All posts by h716a5.icu

India stand to lose substantially more than the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings if they are beaten by South Africa

Cricinfo staff04-Feb-2010India need only draw with South Africa in the upcoming two-match series to retain the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test rankings. But if they lose the series, being billed as a world championship bout, they stand to lose the US$175,000 the ICC gives to the team that is on top come April 1.MS Dhoni’s India go into the series with 125 points, five ahead of Graeme Smith’s South Africa, whom they displaced at the top of the pile on December 6 with a 2-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka. A 1-0 win will lift India to 127 points and push South Africa to 118 ratings points; a 2-0 result will drop South Africa to 116 points, for which they will receive $75,000 from the ICC.Having made clear their intentions to recapture the No. 1 ranking when they defeated Australia in a Test series for the first time in 16 years last summer, South Africa need to win 1-0 to do so, which will take them to 123 points and see India drop to 122. If South Africa sweep the series they will rise to 125 points and India fall to 120.They have won just two of their past eight Tests, four of which were against Australia, and their inability to register a series victory over England at home recently kept them from taking the top spot.Australia are ranked third and, though they are touring New Zealand, have no chance of moving to the top.In other ranking opportunities, Smith and Gautam Gambhir, the Indian opener, will battle it out for the No. 1 spot for Test batsmen. Gambhir is in first position, 39 points ahead of Smith, but a lean series could see him lose his place.

Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst is set to go in search of a third straight victory in charge of the Ibrox giants tonight.

The Gers face Hibernian away from home in the Scottish Premiership with the chance to potentially increase their four-point lead at the top of the table.

He has won his first two matches in charge of the club after taking over from Steven Gerrard, beating Sparta Prague 2-0 and Livingston 3-1.

Passenger

Despite the positive results, one player who has struggled in the Dutchman’s opening games is English winger Ryan Kent.

Van Bronckhorst must brutally axe him from the starting XI after two poor performances out on the left wing for the Gers. He left a lot to be desired against Sparta and Livingston, failing to live up to his own high standards for the club.

Earlier this year, Leon Balogun called him a wizard and explained how difficult he is to defend against. He said:

“Who causes me real problems in training every now and then is Ryan Kent. He’s a wing wizard, my god, he’s a problem.

“There was this one goal, I think against Hamilton where he just turns the defender inside out, dropping the shoulder, dropping it again, and the guy doesn’t know where he is, so we have a few of them.”

Last season, Kent produced ten goals and nine assists in the Premiership. This shows that he has the quality to be a consistent attacking threat for Rangers, but his recent performances have been well off the mark in comparison to that.

Per SofaScore, he lost 12 of his 17 duels and completed one of five crosses against Livingston. This comes after he lost seven of his 11 duels against Sparta and failed to complete a single ball into the area. He ended both games without a single goal or assist to his name, showing that he is struggling to match his previous heights.

Therefore, the £18k-per-week gem must be brutally axed from the XI by van Bronckhorst against Hibernian. It would be a surprising call from the manager but he may benefit from a game on the bench to take him out of the spotlight and offer him the chance to focus on getting himself back to being 100%.

AND in other news, Gio could unearth Goldson 2.0 in “superb” Rangers teen who is “going to be massive”…

A round-up of the fourth day’s matches from the RBS Twenty20 Cup

Cricinfo staff03-Mar-2010Group A
Peshawar Panthers posted an easy 30-run win on the back of Jannisar Khan’s unbeaten half-century and four wickets in an opening spell which snuffed out Quetta Bears’ challenge at the National Stadium.After opting to bat, Peshawar made a competitive 150 with only the top order carrying any weight. Israrullah and Adil Amin gave them a quick start, scoring 46 in five overs before Amin was dismissed by the economical Nasrullah Khan. Isrullah and Jannisar then shared a 26-run stand to keep the run-rate up but Quetta hit back with five quick wickets. Shoaib Khan jnr, bowling his medium-pace, snared three of them while the slow left-arm spin of Jalat Khan stemmed the runs in a spell of 4-0-16-1.But the one man Quetta failed to dislodge turned out to be the decisive player in the end result. Jannisar finished unbeaten on 55 from 42 balls, hitting five fours and a six while adding 24 for the sixth wicket in 11 balls with Mahfooz Sabri. Sabri swung his bat for 17 off eight balls as Peshawar finished their innings on a high.Quetta’s chase began poorly, with Jannisar striking in his first over. He then grabbed three more in a super spell that included a maiden over, leaving Quetta at 46 for 4. That soon became 52 for 6. Taimur Siddiq’s 19-ball 32 led a 52-run stand for the seventh wicket but his dismissal in the 16th over, bowled by Zohaib Khan, allowed Peshawar to regain control. Zohaib picked up his third wicket in the same crucial over and Quetta folded shortly afterward with Umar Gul nipping out the tail.The result means that Peshawar have won one of three games and Quetta have yet to get off the mark in as many attempts.Group C
Islamabad Leopards opened their tournament campaign with a facile nine-wicket win over Abbottabad Rhinos in Karachi. Abbottabad, after opting to bat, were rocked early in the piece by Islamabad’s new-ball pair of Iftikhar Anjum and Azhar Mahmood, who quickly had them at 20 for 4. Mahmood was destructive in his spell, taking three wickets, and it needed a circumspect 53-ball 54 from the opener Yasir Hameed to lend respectability to Abbottabad’s total. His dismissal to Iftikhar in the 17th over was followed by Mohammad Kashif’s 34 as Abbottabad made it to 117 from 20 overs.Islamabad’s openers, Raheel Majeed and Umair Khan, went about the chase steadily. Majeed led the scoring initially without accelerating, and none of the bowlers rotated were able to make an impact. After playing second fiddle to Majeed for seven overs, hardly getting strike, Khan opened up with a four and six to jack up the run rate. The pair raised the fifty stand at a good clip and after ten overs Islamabad were well set on 70.That’s when Mohammad Sami dismissed Majeed for 35 in the same over that he was struck for six, but Mohammad Yousuf’s first-ball four maintained the tone the openers had set. Yousuf’s breezy unbeaten 27 from 22 balls helped finish the affair in the 17th over. Khan hit the winning runs and finished on 40 from 35 balls. Abbottabad have failed to win either of their two games so far.

A fresh claim has emerged about injured Tottenham Hotspur star Cristian Romero this week…

What’s the latest?

The 23-year-old centre-back suffered a hamstring injury playing for Argentina in a World Cup qualifier against Brazil during last month’s international break.

Spurs boss Antonio Conte described the problem as “very serious” and would not put a date on his return, though the Italian did rule him out for the remainder of the year.

“It will take time before we see him again. Surely next year, we have to check his injury week by week, but the injury is serious,” he said (via Sky Sports).

“Now he is trying to recover, but he needs a long time to recover. It is a pity because he is an important player for us, the injury is very serious. I don’t know, January, February. But for 2021, he has finished. We have to wait and recover well.”

But in a fresh development, Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge provided some encouragement that it isn’t as ‘serious’ as expected. He told GIVEMESPORT:

“I kind of thought the worst when Conte said we will know more in seven to 10 days, but I’m told it’s not a tear, it’s a serious strain. So, is that January? He did say January or February.”

A glimmer of hope?

Having Romero out until February would certainly be a devastating blow to Spurs and their chances of breaking into the top four – something they have a huge chance to do in the coming weeks as they sit just two points behind West Ham, with one game in hand, too.

Indeed, just as Conte claimed, the Argentina international is a crucial player for the club and you could argue that he is very much their best central defender.

[snack-amp-story url = “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/tottenham-hotspur-latest-team-injury-team-news-updates-transfers-gossip-rumours-antonio-conte-thfc” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer updates and much, much more!”]

On the back of a player of the year campaign at Serie A outfit Atalanta, Romero had continued his fine form across to north London, where he is currently averaging 2.3 tackles (third-best), 1.7 interceptions (second-best) and 2.4 aerials won (third-best) in the squad, per WhoScored.

“This guy is an animal, I swear. He’s perfect for the Premier League,” claimed his teammate, Pierluigi Gollini, back in September. “He’s played for many years with three at the back and especially when you play with a very aggressive style and play man for man, it’s a completely different to thing to in a four.”

His absence has seen the 52-year-old head coach tryout both Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga, as well as a very brief spell for Joe Rodon outside of the Premier League.

Sanchez along with Eric Dier were part of Spurs’ defensive error-prone backline last season under Jose Mourinho, so pairing them up again could be a recipe for disaster, especially with the change to a back three, rather than four.

But the fact that Bridge believes Romero’s injury isn’t as bad as what the club are saying, with the defender suffering a strain, rather than a more severe tear, is surely a glimmer of hope. Consequently, that should leave many around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a little more optimistic and ultimately, quite excited heading into 2022.

AND in other news, Paratici can seal Conte’s dream Spurs signing in 6 ft 1 beast he dubbed “outstanding”…

According to Capital Football, a West Ham United transfer update has emerged involving Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard.

The Lowdown: West Ham linked with shock move…

The Hammers have been linked with a shock move for the former Chelsea superstar as manager David Moyes weighs up his January attacking options.

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The Scotsman, who recently explained they may also need to sign a centre-half, has been keeping tabs on positions further forward according to reports and one shock rumour to have emerged in recent weeks concerns Hazard.

The Sunday Mirror explained last week that West Ham were ‘leading the chase’ alongside Everton with claims that Real could even accept a final fee of £21 million if any club can convince him to join on loan with an option to buy.

The Latest: Update emerges…

As per Capital Football, West Ham have now made a direct enquiry for Hazard whilst tabling a £21m offer for his services – but the approach has been immediately turned down.

The Belgium international also has his ‘heart set’ on turning things around at Real but could be open to a return to Chelsea in the summer if they wish to bring him back.

The Verdict: Blessing in disguise?

News of West Ham’s offer being rejected could actually be good news since we believe he simply wouldn’t fit in at the club.

There are incentives to move, with Galacticos boss Carlo Ancelotti recently calling him a ‘top player’ and Irons legend Mark Noble once raving over the ‘special’ forward.

His talent is obvious, but having been accused of laziness and a questionable attitude by ex-teammate John Obi Mikel, Hazard is a player who could disrupt the harmony of Moyes’ squad.

On a reported £416,000-per-week, the 30-year-old would also have to take a seismic pay cut to join West Ham with this move arguably being more than trouble than it’s worth.

In other news: ‘Oh my’, ‘Yes yes yes’…ExWHUemployee news on ‘perfect’ striker has these fans talking, find out more here.

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s captain for the upcoming World Twenty20, has said that Sachin Tendulkar’s absence from the Indian team for the tournament will be a blessing in disguise for the other sides

Cricinfo staff29-Mar-2010Shahid Afridi, Pakistan’s captain for the upcoming World Twenty20, has said that Sachin Tendulkar’s absence from the Indian team for the tournament will be a blessing in disguise for the other sides.”The way he has blossomed in the last few years, he is only getting better and better as a batsman. If he is not playing for India in the Twenty20 World Cup, it is certainly a big advantage for other teams,” Afridi was quoted in the . “If Tendulkar had played in this World Cup, I am sure he would made big impact for India.”Tendulkar voluntarily ruled himself out of international Twenty20 matches in 2007, before the inaugural World Twenty20, in order to preserve himself for the longer formats. He has been in fine form in the IPL, having scored 303 runs in the first six matches, seven runs shy of Jacques Kallis who tops the run charts. Tendulkar’s purple patch led to suggestions that he reconsider his decision, but Tendulkar has ruled out such a possibility.Afridi feels that age has not had any effect on Tendulkar’s powers. “With every match he seems to be growing as a batsman and getting better. He is playing like a teenager. There is no sign of age affecting his game at all,” Afridi said.”The biggest thing that he still enjoys playing the sport and he is hunger for runs has not died at all,” he said. I think even in Twenty20 cricket you need to bat properly and at times even playing out 20 overs is a big challenge for a team. You need to play orthodox cricket,” Afridi said.

With 2021 nearing towards its conclusion, it’s safe to say it’s been a rollercoaster of a ride for Aston Villa fans this year.

After safely securing Premier League football for another year last season, the Villans started off this campaign in dire straits, with Dean Smith eventually seeing a poor run of form lose his managerial job.

In his place, Steven Gerrard took over the reins, and the former Liverpool captain has quickly set about turning things around at Villa Park, and the feelgood factor is well and truly back.

Whether it was some momentous victories against some of the Premier League’s heavyweights – both home and away – or making a real splash in the transfer market in the summer, Villa have had some standout moments in 2021.

And, with that in mind, here on FFC we’ve put together a bumper quiz to test the most passionate of Villa fans on how well they remember their team’s ongoings from this year.

With 15 questions to answer, can you prove to yourself and everyone else that you’re a TRUE Villa fan?!

Have a go below!

They came from the depths to win the cup last year. Can they do an encore?

Sriram Veera09-Mar-2010Deccan ChargersA euphoric moment from last year•Associated PressThey tried to fly like Superman but crash-landed in the first season. They returned for the second edition as Clark Kent and won the tournament. On the cusp of what could be an interesting third season, the question arises: Will the real Deccan Chargers please stand up?After the overconfidence of the first year, they realised the importance of the local Indian players doing well and the leadership of Darren Lehmann and Adam Gilchrist ensured that that objective was met in style. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Venugopal Rao and T Suman formed the core of the middle order and offered tremendous value as spinners. And they can continue to depend on Pragyan Ojha, who shone in the last edition with his control and discipline. Even the younger Indian players like Monish Mishra and Rahul Sharma have impressed Gilchrist.In fact the Indian players are not the problem areas this year; the season hinges on the performance of the foreign players and their ability to adapt to Indian conditions. Can Herschelle Gibbs get back into form? Will Gilchrist himself, being out of cricket for long, have any problem getting into the groove? What is Andrew Symonds’ state of mind? If all the above are positive, Deccan have Mitchell Marsh, Ryan Harris, Dwayne Smith, and Kemar Roach who can turn out to be key performers.The buzzThe main buzz revolved around the games being taken away from the home venue Hyderabad following sporadic violence surrounding the separatist Telangana movement. It may not, however, be a bad thing for the home team – they have not won a single match in the IPL or Champions League on home turf (last year’s games were in South Africa).New faces Deccan have signed up the upcoming talented batsman Mitchell Marsh, younger brother of Australian opener Shaun, and Kemar Roach as a replacement for fellow West Indian fast bowler Fidel Edwards. Roach impressed the world with his performances in Australia, particularly in his duel with Ricky Ponting. He has the pace of Edwards without the latter’s erratic streak. Marsh is an interesting pick and he could very well take Gibbs’ spot if the latter continues to not perform.

Watch out for

Andrew Symonds. The world knows what he can do on a cricket field even if at times he forgets it himself. In Indian conditions, he can be a real powerhouse with his off spin or medium pace and with his explosive batting and fielding. The IPL is the only arena where much of the cricketing world will get to see him perform and it should make for a fascinating viewing experience.

Missing in action

Edwards, who sparkled in the early rounds of last year’s tournament, is the only big casualty but he has been replaced by the talented Roach.

Strength

Their batting is stronger than the bowling and can be potentially very explosive with the presence of Gilchrist, Symonds, Rohit Sharma and Smith.

Weakness

The bowlers. RP Singh, who was the purple-cap holder last year with 23 wickets, usually struggles in Indian conditions. It has to be seen how Harris and Roach adapt to the conditions. And perhaps there is too much of a burden on the irregular spinners Rohit and Rao. Only time will tell.

X-Factor

Mitchell Marsh. He is a powerful batsman who has captained the Australian Under-19 team to the World Cup triumph recently. Gilchrist rates him highly and it won’t be surprising if he replaces Gibbs straightaway.

IPL 2009 – The key figures

Final position: Winners
Top scorer: Gilchrist with 495 runs at 30.93
Top wicket-taker: RP Singh with 23 wickets at 18.13 and economy-rate of 6.50
Best result: The crushing eight-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders was the best though the crushing six-wicket win over Delhi in the semi-final will be more memorable for the brutal innings by Gilchrist. Worst result: 78-run loss to Chennai Super Kings
Highest team score: 184 for 6 v Bangalore
Lowest team score: 100 v Chennai
Prediction for 2010They should make the semi-finals

New South Wales fast bowler Aaron Bird has retired, bringing to an end a first-class career blighted by a suspect bowling action

Cricinfo staff17-Apr-2010New South Wales fast bowler Aaron Bird has retired, bringing an end to a first-class career blighted by a suspect bowling action. He will continue to play grade cricket for Canterbury-Bankstown.”I have had a wonderful time representing NSW and loved every minute of it,” Bird said. “I leave with a great sense of pride and achievement that I have represented this great state, and am truly thankful for the opportunity and support through some tough times that Cricket NSW has given me.”David Gilbert, the NSW chief, said Bird had set “an outstanding example to his teammates”. “The manner with which he dealt with adversity during his playing career was truly inspirational.”Bird began his state career in 2005 and played six first-class games, 25 List A matches and 12 Twenty20s for New South Wales. His first setback came in 2006-07, when he was reported for a suspect action. Bird faced a possible ban but stress fractures prevented him from bowling and delayed testing. His action was cleared later but, in February 2009, he was suspended for the same problem. The last instance of Bird being reported was during NSW’s Twenty20 match at the WACA in January.

Leeds United are among a host of Premier League clubs who could potentially sign Derby County youngster Jason Knight, according to Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Knight impresses for Derby

The 20-year-old has become a key performer for Derby despite his tender years, scoring twice and setting up another two goals in 15 Championship appearances this season. Knight has even been compared to Wayne Rooney by the man himself, with the Rams manager clearly impressed by the attitude of his player.

The midfielder’s performances have caught the eye of top-flight clubs, and Leeds would appear to be a potential destination.

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The Latest: Leeds in the race

That has been confirmed by O’Rourke, who told GIVEMESPORT that the Whites are considered as possible suitors for Knight in the January transfer window. He outlined:

“Jason Knight also, a good midfielder, Republic of Ireland international as well. Lots of clubs looking at him.

“There’s the likes of Brighton, Newcastle, Leeds all interested in him, as well as West Ham. So, I think it could be a real battle on for his signature in January.”

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The Verdict: Exciting one for the future

Knight mightn’t necessarily be viewed as an immediate option for Marcelo Bielsa but he possesses the long-term potential to be a key figure for Leeds in the future.

It is vital that the Whites continue to plan ahead rather than solely focusing on the here-and-now, with someone like Kalvin Phillips eventually needing to be replaced, especially if the abundance of transfer rumours regarding the 25-year-old continue into 2022.

It should be stressed that Knight has already won eight caps for the Republic of Ireland, so he has shown that he can compete at a high level, and judging by Rooney’s endorsement of the player, he could significantly strengthen Bielsa’s squad depth at a crucial point in the season.

In other news, one Leeds signing reportedly won’t come cheap. Find out who it is here.