All posts by h716a5.icu

Suresh Raina has replaced Yuvraj Singh from the highest-paid Grade A level in the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s list of central contracts

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2010Suresh Raina has replaced Yuvraj Singh in the Grade A level – the highest – of the BCCI’s list of central contracts for 2010-11. Virat Kohli, M Vijay and Pragyan Ojha have moved up to Grade B, while Rohit Sharma has been demoted to C. RP Singh and Munaf Patel, who were previously in Grade B, have not been offered contracts.The board has made several changes to the structure, reducing the total number of contracted players from 41 to 24, and doing away with Grade D. The annual retainers have been increased from Rs. 60 lakh to Rs. 1 crore ($135,594 to $225,990) for Grade A and from Rs 40 lakh to Rs. 50 lakh ($90,396 to $112,995) for Grade B. The fees for category C remain at Rs. 25 lakhs ($56,498).Yuvraj has had a forgettable 2010, with indifferent form and fitness dogging him through one of the toughest phases of the career. He was disappointing at the World Twenty20 in the West Indies and was subsequently dropped for the Asia Cup but returned for the Tests in Sri Lanka. In the first Test, he scored 52 and 5 in Galle, before missing the second with fever. He was declared fit to play in the third but was passed over from the final XI in favour of Raina, who had replaced him for the second Test and scored a century on debut.Gautam Gambhir has, on the other hand, been more fortunate and has retained his Grade A classification despite an indifferent year – he has missed three of India’s last six Tests with injuries, and has bagged ducks in the second innings in each of other three. Rahul Dravid, who has been out of India’s limited-overs plans since the 2009 Champions Trophy, also features in the A category, despite his recent dip in Test form.Karnataka seamers Abhimanyu Mithun and Vinay Kumar, who forced their way into the national side through impressive shows in the 2009-10 first-class season, have been added to Grade C, along with Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored a fluent half-century against Australia on Test debut.Dinesh Karthik, who has been in and out of the one-day side as a back-up wicketkeeper and a make-shift opener, has been axed from the contracts list, along with Ajinkya Rahane, Manoj Tiwary and Dhawal Kulkarni. Shikhar Dhawan, Abhishek Nayar and Sudeep Tyagi also find themselves out of contracts.Grade A: Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer KhanGrade B: Yuvraj Singh, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Virat Kohli, M Vijay, Pragyan OjhaGrade C: Sreesanth, Amit Mishra, R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Abhimanyu Mithun, Vinay Kumar

Ian Bell smashed a superb century as Warwickshire batted themselves ever closer to County Championship Division One safety at The Rose Bowl

15-Sep-2010
ScorecardIan Bell smashed a superb century as Warwickshire batted themselves ever closer to County Championship Division One safety at The Rose Bowl. Resuming overnight on 29 without loss, openers Varun Chopra and Ian Westwood added just ten more runs before both departed, falling lbw to Simon Jones and James Tomlinson respectively.That brought Bell and first-innings wicket-taking hero Darren Maddy together at the crease, and they combined to flay Hampshire’s bowlers to all parts. Bell looked every inch a batsman bound for the plane for Australia this winter, as he cut and drove powerfully to race to his half-century.Maddy also looked fluent as he attacked Hampshire’s bowling, but with the pair well set and their partnership approaching a century, Maddy was bowled as Danny Briggs (3 for 100) spun one past his defences and bowled him. Former England international Jim Troughton was next to depart, snared by a decent Michael Carberry catch off the bowling of the impressive Simon Jones (4 for 60).With Warwickshire edging closer to securing more batting bonus points, Bell opened his shoulders and moved rapidly through the 80s and 90s. He finally went to three figures with an edge through the slips before celebrating with gusto.But with a huge score on the horizon as Hampshire’s bowlers grew increasingly frustrated and tired, Bell gave his wicket away, edging Jones behind for 104. Richard Johnson swiftly followed Bell back to the pavilion as Warwickshire’s innings spluttered to 227 for 6 but a fine counter-attacking knock from Rikki Clarke wrestled the initiative back for the Bears.Clarke, in tandem with Keith Barker, dragged Warwickshire past 250 with some clean hitting and good running between the wickets. But both fell with the score on 264, Clarke (52) edging James Tomlinson before Barker clipped left-arm spinner Briggs to Dominic Cork for 21.Former Hampshire spinner Imran Tahir smashed his way to a rapid 20 from 15 balls but fell with Warwickshire six runs short of 300 in the fast- descending Rose Bowl gloom. With the light threatening to fade beyond a reasonable playing level, there was just time for Andrew Miller to drag the Bears beyond 300 before holing out to Liam Dawson.The wicket brought the innings to a close but as Hampshire’s batsmen readied themselves for their second innings, the umpires finally called time on the day’s play as darkness descended on the Rose Bowl.

Celtic were rather busy during the previous summer and winter transfer windows in terms of the deals they managed to complete.

Not only did the Hoops welcome a number of new players to the Parkhead club, but they also managed to move others out in the opposite direction.

However, they didn’t always end up signing every player that was mentioned with a move to Celtic Park.

One player, in particular, that was linked to the Hoops in the previous January window that didn’t end up joining was Callum Styles.

With the transfer window set to open for business again once the season comes to an end, we think that the Bhoys should reignite their interest in the Barnsley figure and launch a move to bring him to Celtic.

Having racked up a total of 115 appearances for the Championship club prior to their match against Swansea City, the midfielder has scored eight goals and provided six assists.

This shows what a useful creative and attacking player he can be on the pitch.

One goal that the 22-year-old scored for his current side from outside the box was labelled as a “rocket” by journalist Sanny Rudravajhala, highlighting what he’s capable of on the ball.

The Hungarian has also racked up an average of 1.2 shots and 1.1 key passes per game in the league, putting him in the top five for each statistic in Barnsley’s squad.

Described as being a “massive talent” by teammate Cauley Woodrow, Styles has played in numerous positions across the pitch throughout his career.

This highlights how his versatility could make him a very useful squad member for Ange Postecoglou if the Hoops are able to sign the £2.7m-rated gem this summer.

Looking ahead to the summer, with Barnsley looking likely to get relegated as things stand, a move to Celtic could be rather tempting for the player rather than potentially playing in League One.

Also, with his contract at the Yorkshire club set to expire in the summer of 2023, this next window could be the ideal time for Barnsley to cash in on him should they get relegated and he doesn’t put pen to paper on a new deal.

In other news: Ange can finally axe “unbelievable” £18k-p/w Celtic flop with “aggressive” prodigy

WV Raman, the former Indian opener, will be coach of the Bengal cricket team from September this year after a four-year stint as mentor of Tamil Nadu

Cricinfo staff21-Jul-2010WV Raman, the former Indian opener, will be coach of the Bengal cricket team from September this year after a four-year stint as mentor of Tamil Nadu. He takes over from former India allrounder, Roger Binny, who oversaw an indifferent previous season for Bengal.Raman, who had previously coached Bengal in 2001, said he wanted to shift from Tamil Nadu as they had a well-established young unit. “After four years, a time comes to decide whether you need to continue or not,” he said. “If you look at it, I sort of revived Tamil Nadu and now a young side is doing duty, which can last for another seven-eight years. That being the case I thought I will have a change. What could be done to rebuild the Bengal side?”This will be Bengal’s fourth coach in four years, with two of Raman’s immediate predecessors – Utpal Chaterjee and Binny – having lasted only a season each.”In fact, Bengal wanted me two years ago,” Raman said. “I thought I cannot leave Tamil Nadu in the midst of them getting into the groove. I did not want to leave half way through since the job what I wanted to do was not complete.”When asked whether former captain Sourav Ganguly would play in the Ranji Trophy, Raman said “Ganguly might play one-dayers for Bengal, if he is going to play in the IPL next season.”

Sky Sports have provided a live TV update on Aston Villa’s pursuit of Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.

The Lowdown: Bentancur or Kamara?

Villa are seeking a holding midfielder before the month is out and have seemingly moved on from Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma after a £25m bid was rejected.

Bentancur appears to be the club’s main target, although according to Fabrizio Romano, Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara is also on the list.

The latter is primarily a defensive midfielder whereas the former, who has won nine trophies at club level, has mainly been used as a central midfielder, and an update has emerged regarding Bentancur.

The Latest: Sky Sports update

Sky Sports provided an on-air update regarding Villa’s attempts to sign the Juventus beast on Monday.

Relayed by Football Daily, ‘some breaking transfer news’ was shared, with Villa yet to make an official bid for the Uruguayan.

A ‘significant’ sell on-clause inserted by Boca Juniors may impact a possible transfer, with Juventus valuing Bentancur at ‘over’ £16m.

The Verdict: Move for Kamara?

Should a deal for Bentancur prove complicated, then perhaps Johan Lange should move on to Kamara with just six days remaining in the transfer window.

As mentioned, his natural position is a defensive midfielder who can also play at centre-back if required, and he has plenty of experience for his current employers.

Kamara is out of contract at the end of the season, with Marseille seeking just £10m for a January switch. Villa have already spoken to his agent, so should a move for Bentancur fail to materialise, the 22-year-old could be an excellent alternative.

In other news: ‘Crazy to sell’ – Lots of Villa fans flock to update as Newcastle swoop for Gerrard regular

England Lions continued their unbeaten run to win the A team tri-series in Worcester, beating India A by five wickets in a big chase

Cricinfo staff08-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Andrew Gale top scored with 90 in England Lions’ title win•Getty ImagesEngland Lions continued their unbeaten run to win the tri-series in Worcester, beating India A by five wickets in a big chase. There were five half-centurions in a high-scoring encounter, but the two that stood out were Andrew Gale, who top scored with 90, and Darren Stevens, who smashed 68 off 53 balls to help seal victory with eight balls to spare.England’s decision to field seemed to backfire when openers Abhinav Mukund and Shikhar Dhawan delivered an attacking start by adding 68 in under ten overs. However, from there on, England, led by left-arm spinner Stephen Parry’s three-for on his Lions debut, kept India in check with timely breakthroughs, ensuring no partnership went past the 50-mark.Cheteshwar Pujara, who finished as the tournament’s highest run-getter, anchored the Indian innings with a knock of 87 off 89 balls, containing just six boundaries (four fours and two sixes). With some assistance from the lower order, he helped India post a competitive 278, but his bowlers failed in their defence.England lost captain Alastair Cook, returning after missing three games to a back problem, in the second over but recovered well. Opener Steven Davies struck 55, and added 76 for the second wicket with Gale. While India’s batsmen struggled to build partnerships, England showed no such difficulty.Gale received excellent support from Ravi Bopara in a stand of 68, followed by 71 more with Stevens, whose innings was laced with nine fours and a six. Gale fell in the 42nd over, but Stevens kept England ahead of the required rate and when he was dismissed with the score on 260 the rest just had to hold their nerve. James Taylor did just that in his unbeaten 19 and completed the formalities in the penultimate over.”This has been a really worthwhile series,” Cook said. “The most pleasing things is that every player has contributed at some stage over the series and helped us win. It’s a good opportunity particularly for the younger players to test themselves in this sort of tournament and to see how they measure up against touring sides.”

Wolves have had a fairly quiet start to their January transfer window compared to other sides in the Premier League with Japanese midfielder Hayao Kawabe being the only player to arrive at Molineux so far this month.

However, it seems as though the Midlands club could be set to say goodbye to one of their current squad members, which wouldn’t please manager Bruno Lage.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Football Insider, fellow Premier League club West Ham United have made a “concrete” move to sign Wolves winger Adama Traore this month.

In the 152 appearances he’s made for the Old Gold since arriving from Middlesbrough in a deal worth a reported fee of £18m back in the 2018 summer transfer window, the 25-year-old has only managed to score ten goals and provide 18 assists along the way, which is far greater than what the club would have been hoping to get from him at this stage.

Potential disaster?

Despite the Spaniard reportedly being unhappy at Molineux with a long-term issue surrounding the possibility of him signing a new deal, Lage would certainly not want to lose one of his most dangerous attacking players midway through their season, especially as they aim to secure a European place.

Labelled as a “dynamic” player by former Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood, Traore has still managed to prove himself to be an important player for Lage in the Premier League this season with an overall rating of 6.96/10 from WhoScored, making him their third-highest rated player.

If Wolves were then to sell Traore this month, it could be a disaster for Fosun and Lage if the team were to miss out on a European finish this season as a result of the winger’s potential absence for the remainder of the campaign.

Considering West Ham are a rival for European football, it wouldn’t be a good idea at all to sell him to the Irons and if they eventually beat them to a place among Europe’s elite, Lage would understandably be rather angry.

With that in mind, it may be the best option to keep the £43k-per-week Traore until the end of the season and then try to secure a move away for him if he still doesn’t want to sign a new deal.

In other news: Lage could blow Wolves fans away by signing £27m-rated ace who is “better than Mbappe” – opinion

Shane Bond has announced his retirement from all forms of the game, less than a year after making his international comeback from the ICL wilderness

Brydon Coverdale13-May-2010Shane Bond has announced his retirement from all forms of the game, less than a year after making his international comeback from the ICL wilderness. Bond ended his Test career in December, when he felt that his body could not handle the rigours of the five-day game, and he has now decided to step away from the shorter formats as well.After returning home from the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, where he collected five wickets at an average of 29, Bond said he was unwilling to compromise his own standards for the sake of prolonging his career. Bond turns 35 next month and he will leave the game nearly nine years after his international debut, with 259 victims across all formats for his country, and he is not planning to continue in the IPL.”I know the time is right for me to step down,” Bond said. “I have given it everything when playing for the Black Caps. I will miss the camaraderie because it has been a privilege to play along such a great bunch of guys who are so committed to do their best for New Zealand. Playing with pride for the Black Caps over the years has meant so much to me.”I dreamed of playing for New Zealand when I was six. The reality of what has unfolded was more than I could ever hope for and I have been extremely proud to represent New Zealand. I am going to miss a lot of this but I know now is the time to bow out. I am very keen at some stage to put something back into the game in New Zealand.”Persistent injuries meant Bond played far fewer internationals than he or New Zealand would have liked, and he departs with 87 wickets at 22.09 in 18 Tests, 147 at 20.88 in 82 ODIs, and 25 at 21.72 in 20 Twenty20 internationals. His absence from late 2007 until 2009 due to his ICL contract also deprived New Zealand of their best fast bowler.Despite his impressive record in a small number of Tests, Bond’s impact was felt as much in one-day cricket, where for a time he was the No. 1 ranked bowler in the world. His highlights included 6 for 23 in a World Cup game against Australia in 2003, when Ricky Ponting’s men went through the tournament undefeated.A genuinely quick bowler, Bond took a one-day international hat-trick, also against the Australians, and helped New Zealand to a World Cup semi-final in 2007. In an interview with Cricinfo this week, Bond said when he quit Tests he was unwilling to slow his pace and reduce the wear and tear on his body in an effort to extend his career, and he has now added 20- and 50-over cricket to that list.”I find it difficult to hold back,” Bond said earlier this week. “I just go hard. It hurt me. But I wanted to keep playing. I have had enough injuries. I am sick and tired of being in rehab, and if I did that one more time I would’ve been probably finished. I wanted to finish playing [Tests] rather than get injured and fall by the side. I’d rather have a shorter career and be successful than stretch it out and let my performance drop.”Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, has felt more than most the regular absences of Bond over the years, as the other main weapon in the attack. Vettori said it was disappointing to lose Bond so soon after his comeback.”For me personally it is a big loss,” Vettori said. “I think he could still be a really good player for us for some time to come. But I know how much effort he puts in to stay on the park. He knows his body and he knows what he needs to do to prepare for international cricket. Sadly for us he has decided his time has come to an end.”Justin Vaughan, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket, played against Bond in his final year for Auckland, when Bond was enjoying his first season for Canterbury in 1996-97. Vaughan said Bond would be a big loss for New Zealand.”We shall all miss Shane in the international arena,” Vaughan said. “His speed and ability struck fear into batsmen from every team in world cricket. He has been a real match-winner. Shane has had an inspirational presence about him and has been a great role model for younger team-mates. Shane will leave a huge gap that will be almost impossible to replace. We are saddened by his decision, but we support him and wish him all the best in his future.”

Newcastle United are reportedly now ‘in talks’ to sign Diego Carlos in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Botman alternative?

As per The Athletic journalist David Ornstein, the St. James’ Park faithful have now submitted an ‘improved’ offer to Lille to try and sign Sven Botman, who is their ‘top centre-back target’.

It is ‘unclear’ how they will respond, but he is ‘keen’ on a move to the North East.

However, Lille may wait until the summer before they decided on selling Botman, and so the Tyneside outfit may have to start looking at other centre-half targets as the days go on this month.

The Latest: Carlos talks

According to 90min journalist Graeme Bailey, the Magpies are now ‘in talks’ with Sevilla to sign Carlos, who are trying to persuade him to sign a new contract.

However, the central defender is ‘keen’ on the switch, but they may have to cough up £40m after their initial approach of £30m was turned back.

The Verdict: Get it done

Even though Botman is seven years younger, there is not much between them, and Carlos is actually averaging more tackles, blocks and passes at a higher success rate in their respective domestic leagues so far this season (WhoScored).

Nicknamed ‘The Beast‘, the Brazilian loves to get stuck in, and he even rattled Lionel Messi in a draw between Sevilla and FC Barcelona last campaign because of how close to the edge he plays.

He seems exactly the type of personality that the Toon need for a relegation dogfight, and if he is up for the move, then Carlos could be a real shrewd signing.

Nonetheless, at 28 years of age, he is at his peak, and so now is the best time to get a deal done.

In other news, find out who NUFC have now started talks to sign here!

Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, has said paceman Jerome Taylor is still not ready for competitive cricket and will not be rushed back prematurely, with less than three weeks before West Indies are due to host the World Twenty20

Cricinfo staff13-Apr-2010Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, has said paceman Jerome Taylor is still not ready for competitive cricket and will not be rushed back prematurely, with less than three weeks before West Indies are due to host the World Twenty20.Taylor has not played since limping out of the first Test against Australia in Brisbane last November and is yet to feature in the Jamaica Cricket Association Festival, where West Indies are playing Jamaica, Ireland and Canada.”He has not played yet in the festival yet but the intention is to play him later this week, maybe Saturday or Sunday, but currently he is still doing all the strengthening and the ‘back to bowling programme’,” Gibson told .He was picked in the West Indies squad for the Festival and also in the official 15-man squad for the World Twenty20 and Gibson is confident that the rehab is going well.”Jerome is progressing nicely. He is doing all the things we asked him to do. He is doing some bowling and he is doing a lot of strengthening work, which he needed to do since he has his injury.West Indies will be without paceman Fidel Edwards, who is recovering with from back surgery, for the tournament but Gibson is hopeful that Taylor will be available.”He is a lot fitter than when I saw him two weeks ago in Barbados, so the signs are very good for him moving forward. He is getting closer and closer at all times and as I said to him, his main focus is to get fit for the first game [in the World Twenty20].”