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The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) wants the IPL to share its security plans for the upcoming season in India

Cricinfo staff01-Feb-2010The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) wants the IPL to share its security plans for the upcoming season in India and hopes that “common sense prevails” on the issue. The IPL’s attitude towards the players associations has been brusque, with Lalit Modi saying the league did not recognise such bodies and would deal directly with the various national boards regarding player security.”We hope common sense prevails and the IPL provides us with access to these [security] plans because if we are unable to assess the event’s security plans, we simply won’t be able to recommend to our players that we believe its safe to play in this year’s IPL,” ACA chief executive Paul Marsh told PTI. “Unfortunately this is turning into a farcical situation. The ACA and our players want the same thing as the IPL wants – a safe and successful event. Despite requests from players’ associations and the players themselves, the IPL is refusing to provide access to its security plans for this year’s event.”Marsh said the ACA was collating information on security from various sources before making a recommendation to the players. “No decision has been made as to whether Australians will play in this year’s IPL. The ACA is currently going through an information gathering process from which recommendations will be made to players as to whether or not we believe it is safe for them,” he said. “This process also involves receiving advice from our government and independent security sources. It also involves assessing the security plans for the event.”The New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association also shared the ACA’s concerns. Its chief, Heath Mills, said they were frustrated by the lack of response from the IPL. “We have already approached the IPL through FICA and Tim May and the players have written to their franchises,” he said. “Unfortunately, the IPL will not engage us or work with us on the issue which is frustrating for us and the players.”Players are coming to us for advice. However we cannot give them any quality advice at the moment about participating in the IPL as we have no information about the security situation or management plans.”Tony Irish, the South African Cricketers Association (SACA) chief executive, said their players were relying on them for security advice.”Players around the world have become increasingly reliant on their Player Associations to check security arrangements so it’s only natural that they should want us and our global body involved – at least consulted.”

Crystal Palace will be hoping to steer well clear of being dragged into any sort of relegation battle in the second half of the season.

The Eagles sit just three points above third bottom Cardiff City at the moment, and despite the odd big result going their way, they have in the main struggled for consistency.

Roy Hodgson is keen to address the big issues in his squad before the January window slams shut in the coming week, and he is being linked with a move for Everton striker Cenk Tosun, who only joined the Toffees in a big money move last season.

Signing a striker was always going to be a priority for Hodgson and Palace, as the club have limped to a very average 23 goals this season, with most of those coming from the likes of wingers like Wilf Zaha and Andros Townsend.

Down the middle has yielded little success for the club, with Christian Benteke woefully out of form.

The signing of Tosun the makes sense for Palace, and the Turkish star is clearly a man capable of getting in and amongst the goals on his day.

Tosun hasn’t necessarily done anything too wrong at Goodison Park, but new manager Marco Silva clearly doesn’t fancy him as his main number nine, and so a January move for some first team football might be the perfect chance for Tosun to show what he is made of.

Palace need goals, put simply, and Tosun would slot in nicely between their exciting wide-men while taking some of the responsibility off the out of form Benteke.

Palace fans, do you agree? Would you like to see Tosun signed? Let us know!

Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United side went into Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Burnley knowing that three points would considerably increase their chances of remaining a top-flight side come the end of the current campaign – with the Whites sitting just five points above the Clarets in 18th place prior to kick-off.

And, thanks to a fortunate first-half strike by Jack Harrison, a second-half stunner from Stuart Dallas and a 92nd-minute header by Daniel James, Leeds would go on to secure the much-needed win against Sean Dyche’s side – with the match ending 3-1.

However, despite the positive result, there were nevertheless a couple of Bielsa’s players who will be hoping to put the fixture behind them as quickly as possible, with Raphinha and Tyler Roberts being two of the more notable disappointments on Sunday afternoon.

Although, it will undoubtedly be the latter of this duo who will be most frustrated with his display against Burnley, as the 22-year-old forward was incredibly ineffective over his 58 minutes on the pitch at Elland Road.

Roberts should’ve played his last game

Indeed, the £7.2m-rated man was once again fielded as Bielsa’s lone striker against Burnley, and the Wales international offered very little in the role, hitting the target with just one of his six shots and the opposition goal, completing a mere 11 passes and missing his one big chance – somehow steering a free header wide of the far post in the first half.

The £22k-per-week forward also lost both of his two duels – a failure rate of 100% – lost possession of the ball on four separate occasions and committed one foul – for which he was booked – before picking up an injury midway through the second half and being withdrawn by the Argentine coach.

These returns saw the 22-year-old receive an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of just 6.6, ranking him as Leeds’ joint-worst performer against the Clarets.

As such, with it being reported that Roberts could be on his way out of Elland Road in the January transfer window, albeit on a temporary basis, the Welshman’s display on Sunday – coupled with his poor performances over his 18 further Premier League appearances so far this season – lead us to believe that Bielsa should instead look to make the attacker’s move away from the club a permanent one this month.

It is looking more and more as if the youngster is simply not of the standard required for the Whites.

In other news: LUFC must avoid disaster on £22k-p/w gem who “transmits security”, MB would be furious

Paul Nixon and Australia allrounder Andrew McDonald helped Leicestershire to their first batting bonus points in four games against top-of-the-table Glamorgan in their County Championship Division Two clash at Grace Road

24-May-2010
ScorecardPaul Nixon and Australia allrounder Andrew McDonald helped Leicestershire to their first batting bonus points in four games against top-of-the-table Glamorgan in their County Championship Division Two clash at Grace Road.Veteran Nixon, opening the batting because of an injury to Will Jefferson, made 90, while McDonald scored his first half-century since joining the Foxes as their overseas player a month ago. McDonald was unbeaten on 86 as Leicestershire closed the first day on 263 for 8. Young seamer James Harris was Glamorgan’s most successful bowler, taking three for 62 in 24 overs.Having won the toss, Leicestershire made steady progress in the morning session, with Matt Boyce and Nixon putting on 81 by lunch. Boyce rode his luck at times, edging just short of slip and then being dropped by James Allenby off Will Owen when he was on 33.Nixon looked the more solid of the opening pair, picking up two boundaries with trademark clips off his legs through midwicket. But the partnership was broken soon after lunch with Boyce (40) caught behind as he tried to force David Harrison away off the back foot.His departure triggered a mini-collapse as the impressive Harris snapped up two wickets in two overs, trapping both Tom New and James Taylor lbw to leave Leicestershire at 104 for 3. Nixon, however, found some much-needed support from McDonald and the fourth-wicket pair steadied the ship with a stand of 57.Then Nixon, who was looking set for a century, was out in the 90s for the second time this season. Pushing forward to left-arm spinner Dean Cosker, Nixon edged to Jamie Dalrymple, who held onto a juggling catch at slip.Nixon, who fell seven runs short of his century against Sussex four weeks ago, this time made 90 off 178 balls, with 13 fours. It was then left to McDonald to take up the battle for the home side. After an uncertain start, he grew in confidence and produced some glorious shots through midwicket as he reached his first 50 for the county off 111 balls, with six boundaries.But Josh Cobb, Jigar Naik, Claude Henderson and Nathan Buck all fell cheaply as Glamorgan’s attack fought back hard. However, McDonald secured a second batting point with two glorious shots through the on-side off Harris and, at the close, had struck eight boundaries in his 163-ball innings.

Inter director Beppe Marotta insists that Simone Inzaghi "wants to stay" at the club in a hands-off warning to any potential suitors.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Inzaghi in line for new contractInter running away with Serie AHave lost just once in the leagueWHAT HAPPENED?

Inzaghi is enjoying a superb season at Inter, with the club top of Serie A, having lost just once. They sit 12 points clear of second-placed Juventus, and Inzaghi could subsequently be touted as a potential new manager for various clubs this summer; Barcelona and Liverpool are both set to undergo a managerial change with Xavi and Jurgen Klopp leaving, while Erik ten Hag is under intense pressure at Manchester United.

AdvertisementWHAT MAROTTA SAID

Marotta has confirmed plans to offer Inzaghi a new contract, telling : "The renewal of his contract? The fundamental thing is that Inzaghi enjoys the esteem of the club, the owners and the fans not only for what he has demonstrated, but also for his abilities, his behavior on and off the pitch and for the results obtained For our part, we want to continue with him.

"If we look at the rankings, the coaches of the top four all have contracts expiring in 2025 and we will address the issue of Inzaghi's renewal at the right time. Certainly, I repeat, Inzaghi enjoys our trust: He wants to stay with us, just as we want him to stay. The contract is a complement."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Inter have been in utterly remarkable form and have conceded just 12 goals in 26 games. They are also on a run of four straight wins in which they have scored four goals in each game. It is little surprise, as a result, that the club want to keep Inzaghi.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Inter play Genoa on Monday and then they face Bologna away from home the following matchday.

Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan allrounder, has been ruled out of the second ODI against Australia in Abu Dhabi, but is expected to recover in time for the third ODI to be played on September 3

Umar Farooq31-Aug-2012Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan allrounder, has been ruled out of the second ODI against Australia in Abu Dhabi, but is expected to recover in time for the third ODI to be played on September 3. Left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan is likely to replace Afridi in the XI – the only change expected in the Pakistan line-up. Afridi sustained a back strain during the practice session on Thursday.”He picked up a back strain yesterday night [Thursday] during the practice session,” Pakistan team manager Naveed Akram Cheema told ESPNcricinfo. “So far, he isn’t available for today’s game as he has been advised indefinite rest by the doctor. I can’t say much about the next game but if he recovers in time, he will definitely be in the side. We have ample options to replace him but I can’t reveal the team’s plan. It will be revealed at the toss.”During the first ODI in Sharjah, Afridi bowled his 10 overs for 37 runs and picked up the wicket of Australia opener Matthew Wade. However while batting, he was out off his first ball, sparking a lower-order collapse that left them defending a moderate total of 198. Australia won that match by four wickets in the 49th over.

Ireland completed a 37-run win to ensure their progress to the Super Fours stage after Scotland collapsed on either side of a threatening partnership between Kyle Coetzer and Gordon Drummond.

Cricinfo staff11-Feb-2010
Scorecard
Trent Johnston ripped through the top order as Scotland collapsed to 99 all out in Dubai•International Cricket CouncilIreland completed a 37-run win to ensure their progress to the Super Fours stage after Scotland collapsed on either side of a threatening partnership between Kyle Coetzer and Gordon Drummond. A team performance with both bat and ball was behind Ireland’s victory, as no batsman made more than 19 and the wickets were shared around by the bowlers.Despite their defeats to USA and Afghanistan, Scotland still had an outside chance of sneaking through to the next stage of the tournament coming in to this game. Had they won today, they would have drawn level on two points with Ireland and USA. With Ireland scoring 136 for 7, Scotland had to chase down the runs in 14.5 overs or less in order to overtake Ireland’s net run rate.Their innings lay in tatters within the first two overs, however, as Peter Connell and Trent Johnston ripped through the top order to reduce Scotland to 6 for 4. After Connell got rid of Fraser Watts and Gavin Hamilton in consecutive balls, Andre Botha held onto two chances at a well-positioned short third man off Johnston as Richie Berrington and Neil McCallum slashed wildly at deliveries outside off stump. Two overs later Jan Stander mistimed an attempted heave over midwicket and Scotland had collapsed to 12 for 5.Then came the fightback, as Coetzer and Drummond saw off the opening bowlers and began to accumulate runs steadily. With a win in under 15 overs firmly out of the question after the top order crumbled, the pair had only pride to play for, and their partnership was just beginning to look ominous when Coetzer popped a low full toss to a backtracking William Porterfield at cover to depart for 43.Simon Smith’s run out in the 17th over broke Scotland’s resistance. George Dockrell dismissed Ross Lyons and Drummond in his second over, and Kevin O’Brien wrapped up the match with a well-directed yorker to disturb Dewald Nel’s stumps.Apart from Alex Cusack, who was trapped lbw by Majid Haq for two, every one of Ireland’s top nine made a start with the bat to contribute to what turned out to be a match-winning total. Johnston, O’Brien and John Mooney all chipped in with 10, while Andrew White, Gary Wilson, Niall O’Brien, Porterfield and Botha all made it into the teens. Haq and Coetzer were Scotland’s most successful bowlers, with two wickets apiece.Ireland had to win this game to be sure of a spot in the Super Fours, and will take some confidence in the way they rallied as a team in this game as they progress to the next round.

The striker has been generating a huge amount of excitement in Italy for some time now and looks destined to achieve great things

There were still seven minutes remaining in AC Milan's Serie A clash with Fiorentina when Stefano Pioli decided to make a change up front. "Off goes Luka Jovic annnnnnnd…." the stadium announcer said, his voice rising along with the excitement inside the Giuseppe Meazza, "FOR THE FIRST TIME…. NUMBER 73… FRANCESCO CAMARDA!"

The crowd at San Siro erupted, the Curva Sud chanting his name while Camarda's mother burst into tears. As for her son, he simply puffed out his cheeks and smiled. It was, Camarda admitted afterwards, "something unique that I will never forget".

Nobody will, in fairness, because this was history in the making; Camarda made his first appearance for Milan at just 15 years and 260 days old – making him the youngest player Serie A has ever seen.

A combination of injury and suspension had forced Pioli's hand but nobody was in the least bit surprised that the Rossoneri coach had, in his desperation, turned to Camarda. He was being tipped for greatness even before he made his first appearance for the Primavera (Under-19s) earlier this season. Indeed, the feeling at San Siro has long been that Milan have already found their next great goalscorer…

Where it all began

Camarda was born in Milan and began playing organised football with Afforese, a small but famous club located in the north-west of the city.

Despite being just six when he joined, his incredible potential was immediately obvious to Piero Colangelo, who was responsible for the lowest age groups at the time.

"He was three years younger than some of the kids but he was doing the training exercises better than anyone," he told .

"Let me be clear: I don't want to take any credit. Everything Francesco has done is exclusively thanks to him. The first time I saw him, I was shocked: he already looked like a miniature footballer. So, his case is absolutely unique. I have never met boys with his qualities since.

"He scored loads of goals even with the older players; there was no way to stop him. He already had a powerful physique, he played forward or as a winger and was clearly superior to everyone: he was a hurricane, a pain for all his opponents."

Unsurprisingly, his exploits at Afforese attracted the attention of Milan, whom he joined in 2015.

AdvertisementThe big break

There was no containing Camarda at Milan either. The 'hurricane' laid waste to every defence that had the misfortune to be placed in his path, obliterating one record after another, reportedly averaging five goals a game as he progressed from one under-age team to another.

He struck 22 times in 25 appearances for Milan's Under-15 Italian champions, including the winner in the Scudetto final against Fiorentina.

By that stage, the hype surrounding Camarda was already building and he inevitably began to attract the attention of rival clubs, particularly as Milan were not in a position to tie him down to a long-term professional contract until he turned 16.

However, in one of his last moves before being ruthlessly sacked by Milan, Paolo Maldini went out of his way to assure Camarda and his family that his future would be best served by staying at San Siro, revealing that he would be added to the Primavera (Under-19s) squad for the 2023-24 season.

How it's going

On his UEFA Youth League debut, Camarda scored two goals and created another in a 4-0 rout of Newcastle. In his most recent outing, against Paris Saint-Germain on November 7, he helped Milan to a 3-2 win with a stunning scissors-kick.

So, when Pioli realised that he would be without both Rafael Leao and Noah Okafor for Saturday's game against Fiorentina due to injury, as well as the suspended Olivier Giroud, he decided to call up Camarda.

The youngster had already trained with the senior squad several times, even featuring in a pre-season friendly against Trento.

Consequently, Pioli had no doubts that Camarda was ready to make the step up.

"Talent has no age," the coach told reporters on the eve of the match at San Siro, "and Francesco undoubtedly has it."

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GettyBiggest strengths

Camarda is considered a complete No.9, an all-action, all-round attacker blessed with excellent technique who is strong in the air and boasts a fearsome strike. However, what really stands out is his character.

As Pioli has commented, Camarda is "very mature" for his age – which is why he had no qualms about throwing him at the deep end on Saturday.

He's also a fiercely competitive character. Famously, in a match against Bayern Munich in 2018, he was forced off with an ankle injury after 15 minutes only to ask his coach to be sent back on (which is allowed in the lower age groups) with 10 minutes remaining because Milan were trailing by two goals. Despite still being in serious pain, Camarada was directly involved in three goals, scoring two himself, as the Rossoneri came from behind to win.

It is that will to win, mixed with his obvious prodigious talent, that has got Camarda to this point in his professional career at such a ridiculously young age.

Fred was superb once again while his compatriot came off the bench to fire his team beyond the Catalan giants.

It was a Jekyll and Hyde performance from Manchester United as they beat Barcelona 2-1 (4-3 on aggregate) to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League.

Antony's angelic finish completed the massive turnaround from the Red Devils, who were sloppy and turgid in the first half, but smooth and effective in the second to secure a deserved win.

Robert Lewandowski gave Barca the lead in the first half after Bruno Fernandes' recklessness conceded a penalty, but it was the Portugal star who helped set up the fantastic Fred for the equaliser before playing a role in the winner.

GOAL rates Manchester United's players from Old Trafford…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

David de Gea (6/10):

Got a hand to Lewandowski's penalty but it was not enough to keep the striker out. Gave Barca a golden opportunity with a horrible pass to nobody in particular. Pulled off a strong save on a Kounde header that proved vital.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka (6/10):

Some wayward passes and crosses in the first half but he grew into the game with some decent attacking moves.

Raphael Varane (7/10):

A decent performance from the centre-back, who looked comfortable defensively and found Antony with an excellent long pass. Made a huge block to deny Lewandowski right at the end.

Lisandro Martinez (8/10):

Solid at the back once again. If Barca managed to get past Shaw on the left, Martinez was there to cut them out. Even recovered from his own initial mistakes, like digging in to stop Kessie after failing to play him offside.

Luke Shaw (5/10):

A poor performance from the left-back. Barca were able to get by him one too many times and he did not offer much going forward.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Casemiro (8/10):

Always lingering around the base of the midfield, ready to sweep up and cut out Barca's passes. Saved De Gea's blushes with a vital intervention after De Gea served up a great chance on a plate.

Fred (7/10):

Another strong performance from the Brazilian midfielder, got a well-deserved goal to level the score. Fought hard for every ball that came near him all over the pitch. He's been so often maligned by fans, so this was a big moment for him.

Jadon Sancho (5/10):

Tasked with playing in the number 10 role for the first half and did not look comfortable at all. Moved to the left wing and United immediately reaped the rewards, as he played it into Bruno, who teed up Fred for the equaliser.

GettyAttack

Marcus Rashford (6/10):

Had a rather quiet first half but was more lively in the second as United's attack changed shape. Chased down balls with determination and was more of a direct threat but not as devastating as fans have come to expect.

Wout Weghorst (4/10):

Tried to press the Barca defence but was tame on the ball and unsurprisingly replaced by Antony at half-time.

Bruno Fernandes (8/10):

Let his team down with a silly foul to give away a penalty and got a needless booking for smashing the ball straight at De Jong. Proved important early in the second half when he set up Fred's equaliser, won the ball for to create the winner and was still giving his all until the very end.

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Subs & Manager

Antony (8/10):

Replaced Weghorst for the second half and was trying hard to create some danger, eventually firing in the decisive second goal. His biggest moment with the Red Devils – by far.

Diogo Dalot (6/10):

On in the second half for Wan-Bissaka and was immediately overlapping Antony on the right. Helped United remain threatening for the rest of the match.

Alejandro Garnacho (6/10):

Replaced Sancho to provide a more direct threat and looked more lively than his predecessor.

Scott McTominay (N/A):

Took Rashford's place late on but did not have enough time to make an impact.

Erik ten Hag (9/10):

Made some key half-time changes to inspire his team's turnaround in the second half. They were second best for the first 45 minutes but he corrected his mistake by moving Sancho from a central position to the left and Fernandes to the right. Bringing Antony and Garnacho on for the underwhelming Weghorst and Sancho proved perfect calls, too.

How are the continent’s five Qatar-bound stars stacking up ahead of Friday’s draw?

Getty ImagesWorld Cup draw

Following the pulsating—if controversial—conclusion to Africa’s World Cup qualifying campaign, the identities of the continent’s five sides for Qatar are known.

On Friday evening, they’ll learn their opponents for the opening round of the 2022 when the World Cup group stage draw is conducted in Doha.

Ahead of the draw, here’s our Power Ranking of the five sides set to represent the continent at the global high table.

AdvertisementGetty Images5. Tunisia

Unimpressive at the recent Africa Cup of Nations—although they did eliminate Nigeria—Tunisia arguably had the most straightforward playoff draw after being pitted against a Mali side who had never before qualified for the World Cup.

The Carthage Eagles have extensive World Cup pedigree—they’ve qualified successfully for five of the last seven tournaments—but they’re yet to reach the knockout stages for the first time.

The likes of Wahbi Khazri and Youssef Msakni give them a cutting edge, although failure to score home or away against Mali (it was an own goal away that saw them through) isn’t particularly encouraging.

Backpage4. Ghana

The Black Stars are riding high after eliminating fierce regional rivals Nigeria in their playoff, in a triumph that has gone a long way to banishing the memory of their miserable Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

The transformation in the side has been sublime since that disastrous elimination by Comoros in Cameroon, and suddenly there’s optimism around the camp again.

Thomas Partey’s role in the midfield will give Ghana hope against any opposition, even if the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Felix Afena-Gyan and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku are still at the early stages of their international career.

If the Black Stars can convince Tariq Lamptey and Callum Hudson-Odoi to sign up before Qatar, they could be a dark horse.

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Getty Images3. Cameroon

The decision to replace head coach Toni Conceicao with Rigobert Song looked to have cost Cameroon during the playoffs, with the Indomitable Lions having fallen at home to Algeria in the first leg.

They made amends with a stunning victory in Blida in the second leg—the first time the Fennecs have lost at the venue—with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting winning the match in 90 minutes before Karl Toko Ekambi netted the late, late winner in extra time.

Of course, they have World Cup pedigree—no one has qualified more often—and they’ll be massively buoyed after eliminating both Algeria and the Ivory Coast during qualification.