Tag Futebol

Australia are scheduled to arrive in India for a four-Test series on September 29, one day after the Champions Trophy final in Lahore. If they fail to make it past the group stage of the Champions Trophy, Australia will get a ten-day break before their only tour match in India between October 2 and 5.Bangalore will host the first Test, as it did when Australia visited India in 2004-05. After a three-day gap the teams travel to Mohali, which will stage its first Test since England toured in 2006, for the second match between October 13 and 17.A week later the sides will meet in Delhi for the third Test followed by the final one in Nagpur, where Australia regained the Border-Gavaskar trophy last time round, from November 5 to 9. Australia are the current holders of the trophy after they won their home series 2-1 in December and January.James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, said the games in India would be particularly interesting after the tight series in Australia, which also featured several controversial moments. “The rivalry between Australia and India has developed into one of the most captivating contests in world cricket,” Sutherland said.”The 2007-08 series was highlighted by dramatic, brilliant cricket which added another chapter to the passionate competition between the world’s two best Test playing nations. I’m sure all cricket lovers in Australia and India are awaiting the 2008 series with great anticipation.”Fixtures
October 2-5 – Tour match
October 9-13 – 1st Test, Bangalore
October 17-21 – 2nd Test, Mohali
October 28-Novermber 1 – 3rd Test, Delhi
November 5-9 – 4th Test, Nagpur

Goolam Raja said the news of Woolmer’s murder had not been as much of a shock to the South African players as the original news of his death © Getty Images

Goolam Raja, the South African manager, has revealed that one of his players was approached by a bookmaker during South Africa’s one-day tour of India in November 2005.Responding to a query about speculation that Bob Woolmer may have been about to write a book that lifted the lid on the match-fixing scandal, Raja admitted that there had been an “innocent” incident involving a member of his squad. Although he declined to name the player involved, Raja added that the player was not a member of the current World Cup party.”The question was just ‘What is the team tomorrow?’,” explained Raja.”In the past we would easily say, ‘Joe Soap is not playing’, but nolonger. Now we don’t announce the team, whether it is picked or not.”The players are trained to phone as soon as they’ve been approached, not to get into any discussion with these people, only to take their phone details and pass it onto the authorities. Nothing happened other than that one phone call.”That is the protocol. If a player is approached, he has to let usknow immediately because we have a system for dealing with it.”South African cricket still feels the scars of the Hansie Cronjescandal in 2000, although Raja insisted that the players were olderand wiser for the experience. “There’s a lot more awareness now thanthere was five years ago. The players are aware that there are peopleout there who are interested in finding out things we know, and theplayers are more cautious. Sometimes we took things for granted in thepast, because we never thought that these things would happen.”In the light of the murder investigation now underway in Jamaica, Rajasaid he would welcome heightened security for his players, even if itmeant more constraints on their freedom on tour. “Absolutely, if thereis one lesson that we’ve learnt, it is that you can’t have enoughsecurity,” said Raja. “We’ve made applications to beef up thesecurity, and ICC have assured us that that will be the case.”I think a lot of our players have experience of the subcontinent, andwhat we told them there is the same as what we’ve told them here. It’sa case of being vigilant. If you get a call or a knock on the doorfrom someone you don’t know, I’ve told them repeatedly to please letme know.”At the hotel, the presence of police and plain-clothes hasincreased,” he added. “Of course the central police officers aretrained to look out for people in the foyers of hotels, who notnecessarily don’t belong there, but look suspicious. They’ve beenasked to let us know.”Raja added that the news of Woolmer’s murder had not been as much of ashock to the players as the original news of his death. “The playerswere saddened to hear the circumstances of Bob’s death, it was such amacabre death, but the worse was when we first heard of it,” he said.”That was a total surprise but subsequently, like everyone else,we’ve been waiting for things to unfold.”

Inzamam blamed his team’s performance on poor shot selection and lack of application © AFP

Another top-order failure, another loss and a first ODI series loss in over a year; Pakistan’s top-order starts in this series have made for some horrific reading. After a 50-run stand in the first ODI at Peshawar, Pakistan collapsed to 68 for four at Rawalpindi and 82 for four at Lahore. In Multan, they disintegrated quicker, stumbling to 29 for four and this time, there was no Shoaib Malik-inspired rescue, as they fell for 161.With all games thus far won by the team batting second, losing the toss in the morning and being put in wasn’t the best start. Inzamam admitted he would have fielded first had he won the toss but although India bowled accurately throughout, the majority of batsmen were out to rash shots; some like Kamran Akmal’s cut to short point were poor, others like Imran Farhat’s ugly pull to mid-on, awful. An understandably dejected Inzamam-ul-Haq said later, “Today we just didn’t put enough runs on board. It’s disappointing to lose such a big series against team like India at home. We made some mistakes early on and that’s why we lost too many early wickets.”Inzamam refused to blame the absence of key players such as Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar for the loss, instead highlighting his own side’s fallibility and India’s strength. “One or two of our players were not there, but I will say my team was capable of doing much better than what we did today. The boys have tried hard but we couldn’t succeed. We were weak in some areas but India outplayed us in all three departments of the game.”Despite the rash of injuries and the poor run of form some players were in, only one change was made to the playing XI today; Mohammad Sami came in for Afridi. Umar Gul, also suffering from side strain, missed out. Salman Butt, under pressure after two successive first-over ducks, was under some pressure and many thought he might be replaced. But Inzamam was phlegmatic about changing the line-up. “Salman Butt had given us good scores in the series and it was not possible for me to drop him after just two bad knocks. I don’t think if I had made some changes it would have made a difference. I don’t think we played the wrong combination here.”He also ruled out that his side was under extra pressure after two defeats at home, either from the public or the media. “There is always pressure on the home team in a series, but all the players are used to it and I don’t think that was the reason for losing the series. Sometimes the team does not play well. We played well when we toured India and this time they played well against us – the performance doesn’t remain the same all the time.”Karachi beckons now and only face-saving remains at stake for Pakistan. When Inzamam said before this series began that he might become more selective in the matches he played due to his back injury, he would not have envisaged the rotation policy coming into effect in a dead rubber game. Changes seem likely however. “We will give a chance to some of the bowlers who haven’t got chance in the four matches. It will be difficult to motivate the team but we will try our best to win the last match.”

Rahul Dravid scored a hundred in each innings to boost India’s chances of winning the Kolkata Test© AFP

On how he rates the second century in comparison to the first
It’s very hard to rate hundreds, I hate rating innings. Both hundreds in this game were equally good, and like on the first day, I felt in control today also. Having said that, it is very satisfying because it came in the second innings, when we needed it. The second-innings century was tougher than the first because the pitch played lower and slower. Each innings has its challenges, but the circumstances under which today’s knock was made, made it more special. It’s especially a challenge to get a big score immediately after making a hundred in the first innings.On whether these twin tons are more valuable than the twin tons in Hamilton, 1999
This definitely means a lot more. The first century in Hamilton was a good and important innings, but the second came when the game was all but drawn. This has a lot more meaning. I have always wanted to score a hundred in both innings in a winning match, especially after reading about Steve Waugh’s twin hundreds against England [Manchester, 1997]. That was always at the back of my mind, to score a hundred in each innings and help play a role in the team’s victory.On whether he expected the pitch to have done more on the fourth and fifth days
We knew coming into this game that this would be a good wicket, but we expected a bit more turn. Some balls are keeping low, but the ball hasn’t turned as much as we expected it to. The conditions are quite tough and it is going to be a challenge tomorrow. The side that’s fitter and holds its nerve better will win the day tomorrow. This match is a great advertisement for Test cricket. Going into the final day, all three results are a possibility. The pendulum has swung in every direction, and there will be no predictions today about how this game will pan out. We have confidence in ourselves and are positive about our chances, and I am sure they are too.On Dinesh Karthik’s innings
It was a crucial partnership, a critical phase of the match. Dinesh played beautifully; it was a fantastic knock by a youngster under pressure. The balance could have shifted in either direction, but he played a stand-out innings. I just told him to back and trust himself. He took his time to settle down and then played his strokes, which helped.On what the non-striker feels when he sees a batsman getting hit
You do have concern for your mate, but once you know he is alright, you have got to carry on. You have to focus on your job and stick to it; you have to move on because you have a job at hand and a task to do. I was trying to take the external factors out, play one ball at a time, focus on the present and stick to my plans. I do feel the pressure, everyone does, but you have to try and focus on something else, like the ball or team plans and individual goals.

Sri Lanka A 134 for 4 (Nawaz 46*, Polonowita 38*) trail India A 172 (Badani 47, Herath 4-34) by 38 runs
ScorecardSri Lanka A took the upper hand on the first day’s play at Mumbai as they bowled out India A for 172, and then erased a large part of that score by stumps. Rangana Herath, who took 4 for 34, polished off the lower order with a fine spell of left-arm spin and was instrumental in his side’s dominance of the opening day.Three of the first four batsmen for India A made starts, but none of them could go on. Hemang Badani, coming in at No. 4, top-scored with 47 fluent runs, made off only 65 balls with eight fours. Shiv Sunder Das and Mohammad Kaif made scores in the thirties, but Sri Lanka’s opening bowlers, Lasith Malinga and Tharanga Lakshitha, took two wickets apiece and pegged the Indians back early.India never really recovered from those setbacks. Badani fell with the score on 148, and a middle order of Rohan Gavaskar, Ambati Rayudu and Ajay Ratra mustered up only 28 runs between them. Thereafter Herath worked his magic on the tailenders, as the last four all went for nought.Sri Lanka began their innings even more disastrously, reeling at 69 for 4 thanks to an early introduction of Murali Kartik, who took 3 for 48. But Naveed Nawaz (46*) and Anushka Polonowita (38*) stabilised the innings with an unbeaten stand of 65 for the fifth wicket.

Heavy rain at the Punjab C.A. Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh has effectively washed away all hopes Orissa might have had of winning their Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Punjab. With ten wickets in hand, the visitors now have to chase down a mammoth victory target of 442 runs on the last day in order to book a place in the semi-finals.Punjab had earlier posted 460 runs in their second innings. Ankur Kakkar, who began the day on 50 not out, went on to make 78 while fast bowler Vineet Sharma contributed his mite making 47. The two were mainly responsible in ensuring that Punjab added a valuable 103 runs to their overnight score of 357 for six. Medium-pacer Debashish Mohanty, who claimed four wickets, was the most successful bowler for the visitors.Orissa openers Shiv Sunder Das and Biswa Bijayee Mohapatra set off in hot pursuit of the almost-impossible-to-achieve target rattling 26 runs in 3.2 overs before rain had the final say.

Somerset gained a measure of revenge for their recent run of defeats at thehands of their local rivals with a tense eight-run victory. Recovering from20-4, the Sabres battled to record a morale-boosting eight-run victory infront of a Bank Holiday crowd approaching 3,000 at the County Ground.The intense rivalry between the two sides was never far from boiling point,with Jack Russell’s excellent contribution behind the stumps proving thecatalyst for much of the heightened tension. Two late order stumpingsrestricted the home side after the middle order rally led by Keith Parsons(66), Rob Turner and Ian Blackwell.Roundly booed to the wicket by the Somerset faithful, it was Russell’sdeparture to a miscued sweep that exposed the Gloucestershire tail to aninspired spell from Steffan Jones. The Welshman, benefiting from a winter spent in the Somerset gym, eclipsed all other bowlers on show in terms of pace, ensuring the visitors lost vital wickets as their required run-rate rose.The holiday crowd was slow to find its voice, only coming to life in the latter stages as an unlikely hero entered the fray. A greylag goose arrived to patrol the outfield with some aggression as the game was slipping away – but Somerset await his return with great anticipation – as soon as the bird appeared, the wickets began to fall. The bird even saved a couple of vital runs – being hit on the wing during its spell at short fine leg.Despite the odd four-ball, Somerset seem to have made a very canny acquisition in Ian Blackwell. In addition to his batting, the former Derbyshire all-rounder bowled around the wicket from the start of his spell, and gave Somerset a measure of control. He captured the vital wicket of Jack Russell, who, until that moment, in partnership with Alleyne seemed to be timing the run-chase to perfection.As wickets fell, Alleyne still looked capable of winning the game by himself, effortlessly clipping Steffan Jones’ last ball, an off stump half-volley, to the backward square leg boundary. But Caddick was still to bowl the final over with 11 needed for victory. The England fast bowler had earlier chipped in with the bat and pounced for the vital run-out of Matthew Windows, who batted fluently for his 38.Another run-out to the second ball of the final over left Alleyne stranded,as Holloway swooped to run out Mike Smith as he attempted to give his captain the strike with 8 still needed from 5 balls.Earlier, electing to bat first, Somerset recovered from an inspired spell byIan Harvey to post a 181, a total that was no more than adequate on a dryingpitch. Keith Parsons batted responsibly to edge the Sabres towards adefendable total. Gloucestershire bowled and fielded with great discipline -Mike Smith bowling unchanged for figures of 2-11 from his nine overs.The West Country – and the goose – awaits the next instalment of this ongoing battle with baited breath.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Pete O’Rourke has made a promising Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Inter Milan defender and Antonio Conte target Stefan de Vrij.

The Lowdown: Conte eyes de Vrij move…

It is believed that Tottenham’s head coach has personally earmarked the possible signing of his former centre-back this summer.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-news-copy/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, reports out of Italy in this last week suggest that Conte has requested de Vrij as a target with Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici and chairman Daniel Levy willing to offer him a four-year deal (InterLive.it).

The Nerrazzuri allegedly value their star defender at around €25-30m (£20.7m-£24.8m) with his San Siro deal set to expire in 2023.

The Latest: O’Rourke makes claim….

Speaking to GMS, reporter O’Rourke now suggests that Tottenham, and by extension Levy, are willing to pay ‘whatever the price’ for de Vrij and will be interested regardless of the fee needed.

When asked if Spurs would be keen on a move for the Netherlands international, he explained:

“Definitely. They would be interested in De Vrij whatever the price tag is.”

The Verdict: Ideal man…

Given his obvious quality, potentially bargain price tag and vast experience at the top level – signing the 30-year-old should almost definitely be considered.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Former Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson, speaking to Football Insider recently, explained how de Vrij is the ‘perfect fit’ for Conte and the Lilywhites – going on to rave over the ‘world class’ defender.

Taking into account plaudits like this, the central defender could be what Tottenham’s boss is crying out for as he seeks to upgrade his N17 roster.

In other news: Conte green-lights Spurs move for ‘world-beater’ as price tag plummets by nearly 50%, find out more here.

	Simon Katich enjoyed a memorable Pura Cup season that could yet earn him a recall to the national side © Getty Images

Pura Cup XI
Michael Di Venuto
One of the most in-form retirees in recent memory. Scored 947 runs, only 14 fewer than his best Pura Cup season ever, which was last summer. Averaged 52.61 and left a big gap in Tasmania’s top order when he announced he was departing.Chris Rogers
Less remarkable than his prolific 2006-07, but still one of the best openers in the country with 744 at 43.76. Narrowly beats his newly-retired Western Australia team-mate Justin Langer for this position, and was recognised with his first Test call-up this season.Simon Katich (capt)
Simply outstanding. Scored 1328 at 94.85 and is a chance in the final, which starts on Saturday, of breaking the all-time Pura Cup record for most runs in a season. Struck five centuries including a career-best 306 against Queensland, an innings that unbelievably included 184 in a 150-minute session.David Hussey
Continued to be a domestic run-machine with 955 at 59.68. Was disappointed not to strike a higher score than 104 – his best came on the first day of Victoria’s campaign – but it also highlighted how consistent he was to maintain such an average.Daniel Marsh (vc)
After a couple of modest summers with the bat, last season’s Pura Cup-winning captain fought back with 758 at 54.14. Made three centuries and played his part in trying to help Tasmania defend their title, but had too little support.Luke Pomersbach
Had an eventful year: was given a month-long state ban for ignoring a team curfew, earned a car-park call-up for his Twenty20 international debut, won the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award, and was axed from the Warriors’ one-day team due to lack of form. Importantly, just kept making runs in the Pura Cup, with 743 at 61.91.Brad Haddin (wk)
National ODI duties meant he was only available for six games, but was still the most dangerous wicketkeeper-batsman in the competition. Scored 422 runs at 60.28 and secured 30 dismissals to confirm himself as Australia’s best option in the post-Gilchrist era.Ashley Noffke
Incredibly, finished ninth on the run tally with 686 at 45.73 and second on the wicket list with 43 at 21.25. Made his second first-class century, earned his initial international call-ups, and on occasions made the dismal Queensland at least vaguely competitive.Ryan Harris
Was one of very few bright spots for South Australia. Grabbed 37 wickets at 29.86 and averaged 24.20 with the bat, rescuing the Redbacks from embarrassment several times after top-order failures.Bryce McGain
Went from IT specialist to full-time cricketer at the age of 35 and was the biggest surprise packet of the summer. Spun his way to 35 wickets at 32.77 and was suddenly being talked about as a potential Test bowler.Doug Bollinger
Missed the last two-and-a-half games of the season with a broken foot and still finished on top of the wicket tally. Needed only seven matches to grab 45 victims at 15.44, enjoyed two ten-wicket games and was to 2007-08 what Ben Hilfenhaus was to 2006-07.Mathew Inness (12th man)
Enjoyed an amazing turnaround after playing no games last season, finishing behind only Bollinger and Noffke with 40 wickets at 20.12. Given his form and age – he is only 30 – surprised with his decision to retire at the end of the campaign.

	Matthew Elliott farewelled state cricket with his second consecutive prize as FR Cup Player of the Year © Getty Images

FR Cup XI
Matthew Elliott
Player of the Series for the second FR Cup in a row but won’t make it a hat-trick after retiring this season. Scored 521 runs at 74.42 and blasted two centuries, including 133 in a memorable stand with Darren Lehmann in the latter’s farewell match.Michael Dighton
The tournament’s leading run scorer with 549 at 54.90. He was an integral part of Tasmania’s FR Cup triumph and his 146 at North Sydney Oval even overshadowed Ricky Ponting’s hundred that day.Brad Hodge (vc)
Came home with a bang thanks to two consecutive centuries that helped Victoria into the final, and finished with 352 at 50.28.David Hussey
Belted the second-fastest century in Australia’s domestic one-day history with a 60-ball effort against New South Wales. Completed the season with 484 at 44.Daniel Marsh (capt)
Guided his team to the one-day title and was a solid contributor with 330 runs at 41.25.Rob Quiney
Regular compiler anywhere in Victoria’s order and finished with 380 at 47.50. Did not manage a century but four scores of 50-plus are testament to his consistent summer.Brad Haddin (wk)
His 314 at 62.80 showed why he was given games as a specialist batsman for Australia. The Blues’ disappointing campaign might have been saved had he been available for more than six matches.Xavier Doherty
Finished equal top of the wicket tally with 15 victims at 25.53. Was a key man in Tasmania’s final triumph, claiming 4 for 18 as Victoria collapsed.Brett Geeves
The standout fast bowler in Tasmania’s successful line-up, he too collected 15 wickets at 25.20. Grabbed 3 for 28 in the decider and helped his team over the line with the bat to be named Man of the Match.Steve Magoffin
Continued to anchor the Western Australia attack with 14 victims at 27.21, a strong effort from nine appearances.Shaun Tait
His decision to quit cricket indefinitely left him with only five games but he still managed a remarkable 12 wickets at 18.91 that would surely have earned him more ODIs had he been available.Bryce McGain (12th man)
Surprised even himself with his one-day prowess. Equal leading wicket-taker with 15 at 24.40, and nearly won the final for Victoria with a brilliant spell in the dying overs.

Graeme Smith: ‘With the wickets not being tested … the team that adapts best will be able to get the most of it’ © Getty Images

A very confident South African team arrived at Piarco International Airport in Trinidad on Thursday morning, ready to take on all-comers, as their preparations for the World Cup enter the final phases.South Africa were the first squad in Trinidad for the biggest event in the region, flying in at around 12:40 a.m. when they were greeted by members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), including CEO Anand Daniel, and a handful of media representatives.Mickey Arthur, South Africa’s coach, expressed satisfaction with his team’s readiness for the tournament, saying: “It is all about peaking at the right time and I think, for us, things have been going nicely this season. We have shown an upward curve so hopefully our planning is coming to fruition.”South Africa overtook defending two-time World Cup champions Australia in the official ICC One Day International championship table, after a string of good performances in the past 12 months.One of the highlights last year was a 3-2 series win over Australia, sealed by scoring a world-record 438 for nine, as well as seven victories from their last eight completed matches. The main thing on the South African’s minds right now is acclimatisation. The last time they visited the Caribbean was in 2003 and their objective in the warm-up games, according to Graeme Smith, is “finding our feet before the tournament starts”.Smith expressed confidence in his team’s ability to do well in the Caribbean. “We have a good bowling attack…we have got a lot of variation so I think we back ourselves pretty well and I think this will be the key with the wickets not being tested and the team that adapts best will be able to get the most of it.”We are trying to get as much information about what we are up against and hopefully adapt to what we are going to face,” Smith added.Speaking about the West Indies team, Smith was adamant that the World Cup hosts played fantastic cricket in the ICC Champions Trophy last year, when they beat South Africa on the way to the final against Australia.Smith singled out hard-hitting West Indies opener Chris Gayle as a key figure in the home side’s success in the Champions Trophy. But he hinted the South Africans have been working on some plans to counteract the “terrific” players on the West Indies side.