All posts by h716a5.icu

Is summer here

Stephen Fleming09-May-2001Is summer here? I’m not going to harp on about the weather every time I write but this last week has seen a change in the climate – it’s now dry!The dry weather has enabled some cricket to be played and we started our one-day campaign off with a last ball win at Lord’s. It was a reduced over match and we did well defending our score of 146 in 31 overs.That’s not the only game we have played with this week’s schedule being pretty hectic and an indication of what lies ahead. We have had two double-headers with a day off in between. Mix a fair bit of travel with that and you being to understand why they call it a grind.After our first win we have had mixed results wining two and losing two. The results in some way reflect my batting which has also been a mixed bag.It’s taking time to adjust to the pace and movement of the early season wickets. It hasn’t helped that most practice has been indoors which is a markedly different surface to what we get outside.The other thing I have to get used to is batting on the slope at Lord’s. Ironically, the show piece ground of world cricket is not at all flat. In fact, it has a very obvious slope that does affect movement of the ball.I’ve nicked twice now with the ball moving away down the hill and it’s something I will need to be aware of as the season progresses.There are many features around Lord’s that make the place so special, the sloped playing surface, the Long Room, the art collection and, of course, a Lord’s lunch!As an international player you only get to experience a Lord’s lunch for one week during a tour that only occurs every four years.So with this in mind I’ve just had 12 years worth in the short time I’ve been here. The lunch room is actually closer to the visitors’ change room which means a small walk down the corridors to get your share. It does mean you get the chance to walk a little lunch off on your return.You have a menu to choose from and the food ranges from the rack of lamb through to scampi (seafood dish).It’s served by a number of the kitchen staff who seem to constantly be on duty. It’s what follows that does the damage and that is dessert of the highest quality. The house special being hot treacle pudding with custard and ice cream.During the wet start there wasn’t a problem although the physio placing the cycling machines in the changing room sent a strong message.Now that we are underway some serious discipline must be shown, that is unless it’s a fielding day! One thing is for sure, if we’re always tempted being the home side, imagine what the visitors do. All I can say is Bon Appetite!

There was good and bad news for South Australian cricket fans today in the announcement that Greg Chappell’s services as coach will be retained for the 2001-02 season

John Polack18-May-2001There was good and bad news for South Australian cricket fans today in the announcement that Greg Chappell’s services as coach will be retained for the 2001-02 season.Following lengthy discussions with the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA), Chappell has agreed to stay on for the final part of the two year contract that currently sees him at the helm of the state team. But it is also likely that the season will represent his last in the position.Speaking in Adelaide, SACA Chief Executive Michael Deare confirmed that a number of matters relating to the former Australian captain’s occupation of the role have recently been settled. But he added that Chappell’s growing business interests make the prospect of any re-negotiation of his contract beyond its expiry date in March 2002 unlikely at this stage.”That’s a reasonable assumption,” said Deare.”But now that he’s committed himself to next season I think that he’ll be giving it one hundred per cent.”Deare said that both parties had considered their positions over recent weeks after Chappell had flagged a desire to live on the east coast and to commute to South Australia to undertake his coaching responsibilities.Chappell was prepared to travel with the team to its games in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart but had wanted to revise the nature of his arrangement so that he was not required to travel to Adelaide or Perth matches from his new base in the eastern states.”We made it very clear to Greg that we needed to have him (with the team) one hundred per cent of the time and we needed to have his commitment for a full season,” said Deare.”Our response (to Chappell’s proposal) was that that was totally unacceptable.”Chappell re-considered his position before advising the SACA yesterday that he would see out the remainder of his contract without any alteration to its terms.Deare stated that the 52-year old had committed himself fully to the team and that there would be no weakening of the strong rapport that the coach shared with the Redbacks’ current group of players.Through a brief statement released by the SACA, Chappell avowed his loyalty to the state but also defended his off-season pursuit of business activities.”I have the flexibility within my contract with the SACA to pursue other business interests for several months in the offseason, and that is what I’ve been doing,” he stated.Chappell assumed a role with the Redbacks for the first time in 1998-99, after the side had finished at the bottom of the domestic first-class competition standings in each of the two previous seasons.Under his leadership, the team ended in fourth place in his first two summers but it then returned to the foot of the table following a disappointing performance in 2000-01.

Brendan Rodgers remains one of Tottenham Hotspur’s top managerial targets, according to reports…

What’s the word?

That’s the latest claim from 90min, who suggested that the 48-year-old is still in the running to take over from Jose Mourinho despite his reluctance to leave Leicester City.

Daniel Levy will not appoint Spurs’ next manager until the summer, with the club’s former midfielder Ryan Mason in caretaker charge until then, and the chairman is believed to be infatuated by the Foxes chief.

It is also claimed that he would be prepared to make Rodgers the second-highest paid manager in the Premier League behind Man City’s Pep Guardiola, who is thought to be on around £15m per year.

Pay whatever it takes

As targets keep coming and going, Levy could have his work cut out to find a viable and attractive manager to fill the vacant role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Julian Nagelsmann and Erik ten Hag have quickly been ruled out of the running, and even though he seems committed to Leicester, there cannot be many better candidates out there than Rodgers.

Speaking about the interest in his services last month, the former Celtic and Liverpool boss praised Spurs as a club, claiming: “Tottenham is a great club, one of the biggest clubs in Britain but for me, I’m just in a really, really happy place in my life.”

Of course, he’s not going to come straight out and claim he’d be keen on swapping the King Power Stadium for north London, especially as the Foxes are battling for a top four finish, and that will be the centre of his focus.

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You can never strictly rule it out, though. Levy has to throw the chequebook at him and do all he can to convince him to sign on the dotted line. If he wants Spurs back competing in Europe, particularly in the Champions League, then he must turn to Rodgers.

The 48-year-old has completely transformed Leicester on and off the pitch. It is looking like back-to-back seasons qualifying for Europe and he’s done that despite losing his best players every summer.

Stars such as Ben Chilwell, Harry Maguire, N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez were all replaced adequately and it’s like the Foxes have never missed out on their presence. This sort of recruitment is desperately needed at Spurs, with the club in dire need of a rebuild.

Another one of his key abilities is to develop players, and there isn’t a better example than Kelechi Iheanacho, who until this campaign very much looked like he wouldn’t hit the potential with which he was once touted at Manchester City.

The 24-year-old has scored 18 goals and provided seven assists in all competitions this term, via Transfermarkt, leading to Dean Windass lauding Rodgers’ influence as “unbelievable” in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

With players like Dele Alli, Joe Rodon, Dane Scarlett and many more at Spurs, Rodgers would be very well placed to continue such a trend.

Furthermore, Mourinho has previously waxed lyrical about his former Chelsea coach, suggesting he is “creative” and a “very good coach.”

Only Sir Alex Ferguson has a better win percentage of any British manager to take charge of 50 or more games since 2000 in the Premier League, leading to Gary Neville lauding the 48-year-old “one of the outstanding managers in the league”.

It’s no wonder that Rodgers, who has won 54% of his games in charge of the Foxes, would be a dream candidate for Levy and Spurs. It could cost them an extraordinary amount of money to land him but, if it’s the price they have to pay to get a top contender, so be it.

Rodgers is absolutely perfect for Spurs; it’s as simple as that.

AND in other news, 45 y/o who left “a lasting impression on Spurs would bring shades of Pochettino to North London…

Sri Lanka selectors have appointed all-rounder Tilan Samaraweera to lead the Sri Lanka A team against Pakistan A in the three-Test unofficial series commencing this month

Sa'adi Thawfeeq02-Jun-2001Sri Lanka selectors have appointed all-rounder Tilan Samaraweera to lead the Sri Lanka A team against Pakistan A in the three-Test unofficial series commencing this month.Samaraweera, who has represented his country in seven one-day internationals, was a strong candidate for the job, having proved his credentials as captain by leading Sri Lanka A to victory over Zimbabwe A in last year’s home series.In the recently concluded Premier tournament, Samaraweera (24), a right-hand batsman, scored 368 runs (avg. 61.33) and took 33 wickets (avg. 19.12) with his off-breaks for Singhalese SC.Pakistan A are due to arrive on June 10 and play the first of three unofficial Tests commencing on June 13. They will also play a series of three unofficial One-Day Internationals for which the captain has yet to be named.

Tottenham Hotspur are still on the hunt for a new manager but Paul Stewart, who won the FA Cup in 1991 with Spurs, has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that he can’t see Mauricio Pochettino returning to the North London club.

Spurs legend, Graham Roberts, had claimed that Daniel Levy should be knocking on Pochettino’s door and asking him to come back despite only sacking the Argentine at Spurs in 2019.

There have been some outlandish reports recently that have suggested Pochettino is already under pressure at PSG after the Parisians were knocked out of the Champions League convincingly by Manchester City, and they will head into the final day of the Ligue 1 season one point behind Lille in the title race.

Pochettino managed to guide Tottenham to an unlikely Champions League final in 2019 but he was sacked just a few months after that feat was reached and when asked if he could see the South American returning to north London, Stewart told the The Transfer Tavern:

“No, no. At the minute we look miles away from a Champions League team so I get what Graham’s saying but for me he would just be working with the same players he had before and we just need fresh faces at the club.

“Whoever is the manager needs to be given time but unfortunately, time isn’t what managers get anymore in the Premier League. It’s the million-dollar question for owners, do you give a manager time?”

Despite reaching the Carabao Cup final, Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties as Tottenham’s manager and since Ryan Mason has taken over they have lost just once in the league.

Spurs appear to still have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe as they head into their penultimate fixture of the season against Aston Villa, sitting sixth but just four points off Liverpool in fifth.

Pakistan leave for Sharjah Friday morning unsure of the fitness of Younis Khan and Yousuf Youhana who missed Thursday one-day final with injuries

05-Apr-2002Pakistan leave for Sharjah Friday morning unsure of the fitness of Younis Khan and Yousuf Youhana who missed Thursday one-day final with injuries.Pakistan coach Mudassar Nazar, nevertheless, maintained that Youhana had been declared fit by the doctors but was unaware of the extent of injury to Younis Khan.”I don’t know what is the problem with Younis. He hasn’t informed me but Youhana has been declared fit by the doctors,” he said. However, when asked if Youhana was fit, why he didn’t play the match, he was non-commital.Youhana is struggling with groin injury while Younis has a bad back. Youhana suffered the injury while playing for PIA in the last league match of the National One-day Championship against Allied Bank whereas Younis carried the back injury into April 2 semifinal against WAPDA at Karachi.The Sharjah Cup begins Monday with Pakistan facing Sri Lanka in the opener. The team management will take a big gamble if they play the injured duo which may aggravate their injuries and could even rule them out from the home series against New Zealand.Squad: Waqar Younis (captain), Inzamam-ul-Haq (vice-captain), Shahid Afridi, Imran Nazir, Younis Khan, Yousuf Youhana, Misbah-ul-Haq, Rashid Latif (wicket-keeper), Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Malik and Faisal Iqbal.

Leeds United have confirmed that some exciting changes have been made at boardroom level, and it’s news which should have their fans absolutely buzzing.

What’s the story?

An official club statement posted on leedsunited.com read: “Exciting board changes. Leeds United has today revealed changes to its Board of Directors as the club looks ahead to a bright future.

“The first new face on the board is Australian Peter Lowy. Peter is currently the Principle of the Lowy Family Group private investment business and was formerly the CEO of the hugely successful Westfield Group. Lowy is a lifelong Leeds United supporter who brings over 30 years of business experience with him.

“Peter is joined by Aser Ventures Chief Executive Officer Massimo Marinelli who has played a pivotal role in generating investment into the club during Andrea’s ownership, including the increased involvement of the 49 Enterprises earlier this year.

“Finally, former Fiorentina CEO Sandro Mencucci will take a place on the new-look board having spent 17 years at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Massimo, Sandro and Peter join Leeds United Chairman Andrea Radrizzani, Vice Chairman Paraag Marathe and CEO Angus Kinnear, to complete the Board of Directors.”

Leeds fans should be buzzing

Given the debacle of the European Super League involving the Premier League’s proverbial ‘big six’, and the fan fallout arising from that, news of some exciting changes at boardroom level for Leeds is welcome.

The big plus point for the club and its fans is the arrival of Peter Lowy, who is claimed to be a “lifelong” supporter of the club.

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Fan representation at board level has been a much-discussed topic in recent days and weeks since the ESL collapsed, and the likes of Liverpool and Spurs have either made or mooted changes to that effect.

Having a personal, Leeds-aligned touch to the club’s hierarchy is another encouraging move to ensure the Whites’ future.

The news from Thorp Arch should have fans buzzing, knowing that the club will likely be in even safer hands now that parties with their best interests at heart are involved at boardroom level.

Meanwhile, Leeds must land this “explosive” Premier League star…

Left-handed batsman Wavell Hinds has been named in the West Indies’ 13-member squad for the fourth 2002 Cable & Wireless Test against India, starting at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Friday here

WICB Media Release06-May-2002Left-handed batsman Wavell Hinds has been named in the West Indies’ 13-member squad for the fourth 2002 Cable & Wireless Test against India, starting at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Friday here.Hinds, who last played for West Indies in the historic two-Test road series against Pakistan in Sharjah, replaces opening batsman Stuart Williams as the only change to the squad that assembled in Barbados for the third 2002 Cable & Wireless Test that West Indies won by 10 wickets on Sunday.West Indies drew level 1-1 in the five-Test Cable & Wireless Series with Sunday’s victory at Bridgetown’s Kensington Oval where India has lost seven of the eight Tests they have contested there.Squad: Carl Hooper (captain), Brian Lara (vice captain), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pedro Collins, Cameron Cuffy, Mervyn Dillon, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Brian Lara, Dinanath Ramnarine, Adam Sanford, Ramnaresh Sarwan.

Despite just being relegated immediately back down to the Championship and finishing 13 points from safety, the West Brom job will still be an attractive one for many people, according to former Wigan Athletic manager Paul Jewell.

The Baggies are on the hunt for their third manager in less than 12 months having already parted ways with Slaven Bilic last December after earning a 1-1 draw away to Manchester City, and it was reported last week that Sam Allardyce would not be remaining as the club’s manager in the Championship.

Reports have suggested that West Brom will target Chris Wilder this summer but may face an uphill battle as the former Blades manager is reportedly willing to hold out for a Premier League job either this summer or into next season.

It is still a massive club that will attract a lot of managers despite now being in the Championship and set to potentially sell their star players, Matheus Pereira and Sam Johnstone. That’s according to Jewell, who spoke exclusively to Football FanCast:

“It will be a well sought after job and I know Chris Wilder has been mentioned, because he did a great job, getting Sheffield United up through the leagues as well as in the first season in the Premier League. So I’m sure his name will pop up.

“It will be a job that a lot of people are interested in because, I worked there very briefly and it’s a huge football club with great supporters, great fan base and good facilities. So it’s got all the infrastructure to be a Premier League club so it will attract a lot of suitors.”

Allardyce was brought in as West Brom manager back in December as they looked to address any relegation fears early on and give the former England manager a transfer window to improve the squad but for the first time in his career, Allardyce saw his side relegated from the Premier League.

West Brom’s Achilles’ heel this season was their defensive frailties having conceded the most goals in the Premier League this season having leaked an amazing 76 goals in just 38 games.

Charlton must swoop for Norwich centre-back Akin Famewo after Norwich’s loan manager, Neil Adams, admitted that the defender is likely to go back out on loan next season.

What’s the talk?

Adams has opened the door to the “strong” defender Famewo leaving Carrow Road on a temporary basis again next season. The former Luton man spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan to Charlton in League One.

Adams has said that the ultimate goal for Famewo is to be part of their first-team squad, but that it will not happen right away and he needs to have a pathway to reach his target.

He told Norwich’s official website:

“It is different, because when you are sending players on loan what is the ultimate, what is the target, what is the goal? As I said before, it is to come back and play for us but sometimes that needs to be done in stages.

“The goal for Akin was to go and get games under his belt, to go and prove himself at League One level and impress at a good club, a really big club, in Charlton Athletic. He has had a fantastic loan there. He was excellent. He kept six clean sheets in the first seven games, and six clean sheets on the spin, which is pretty much unheard of at any level.

“He was part of that back four and the goalkeeper who did that, along with the team to give Charlton credit. We have seen all his games and he has done really well. He has shown his attributes, that we know he has got. He is strong, he is quick, he can defend, and he can play on the ball.

“He was hampered by one or two injuries, which was a bit of a shame, because it disrupted his flow and frustrated him, but I think overall he went and showed what a good defender he is and, obviously, he has ticked that box and now it is on to next season and what decision and what pathway he has now.”

Fans would love it

Famewo made an instant impact upon his arrival at Charlton at the start of the season, helping to keep six clean sheets in his first seven starts. Charlton kept shutouts against Sunderland, Portsmouth and Oxford during that run of games, with the 22-year-old playing all bar 16 minutes of the six matches. In total, Charlton kept clean sheets in 10 of the 20 League One game Famewo started, whilst Nigel Adkins’ side only kept seven clean sheets in the 26 games Famewo either missed or began on the bench.

Of all the Charlton defenders to start 15 or more League One games, Famewo averaged the highest WhoScored rating in the squad. Famewo averaged a score of 6.96 in 22 games, 7.04 in 20 starts, with Jake Forster-Caskey and Jayden Stockley the only players – out of every position – to manage better than that over the course of the season. Famewo was a dominant defender for Charlton, winning four aerial battles and making one block per game in League One to go along with his 4.5 clearances per game.

Famewo did struggle with injuries during his spell with Adkins’ team. The Norwich defender suffered a hamstring injury in November before missing two months of the campaign with an ankle injury during the festive period. This caused Famewo’s season to stutter and the defender was unable to play the majority of Charlton’s league matches because of it.

Bringing him back to the club for a second season could give him the chance to stay fit for the entire year and play the regular matches that Adams admits Norwich want for him.

Furthermore, Charlton fans should be happy if the club can get a deal done as not only will their team be getting a quality player, but supporters will be given the opportunity to enjoy his impressive defending in person with crowds permitted at matches next season.

AND in other news, Les Reed is delighted to see this key man thriving at Charlton…