Darren Gough has been ruled out of the remainder of the Natwest Series due to an injured left shin. Graham Onions, the Durham pace bowler, who is in England’s Champions Trophy 30 has been called up as a replacement and will join the squad on Monday.After playing in the Twenty20 against Pakistan as well as the opening two matches of the NatWest Series, Gough will miss the last three matches after an MRI scan revealed a bone stress reaction in his left shin.”Darren has been released following pain in the outer aspect of his left leg,” Dr Peter Gregory, the ECB Chief Medical Officer, said. “Prior to the Twenty20 he had rested for two weeks to settle mild bone bruising of the left shin. The pain from this had settled when he joined the England squad but has returned over the course of the past three matches.”An MRI scan today showed a marked bone stress reaction in his fibula and Darren has been advised to rest from bowling for six weeks. He will return to Essex to receive ongoing assessment and rehabilitation.”Gough added: “I’m obviously extremely disappointed that this injury has ruled me out of the England side, I was looking forward to a strong NatWest Series which could have helped my chances for the upcoming winter tours.”I’ve had a niggle for about a month which seemed to clear up with a couple of weeks rest before the NatWest Series but unfortunately it has returned to the point where I can’t go any further at the moment.”Gough failed to take a wicket during his brief return to the national team, suggesting he has lost penetration with the new ball. However, the bowler himself said: “I was pleased with the way I bowled without much luck during the first few matches so it’s disappointing I won’t be able to play any further part in this series.”England were already due to name a replacement pace bowler in their squad after Steve Harmison was ruled out with a back problem before the opening match. England are 1-0 down in the five-match series following Sunday’s seven-wicket defeat at Lord’s.
Greg Chappell, the India coach, has defended India’s batting performance which saw them set a modest target of 226 against an inexperienced Zimbabwe bowling attack, saying that criticism from outside was easier than performing in the middle.”Sitting outside perhaps it is not easy to understand how difficult the wicket was in the centre. It was moving and slow as well and the bounce was spongy,” Chappell was quoted as saying by PTI. “There has been some encouragement in the sense that all batsmen have managed to spend time in the middle, sometime or the other. It’s all a question of bringing it together and building up on the start.”Chappell backed Sourav Ganguly, the Indian captain, who yet again failed to play a long innings. “I am pretty happy with the way he [Ganguly] has shaped up. He was looking confident. On the ball he was dismissed, usually he hits it for a single but today he wanted to hit it for four. These things happen in the game.”He also said that he understood that batting collapses such as the one against New Zealand where India were 44 for 8 happened occasionally. “Having played the game myself, I know how wickets can fall in a clutter. The best way to come out of it is to not yell at the batsmen. Maybe now that they have had this experience they know how to react to such situations in future.”Venugopal Rao who has two ducks in as many games in the series also recieved Chappell’s support. “He [Venugopal] is a fine youngster with good attitude and he knows that the team is behind him,” said Chappell. “Unfortunately, twice in two games he got two very good balls.”Though Ganguly termed India’s victory by 161 runs over Zimbabwe as a much better performance than in their match against New Zealand, he still felt that there was scope for improvement. “We batted better and it should improve further as the tournament goes on,” said Ganguly. “The team needs to put partnerships together at the top of the order and batsmen need to get hundreds to win games for us.”Ganguly admitted that India has lost their way during the middle overs but also said that the wicket at Harare was soft and spongy. “The wicket in Bulawayo was quicker but here the ball came slowly off the pitch.”
The NatWest Series eventually got underway today at Edgbaston – well, almost.Like the opening match, the second one, between New Zealand and West Indies, was abandoned, but at least there was some action today. After a quickfire innings by Brian Lara boosted West Indies to 122 for 4 from their reduced and interrupted quota of 21 overs, New Zealand were cruising towards their revised target of 140 when the rain returned after 13.4 overs to force the umpires to call the match off at around 7.20pm.It was a stop-start day all along. When play finally began at 2.15, Stephen Fleming won the toss and unsurprisingly chose to bowl first. West Indies progressed to 39 for 0 from 10 overs before another lengthy rain-break, and then added 82 more runs afterwards. New Zealand then reached 97 for 2 from 13.4 overs before the rain had the final say.West Indies’ innings was one of two parts. Before the showers returned in the afternoon, Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was wearing two black anti-glare stickers under each eye similar to an American football player, made a solid start as the New Zealand attack failed to take advantage after winning the toss. However, in keeping with the series so far, the rain came back and the covers were whipped back on.Play resumed a little under two hours later, and New Zealand immediately hit back as the batsmen struggled against the seaming ball. Scott Styris struck with his first delivery when he trapped Chanderpaul lbw for a sluggish 14 from 42 balls (56 for 1). Dwayne Smith then clipped a wide one from Styris behind to Brendon McCullum for 1 (59 for 2), and Gayle edged Jacob Oram to McCullum for 30 (59 for 3).Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan got things back on track for West Indies. Sarwan cut and hooked Oram for four, and Lara clipped Oram past fine leg for his first boundary. Then came the improvisation from Lara, who smacked Oram for 22 runs in one over. The first three balls he shuffled right across to the off side and whipped him past fine leg for four, then smacked the next two over the off side for a four and a six.Lara was then out in bizarre circumstances. He again moved over to the off, and after he hit Chris Cairns to leg, his bat swung right round and touched the stumps (115 for 4). Sarwan then squeezed Cairns past fine leg for another boundary, and West Indies had given themselves a sporting chance of victory.Ravi Rampaul, though, had a nightmare first over, bowling four wides and two no-balls as it went for 18. However, Ricardo Powell helped to forget that bad start with a wonderful diving catch at backward point to dismiss Fleming for 12 (20 for 1), and Jermaine Lawson then took his second wicket when Nathan Astle edged him to Gayle at first slip for 12 (50 for 2).As the skies darkened and the drizzle returned, Styris and Hamish Marshall progressed with few scares towards New Zealand’s target. But as the rain became heavier, the umpires had no choice but to go off, allowing the weather eventually to win the day. West Indies – and England – will be hoping for more luck tomorrow at Trent Bridge.
Andrew Leipus, the physiotherapist of the Indian team, may get a two-year extension to his contract instead of the one year that he has been offered so far. Sources from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told Rediff.com that the abrupt departure of Adrian Le Roux had shaken up the management, and they were keen to make sure that Leipus stayed with them for the long term.Leipus has been on an annual contract since he began working with the Indian team in 1999. The BCCI had extended it by another year after the World Cup. But after Le Roux’s exit, the BCCI decided to preempt the possibility of Leipus quitting by offering him a two-year extension.Jagmohan Dalmiya, the president of the BCCI, was the brain behind the idea, arguing that a longer contract would elicit more commitment and loyalty from the physio. BCCI sources said: “He [Dalmiya] has informally spoken to Leipus, and the proposal should be ratified by the working committee soon.”It was unclear if John Wright, the coach, would also be offered a two-year contract. Wright was given a one-year extension after the World Cup.
Whatever else Hansie Cronje has said and done over the past couple of years, one contradiction keeps slithering through: if the former South African captain really loves cricket as much as he professes, then why does he persist in putting the game through such agony.Cronje’s High Court challenge to his life ban in Pretoria this week is a case in point, if not the case in point. In none of the arguments presented by Cronje’s legal team is there an acknowledgement that his behaviour over a long period was antithetical to the spirit of the game.This was never more the case than when he offered Herschelle Gibbs and Henry Williams money to underperform in a one-day international in India. Cronje’s contrition for this has extended to expressing regret for his actions but genuine remorse has been somewhat more difficult to find.He has persisted to characterise his actions as a "mistake", worse, perhaps, than playing a rash shot in a tight moment, but nothing so serious as to warrant a life ban from the game.On the face of it it is a harsh punishment, but he has not been quite so hard done by as he likes to pretend. There is nothing in the United Cricket Board ban to prevent him writing a newspaper column or giving his views on a game or a series in a television studio. The UCB don’t want him in their grounds at least until after the 2003 World Cup and, let’s be honest here, who could blame them.A recurring nightmare for the UCB, Ali Bacher’s World Cup Policy Committee and the International Cricket Council is the thought of two captains stepping out onto the Wanderers in 2003 for the toss for the World Cup final to be conducted by – Hansie Cronje.The arguments of Cronje’s lawyers in Pretoria were based on South African labour and constitutional law and, who knows, they may have found a loophole for him to slip through. Judgement has been reserved and both sides have been wary of predicting an outcome.But at its heart, the Hansie Cronje affair is far less about South African law than it is about the spirit of the game. At least one school of thought believes that Cronje’s only concern at the moment is with money (and he has not been slow to tell anyone who cares that his lawyers have cost him a packet. The irony that this is the consequence of his own behaviour appears to escape him).At the same time, it cannot be denied that he has substantial support inside South Africa. Quite possibly a substantial portion of this support comes from those who were first drawn to the game by the glamour and drama of the 1992 World Cup. Certainly, they seem to believe that contrary to the cliché, Hansie Cronje is greater than the game.Cronje’s challenge suggests that this is what he thinks – it might be worth recalling that Cronje was but a few months old in 1970 when South Africa played its last pre-isolation series. Whatever the case, if Cronje has his ban overturned it will be a tragedy for all cricket and South African cricket in particular.The ramifications are almost too ghastly to contemplate. Sanctions against South Africa could include suspension or expulsion from the ICC or the loss of the World Cup. All or any of these would change the form and the shape of cricket in the 21st Century.Does Cronje really want this? Is there no one close to him capable of telling him as much? Has his sense of grievance or his desire for money and recognition warped his better judgement to a point where self-interest has taken over completely?Banned or not, though, some things will not change. Cronje betrayed his team, his country and his sport when he allowed himself to be seduced by bookmakers. The best lawyers in the world can’t alter that fact.
Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes is in contention to be part of the England Lions coaching set-up during the squad’s tour to the UAE.Rhodes would join former England head coach Andy Flower, now the ECB’s technical director of elite coaching, and the ECB’s lead batting coach Graham Thorpe in working with the squad which will be named later this week. Thorpe will act as batting coach, with Flower overseeing the squad more generally.England Lions will spend much of the winter in the UAE. The squad have a training camp at a similar time to the main squad’s visit, and will then play five T20 fixtures against Pakistan A in the lead-up to Christmas, before returning to the UAE in January to play five 50-over matches.Unsurprisingly given their location and recent English shortcomings, there will be a focus on how the batsmen play spin bowling. It is also likely that a group of fast bowlers will spend time training in South Africa later in the year.Former England wicketkeeper Rhodes started his playing career with Yorkshire before moving to Worcestershire in 1985, where he played for 20 seasons. He joined the club’s coaching staff in 2005 and became director of cricket in 2006. He played 11 Tests for England in 1995 and 1996 and nine ODIs between 1989 and 1995.Under his watch, Worcestershire have yo-yoed between Divisions One and Two, and are likely to be relegated this season, their first back in the top division. Rhodes is highly respected on the county circuit for what he has achieved with limited resources and his ability to nurture young players. A number of the latest batch, such as Joe Leach, Ben Cox, Joe Clarke and Tom Fell, will be in contention for a place in the UAE. Rhodes is the latest in a line of highly rated county coaches to be introduced to the Lions set-up, such as Mark Robinson of Sussex.The most high-profile names in the squad are likely to be Gary Ballance, whose pair for Yorkshire against Middlesex has come at a terrible time, and Sussex’s Chris Jordan. Tymal Mills, the left-arm fast bowler, is likely to take a place in the squad for the T20 leg of the tour, while Lancashire’s left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan will return to the national set-up and Essex’s Tom Westley – who impressed with a century against the touring Australians this year – is set to be called up for the first time.
With only a few days until the Euros kicks off in Warsaw, many Premier League managers will be keeping a close eye on the tournament with a view of adding numbers to their squads. There is plenty of talent that will be on display in Poland and the Ukraine, with many likely to be available at the right price come the end of the tournament.
Many of the players on show will be all too familiar to top-flight gaffers, and those of us who spend a little bit of time of Football Manager, but as is the case with major international tournaments, players with smaller reputations will have the chance to perform in one of the biggest shop windows.
This list looks at 20 players who are likely to be the subject of admiring gazes from scouting teams this summer. Who know, some of these men may be turning out in your club’s beloved shirt next season:
Click on Sebastian Giovinco to unveil the top 20
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An agreement as to whether the Scottish Premier League will be cut to 10 teams is no closer to being reached.A representative from each of the 12 clubs met at Hampden Park for the annual general meeting on Monday to discuss the possibility of the top flight being reduced by two teams, but there has been little progress.
It would mean 12 teams in the second-tier Scottish First Division, with SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster publicly backing the changes.
But Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston has spoken against the 10-team league, and believes it will not happen.
“I certainly haven’t changed my position and I know that there are a lot of other people around the table who haven’t changed their position either,” he said.
“I’m not worried about anything that happened today.”
Discussions regarding a SPL TV channel and a possible merger with the between the SPL and the Scottish Football League will continue in future.
The five-man board of directors was also finalised with Motherwell’s Derek Weir joining chairman Ralph Topping, chief executive Doncaster, Celtic’s Eric Reilly and St Johnstone’s Steven Brown.
After yesterday’s results in the Premier League, this morning’s newspapers are full of stories of which Premiership manager will be the next to face the sack. Liverpool’s Roy Hodgson, West Ham’s Avram Grant, Chelsea’s Carlo Ancelotti and Aston Villa’s Gerard Houllier are all under pressure after defeats and none can be sure of their future at their respective clubs.
Elsewhere the January transfer window rumours are starting to get into full swing, as Arsene Wenger is reportedly set to turn to Liverpool to solve his defensive worries, Man City outcast Emmanuel Adebayor is in demand both in the Premier League and abroad, and Harry Redknapp and David Beckham are ready to join forces.
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Hodgson and Grant looking down the barrel – Daily Mail
Adebayor in demand – The Sun
Arsenal after Agger – caughtoffside
Harry and Becks to form managerial ‘dream team’ – Daily Mirror
Stoke and Blackburn battle for Collins – Sky Sports
Keane set for Birmingham move – Guardian
Wolves get one over West Ham in transfer race – Daily Mail
Fergie planning squad overhaul – The Telegraph
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Mark Hughes worked with the players he had last season to keep Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League. After Tony Fernandes bought the club at the end of the summer transfer window, Neil Warnock found himself panic buying in preparation for the new season. Warnock signed a whopping 16 players last season for Queens Park Rangers, but it’s Mark Hughes’ time to bring in his new squad.
Hughes could be looking to reunite with some of his previous signings made at Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City. Hughes might want to sweep in and make a shrewd move to sign Paraguayan striker Roque Santa Cruz, who has recently been loaned out to La Liga side Real Betis from Manchester City. Mark Hughes signed the two footed striker during his reign at Blackburn Rovers in 2007. However in 2008 Mark Hughes replaced Man City Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson. Mark Hughes continued to take a liking to the Paraguayan and signed him again at City in 2009. So who’s to say he wont do it again to beef up the QPR strike force which already consists of Djibril Cisse and Bobby Zamora.
There has also been speculation that Mark Hughes is set to make an ambitious signing to bring Christopher Samba back to England. The Congolese defender was invited by Mark Hughes to undertake a five day trial at Blackburn Rovers which resulted in a signing for the Rovers. In February Samba completed a move to Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala however since being at the club he has endured a difficult time being the victim racist abuse from a certain incident during a game against Lokomotiv Moscow in March. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he was to return to the Premier League this season alongside Mark Hughes.
With Paddy Kenny being linked to Leeds United, a transfer move to Elland Road will not be too much of a shock as Kenny will be reuniting with previous manager Neil Warnock. This makes room for a potential summer reunion for Mark Hughes with Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given. Hughes wants to take advantage of Villa’s recent turmoil and wants to snatch the 36 year old Republic of Ireland international. There is also speculation that if unsuccessful an offer is to be vacant for West Ham’s No.1 Robert Green.
Mark Hughes certainly has a lot of options available to him, with various relationships with players from previous clubs is an advantage for Queens Park Rangers as they get to dabble in the contacts to aid the future of the club.
Tweet me if you think these will be crucial signings for QPR @gmileham1
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