefully next year will be a different story.”On the other hand, Deccan, who had been languishing at the bottom of the table with Kings XI Punjab after losing five games in a row, bounced back to win five in five to seal a place in the final four. Adam Gilchrist, their captain, called the fightback a “great team effort”.”We looked these last five games as a mini-tournament in itself, and we have belief in ourselves. It’s been a great team effort,” Gilchrist said. “Some guys like Symonds and Rohit have been very consistent. Everyone has chipped in their own way. We’ve managed to finish second, that’s a wonderful credit to everyone.”Gilchrist lauded the performance of his bowlers, who kept chipping away at Delhi and defended what seemed like a below-par score with relative ease. “Outstanding game. It’s been like this the whole tournament, great courage from out bowlers and they showed great character,” he said.Andrew Symonds was named Man of the Match for his 30-ball 54, which included five sixes. Symonds was dismissed in the 15th over, and the batsmen who followed had struggled to push on but the total they posted proved adequate. “I was pretty disappointed with the way I got out, and I felt responsible for our score,” Symonds, who had holed out to long-off, said. “But I am really pleased with the way the boys have picked themselves up. We may not be the most skilful team in the competition but we have a goal.”At times we may be a little ugly, but we are effective.”

Leeds United are stuck in a horrendous rut right now and if they don’t improve in the January transfer window, Marcelo Bielsa could lose his job with the Whites staring down the barrel of a potential relegation from the top-flight.

An added problem for Victor Orta and co is that the winter market is usually a tough one for Leeds to negotiate in with the famed Jean-Kevin Augustin move the nadir of the Spaniard’s work since arriving in Yorkshire.

What’s the word?

One area that Leeds desperately need to improve in heading into the New Year is in the middle of the park.

Kalvin Phillips enters 2022 injured while Mateusz Klich is desperately out of form too.

One player that they could sign is Macedonia international Ejif Elmas. That’s according to Talha Arslan via The Express who claim that Leeds are prepared to bid £15.3m for the Napoli midfielder.

However, that may fall some way short of the Italian club’s estimation of the 22-year-old with CIES valuing him at a mighty £59.2m.

The new Alioski

The comparisons with livewire and former Leeds player, Gjanni Alioski, are all too obvious.

For starters, they both hail from Macedonia, and secondly, they are both goal scoring wide players.

Although Elmas is capable of playing in the middle of the park too, he is a rampant threat when afforded the opportunity to play down the left flank, an area of the pitch that Alioski thrived in for Leeds.

The 29-year-old scored 22 goals and registered 19 assists while in Yorkshire but was never the most consistent of players.

That being said, he was a mainstay under Bielsa for years and developed nicely from an attacking winger into a full-back.

Elmas wouldn’t necessarily make the same transition but his ability to play in a multitude of positions, specifically in the centre of midfield, makes him an appealing proposition this winter.

However, his ability to score goals, like Alioski, is also a major plus point.

The North Macedonia international has bagged six times for Napoli this term while creating three goals for his teammates too.

Speaking about him in April, his agent commented: “I think Napoli have a jewel. A young footballer, a leader of his national team who often scores goals.”

With that sort of attacking threat in mind, he’d be a wise addition from the Leeds hierarchy this term and in the process, Bielsa could just discover his next Alioski; a vibrant and versatile attacking threat from Macedonia.

AND in other news, Orta can finally axe Leeds flop who left Bielsa “furious” by signing 28-goal “rocket”…

Celtic goalkeepers Vasilis Barkas and Conor Hazard could leave the club in January, according to The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin.

The Lowdown: Lack of game time…

Both Barkas and Hazard featured in stages last season under Neil Lennon but have fallen out of favour during the current campaign.

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Barkas, labelled as ‘horrendous’ by pundit Tam McManus, made 22 appearances last season but has started just twice under Ange Postecoglou.

Meanwhile, Hazard, described as ‘jittery’ by pundit Natasha Meikle, is yet to feature in 2021/22 after making six appearances last season.

The Latest: Devlin’s claim

Devlin shared a transfer mailbag on The Athletic on Wednesday, answering numerous questions from Hoops fans ahead of the January window.

He was asked about the club’s goalkeepers, with Devlin admitting Celtic ‘will attempt to move Barkas on in January, although his wages might make a permanent transfer difficult.’

Devlin then said that Hazard ‘might be moved on too, again depending on what kind of loan bids or permanent offers comes in’.

The reliable reporter revealed that there are no immediate plans to replace Scott Bain, with Celtic also having high hopes for teenager Tobi Oluwayemi.

The Verdict: The right calls?

It seems as if Barkas and Hazard aren’t in the club’s long-term plans, so looking to move them on next month appears to be the right call.

Hazard only penned new Parkhead terms back in March, but it doesn’t look like he’s fancied by Postecoglou given he hasn’t even featured under the gaffer, with youngster Oluwayemi possibly identified as the first-choice in the long run.

On that basis, selling or moving the pair out on loan could be a wise decision, but even though they’ve hardly played this season that doesn’t mean the club should accept any old lowball offers that come in.

In other news: Print newspaper reveal Celtic now want left-footed ace who’s racked up £20m in transfer fees. 

Chris Gayle finished agonisingly short of becoming the first man to make two international Twenty20 centuries, but by the time he was run-out he had already swiped West Indies to a total that provided too tall for India’s batsmen who yet again floundered

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran09-May-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outChris Gayle’s 98 powered West Indies to a tall total•Getty ImagesChris Gayle finished agonisingly short of becoming the first man to make two international Twenty20 centuries, but by the time he was run-out, he had already swiped West Indies to a total that proved too tall for India’s batsmen who yet again floundered against the short ball. The defeat leaves India facing an early exit for the third straight global tournament, and the same questions about batting technique which were raised followed the elimination from last year’s World Twenty20 will be asked again.After Gayle’s slaphappy innings, in which almost all his runs came on the leg side, India’s top-order weren’t given anything to drive by West Indies’ new-ball bowlers. They faced the barrage of bouncers promised before the match, and even the short deliveries of the gentle medium-pacers Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo discomfited them initially.The home side’s fielding was also a dramatic improvement to the error-strewn show against Sri Lanka, with Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard being exceptional. India’s batting slide started with an athletic forward-diving catch by Pollard at square leg to dismiss opener M Vijay, who again failed to replicate his IPL form on the more demanding tracks in the Caribbean. Gautam Gambhir was also having a tough time, and just after edging a bouncer from Kemar Roach in the fifth over between slip and the keeper, he failed to evade a scorching short ball to glove to Denesh Ramdin.Two overs later, Rohit Sharma, the only batsman to enhance his reputation in the pasting by Australia, was controversially dismissed after the ball lobbed off his arm to the keeper. He stood his ground and asked Billy Bowden to call for the third umpire. After consultation with Simon Taufel, Bowden upheld his original decision, and India were down to 38 for 3, and the asking-rate was in double digits.There were fitful efforts to resuscitate the chase: first by Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh, who showed glimpses of their top-class hitting in a 42- run stand, but both holed out in the space of five deliveries. MS Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan, two of the quickest scorers, swung a few sixes, and with 32 needed off the final two overs, it wasn’t only the most one-eyed of fans who were hoping for a win. However, Bravo’s slide-rule throw from long-on ended Dhoni’s stay and with it, the big crowd in Barbados knew an important win was sealed.Unlike West Indies’ effort, the Indian fielding, usually a barometer of their performance, was shoddy, spilling two chances, one of which proved extremely expensive – Dhoni and Pathan colliding into each other as they went for a skier near square leg when Gayle was on 47, after which he blasted 51 off 26 deliveries.Gayle was just opening out when that catch went down; he had warmed up with a whip over long-on for six in the eighth over and followed it up in the next with the biggest six of the tournament, off Pathan, which bounced on the roof. He then extended Ravindra Jadeja’s poor tournament by smearing his second ball, a full toss, for a flat six. Next up was Zaheer Khan, who was flicked over square leg for four, then Yusuf was clubbed down the ground so flat that the non-striker Sammy fell to the ground to take evasive action.Then, Dhoni’s gamble of giving Raina the 17th over went awry, when Gayle smacked a couple more leg-side sixes. Gayle found the roof behind midwicket again in the next over, and looked set for a century when he entered the final over on 96. However, after Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan were sent back by Ashish Nehra, he tried to scramble back a second on the fourth delivery, but the end of his bat bumped in the air as he dived full-length to try and make his ground, and was run-out.He was given good support by three partners through the innings. First Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who never really hit top gear though he showed off a range of reverse-sweeps, set up the base with a steady 80-run stand. West Indies then sent in a pinch-hitter Sammy, who played an array of proper cricketing shots, the highlight of which was a chip for six over long-off, to collect 19 off 10 deliveries. Finally, Pollard showed his batting is as much about power as timing during a quick cameo.West Indies can bask in the glow of overwhelming India, but their celebrations will be tempered by the knowledge that they are still likely to need to beat a red-hot Australia to progress to the semi-finals.

Celtic look set to complete the signing of Johnny Kenny in the coming days.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Sligo Champion (via Football Scotland), who claim that Ange Postecoglou’s side look to have won the race for the 18-year-old centre-forward, who is expected to sign for Celtic in the next few days.

The report goes on to state that Hibernian were also extremely interested in a move for the Republic of Ireland U19 international this month – with the youngster even said to have watched Hibs in action against Dundee back in December – however, the Bhoys are now believed to have agreed a €150k (£125k) plus add ons deal for the Sligo Rovers starlet.

Finally, it is claimed that Kenny will initially link up with Celtic’s B team side in the Scottish Lowland League, in order to further his development before pushing for a place in Postecoglou’s first-team squad at Parkhead.

Fans will be buzzing

With Celtic having already sealed the signings of Reo Hatate, Daizen Maeda and Yosuke Ideguchi in the January transfer window, the news that the Hoops are not done yet with their winter business is sure to have left the club’s fanbase buzzing.

Indeed, while Kenny is undoubtedly a signing for the future, the 18-year-old is nevertheless yet another exciting addition for the Bhoys, as the sheer amount of potential the forward possesses is evident from his form in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division last season.

Over his 33 league outings for Sligo Rovers last time out, the teenager scored an incredibly impressive 11 goals for Liam Buckley’s side, playing a huge role in helping his club secure a third-place finish in the top division of Irish football – something which guarantees Rovers European football in the upcoming campaign.

As such, while Kenny may be playing with the Celtic B side for the second half of the season, should the striker continue this level of goalscoring form while playing in the Lowland League, it would not be surprising to see him in and around Postecoglou’s first-team squad come the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

In other news: Celtic in advanced talks over “unbelievable” January deal, it’d be Ange’s biggest yet

Vikram Solanki has received three penalty points under the ECB’s discipline code, following an incident during Worcestershire’s drawn County Championship fixture against Sussex at Hove on May 25-27

Cricinfo staff03-Jun-2010Vikram Solanki has received three penalty points under the ECB’s discipline code, following an incident during Worcestershire’s drawn County Championship fixture against Sussex at Hove on May 25-27.Solanki was reported by Umpires David Millns and Nigel Llong for a Level Two breach of the code (throwing the ball at or near a player, umpire or official in an inappropriate and dangerous manner).The points he has received will remain on his record for a period of two years. The accumulation of nine or more penalty points in any two-year period will result in an automatic suspension.

According to journalist Adam White (via Give Me Sport), Lille attacker Jonathan David would be a ‘statement signing’ for West Ham if they are able to secure his signature in the January window.

The Lowdown: Hammers interested in David

Reliable source ExWHUemployee previously claimed that West Ham are interested in the signing of prolific Ligue 1 striker David, who has netted 12 league goals in 19 appearances this season.

However, he further downplayed this rumour by stating that the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool are also interested in the player.

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Despite this, the Mail on Sunday have reported renewed interest in the signing, which came to excite a lot of Hammers fans, with many having tipped the club to sign another striker to rival Michail Antonio.

The Latest: White thrilled by links

Considering the European giants who are reportedly interested in David, White thinks it would be extremely impressive if the Hammers were to pull off the signing.

Speaking to Give Me Sport, White claimed: “It would be a huge statement signing given the clubs that are interested.”

This arises after Jeunes Footeux have revealed that a move for David would cost £45million; the same fee that the Irons paid for current Ajax star Sebastien Haller.

The Verdict: Incredible but unlikely?

Whilst he was playing in the Belgian league, former Gent manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck described David as ‘a phenomenon’ and further claimed that he was ‘the best player in the country’.

The striker is Lille’s top scorer by some margin this season, having netted eight more than second place Burak Yilmaz. He is as equally prolific on the international stage, having totalled 18 goals in 24 appearances for the Canadian national team.

David’s qualities are evidently clear. However, this has never been a debate for the Hammers. What David Moyes will be worried about is whether they can compete with the European giants, as they set to battle it out for the player’s signature.

Even if they can convince the promising young forward to join, then comes the price tag – can we really expect GSB to shell out another fee similar to the one they spent on Haller after how that went?

In other news, West Ham allegedly have their eyes on a player who Zinedine Zidane rates extremely highly…

Australia captain Ricky Ponting has said he is open to experimenting with the format of one-day cricket in order to revive its flagging popularity

Cricinfo staff11-Jun-2010Australia captain Ricky Ponting has said he is open to experimenting with the format of one-day cricket in order to revive its flagging popularity, but that any changes must have the support and understanding of the players.”Everyone in Australia noticed last year that the 50-over game probably struggled a little bit in Australia with the popularity of 20-over cricket around the world,” Ponting said ahead of his team’s departure for the British Isles on Friday. “So I’m open to looking at ways to improve it.”Where we’re at the moment is at a stage where there’ll be some consultation with the players, which I think is pretty important in the next step of taking that forward. The most important thing with it is all the players need to be on board as well and understand where they’re going and what they’re to achieve.”Earlier on Friday Cricket Australia approved a trial of split-innings domestic one-day games for next summer. The game’s management will now involve players, sponsors and broadcasters in deciding the structure of the new format, with the most likely outcome being four innings of either 20 or 25 overs. The first four rounds of the FR Cup will be played under the existing rules before the new format is introduced for the remaining six rounds, which start in February.While acknowledging the need for change, Ponting, who retired from international Twenty20 cricket in 2009, was careful to voice his appreciation of the 50-over format and caution management against too much tinkering. “I’ve really enjoyed the 50-over game to tell you the truth over the last couple of years,” he said. I know the 20-over game has been very popular all around the world, but the 50-over game for me hasn’t dropped off. But I think it is time for a little bit of tweaking and I think this is what it is all about, tweaking the game slightly to make it better for everyone around the world to watch.”There’s so many things they have to think about I think as far as playing restrictions go. Powerplays, fielding restrictions, how many overs bowlers can bowl, that sort of stuff, Duckworth Lewis. We’re in a very embryonic phase.”

Manchester United have not been involved in the winter transfer window this January so far after spending £133.7m in the summer, but that could be about to change as an update emerges on a potential target.

What’s the word?

SPORT1 journalist, Patrick Berger, has taken to his Twitter account to add further developments to the rumoured potential move for Denis Zakaria from Borussia Mönchengladbach to Manchester United.

Berger tweeted:

“Man United are def interested in Denis Zakaria. There have been good talks with Rangnick, Judge & player agents. #MUFC discussing about winter transfer. Gladbach would let Zak go for €6-7m. Open race as #BVB, Juve & Liverpool interested too. No bid of any club so far.”

Manchester United have been linked to the player since the transfer window opened, but will need to compete with a number of other clubs interested in signing the Swiss defensive midfielder.

Fans surely buzzing

Signing a defensive midfielder has been a long term prospect for Manchester United, even when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge at Old Trafford so the fans will surely be buzzing at the developments in the potential signing of Zakaria.

Fans have been sharing their thoughts on bringing the Bundesliga player to the Manchester club since the update on talks opening, with one Red Devils fan tweeting: “£7m for Zakaria is a real deal just get it done already @ManUtd.”

According to FBref, the Switzerland international has shown how much his presence has an impact on his current side this season winning 0.97 aerial duels per 90 minutes, averaging at 4.14 tackles and interceptions per game this season, as well as racking up 2.48 blocks per 90 minutes too.

These statistics display the positional awareness that the 6-foot midfielder offers in his defensive actions, which is something that the current Manchester United midfield is lacking in terms of physical presence and ball retention in the centre of the pitch.

For instance, Bruno Fernandes gave the ball away 26 times alone in their 1-1 draw against Newcastle United last month.

Rangnick will need to stay close to Zakaria over the next few weeks, as other clubs are speculated to be interested in securing the signing of the £51k-per-week star, and although the German coach suggested the club won’t be getting too involved in the window, he may be left no choice but to make an offer for Zakaria in January to push off competition for him.

After all, it’s a signing, given his quality and what United lack in a vital area, that would delight supporters at Old Trafford.

In other news: Romano reveals talks for Eric Bailly move

Ricky Ponting has brushed off Paul Collingwood’s comments that England will “go hard” in the first ODI in Southampton on Tuesday

Cricinfo staff21-Jun-2010Ricky Ponting has brushed off Paul Collingwood’s comments that England will “go hard” in the first ODI in Southampton on Tuesday. Collingwood emphasised the importance of getting on top of Australia early in the tour, as they did in 2005 when England thumped Ponting’s men at the Rose Bowl in a Twenty20 and went on to claim the Ashes.”You’ve got to go hard at them,” Collingwood said. “We’ve learnt that over the last five or six years. If you go hard at them and it comes off, it puts them under a lot of pressure. The 2005 series was a prime example.”But Ponting dismissed the talk and said the game at the Rose Bowl would be no different to any other international fixture.”Isn’t that what international cricket is all about?” Ponting said. “I would expect that they would come out aggressive in every match that they play. I can’t see why they would want to come out aggressive in one match and not another game.”So that is just words, it does not mean anything. It is about level of cricket that you bring to the table when it matters under pressure. We’ll be ready for that.”However, Australia will be without Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin from their first-choice line-up, while the fringe ODI fast men Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle are also missing due to injury. The ongoing absence of the injured Brett Lee from the attack leaves the bowling group lacking experience.Doug Bollinger, Ryan Harris and Clint McKay will be Australia’s frontline seamers and between them they have 45 one-day internationals to their names. Despite Australia’s strong recent record – they have won their past six ODI series as well as the Champions Trophy – Ponting said it would be tough to beat England at home.”You would probably think that we have got our work cut out for us to win this series but we are looking forward to the challenge,” Ponting said. “I have great belief in this group and great belief in what they have inside themselves.”