All posts by h716a5.icu

Sky Sports’ Michael Bridge believes that it is only Manchester City who have the money to afford Robert Lewandowski.

Sky Sports were told that Lewandowski is happy at Bayern Munich but wants a move to another top European club before he is 35.

Lewandowski, who turns 33 on his next birthday (21 August), has been in fine goalscoring form for Bayern Munich, scoring 297 times in 331 matches. The Poland international is second on the all-time top goal scorers in Bundesliga, with 276 goals.

Last season alone he managed to score an incredible 48 goals in all competitions.

The Sky Sports report also says that Bayern Munich value Lewandowski at more than £100m, with Michael Bridge believing it’s surely only Manchester City who have the money for the striker, telling Football FanCast: “Is it only City? I mean, surely it’s only City and we know how much Pep loved him at Bayern Munich, but no other club has the money to pay.”

City have been linked with a move for Harry Kane throughout the summer and there were also reports of them being interested in Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, but journalist Fabrizio Romano posted on his Twitter account that the Fiorentina president Commisso had said: “I don’t know what’s gonna happen but I’m planning to keep Vlahovic this summer, I want him to stay. But if we receive a bid of €100m, I’ll think about it.”

The Pakistan board has been served with a notice by the Lahore High Court over what is claimed to be its discriminatory attitude against the Pakistan Women’s Cricket Control Association

Cricinfo staff27-May-2009The Pakistan board has been served with a notice by the Lahore High Court over what is claimed to be its discriminatory attitude against the Pakistan Women’s Cricket Control Association (PWCCA).It stands accused of affiliating other cricket councils and even providing them financial assistance while ignoring the PWCCA, the pioneer of women’s cricket in Pakistan and the sole governing body registered and recognised by the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC) and the PCB. The PWCCA had moved a writ petition against the illegal formation of the PCB Women’s Wing, insisting it had the right to run the affairs of women’s cricket in Pakistan.”The case though registered two years ago has not had many hearings due to the unrest within the judiciary since then,” the PWCCA’s barrister Zafarullah Khan told Dawn. “But with most things resolved in that department, the wheels are in motion now. PWCCA have a valid point and a good chance to win their case.”Zafarullah claimed precedence had been set by the PCB when they allowed the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) to affiliate with them. “Established in 1996, the PWCCA was a full IWCC member besides being recognised by the PCB, too, at the time,” he said. “It should also have been affiliated with the PCB in accordance with the 2005 merger between the ICC and the IWCC which required all cricket boards of cricket-playing countries to set up a women’s wing.”Both the PCB and petitioners PWCCA are ‘companies limited’ and cannot take over each other but they can affiliate by mutual agreement.”A notice was subsequently issued by justice Omar Ata Bandial to the PCB over the allegations made by the PWCCA. “The date for the next hearing will be set after PCB’s reply but we definitely made headway and may even be on the verge of a breakthrough here,” said Zafarullah.The PWCCA is headed by former national women’s team skipper Shaiza Khan, who along with her sister Shermeen founded women’s cricket in Pakistan in the 1990s. Spending money from their own pockets, the players held camps to find budding talent all over the country. Several players in the present national squad like former skipper Urooj Mumtaz, openers Nain Abidi and Sajida Shah, wicketkeeper Batool Fatima are just a few of their finds.The national women’s team under the PWCCA also played in the 1997 Women’s World Cup in India. However, the PCB in 2005 joined hands with the Pakistan Women’s Cricket Association (PWCA), a rival organisation set up by the current Women’s Wing Chairperson Shireen Javed and her former consultant-adviser Azra Parveen, who were denied membership by the IWCC.

Luke Butterworth’s career-best 114 made him a hero, but he had lost the status by the end of the match when his final five balls went for 18

Cricinfo staff14-Feb-2009
Scorecard
Luke Butterworth collected a career-best one-day score before his day turned sour © Getty Images
Luke Butterworth’s career-best 114 made him a hero, but he had lost the status by the end of the match when his final five balls went for 18 and allowed Western Australia to lift from the bottom of the table. North, who will join the Test squad on Monday, steered the chase with an unbeaten 104, making sure they overcame the wobble when Luke Pomersbach was stumped for 45.The Warriors lost 5 for 41 and needed 54 from the final five overs with North and Drew Porter (36) at the crease. North brought up his century in the last over with consecutive boundaries from Butterworth, and then Porter hit another full toss for six.Two were required from the last two balls and Porter took them to 7 for 255 with a legside force. Western Australia’s win left New South Wales with the wooden spoon while the Warriors moved to fifth.Tasmania, who currently sit third, slumped to 5 for 57 after winning the toss, but fought back through Butterworth and George Bailey. Brad Knowles grabbed the first three wickets on the way to 5 for 62 – and a bleeding nose – but the Warriors relaxed after their strong start.Bailey and Butterworth put on 100 for the sixth wicket before Bailey was almost mid-pitch when run out on 56. Butterworth continued to gather useful runs during his 103-ball stay and the lower order collected 57 from the final 30 balls to post 8 for 254.Butterworth peaked in the final over of the innings as he thrashed 23 from Ben Edmondson to bring up his century. Knowles gained an lbw from Geeves for his fifth breakthrough, but the batsman had taken off for a run and his shoulder hit the bowler in the face.

A round-up from the opening day of Friends Provident Trophy action as a number of England players try to nudge the selectors

Cricinfo staff19-Apr-2009Group AGraeme Swann went a long way to proving his fitness ahead of the West Indies series with three wickets to help Nottinghamshire open their campaign with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory against Leicestershire at Trent Bridge. Swann played a key part in the visitors’ middle-order collapse after Andre Adams had removed both openers. Swann also had a hand in the first of three run-outs when he deflected James Taylor’s drive into Boeta Dippenaar’s stumps at the non-strikers’ end and from 108 for 3 the innings fell away rapidly. Samit Patel producing a direct hit to dismiss Wayne White and make a point to the England selectors after his omission in West Indies for being unfit. Taylor was left stranded on 44 when Swann had Andy Harris stumped. The target was a cakewalk for the home side. Mark Wagh hit an unbeaten 68, adding 106 with 20-year-old Alex Hales, and the win was completed with more than 20 overs to spare.Worcestershire gained revenge for their heavy Championship defeat by turning over Hampshire by 53 runs in a high-scoring encounter at The Rose Bowl. Moeen Ali, seen by many as the man who needs to fill the hole left by Graeme Hick, showed his talent with 125 off 109 balls as Worcestershire powered to 320 for 8. Steven Davies got the innings off to a positive start with 50 and Ben Smith (70) combined alongside Ali to add 165 for the fourth wicket. Hampshire made a good first of the chase early on with Michael Lumb and John Crawley adding 116 in 21 overs, but once Gareth Batty broke through the innings fell away. Spin played a key part with Ian Fisher removing Michael Carberry before Batty ran through the lower order with a career-best 5 for 35, including Crawley for an even hundred. There was one sour note for Worcestershire as Kabir Ali picked up a hamstring strain.Group BCraig Kieswetter’s outstanding start to the season continued with his unbeaten 138 enabling Somerset to stroll to victory against Warwickshire at Edgbaston and meaning Ian Bell’s own eye-catching contribution went in vein. Bell is doing everything right in his quest to win back an England spot, following his Championship 172 with 108 here, but it wasn’t enough to quell Somerset’s strong top order. Kieswetter hit 150 in the four-day game and combined in a match-clinching stand of 188 with Zander de Bruyn, who earlier played his part with the ball by claiming 3 for 30. Warwickshire had been well placed on 122 for 1 when de Bruyn trapped Jim Troughton (53) lbw and he also sent back Rikki Clarke and Tim Ambrose. Although Bell reached his ton off 118 balls the home side couldn’t recover sufficiently.Group CMichael Vaughan showed glimpses of form, but he was overshadowed as Yorkshire wrapped up an 80-run victory against Durham, one of the pre-tournament favourites, at Chester-le-Street. Vaughan cracked some handsome boundaries during his 44-ball 43 before being bowled through the gate by Gareth Breese and it was left to Jacques Rudolph (73) and Gerard Brophy (66) to supply the key innings. Brophy provided late impetus, needing 48 balls for his runs, with Steve Harmison feeling the force of his assault as his eight overs cost 63. Durham slipped to 48 for 3 in reply before a stand between Will Smith and Dale Benkenstein – the current and former captains – revived the chase. However, Smith dragged on against Ajmal Shahzad and Ian Blackwell soon fell to Adil Rashid as he toe-ended a return catch.Is this the start of another successful John Bracewell era at Gloucestershire? Of course it’s too early to tell, but a seven-wicket win against Sussex at Bristol is a decent way to start. Gloucestershire’s strength is in their batting and strong half-centuries from Craig Spearman and Chris Taylor guided the chase of 228 as they added an unbroken 122. Sussex’s innings had been a stop-start affair with Matt Prior hitting 50 and Luke Wright a brisk 40 off 41 balls, but it needed Michael Yardy’s 58 to lift them over 200 after Vikram Banerjee claimed three wickets. He removed Prior then added Rory Hamilton-Brown and Robin Martin-Jenkins in two balls.Group DLancashire’s strong bowling attack proved too much for Glamorgan at Old Trafford as the home side eased to an 80-run success. James Anderson was made available by England, but it was Kyle Hogg and Sajid Mahmood who did most of the damage as they shared six wickets. Hogg was outstanding with the new ball and his three-wicket burst left Glamorgan floundering on 21 for 4 when Tom Maynard was caught behind. The middle tried to stage a recovery – Mark Wallace hit 60 – but Mahmood and Glen Chapple went through the lower order. Tom Smith had earlier justified his move to opener with 66, a score matched by Faf du Plessis less than 24 hours after he arrived from South Africa and although 241 wasn’t a huge total it proved more than enough.Defending champions Essex laid down a marker for their season with an expertly-paced run chase against Northamptonshire as they completed a seven-wicket win with 10 balls to spare at Chelmsford. They made a potentially testing chase look comfortable, fired by Mark Pettini’s 57 and an authoritative 76 from Varun Chopra. The match-sealing partnership, however, came from two old heads as Matt Walker – who has arrived from Kent – and Grant Flower, last year’s hero in the final, added 88 at a brisk rate. They killed the game off in the batting powerplay as a disappointing Northants attack struggled to stem the run-rate. They had batted with more conviction after being put in, recovering well from 66 for 4 with three middle-order half-centuries. Steven Crook top-scored with a career-best 72, but although Essex were missing a number of key players – including Ravi Bopara, Graham Napier and Danish Kaneria – they proved too strong.

Southampton enjoyed a fairly successful transfer window and targeted young players, but they decided to sell Michael Obafemi rather than letting veteran striker Shane Long leave.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side brought in exciting young talents such as Adam Armstrong, Romain Perraud, Valentino Livramento and Thierry Small, whilst fringe players such as Wesley Hoedt and Mario Lemina finally left the club.

However, in a move that seems to conflict with their transfer methods, the Saints decided to sell Obafemi, with the 21-year-old completing a permanent move to Swansea City on deadline day, whilst Long remains at the club.

After the signing of Armstrong, as well as the loan addition of Armando Broja, you could argue that both Irish forwards would have struggled for regular game time in the first team this season, but Hasenhuttl has suggested that he wants a bigger squad than last year.

[freshpress-quiz id=“594431”]

Therefore, it seems strange that Martin Semmens was willing to accept as little as £1.5m for the young forward, especially after his impressive performances in pre-season suggested that he could make an impact in the first team this season.

By comparison, Long spent the second half of last season on loan with Bournemouth in the Championship and managed just two goals, whilst his last Premier League goal came in a 3-1 win against Aston Villa in December 2019.

Therefore, it seems baffling that Long is still at St Mary’s, especially when you consider that he reportedly earns £60k per week with the Saints, which makes him one of the highest earners in Hasenhuttl’s side.

The 34-year-old looks way past his best and it seems likely that he will leave at the end of this season when his contract expires, so you feel that Semmens could have done more to sell him this summer and Saints fans will surely be fuming that he was kept instead of a promising youngster such as Obafemi.

If Long remains a bit-part player for the Saints throughout this season before leaving on a free, you could definitely argue that it was a mistake on Semmens’ part to keep him after what has been a very promising window overall.

And, in other news… Sheldon drops Southampton transfer update on “one of the best”

After rescuing a point in their previous Premier League outing and the first match in Eddie Howe’s reign at the club with a 3-3 draw against Brentford, Newcastle United are back in action this afternoon with an early kick-off against Arsenal.

In terms of injury news, as well as still having Paul Dummett out with a calf issue, Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle picked up a hamstring injury in training earlier in the week and will apparently be assessed before the match at the Emirates Stadium.

With Magpies manager Eddie Howe set to make his debut in the dugout for the club after being absent from the Brentford game due to a positive virus test, from which he has now recovered, it will be interesting to see which players he selects for his starting line-up today.

On the chalkboard

One Newcastle player who did not feature in the draw against Brentford but should be in the starting XI to take on Arsenal is Isaac Hayden.

In his 10 league games so far this season, he  has proven to be a useful defence-minded midfield option by averaging 2.4 tackles, 1.7 clearances and one interception per game.

Additionally, his overall performances have earned the 26-year-old, who is currently valued at £9m by Transfermarkt, a season rating of 6.53/10, making him Newcastle’s sixth-highest rated player at this point in the campaign according to WhoScored.

Given that Arsenal have only lost one of their nine previous league games, scoring 13 goals in the process, it could be the smart option if Howe were to restore Hayden today to add some defensive stability to the team and see if they can secure a positive result.

The 26-year-old also managed to show his predatory instincts in the opposition box by scoring in Newcastle’s 1-1 draw against Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month.

Also, with former Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock failing to impress against Brentford, this could make it an easy decision for Howe to get Hayden back in the team at the other ex-Gunner’s expense.

Taking all this into account, Hayden definitely has what it takes to bully Arsenal’s players today, and he could well be the difference in Newcastle picking up a positive result or not.

In other news, PIF submit NUFC proposal to beast tipped to be “one of the best”, fans will be buzzing…

Michael Clarke hopes he has until the morning of Thursday’s first Test against South Africa to prove he is ready to play

Cricinfo staff25-Feb-2009
Michael Clarke’s fitness remains a concern for Australia © Getty Images
Michael Clarke hopes he has until the morning of Thursday’s first Test against South Africa to prove he is ready after struggling to recover from a nagging back injury. Clarke hasn’t played since the fourth ODI against New Zealand on February 10, but was wanting a couple of strong training sessions in the lead-up to the game in Johannesburg.”It’s certainly improving and I’m confident I’ll pull up all right for the Test,” Clarke said in the Sydney Morning Herald. “Any time you’re not playing in the games, like the one we had last weekend, or any time you’re not able to train 100%, there’s a few little nerves there about if you’re going to be OK.”Clarke has been dealing with problems in his back since he was 14. “It’s not like I’m not used to it,” Clarke said. “I know I have to do a lot of strength work, core work, rehab, swimming, stretching. I know my body well enough now to know exactly what I have to do to stay on the park. This injury is completely different to what I’ve had in the past, which is why we’re going so slow and steady with it.”However, Clarke is “not too concerned” and wants to ensure it doesn’t flare up in the future. He hoped he would have until the morning of the game to show he was ready. “The last few days have been pretty good,” he said. “The physio’s been happy with how I’ve improved gradually every day.”

Middlesex may not be playing the US$20 million game in the Stanford Super Series, but Tyron Henderson, their South Africa allrounder, wants to leave a mark during the one-week long event in Antigua

Cricinfo staff23-Oct-2008
Tyron Henderson: ‘I’m not going to die wondering when I am batting thinking whether I should or shouldn’t have hit it’ © Getty Images
Middlesex may not be playing the US$20 million game in the Stanford Super Series, but Tyron Henderson, their South Africa allrounder, wants to leave a mark during the one-week long event in Antigua.”We’re here to entertain, so I go out and entertain,” he told the BBC. “People want to see the ball going out of the ground, I try to do my best to do what they’ve come to see.”I enjoy the format, it’s high intensity and you have to be on the ball from the word go. I’m not going to die wondering when I am batting thinking whether I should or shouldn’t have hit it – if it’s there to hit, believe me I will be swinging and throwing the kitchen sink at it.”Henderson is the world’s leading wicket-taker in Twenty20s, with 73 scalps in 60 games, and was one of Middlesex’s key players in their victorious campaign in the domestic Twenty20 Cup. He scored 281 runs at 40.14 at a strike-rate of 180.12 and took 21 wickets at an economy-rate under 7.5 per over.”If they typecast me as a Twenty20 player, then so be it – it doesn’t worry me,” he said. “If you look at my stats over four-day cricket, I’m quite happy with them, I think I have done a good job throughout the length of my career playing all formats of the game, but Twenty20 just seems to suit the way I play my game.”He revealed that the IPL franchise, Mumbai Indians, have shown interest along with “one or two others,” while adding: “My agents will have a chat to a couple of guys over there and hopefully I will be in the auction at the end of January and something will come out.”When I discussed my contract, there is a clause about the IPL, but Vinny Codrington [Middlesex chief executive] is only too happy for us to play, if guys get selected then they’ll get pats on the back.”But I’m not counting my chickens before they hatch. If it happens it happens. If not then so be it. I will be here at the start of April for the start of the C&G Trophy.”Middlesex will play the two teams who will clash for the US$20 million match, England and Stanford Superstars, in warm-up games, before facing Trinidad and Tobago on October 30 – a game with US$400,000 at stake.

Mumbai continued to dictate terms for the second straight day at the Brabourne Stadium

The Bulletin by Nagraj Gollapudi at the Brabourne Stadium19-Dec-2008Punjab 202 & 18 for 0 trail Mumbai 436 for 9 dec (Muzumdar 113, Rohit 85, Rahane 80, Samant 65, Nayar 61, Kakkar 3-93) by 216 runs
Scorecard
Amol Muzumdar scored his first century of the season © Cricinfo Ltd
Mumbai continued to dictate terms for the second straight day at the Brabourne Stadium, with Amol Muzumdar and Rohit Sharma’s handsome knocks taking the game further away from Punjab. Muzumdar scored his first hundred of the season, and his 132-run fourth-wicket stand with Rohit was the main highlight of a day on which Punjab failed to make any impression.At stumps, Punjab’s opening pair of Sunny Sohal and Karan Goel played with caution the four overs of spin from Ramesh Powar and Ankit Chavan, who are bound to play a bigger role on Saturday as Mumbai try to seal the match.Ajinkya Rahane, who had cracked a stroke-filled half-century the previous evening, once again started off on a brisk note, punishing the loose balls from Gagandeep Singh and Amanpreet Singh. However, half an hour into the morning, Rahane was adjudged leg-before after he tried to push an offcutter from Gagandeep for a single into the vacant midwicket region. It was a big wicket because Rahane, the tournament highest run-getter this year, was key to Mumbai’s chances to score an innings victory.In walked Muzumdar with the weight of expectations on his slim shoulders: his unconvincing form (two fifties in six previous games) had added to the pressure on the top order. But, today, Muzumdar seemed to have exorcised his ghosts finally. He took charge straightaway with two magnificent drives past cover, both fours, against the well-flighted legbreaks of Sarabjit Ladda. Nimble on the feet, Muzumdar was quick to move forward as well as draw back if the bowler tried to attack him.Making use of the width on offer and the gaps in the field, especially behind the wicket, Muzumdar utilised the cut and the paddle- sweep frequently as he marched to his third half-century of the season before lunch.He was joined by Rohit once Vinayak Samant, the other overnight batsman, departed soon after reaching his fifty. In a moment of misjudgment, Samant stayed back to a delivery from left-arm spinner Ankur Kakkar; the ball jumped off the pitch and turned away to bowl him.Rohit started on an extravagant note with two full-blooded fours: the first over Kakkar’s head, followed by one clubbed over mid-off. When Ladda offered him width, Rohit accepted with glee, slashing the legspinner past point for another four.By lunch, Mumbai were set to post an imposing lead having gone past Punjab’s score. With the pitch completely dry, the ball gripped the surface and provided the comfort of an extra moment for the batsman to decide his shot. The only way Punjab could have expected to strike back was by tossing the ball up or pinning the batsmen down – something neither of their three spinners – Ladda, Varun Khanna and Kakkar – managed consistently. It only helped Mumbai dominate.Rohit brought up his half-century in a swift manner, charging Gagandeep for an easy on-drive for four. Two balls later, a solid front-foot punch raced away to the sightscreen behind the bowler. Playing with gusto, he stood his ground once again to punch it past the straight boundary to end the over. Rohit looked ominous as he neared his second century of the season, but a lofted attempt to clear the boundary landed in the hands of Ravi Inder Singh at mid-off.But Punjab’s misery was far from over, with Muzumdar, enjoying the Rohit show from the other end, closing in on the century with consecutive sweeps against Kakkar. Having cut Kakkar in front of square for another four, an emotional Muzumdar celebrated his maiden ton this season with a leap and a punch in the air. He was doubly happy as his parents were at the ground to witness his big moment. Then as a gesture to thanks his team-mates, he simultaneously doffed his cap and bowed towards the Mumbai dressing room.At the other end, Abhishek Nayar, playing his first game of the season, crushed Punjab’s spirits further with an attacking half-century as he stitched a valuable partnership with Muzumdar for the fifth wicket. Though Muzumdar failed to carry on, trapped plumb going for a prod against Khanna, he had done enough to help Mumbai take the game out of Punjab’s reach.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Barcelona midfielder Ilaix Moriba as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his first-team squad before the window closes.

What’s the story?

According to 90min, the Reds are one of several Premier League clubs to have been offered the 18-year-old’s services this summer, with the rest of England’s traditional ‘Big Six’ also in the mix for his signature.

The report states that West Ham United, Leicester City, Wolves and Everton are also in the running to secure Moriba’s signature after Moriba’s representatives held talks with multiple interested parties after contract negotiations with Barca reached an impasse.

Moriba’s current deal at the Camp Nou has fewer than 12 months to run, and with an agreement over fresh terms yet to be reached, the Catalan giants are believed to be looking for a potential buyer.

Klopp would love him

Liverpool have been credited with an interest in several central midfielders in recent weeks after Gini Wijnaldum’s departure left a substantial void in the club’s engine room.

A trio of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and James Milner did a solid job against Norwich City on the opening day of the new season in his absence, but Graeme Souness outlined his belief that Klopp needs reinforcements in that area of the pitch after the 3-0 win at Carrow Road.

“I’d like to see Liverpool spending a few bob, but they score goals for fun”, he told Sky Sports (as reported by the Liverpool ECHO).

“I think it was very easy to look at Liverpool and talk about their front three and say how special they were, but I think a lot of their great play came from the three midfield players. (Gini) Wijnaldum’s gone, (Jordan) Henderson’s a year older, James Milner’s a year older.

“I know they’ve got some good kids coming through. I saw them against Osasuna on Monday night, I was up there watching that game. I’d like to see something else in midfield. It’s going to be a long hard season,” Souness concluded.

Bringing in Moriba would be seen as a major coup for the Anfield outfit given his potential and the level of competition for his signature, meaning Klopp would surely love the opportunity to work with such a talented youngster.

Former Barcelona B manager Garcia Pimienta lauded the teenager and Konrad de la Fuente last year after the duo put in an outstanding performance for the reserve side, saying: “Both Ilaix and Konrad have been decisive. Ilaix has a lot of merit because he is a first-year youth, but Konrad is third, and in such an important match they have shown that they have an incredible future.

His natural quality and potential to improve would make Moriba a dream Wijnaldum replacement, but Liverpool will have to see off several domestic rivals for the £22.5m-rated gem to make this deal become a reality.

And, in other news…David Ornstein drops major Liverpool update that will leave fans absolutely buzzing