All posts by h716a5.icu

MCC chief executive Keith Bradshaw is expected to step down from his position on the ECB management board

Cricinfo staff10-Nov-2008MCC chief executive Keith Bradshaw is expected to step down from his position on the ECB management board after experiencing too much conflict of interest according to a report in the .Bradshaw is known to have concerns about the future direction of the world game, especially the development of the English Premier League, the role of Allen Stanford and the dominance of the BCCI. During the recent Stanford Super Series he spoke about the ‘integrity of cricket’ and admitted to concerns about the planned quadrangular event due to be staged at Lord’s.”I do feel I have a conflict of interests given the MCC’s role in the world game and its need to be an independent voice,” Bradshaw told the .An MCC spokesman confirmed to Cricinfo that the matter was on the agenda for the next committee meeting, but added that nothing has been confirmed. “MCC’s role as the guardian of the Laws is of paramount importance to Keith,” the spokesman said.Bradshaw’s resignation would enable him to comment freely on matters involving English and world cricket, creating some potentially interesting situations for the ECB.He is due to take two months off in the New Year for further treatment for bone cancer, although he insisted that was nothing to do with his decision.

Derby County forward Bobby Duncan is set to remain at the club, following news that his move to Danish side Vejle Boldklub has collapsed [The Athletic via Football League World].

The Lowdown: Derby County’s turbulent start to 2021/22

Enduring a turbulent start to the new campaign, Rams gaffer Wayne Rooney will be praying for some stability in the coming weeks as his side look to start 2021/22 in a positive manner.

Unable to make signings – unless free – so far this summer due to the transfer embargo, the Sky Bet Championship side have not been able to make any additions in the window thus far [Transfermarkt].

Now, the manager has been hit with yet another blow on the other side of things, with an expected departure falling through.

The Latest: Duncan departure called off after breakdown in talks

After opening talks with Velje Boldklub last week, any notion of the deal nearing completion has now been quelled, much to the fury of the Derby County hierarchy [Football League World].

Terms could not be thrashed out to an agreeable deal, meaning the English second tier side have now missed the chance to get around £3,000 per-week off of their wage bill.

The Verdict: Only time will tell with regards to Duncan’s next steps

The news surrounding Duncan presents negative and positive connotations.

On one hand, Derby have struggled with financial irregularities in recent times and moving the former Liverpool youngster on may have helped slightly.

Nevertheless, he may provide some much-needed inspiration to a side in need of fresh ideas in forthcoming months should he get the opportunity.

In 2020/21, he made just one senior appearance for his current employers in an embarrassing 2-0 FA Cup defeat away to non-league Chorley [BBC].

With only two recognised strikers at the club in the form of Colin Kazim-Richards and young starlet Jack Stretton, the Scouser could be given the chance to show the abilities which saw him become a highly sought-after commodity in his youth career.

Moving closer to the start of the Championship campaign, it may be wise for Derby to give Duncan a platform to showcase his abilities – once described as having ‘raw talent’ by his former coach Anthony Barry, can he really be worse than what they’ve got?

In other news, a pundit believes Wayne Rooney should give his ex-teammate a chance at the Rams.

Tottenham Hotspur are closing in on their third signing of the summer…

What’s the word?

According to football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, Spurs are on the verge of sealing top centre-back target Cristian Romero in a €50m (£42.5m) move from Atalanta.

He tweeted: “At least some good news this morning as the move for Cristian Romero is finally edging towards completion in what is going to cost Spurs around 50m euros.”

In an accompanying column, Gold goes onto explain that negotiations are in its final stages as the 23-year-old defender is keen to join the North London outfit and has already agreed on personal terms.

Fans will love it

After the Harry Kane bombshell on Monday morning, this news will come as a rare bit of positivity for many supporters around the club.

The 28-year-old talisman failed to show up for training as expected amid interest from Premier League champions Manchester City, as per the BBC.

It has left a lot of fans very disgruntled, angry and upset. “I will have lost all respect for him,” claimed one member of the Lilywhites faithful, whilst another described it as “mad disrespectful.”

However, there is some comfort to be had in the fact that Spurs appear to be very close to sealing a new centre-back to bolster their struggling backline.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-team-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-copy” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

Last season, they recorded the worst defensive record of any of the traditional ‘big six’, even including arch-rivals Arsenal, who finished below them in the table.

This boiled down to a nasty combination of individual mistakes, with the likes of Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez being dubbed “one of the worst partnerships” in the top-flight, and a severe lack of leadership following the departure of veteran Jan Vertonghen.

Romero, who won the Copa America with Argentina and current Spurs midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, would go a long way towards fixing that major issue, leaving Nuno Santo with one less thing to worry about.

The Atalanta star picked up the Serie A’s ‘Defender of the Year’ award and has been described as a “top, top defender” by Italian football expert Conor Clancy.

“He has been phenomenal as he won the MVP award for the best defender in Serie A, but he is one of the most deceptively dirty players in the Serie A. However, when he has the ball, his distribution and passing is so, so good,” he told This is Futbol.

Despite the uncertainty over Kane’s future, the Lilywhites faithful will surely love this update from Gold.

AND in other news, Nuno can save Levy millions by unleashing “special” Spurs prodigy who has “everything”…

West Brom star Matheus Pereira is a ‘prime target’ for West Ham this summer as the Baggies face the prospect of losing the Brazilian.

The Lowdown: Pereira stars for West Brom

Albion were relegated from the Premier League last season but Pereira enjoyed a hugely impressive campaign on a personal note.

Despite his team’s struggles, the 25-year-old scored 11 goals and registered six assists in the league, standing out as arguably the star man at The Hawthorns.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

The Latest: West Ham keen on signing

The Baggies now face the prospect of losing Pereira this summer, though, and The Daily Express claimed that Europa League entrants West Ham are desperate for him to replace Jesse Lingard next season.

A possible £25m move is mooted, with a loan move potentially turning into a permanent one over time.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-8/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Verdict: Inevitable loss?

In an ideal world, West Brom would keep hold of Pereira – Micah Richards has dubbed the Brazilian a ‘delight to watch’ – but realistically he won’t want to be playing Championship football in 2021/22.

He is entering the prime years of his career and he surely won’t want to waste the next few months in the second tier, especially after proving his worth at top-flight level.

Should Pereira leave The Hawthorns, it is vital that Valerien Ismael spends the money from his sale wisely, bringing in players who can help spearhead his team’s promotion push.

In other news, West Brom have been linked with a summer move for a free agent. Find out who it is here.

The son of Don Bradman says he continues to be “astounded” by the amount of affection directed towards his late father

Cricinfo staff26-Aug-2008
John Bradman (far left), Tom Bradman (back) and Greta Bradman (far right) stand with John Howard, Australia’s former prime minister, at the 2000 Bradman Oration © Getty Images
The son of Don Bradman says he continues to be “astounded” by the amount of affection directed towards his late father. In the lead-up to Wednesday’s centenary of Bradman’s birth, John Bradman spoke about the interest that surrounded the hero, cricketer, administrator and family member.”We are extremely proud of him, proud of his achievements, but more proud of him as a person, for the way he coped with those achievements,” John Bradman told . “In that respect he was absolutely remarkable.”We’re very touched that people continue to remember him as they do, so long after he retired from playing cricket. I suppose it [the level of interest] does astound us, it always astounded him. He couldn’t understand why people still remembered him so long after he’d finished playing.”Bradman’s final Test occurred 60 years ago at The Oval, but his legend grew the longer his average of 99.94 remained so far out of reach of the game’s greats. He died in 2001 aged 92 and there was an outpouring of grief in Australia and other parts of the cricket-playing world.Since then Bradman’s name has lived on through his numbers, stories, museum, place names and various exhibitions. Last week the Bradman Collection was opened in the Sir Donald Bradman Stand at the Adelaide Oval. The items had been moved across from the South Australian state library to settle in the ground Bradman made his home after switching states in the mid-1930s.John Bradman said his father was a “chucker-outer” and it was his mother Jessie who nurtured the collection. “She was very keen on keeping family things together,” he said. “The most distinctive thing about the collection is that the entire collection comes from the Bradman family home, and that is how my father wanted it to remain. I played with this stuff in the backyard, which people now handle with white gloves, so it is very precious to our family.”One of the pieces is a rug of the Australian crest that came from John Bradman’s floor. “I remember being in the collection at the library and there were people talking in hushed tones about the pale patches on the green rug as if it was blessed by aliens,” he said. “I didn’t upset them by quietly mentioning it was where my little dog had weed.”On Wednesday John Bradman will attend a lunch at the Melbourne Cricket Club and a dinner in Sydney before visiting Cootamundra, the New South Wales town where the batsman was born in 1908, on Friday. Ricky Ponting is due to give the Bradman Oration at the function in Sydney while Bradman’s grand-daughter Greta will sing at both the major events to mark the centenary.”It’s almost like he’s separate from the game,” Ponting said. “His name and what he achieved, it’s so far out of any player’s reach, in his time or any player who has played since, it’s almost like he played a different game to what we’re playing. He would have been the stand-out player whatever generation he played in.”Ponting met Bradman when he was a 15-year-old at the Academy in Adelaide. “It was an amazing experience,” he said. “The first thing that struck you was his stature. He was quite a short, little guy and very quietly spoken. But everyone in that room was in awe and everyone was sitting on the edge of their seat taking in everything he would say.”

The gap between the major cricket-playing countries of the world and the associate members remains large, despite occasional freak results, as New Zealand showed when they outclassed Scotland by eight wickets at Aberdeen today

John Ward in Aberdeen03-Jul-2008
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Jacob Oram picked up three wickets © CricketEurope
The gap between the major cricket-playing countries of the world and the associate members remains large, despite occasional freak results, as New Zealand showed when they outclassed Scotland by eight wickets at Aberdeen today. First their pace attack tore apart the home side’s batting, and then their batsmen hammered Scotland’s main strength, their seamers, as the match was over in not much more than three hours’ play.New Zealand won the toss and put the home side in to bat under a grey overcast sky. Within an hour a steady and prolonged drizzle had started, but to their credit they opted to continue playing in the cold and rain – after all, they do play cricket at Dunedin. In any case, by then they were already well on top as the ball moved around considerably – Daniel Vettori said after the game the toss was major factor in the outcome – and Scotland’s new batting confidence in recent months was crumbling rapidly.Scotland’s woes began in the first over. After a single by Gavin Hamilton, still wearing Fraser Watts’ kit after his own had been stolen, the captain Ryan Watson again failed to score, playing a hesitant defensive stroke to a ball from Mark Gillespie and playing on to his stumps. Shortly afterwards Hamilton played over a low full toss from the same bowler, to be bowled for 6; the score was 12 for 2.New Zealand moved in for the kill, resisted gallantly by the ‘boys from the Hebrides’, Qasim Sheikh and Navdeep Poonia. Sheikh dug in so firmly that he took 21 balls to score, while Pooniah, up from Warwickshire, was more aggressive before being caught down the leg side off Jacob Oram for 15. Colin Smith made 11 in positive mode, but his dismissal at 54 for 4 began a steady slide from which the team never recovered.As the rain eased, John Blain and George Goudie, coming together at 75 for 8, finally brought a temporary halt to New Zealand’s inexorable advance. But they only added 12 laborious runs before Blain went for 6. Goudie roused the crowd of about 200 from their depression when he lofted Vettori for six over long-on, and next over off-drove Michael Mason to the boundary to bring up the hundred.Then another lbw decision, the fourth of the innings, from umpires who had been so conservative during the previous two days, brought it all to an end for 101, Dewald Nel being the victim to Vettori for 4. Goudie was left unbeaten on 17. Oram and Grant Elliott took three wickets each, Mason and Vettori two, and none of them conceded more than 20 runs. All that remained for Scotland was for their seamers to salvage some respect for their team as New Zealand faced an easy target.Even this proved beyond their ability as they had the worst of the conditions, with the movement diminishing since the morning. New Zealand were out to waste no time in wrapping up the tournament and went for their strokes from the start, although they did get away with a few mistimed shots. Scotland had just one real feel-good moment when the opener Peter Fulton, after hitting a handsome four through midwicket, was trapped lbw by John Blain in the first over.After that, though, it was more carnage. Ross Taylor was in murderous mood, although his fifty on this occasion dragged on for 34 balls, compared with the 19 he needed against Ireland, and included a six over third man off Nel. Brendon McCullum also hit Nel for an off-side six, over extra cover, but then his bat, with a strange cracking noise, lofted a catch to mid-on when he had made 22. He held it up with a chagrined look as he walked off, no doubt at the end of its useful life.It took New Zealand two balls short of 15 overs to complete another overwhelming victory, with Taylor finishing unbeaten on 61 off 41 balls, and Scott Styris 14. Scotland had chance to use only their three frontline seamers, all of whom took a hammering. New Zealand came to Aberdeen, they saw, and they could scarcely have conquered more convincingly.

Ireland have been hit by the withdrawal of Andrew White ahead of their Intercontinental Cup clash against Netherlands, which starts in Rotterdam on Wednesday

Cricinfo staff07-Jul-2008Ireland have been hit by the withdrawal of Andrew White ahead of their Intercontinental Cup clash against Netherlands, which starts in Rotterdam on Wednesday.White misses the game due to personal reasons, and his place in the squad of 13 is taken by James Hall, the Waringstown allrounder who played for Ireland during the Friends Provident Trophy, but missed out on the Aberdeen tri-series defeats with a foot injury.White cracked an unbeaten 152 for Ireland in their last match against Netherlands in 2004, helping his side to an innings-and-47-run win.

Mikael Lustig will be remembered fondly for his time at Celtic but it could have ended so differently.

The Swede’s debut for the Hoops didn’t go according to plan as he was blamed for a goal against Aberdeen.

However, in typical Lustig fashion, the defender bounced back and became an imperious, consistent figure.

Injuries often got the better of him but he became a fan favourite on his way to making 276 Celtic appearances and winning eight Premiership titles in a row.

Lustig eventually departed in 2019 as he moved to Gent in Belgium. With a lack of first-team right-backs now in their ranks, you could argue that the Bhoys miss his experience.

Well, fortunately, they could sign a like-minded player this summer in the form of Carl Starfelt.

Celtic have been linked with a £4m switch for the 26-year-old who also hails from Sweden.

Starfelt is a centre-half by trade, an area of the pitch that Lustig has featured in on the odd occasion. Appearing on 67 Hail Hail, journalist Anel Avdic made the following connection: “If he joins Celtic, I see a little bit of potential in him to be a new Mikael Lustig.”

Avdic made that point with a wry smile but it’s hard to ignore the comparisons, especially from a personality viewpoint.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-news-doig-nketiah-mccann” title= “Read the latest Celtic transfer news!”]

The reporter hailed his work rate and attitude, commenting: “He’s a fantastic man. I only have positive things to say about Carl.”

Lustig’s work rate was second to none as well but in terms of their defensive duels and distribution, they’re fairly similar.

Starfelt won 1.6 aerial duels per match last term, just 0.1 fewer than Celtic’s former Swede in terms of his career average.

Their reading of the play is also vastly similar with the Rubin Kazan defender registering 1.4 interceptions per game, a number that replicates Lustig’s average.

Both reliable and consistent performers, it was perhaps surprising that the latter made Sweden’s European Championship squad at the age of 34, rather than Starfelt.

Either way, the pair are reliable and consistent. You also have to go a long way to find a Swede that’s disappointed while donning the green and white hoops.

All being well, he should be as big a success as Lustig was in Paradise. Ange Postecoglou must ensure the defender becomes a Celtic player.

AND in other news, Celtic open talks to sign “unbelievable” 13-goal gem, he may end Christie’s Hoops stay…

MELBOURNE, Dec 27 AAP – Middle-order batsman Darren Lehmann will miss the New Year Ashes Test against England because of his bacterial infection.

AAP27-Dec-2002MELBOURNE, Dec 27 AAP – Middle-order batsman Darren Lehmann will miss the New Year Ashes Test against England because of his bacterial infection.Lehmann went to hospital last Monday and was put on an intravenous drip because of the infection, which doctors suspect entered his body through a foot blister.The left-hander said today he was aiming to return to the Australian side for the one-dayer against Sri Lanka on January 9.Martin Love took Lehmann’s spot in the Test side on Christmas day and scored 62 today on debut.Lehmann said he “never felt worse” when he was admitted to hospital here on Monday night.”Today is the first day I’ve been out of hospital, just an hour or so away to come down and say hello to the lads, but I’m really tired again and I’m heading back there,” he said in a statement.”The doctors think it’s a common bacteria, but apparently they managed to catch things early and killed it before it grew too much.”Lehmann added he hoped to be released from hospital tomorrow and will then return to his home city of Adelaide to regain his strength.He initially felt sore in his groin after the weekend’s international one-dayer against Sri Lanka in Perth, where he scored a century and was man of the match.”By 10pm (on Monday) my groin was inflamed and I couldn’t even touch it, I was shaky and feeling really ill,” he said.”(Team doctor) Trefor James came in to see me and I was lying in a couch in the team room with four towels around me, shaking.”Doctors gave Lehmann three antibiotics through his drip to purge the infection.Lehmann said he had disinfected his gear to ensure no repeat of the problem.

Liverpool have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman after a stall in his contract negotiations.

What’s the story?

According to German outlet Sport1, the Bundesliga giants are reluctant to meet the 25-year-old’s wage demands, prompting agent Pini Zahavi to offer his client to the Reds.

The Israeli super-agent reportedly told Liverpool’s hierarchy that a bid of €50 million (£43m) for Coman would convince Bayern to sell up.

Upgrade on Shaqiri

After securing their maiden Premier League crown in 2019/20, the following season was a major disappointment for Jurgen Klopp’s charges.

A severe injury crisis to their backline and a major drop-off in form at the top end of the pitch saw the Anfield outfit finish third in the top-flight standings, 17 points behind champions Manchester City.

Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were far from the best throughout the recently concluded campaign, but their back-ups were equally as underwhelming.

The likes of Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri failed to step up to the mark when their teammates were below their best, severely hampering Liverpool’s chances of success.

Coman’s potential arrival would, therefore, offer a significant upgrade on the current alternative options available to Klopp.

While Shaqiri only managed a single goal and four assists throughout 2020/21, Coman bagged eight strikes and laid on an impressive 15 assists, winning the Bundesliga title with Bayern.

Despite being just 25, the France international already won 24 major trophies in his career, including the Champions League, and was lauded by his youth coaches from an early age.

“His reading of the game and his technique stand out and make him formidable,” claimed France’s Under-17 coach Patrick Gonfalone back in 2012, when Coman was just 16.

The extra firepower that Coman would bring to the 19-time English champions would be a significant boost to their chances of regaining their Premier League crown next season. And the club’s supporters will surely be urging director of football Michael Edwards to get this deal over the line.

And, in other news…Get it done: Edwards must sanction LFC swoop for “phenomenal” gem who lit up Euro 2020