All posts by h716a5.icu

Batsman Ian Billcliff is the only notable omission from Canada’s preliminary 30-man squad for the 2011 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Dec-2010Batsman Ian Billcliff is the only notable omission from Canada’s preliminary 30-man squad for the 2011 World Cup. Ashish Bagai has been named captain and the squad also includes veteran allrounder John Davison who has been actively involved with Cricket Australia as a spin bowling coach.Chris James, the chairman of selectors, said it was a tough decision to omit Billcliff, who has played 19 ODIs for Canada averaging just under 28, including three games during the 2007 World Cup in West Indies. “It was an especially difficult decision for us when it came down to Billy (Billcliff). Internationally, he has been one of our top-rated performers. Unfortunately we were unable to line up our schedules with the preparation tours and we had to leave him out.”Canada have just completed a short tour of India where they played against several sides. They next head to the West Indies for the Caribbean T20 in January where they will also play a few 50-over matches against Antigua and Somerset.”We are confident that we have found the right mix of youth and experience to represent Canada at the World Cup and build a solid foundation for the future of Canadian cricket,” James said.The final 15-man World Cup line-up will be named after their participation in the Caribbean T20 tournament.Canada squad: Ashish Bagai (capt), Waleed Ahmad, Manny Aulakh, Akshay Bagai, Harvir Baidwan, Trevin Bastiampillai, Umar Bhatti, Grant Broadhurst, Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan, John Davison, Parth Desai, Jeremy Gordon, Tyson Gordon, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Amabhir Hansra, Sandeep Jyoti, Nitish Kumar, Usman Limbada, Henry Osinde, Hiral Patel, Cecil Pervez,Balaji Rao, Manrick Singh, Junaid Siddiqui, Zeeshan Siddiqui, Zubin Surkari, Hamza Tariq, Karl Whatham, Zameer Zaheer

Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking to sign Mexican forward Hirving Lozano from Napoli this summer.

What’s the story?

That’s according to Napoli Today, who claim that Wolves have been ‘following’ the 26-year-old for some time.

The winger joined the Italian club from PSV Eindhoven for a reported £36m in the summer of 2019 and hasn’t really lived up to the price tag with 25 goals and 12 assists in 110 appearances for the Serie A outfit.

However, Lozano could be reunited with current-Wolves striker and Mexico teammate Raul Jimenez at club level, with the latter making his desire to play alongside the forward, nicknamed ‘Chucky’, in Bruno Lage’s side.

Imagine him & Jimenez

Despite still being able to qualify for European football next season with Wolves sat in eighth, Lage’s men have struggled in the final third this term.

Only Brighton, Burnley, Watford and Norwich have scored fewer than the West Midlands outfit’s 33 Premier League goals this term in 32 matches.

Therefore, adding reinforcements to the attack would certainly be shrewd going into the new season as relying on the defence to be as colossal as it has been this campaign next is unsustainable.

Granted, the 26-year-old’s spell at Napoli has been incredibly inconsistent with his first season seeing the Mexican score five goals in 39 matches before a much-improved 15 in 43 matches last term before scoring just five all season this term.

However, having linked up with Jimenez on numerous occasions for the national team, Wolves could reap the rewards of reuniting the Mexico internationals at club level.

The £31.5m-rated 30-year-old has also endured a mixed season this term, scoring just six goals upon a miraculous return from a skull fracture.

Lozano has been subject to praise from his coach Luciano Spalleti, who called the winger “unique”, as well as midfield legend and Barcelona manager Xavi, who said he’s a footballer who is “capable of making a difference.”

There is certainly a risk by signing the 26-year-old, however, with the Mexican at a great age to still improve whilst also having plenty of experience and Wolves needing extra quality in the final third, it would certainly be a gamble worth making.

AND in other news: Forget Raul: Wolves must sign “special” 139-goal star who has the “mindset of a lion”

Leeds United correspondent Adam Pope has been left thrilled by the news that Jamie Shackleton started for the U23s in their 1-1 draw away at Arsenal.

The Lowdown: Injury return

Shackleton played the full 90 minutes in what was his first game for the U23s since March, when he picked up an injury, while he has not featured for the senior side since February (Transfermarkt).

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He is yet to play under Jesse Marsch, but given the injuries that they have to some key members of the squad, Shackleton may well get a call-up to the first team very soon if he can prove his form and fitness.

The Latest: Pope reacts

Taking to Twitter, Pope gave his reaction to the news that Shackleton started, claiming that it was ‘great to see’, in what he claimed was a ‘big’ match for the U23s given their position in the league table:

“Great to see Jamie Shackleton involved again in what is a big game for the U23s.”

The Verdict: Boost

It certainly is a boost to have Shackleton out on the pitch again, albeit for the U23s.

Marsch has not been able to use him yet, and the American no doubt will want to try him out in the first team to see how he does.

The 22-year-old ranks highly among his teammates in terms of average tackles, blocks and dribbles per game in the Premier League, while he also boasts the highest pass success rate out of any Whites played to have made five or more appearances (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, it is good to have him back as another handy squad option from now until the end of the campaign.

In other news, find out what ‘phenomenal’ LUFC injury update has wowed this injury expert here!

Jharkhand’s Ishank Jaggi and Bengal’s Manoj Tiwary got centuries for East Zone on the first day of their Duleep Trophy quarter-final against Central Zone in Cuttack

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jan-2011
ScorecardJharkhand’s Ishank Jaggi and Bengal’s Manoj Tiwary got centuries for East Zone on the first day of their Duleep Trophy quarter-final against Central Zone in Cuttack. East finished the day well placed at 328 for 5 as they battled with Central for a chance to play South Zone in the semi-final.After being put in to bat, East lost opener Natraj Behera early to Rajasthan seamer Pankaj Singh, who finished with three wickets in the day. Jaggi and Tiwary then put East in the driver’s seat with a 208-run partnership, but Central got a foot back in to the match with three wickets in the last twelve overs of play.

A round-up of the matches from the third match-day of the Faysal Bank One Day National Cup Division One

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jan-2011Group ADanish Kaneria took four wickets in HBL’s big win•Associated PressHabib Bank Limited maintained their perfect start with their second successive win, a 155-run thumping of Karachi Dolphins in Rawalpindi. The match started badly for them as opener Imran Farhat fell for 1, but solid contributions from the rest of the top order and half-centuries from Aftab Alam and Hasan Raza pushed them to what looked a competitive 262. It proved much more than sufficient as Dolphins collapsed to 107 all out. Medium-pacer Fahad Masood did the early damage, taking three top-order wickets, before legspinner Danish Kaneria ripped out four wickets for 28 to confirm a big victory.In another one-sided match, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines crushed Islamabad Leopards by 109 runs at the Diamond Club ground in Islamabad. Opener Sohail Ahmed’s half-century guided SNGPL to a solid start but a slew of wickets left them wobbling at 157 for 5. The experienced Saleem Mughal stabilised the innings with a 55 that took them to 271. In response, Islamabad’s batsmen flopped with only opener Zeeshan Ali making it past 16. He went on to make 63, but hardly had any support as Islamabad subsided to 162 all out.The most competitive match in the group was the one between the table-toppers and the team at the bottom. Pakistan International Airlines kept a spotless record by picking up their third win in three matches, beating Rawalpindi Rams by 45 runs in Islamabad. Faisal Iqbal’s century was the centerpiece of PIA’s innings, with support from opener Agha Sabir’s 53 before a flurry of late hitting lifted PIA to 290. They seemed set for a huge victory when Rawalpindi slid to 61 for 4 but Rawalpindi’s middle-order put up some resistance, with Zahid Mansoor and Jamal Anwar helping them to 245 limiting the margin of defeat.Group BIt was a match that was decided by the how the lower orders batted. Water and Power Development Authority’s bowlers added some crucial runs while Multan Tigers’ last five wickets collapsed for six runs to hand WAPDA a comfortable 77-run win at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Both innings had followed a similar pattern after Multan opted to field. WAPDA were struggling at 52 for 4 but Sohaib Maqsood launched a counter-attack, smashing 77 at more than a run-a-ball. After Maqsood fell caught behind, each of WAPDA’s last four batsmen made more than 10 to carry their side well past 200. Multan began poorly as well in their chase of 224, Kashif Raza ripping through the top order to leave them tottering at 39 for 3. Waqas Sharif did what Maqsood had done earlier, slamming eight fours in his 61 as Multan fought back. But Zulfiqar Babar nipped the recovery with three wickets, including that of Sharif. And Raza returned to clean up the tail as Multan were dismissed for 147 after having been 141 for 5 at one stage.Majid Jahangir’s maiden List A century was not enough to save Sialkot Stallions from losing to National Bank of Pakistan by 46 runs at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. Jahangir and Shehzad Malik (67) had lifted Sialkot from a precarious position, almost doubling the score after they had slumped to 113 for 5 chasing a stiff 312. But their dismissals took the wind out of Sialkot’s sails, and they were soon bowled out for 265. National Bank’s Uzair-ul-Haq was the best bowler on both sides, taking 4 for 46. Half-centuries from Hammad Azam, Nasir Jamshed and Qaiser Abbas had earlier set up National Bank’s huge total. After opener Jamshed (75) had provided a solid platform, Azam (76 off 54) and Abbas (56 off 34) took the score beyond 300 in an unbeaten 114-run partnership for the fifth wicket.Half-centuries from Babar Azam and Shahid Yousuf and left-arm spinner Raza Hasan’s four wickets took Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited to an emphatic 81-run victory against Faisalabad Wolves at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. The 158-run stand between 16-year old Azam (78) and Yousuf (76) formed the bulk of ZTBL’s score after they were inserted by Faisalabad. ZTBL were 219 for 2 at one stage, but left-arm spinner Hasan Mahmood took his best List A figures of 5 for 40 to restrict them to 269. It was young Raza’s turn to respond, and he grabbed 4 for 46 as Faisalabad lost regular wickets. All but two Faisalabad batsmen made double-digit scores, but none more than 33 as they limped to 188.

Manchester United have made contact over a possible move for Manchester City target Christopher Nkunku.

The Lowdown: Nkunku profiled

Nkunku, a France international, is primarily an attacking midfielder, although he can also turn out as a second striker or as a left midfielder.

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The 24-year-old has been described as an ‘explosive’ player, with Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch stating Nkunku has ‘no weakness’ during his time in charge of RB Leipzig earlier this season.

Nkunku has made 133 appearances for the Bundesliga side and has enjoyed a remarkable 2021/22 campaign, contributing to 52 goals in 49 games.

Manchester City have recently been linked with a summer swoop for Nkunku, but it looks as if the Red Devils are trying to get one up on their fierce rivals.

The Latest: United make contact

Sports Witness relayed an update from German outlet Bild regarding Nkunku on Thursday, claiming Manchester United have ‘spoken’ with the RB Leipzig star.

The report states that an offer in excess of €75m (£64.1m) could be enough, a figure that appears to be making PSG think twice.

The Verdict: Get it done

Nkunku has been one of the standout performers in Europe this season, so bringing him to Old Trafford would be an extremely exciting move under new boss Erik ten Hag.

Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard look set to depart this summer, leaving Bruno Fernandes as the only senior attacking midfielder available to Ten Hag.

Therefore, bringing in Nkunku appears to be a no-brainer, as not only would it make strengthen United’s options considerably ahead of Ten Hag’s first year in charge, but it would also be a big blow to Manchester City.

In other news: Man Utd now want to pip Liverpool to ‘dangerous’ £25m starlet; he’s considering a move. 

The ICC is investigating whether Salman Butt has breached the terms of his 10-year ban for spot fixing by becoming a studio pundit for a Pakistan TV channel during the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2011The ICC is investigating whether Salman Butt has breached the terms of his 10-year ban for spot fixing by becoming a studio pundit for a Pakistan TV channel during the World Cup. Five years of Butt’s term were suspended on the condition of him making no further breaches of the code and participating in an anti-corruption education programme under the PCB.However, just a matter of days after the judgements were handed down in Doha Butt was reported to have joined up with Channel 5, a local station in Pakistan, to act as a studio expert during the World Cup. Because the channel is a non-licensee (non-rights holder) the ICC said it had no power to act against Butt, although the governing body is now taking the matter further.”We are not satisfied with this appointment and we have written to Tribunal chairman Michael Beloff QC to enquire whether this could be viewed as a breach against the terms of his suspended sentence,” Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, said.The matter was discussed at the ICC board meeting in Dubai on February 15, when enhanced anti-corruption measures were also confirmed with fines now in place for any players or support staff who take communication devices into dressing rooms. It had earlier been confirmed that all members of World Cups squads, including backroom staff, will be banned from using Twitter during games.Steve Bernard, the Australia manager, is a frequent tweeter during matches but he now won’t be allowed to post messages although the restrictions won’t be in place outside of games and managers will still be allowed to have their phones in the dressing room.”This is just a precaution, it’s not something we are overly concerned about,” an ICC spokesman told AFP. “But we do feel a team manager’s phone should be used for operational purposes only during matches. This applies to all teams and this decision has not been taken in response to anything the Australia team manager has said or done previously.”The ICC Governance and Review Committee also discussed various options for the 2015 World Cup, which will be staged in Australia and New Zealand. The tournament will be reduced to a 10-team event and it is currently being decided whether there will be a qualification phase to allow an Associate nation to take part. The move to shrink the World Cup has sparked anger among the Associate countries, who feel they are being marginalised.It was also confirmed that the 2011 ICC Awards will be held in London on September 12 and the Annual Conference will take place in Hong Kong from June 26-July 1.

Celtic could complete a superb signing with the permanent capture of on-loan Tottenham Hotspur defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, according to transfer insider Dean Jones. 

The lowdown: Breakthrough season

The 24-year-old USA international joined the Hoops on a season-long loan and has enjoyed an impressive 2021/22 campaign for the Glasgow giants.

So much so that the Parkhead hierarchy are expected to sanction the reported £10million (£6m initial) option to buy clause included in the deal that brought the centre-back from north London to Celtic Park.

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Amidst interest from the Premier League and Newcastle United, in particular, Celtic may be thankful for their pre-existing upper hand.

The latest: ‘Massive coup’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones, an insider for Eurosport, suggested that the Bhoys would be over the moon if Carter-Vickers becomes a permanent member of Postecoglou’s ranks.

The journalist said: “It’d be a massive coup because the player obviously still believes he can play in the English Premier League. But he has found a good home for himself right now, and part of him will realise that and know that if they could put forward a big enough incentive for him to stay, then he maybe should do that.

“It’s a big season next season in Glasgow, there’s so much to compete for between Celtic and Rangers. It’d be a big result if Celtic could keep him; they’ve still got a chance.”

The verdict: Make it happen

Described as an ‘absolute beast’ by Tottenham favourite Jan Vertonghen, Carter-Vickers has been superb for Celtic this term, earning a 7.34 average Sofascore rating in the Scottish Premiership, winning 5.8 duels and making 4.3 clearances on average per game.

For the mooted £10million fee the Hoops would be signing a proven top-flight operator with eight-cap international experience and the required skill-set to develop even further in his career to come thereafter – potentially earning the club a hefty sell-on fee down the line.

Albeit unlikely, were major interest to be forthcoming this summer, the deal has worked in such a way that, in theory, Celtic could make an instant profit on the defender in order to boost the coffers yet further and allow Postecoglou to strengthen freely.

In other news, one Celtic player has been backed to leave the club. Find out who it is here.

A collective batting effort and a four-wicket haul from Shahbaz Nadeem sealed a title win for Jharkhand in their Vijay Hazare Trophy final against Gujarat at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Mar-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Jharkhand celebrate their title win•MPCAA collective batting effort and a four-wicket haul from Shahbaz Nadeem sealed a title win for Jharkhand in their Vijay Hazare Trophy final against Gujarat at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. After opting to bat, Jharkhand were boosted by several useful contributions from their batsmen while Gujarat, in their reply, failed to measure up against a dominating bowling performance to sink to a 159-run defeat.Gujarat had been on even terms for a good part of the first half of the Jharkhand innings, as they dismissed openers Subroto Ghosh and Akash Verma, as well as Saurabh Tiwary, who’s been prolific on the domestic circuit and in the IPL, relatively cheaply. Jharkhand were 80 for 3 at one stage but two crucial stands in the middle order set up a challenging total of 255. Ishank Jaggi and Kumar Deobrat struck half-centuries and added 9 for the fourth wicket, in reasonably quick time, but Gujarat fought back by dismissing both in quick succession. But the lower middle-order swung the game again in Jharkhand’s favour, as wicketkeeper Shiv Gautam and Varun Aaron made quickfire cameos, putting together 51 in just 23 balls to ensure their team had the momentum going into the chase.Jharkhand needn’t have been wary of a strong reply, as Gujarat’s innings began poorly. Captain Parthiv Patel fell in the first over, followed by opening partner Avi Barot in the next. Manprit Juneja and Niraj Patel tried to revive the innings with a steady 68-run stand, but the innings fell apart not long after. Niraj was left to see the capitulation at the other end as each of the remaining Gujarat batsmen failed to offer any resistance. Nadeem, with his left-arm spin, grabbed four scalps and caused a run-out in a collapse where Gujarat lost eight wickets for 22. Only two batsmen in the innings reached double-figures, as the Gujarat reply lasted just 24 overs.

A round-up of the tenth round of matches from the 2010-11 Plunket Shield

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-2011Left-arm fast bowler Neil Wagner’s record-breaking spell helped Otago rout Wellington by an innings and 138 runs in three days at the Queenstown Events Centre.Wellington, who ended the second day on 57 for 1, looked in relative comfort on 112 for 1 in pursuit of Otago’s first innings total of 441, before Harry Boam, Grant Elliott and Neal Parlane fell in quick succession. At 136 for 4 with opener Stewart Rhodes looking solid on 77, Wellington would still have hoped to put up a competitive total. However, they hadn’t bargained for South African born Wagner’s searing spell.Wagner, bowling the last over before lunch, had Rhodes caught by Neil Broom off the first ball of the over. He then bowled Justin Austin-Smellie and Jeetan Patel off the next two deliveries to register his hat-trick and followed up that with the wicket of Ili Tugaga to make it four in four. No. 10 Mark Gillespie survived the fifth ball, only to get bowled off the final ball off the over. Wagner’s performance eclipsed the previous best performance in an over by a bowler in New Zealand which was in 1929-30 when Englishman Maurice Allom took four wickets in five balls against New Zealand at Lancaster Park in Christchurch. Wagner returned after lunch to bowl the last batsman Andy McKay to end up with career-best figures of 6 for 36 as Wellington collapsed to 148 all out.Following on, Wellington’s batting stuttered yet again as they lost their first three wickets, including that of Rhodes, with just 16 runs on the board. Elliott resisted with 61, but failed to receive support from the other frontline batsmen. Gillespie and McKay added 39 runs for the last wicket, but that only delayed the inevitable as Wellington were bowled out for 155 to hand Otago a convincing win. Wagner was among the wickets again, accounting for Elliott, Patel and Tugaga to end up with match figures of 9 for 66.