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Rajasthan Royals and Middlesex, the IPL and the English Twenty20 champions, will face off for the British Asian Cup on July 6 at Lord’s

Cricinfo staff14-May-2009Rajasthan Royals and Middlesex, the IPL and English Twenty20 champions respectively, will face off for the British Asian Cup on July 6 at Lord’s in what will be the first of an annual charity series to be played between the Twenty20 champions of the two countries. From next year the fixture will be played as a best-of-three series.The two teams would have originally met in the Champions League scheduled for October 2008 but that was called off because of security concerns in India. A portion of the proceeds from the game will go to the British Asian Trust, a Prince of Wales charity.Middlesex will be led by Shaun Udal and will include IPL players Tyron Henderson, Owais Shah and Murali Kartik. Henderson plays for Rajasthan but will turn out for Middlesex in the charity game. Rajasthan’s side will include captain Shane Warne, Graeme Smith, Sohail Tanvir, Kamran Akmal, and Yusuf Pathan.Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, said the series was another milestone in the IPL’s international development. “We have shown this year that the IPL truly has global appeal, and for one of our teams to be playing at the ‘home of cricket’ in front of the wonderfully passionate British fans is very exciting. Moreover, we have a serious commitment to charity, and the association with the British Asian Trust is most welcome.”

West Indies captain Chris Gayle is confident that they can close out the one-day series against England in the fourth and penultimate match at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Sunday

Cricinfo staff29-Mar-2009West Indies captain Chris Gayle is confident they can close out the one-day series against England in the fourth and penultimate match at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Sunday. Already 2-1 up, he underlined the importance of sticking to the basics if West Indies are to cap a wonderful home series after clinching the five-match Test contest 1-0.”I’m confident, but not overconfident,” Gayle told the . “I’m a little nervous too, because it is a very important game. We want to win the series. It will ease the pressure off of us. We have to stick to our basic things, go out there and have fun like in the last game and prove that you can win the series.”Two successive wins after a freak defeat in the opening match have given West Indies the advantage, but Gayle expects England to bounce back. “We’re not going to roll back and expect it is going to be a rollover,” he said. “England will come hard at to try and even the series. It is going to be a hard competitive game. We just have to hold our nerves.”An eight-wicket demolition in the third ODI at the same venue on Friday shifted the psychological advantage towards West Indies and the opportunity is now there to deflate England, a point acknowledged by West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo. “We have to win our next game,” Bravo said. “We can’t afford to lapse or anything like this. The series is still open. We know England will do their homework and come at us hard.”We have our homework to do as well, and try to improve. The team has been playing very well throughout the series and we just believe in ourselves and taking the moments from the Test series to see everyone fit and ready to go for the challenge ahead of us.”West Indies fielded the same unit for the last two matches and will avoid tinkering with the winning combination. England’s batting has been woeful and the bowling had no answer to Gayle’s ferocious onslaught of power-hitting on Friday, during which he smashed an unbeaten 80 off 43 balls.Captain Andrew Strauss, however, is quietly confident about turning things around. “My experience with England is that when we have these kinds of performances, we always bounce right back,” Strauss said. “We’ve got to dig pretty deep and make sure we find a way to get over the line and give absolutely everything and come off the field with a victory. This will take individual players grabbing responsibility. If two or three of us can do this, we have a very good chance of winning.”England, who scored 117 in 41.3 overs, threatened to go under the lowest total at Kensington – 91 by Ireland against Australia at the 2007 World Cup. “In my experience, when we are bad, we are pretty bad,” Strauss said. “We can play some very good cricket as well. But we do not have that consistency.”In a five-match series, we cannot have one or two bad performances like we did. If we are beaten, we have to make sure we are beaten off the last ball in a very tight game. We cannot be Jekyll and Hyde. We are too much like that at the moment.”

Manchester City are reportedly expecting prime target Jack Grealish to hand in a transfer request to force his way out of Aston Villa [The Mirror].

One of the Villans star performers in 2020/21, the 25-year-old registered 19 goal contributions in 27 fixtures for his boyhood club; seven goals and 12 assists [Transfermarkt].

Now, he is embroiled in a carer defining situation in terms of where he sees his imminent future.

Aston Villa are reportedly lining up eye-watering terms to keep hold of their top asset, whilst Manchester City are ready to pounce for his signature in a deal worth around £100 million [The Mirror].

The latest update has suggested that the Villa Park skipper could now hand in a transfer request to force through the deal.

As you can imagine, loads of Aston Villa diehards took to Twitter to fume at this latest development.

Aston Villa FC fans react:

Replying to the Mirror’s Twitter account, here is what some supporters had to say about the update:

“He wouldn’t do that lol”

Credit: @JayVtid

“Can’t see him handing in a request. If he did the backlash would be brutal so good luck to him if he does”

Credit: @RBishop_1990

“No chance.”

Credit: @wilsterdavies1″Tripe”Credit: @KelvinEHughes”Whatever happens no way Jack ever forces a move out of villa and hands in a transfer request..what a load of nonsense”Credit: @robhol88″Our “Expectations” are formed from our own patterns of behaviour. Clearly, the Mirror journo’s showing distinct LACK of loyalty, morality and inability to value relationships. #AVFC”Credit: @beerchipsgravyIn other news, Aston Villa fans react to a Leon Bailey update.

Express and Star journalist Luke Hatfield wouldn’t say that Aston Villa are definitely done and dusted in the transfer window, but it’s much more likely if a player does leave Villa Park that they go back into the market.

Dean Smith has brought five new players to the football club for his first team this summer, with Leon Bailey, Emi Buendia, Ashley Young, Danny Ings and Axel Tuanzebe all penning deals at Villa Park.

Villa responded to an opening day Premier League defeat to Watford (3-2) with a 2-0 victory against Newcastle in front of their own supporters at Villa Park last weekend, with new signing Ings settling in at Villa well, as he made it two goals in two Premier League games.

Villa have added some real quality to their ranks this summer and Hatfield believes it will take a very good deal to get them to go back into the market but wouldn’t say they are definitely done and dusted even if a player wasn’t to leave Villa Park.

“If no one leaves it will take a deal which is very, very good to get Villa back in the market now I think for incomings anyway, that’s not to say it won’t happen – you never know what happens in the final week of a window, a team could finally show interest in a player which hasn’t really seen any interest over the summer and equally a deal might present itself to Villa and they think this is just too good to turn down. 

“It wouldn’t shock me if they were in for a defensive midfielder, as I said, that’s the position they really need to address I think, someone just to screen that back four and help out there, who’s mobile as well and progresses the ball. So, it wouldn’t surprise me, I wouldn’t say they’re definitely done and dusted even if a player wasn’t to go, but I think it’s much more likely If a player does leave that Villa go back into the market,” Hatfield told Football FanCast.

With only a few days left to go in the transfer window, will Villa manager Dean Smith look to make any further additions to his side?

Sam Lee has dropped an exciting update on Manchester City youngster Romeo Lavia, with the 17-year-old included in Pep Guardiola’s Champions League squad.

Clubs participating in the Champions League had to submit their squad lists earlier this week and there weren’t too many surprises from the Citizens, other than the inclusion of Lavia, with the Athletic’s Manchester City correspondent Sam Lee confirming on Twitter that:

“City have included 17-year-old Belgian defensive midfielder Romeo Lavia in their 21-man Champions League squad. He’s highly thought of and this is proof, even if appearances will be hard to come by.”

The teenage midfielder is yet to make an appearance for the senior side since joining from Anderlecht in 2020 but he is clearly making waves in the academy, with two goals and two assists in 21 appearances for the U’23s.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936”]

City have been handed a tough group in the Champions League, with games against PSG, RB Leipzig and Club Brugge to come, so if Lavia is to make his debut for the Etihad-based side, it seems likely that it will come against Brugge, as they are likely to be the weakest opponents of the three.

With Fernandinho now 36-years-old, City may well be in the market for a new defensive-midfielder in the near future but if Lavia works hard enough and builds on his obvious potential, then perhaps we will see him make the step up into the first-team.

It was suggested after the Brazilian penned a new one-year deal that Lavia would be promoted to the first-team for the 2021/22 campaign and it certainly seems likely that he will earn his first minutes as a first-team player soon after this announcement.

The Belgian midfielder clearly has a lot of promise and therefore City fans will surely be delighted to see him named in the Champions League squad and will be hoping to see him make his first appearance for the senior side in the near future.

And, in other news… 2.7 key passes per game: Guardiola’s “unsung hero” has been superb this season

As Tottenham Hotspur gear up to take on bitter rivals Arsenal in the north London derby today, it appears manager Nuno Espirito Santo has been given a major boost.

The Lowdown: Spurs injury setbacks…

Since Tottenham’s regrettable international break, Nuno has had to cope with his fair share of N17 absences and that has arguably contributed to their run of form recently.

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Davinson Sanchez, Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero were all missing for a while due to their international fiascos in South America, while Ryan Sessegnon, Steven Bergwijn, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura have all spent time out recently.

However, sharing news on the latter man, it appears he is now available again alongside Son who returned against Chelsea last week.

The Latest: Nuno gifted Lucas return…

Indeed, in what is ‘good news’ for Spurs and Nuno, the manager now has Lucas at his disposal again and just in time for one of Tottenham’s biggest games of the season.

“We have Lucas back also which is good news so let’s try to make and prepare the game,” the Spurs boss explained (via football.london).

“Like I said to you, it’s a different game, it’s a different game. We must feel it.”

The Verdict: Major boost…

Given the Brazilian’s form when available this season, there’s little arguing this comes as a major boost for Nuno and his side.

Lucas has completed more dribbles per 90 so far out of any Lilywhites player in the Premier League (2.5), highlighting his real threat and creativity (WhoScored).

Indeed, his presence could disrupt Arsenal and provide Spurs with a huge asset from out wide.

In other news: Spurs now want ‘outstanding’ 29 y/o who Pochettino wanted to make one of his highest earners, find out more here.

Doug Bollinger is fast, swings the new and old ball and takes wickets regularly, especially at the SCG

Peter English at the SCG02-Jan-2009
Ricky Ponting is flanked by Australia’s two debutants © Getty Images
Doug Bollinger is the sort of bowler that could quickly develop into an Australian cult figure. He is fast, swings the new and old ball and takes wickets regularly, especially at the SCG. It was those traits that earned him a spot ahead of Ben Hilfenhaus for the third Test, but he also brings colourful off-field characteristics.A year ago he was bald, but now has locks as lush as the outfield, and he speaks with the honesty of a guy who grew up in western Sydney. After hearing about his recall to the squad this week he said he would give 150,000% for his country; he was told on Friday morning he would become Australia’s 405th Test player.When asked whether he would rest well the night before the game he said: “I hope I sleep well, I’ll just try and take it as another cricket game, basically. If I think about it too much I’ll go insane.” Are you nervous? “Yeah.”In the past 14 months Bollinger has taken five five-wicket hauls at the SCG, including 6 for 47 in his last match here against South Australia. A Sheffield Shield season of 45 wickets at 15.44 in 2007-08 won him tours to West Indies and India, but he had to wait for an opportunity after slipping behind Peter Siddle, who he will share the new ball with.”I’m just going to go out there and just do what I’ve been doing for New South Wales and try swinging the ball,” he said. “Just try to intimidate batsmen and just try and be competitive. I’d just like to compete and do well, I’m not out there to make friends.”Graeme Smith and the South Africans do not know much about Bollinger, but they are learning quickly about his quirks. “Any guy who is going to try 150,000% in this game is someone we’re going to have to respect,” Smith said teasingly. The tourists have traded jokes about Bollinger’s hair on the team bus, but say they won’t use them on the field.While Bollinger spoke off the cuff, Andrew McDonald, the other debutant, was more cautious. McDonald’s long-term options are less certain – he comes behind Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson on the allrounders’ list – and he was not sure that he would be batting six.Jacques Kallis is the player McDonald has looked up to most during his career, but he was reluctant to describe the balance between his batting and bowling qualities. “I’ll let you guys make up your own minds,” he said. “I’m not going to put myself in any category.” He bats at five or six for Victoria and chips in with regular overs.

Sheffield United have commenced talks regarding a deal to bring Robin Olsen to Bramall Lane this summer.

What’s the talk?

According to reports from Italy, Slavisa Jokanovic’s side have entered into negotiations with AS Roma regarding a season-long loan deal for the 31-year-old goalkeeper.

It is also claimed that Jose Mourinho would be willing to sanction the departure of the Sweden international, in whom the Blades are interested as a result of Aaron Ramsdale’s reported desire to leave the Championship club in favour of a move to Arsenal.

Bye-bye Ramsdale

While losing the services of Ramsdale this summer would undoubtedly come as a significant blow to the Sheffield United manager, it would very much appear to be something of a transfer masterclass by Jokanovic if he secures a deal for Olsen as the 23-year-old’s replacement.

Indeed, the £2.7m-rated goalkeeper impressed over his seven Premier League appearances while on loan at Everton last season, keeping two clean sheets while also conceding an average of just 1.3 goals and making three saves per game.

These metrics saw the man who Sweden team-mate Alexander Isak dubbed an “incredible” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.87, ranking him as the Toffees’ 12th-best performer in the top flight of English football.

The £14k-per-week shot-stopper continued this fine form into Euro 2020. He conceded four goals and kept two clean sheets over his four appearances in the competition, making 2.8 saves per match and earning an average SofaScore match rating of 7.05.

As such, the signing of Olsen would appear to be a big coup for the Blades this summer, with the ‘keeper arguably being at a similar level of ability as Ramsdale, from whom the club look set to make a considerable amount of money by selling.

Should Jokanovic indeed cash in on the Englishman in the coming days, it would be highly advisable for the Serbian manager to do all he can to secure the signing of the Swedish stopper as the 23-year-old’s replacement.

In other news: Blades set to seal deal for “different class” £22k-p/w beast, fans will be buzzing

A side strain has cut short Tino Best’s contract with Lashings World XI, and he is expected to return home to Barbados

Cricinfo staff12-Jul-2008
Tino Best has been advised a minimum of six weeks’ rest © The Nation
A side strain has cut short Tino Best’s contract with Lashings World XI, and he is expected to return home to Barbados.Best, who played 12 Tests for West Indies between 2004 and 2006, has signed up the Indian Cricket League (ICL), which has not been recognised by the ICC. He picked up the injury during Lashings’ match against South Northumberland last Wednesday, and missed two games in order to recuperate.However, the injury is more serious than initially thought, and Best has decided to go back home for treatment and rehabilitation. According to the club’s website, he has been advised a minimum of six weeks’ rest.Best told the he was aiming to recover in time for the ICL tournament later this year. “I need to be in the best of health and shape to go back to India, as Twenty20 cricket is very tough and demanding, especially for a fast bowler,” he said. “This is seven years that I haven’t been at home during the summer, and while it will allow me to be in Barbados at Crop-Over time (a five-week summer festival), my first priority is ensuring that I get the right treatment and necessary rest to recuperate.”Best joined the ICL earlier this year, which at present rules out any possibility of playing for West Indies.

Cricinfo staff29-Sep-2008
Shakib wants the batsmen to step up and not repeat the mistakes they made in Australia © AFP
Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder, is confident his team can give New Zealand a fight in the upcoming home series and possibly win a game or two. Shakib summed up the positive mood in the camp, saying that the players had put the poor tour of Australia behind them and were determined to make a fresh start.”Our performance was really bad in the last series in Australia but I believe it would be a different story against New Zealand,” Shakib said after a practice session at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur. “The players are charged up to play good cricket but I don’t know why.”Bangladesh have been ravaged by a mass exodus of 14 players to the unofficial ICL and the list includes the names of current players like Aftab Ahmed and Nazimuddin. Their departure, Shakib assured, wouldn’t throw the national team off balance. “We can even win a match in the series,” he said.Shakib said the 3-0 defeat in the one-dayers in Australia was because the batsmen failed to give a good account of themselves. Bangladesh were in with a chance to pull off an upset win in the third one-dayer, but the batting collapsed in the chase of 199.”We must bat to our potential to put behind a series of bad performances,” he said. “The main problem of our batting lies in our mindset. If our top order batsmen can bat responsibly, anything can happen as we are going to play in our own (home) conditions. We are training hard and I believe we will get the results soon.”New Zealand begin their tour on October 9 with the first of three one-dayers, followed by two Tests. New Zealand swept the two Tests and three ODIs at home when the teams last met in December-January.