All posts by h716a5.icu

Coaches and captains of state teams are unhappy with the Ranji Trophy schedule which gives them only a three-day gap between matches

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Jan-2010A year after the BCCI crammed the Indian domestic schedule to accommodate the IPL and the Champions League Twenty20, coaches and captains of state teams are virtually up in arms against the move. Their main objection is the three-day gap between matches in the on-going Ranji Trophy. Such a small break between games, they believe, is making players vulnerable to injury.Vijay Dahiya, Delhi’s coach, and Wasim Jaffer, the Mumbai captain, were of the opinion that the main reason behind majority of the matches ending in dull draws was because teams refused to risk pushing their bowlers, who have been under the pump due to the demanding schedule and lifeless pitches. “We do not get too many days rest between matches. There is not much rest for the bowlers who go down with the injuries,” Jaffer said on the eve of the Ranji Trophy Super League semi-final between Mumbai and Delhi at the Brabourne Stadium.Jaffer said it was the primary reason teams were settling for first-innings lead points rather than pushing for an outright win. “So when you get the time to rest them [bowlers] you don’t miss out unless you want to really want to force a win. Otherwise people are happy to get the first-innings lead and go to the next round,” he said.Dahiya was equally critical of the schedule which was introduced at the start of 2008 season. “We haven’t changed our [bowling] combination throughout the season unless forced by injuries or national call-ups. So the fast bowlers need more rest. If we can have that it would be more helpful rather than having a five-day game,” Dahiya said.While Dahiya was happy with the four-day format till the semi-finals, Jaffer believed five-day matches from the knockout stage would create more time for a possible result. “The five-day format, at least in the knockouts, is good as most teams prefer to take the first-innings lead and don’t want to force a win. At least this way the team on the receiving end has a chance to get back,” Jaffer said.Out of 53 matches played in the 2009-10 season, only 19 had outright results while 31 were decided by the first-innings lead. Corresponding figures in 2008-09 show 31 of the 56 matches had a result while 26 ended on first-innings lead.”For most of the games, we haven’t asked our bowlers to bowl in the nets during training as they have bowled 45-odd overs already,” Jaffer said. At the moment the gap is three days which includes a traveling day. “Ideally it would be good to have three rest days and one day for travel.”

Newcastle United’s ongoing nightmare was meant to have been ended by their Saudi-backed takeover, but they’ve quickly come to realise there’s no instant cure for years of neglect and mismanagement.

Former manager Steve Bruce was relieved of his duties after just one game in charge under the new regime, but new boss Eddie Howe is still searching for his first win in the St. James’ Park hot seat.

With six points separating 20th-placed Newcastle and 17th-placed Watford, the January transfer window is likely to play a pivotal part in their chances of retaining their Premier League status come May.

Several star names such as Ousmane Dembele, Lorenzo Insigne and Philippe Coutinho have been linked with a move to the Toon, although the prospect of a relegation battle may mean they have to focus their attention on more realistic targets.

And one of those who perhaps could be persuaded to join Howe’s struggling charges is TSG Hoffenheim midfielder Florian Grillitsch.

The 26-year-old’s current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2022, meaning he will be available for a cut-price deal over the coming months, sparking a tussle for his signature.

According to The Sun, Hoffenheim have placed a £3-4m price tag on Grillitsch, with both Newcastle and Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma listed as potential suitors.

Newcastle United must swoop this January

The £35,000-per-week dynamo is comfortable in a variety of positions through the middle of the pitch, regularly playing as a No.8, No.6, or even at centre-back when called upon to do so.

It’s in the engine room where the Austria international really excels, though, allowing him to utilise his physical presence, ability to carry the ball and impressive passing range, and his eye-catching performances have seen him compared to a former Bundesliga great.

“Grillitsch’s hounding of opposition players coupled with his ability to roll his man, carry the ball and ping passes left, right and centre is reminiscent of prime Bastian Schweinsteiger,” read a profile piece by Bundesliga.com.

Hoffenheim sporting director Alexander Rosen also led his admiration for Grillitsch be known, praising his tactical intelligence as well as his natural attributes.

“Florian is an extremely gifted footballer. He has a real football brain and great technique, and can apply himself to a number of different roles,” said Rosen.

Whether Newcastle and Howe can convince Grillitsch to turn down the allure of Rome for the North-East of England remains to be seen, but they must do everything in their power to secure his services.

And, in other news…Howe could end NUFC’s midfield woes with “incredible” 29 y/o who’s “one of the best”

Tamim Iqbal’s brilliant 151 on the second day in Mirpur revealed a lot about his character – his aggressive streak as well as his efforts to temper it with patience

Sriram Veera in Mirpur26-Jan-2010Until very recently, if Tamim Iqbal had to be described by a punctuation mark, you would have picked a nice big bold exclamation mark. You would have also been tempted to colour it red. It wasn’t a difficult stereotype to arrive at. His batting was a scream of adrenalin and his life zoomed on the fast lane given that he races around in a BMW. The crimson ‘!’ was the easiest symbol to settle upon. Things are changing, though. Maturity hasn’t moved in yet but it is a frequent visitor these days.Today, all the typical Tamim strokes – the audacious slog-sweeps, the thrilling hits over mid-on, and the numerous sweep shots – were there, but what symbolised this knock was the uncharacteristic military snap with which he shouldered arms to a series of balls, well outside off stump from Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag. It was aimed at his past reputation, at the Tamim stereotype. One could understand the bowlers’ plan – surely, Tamim will go after them and throw his wicket away? But it didn’t work, as he kept leaving those deliveries. Ball after ball, over after over. It has to be a landmark event in Tamim’s brief batting career.There was a solitary moment of intrusion from the old Tamim which reminded us that no hasty conclusion can be drawn yet, that Tamim’s battle is still on but the journey to self-awareness has started. He lunged across, fetched a ball from outside off and top-edged a slog sweep but it fell clear of a desperate Sachin Tendulkar at mid-on. It wasn’t a brain freeze. It was just a relapse to his older self. The way he looked at that incident at the end of the day said much about him. “I knew Sehwag would try to bowl outside off to trap me and make me play a stupid shot. And I did it once. Just once.”A lovely smile lit up his face. There was no seriousness involved; just the naughty smile of a youngster talking about petty misdemeanours committed in adolescence. It conveyed that batting will essentially remain an activity of fun for Tamim and that he will continue to express himself; just that he is trying hard to add a slice of wisdom to it.Tamim’s new-found resolve could possibly be the influence of his coach and the youngster acknowledged his role. “Jamie Siddons was throwing his cap away in the dressing room! I knew my mistake and after that I played really well.” More smiles all around. “Siddons has been the best coach we have ever had. He has really worked hard with me.”There was another thing that Tamim said, and did, that epitomised his spirit perfectly. During the tea-break, when he was still 21 runs short of hundred, he was involved in an earnest conversation with Siddons, just beyond the boundary. “He said ‘no need to rush, just play your game and play as straight as possible’,” Tamim explained. As it transpired, he moved to his ton in just 14 balls post tea. He looted 14 runs – a charged four, a lashed boundary, and a slog-swept six – from three consecutive Pragyan Ojha deliveries, didn’t connect with couple of pulls and even charged out at a Zaheer Khan delivery. It was the very definition of rush. What was he thinking? “Oh it wasn’t like that. I thought the ball was there to be hit, so I hit it.” It brought laughter all around and confirmed his essential thirst for adventure.Barring Zaheer, nearly all the Indian bowlers bowled at that characteristic attribute of Tamim. However he didn’t oblige today. Only Zaheer, especially with the old ball which he got to reverse, attacked him with a sense of purpose. He got the ball to move in, took it out, and punctuated his spell with bouncers. This is where Tamim really sparkled. He picked the trajectory of nearly every ball; only once was he squared-up, by a beauty that left him. A screeching yorker was muffled out, the front foot was carefully taken out of the way of late inswingers, a purposeful forward stride met ones that left him and importantly, he played the moving ball late. It showed the innings wasn’t just a matter of tempering his attitude but a show of skill as well.There was another piece of evidence that showcased his desire for improvement. He scored 66 runs in the arc from fine-leg to midwicket, a majority of it coming from sweep shots. It is something that he has been working hard on in the recent times with Mohammad Salahuddin, former assistant coach of the national team. “For hours and hours, he bowled at me and helped me practice the sweep shot. I wasn’t that comfortable against spin before. Even during this series, I have been working with him.” Last evening, there was an SMS from Salahuddin: “If the ball turns just a little, sweep.” And Tamim did exactly that.There was a poignant moment when Tamim shared a lovely little story. “I dedicate this hundred to my father (Iqbal Khan); he did everything possible for me to play cricket and it was his dream that I should play for Bangladesh.” Tamim’s elder brother Nafees has also played for Bangladesh and hit a Test hundred, a match-saving effort against Zimbabwe. Iqbal Khan died before his sons made their debuts. This son has not only played for the country, scoring the fastest hundred by a Bangladeshi in the process, but also promises to play for a long time. “So far, this is my best knock but there are many more to come. I am very new to Test cricket but I am beginning to understand myself better now.”The journey towards maturity has started. From reining in his aggression with the bat, to sending his BMW back to Chittagong for fears that it might get damaged on Dhaka’s roads, the 20-year old Tamim is threatening to grow up quickly. And it can’t hurt Bangladesh. In the here and now, it has given Bangladesh a rare hope, which looked unlikely as of last evening, of getting out safe, and perhaps even getting something beyond mere safety, from this Test.

Following on from their impressive 4-1 win over Merseyside rivals Everton in midweek, Liverpool are back in Premier League action once again this afternoon with a clash against Wolves at Molineux.

With the Reds still having Harvey Elliott, Roberto Firmino and Curtis Jones out injured, and Naby Keita and Joe Gomez only just returning to first-team training after recovering from injuries, here’s how we feel Jurgen Klopp could line up his side to take on Wolves. We anticipate that there will be two changes to the starting XI from Wednesday night’s derby triumph.

Unsurprisingly, we think Klopp will stick with Alisson Becker in goals considering that he has played in the majority of Liverpool’s league games so far this season. 

Similarly, given how he’s played in all but two of the Reds’ league games this season, scoring one goal and providing seven assists in the process, it seems a near-certainty that Trent Alexander-Arnold will take the right-back spot. 

For the left-back position, even though Andy Robertson – who has been described as a “complete player” in the past by Fabio Aurelio – impressed in the match at Goodison Park, we can see Klopp giving the Scotland international a rest today to see if Kostas Tsimikas has what it takes to prove himself against Wolves’ attacking players. 

At centre-backs, we can see Ibrahima Konate – who is currently earning a weekly wage of £71k-p/w according to Salary Sport – coming back in for Joel Matip alongside Virgil van Dijk as Klopp looks to make the most out of his entire squad to rest some players at the start of their busy winter schedule. 

In the midfield, with the injuries and midweek performances in mind, we think Klopp will stick with the same trio of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara. 

For the front three, with 28 league goals between them this season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Klopp go with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah on the wings with Diogo Jota through the middle to see if the Portuguese star can haunt his former side and secure another win for the travelling Reds on his 25th birthday. 

Whatever starting XI Klopp picks today, this will be a great opportunity for Liverpool to pick up another win and keep their streak going, with Wolves winning just two of their six previous league games, as the Reds seek to keep pace in the title race alongside Chelsea and Manchester City. 

In other news: Klopp given major LFC boost as transfer claim emerges, fans surely buzzing

A round-up of the fifth round of games from the Stanbic Bank Twenty20 tournament in Zimbabwe

Cricinfo staff16-Feb-2010The finishes at this tournament have tended to be exciting, but Matabeleland Tuskers’ last-ball win over Mid West Rhinos at Harare Sports Club could claim to be the most thrilling yet.A late fightback by Tuskers in pursuit of Rhinos’ 152 for 8 set up a dramatic final over, with Keegan Meth needing to score three off the final delivery. He drove firmly but almost straight to Ed Rainsford at extra cover, but the hapless fielder somehow let the ball slip through and reach the boundary, and Tuskers snatched an unexpected two-wicket victory.Vusi Sibanda had been the mainstay of the Rhinos innings as the batsmen struggled against Chris Mpofu’s pace and Gavin Ewing’s guile. He added 74 with Malcolm Waller before being surprised by a full toss from Mpofu to be bowled for 61. In the same over Waller edged a catch to the keeper for 33 and after that only Ollie Rayner, with 24 off 14 balls, played with much intent, stroking three fours before he was caught in the deep off the final delivery.In reply, Tuskers’ promotion of Sean Williams to open did not succeed, as he was yorked by Rainsford in the first over. Gavin Ewing, however, at last found some luck, racing to 40 from 28 balls before being trapped lbw by Graeme Cremer in the sixth over. Tuskers struggled after his dismissal, until the fall of the fifth wicket for 76 in the 13th over brought Blignaut to the crease. When he lost Dion Ebrahim almost immediately and 60 were needed off the last five overs, it seemed Tuskers were sinking to yet another defeat.But Blignaut seized the initiative with a rapid 26, which included two fours and a six, before drilling a catch straight at cover. With 42 still needed from only 20 balls, Meth and Tawanda Mupariwa picked up where Blignaut left off to reduce the target to 11 off the final over. A brilliant stop by Riki Wessels at long on saved a six, and when Mupariwa holed out to long on off the penultimate ball, the match was brought to a thrilling climax off the final delivery.The second game of the afternoon was another closely-fought affair, with Mashonaland Eagles beating Southern Rocks by six wickets, thanks to powerful innings by Elton Chigumbura and Cephas Zhuwawo.Put in to bat, Rocks got off to a flying start as Chamu Chibhabha pulled the third ball, from Chigumbura, for six and 13 came off the first over. Rocks raced to 44 in five overs, with Chibhabha receiving good support from Sikandar Raza. Raymond Price put a brake on the scoring, but the 100 came up in the 13th over.Raza was finally tempted into an indiscreet drive by the Doug Marillier’s offspin, and was caught at long off for 38 in the 14th over. His dismissal sparked a mini collapse as Chibhabha aimed a wild heave at the very next ball and skied a catch to backward point to be out for 61. To complete a hat-trick of dismissals Sean Ervine then ran himself out as Rocks slipped to 111 for 3. Alester Maregwede and Steve Tikolo added 57 in the six remaining overs, with Tikolo run out off the final ball, but considering their superb start, the final total of 168 must have been a little disappointing for Rocks.Eagles stumbled in their chase, with Marillier run out for a single after a mix up, and Prince Masvaure stumped, before Zhuwawo and Chigumbura combined in explosive fashion to put the pressure back on the bowling side. Chigumbura, who has been on top form with the bat in this tournament, plundered 41 from 27 balls, hitting five sixes – but no fours – before he was caught on the square-leg boundary.Eagles were well placed at 115 for 3 in the 13th over, but lost some momentum after the wicket and 27 were needed off the final three overs. With 17 needed Lamb was caught at cow corner and Forster Mutizwa came in to face another tight finish. He responded by pulling the first ball he faced for a big six, and Anthony Ireland was brought on to bowl the final over. Mutizwa managed a boundary, and after three singles Zhuwawo sealed the match with a lofted drive over extra cover. He was named Man of the Match for his unbeaten 52-ball 81, which included six fours and four sixes.

Celtic are closing in on a deal to bring Daizen Maeda to Parkhead in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Yahoo! Japan, who claim that Ange Postecoglou’s side have come to an agreement with Yokohama F. Marinos regarding the transfer of the 24-year-old centre-forward, with the Bhoys looking set to take the Japan international on loan for the second half of the season, before completing an obligatory ¥200m (£1.3m) purchase of the striker next summer.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how impressive Maeda has been in Japan this season, the news that Celtic look to be extremely close to completing a deal for the centre-forward is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 36 J League appearances this term, the £990k-rated man scored a whopping 23 goals, registered three assists and created four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.6 shots and making 0.9 key passes per game.

These returns saw the forward who Kevin Muscat dubbed a “dream” for a manager average a SofaScore match rating of 7.09, ranking him as his club’s joint sixth-best performer in the top flight of Japanese football.

As such, considering the amount of success Postecoglou has achieved with the signing of Maeda’s compatriot, Kyogo Furuhashi, already this season – with the 26-year-old having bagged 14 goals and five assists over 23 appearances for the Bhoys – the potential of the two international teammates linking up at Parkhead is certainly an extremely exciting one for all involved with the Hoops.

Furthermore, with it appearing as if the signing of Maeda has only cost Celtic a little over a million pounds, should the 24-year-old indeed go on to replicate the form of Kyogo in the second half of the current campaign, the striker would undoubtedly prove to be a contender for signing of the season.

In other news: Forget Rogic: “Brilliant” Celtic gem who won 78% duels made the “world of difference”

David Moyes has been handed a big injury boost at West Ham United this week…

What’s the latest?

In recent weeks, the Irons boss has been dealt some cruel blows to his backline, seeing the likes of Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma ruled out for most, if not all, of the remainder of the season.

He also saw young versatile academy graduate Ben Johnson hampered by a knock during the win over Chelsea, where the Frenchman also picked up a serious problem.

However, according to club insiders Claret and Hugh, the 21-year-old full-back has returned to training ahead of their two Premier League matches this week.

The Hammers face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening before hosting basement boys Norwich City on Saturday afternoon. It’s thought that he will be available for the latter encounter.

Big boost

This will serve as a massive, massive boost to the Scot as it means he will get one of defensive regulars back, perhaps earlier than expected. He, along with Ogbonna, Zouma and Aaron Cresswell missed the draw to Burnley at the weekend, meaning Moyes was without his ‘best’ back four.

To have three of the four out for a substantial amount of time would seriously dent their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, or at worst the Europa League.

So, it’s easy to see why the 58-year-old would be delighted by this latest development.

As per WhoScored, Johnson has been one of the Hammers’ most consistent performers, averaging a rating of 6.87 per match. He ranks second for tackles (2.1 per game) and interceptions (1.4 per game), whilst fellow insider ExWHUemployee dubbed him “sensational” back in October.

His importance to the side was recently emphasised by Moyes, who waxed lyrical about his presence only last month.

“He’s a bit of utility player for us, he’s been here for a while. He’s a really important player for us. In the squad and the group he’s really important,” he said (via football.london). “Quite often we’ve brought him on and used him in different roles and he’s had a chance to have some games under his belt, he’s not let us down and scored a good goal in midweek.”

If he’s back involved this weekend, then the Irons boss will be getting a major squad boost heading into kickoff, and that should leave many around the London Stadium absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Newman can seal West Ham’s biggest signing since Payet in “complete” £24.3m-rated gem…

Michael Clarke’s hundred steered Australia into a strong position on an uncomfortable first day

The Bulletin by Peter English18-Mar-2010Australia 316 for 4 (Clarke 100*, Katich 79, North 52*) v New Zealand
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Michael Clarke made a big statement with a well-paced century that gave Australia the upper hand at the Basin Reserve•Getty ImagesMichael Clarke has had to display a lot of patience over the past fortnight and he applied an unflappable, measured approach as his century steered Australia into a strong position. Clarke showed no lasting effects from the break-up of his engagement, which forced him home to Sydney last week, as he paced his innings perfectly.His timing was so good he brought up his hundred in the last over of the day as he swung his side to 316 for 4. Clarke entered with Australia at a sticky 115 for 3 and locked down with Simon Katich, whose responsible 79 was also crucial against a disciplined local attack.Only 70 runs came in 28 overs between lunch and tea as the tourists were restricted and Clarke needed 32 deliveries for his first two singles. However, once Marcus North, who helped confirm his spot at No.6 with 52, was set in the final session, Clarke started to accelerate and quickly undid the excellent work of the hosts.The speed at which Clarke improved the situation from delicate to in control was impressive. For a couple of hours he had defended and clipped, playing a nice cut for four off Daryl Tuffey, but also being struck in the helmet attempting a pull off Chris Martin. His first sign of intent came when he charged at Daniel Vettori and lifted him for six to long-on, part of his collection of 91 in the last session.Four overs later, having added three fours and launched Vettori over the sightscreen, he was 68 and Australia were suddenly purring. The second new ball came and Clarke continued to find the boundary, with two fours off Brent Arnel taking him to 98 with a dozen balls remaining.The century came with a tight single from the first ball of the last over and he ran with his bat in the air as he accepted the applause. At stumps he was 100, with 10 fours and two sixes from his 142 balls, and had proved his ability to cope under an extreme spotlight.The upbeat partnership with North of 140 at almost five an over sent the day Australia’s way. After a few worrying early moments, North gained confidence and was also batting more freely than at any time this year.His place is under pressure from Steven Smith, the batsman-legspinner, but if he goes on the spot will be his until he has to negotiate his next elongated slump. A straight drive for four from Arnel steadied him and he felt more comfortable after swiping Vettori for six over midwicket. The contribution allowed all of the tourists to relax.Australia knew life against New Zealand was going to be harder than their home summer of success and they were forced to battle for much of the day. Life was tough before lunch when the pitch was offering more help, but Arnel’s first wicket, which came from his fifth ball on debut, was the only break though. However, when Australia lost Ricky Ponting to a run-out on 41 and Michael Hussey (4) to a sharp catch from BJ Watling there was some concern.Katich, Australia’s ideal man for the difficult situation, was less inclined to chase boundaries than his team-mates, although he eventually forced himself to become more adventurous to Vettori. A hook behind square off Arnel brought up his half-century and he slog-swept Vettori for an awkward six, but mostly he nudged, chipped and glanced.His reward was a 191-ball stay that gave him more batting time but not a century. While New Zealand missed him twice in the lead-up to tea, Katich did not last long after the break and was lbw shuffling across the crease to Arnel, who was operating around the wicket.Arnel, a 31-year-old right armer, was brought in for his debut in a four-man seam attack and he delivered a tricky opening spell of seven overs. He picked up a slashing Phillip Hughes (20), who did not take advantage of Shane Watson’s hip injury, and showed his pace and movement was worthy of a promotion. Arnel’s first Test day ended in figures of 2 for 70 but he and his team-mates were disappointed to have let Australia off.The ball swung throughout to disrupt the batsmen’s rhythm and Martin was a problem when he curled it into the right-handers and away from the lefties. It was a delivery across Hussey that resulted in his fatal edge and he returned 1 for 63.New Zealand’s major problem was they couldn’t sustain the effort until the end. Vettori was attacked before the second new ball was taken but Tuffey, who gave up 13 runs from his first 11 overs, regained some control to finish with 0 for 35 from 15. Despite their commitment, Clarke’s brilliant burst left them with ground to recover.

Brighton and Hove Albion correspondent Aden-Jay Wood reckons that Dan Ashworth is likely to join Newcastle United as their new Director of Football (DoF). 

The lowdown

The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported on Monday that the Seagulls had given Newcastle permission to speak to Ashworth about fulfilling the position.

Initial contact has been made, and formal talks are ‘likely to happen in due course’. It apparently isn’t the ‘style’ of the south coast club to deprive their employees of appealing opportunities when they arise.

Newcastle have previously been linked with former Chelsea and AS Monaco technical director Michael Emenalo. The Telegraph reported (via Sky Sports) that he had turned down The Magpies, although co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi insisted this was not the case.

The latest

Wood took to Twitter to provide the latest on Ashworth being linked with the DoF role at St James’ Park and is resigned to the 50-year-old departing Brighton.

He tweeted: “If Dan Ashworth goes (which I think he will), it will be a huge shame. Ashworth has almost singlehandedly changed Brighton’s approach both on and off the field and would be very, very difficult to replace.”

The verdict

Perhaps in an ideal world, Newcastle would have got their new DoF installed in time for the start of the January transfer window, but that appears very unlikely now.

They have at least managed to appoint Nick Hammond, the former Celtic and Reading director of football, in a temporary consultancy role. He may oversee signings designed to try and keep the Magpies in the Premier League, with Ashworth then taking the reins to guide them forward from thereon.

Ashworth did tell The Athletic in February 2020 that he hoped to be at the Amex Stadium for ‘many years to come’, but perhaps the Newcastle project would simply be too good to turn down given the sheer extent of wealth at their disposal.

In other news, Newcastle have offered this Brazilian beast a contract

Umar Akmal, the Pakistan batsman, has picked up a side strain during the preparatory camp for the ICC World Twenty20 but is expected to be fit in time for the tournament which starts on April 30

Cricinfo staff10-Apr-2010Umar Akmal, the Pakistan batsman, has picked up a side strain during the preparatory camp for the ICC World Twenty20 but is expected to be fit in time for the tournament which starts on April 30.Akmal has stopped taking part in the nets sessions at the training camp in Lahore, and is the fourth player to be injured since the camp started – Pakistan’s leading Twenty20 bowler, Umar Gul, injured his shoulder earlier this week, while allrounder Yasir Arafat and batsman Fawad Alam are also facing fitness problems.Shahid Afridi, who will lead Pakistan’s defence of their World Twenty20 crown, was convinced his players would recover in the three weeks remaining before the competition starts in the West Indies.”There is nothing serious about the injuries, which is why I’m confident that the boys will be ready to give their best in the World Twenty20,” he told the .He said both Akmal and Gul will return to practice in a few days. “Umar is getting troubled by the injury because it becomes painful when he bats which is why he is not attending the nets,” he said. “[Regarding Gul] We are expecting to get the (MRI) report soon but I’m hoping that Gul will be back to training within the next three days.”The Pakistan squad is undergoing rigorous training in Lahore in a bid to improve fielding and general fitness. They are slated to play Bangladesh and Australia in the league phase, on May 1st and 2nd respectively.