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India’s Rohit Sharma has credited his team-mate Yuvraj Singh for making him a stronger batsman. Rohit had approached Yuvraj for advice after a slump in form led to his axing from the national side, and believed he had returned a mentally tougher batsman after speaking to his senior.”When I was dropped, Yuvi cited his own example and told me that every cricketer has gone through this phase,” Rohit told the . “He advised me to enjoy this period as it can be mentally draining. He is the real force behind my batting.”After being dropped from the Indian side, Rohit did well on the domestic circuit – he was added to the Test squad earlier this year – and finished the 2010 IPL as Deccan Chargers’ second highest run-scorer with 404 from 16 games. Rohit said he picked up tips on finishing an innings from his Deccan team-mate Andrew Symonds and coach Darren Lehmann, but stressed that Yuvraj’s backing was the most influential. “I have [taken tips from Symonds and Lehmann], but majority of my tricks came from Yuvraj. I don’t think anyone apart from Yuvi can help me in my batting. He told me that the most important thing as a finisher is to read the situation of the match. He said that you have to think like an opposition captain.”Rohit also spoke of observing Sachin Tendulkar and learning from him. Whenever I have played alongside Sachin he has always emphasised on the body position. He’d always stress that the head should be still,” he said. “I have noticed in the IPL and even prior to that that whenever he’d hit a big shot, his body position and head would be extremely still. And if it is not then you can not middle the ball. This is what I have learnt from Sachin , how to keep my head and body still.”Twenty20 forces a batsman to try out new ways to score, and shots such as the paddle and reverse-sweep have been successfully cultivated by some of the game’s more audacious strokemakers. For Rohit, though, these came with a fair amount of risk and he preferred sticking to the basics. “I don’t like these strokes, I think they are far too risky for me,” he said. “I concentrate on playing orthodox strokes and so far most of my runs have come through them. Also, if you look at Sachin batting in the IPL you’d realise he played hardly any of these strokes.”Rohit admitted his selection for the ICC World Twenty20 had been a bit of surprise, and hoped that he could play a key role again as he had during India’s run to the championship in 2007. He felt inconsistency was the reason behind in his irregular appearances for India. “I think I’m not consistent enough. There have been patches where I have been good and at times I have been really bad. Having said that I’d also like to add that I was been constantly shuffled up and down the batting order. One day I was batting at 3, 4 or 5 and other days I was batting at 7 or 8 and in between also opening the innings.”The ideal spot for him, Rohit felt, was in the middle order.

A major update has emerged on a Rangers transfer target, with a decision set to be made on a potential move to Ibrox under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

What’s the talk?

According to STV journalist Raman Bhardwaj, Hearts defender John Souttar is on the verge of deciding his future, with his contact at the Premiership side up at the end of the season.

He Tweeted: “John Souttar has narrowed down his choice to Rangers and two English Championship clubs as to who he’ll sign a pre-contract with. He’s set to make a decision this week. A host of clubs are interested in the Hearts defender.”

Excitement

This news will surely leave Rangers fans feeling excited as it appears as though they will know sooner rather than later whether or not he will be playing for the club next season. A decision is not far away and the Gers are in the final three-team shortlist, which gives them a great chance of landing him.

Supporters will be particularly excited by this as Souttar could be a fantastic signing for Van Bronckhorst and solve a major issue in the summer. Connor Goldson’s contract expires this year and he could depart for nothing ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, leaving a huge hole in the middle of the club’s defence.

This is where Souttar could come in and plug that gap as he has proven that he has the quality to be a top performer at Premiership level.

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein was previously effusive in his praise of the enforcer, saying:

“I’ve known him since he was 12 years old and he’s just got better and better. When he came here from Dundee Utd, we just needed to give him time. He’s grown into the player that I hoped he would be and for me he’s the best centre back in Scotland.

“Just for the fact that he can do wonderful things. His passing of the ball Saturday was fantastic, but he is also now capable physically of competing with any centre forward. His pace is very, very good and he’s strong, focused and aggressive.”

In the Premiership this season, he has averaged a phenomenal SofaScore rating of 7.43. Souttar has won 71% of his duels and made 4.4 clearances per game, in comparison to Goldson’s 7.18 rating and 66% duels won.

This suggests that he could come in and prove to be an upgrade on the Englishman, which is why this latest update will excite supporters.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Morelos: Rangers can seal ideal replacement in gem who scores every 1.7 games…

Tamil Nadu and Bengal marched into the finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy to set up a replay of last year’s title clash

Cricinfo staff27-Feb-2010
Scorecard
Abhinav Mukund kept piling on the runs•ESPNcricinfo LtdTamil Nadu’s formidable batting unit clicked again to set up a thrashing of Madhya Pradesh in the semi-finals at the Madhavrao Scindia Cricket ground. It was Abhinav Mukund who made a century this time, supported by half-centuries from opener S Anirudha and S Badrinath. The other major contribution was an all-round effort from R Sathish, blazing a 17-ball 39 and then bagging four wickets to bury MP’s chances.After choosing to bat, Tamil Nadu’s openers piled on a 177-run stand before Anirudha fell at the end of the 32nd over. With the foundation in place, Tamil Nadu stepped up the pace, with Badrinath slapping eight fours and a six to slam a 40-ball 58. Abhinav, meanwhile, progressed to his third List A century, making a steady 130. Medium-pacer Amarjeet Singh removed both off consecutive deliveries in the 44th over to reduce Tamil Nadu to 276 for 3. Even then, there was no respite for MP, with Sathish and K Vasudevadas ransacking 72 runs in the final six overs to set a massive target of 349.MP lost opener Jalaj Saxena early but kept fighting through a brisk 72-run association between Naman Ojha and Monish Mishra. However, a double-strike from medium-pacer Yo Mahesh, removing both set batsmen in the space of the three deliveries in the 14th over took the momentum out of the chase, and MP never recovered. It didn’t help that none of their batsmen reached even 50, and they were bowled out in the 44th over, 134 runs short.
Scorecard
Manoj Tiwary’s patient half-century steered Bengal past Karnataka and into the finals, setting up a replay of last year’s title clash. His effort came after a solid platform laid by the openers, Shreevats Goswami and Arindam Das, who put up 118 runs, which meant even a late wobble didn’t hurt Bengal. The game had been billed as a clash between Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, but neither of the former India captains had much of an impact on the outcome.Karnataka’s top-order batsmen flopped after they were sent in, and it was only a battling 93-run partnership between CM Gautam and S Aravind that lifted them from the depths of 130 for 8 to a middling score. The experiment to play Vinay Kumar at No. 3 worked to an extent, his 43 was the highest score among Karnataka’s top six. Dravid stuck around for 48 deliveries to compile 29 before he was caught behind off debutant offspinner Soumya Pakre. That dismissal came in the middle of a collapse that started with Vinay’s exit – Karnataka losing five wickets for 29 runs. It was then that Gautam combined with Aravind, who had made only 15 runs in his career before today’s unbeaten 38, to revive Karnataka.Bengal’s chase had its shakiest period when four wickets went down for 24 runs after the openers had put on a big stand. Tiwary and Wriddhiman Saha, though, put Bengal back on top with a 74-run association, and the target was overhauled with an over to spare.

MatériaMais Notícias

Um dos alvos do Palmeiras para 2018, o lateral-esquerdo Diogo Barbosa, do Cruzeiro, demonstrou insatisfação com a Raposa ao fim da vitória de sua equipe por 3 a 1 sobre o Fluminense, neste domingo. Autor de um dos gols da partida no Mineirão, o jogador desabafou sobre a renovação de seu contrato.

– Se fosse um jogador que não foi bem neste ano, tudo bem, mas um atleta que se destacou, campeão, que foi regular. A gente fica chateado. Uma demora para resolver a minha situação… Não sou dono do meu passe (sic), não sou eu que resolvo minha situação – afirmou o lateral.

– Se a nova diretoria não quiser que eu fique, eu tenho de aceitar, ir em frente, seguir minha vida. Mas a minha vontade é ficar, ficaria feliz. Se querem esperar até o final do ano para resolver tudo, tudo bem.Se não resolve logo, aí vem outro e resolve. Isso me chateia. Não sei quem procurou, se procurou, mas estou chateado sim, muito chateado – completou Diogo Barbosa.

O técnico do Cruzeiro, Mano Menezes, colocou panos quentes em sua entrevista coletiva após a vitória da Raposa em Belo Horizonte.

-Diogo pode ir para casa descansado, porque as coisas vão ser resolvidas. Ele quer ficar, o clube quer que ele fique e a torcida também. Todo mundo vai ficar feliz. Menos os outros lá de fora – disse o treinador.

Interessado, o Palmeiras recebeu informações positivas de que pode ter Diogo Barbosa em 2018 e considera que houve avanços na busca pelo lateral.

Aos 25 anos, o lateral-esquerdo é um dos destaques do time de Mano Menezes, campeão da Copa do Brasil. Ele está emprestado até o fim de 2018 à Raposa pelo Coimbra, clube ligado ao banco BMG, e o time celeste tem a preferência para comprar 25% dos direitos econômicos do jogador até o dia 31 de dezembro – o Cruzeiro já tem outros 25%. Esta fatia custa 1,5 milhão de euros (R$ 5,6 milhões), valor que ainda está sendo negociado pela Raposa. Se o clube não adquirir este pedaço até o dia 31, abre a possibilidade de o Coimbra ouvir outros interessados para levá-lo em definitivo, como o Palmeiras.

– Ainda não há uma data marcada para negociar com o Cruzeiro e sobre o interesse do Palmeiras só soube pela imprensa. O Cruzeiro pode exercer a preferência até o dia 31 de dezembro. Se quiser esperar, eles têm prazo para isso. Se quiserem antecipar, vão entrar em contato conosco. Não exercendo até o prazo, abre a possibilidade de chegarem outras propostas, mas não há nada agora – avisou Hissa Elias Moyses, responsável pelo Coimbra, na última semana.

A assessoria de Diogo Barbosa diz que o jogador pediu para não ser informado sobre negociações para manter-se focado no fim de temporada e deixou o assunto a cargo de seu empresário.

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A number of Sunderland fans have been speculating on social media ahead of the club’s Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal on Tuesday evening.

Both Sunderland and the Gunners managed to play on Saturday, with Lee Johnson’s side drawing 1-1 with Ipswich and Mikel Arteta’s men beating Leeds 4-1.

There were plenty of games called off, however, with a number of teams suffering due to positive virus cases. Only six out of 12 games were played in League One, whereas just four managed to go ahead in the Premier League.

At this moment in time, Sunderland’s trip to north London is going ahead as scheduled despite a positive case within the squad, but as we know with Aston Villa’s weekend game with Burnley being called off just over two hours before kick-off, that could change very quickly.

Sunderland fans react

Sunderland posted a picture of the Emirates Stadium on their official Twitter channel on Sunday evening with the caption ‘next stop’.

Here is what these Black Cats supporters had to say in reply, with a number of fans speculating whether the game will even go ahead due to the sheer number of cancellations over the weekend.

“Getting called off Tuesday afternoon when we’re an hour away from London, watch”

Credit: @TomNixon03

“Hopefully…. I keep wondering if I’m half way down and getting told to turn around”

Credit: @twangmackem

“Scared”

Credit: @MackemDuck

“Class, now it’s gonna be off”

Credit: @spj7104

“Jinxed it now”

Credit: @RyanC2408

“Can we be told today if going on not tomorrow when everyone’s left”

Credit: @michaelcopelan9

Dermott Monteith, Ireland’s all-time highest wicket-taker, has died at the age of 66.

Cricinfo staff06-Dec-2009Dermott Monteith, Ireland’s all-time highest wicket-taker, has died at the age of 66.In a remarkable career he played 76 times for Ireland, taking 326 wickets at 17.37, including 47 in five matches in 1971, with his left-arm spin. He took five wickets in an innings on 27 occasions, and seven times took 10 wickets in a match. His best figures came in 1973 when he took 13 wickets against The MCC at Lord’s, including a 8 for 44 in the second innings as Ireland triumphed by seven wickets.His playing career with Ireland spanned 19 years from his debut in 1965 at Lord’s, until his last appearance in 1984 against Scotland. On both occasions he made an impact with the bat, rather than the ball, testament to his all-round ability. He scored 54 against the MCC on his debut, and made 95, his highest score, on his final appearance for his country. In total he made 1712 runs at 20.63 with nine half centuries and also captained Ireland 38 times.Middlesex spotted Monteith’s ability and he played for them during the 1981 and 1983 seasons, deputising for John Emburey and Phil Edmonds when they were on England duty. He played his first game for the county aged 38 and proved more than capable, taking 24 wickets in eight Championship appearances with a best of 5 for 60 against Essex.After his playing career ended Monteith took up a leading position in the administration of Irish cricket and became a national selector. Roy Torrens, his former team-mate and the current Ireland manager, commended the confidence and skill that characterised Monteith’s career.”Dermott was in many ways ahead of his time. He was a trail-blazer in every way. He was an innovative captain, and had no fear of failure. He was always looking to make things happen, and was great to play alongside. He was quite simply a magnificent cricketer, and he was a pioneer in many ways, being one of the first Irishmen in the modern era to make a mark in county cricket.”He was very highly regarded by his Middlesex colleagues, and on my travels with Ireland, I was often asked by Mike Brearley and John Emburey how he was doing.”I probably got to know Dermott better when we both were retired and travelling around as national selectors. He was great to have as a friend, and was marvellous company. My thoughts and prayers are with his family circle at this sad time.”David Williams, the Cricket Ireland chairman, added his tribute saying: “I learned of the death of Dermott Monteith with great sadness. He was one of our very greatest players and a much valued colleague in the administration of cricket in Ireland when his playing days were over.”

Celtic winger James Forrest has been pictured in training after missing Thursday’s 3-2 win against Real Betis through injury.

The Lowdown: Forrest’s struggles

Forrest has endured a frustrating 18 months at Parkhead under both Neil Lennon and Ange Postecoglou due to injuries.

The 30-year-old missed a large period of the previous campaign with an ankle issue which meant he could only start 12 games in all competitions.

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He has also missed a number of games under Postecoglou with a knee problem, starting just eight fixtures so far this season.

Forrest made way for Liel Abada at half-time against Dundee United last weekend and missed the final Europa League group game, but he could make a swift return to action.

The Latest: Pictured at Lennoxtown

Celtic shared four training images on their official Twitter page on Saturday morning ahead of their clash with Motherwell.

They attached a link for a full training gallery, where you can find Forrest pictured at Lennoxtown in an under-the-radar update.

The Verdict: Timely boost

Anthony Ralston was also pictured back in training, whereas the hamstring injury that Kyogo Furuhashi sustained on Thursday isn’t thought to be serious.

Postecoglou is due a bit of luck when it comes to injuries, so having all three ready to go for a busy few weeks prior to the winter break could be crucial.

It’s good to see that both Forrest and Ralston are back in training, and who knows, that could be the right-sided duo that Postecoglou selects against Motherwell today and possibly even Hibernian in the League Cup final next week.

In other news: Celtic allegedly now looking at signing 34-assist ace in January; he’s his agency’s biggest star

Pundit Noel Whelan is a big fan of a potential Newcastle United move to sign Manchester City defender Nathan Ake.

The Lowdown: Ake targeted

It has been reported that Ake is one of a number of players Eddie Howe is targeting from his time with AFC Bournemouth in the January transfer window.

A recruitment source has also told Football Insider that Manchester City would accept a £10m loss on the central defender in the winter in order to try and push through a deal – they spent £40m on him in August 2020 (BBC).

Nonetheless, if a transfer fee can be agreed between the two clubs, it looks as if the St. James’ Park faithful could get their man given his lack of playing time with the Champions.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, 46-year-old former Leeds United and Coventry City striker Whelan has backed Ake’s potential move to the North East:

“I think that signing ticks all the boxes for Newcastle.

“Eddie Howe had him at Bournemouth, and was excellent for him there, that makes it a no-brainer. He progressed so well under him.

“He’s in his prime at 26, that is when you get the best football out of yourself.

“They need to bolster that defence, it’s been so leaky for almost three seasons now.

“They need to get him through the door at Newcastle as soon as possible if he is made available by Man City in January.

“He would be an amazing signing and the start of those jigsaw pieces coming together.”

The Verdict: Sign

Of course, Ake is a player that Howe knows very well, as the Netherlands international played in 121 games in total over all competitions under him, scoring 11 goals and making a further six assists (Transfermarkt).

Thus, Howe knows how to get the best out of him, and given that he has been playing for the reigning Premier League champions under Pep Guardiola, he would certainly elevate the quality and mindset in the squad.

That would be especially evident in his ability to play out from the back, as he has averaged more passes and a higher pass success than Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez and Jamaal Lascelles in the top flight so far this season (WhoScored).

He has fought relegation battles before with Howe at the Cherries too, and so would be a smart addition with his experience alongside the gaffer when the going gets tough.

In other news, find out which NUFC target may cost more than £40m here!

A frustrating update has emerged over mooted Tottenham Hotspur target Dusan Vlahovic this week which is sure to leave supporters gutted…

What’s the word?

The Serbian striker is expected to leave Fiorentina after rejecting a new contract extension which would have made him their highest-paid player ever, but it seems his price tag may be out of reach for many teams across Europe.

Italian journalist Enrico Camelio told Calciomercato.it TV: “To date, Fiorentina is asking for off-market figures.

“In addition to what we read, no team is actually on the player. La Viola want to sell him, even if not in January. Vlahovic’s representatives are very happy with this situation because they too are shooting high. The teams concerned all fled when they heard these figures. We are over 70m euros.”

Fans surely gutted

Spurs are in need of attacking reinforcements in 2022 as Harry Kane currently does not have a senior backup, and as we saw on Thursday night, it’s asking an awful lot to expect 17-year-old gem Dane Scarlett to step up and fill that void in the short-term.

Back in September, fellow Italian publication Calciomercato.com revealed that Vlahovic was Fabio Paratici’s number one priority heading into the winter transfer window.

That’s hardly a surprise as the 21-year-old forward scored 21 goals from 37 Serie A appearances last season and has continued that form into 2021/22 by finding the net six times across all competitions already, as per Transfermarkt.

At 6 foot 3, Vlahovic has earned comparisons to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and even been described as being ‘up there’ with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland as one of the next young strikers to make their mark on Europe.

On that evidence alone, with his goalscoring record and touted potential, he’s a prospective signing who would have much of the Lilywhites faithful absolutely excited, but there seems very little chance that the club can afford a fee in the region of £60m – especially for a backup striker.

Also dubbed a “complete number nine” by Serie A expert Conor Clancy to This is Futbol, it seems as if the Spurs fanbase will be left a little gutted by this latest development.

Nuno Santo needs alternatives in attack as he is playing a risky game if Kane picks up an injury in the near future, but considering the financial factors involved in a potential swoop for the £45m-rated Fiorentina sensation, it doesn’t seem likely that Vlahovic is the answer.

AND in other news, £27m-rated “freak of a talent” facing fight to save Spurs career amid latest Nuno call…

Text-book skill of the day
Jacques Kallis didn’t play in the first World Twenty20 – which didn’t go down well with the man himself – and he has gone about proving he can play the shortest format. He had a productive IPL and has now slotted into the opening role for his country. He isn’t the type of batsmen to slog and carve the ball around, but one shot today showed there is plenty of room for elegance and grace in Twenty20. Jerome Taylor bowled a good length slower-ball, Kallis gave himself a touch of room and went inside-out over mid-off with timing to carry the boundary. Some shots in this tournament haven’t been near the coaching manual, but Kallis’ effort could have made page one.Spell of the day
Wayne Parnell is shaping as one of the outstanding bowlers of the tournament at just 19 years of age. On Thursday he helped take out England’s opening pair before wrapping up the tail and was at it again here. First he knocked back Andre Fletcher’s off stump as the batsman had an ugly heave across the line, then claimed the vital scalp of Chris Gayle who lobbed a catch to midwicket. But it isn’t just his wickets that are impressive, the economy rate is crucial and he finished his first two-over spell having conceded just three runs. And to cap his day, he claimed two more at the death.Futile catch of the day
South Africa’s fielding has been one of the stand-out features of the tournament and for a split second Graeme Smith thought he had taken a blinder. He ran in from midwicket to catch Dwayne Bravo, but the chance had been offered from a high full toss by Albie Morkel that surprised the batsman. Mark Benson, the umpire, was already signalling no-ball before Smith took the catch, but the South Africa captain only realised once he’d stood up. He didn’t look best pleased, but couldn’t have any arguments with the decision.Counterattack of the day
With both openers gone for 13 in the fourth over, West Indies needed someone to stand up if they were to have a chance. Enter Lendl Simmons, who wasn’t in the team at the start of the tournament, as he kicked the innings into life with four boundaries in five balls off Kallis in a half-century that took 31 balls. With him at the crease the target was still in sight for West Indies, but when he was caught at long-off the game swung decisively back to South Africa.Bowling change of the day
JP Duminy hadn’t been used in the tournament until being introduced for 12th over of the innings with Simmons flying and Shivnarine Chanderpaul settling in. His first ball was easily pushed away for a single, but the second would have done any frontline spinner proud. He saw Chanderpaul advancing, but had the nerve to toss the ball up and found a leading edge which looped back to the bowler; a vital wicket at a vital time and not a bad moment to claim your first dismissal of the tournament.Wrong button of the day
When Kieron Pollard chipped a low full-toss from Parnell to Smith he stood his ground as the South Africans celebrated, thinking he had hit the ball into the ground. Replays clearly showed he was out, but then the big screen flashed up ‘Not Out’ and there was a collective gasp. A few second later, though, ‘Out’ appeared as the third umpire, Rod Tucker, found the correct button and a controversy was averted.