All posts by h716a5.icu

Former Pakistan offspinner Akram Raza was arrested on charges of betting on Indian Premier League matches in Lahore on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff15-May-2011Former Pakistan offspinner Akram Raza was arrested on charges of betting on Indian Premier League matches in Lahore on Sunday, reports . The 46-year-old Raza was among was one of seven men arrested from a busy Lahore shopping area when police raided a gang of bookmakers who were taking illegal bets.”Seven men were arrested after a tip-off that they were taking bets on IPL matches, and one of them has been identified as Raza, a former Pakistan player,” a police officer at Gulberg police station told .Raza, who played nine Tests and 49 ODIs for Pakistan, was one of the six players Pakistan players fined in a match-fixing inquiry conducted by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum in 2000. Raza currently officiates as an umpire in Pakistan’s domestic matches.Police said they recovered telephones, computers, televisions and a large amount of money in the raid, and will charge the arrested men later on Sunday.

Southampton have been virtually dormant when it comes to spending money on bringing new players to the club during the January transfer window.

With deadline day approaching, the Saints and their new owner Dragan Solak are risking the possibility of not strengthening Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad and giving the team the best chance of ending their latest season in the Premier League as high up the table as possible.

Taking this into account, one deal that the club could look to complete before the window shuts is one for Fulham’s attacking midfielder Fabio Carvalho, with whom the Saints have been linked in the past and continue to be linked in recent days.

As a product of Fulham’s youth system, the 19-year-old – who has been labelled a “very exciting talent” by Kevin Phillips – has racked up 106 appearances across their under-18, under-23 and senior teams across all competitions, scoring 41 goals and providing 22 assists along the way.

With 17 league appearances under his belt for Marco Silva’s team this season, the teenager has scored seven goals and provided three assists, with three goals and two assists in his three previous starts for the club. This highlights how important he is to the west Londoners and why they may be reluctant to sell him at this stage of the season.

The 19-year-old’s performances have also been rather eye-catching, with WhoScored listing him as Fulham’s fifth-highest rated player with an overall rating of 7.24/10. That would comfortably make him Southampton’s highest-rated player by the same metric.

Even though Fulham are looking very likely to win promotion back to the Premier League at the end of the season, Southampton could offer Carvalho a shortcut to the top flight this month to see if he’d be tempted to try his hand at a new club in no real danger of being relegated and where he might get regular game-time.

Also, with the £3.15m-rated youngster’s current contract at Craven Cottage set to expire in the summer, selling him this month for a fee could be a better option for Fulham from a financial point of view rather than risking him leaving as a free agent at the end of the season.

With deadline day in sight, Hasenhuttl would surely be delighted if Southampton were able to bring in a young and exciting attacking prospect such as Carvalho who could grow into a real star for the Saints and make them stronger going forward based on his evident talents in the final third.

In other news – Imagine him & Ward-Prowse: Saints can form scary duo by signing “phenomenal” £100k-p/w “freak”

The ICC has approved the nomination of Alan Isaac, chairman of New Zealand cricket, as the ICC vice-president, bringing an end to the controversy surrounding the appointment

Cricinfo staff09-Aug-2010The ICC has approved the nomination of Alan Isaac, who was chairman of New Zealand cricket, for the post of ICC vice-president, bringing an end to the controversy surrounding the appointment following the rejection of John Howard. Sharad Pawar, the ICC president, confirmed the appointment and welcomed his deputy, who will succeed him in 2012.”I am delighted to announce that Alan Isaac’s nomination for the role of ICC vice-president was unanimously endorsed by the ICC executive board and the full ICC council, by circular resolution, has also approved the recommendation of the board,” Pawar said. “I am looking forward to working with Alan as we now set out to continue improving the ICC’s image and reputation. I know that Alan is a highly-respected cricket administrator, having contributed significantly to New Zealand Cricket as well as the ICC.”Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said Isaac was keen to focus on making improvements to the packed international schedule. “Alan is determined to build context and content in the Future Tours Programme for international cricket while maintaining the primacy of the ICC global events,” Lorgat said. “I am looking forward to working with him and I know that together with Sharad Pawar they will look to enhance the international game as well as the unity that exists within the game.”Isaac was pleased to be extended the honour and looked forward to “serving our great sport at international level and protecting the primacy of international cricket”.Howard was the initial Australasian nominee for the role, but he did not have sufficient support within the ICC board, with the African and Asian blocs opposing his nomination. The ICC officially rejected Howard’s nomination, directing Australia and New Zealand to nominate a new candidate. Isaac’s name was forwarded after John Anderson, the New Zealand candidate who lost out to Howard in the initial Australiasian election for the nominee, declined a request to step in.

Shaun Tait hopes to be able to kick start Australia’s one-day series against England at Old Trafford with some express pace after his surprise call into the touring squad

Cricinfo staff26-Jun-2010Shaun Tait hopes to be able to kick-start Australia’s one-day campaign against England with express pace after his surprise call into the touring squad. The tourists are 2-0 down following defeats at the Rose Bowl and in Cardiff and Tait was summoned ahead of the third ODI at Old Trafford after Nathan Hauritz, the offspinner, was forced to fly home with a foot injury while there are also concerns over Ryan Harris who has a groin injury.Tait, who has retired from first-class cricket since his brittle body couldn’t withstand the strain, has been playing in the Friends Provident t20 for Glamorgan and was given a hint by touring selector Merv Hughes that a call could be coming as he watched Thursday’s match. His last ODI was in February 2009 and since then he has forged a specialist Twenty20 career, playing a key part in Australia’s progress to the World Twenty20 final in Barbados.While his body can’t cope with the stress of first-class cricket, he continues to push the speed gun to its limits in limited-overs cricket and will provide the cutting edge to an Australian attack, lacking a host of key quicks, that has struggled to contain England’s batting in the first two one-dayers.”Hopefully there are a couple of overs in there that I can make an impact and if I do get a game and get a couple of early wickets,” he said. “We’ll see what happens here. It tends to reverse swing a bit up here in Manchester from what I have seen in the past.”Tait’s one-day recall will be a new test of his fitness after he has remained injury-free through a whole season for the first time in his career but he doesn’t know whether hitting top pace throughout 10 overs is a realistic aim.”I am not sure about that, we will see,” he said, “but no doubt about it, I will be able to get through. You never know with the speed gun it just depends on the day you turn up and see how your body is feeling. You have those days when you come out and bowl with good pace and some days not so much. All I can do is give it every thing you want.”He is also hoping to begin correcting a poor record on English soil. In seven matches for Glamorgan this season he has five wickets and in 2004 he had a forgettable stint with Durham where 18 first-class overs cost 176. He made his Test debut in the following summer’s Ashes series, but struggled to make a major impact at Trent Bridge or The Oval.”The times I have bowled in England I have not gone that well,” he said. “I played a couple Tests here and I had a stint with Durham which was terrible when I was younger and for Glamorgan I have bowled okay, nothing brilliant. So we will see how we go and hopefully I can improve on that.”His call-up has also raised hopes that he will be considered for Australia’s World Cup campaign in the subcontinent next year, where express pace and the ability to find reverse swing will be valuable. Tait played a key role in the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean when he helped spearhead Australia’s unbeaten campaign.”It is nice to be back in the squad and that the selectors are still thinking of me as a one-day cricketer which is fantastic,” he said. “We have another set of fast bowlers on the sidelines at the moment that are pretty handy. It will be pretty interesting to see what the set up is like leading into the World Cup. For now I will just concentrate on this game and hopefully help Australia get this series.”

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing up a move for Sporting CP defensive midfielder Joao Palhinha during the upcoming transfer window.

The Lowdown: Palhinha profiled

Despite having faced multiple spells on the sidelines due to injuries and suspensions, the 26-year-old has made 36 appearances in all competitions so far this season, scoring three goals during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

The 12-time Portugal international, whose contract with the Lisbon-based outfit isn’t set to expire until 2026, is expected to draw some big attention in the summer, with a move away from the Jose Alvalade looking likely and Wolves sniffing around.

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Following a fresh update, the Lilywhites seem to have well and truly joined the race.

The Latest: Interest from Spurs

According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo (via Sport Witness), it’s claimed that Antonio Conte’s side ‘study the signing of a midfielder’ ahead of the new campaign, and are set to fight English rivals Wolves.

The source states that Sporting want to make €30m (£25.2m) with the sale of Palhinha, but reluctantly know ‘it will not be easy’ to get that sum, as Sport Witness claim the opportunity is there for a ‘bargain deal’.

The Verdict: Get it done

Should the 6 foot 2 maestro fail to win back his place in the Portugal squad, then the asking fee could be lowered even more come the end of May, and if this is this case, then it’s an absolute bargain of a move that Paratici should be all over.

The £24k-per-week ace is currently averaging a hugely impressive 3.1 tackles per 90 minutes in the top-flight this season – more than any Spurs player –  making him a very attractive prospect to offer protection in front of Conte’s defence.

Once described as a “special” player by his manager, Ruben Amorim, we feel Paratici and co should seriously consider a move for Palhinha, who has the potential to become a rock in the middle of the park under the Italian boss, and could help Spurs achieve that all-important place in the top four next term.

In other news, Tottenham officials are on the move today to watch a Conte target in action…

Gladstone Dainty, the president of USACA, has broken the board’s silence following the dismissal of Don Lockerbie as chief executive, but revealed almost nothing

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2010Gladstone Dainty, the president of USACA, has broken the board’s silence following the dismissal of Don Lockerbie as chief executive.While none of the board has been willing to discuss events leading to Lockerbie’s removal, Dainty, who almost never speaks to the media, gave an interview to dreamcricket.com.In it, Dainty revealed almost nothing about what happened with Lockerbie, aside from a completely non-committal response. “You know getting into details about personal issues, that’s not my style and I don’t think that should be discussed of anybody that’s professional,” he said. “That was a personal issue and there’s a confidential aspect of that that I won’t get into that. But we’re not together anymore. He’s not together with USACA.”Pressed to explain if Lockerbie was fired or resigned, Dainty said: “We’re just not together anymore.”He did, however, insist there would be a replacement. “We are expecting to have somebody who would lead the organisation. It costs a lot of money and administratively with Don being there we realised that having a full-time person is very important so we’re trying to get not only a CEO but hopefully we can get resources to increase our professional staff.”Asked if Lockerbie’s departure would impact on the image of the USA both in international cricket and with sponsors, Dainty said: “You’re always concerned about your image, especially when people leave. But in any organisation, you have change and I mean to say that change for better or for worse sometimes people are uncomfortable with it. But once you know the facts surrounding these departures, then… you know it’s not as… the organisation will continue.”A second part of the interview is flagged and it has to be hoped Dainty is pressed about reports USACA’s finances are in a poor state following the Florida Twenty20 event and other recent initiatives which have fallen by the wayside.

An intriguing claim has emerged about Leeds United’s transfer plans this month…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, the Yorkshiremen are prepared to be patient but have stumbled upon a “main target” as he revealed in ‘The Transfer Show’ on Thursday evening.

“Leeds are still looking to strengthen their midfield. They’re prepared to be patient to land their main target,” the presenter said (via quotes sourced by MOT Leeds News).

Whether that is suggesting they have found an unnamed option in midfield or are simply targeting that area alone remains to be seen, either way, it will be hugely encouraging to hear as a United supporter.

Get it done

The need for reinforcements this month is ever so clear at Elland Road.

Time and time again, Marcelo Bielsa sees his squad ripped through by injury – against Arsenal last month, there were as many as 11 players absent, including nine of which that you could call a first-team regular. It was so bad that 15-year-old Archie Gray made the bench.

And the Argentinian is facing a similar story this weekend, according to LeedsLive reporter Beren Cross.

The January transfer window has now been open for two weeks, with two more to go. Things, particularly on the first-team front, have been very silent when it comes to likely incoming, though a host of names have been mooted with a move to west Yorkshire.

Patience is always key, especially for a club like Leeds as the player has to be the right fit for Bielsa, his system and his training methods. It’s hard for anyone to quickly slot in due to his intense demands.

It’s hardly a surprise to see that a new central midfielder is their priority. It’s been four years since they signed one in Adam Forshaw.

Seko Fofana of Lens, Marseille star Boubacar Kamara and the more homegrown talents of John Swift and Lewis O’Brien are just four midfielders to have been linked with a switch to Elland Raod in the build-up to this month.

Either way, Sheth dropping this claim live on air is certainly going to raise excitement around the club’s fanbase.

AND in other news, Leeds could repeat their Adam Forshaw masterclass by signing “complete” midfielder… 

Will Jefferson ended his five-year wait for a County Championship hundred to put Leicestershire firmly in control of their Division Two clash with Surrey at The Oval

04-Jun-2010
ScorecardWill Jefferson ended his five-year wait for a County Championship hundred to put Leicestershire firmly in control of their Division Two clash with Surrey at The Oval. The 6′ 10″ opener made 135 as Leicestershire took advantage of ideal batting conditions to reach 337 for 4 at stumps on day one in the battle of the division’s bottom two.Jefferson, 30, is in his first season with his third county. He made his last Championship hundred during his spell with Essex after which he had three fairly unproductive summers with Nottinghamshire before moving to Grace Road. Driving impressively and using his massive frame to get on top of any new-ball bounce, he struck 19 fours and two sixes, the first of which took him to his hundred. It was an impressive shot too as he swept offspinner Gareth Batty over midwicket and out of the ground.Jefferson had a reprieve on 128 when he was badly dropped by Arun Harinath at long leg off a top-edged hook and had added just seven more when he top-edged a cut at legspinner Chris Schofield and was taken at backward point, having faced 174 balls.Jade Dernbach had made the breakthrough in the fourth over when Matt Boyce fell lbw for a duck to a ball which nipped back off the seam but Jefferson and veteran Paul Nixon made serene progress either side of lunch in a stand of 105 from 33 overs for the second wicket. Surrey captain Rory Hamilton-Brown bowled his spinners in tandem before lunch but there was precious little turn and the home attack spent most of the day trying to build pressure and wait for mistakes.Nixon had looked untroubled as he moved to 41 when he was bowled via an inside edge aiming to drive Chris Tremlett through the off side in the 37th over. Jefferson then joined forces with James Taylor in the most productive stand of the day as they added 118 in 21 overs with Taylor, who scored a double hundred on this ground last season, matching his partner stroke for stroke.After Jefferson’s dismissal, Taylor put on 40 with South African Jacques du Toit and had reached 63 from 80 balls, with six fours, when he was bowled playing back to Batty’s arm ball. But any hopes of further Surrey success were blunted by du Toit and wicketkeeper Tom New, who put on an unbroken 68 for the fifth wicket to strengthen their side’s position.Surrey waited eight overs before taking the second new ball and Tremlett thought he had broken through when du Toit, on 61, slashed outside off stump but Batty spilled a difficult chance diving high to his right at first slip. Du Toit, having already made three half-centuries this season, was on course for his first hundred of the summer by the close on 72 not out, having faced 124 balls so far with seven fours and a straight six off Batty.

There appears to be a conflict of interest in N Srinivasan being allowed to hold the office of BCCI treasurer while bidding for an IPL franchise, India’s Supreme Court has observed

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2010There appears to have been a conflict of interest in N Srinivasan holding the office of BCCI treasurer while bidding for an IPL franchise, India’s Supreme Court has observed, while suggesting that he resign his board position and retain his status as the owner of the Chennai Super Kings.The court’s observations – which included several stinging remarks – came while hearing a petition, filed by former BCCI president AC Muthiah, against the BCCI’s constitution amendment that permitted Srinivasan to bid for the team in 2008. However, it reiterated through the course of the day-long hearing that these were observations and not a judgement.Srinivasan, now the board secretary, is also vice-chairman and managing director of India Cements, the franchise owners.”An amendment has been brought and there seems to be a conflict of interest. Can a person be a judge of his own case?” Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra asked the attorney-general, GE Vahanvati, who appeared for the BCCI. “I am hearing the matter relating to the controversy. But can I participate in the bidding of IPL teams tomorrow?”You introduce an amendment where the IPL will be an exception. You are a prominent industrialist holding a key position in the board and have a stake in the bidding. In order to avoid suspicion and be above board, you should have got your membership suspended.”Our nagging question is: can you continue in a dual capacity? That is the core issue. We are proceeding on the footing that you had a bar on any dual status before your blanket amendment was brought.”We want to know what grave prejudice will be caused to you if we pass an order that you can either continue as the owner of the IPL team or contest the BCCI election,” Justice Mishra said.The court disagreed with the contention of Mukul Rohtagi, Srinivasan’s senior counsel, that there was nothing wrong in his occupying both roles. “Then resign from BCCI and bid for the IPL,” Justice Mishra said. “This can be equated with the office of profit. It is a crude explanation.”We will give you a choice between the two, whether you want to continue in the BCCI or involve yourself with the IPL and India Cements.”The court dismissed Vahanvati’s argument that Muthiah, as a former BCCI president, had no locus standi in challenging the amendment. The Bench, quoting BCCI rules, said it was under an obligation to inquire into any complaints made against its members.”It is your duty to look into the complaint. Otherwise, why should Muthiah have to come to the court? One of your own rules says there should be no conflict of interest. The BCCI clause provides that in the event of any complaint of violation of rules, you should conduct an inquiry. Why did you not do it?”, the Bench asked.The BCCI’s constitution was amended in 2008 to allow Srinivasan to buy the Chennai franchise. Before the amendment, clause 6.2.4 of the Regulations for Players, Team officials, Umpires and Administrators, read: “No administrator shall have, directly or indirectly, any commercial interest in the matches and events conducted by the board.”The amendment excluded Twenty20 cricket from the purview of the clause, which now reads: “No administrator shall have directly or indirectly any commercial interest in any of the events of the BCCI, excluding IPL, Champions League and Twenty20.”Muthiah’s petition alleged that the amendment was made specifically to favour Srinivasan, and asserted that the decision to exclude IPL and Twenty20 tournaments was “illegal and opposed to public policy.”He appealed to the Supreme Court in April after the Madras high court refused to entertain his petition challenging the BCCI’s decision to amend its constitution, saying there was “absolutely no merit to interfere”. Muthiah had originally written to the BCCI to say that allowing India Cements to buy Chennai created a conflict of interest. When the board failed to respond to his complaint, Muthiah took his fight to the courts.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in a move for Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, with the Elland Road outfit believed to have named their price for the Englishman.

What’s the word?

According to the Mail, Steven Gerrard and co are ‘monitoring’ the situation regarding the player, with the 26-year-old potentially set to demand an improved contract, with just two years left to run on his existing deal.

The report suggests that the 19-cap international could command upwards of £100k-per-week due to his displays for both club and country, with Jesse Marsch’s side potentially set to cash in should they be unable to afford that figure – with a fee of around £60m possibly tempting them into a sale.

Villa have also received a boost as the report outlines that the Leeds academy graduate is set to reject a move to Manchester United, despite the Red Devils’ interest, owing to the intense rivalry between those two clubs making such a switch highly controversial.

Barry 2.0

Should the Midlands-based side manage to get their man this summer, he could well prove to be a particularly astute purchase, with the club currently crying out for more midfield additions.

While the likes of Douglas Luiz, John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey have impressed in the centre of the park, there is little depth beyond that trio, with former Marseille man Morgan Sanson having struggled to adjust to the rigours of English football.

Equally, while Luiz usually slots in as the deepest of the three, the Brazilian is perhaps not an ideal fit as a holding midfielder, with Phillips – who has been dubbed “immense” by compatriot Marcus Rashford – offering a more defensive-minded presence in front of the back four.

Despite missing a large portion of the campaign through injury, the 5 foot 10 gem has still managed to showcase his talents for the Yorkshire outfit, registering 1.2 interceptions and 2.6 tackles per game thus far, while he also ranks in the top 2% for blocks and the top 1% for pressures made among players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues.

The £45m-rated midfield “destroyer” – as he was labelled by former Three Lions boss Steve McClaren – seemingly offers a neat comparison to former Villa and England star Gareth Barry, with the Premier League’s all-time appearance maker having forged a career as a defensive midfielder who could do a bit of everything, much like Phillips.

The 41-year-old spent the first 11 years of his senior career at Villa Park, making 436 appearances in all competitions and earning the club captaincy towards the latter end of his spell, before he was swept up among the wave of new signings during the early Sheik Mansour era at Manchester City.

As noted by his former teammate Ian Taylor, Barry was “Mr Reliable” both at Villa and throughout his playing career, with the current crop seemingly in need of a steady, calming presence at the base of the midfield.

That composed figure could well be that of the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’, with sporting director Johan Lange needing to get his chequebook out to snap him up in the upcoming transfer window.

In other news, “Gerrard really keen..“: Preece drops exciting Villa transfer claim, Lange must pounce