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Rangers ended their 2021/22 campaign on a high as they won the Scottish Cup final to bring one trophy back to Ibrox.

The Gers missed out on silverware in the Premiership and the Europa League as they finished runners-up in both competitions.

Gio van Bronckhorst will now have his first summer transfer window in charge to improve his team in order to go again next term with the hope of winning more than one trophy.

One position in which he is looking to strengthen is at centre-back as the club have been linked with a move for Cameron Humphreys.

The defender is set to leave Belgian outfit Zulte Waregem at the end of his contract this summer and Rangers are reportedly interested in signing him, alongside a number of teams from England.

Van Bronckhorst has a difficult situation to manage at centre-back as Leon Balogun and Connor Goldson are out of contract and Calvin Bassey has been touted with an Ibrox exit.

Imagine him & John Souttar

However, Souttar will be arriving from Hearts ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and he can form a dream partnership with Humphreys at the back.

The Scotland international is a proven, quality, Premiership performer who can slot straight into the team and lead the backline next term. In the top-flight this season, the 25-year-old averaged an exceptional SofaScore rating of 7.30 in 27 appearances.

He won a whopping 71% of his duels and made 3.9 clearances per game as he made himself a rock at the back for Hearts. Souttar has shown that he can deliver on a consistent basis and this means that he would be the perfect partner for a young player coming in from abroad – Humphreys.

The 23-year-old defender won 71% of his aerial battles and 62% of his duels in total in the top-flight of Belgian football in the season just gone, showing that he can be physically dominant and not be bullied by the opposition. He also made 2.2 tackles and interceptions and 2.9 clearances per game as he showcased some strong defensive instincts.

Humphreys is untested in the Premiership, though, and this is why pairing him with a proven quantity – Souttar – can make for the perfect blend at the heart of van Bronckhorst’s defence.

Former Man City coach Simon Davies once claimed that the gem can become a “real leader” and this highlights the potential he has from a mental standpoint. He can grow into a key figure on and off the pitch with his leadership skills, which can also be aided by Souttar’s presence – who has captained Hearts in the past.

It is now down to Ross Wilson to convince the Englishman to turn down interest from his home country to make the switch to Glasgow as it would be a dream deal for the club to solve their centre-back issues.

AND in other news, GvB can find Kemar Roofe 2.0 in Rangers swoop for “clinical” gem who “rarely misses”…

Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie is ecstatic that six Hoops players have made it into PFA Scotland’s Team of the Year for 2021/22.

The Lowdown: Hoops dominate Team of the Year

The Hoops are on the verge of being named the new Scottish Premiership champions, taking a six-point lead with them into the final three matches of the campaign.

Celtic’s dominance has now been recognised, with the news that Cameron Carter-Vickers, Josip Juranovic, Tom Rogic, Callum McGregor, Jota and Kyogo Furuhashi are all named in the Team of the Year.

All six have enjoyed superb seasons, playing a huge role in Ange Postecoglou’s side being so close to title glory.

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The Latest: McAvennie reacts to news

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie couldn’t hide his delight at the news:

“I can’t believe it, if you told me six players would make it into the team of the year at the end of last season, I wouldn’t believe it. The team we had last year was rotten. In such a short time Ange has turned it around.

“If you look at those six, Juranovic, Jota, Kyogo and Carter-Vickers all came in this season. I can’t believe that. Four brand new signings all in the team of the season, it’s just, wow.

“That is down to Ange as well because he brought them in. He is the one to thank in all this.

“McGregor and Rogic have improved so much as well, all of them deserve it. I know it doesn’t really mean much but it’s just another sign for the incredible year we have had and hopefully it’s a good sign for the future.”

The Verdict: Richly deserved recognition

To see over half of the Team of the Year dominated by Celtic players is just reward for their efforts, with Postecoglou getting huge amounts out of his squad in his first season at Parkhead.

Carter-Vickers has been an influential figure on loan from Tottenham, averaging 4.1 aerial duel wins per game, while Rogic and McGregor have brought class and fight to the midfield.

Meanwhile, Jota has been another inspired loan signing, chipping in with 18 goal contributions in the league – nine goals and assists each – and both Juranovic and Kyogo have also done their bit for the cause at right-back and in attack, respectively.

In other news, Celtic are reportedly keen on selling one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

Kent pair will head into England’s Sri Lanka tour in contrasting circumstances despite similar series averages

George Dobell at the Wanderers24-Jan-2020When Rory Burns was forced home, just as the second Test started, there was trepidation over how England would cope.At that stage, Dom Sibley was averaging 14.20 after three Tests, while Burns’ replacement, Zak Crawley, had scored only one Test run. It was as young, green and unproven an opening pair as England had fielded for many, many years.ALSO READ: Stokes in the dock after sweary response to fan’s Ed Sheeran jibeBut it is amazing what happens when opportunity is offered. And now, just two-and-a-half Tests later, Sibley has a maiden century and Crawley has improved his career-best score for five innings in succession.Perhaps more importantly, the pair have started to do what other aspirants have failed to do for many years. They have taken the shine off the ball, forced bowlers into second and third spells and built foundations on which the middle order can build.The most obvious example of that came on the first day in Johannesburg. By registering a century stand, they not only gave their side a foothold in this game, but made a decent case for their retention – for the tour of Sri Lanka, at least – as England’s opening pair.If a century stand sounds like a relatively modest achievement, it is worth reflecting on the statistics. It has been more than three years since England last enjoyed a century opening stand – it was between Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings in Chennai in December 2016 – and 10-and-a-half years since they enjoyed one in the first innings of a Test. On that occasion, in July 2009, Cook and Andrew Strauss were the opening pair. It is rare, too, to see one on this ground: the last made in the first innings of a Test was 2003; the most recent in any innings was in 2013.So these are significant indicators. And bearing in mind the age of England’s opening pair – Sibley is 24, Crawley is 21 – and the struggles of the many men who have gone before, it may be worth investing in this pair a little longer before making any change.Burns, it should be remembered, will not be available in Sri Lanka. And while there is talk to recalling Jennings, the selectors may also reflect on the rate of improvement in this young pair and conclude that it would be unhelpful to separate them now.ALSO READ: The Jennings recall – has the era of batting specialisation arrived?It was Crawley’s innings that made the biggest impression on Friday. Nicely though Sibley played, he has already made a century and there is no longer any sense of surprise when he establishes himself. He has now scored at least 29 in his last five Test innings. And again, if that sounds modest, remember that South Africa said they would have bowled first had they won the toss and this is, arguably, the fastest surface in the world.Crawley, though, looked calm, confident and classy. It’s not just that he blunts the attack; it’s that he has the weapons to hurt it. He can drive off front and back foot, he can cut, he can pull and he’s murderous off his legs. The wagon wheel of his 10 fours underlines this: four came on the on side; four came on the off; two were straight. All 10 were in front of square. On a quick pitch, that’s remarkable and suggests an unusual amount of time to play the ball. Cook, by comparison, would surely have scored very few of his boundaries in front of square.But most of all, Crawley showed excellent judgement in which balls to leave which is essential on this surface. All four wickets so far have fallen to edges behind the stumps; the ability to leave on length as much as line suggests Crawley has what it takes to succeed at this level. You suspect he is coming to the same conclusion.”I’ve definitely got a lot more confidence in myself,” Crawley said after play. “I wouldn’t quite say settled yet. I’ve a lot more to prove. But I feel if keep improving – and I feel like I’m improving quite a lot each game – it will not be too long before I feel much more comfortable.”I’ve definitely learned a lot mentally about playing the best bowlers in the world and seeing them off. When to attack and when not to. When I got out the way I did to Kagiso Rabada in Cape Town, he only had a couple of overs left in his spell. The people who think the best in this game are the best players. So I’m trying to learn a lot from Ben Stokes and Joe Root who score a lot of runs for England.”The one concern might be that he was hit by a bouncer from the enduringly excellent Anrich Nortje. While Crawley played the incident down, it will have been noted by fast bowlers in Australia, in particular. He is a big man – every bit of six feet, five inches – and tends to take the short ball on. There may be times that combination proves a dangerous one.Zak Crawley was hit on the helmet by Anrich Nortje•AFP/Getty ImagesAs an aside, that incident showed up a potential flaw in the protocols regarding the changing of helmets after such a blow. The England camp took a while to find a suitable replacement helmet – partly because Crawley had a lump on his head – and the umpires threatened to retire him hurt unless he accepted an ill-fitting one. While their eagerness to progress the game is admirable, such impatience could encourage players to wear ill-fitting protective equipment. And that could have dire consequences.”I can understand why,” Crawley said. “It did take quite a while. I had to wear Dom Bess’ helmet until tea. Luckily he has a big head. If I was on the fielding side with that short amount of time before tea, you’d want to have another crack at a batsman who has just been hit. But I can’t bat in a helmet too small for me.”On the face of things, Joe Denly has experienced a similar series to Crawley. His average (33.66) is similar to Crawley’s (34.75) and they have both scored one half-century. But beyond the raw stats, it feels as if they are having very different experiences. As if one career is in the ascendancy and as if the other is fighting to remain afloat. And with Burns to come back at some stage and talk of England using Jonny Bairstow at No. 3 in Sri Lanka – he scored a century from that position in the last Test England played there just over a year ago – it may be that competition for places is becoming much tougher.Denly has, in many ways, performed admirably for England. He has fought, he has occupied the crease and while he has failed to register a century in his 13-and-a-half Tests, he has worn down attacks. But his innings on Friday was not atypical of his Test career: he was dropped twice – the seventh and eighth time in his Test career he has benefited from a reprieve and the sixth time he has benefited before he has reached 20; no-one else in the world has been dropped so often over the same time frame – and he survived two inside edges that whistled past the stumps.In short, while it feels as if Crawley is playing within himself – forcing himself to leave balls, but showing the ability to hit all round the ground – it also feels as if Denly is stretched to the limit to survive and enjoying a disproportionate amount of fortune. Several England No. 3s of a previous era may look at his career average of 30.88 and wish they had benefited from such patience. Crawley, 12 years younger, has further scope to improve and learn. Does Denly, at 33?If Burns were available for the next Test, it is surely Denly who would make way from the top three, not Sibley or Crawley.

The best bits from Mohammad Amir’s exclusive interview with ESPNcricinfo

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2017

As the CPL’s fourth season gets underway, ESPNcricinfo presents a handy primer on the teams involved and the players to watch out for

Sirish Raghavan29-Jun-2016

Trinbago Knight Riders

How they did last season: Champions. Finished third after the league stage, with five wins, four losses and a no-resultLeadership: Captain – Dwayne Bravo, Coach – Simon HelmotSquad: Dwayne Bravo, Hashim Amla (overseas), Ronsford Beaton, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Yannic Cariah, Kevon Cooper, Anton Devcich (overseas), Hamza Tariq, Brendon McCullum (overseas), Nikita Miller, Colin Munro (overseas), Sunil Narine, William Perkins, Anderson Phillip, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Javon Searles, Umar Akmal (overseas)Watch out for: Though he may be the least-known of Knight Riders’ three New Zealand imports, Anton Devcich will be one to keep an eye on – and not just for his impressive beard. The Northern Districts allrounder enjoyed a very successful George Pie Super Smash last year, taking nine wickets and scoring 336 runs in his nine matches.

Barbados Tridents

How they did last season: Runners-up. Finished top of the table after the league stage, with six wins and four lossesLeadership: Captain – Kieron Pollard, Coach – Robin SinghSquad: Kieron Pollard, Kyle Corbin, AB de Villiers (overseas), Jason Holder, Kyle Hope, Akeal Hosein, Imran Khan, Ashley Nurse, Wayne Parnell (overseas), Robin Peterson (overseas), Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Rampaul, Raymon Reifer, Shoaib Malik (overseas), Shamar Springer, Navin Stewart, Steven Taylor, David Wiese (overseas)Watch out for: Shamar Springer showed his all-round talent and big-match temperament in West Indies’ Under-19 World Cup triumph in Bangladesh this year. He also showed his Caribbean flair, unveiling the chest-roll celebration that was swiftly dubbed the “Springer-roll”. This will be the world’s first look at the 18-year-old Barbadian since his heroics in Dhaka. It will also be his first competitive cricket since his father passed away this month. “I just want to do well for my Dad,” he said.

Key facts

• Number of teams: 6

• Number of matches: 34

• Number of overseas players per squad: Up to 5 (ICC Americas players not counted as overseas)

• Format: A league stage, in which each team plays each other team twice, followed by a playoff stage. Playoff 1 features the top two teams on the league table, Playoff 2 features the third- and fourth-placed teams, and Playoff 3 features the loser of Playoff 1 and the winner of Playoff 2. The final is contested between the winners of Playoff 1 and Playoff 3.

• Previous winners: Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel (2015), Barbados Tridents (2014), Jamaica Tallawahs (2013)

Guyana Amazon Warriors

How they did last season: Third. Finished second after the league stage, with five wins, four losses and a no-result. Lost semi-final 2Leadership: Captain – Martin Guptill, Coach – Roger HarperSquad: Martin Guptill (overseas), Ali Khan, Chris Barnwell, Devendra Bishoo, Anthony Bramble, Rayad Emrit, Assad Fudadin, Shimron Hetmyer, Steven Jacobs, Steven Katwaroo, Chris Lynn (overseas), Jason Mohammed, Veerasammy Permaul, Orlando Peters, Dwayne Smith, Sohail Tanvir (overseas), Paul Wintz, Adam Zampa (overseas)Watch out for: Another star of West Indies Under-19’s World Cup campaign was their captain, Shimron Hetmyer. “He did things a little differently, he was very positive. In terms of passion and enthusiasm, you can’t fault him,” coach Graeme West said when explaining the decision to make Hetmyer captain. Hetmyer has also shown his talent with the bat, notching up his maiden first-class century for Guyana this March. He will now hope to carry his good form into his maiden CPL season.Shimron Hetmyer led West Indies to their first Under-19 World Cup win in February•International Cricket Council

Jamaica Tallawahs

How they did last season: Finished fourth after the league stage, with four wins, five losses and a no-result. Lost semi-final 1Leadership: Captain – Chris Gayle, Coach – Paul NixonSquad: Chris Gayle, Timroy Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Jonathan Foo, Imad Wasim (overseas), Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Andre McCarthy, Garey Mathurin, Rovman Powell, Alex Ross (overseas), Andre Russell, Kumar Sangakkara (overseas), Shakib Al Hasan (overseas), Dale Steyn (overseas), Oshane Thomas, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick WilliamsWatch out for: If you have won the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year award – as Alex Ross did this January – you must be doing something right. After an impressive debut season in 2014-15, Ross followed with 642 runs this Sheffield Shield season, second only to Travis Head in South Australia’s run list. He has also done well in the Big Bash League, earning the nickname “Sweepologist” thanks to his fondness for the sweep shot. What can the Sweepologist conjure up in the Caribbean?

St Lucia Zouks

How they did last season: Finished fifth after the league stage, with four wins, five losses and a no-resultLeadership: Captain – Darren Sammy, Coach – Stuart WilliamsSquad: Darren Sammy, Johnson Charles, Miguel Cummins, Derone Davis, Andre Fletcher, Michael Hussey (overseas), Delorn Johnson, Nitish Kumar, Eddie Leie (overseas), Keddy Lesporis, Kyle Mayers, David Miller (overseas), Morne Morkel (overseas), Gidron Pope, Denesh Ramdin, Kristopher Ramsaran, Shane Shillingford, Shane Watson (overseas)Watch out for: One of three Canadians and six associate players from the Americas region participating in this edition of the CPL, Nitish Kumar comes in with a reputation of being his country’s batting mainstay. His nickname – Tendulkar – perhaps provides an insight into the regard with which he is viewed by his peers. Still only 22, Nitish has been around for years – in August 2009, he became the youngest player to represent Canada in a first-class match and a few months later he became the second youngest ODI debutant. Since then, his returns have been middling, though, so he would want to make an impression on this stage.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots

How they did last season: Brought up the rear, at sixth place in the league table, with four wins and six lossesLeadership: Captain – Faf du Plessis, Coach – Eric SimonsSquad: Faf du Plessis (overseas), Samuel Badree, Tino Best, Carlos Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, Jonathan Carter, Nikhil Dutta, Brad Hodge (overseas), Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jeremiah Louis, Thisara Perera (overseas), Kieran Powell, Krishmar Santokie, Tabraiz Shamsi (overseas), Lendl Simmons, JJ Smuts (overseas), Devon ThomasWatch out for: “Always be watchful of the batters. That’s my main thing.” That simple philosophy, allied with a useful arsenal of slower balls and yorkers, has enabled Krishmar Santokie to emerge as a handy left-arm pacer inT20 leagues around the world. It has also helped him to quietly rise to become the leading wicket-taker across the first three editions of the CPL. If he carries on at this rate, it is the batsmen who will need to be watchful.

Plays of the day from the Group A match between Sri Lanka and Scotland

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Hobart11-Mar-2015The wheelbarrow circle
Kumar Sangakkara had hit the first five legitimate balls of the 36th over for a six and four fours, so when he shaped to scoop Alasdair Evans again off the last delivery, short fine leg Rob Taylor could be forgiven for expecting that one to go to the fence as well. As soon as Sangakkara made contact, Taylor turned and began running to the fine leg fence, almost as if he was expecting to retrieve the ball from beyond the rope. Only, Sangakkara had mishit this one, and instead of hitting the ball over Taylor, he’d sent it to the vicinity of Taylor’s original position. Once the fielder noticed the ball wasn’t going to the fence, he circled back around to collect the ball, his overconfidence in Sangakkara’s abilities having cost his team a single.The unloved 12th man
Being on the cusp of the playing XI is never fun but Sri Lanka took 12th man Upul Tharanga’s misery to new levels when they refused to partake of the drinks he was running on to the field. There was moisture in the air in the first phase of Scotland’s innings and, in their quest to rush through 20 overs and ensure a full game was played, Sri Lanka had spinners operating at either end. When the umpires called for drinks after the 17th over, Tharanga dutifully jogged his tray on to the field. But Sri Lanka didn’t want to slow the game down. None of the fielders moved from their positions. Unneeded twice over in this match, Tharanga was left to wander off dolefully, occasionally glancing back to see if anyone had had a change of heart.The sole separation
Richie Berrington was bowling another handy spell at the death when his own apparel would conspire against him. Berrington landed his front foot on the crease only to find his foot continued to slide forward, instead of gripping the pitch and stopping. The result was a painful tumble and what appeared to be an ankle sprain. The side-on replay, though, showed that his sole had completely torn from the rest of the boot as he landed his foot. The injury meant Berrington was unable to continue the over, with Kyle Coetzer called on to finish it off.The double-strike
When Tillakaratne Dilshan was sweeping Josh Davey’s medium pace for two fours and a six in the 25th over it seemed as if Sri Lanka had planned to go after him. After the batting Powerplay, Davey might reflect that the strategy played into his hands. He picked up the wicket of Dilshan in the 35th over, then in the next over, removed two legends back-to-back. First he had Mahela Jayawardene miscuing one to mid off, then Sangakkara, who had been flaying almost every other bowler, nicked Davey behind next ball.The surprise review
Sri Lanka have been perhaps the worst users of DRS this tournament, often wasting their reviews on hopeless cases but, in this match, conjured a wicket seemingly out of nowhere through the review system. Michael Leask had swiped at a Nuwan Kulasekara bouncer, but though neither the bowler nor the wicketkeeper felt the batsman had hit it, fielder Seekkuge Prasanna was so adamant he had, he convinced his team-mates to ask for a review. Sure enough, Snicko showed Leask had given a feather edge to the ball as it passed over his head, and Sri Lanka’s referral record improved a little.

Plays of the day from the final day of the Auckland Test between New Zealand and England

Andrew McGlashan in Auckland26-Mar-2013Over of the day
With four overs to go in the day, Brendon McCullum threw Kane Williamson the ball. One final throw of the dice – and it so nearly worked. With his third ball, he had Stuart Broad caught at first slip to end 77 balls of defiance and two deliveries later, James Anderson went the same way. It was fantastic bowling from a part-time offspinner. He so nearly sealed the match, too, when Monty Panesar got an inside edge past the stumps. What tension.Cheers of the day
The New Zealand fans were applauding an England boundary. Prior was desperate to get the strike back so he could face Williamson’s final over the match, but when the ball squirted between gully and point, it had enough pace to reach the rope even across a slow outfield. The home support gave it a standing ovation, but their joy was short-lived as Panesar squeezed a single off the next ball he faced, although he needed a desperate dive to make it to the other end.Limp of the day
Shortly before New Zealand’s first breakthrough of the day, McCullum had to chase a ball to the boundary and hurt himself in the process. When the wicket fell, he was actually off the field having treatment, but soon hobbled back on to take his place at second slip and marshal his team as he had done superbly throughout the series.Drop of the day
There were two in the last over before lunch. It was the first of them, Ian Bell put down by Dean Brownlie at fourth slip, that could have been costly because Bell has saved England in the past with a long rearguard against South Africa at Cape Town. Boult drew Bell into playing away from his body and the edge flew at a decent height to Brownlie, who had held a fine catch to remove Alastair Cook on the fourth evening; but he could not cling on.Unmoveable bails of the day
Matt Prior lived a charmed life. On 20, he top-edged a pull just out of the reach of Neil Wagner running back from midwicket, but his biggest stroke of fortune came on 28. This time Wagner had Prior fending off a short ball, which lobbed from the glove down onto the stumps but, despite striking with reasonable force, the bails stayed firmly in place. How he made his luck count.Wicket of the day
Bell had made use of his pre-lunch escape and made it to the brink of tea. Then, however, facing Neil Wagner, in another charged-up spell from around the wicket, he drove at a delivery that should have just been leaving – as he had done to so many – and edged into the slip cordon. This time it was held, by Tim Southee at third, to leave New Zealand on the brink. Or so we thought.Review of the day
Stuart Broad has been in less awkward positions on a cricket pitch than the moment he was given lbw to Trent Boult, collapsed to the ground and called for a review while down on his knees in the crease. The replays showed a thick inside edge so Broad was safe and the immediate concern became his well-being, after the bat handle jabbed him in the throat as he fell down. A red mark was visible on his neck, but after a quick painkiller he was fine to continue. For quite some time.

The Zimbabwe left-armer talks about starting out as a fast bowler, and keeping the attitude when he moved over to spin

Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi11-Aug-2011You were once pigeonholed as a Test specialist early in your career and you are now No. 3 in the world in ODIs.
I had a goal from when I was about 24 or 25 to be in the top 10. Heath [Streak] did it, and it was my one of my goals to beat him because he has always been a kind of hero of mine.It is quite a difficult job trying to catch up with Daniel Vettori because he is way up there on the points table. He is a fantastic left-arm spinner who has been playing from when he was really young, and that helps a lot. He has nice and easy action. I have learned a lot from just watching him.You started as a fast bowler, didn’t you?
I tried to be a Mitchell Johnson till I was 14. At that age everybody wants to be fast. I still want to be Mitchell Johnson. I would love to be that quick. Perhaps I should get some muscle and some tattoos.Basically I got into cricket because my dad, Tim, worked at the Royal Harare Golf Club, which is about 100 metres from the Harare Sports Club. I would go with him in the June holidays to work with him and also play a bit of golf. In the afternoon I would practise with the third team at the Sports Club. I met John Traicos, one of the first cricketers I saw. He would finish in the office at about half past 12, take his suit off and bowl for an hour by himself and then go and have a shower, put his suit back on and head back to office. He would be back later in the evening to practise again. That made a huge statement for me, just about how much work I would have to put in to become an international spinner. I made sure that I tried to spend more time bowling by myself, not just in normal practice but outside of practice. Those are the things that make you a cricketer, that time you buy yourself and do a little bit of extra work [in].I read in [one of] Sachin Tendulkar’s biographies about getting on buses to go for training at strange hours and coming home late at night. It is all those little things like that that make you into a cricketer at the end. You appreciate your practice more when you put in that much effort to get there. So you make it purposeful.Did that aggressive mindset help in your spin bowling?
Being aggressive works for me; it gets me into the zone quite quickly. Also, playing for your country, it is a very proud thing, and you should give it 100% each time you play. My dad always told me to make sure you finish the game knowing you tried everything you could. You can then relax in the change room and enjoy after that.You once said you like to have some sort of interaction with the batsman because you felt it helps.
I enjoy just having a nice chat with the guy. It is between you and him only, and it is lots of fun. I remember when I first started playing, I actually hated when guys used to chirp and make noise and get stuck into me. But after playing with the Flowers – Andy and Grant – they never really sought after it, but if someone came after them they were not afraid to have a word. I don’t try and get nasty. I don’t swear at people. I don’t believe in that.My dad had a wonderful sense of humour. He died last year. He told the worst jokes ever – they were terrible but you would have to laugh at them. He was the worst pun-maker. But he was very good at public-speaking, and a golf professional.Give us an example of a funny sledge you remember.
Jacques Kallis has lost a lot of weight in the last few years. When we played in South Africa two years ago, we were playing on the far left-hand square at Centurion Park, and one of the boundaries was just 45-50 metres away. Kallis went for a slog-sweep and got a four against me. I said: “In your older days when you were a little bigger you would have hit the ball out of the ground. But now that you are skinny, you can’t reach.” Both of us had a nice laugh.Have you ever tried to get into a duel with a batsman?
I tried against Brian Lara in the fifth ODI of the 2003 series, in Harare. He was just knocking the ball around and making it look easy. He got 41 off 42 balls, but he was going too slowly in the beginning and we had not set much of a target, so he was just nudging it around. After my first ball, which he blocked back to me, I said to him, “Come on, you are supposed to be the world’s best batsman. Let’s see if you can take me on.” Jeepers, he just tore me to shreds – he hit me over extra cover, hit me over cow, swept me, backed away and cut me past point. He lambasted me. My figures read 29 in three overs.I learned that you have to pick your batsman before chatting them up. Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting definitely are batsmen I would never chat to. There are few guys people are afraid to bowl to – like, Virender Sehwag is an absolute nightmare. He was one of the few guys I was afraid to bowl at. Sourav Ganguly was the other one.Why did you choose finger-spin?
I used to bowl out of the back of my hand, like Brad Hogg, until I was 17. I could spin the ball long way but I was not accurate. And once the batsmen work out you are going to spin the ball only one way, it becomes easy for them. My coach Simon Elliott suggested I bowl finger-spin. I was very accurate. In about the fifth game after I started bowling finger-spin, I got a hat-trick. That ball is in my cupboard. I keep all the balls that have earned me a name. I got Sachin to sign a couple. The first time I got him out he had made 176. He said he was going to make it difficult for me the next time.Claude Henderson, the former South African spinner, helped me a lot. He showed me how to let the seam go, how to use the crease cleverly and the variations.During the World Cup, Pat Symcox backed your brand of spin.
He is exactly the same as me. He told me about the things he had learned from Bishan Bedi, about different kinds of batsmen, how they use their feet, how some guys like to hit the ball on the up, so let the ball bounce, while others like to hit the ball right at their feet. Little things like that always are handy.

“Steve Waugh wrote me a little note: ‘To Pricey: love the attitude.’ You have to have the right attitude when you are playing”

Were you a good student?
Elliott was a very strange man but he taught us discipline. Two of my mates were late for the start of a match once, so Elliott plucked out two stumps and caned them. I have been caned often for doing silly things. I went to Watershed College, a boarding school 60 kilometres outside of Harare, where when the lights went out you were not supposed to talk. I would, and I’d get the stick. It kept us in line.Do you want to get a wicket every ball?
I don’t really think about wickets. Wickets, I believe, are something you cannot control. I like to work out the best delivery to bowl to a certain batsman and stick to that.There are few spinners like Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne who could say, “If I can get him to push forward I can get him caught at slip.” I am not that kind of a spinner, unless the wicket is really spinning. All I try to do, especially in the one-dayers, I pick a slight weakness, or something he does not like in my bowling, and [work on] that.Are you obsessive about your bowling?
A little bit, especially when I decide which line and length I want to bowl. I am hyper-critical of myself, especially in the middle, because I believe I have done enough work off the field to know where I’m supposed to be bowling. That helps me to keep my focus and helps me to be in the zone.Once, in a Test in Bulawayo, I was bowling to Herschelle Gibbs, who is a very good sweeper and hits very well through extra cover. He ran down the wicket at me and I pushed the ball wide. I’d normally never do that. He went for it, tried to slash at the ball and was caught at point. I was actually going to push the ball down the leg. That is why I say some days you can bowl badly and get wickets and other days not get a wicket at all, even off good balls.Who is the most difficult batsman you have bowled to?
Lara was such a difficult player to work out because he had so many different options of scoring. He was so good off the back foot as well as the front foot.Matthew Hayden was a destructive batsman, too.Then there was Adam Gilchrist. Like when Hayden made 380, Gilchrist made 100 off 84 balls. We had the problem dealing with Hayden, and Gilchrist was on fire as well. It was a nightmare.Did I sledge them? No. I did not have time to as I was trying to fetch the ball off the roof. I remember Heath getting out Gilchrist in Sydney. I remember running up and hugging him, feeling so happy. Gilchrist ran down against me in one over, and he was beaten in the flight, but he still hit me into the stands with just one hand. So when he was out I was completely happy.Have you ever got any compliments from batsmen?
I got six wickets in Sydney in 2003 and took a stump as a souvenir. We later went into the Australian dressing room. Steve Waugh was sitting next to me. I did not know what to say because he was a hero: a hard, gritty man who had made most of his opportunities, and the way he led Australia, how he changed the whole team into tough cricketers and all that. He took the stump and said, “Do you mind if I write something on it?” I was delighted and said it would be my pleasure. He wrote a little note: “To Pricey: love the attitude.” It just made me realise that you have to have the right attitude when you are playing.”I was so inspired and was dying to get ‘Price’ on the back of my bright red shirt. I was dying to play for my country – did not matter as a bowler or a batsman”•AFPWe were playing West Indies next. Waugh told me to make sure to put the mid-on back when Lara walked in. I was reluctant, but he said Lara would take me on and would love to dominate me from ball one. In that first Test, in Harare, I asked Heath to push the mid-on back. He was surprised but was fine. Off my eighth delivery, Lara ran down and was caught brilliantly at deep mid-on. I did thank Waugh later.It is so important to talk to people who have played so much because they have got a certain gut feeling and instinct for the game and they also look at other players and work out not just the way they play cricket but also the kind of people they are.You played your first World Cup this year. What did it feel like?
I was so excited to get to play. I missed 2003 because I wasn’t really a one-day player. Then I started to do well in the B League and forced my way back into the side. Brian Murphy, a good legspinner, good fielder, good friend of mine, got injured and I came back and have never looked back.I remember as a 16-year-old listening to matches from the 1992 World Cup on radio, and then watching it on the big screen at the Harare Sports Club over the weekends. I was so inspired and was dying to get “Price” on the back of my bright red shirt. I was dying to play for my country – did not matter as a bowler or a batsman. Those are the kinds of things that make you into the cricketer you are. I am happy I finally got an opportunity to live my dream. I don’t think I will play another one, but I could come in as a spin coach.What is your best cricketing memory?

One of my best memories was during one of my first games. I was playing for Zimbabwe A at SuperSport Park against the Northerns. It was my first day-and-night match. It was the first time my name was on the back of the shirt. I was given two. One I gave to my mother and the other is in my cupboard. It was a green-coloured one.I was standing at fine leg. I had never signed an autograph in my life. There were a group of 20 or 30-odd kids, waiting with stuff to be signed. I was really excited. I grabbed the first bat and signed and kept grabbing and signing. I remember I was being arrogant and thinking in my head that I had made it finally in cricket. “I am now a world player.” At the end of the day there were these kids, one about six and the other about 10 or 11. They had these big bats, probably their dad’s or grandfather’s. They were looking quite shy. It was the 48th over or something. The Zimbabwe batting line-up was on the scoreboard. I called the two and asked them to bring their bats and I would sign them. I started signing. Suddenly another kid walked past and said in the direction of the two shy kids: “Eh, you guys, what do you want his autograph for? Check his batting – No. 11!” I was completely deflated. It taught me to be humble. Don’t get too big-headed. Even kids can teach you lessons.

Twenty minutes with the chairman of the board

John Stern13-Jan-2009
Clarke: outspoken… when he wants to be © Getty Images
Giles Clarke claims not to be a politician. Yet here he is, at a school in a deprived area of Bristol, his hometown, opening a fitness centre that bears his name. He wants to talk about the ECB’s investment in the grass roots of the sport, but inevitably, at a time of great flux in world cricket (and this was before the Mumbai attacks), he is fielding questions about Stanford, the ICC, the Indian board. The list goes on. And inevitably he is being asked to defend himself against accusation and criticism. In that respect he is the consummate politician, not evasive as such but answering the question he wishes to answer rather than the one that is asked.Clarke has invited TWC and the to the newly opened Merchants’ Academy in the Withywood area of Bristol. This is a £22m state academy, part funded by the Society of Merchant Venturers, the 450-year-old commercial institution for Bristol’s movers and shakers of which Clarke is a member. He is understandably enthused, both about the project as a whole and about a boy he has just seen, who had never played cricket before, bowling inswing in the sports hall.TWC has 20 minutes with the chairman but they are ticking by as Clarke delivers a monologue on grass-roots cricket and sport’s role in the education of young people. The question “Can I ask you about some other stuff?” brings a knowing smile from Clarke. “I shall be offering no stroke outside off stump to many of your questions,” he replies. This is something of a surprise. This is the equivalent of Virender Sehwag saying he might leave a few during the first 15 overs of a one-dayer. Normally if you give Clarke balls to hit, he will go after them, which is why he enjoys a grudging admiration among most pressmen. They may not like him especially, or what he stands for, but he is accessible, voluble, clubbable and opinionated – and that is what really counts for the gentlemen of Fleet Street.Clarke’s apparent reticence relates to the ongoing saga of negotiations between the ECB and its Indian counterpart relating to England players’ availability for the Indian Premier League. This in turn impacts on whether Indian players will be allowed to play in the English Premier League, which kicks off in 2010. Without Indian involvement in that tournament, the television rights would have little value in Asia and so be less lucrative for the ECB. Not a politician, Giles? He and David Collier, chief executive, had just returned from Mumbai, where they had met their Indian equivalents but reached resolution only on India playing five Tests in England in 2011, a coup but a mere hors d’oeuvre compared with the meat of the IPL issue.Of course, Clarke is still outspoken – Sehwag has not become Alastair Cook. It is just that a year into this (unpaid) job he is defending himself and the board against all the inevitable brickbats rather than setting out his manifesto. ECB v BBCClarke launched a fusillade against the national broadcaster during the interview:
“Contrary to other inaccurate statements made, we put 27 different packages together and it was possible, should they have wanted, for any broadcaster to bid for an individual Test, ODI or Twenty20. There was competitive bidding but nobody chose to do so. As I said at the time, it was extraordinarily disappointing that we should end up with a situation where tax-payers’ money is being spent to pay for tax exiles to drive around a motor track on the other side of the world. I think it is thoroughly unattractive. Is that what tax-payers’ money should be spent on? I don’t think so and, as I have said, how many people play Formula 1? The BBC could have used that money to buy two Twenty20 internationals a year. “The BBC must have a policy towards the nation’s summer sport. They must recognise that 3.5 million people played this sport last year. They’re ignoring that our women’s team are the best in the world. When are we going to see some proper gender coverage of sport from the nation’s broadcaster, I ask? When are we going to see Charlotte Edwards given proper recognition as the ICC Women’s Player of the Year that she damn well was? Is the BBC going to put her up on the pedestals that they put some very ordinary individuals upon? Are we going to come back to for this? Roger Mosey, the BBC’s director of sport, responded:
“The BBC does have a policy for cricket. We have , one of the jewels in our crown. We have a fantastically popular online site. We brought television highlights back to the BBC with the Ashes in Australia and the Cricket World Cup. We’re actively looking at similar opportunities in the near future. “What seems distinctly odd is that the ECB claim we told them we weren’t bidding for live TV cricket at the end of March. They then kept silent all through April, May and June. They didn’t call the director-general or me or go to MPs or the papers or try to raise the issue in any way. Only after they’d done a reported £300m exclusive deal with Sky did they attack us and call for a debate about the BBC’s sports rights strategy.”Giles seems to have an ever-increasing number of targets. Lewis Hamilton is a hero to many Britons and more than 10 million people watched him win the World Championship. is a massively popular programme and we’re very proud of it. We have some great sportswomen on our Sports Personality shortlist and I don’t think any of them can be described as ‘very ordinary individuals’.”He accepts almost none of the criticism (of which there is plenty from inside and outside the game) that has been directed at him or the ECB. From within the game there is a concern that the EPL, the 20-over tournament that will replace the Pro40 in 2010, is a fudge (20 teams rather than the nine-team event suggested by MCC’s chief executive, Keith Bradshaw). In addition there is a fear that it is undervalued commercially because it is part of the £300m exclusive TV deal with Sky and Allen Stanford has an option on sponsoring it.The test for Clarke will come in March when he faces re-election. “I won’t be campaigning,” he says. “I’m running a national sport, not a political party.” Giving this interview might be seen as part of the campaign trail. He brushes off the concern about Twenty20 overkill, as expressed globally by many people, whether supporters, commentators or players. “All of the research that we did showed 69% of people who went to Twenty20 wanted more.”He is withering about the mass of criticism aimed at the Stanford Super Series in Antigua. He blames it on the press whipping up a self-interested storm. But what about the criticism from Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport? Surely you have to take that seriously? “Well, Andy Burnham made some remarks when he hadn’t been fully briefed by us. He put forward a certain type of view.” Burnham’s view, which a DCMS spokesman confirmed he still stands by, was that “he feels uneasy about a sporting contest being more about the money at stake rather than the competition itself and the pride of winning” – a view that would be shared by the vast majority of cricket supporters in the UK, despite Clarke’s belated attempt to shift the focus on to the investment in grass-roots projects in the Caribbean.A question about the future of cricket, about where the game will be in five years’ time, causes a deep intake of breath. Is the great schmoozer lost for words? Not quite. “The game has to decide what the ICC does, what is its role. It has to determine its calendar over a lengthy period. Four years is not practical. At the same time we have to respect quality. Test cricket is the summit of the game and it must be played by the best countries. There is no doubt that when Test cricket is good, it is wonderful.” So does that mean less Test cricket but better Test cricket?”Yes. That is the real test of the player in mental and physical strength, the tension and excitement we feel as a series develops. And we have to care about the World Cup as a major event. The 2007 World Cup was unsuccessful in virtually every feasible aspect. The 2011 World Cup is a huge thing for the ICC because they have to get it right.”There is a common sense and logic to everything Clarke has just said but common sense and logic often seem to give way to greed and self-interest in the international corridors of cricket power. Clarke, though, serial entrepreneur and ECB fund-raiser extraordinaire, would probably not see it quite like that.

Real Madrid have hit a stumbling block in their pursuit of Benfica's Alvaro Carreras, with Alex Grimaldo being eyed as an alternative.

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Article continues below

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• Madrid keen on signing Carreras
• Benfica remain firm on selling him for €50m
• Grimaldo being eyed as an alternative if Madrid fail to sign Carreras

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Real Madrid’s pursuit of Carreras has hit a significant obstacle, with negotiations between Los Blancos and Benfica stalling over the defender’s release clause, according to (h/t Mundo Deportivo). While the Spanish giants have already reached a five-year agreement with the 22-year-old Galician full-back, the transfer remains on hold due to Benfica’s firm stance.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Portuguese club is demanding the full €50 million buyout clause, while Madrid are attempting to negotiate a reduced fee in the region of €35–40 million. Talks have dragged on for several weeks without progress, prompting the club’s technical staff to begin exploring alternative options, reports . Carreras is seen as a priority target for both Xabi Alonso and Madrid’s recruitment team, who view him as the ideal solution at left-back. He is expected to be the third defensive reinforcement of the summer, following the signings of Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Madrid have until June 10 to finalise the deal before the Club World Cup roster deadline — a tournament in which Benfica will also participate. If an agreement cannot be reached in the coming days, Madrid may shift their focus to Grimaldo. The 29-year-old Spanish international has long expressed interest in joining a top-tier club, and if Carreras' move falls through, a high-profile switch to the Bernabeu could soon be within reach for the former Benfica full-back.

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  Madrid have ushered into a new era with Alonso at the helm, and they will kickstart their reign under the former Spanish midfielder in the first game of the Club World Cup on June 18, when they take on Saudi heavyweights Al-Hilal.