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Stuart Clark and Brett Lee are not yet assured of places in the starting XI for Cardiff, but that has not prevented them placing Andrew Strauss in the crosshairs for the summer

Alex Brown and Andrew Miller24-Jun-2009Stuart Clark and Brett Lee are not yet assured of places in the starting XI for Cardiff, but that hasn’t stopped them placing Andrew Strauss in the crosshairs for the summer. Australia’s senior pacemen, who began their quest for Ashes selection in Hove on Wednesday, applied the pressure on the England captain in a less demonstrative, more insidious manner to the naming-and-aiming approach favoured by their predecessor, Glenn McGrath, however the intent was just as clear.Clark and Lee have dismissed Strauss a combined nine times in 10 Tests, but their battles pre-date their international careers. Clark remembers Strauss as a batsman short on confidence in his days playing for Sydney grade club, Mosman, and hinted the Australians have uncovered modern-day glitches in his technique they will aim to exploit over the summer.”Andrew Strauss, being the captain, if we put some pressure on him early I reckon we can make some real inroads,” Clark said. “I’m not going to say I’m going to target him individually, but I think being captain there’s a lot of pressure on him now, if we can really get after him early on in the series we can maybe create some extra pressure that he maybe doesn’t need with his batting.”I played against him in grade cricket when we were much younger. I think he was a lot younger and didn’t believe in his batting as much then. He’s very good in English conditions, where probably the bounce isn’t as quick off the wicket as you get in Australia. He probably got found out a little bit in Australia in 06-07. I looked at some footage earlier and there are some definite things that we as a bowling group have talked about and we’re going to keep talking about.”Lee played alongside Strauss for Mosman between 1999 and 2001, and described him as a “class act”. But, like Clark, he also applied pressure on the England captain by reliving memories of past Ashes successes. Clearly, the summer’s phoney war has commenced.”I won’t choose any batsman as a bunny, I hate that, but I’m happy with the record I’ve got against Straussy,” Lee said. “I’ll be looking forward, if I get the opportunity, to play against him again. He’s a hard batsman to bowl to, but hopefully the success I’ve had against him, I’ll put that in the back of my memory bank and hopefully use it.”Clark and Lee are both returning from injuries that curtailed their Australian summers, and will be desperate to impress the selectors at Hove and Worcester. Clark has played a handful of Sydney grade and one-day international matches since undergoing surgery to his right elbow last November, while Lee has been limited to Twenty20 cricket for Australia and Kings XI Punjab after returning from an ankle operation.Both men recognise, however, that they are likely to be regarded as support acts to the main man of Australia’s current attack. “I think Mitchell [Johnson] is by far and away No. 1 and the rest of are competing, and it will depend up on what make-up they want to go with,” Clark said. “I will say that they need someone to bowl into the wind, and I have done that for 13 years.”We’ve all been doing this for a long time. I’ve been in and out of the team a few times at state level. It’s just the way it is. It’s the job. I’m getting to the stage now where the young guys want my spot. I suppose they had it in South Africa and I want it back.””Mitch and I complement each other well,” said Lee. “We’re a left and right-arm combination, two opening bowlers who can bowl over 150kmph. It’s a scary thought for any batting line-up, because no batsman likes facing a fast bowler on song, no matter what they say.”But if you’re not on the right spot, it’s money for jam, because the ball comes off the bat quicker, and goes to the fence quicker. You’ve just got to be confident and back yourself, and I’ll be giving myself every chance in my preparation.”

In a match of two fine centuries, Ed Joyce’s career-best 146 outshone Alex Gidman’s fine response to guide Sussex into the Friends Provident final with a 34-run victory against Gloucestershire at Hove

Cricinfo staff05-Jul-2009
ScorecardEd Joyce collects another boundary during his career-best century•PA PhotosIn a match with two excellent centuries, Ed Joyce’s career-best 146 outshone Alex Gidman’s fine response to guide Sussex into the Friends Provident final with a 34-run victory against Gloucestershire at Hove. On a sun-soaked day with a parched outfield runs flowed freely and the visitors were on course in their pursuit of the target of 325, but they couldn’t maintain the momentum until the end.After his outstanding innings, Joyce produced a vital piece of fielding to run out Hamish Marshall after he and Gidman had added 155 for the second wicket to make the chase look achievable. When Gidman reached a 104-ball hundred there was still a decent chance for Gloucestershire, but those hopes faded when Yasir Arafat showed his brilliance with reverse swing and the Sussex spinners picked up vital wickets.Kadeer Ali fell early in the chase, but Marshall and Gidman made the most of the fielding restrictions in conditions tough for bowlers to maintain pressure. Balls scudded across the quick outfield but Sussex have a trusted one-day method this season and backed their spinners to play a key role.Once Marshall was run out, Rory Hamilton-Brown made an important breakthrough when he removed Craig Spearman for 2 and Will Beer, the young legspinner, deserved credit for conceding less than five an over.Chris Taylor – playing despite a split webbing on his hand – ticked along nicely with Gidman before he was cleaned up by Arafat. Then it was over to the spinners. Michael Yardy had Gidman caught behind and Steven Adshead missed a heave to be well stumped by his opposite number.Arafat was spearing in his pinpoint yorkers and when James Franklin briefly threatened to jangle Sussex nerves, Yardy closed out the match and finished with four wickets. There has been a changing of the guard at Hove, but Yardy has retained the same team spirit and competitive attitude instilled by Chris Adams.Yardy was pleased when asked to bat on a used pitch and Sussex set off at a decent rate with Joyce and Chris Nash laying the platform. Joyce, who has enjoyed a new lease of life since moving from Middlesex, played the anchor role, allowing the others to free their arms. Nash fell to Steve Kirby for a 30-ball 32 the Luke Wright cut loose to carve 36 off 26 balls.Goodwin, the engine of Sussex’s one-day batting, then joined Joyce in the key third-wicket stand and the pair began to run Gloucestershire ragged in perfect batting conditions. Joyce picked up sixes over the leg side although the second nearly brought his downfall when Vikram Banerjee clung onto the catch at deep square-leg only for his foot to touch the rope.Joyce brought up his century with a thick edge down to third man and with two batsmen set Sussex took the batting Powerplay. Runs came at more than nine an over and Goodwin had enough time to also reach three figures before he lost his leg stump against Jon Lewis when he attempted a lap sweep.Joyce stayed to see the total past 300 before being run out and he certainly picked a good time to set a new career benchmark. Sussex have become used to claiming silverware and are one match away from showing the new-look team can add to the trophy cabinet.

An update has emerged on Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi, regarding his future at Parkhead.

What’s the talk?

According to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, the Hoops could be in danger of losing Furuhashi with Southampton eyeing up a potential swoop.

The Japan international joined the Hoops from Vissel Kobe in the summer and is now said to be attracting interest from elsewhere after an impressive start to life in Scotland.

Van Dijk 2.0

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou could be set to repeat a mistake made by his predecessors at the club with this interest from Southampton in Furuhashi.

The fans would surely be fuming if one of the club’s best players is sold within months of him arriving in Scotland if the Saints attempt to land him in the January transfer window.

Supporters will also remember what happened one of the last times Celtic sold one of their stars to the south coast. Netherlands international Virgil van Dijk left to join the Saints for £13m in the summer of 2015 before going on to sign for Liverpool for £75m less than three years later.

This suggests that the Hoops could have secured more money for his services had they managed to keep hold of him for another year or two. Southampton made a gigantic profit on the defender, whilst Celtic had to watch on from afar as he became the world’s most expensive centre-back in 2019.

Postecoglou must now avoid a similar nightmare scenario with Kyogo in the next window. He has had a sublime start to his career at Celtic and quickly established himself as a key player, with eight goals and one assist in 11 matches to date.

Ex-Celtic striker John Hartson hailed him earlier this season and claimed he could aid their title challenge. He told The Sunday Post [05/09 print edition, via 67HailHail]:

“There is no doubt Celtic have landed someone quite special in Kyogo. His movement is outstanding.

“It was a pity he couldn’t get more involved against Rangers, but when he moved into the central role, he was an absolute menace to their defence.

“Having him gives Celtic a real chance of winning the league this season.

This highlights the immediate impact he has had on the side since his arrival in the summer. It also illustrates why supporters will be fuming if he is sold to Southampton in January, particularly if it is a similar fee to the £14m they received for van Dijk. It could be another horror show for Celtic where they watch him move on from St. Mary’s for five or six times more money later down the line.

Therefore, Postecoglou must plead with the board to keep hold of the forward in the upcoming transfer window in order to maintain the strength of his squad and avoid a repeat van Dijk situation.

AND in other news, Celtic flop has seen his value drop by £7.29m in two years, his career is at risk…

Noel Whelan has revealed his excitement over Leeds United’s proposed expansion plans at Elland Road amid Phil Hay’s recent £250m claim.

What’s the story?

During a Q&A for The Athletic, Hay revealed that the club are completely committed to redeveloping Elland Road and increasing the capacity there, even suggesting that those inside the club feel it could bump up the annual revenue over £250m.

And now, in response to that news, Whelan has revealed his excitement about Marcelo Bielsa’s side’s future.

He said: “This would be huge. The demand for tickets at Leeds means everything is sold out. Even for League Cup games, you’ve got 36,000 there and that just shows the strength of the fanbase and the excitement around the club at the moment.

“It’s a massive step forward, for revenue through tickets and sheer strength in numbers with the support. If they increased the capacity to 55,000, they would sell it out week-in, week-out – there’s no doubt about it.

“The other part of it is the possibility of holding World Cups and European Championships in this country – you want the stadium to be part of hosting these games. It’s another step forward and another progression for the club.”

Leeds United’s ambition

With a current capacity of just over 37,000, Leeds have the 11th biggest stadium in the Premier League, behind the likes of Everton and Aston Villa – if their plans to make it a 55,000 seater come to fruition, then that would see them leapfrog a number of big clubs, including that of Liverpool and their home of Anfield.

While a larger stadium isn’t necessarily a guarantee of greater times or success – you only have to look at the likes of Arsenal and Spurs to see that in recent years – it is another major statement of ambition.

As Whelan says, a bigger home could lead to more opportunities both on the pitch and off it, especially in terms of a financial venture. Spurs for example have their agreement with the NFL and hosting games on their turf, pulling in some extra eyes and money from that deal.

If Leeds are to make that next step, then repurposing Elland Road to match their Premier League status and ambition is key, and it’s something that is sure to excite their loyal fans.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…

Muttiah Muralitharan has returned to Sri Lanka’s Test squad for the series against New Zealand after recovering from injury

Cricinfo staff11-Aug-2009Muttiah Muralitharan has returned to Sri Lanka’s Test squad for the series against New Zealand after recovering from injury. However the selectors have retained his replacement left-arm spinner Rangana Herath as well as Ajantha Mendis. Wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene, who also missed the series against Pakistan because of injury, and his replacement Tillakaratne Dilshan were named in the 15-man squad.Dilshan kept against Pakistan before getting injured in the third Test and consequently missing the ODI series.Herath’s selection means the pressure is on the under-performing Mendis, however Sri Lanka could decide to pick three spinners against New Zealand, who have been traditionally weak against slower bowlers. The form of their fast bowlers Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara, also in the squad along with Dammika Prasad, makes that an unlikely possibility.The fringe players Surav Randiv, Suranga Lakmal and Kaushal Silva have been dropped.Sri Lanka squad: Kumar Sangakkara (capt), Malinda Warnapura, Tharanga Paranavitana, Mahela Jayawardene, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Dammika Prasad, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Rangana Herath.

Speaking to Wett Freunde, journalist Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sports has made an exciting Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger.

The Lowdown: Rudiger future up in the air…

One of the major talking points at Stamford Bridge right now is the future of the Germany international who still hasn’t put pen to paper on a new Chelsea deal.

Reports out of his homeland even suggest Rudiger is frustrated with the lack of effort going into tying him down as Spurs become linked with potentially signing him.

Sharing an update on Tottenham’s pursuit, Di Marzio has now made an exciting claim.

The Latest: Di Marzio drops exciting Rudiger claim…

Speaking to Wett Freunde, the reliable transfer reporter has revealed that Rudiger is currently in talks with Tottenham, Paris-Saint Germain, Juventus and Man City as he decides his next destination.

It appears Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici has now taken a keen interest in snapping up the Champions League winner and Di Marzio believes he ‘will’ join one of the four named teams.

“Rüdiger is in talks with Juventus, Man City, Tottenham and even PSG who still need a defender,” he explained.

“It’s difficult for him to sign a new contract. He will join one of the 4 named teams.”

The Verdict: Get it done…

While Spurs signed a more-than capable centre-half in the summer, bringing in Serie A MVP award-winner Cristian Romero, it is debatable whether he has a truly world class partner.

Davinson Sanchez has shown his capability and performed well so far this season but a move for Rudiger, who Rio Ferdinand called ‘phenomenal’ for his Chelsea displays, could be too good to turn down, becoming a formidable pairing alongside the Lilywhites’ impressive Argentinian.

In other news: Not just Winks and Alli…Paratici also told to sell vulnerable senior man who’s stuck in a rut at Spurs, find out more here.

Jacob Oram and Brendon McCullum have admitted signing the national contracts last month had been a difficult decision

Cricinfo staff02-Aug-2009Jacob Oram and Brendon McCullum, who are among the six New Zealand players who will miss the beginning of the IPL next year to play the Test series against Australia, have admitted signing the national contracts last month had been a difficult decision.The players said while they were now fully committed to their national side, it had been hard to choose New Zealand contracts over the money they had to forgo for missing a large part of the IPL.”You can criticise us for our hesitation but we have all signed,” Oram told the . “We’re not getting paid any compensation; we’re not leaving after day three of the second Test against Australia. We’ve thought about it long and hard and we want to keep playing for New Zealand. You cannot begrudge us the time to think about it and discuss with our wives, families, mentors.”McCullum hoped the delay in signing would not affect his chances of captaining New Zealand in the future. “I’m not going to lie to you, it was tough,” McCullum told New Zealand’s . “The cold, hard facts are there for anyone to see. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to play cricket for New Zealand but I guess the immediate financial security that sort of money can provide for your family was a factor. It was difficult knowing how much money I was turning down and I also had to think about the captaincy at Kolkata. I would have liked to have had the opportunity to turn around what happened earlier this year after our disappointing tournament.”In the end, I feel very comfortable with the decision I made and I feel that it was the right one to make.”McCullum and Oram said New Zealand’s performance at the World Twenty20, where they only won matches against Scotland and Ireland, had been disappointing and it was important for senior players to step up and lead the way.”If those of us in the New Zealand team at the moment want to leave any sort of legacy behind when we retire, we have to start fronting up in the big tournaments and start trying to get some silverware in the cabinet,” McCullum said.He also said New Zealand’s aim for the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka was to win at least one Test. “… drawing games would not be considered a success in my mind,” McCullum said. “I’d much rather see us risk losing to try and achieve something special like winning a Test over there.”Oram, who has returned to the Test squad after a spate of injuries, said he was keen to get 100 wickets and a couple more Test centuries as an allrounder. He said his Test batting average of 37.04 and bowling average of 31.18 did not bother him for he just wanted to do as well as he could. “I learned from an early age that statistical goals and averages were a peripheral pressure I didn’t need; I have other ways to get up for a match,” Oram said.”I’m very keen to start turning us into a winning unit and the 2011 World Cup for me is an absolute must-win, or at least we cannot stumble at the second-last hurdle like we have at recent ICC tournaments, or at the quarterfinal as was the case at the world Twenty20.”In contrast to the IPL players, Shane Bond, the fast bowler who quit the ICL to return to the national team, said he couldn’t wait to sign the contract and get his chance to play for New Zealand again. “That was the one thing I wanted – to just come back into the fold and have another chance to play for New Zealand, so the decision was pretty easy for me,” Bond told the .Bond said he had worked hard on his fitness and on avoiding injuries in preparing for the comeback. “But the first thing is actually getting back in the team and playing that first game, that will be incredibly exciting for me and I’ll take it from there. If I can make it into the team for the Champions Trophy that’s another big event and I’ll take it as it comes. I know what’s coming up after that but I’m experienced enough not to get too far ahead of myself.”Bond, who will be touring India with the A team before heading to Sri Lanka, said some IPL franchises had expressed interest in signing him. “… but officially there’s nothing forthcoming until the boss [Lalit Modi] sets the rules around the ICL players.”New Zealand play three Tests against Sri Lanka and a ODI tri-series, which includes India, between August 18 and September 14.

Celtic finally got off the mark in their UEFA Europa League group on Tuesday afternoon thanks to a 2-0 win at home to Ferencvaros.

Kyogo Furuhashi, long odds with LV BET for first goalscorer, opened the scoring for the hosts just short of the hour mark, before an own goal late on sealed all three points for Ange Postecoglou’s team at Parkhead. However, not all of the Hoops thrived, as The Transfer Tavern dives into the three worst-rated players by statistical specialists Sofascore…

David Turnbull

Turnbull was the third-worst rated Hoops player (6.9) per Sofascore, as players have to had played a minimum of 45 minutes to be taken into account.

The Scotland international failed to record a single shot on target or dribble in the match, and also lost possession of the ball on nine separate occasions.

With little depth in midfield behind the 22 year-old, his place in the XI will likely remain safe for now.

Tom Rogic

Rogic was another midfield player who may have been a bit disappointed by his overall performance, as Sofascore gave him a measly 6.6 rating.

The 28-year-old lost out on five of his duels in total, and also did not manage a shot, while his 78% pass accuracy was the worst out of his outfield teammates.

Rogic also lost possession on no fewer than on 15 different occasions, the third-highest out of any Celts player.

Liel Abada

Abada did not have the most productive of afternoons, and was unsurprisingly ranked as the Bhoys’ worst player with a mere 6.4 overall rating.

The winger lost nine of his duels, the joint-most out of any player to have set foot on the pitch, and also did not have a shot on target or successful dribble, while his zero key passes or accurate crosses (Sofascore) pretty much sums up his lack of end product.

Abada also lost the ball 13 times, the fourth-most out of his teammates, in what was a frustrating afternoon for the Israeli.

In other news, find out which player Celtic are having doubts over here!

Hampshire have announced that fast bowler Billy Taylor will be released at the end of the season.

Cricinfo staff27-Aug-2009Hampshire have announced that fast bowler Billy Taylor will be released at the end of the season.Taylor, 32, started his career at Sussex in 1999 before moving to Hampshire in 2004. He was awarded his county cap in 2006 but in recent seasons he had become a one-day specialist, with only one Championship appearance since 2006.I’d like to thank Billy for his contribution to our club,” Rod Bransgrove, Hampshire’s chairman, said. “Billy has been a real crowd favourite and I know he will be missed by many. However, together with Giles White, we have decided that our bowling focus lies elsewhere and we have agreed with Billy that now is the right time to part ways.””I’d really like to thank the fans, who have all been so supportive of me and I will miss them singing my name and giving me such a warm welcome on and off the field, it truly has meant so much to me, Taylor said. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Club and will take away some great memories. I plan to stay involved in cricket and hope to be a regular visitor to The Rose Bowl in years to come.”In 54 first-class matches Taylor took 136 wickets at 33.34, his career-best 6 for 32 coming against Middlesex in the first match of the 2006 season. He also played 142 one-day games where he took 182 wickets at 25.81.

Political leaders in the Caribbean met on Friday and put forward a series of recommendations pertaining to contracts and sponsorship rights to the disputing parties.

Cricinfo staff12-Sep-2009Political leaders in the Caribbean who met on Friday have put forward a series of recommendations to resolve the dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA). The recommendations include the senior players making themselves available for selection in regional tournaments.A statement from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) secretariat, the government body established in 1996 to strengthen West Indies cricket, listed out the “minimum criteria” to ensure selection of the best available team for future tournaments:* Players to make themselves available for selection in accordance with normal WICB requirements, in particular, participation in the regional tournaments;* WICB to agree to the television/image rights fees (sponsor’s fees) traditionally paid to players pending the special arbitration on this issue to facilitate the signing of retainer contracts by October 1 this year;* WICB and WIPA to agree on the implementation of: (1) the special arbitration process provided for in the mediator’s draft agreement, i.e. on ‘Team rights’ and ‘the India tour’; and (2) best efforts by the CARICOM Secretariat in the first instance to facilitate the resolution of the other outstanding issues proposed by WICB and WIPA, or the pursuit of arbitration if necessary, such arbitration not to delay the return of West Indies cricket to normalcy;* CARICOM to convene a stakeholders’ meeting at the earliest practicabledate to discuss the future of West Indies cricket, taking account of the WICB’s development plan, as well as the report of the Patterson committee established by WICB;* The WICB to inform the ICC of the action taken by Caribbean governments with the object of returning West Indies cricket to its accustomed place in world cricket in consonance with the highest traditions of the sport as upheld by the ICC.The communiqué acknowledged that the WICB and its affiliate organisations held the final say in the running of West Indies cricket, but added that the political leaders in the region had an obligation to ensure the well-being of the game. “Heads of government have always been cognizant of their responsibility as representatives of the Caribbean people in the region and the diaspora for whom cricket is one of the major integrating factors,” it said. “This fact was primarily responsible for the establishment of the Prime Ministerial Sub- Committee on Cricket [13 years ago] at the onset of the dramatic decline in the performance of the West Indies teams.”It cautioned that if the current crisis was not resolved “immediately”, the attempt to revive the game in the region would suffer a massive setback. “Over the past 10 years in particular, the Heads of Government as well as all stakeholders in West Indies, have endured the fracturing of relations and distrust between WICB and the West Indies Players Association,” it read. “The current situation, if not resolved IMMEDIATELY [sic], will no doubt destroy the fabric on which to base any hope of reviving the region’s standing in international cricket, or building a solid future for West Indies cricket.”The recommendations arrive in the aftermath of failed negotiations between the WICB and the WIPA under the mediation of the CARICOM-appointed Shridath Ramphal. The contracts crisis reached its height when senior West Indies players boycotted the home Test series against Bangladesh, and the WICB fielded a makeshift team which was also retained for the Champions Trophy.