All posts by h716a5.icu

Giles Clarke has been given a timely boost following last week’s damaging revelations about Allen Stanford, after his re-election as chairman of the ECB was officially ratified

Cricinfo staff23-Feb-2009Giles Clarke has been given a timely boost following last week’s damaging revelations about Allen Stanford, after his re-election as chairman of the ECB was officially ratified.Clarke was elected for his first term in 2007 after serving as chairman of Somerset, but in the last few days he has faced loud calls to resign after Stanford was charged with fraud by the US authorities. On Monday, however, the 41 members of the ECB confirmed his recent re-election, enabling him to remain in office until March 31, 2011.Clarke’s loudest critics have been Neil Davidson and Rod Bransgrove, the chairmen of Leicestershire and Hampshire respectively, who accuse him of debasing the game by brokering the US$100 million deal with Stanford that was last week terminated by the ECB.However, the only potential challenger to Clarke, Lord Marland of Odstock, withdrew from the nomination process when it became clear that few of the counties supported him.Speaking on BBC Radio 4, the former ECB vice-chairman Mike Soper – whom Clarke defeated to win his first election in 2007 – said he would consider another challenge at some point in the future, after expressing his lack of confidence in the management structure.”The thing I’m very sad about is the fact that cricket has been mauled all the way through this and the individuals seem to put more on finance than the actual game itself,” said Soper. “We’ve lost Vodafone, we’ve now lost Stanford, and it’s the implications for cricket that worry me more than anything else.”When Giles was elected, it was because he was 70% an entrepreneur and 30% a cricket lover. I was always the reverse. I think if he’s that great an entrepreneur, he ought to get these sponsors, replace them and then resign. It’s too easy to walk away but I would consider challenging only if the game wanted a cricket lover first and an entrepreneur second.”

Former Everton striker Marcus Bent insists that Romelu Lukaku’s goalscoring record simply does not warrant the fees paid for him throughout his career.

Lukaku sealed a £97.5m move to Chelsea earlier this month, becoming the player with the most accumulated transfer fees throughout his career.

According to ESPN, the Belgium international has cost clubs a total of £288.8m throughout his career.

When he moved from Anderlecht to Chelsea, the Blues paid £13.5m, before he went to Everton for an initial £3.15m loan fee and an eventual transfer fee of £31.82m. Manchester United then bought Lukaku for £76.23m, and he later went to Inter Milan for £66.6m.

At Everton, Lukaku scored 87 goals in 166 games, while he scored 42 goals in 96 games for United; at Inter, he scored 64 times in 95 games, and Bent simply does not think he has the scoring record to be the most expensive player ever.

The second and third most expensive players, by comparison, are Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Bent said: “And let’s look at his stats. Does that live up to it? I don’t feel like it does. But there you go, that’s football, and that’s how it happens and good luck to him.

“He probably will do well because Chelsea are doing well, they’ve got a good manager, they’ve got good players, as long as they feed him the ball and he gets in the right positions, I’m sure he will be one of the top players.”

Shane Long’s market value has plummeted in recent seasons, which suggests that Southampton should have sold him a long time ago.

The Irish forward joined Southampton from Hull City in deal worth around £12m back in 2014 and has gone on to make 227 appearances for the Saints, in which he has contributed a disappointing 35 goals and 26 assists.

His best return for Southampton in the Premier League came in the 2015/16 campaign when he managed 10 goals in the top-flight but since then his goalscoring return has been far from consistent.

In the five top-flight seasons he has featured in since then, he has managed just 12 goals, so it seems baffling that he is still at St Mary’s and it seems clear that the Saints should have sold him back when Transfermarkt valued him at £9m in 2017, as he is now valued at just £1.08m four years on.

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The 34-year-old was surprisingly handed a two-year contract extension in 2020 and after scoring no goals for Southampton since then, he now looks set to leave St Mary’s on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of this season.

It has been clear for some time now that Long is no longer good enough to be playing for Southampton in the Premier League, with the veteran forward spending the second half of last season on loan with Bournemouth in the Championship and managing just two goals.

Therefore, in retrospect, the club should have definitely looked at selling him back in 2017 when he was valued at a career-high £9m as it certainly hasn’t proven to be worthwhile keeping him at St Mary’s, especially considering he is one of the top earners in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad.

Although the 34-year-old may be a good player to have around the dressing room, he has been very disappointing in recent seasons and fans will surely be glad to see him leave at the end of this season.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Forster: Semmens should seal Saints swoop for “exceptional” beast

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies and Guyana batsman, will receive the Cacique Crown of Honour, Guyana’s third-highest national award, from his country’s government

Cricinfo staff18-Mar-2009Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the West Indies and Guyana batsman, will receive the Cacique Crown of Honour, Guyana’s third-highest national award, from his country’s government. The announcement was made by Guyana president Bharrat Jagdeo at a function on Tuesday.”Chanderpaul has been a beacon of persistence, dedication and hard work andan example to many of our young people and young cricketers, not just inGuyana and West Indies, but all over the world,” Jagdeo said.Chanderpaul, who is currently the ICC International Cricketer of the Year, said he was “delighted” at the news. “Every award is special and this is one is quite special,” he said. “It is always great to be recognised by your own people.”Present during the function were members of the Guyana parliament; members of the West Indies and England teams; officials from the West Indies Cricket Board and the Guyana Cricket Board; and some of the residents of Unity Village where Chanderpaul grew up and learned to play the game.

Tottenham Hotspur had to come from behind to salvage a draw in their UEFA Europa Conference League group opener in France on Thursday night.

Nuno Santo’s side opened the scoring early in the first half when Lucas Moura’s cross was turned into his own net by Rennes defender Loic Bade before Flavien Tait curled an effort past Pierluigi Gollini before halftime.

The Ligue 1 outfit then took the lead with less than 20 minutes to go after Gaetan Laborde slotted home from close range but it was surprisingly Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg who saved the day as he snuck in a bobbling ball just five minutes later.

Overall, it was another frustrating performance from Spurs and certainly another deject outing in Europe.

Just like the weekend, when the Lilywhites lost their first game of the season 3-0 at Crystal Palace, the opposition not only managed more attempts on goal but also created more chances, per SofaScore.

After keeping three straight clean sheets to kickstart the 2021/22 season, there were also defensive frailties once again and one usual candidate struggled to have much influence on the game.

Matt Doherty underwhelmed during Spurs’ qualifying clash with Pacos de Ferreira, leading to much of the Hotspur faithful slamming his performance – “utterly terrible” and “absolutely useless” were two phrases used to describe him, as relayed by This is Futbol.

If they were watching this game, then those feelings may well be the same.

Starting at right-back over summer signing Emerson Royal, the Northern Irishman failed to repay the faith his former Wolves boss had in him.

As per SofaScore, he was graded at a mediocre 6.7 rating. He was also one of the three most influential players on the ball, recording 81 touches but he did very little in return.

Doherty failed to provide a single accurate cross from three attempts on the right flank, whilst he lost possession 13 times – once every six touches – and failed to record a key pass or dribble.

He also won just three duels throughout his 90 minutes on the pitch, which is rather disappointing.

The £14.4m-rated star, who earns a reported £65k-per-week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, was also rated poorly by football.london’s Alasdair Gold, who handed him a 5/10 and wrote:

‘The service in from the Irishman was so poor throughout but as luck would have it, it was his cross that was deflected into Hojbjerg’s path for the leveller. 5.’

On the above evidence, Doherty would be a very lucky man to feature in Nuno’s starting XI again anytime soon.

AND in other news, Forget Skipp: Spurs could finally replace Dembele with “devastating” £36m-rated beast…

Lendl Simmons and Brendan Nash put any concerns about the Grace Road pitch out of their minds as they enjoyed valuable time in the middle on the second day against Leicestershire

Cricinfo staff21-Apr-2009
ScorecardLendl Simmons didn’t have a great debut against England, but has started this tour in fine form•Getty ImagesLendl Simmons and Brendan Nash put any concerns about the Grace Road pitch out of their minds as they enjoyed valuable time in the middle on the second day against Leicestershire. Simmons hit the first hundred of the tour, while Nash made a composed 78, and to cap a promising day for the tourists Andrew Richardson struck early as Leicestershire batted again.John Dyson hit out at the surface after 14 wickets fell on the opening day, but progress was much more serene with Simmons and Nash in occupation. Both batsmen will have important roles to play in the Test series next month so the acclimatisation time will serve them well.Simmons made his Test debut against England in Trinidad and was promoted to open in the second innings after Chris Gayle was injured. However, his immediate future appears to be in the middle order where he will probably slot in at No. 4 between the trump players Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.There is a strong Simmons connection with Grace Road after Phil Simmons, his uncle, spent five years at Leicestershire as an overseas player and played a key role in the 1996 and 1998 Championship titles. Lendl reached his century off 192 balls, to add to the one he scored on the same ground for West Indies A three years ago, before retiring three deliveries later with cramp, but that allowed others the chance to have a hit.”It was a pretty flat batting track and I enjoyed it,” Simmons said. “I know my uncle played here a few years ago and I also played here for the A team a few years ago and I enjoyed today – it was a good feeling. I haven’t had a chance to talk to him just yet because he’s been with the Ireland team in South Africa but hopefully when he gets back I’ll have a chat to him.”Simmons and Nash had batted throughout the morning session and the closest the home side came to a wicket was a run-out chance when Nash was on 27. Simmons’ cover-driving was a stand-out feature of his game as Leicestershire’s young attack struggled to make the same impact they did on the first evening.Nash, who proved a tough obstacle for England to shift during the recent series in West Indies, had collected 78 when he retired to give Darren Sammy the opportunity of an innings, but Sammy didn’t last long before providing Alex Wyatt a third wicket.However, stand-in captain Denesh Ramdin and left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn extended the West Indian lead with a stand of 54, which was ended when Ramdin gave Boeta Dippenaar a rare first-class wicket. That was also the signal for Ramdin to declare one ball short of the 100 overs permitted in these three-day games.Richardson then removed Tom New early and although Matthew Boyce and Josh Cobb survived the remaining overs Leicestershire still trail by 87 runs and will have to fight hard to save the match.

The former England seamer, Angus Fraser, has reacted with sadness to the news that his former team-mate, Chris Lewis, has been convicted of drug smuggling, and believes that the case should send a warning to modern-day players of the dangers of being draw

Andrew Miller20-May-2009The former England seamer, Angus Fraser, has reacted with sadness to the news that his former team-mate, Chris Lewis, has been convicted of drug smuggling, and believes that the case should send a warning to modern-day players of the dangers of being drawn into the trappings of fame.Lewis, 41, was sentenced to 13 years in prison by Croydon Crown Court after being found guilty of smuggling cocaine into the country on a flight from St Lucia. He was arrested at Gatwick Airport in December, along with a friend, Chad Kirnon, when customs officials found five cans of fruit juice in his luggage in which cocaine had been dissolved.”It’s very, very sad,” Fraser told Cricinfo. “I suppose this highlights how difficult it can be for players to cope once they stop playing cricket. They get used to a lifestyle and a certain standard of living, and a lot of cricketers don’t plan for what to do when they stop playing.”As a person, Chris liked the nice things in life, the clothes and the cars, but once his playing days were over, his means of income was reduced. He needed the money and it appears he got dragged into something like this. It’s very sad.”Fraser, who is currently Middlesex’s Director of Cricket, having completed a six-year stint as the cricket correspondent of The Independent, played alongside Lewis when he was drafted in as a late replacement for the injured Ricardo Ellcock on England’s tour of the Caribbean in 1989-90. The pair were England team-mates, on and off, for the next five years.”I always had a lot of time for him,” said Fraser. “He copped a lot of stick in his playing days, and in the last few years, but he was always polite and friendly to my family, and I enjoyed his company. And he was certainly the best athlete I played cricket with, that’s for sure.”But he was a pretty complex character on the cricket field. He had the potential to bowl extremely fast, and the potential to score Test hundreds, but he was one of those players who only achieved a percentage of what he could have achieved.”Why there was such inconsistency to his performances, I don’t think anyone has ever got to the bottom of that. There are some blokes who just get on with it and bowl through a bit of discomfort, but Chris was very aware of his body. Some people just expect to be fit 100% of the time.”

Former Leeds United star David Norris believes that Junior Firpo can develop into a fine player at the club, having been criticised by some fans following his display against Newcastle United last weekend.

The Whites defender joined the club from Barcelona in the summer transfer window, with the club paying £13.5m to secure his signature from the Spanish club.

Firpo has gone on to make four appearances in the Premier League since his arrival from the Liga giants.

The 25-year-old has made three starts in the top-flight, against Everton, Liverpool and Newcastle, and came on as a substitute against Manchester United.

Leeds have yet to win this season, losing to United and Liverpool, and drawing with the Toffees, Burnley, and the Magpies.

Norris is consistent in his belief that Firpo will turn out to be a fine signing for the club, and thinks he has the ability required to become a real star in Yorkshire.

However, he believes that, at this point, he is still adapting to the system at the club.

He said: “From the bits I’ve seen from him, I think he’s capable. He looks like he could be a good player and turn out to be a good signing, obviously he’s not really got going yet.

“He’s not one I would write off yet, I like the little bits I have seen and I think he’s capable of being a good signing still. He just needs a little bit more game time.”

Ireland’s opponents on Wednesday are the world champions and they need no motivation as captain Willaim Porterfield believes all the pressure is on India

George Binoy at Trent Bridge09-Jun-2009The morning after Ireland dumped Bangladesh out of the World Twenty20 at Trent Bridge, the team had more reason to cheer with news that the injury Niall O’Brien sustained on Monday was less serious than feared.O’Brien said he had heard a crack while going over on his ankle during the last over of Bangladesh’s innings but no ligament damage was found when he was assessed on Tuesday. However, he had a grade one tear and, though the bruising and swelling reduced, he did not take part in Ireland’s training session at Lady Bay. His participation in Wednesday’s game against India isn’t certain but, given that Ireland have already qualified for the second round, they can afford to rest one of their best players so that he’s fit in time for their first Super Eight match against New Zealand on Thursday.”We’re not going to take any risks with him,” Ireland’s captain William Porterfield said. “But he’s obviously going to want to play every game for Ireland and, playing in a World Cup, there’s no bigger stage. I’m sure if he’s fit enough he will [play].”Porterfield said the players had got “a lot of texts and calls” after they beat Bangladesh by six wickets but despite celebrating their win at the Hilton in Nottingham, they were up for an early morning training session at 9.00 am. Their opponents on Wednesday are the world champions and they needed no motivation.”We had a couple of drinks – it’s good to celebrate your wins and your success – but now we’ve got a big game to focus on tomorrow,” Porterfield said. “They’re world champions, so there’s no better team to pit yourself against. It will obviously give us a gauge of where we are and where we need to be in this format. All the pressure is on India. We’re not thinking too far ahead of ourselves at the moment. But we believe, within the squad, that we can cause another potential upset.”Ireland have beaten Bangladesh, a Full Member country, in two high-profile matches now and have performed consistently better than the other nations in the ICC’s high-performance program. In an interview to the , Ireland’s chief executive Warren Deutrom had questioned the point of Associate cricket, saying that Ireland were “head and shoulders above the rest of the associate nations” but were “bumping against a glass ceiling”. The goal of attaining Full Member status is a distant one and achieving it is dependent on factors other than just the performance of the Ireland team. Porterfield, however, said the first step was to get more players on contracts.”From Ireland’s perspective, we’ve got to get more and more lads playing full-time cricket. That’s key,” Porterfield said. “We’ve got two lads now in Trent [Johnston] and Alex Cusack on full-time contracts. We’ve got to get more and more lads contracted back home and playing full-time cricket and better cricket against better opposition. That’s the only way you’re going to improve.”The sooner Ireland get to the stage where we’re contracting 10 or 15 players, the goal of being a Full Member won’t be too far away. I think we’ve got a few more steps to go before we get to Test level. But it’s something I know our board is working hard to achieve. If we keep putting in the performances, we hope it will not be too far away. We don’t get the funding the Full Members receive, and obviously the board may feel that is a blow.”Stretching the richest cricket-playing country, if not beating them at Trent Bridge on Wednesday, as much as Ireland can would be a terrific stepping stone to that goal. Their players are also hopeful of a few IPL scouts watching.

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is now being wanted by fellow Premier League side Spurs.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish publication Fichajes, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are considering bidding for Watkins as they’ve become worried over Harry Kane’s lack of goal-scoring form.

The report claims that Spurs’ sporting director, Fabio Paratici, is eyeing up some attacking reinforcements, and Watkins’ name features prominently on that list.

Dean Smith would be livid

After suggestions initially emerged that Liverpool were actually interested in signing Watkins in the summer transfer window just gone by, former Villa star, Lee Hendrie, exclusively told FFC:

“If you’re going to start selling those players to the bigger clubs, how are you meant to compete? I get that you’re possibly going to get £60m for someone, but then who do you go and buy that’s going to replace Ollie Watkins?

“You’ve got to go and spend decent money on someone to go and bring him in and then it could possibly be a gamble.”

The striker was a key reason behind Villa’s successful campaign last year, bagging 16 goals in all competitions and netting in home and away fixtures against Liverpool (including a hat-trick at Villa Park) and also against Arsenal.

It’s no surprise then that the likes of Liverpool and Spurs both have their eye on signing a “machine” like Watkins, and it will leave Smith very worried about trying to hold on to his main man up front.

Were the Villa hierarchy to decide that they should cash in on Watkins, Smith would certainly not be in a forgiving mood.

The Villa boss worked with the striker back at Brentford, and then brought him to Villa Park and clearly has a real rapport and relationship with him, and the 25-year-old’s performances have been a real vindication of that faith.

Johan Lange must avoid selling the £34m-rated star to Spurs at all costs, or risk leaving Smith absolutely fuming.

Meanwhile, Gregg Evans drops an Aston Villa update on this star…