All posts by h716a5.icu

Former India medium-pacer Venkatesh Prasad has been named the captain of a 15-man South Zone squad for the Deodhar Trophy starting on January 2, 2003

Staff Reporter21-Dec-2002Former India medium-pacer Venkatesh Prasad has been named the captain of a 15-man South Zone squad for the Deodhar Trophy starting on January 2, 2003.Among the other notable inclusions in the squad for the 13-day tournament are the precocious 17-year-old Hyderabadi batsman Ambati Rayudu and Karnataka wicketkeeper Thilak Naidu.The squad:BKV Prasad (captain), HK Badani, Vijay Bharadwaj, AT Rayudu, S Sharath, Y Venugopal Rao, D Vinay Kumar, N Arjun Yadav, VST Naidu (wicketkeeper), L Balaji, S Oasis, D Ganesh, Sandip Dahad, S Sriram, Barrington RowlandStand Byes:KS Fiaz Ahmed, Chandershekar Reddy, SK Nair, T Suman, KKD Karthik (wicketkeeper), S Jakati

Three teams remain in contention for the title after the fourth round of the Faithwear Cup

Cricinfo staff31-May-2008Three teams remain in contention for the title after the fourth round of the Faithwear Cup. Wins for Easterns and Westerns mean that they go into the final round in contention, as are defending champions Northerns.Easterns easily beat Centrals in a rain-affected match at Harare County Club, winning by 73 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method after they reached 197 for 2 chasing 238. Centrals batted reasonably enough, with fifties from Bothwell Chapungu and Erick Chauluka forming the cornerstone of their innings. But aggressive knocks from Timycen Maruma (83 off 92 balls) and Hamilton Masakadza (61 off 67) made mincemeat of the bowling and by the time the rains came the game was done and dusted.Westerns had far more of a struggle to beat Southerns at Harare Sports Club, eventually edging them out by six runs. Westerns made heavy weather in scoring 151, and a superb 80 from Chamu Chibhabha almost single-handedly steered Southerns home. Batting at No.3, he made an unbeaten 80 but was unable to find any support from his team-mates and was left high and dry with more than two overs remaining.

Easterns 3 2 10 0 13 +1.733 428/93.4 372/131.1 Northerns 3 2 1 00 11 +0.228 367/111.5 458/150.0Westerns 3 2 1 0 011 -0.127 453/150.0 354/112.3 Southerns 4 1 3 0 0 7-0.482 512/200.0 502/165.0 Centrals 31 2 0 0 6 -0.658426/131.1 500/128.0

In an exclusive interview with The Transfer Tavern, former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Carlton Palmer has described the exits of Osaze Urhoghide and Liam Shaw as “horrendous”.

Both players officially joined Celtic this summer after their contracts at Hillsborough expired, with the former’s transfer confirmed at the start of the month.

Urhoghide was offered a new contract by Wednesday at the end of last season before deciding to move to Celtic, while Shaw had already agreed to join the Scottish giants back in March.

For Palmer, to lose both players for nothing is ridiculous. On the two departures, the ex-Wednesday star exclusively told TT:

“It’s horrendous what happened with him and Shaw, both young players who are at the club and have been allowed to basically leave for free.

“I’ve seen a quote from Darren Moore basically saying it’s criminal that these guys were allowed to run their contracts down.

“You’ve got two good young players there who are the future of the club, future money. Surely you don’t let them get down to the last year of their contract?”

Urhoghide, 21, and Shaw, 20, they both certainly did look like the future of Wednesday.

The Celtic duo were already in the Wednesday first team, a Wednesday first team playing in the Championship. In a division lower, you would have expected both to feature, continue developing and perhaps help the Owls win promotion.

Aston Villa target Valentino Livramento has been training with Chelsea’s Under-16 side, according to reliable reporter Adam Newson.

The Lowdown: Livramento links

Villa were linked with a move for the 18-year-old last month. Goal suggested that a move to Villa Park was a viable option, however, AC Milan also made contact with the Englishman.

Livramento, who can play as a right-back, right wing-back or right-midfielder, has just 12 months remaining on his Stamford Bridge deal.

He registered 10 assists in just 26 games for the Blues’ youth side last season, however, it now seems his future is up in the air.

The Latest: Newson’s post

According to Newson, Chelsea’s correspondent for Football London, Livramento’s future in London is uncertain.

Here is what Newson posted on Twitter regarding Livramento and two other Chelsea youngsters, claiming they have been training with the club’s Under-16s.

“Understand Tino Livramento, Lewis Bate and Myles Peart-Harris ended up training with the Under-16s yesterday as the Dev Squad and Under-18s were in Scotland for pre-season friendlies. Their Chelsea futures remain uncertain.”

The Verdict: Time for Villa to swoop?

With Livramento demoted to train with the Under-16’s, now could be the perfect time to swoop.

Villa have already made two exciting in-demand teenage acquisitions in defender Josh Feeney and winger Ajani Burhcall, so Livramento may well turn out to be the third.

The club could possibly persuade him with a more direct route to first-team football, as Villa’s only senior right-backs on the books at this moment in time are Matty Cash and Frederic Guilbert, compared to Chelsea’s three high-profile right-backs.

Villa may well have to battle Milan for Livramento, should they still be keen, but it could turn out to be a shrewd move in the long run.

In other news: ‘No Aston Villa move’ – Fabrizio Romano confirms Twitter transfer update on £16.2m-rated ace.

The Plays of the day of the first match of the Super stage of the Asia Cup between Bangladesh and India

Sidharth Monga in Karachi28-Jun-2008
After a couple of near misses, Manpreet Gony got his first ODI wicket © AFP
Gony finally gets on the board
Manpreet Gony, playing his second one-dayer, was denied his first wicket against Hong Kong when Brian Jerling failed to see he had got Tabarak Dar’s glove on the way to Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Today when he was about to get his first wicket, Gautam Gambhir thought the time was not right. He dropped a fairly easy catch of Tamim Iqbal’s at square-leg. Tamim was 11 then. He finally got his first wicket when Mohammad Ashraful played an imprudent shot to Pragyan Ojha, also in his first match.For the statistically inclined
Including a stunning catch to dismiss Alok Kapali, a ripper of a ball to dismiss Raqibul Hasan, and impressive figures of 10-0-43-2, Ojha took three catches on his debut. Is this the most for a non-wicketkeeper on debut? Click here to know the answer.Nervous energy
When Bangladesh came out to field, they were truly attacking the ball like Tigers, as they called by their passionate supporters. They charged onto every ball, sometimes all 11 of them, but the nervous energy burst off the seams too. Unnecessary overthrows were given, balls were overran, and most crucially two catches were dropped: Gambhir was repreived on 56, and Suresh Raina when he was 16.Yuvi plays along
In the 34th over of India’s innings, Yuvraj Singh hit one back to Farhad Reza, who caught it on the bounce and threw it in the air as if he had taken a catch. Yuvraj, too, played along, turned around, and took a few steps back towards the dressing room. That’s all nice and cute fellows, but who were you doing that for? The Pakistan Police, perhaps, for there was no-one else watching the match at the National Stadium.

The state of the world’s pitches is taking away the excitement from Test cricket, according to Ricky Ponting

Cricinfo staff12-Jun-2008
Ricky Ponting: “Let’s just try and do something with the wickets. If it means digging them up and relaying them then let’s try it” © Getty Images
The state of the world’s pitches is taking away the excitement from Test cricket, according to Ricky Ponting. Australia have completed two Tests on dull surfaces in Jamaica and Antigua and Ponting believes bounce is crucial to making the game more interesting.”I just think Test cricket is probably not as exciting anymore because of the wickets that we’re playing on,” Ponting said in the Sydney Morning Herald. “People would rather watch a game in Perth than they would in Antigua. There’s much more happening.”There’s more bouncers, more batsmen ducking and weaving and sometimes falling on their backsides, more catches behind the wicket, more hook shots. That’s the sort of Test cricket that we all grew up watching and enjoying.”Ponting repeated his view that the surfaces around the world were “just too flat and too placid”. “That’s what I would be saying to all the authorities around the world: let’s just try and do something with the wickets,” he said. “If it means digging them up and relaying them then let’s try it. It’s obviously not working too well at the moment.”While Ponting wants the pitches changed, he is less enthusiastic about the ICC’s idea of a Test world championship, with a prize awarded at the end of a four-year cycle. “You’re playing for a trophy every series you play,” Ponting said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s at the end of two or three or four years, there are trophies on the line every series. We’ve got to look at other smaller ways. But let’s just see how this all pans out.”

Leeds United could seal a summer move for Celta Vigo midfielder Okay Yokuslu, according to former Whites goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Yokuslu impresses for West Brom

The 27-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at West Brom, impressing for the Baggies despite their relegation to the Championship. Despite only joining midway through the campaign, he ended up as their joint-highest ranked performer according to WhoScored.

Yokuslu made 15 Premier League starts overall, averaging 2.4 tackles and 2.2 interceptions per game in the division and proving to be a force in the middle of the park under Sam Allardyce.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Leeds tipped to sign midfielder

Leeds have been linked with a summer move for the Turkey midfielder, and in an interview with MOT Leeds News, Robinson talked up the idea of him moving to Elland Road. He said:

“I think Celta Vigo are a club you should be able to deal with. I think a deal could be done.

“He’s certainly a player who’s able to play in the Premier League and I think when he’s made aware of the Premier League interest, it’s very hard to keep a player who doesn’t want to be at a club.

“A club of that stature in Spain, there should be an attraction to play in the Premier League for Leeds United.

“I think he could be a really good signing for Leeds if they are able to get him.

“His team (Turkey) were poor at the Euros but I think he was the only one in the team who played well.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-9/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Shrewd potential signing

Yokuslu could be a great signing for Leeds, considering how much he impressed for West Brom, even enjoying a 93% pass completion rate against the Whites back in May.

He is someone who could provide competition for the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Stuart Dallas, strengthening Marcelo Bielsa’s squad options in the process. Indeed, his match average of 2.2 interceptions was superior to that of any Leeds midfielder in 2020/21.

With Celta possibly happy to sell Yokuslu, Leeds should do their utmost to snap him up, especially as he has already proven himself in the Premier League.

In other news, Leeds are interested in signing a goalkeeper this summer – find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Sunderland target Hayden Coulson, regarding Ipswich’s pursuit of the defender.

What’s the talk?

According to TEAMtalk, Ipswich are closing in on the signing of Sunderland target Hayden Coulson. The Tractor Boys are said to be in pole position for the 23-year-old’s signature, although it is not clear whether it is set to be a permanent move or on a temporary basis.

Sunderland and Luton are also reportedly keen on landing the full-back from Middlesbrough, but Paul Cook’s side are seemingly poised to win the race.

Fans will be gutted

Fans will be gutted by this news as they are club are on the verge of missing out on a talented player to one of their rivals in League One. Coulson has Championship experience and plays in an area Sunderland are severely lacking in depth.

As of right now, the Black Cats have no natural full-back options contracted to the club heading into next season. Luke O’Nien is listed as a right-back by Transfermarkt, but played the majority of his games as a centre-back in the 2020/21 campaign.

This means that Lee Johnson is in dire need of full-back additions in the coming weeks. Therefore, missing out on Coulson would be a cruel blow for the club, especially to a team that could be competing with them for promotion out of the third tier.

Supporters will be livid that Kristjaan Speakman has allowed Ipswich to steal a march on the defender, as he also could have been a quality addition to the squad.

Earlier this year, Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock called the left-back a “breath of fresh air” and praised his ability in tight situations, following his spell out of position in midfield. He told Gazette Live:

“He does so well in training in that type of situation – tight areas with bodies around him. He’s the best player at the club in training in those tight situations.

“So we thought, why not give him a go at number ten. This opportunity came today.

“We didn’t have many options, but it was a good time to let him have a look at that position.

“And I think he revelled in it after the first five minutes. It looked like he was a breath of fresh air.”

In the 2019/20 season, Coulson played 30 games in the Championship and averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.76, making 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game.

This shows that he is a player capable of putting in good performances in the second-tier, which would make him a great signing for Sunderland in the short and long-term as it suggests he would be able to thrive in League One whilst holding the potential to make the step up if they secured promotion.

AND in other news, “Go and play for a big club like Sunderland” – Exclusive: EFL insider drops verdict on 25 y/o…

New Zealand will tour Bangladesh in October for two Tests and three ODIs

Cricinfo staff20-Jul-2008New Zealand will tour Bangladesh in October for two Tests and three ODIs, according to the itinerary released for the fourth bilateral contest between the two countries.New Zealand will arrive in Bangladesh on October 4, and play a one-day warm-up match at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur on October 7 to prepare for the series. They will stay on in Mirpur for the first two ODIs on October 9 and 11, before travelling to Chittagong for the final ODI on October 14.The visitors will have a two-day break before the first Test in Chittagong, which begins on October 17. Mirpur will host the second Test between October 25-29.Bangladesh are expected to have a tough task on their hands considering that they are yet to defeat New Zealand in Tests or ODIs. New Zealand have maintained a six-match winning streak since the first Test between the two sides in 2001, and have a 11-0 advantage in ODIs.

Italian football expert Conor Clancy believes highly-rated teenager Aaron Hickey would be interested in sealing a return to Celtic this summer.

Hickey, who enjoyed time in the Scottish giants’ academy, is currently plying his trade at Serie A club Bologna having joined from Hearts last September.

The Glasgow-born left-back’s first season overseas did not go to plan as extended periods on the sidelines, thanks to injuries and contracting coronavirus, resulted in him being restricted to just 12 appearances.

Celtic and their manager Ange Postecoglou, along with Italian outfit Fiorentina, are courting the 19-year-old according to Italian media outlet La Nazione, via the Scottish Sun.

Italian newspaper Il Resto del Carlino, via the Daily Record, claim Bologna are seeking a minimum of £8million for Hickey as they want to see the hot prospect remain on their books.

Clancy, the editor of Forza Italian Football, feels being involved in European football could sway Hickey in favour of heading back to Parkhead rather than remaining in Italy.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “He seems content enough in Italy. But if Celtic come knocking, as a Scottish person, that is a big draw. Obviously, Celtic have more of a possibility of offering European football than Bologna.”