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Amrit Mathur, Delhi Daredevils’ consultant and former India team manager, said that it was impractical for franchises to form a formal body to educate and monitor players in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2013Amrit Mathur, Delhi Daredevils’ consultant and former India team manager, said that it was impractical for franchises to form a formal body to educate and monitor players in the IPL. In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Mathur said that the concept of a formal body to control activities like spot-fixing would not be feasible as the franchises had control over players only during the tournament. Moreover, he said that incidents like these could not be completely eradicated but, with appropriate systems, could be controlled and reduced.”There’s no provision at the moment for a formal body. At the same time, there is a practical body in the sense that the teams have the players contracted with them for only 45 days,” Mathur said. “Beyond those 45 days, there is no relationship between the franchise and player. So if it’s the 46th day, and a team has to go to its captain, it’s on request mode. If we’re with a player only for 45 days, there’s nothing we can do beyond that. The players are busy, they have no relationship with you, so what kind of programmes or education or anything can you do? It doesn’t work.”Mathur also said there was very little administrators could do in the spot-fixing situation, but advised that systems governing cricket could always be strengthened. “I don’t think the IPL or the BCCI could have done anything more once it was revealed such a thing happened. The IPL or the BCCI doesn’t have the tools or the ability to monitor or police this beyond a point. So, they have to go by what the investigations throw up in terms of evidence or offence of the individual is concerned.”The systems can be strengthened, there could be better monitoring and provisions to ensure such things don’t happen. It’s not that the IPL is not aware of the importance of keeping the league and tournament corruption-free of informing and warning the players of an act of this nature. Before the season, the anti-corruption unit meets each team separately, it’s a pretty serious exercise.”Mathur also stated that there was now a greater understanding of the problem of match-fixing because such incidents had occurred in India, on the county circuit in England and in Test cricket. “I think there is an understanding across the boards, across the countries, across the ICC, across the member nations that this is a serious issue. It will throw up wrong things from time to time and you have to be vigilant, you have to educate, you have to monitor. And at the same time, after all this, if somebody is caught doing it, there has to be some punishment.”Mathur stressed on the importance of a law in India that could enforce stricter punishments for spot-fixing and other related crimes.”That punishment, in England came through the court of law, not through the ECB. Similarly there has to be some procedure through which it comes to court of law in India,” Mathur said. “Apparently, earlier, there was some uncertainty about which provisions of the law does such an act attract. Ultimately, we were informed yesterday that it is under conspiracy and cheating, which do not attract very serious punishments.  So maybe down the line there could be a special legislation which enforces stricter punishments for spot-fixing or any crime of this nature.”In response to a question on how franchises perceived the threat of spot-fixing, Mathur admitted that while vigilance wasn’t as stringent in the first year, franchises began understanding that controversies like these would affect their business.”I think in year one it was just a mad scramble to get things rolling,” Mathur said. “But very soon the understanding reached everybody that: a) it is sport, you can’t have sport sallied by something like this and b) it’s a commercial venture, you invest huge amounts of money into the team, into the franchise and you’re building a business. And the last thing a business wants is a controversy of this kind. It holds the foundation of a business of any kind, let alone a cricket team or a sporting tournament. So even before the ICC’s anti-corruption unit became a part of the IPL, I know many teams were telling their players the need to be clean, the need to be fair, the need to not do anything that would tarnish the brand.”

Fast bowler Pat Cummins has been named in the Australia squad for the one-day matches against Ireland and England scheduled for June this year

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2012Fast bowler Pat Cummins has been named in the Australia squad for the one-day matches against Ireland and England scheduled for June this year. Allrounder Steven Smith and quick Mitchell Johnson have also made a return.Cummins had been sidelined by a bone stress injury in his foot since Australia’s tour to South Africa in October-November 2011. He then missed the series against New Zealand, India and West Indies, and made a return to competitive cricket for Australia Under-19s in a quadrangular series in April. Johnson too has been out of action with an injured foot – he had done severe damage to his ligaments after being struck on the foot while batting in the Wanderers Test last November, resulting in a condition commonly referred to as ‘turf toe’.Smith, who had also last played for Australia during that tour to South Africa, is being rewarded for the fine form he showed late in the domestic season, according to national selector John Inverarity.”He [Smith] has come into strong contention for the Australian ICC World Twenty20 squad to be named in August and the national selection panel is keen to have him in the set-up in England as the reserve batsman, noting that his legspinners would provide good variation to our attack,” Inverarity said. “He [Johnson], also, is in strong contention for the ICC World Twenty20 and needs to be in the set-up and have some quality competitive cricket leading into this.

Australia’s 15-man squad

Michael Clarke (capt), Shane Watson, George Bailey, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Clint McKay, James Pattinson, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade (wk), David Warner
In: Pat Cummins, Mitchell Johnson, Steven Smith
Out: Daniel Christian, Peter Forrest, Nathan Lyon, Peter Nevill

“We are also excited about the return of Pat Cummins and we are looking to ease him back into the team. He will not be expected to play in all of the eight scheduled games.” Australia are scheduled to play one one-dayer against Ireland, followed by five against England, interspersed with two tour games.The players to miss out from the squad that played the limited-overs games in the West Indies are Daniel Christian, Peter Forrest, Nathan Lyon and Peter Nevill. Mitchell Starc, who featured in the Commonwealth Bank Series against India and Sri Lanka, also missed out. However, Inverarity said, Christian remained in the mix for the World Twenty20.”Dan Christian has shown what a useful allrounder he is, and is making some strong contributions. He has been omitted to make way for Mitchell Johnson, but remains very much in our plans for the ICC World Twenty20, and a distinct possibility for the ODIs and Twenty20s against Pakistan in August-September.”Nathan Lyon and Peter Nevill have not been included as Xavier Doherty has been preferred as the only spinner and Matthew Wade is the only keeper. It is a great deal easier getting replacements to England than to the West Indies, and both Nathan and Peter will be on standby should they be required.”

A round-up of the second day of the sixth round of the Regional Four-Day Competition

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2011England Lions took a first-innings lead of 65 over Windward Islands, thanks to an allround performance from their bowlers, all of whom picked up at least one wicket. Windward wrapped up the England Lions innings for the addition of just 22 runs in the morning to restrict them to 302 at Windsor Park in Roseau, but they lost a clutch of early wickets and were struggling at 82 for 4. Kevin James and Dalton Polius then added 79 to steady the innings, before Adil Rashid and Danny Briggs combined to extract the rest of the side for 237. Briggs was the best of the bowlers, with 3 for 51, while Rashid and Andy Carter picked up two wickets each. At close of play, England Lions had extended their lead to 85 for the loss of Craig Kieswetter for 9.Kyle Corbin narrowly missed out on a hundred but Combined Campuses and Colleges were dismissed for 251 by Guyana at Three Ws Oval in Bridgetown. CC&C lost both openers without scoring but Corbin, who has one hundred and four half-centuries to his credit this season, came to the rescue. He made 96, from 134 balls, studded with 10 fours and four sixes. He now has 495 runs in the tournament, trailing only Marlon Samuels in the run-scoring charts. Kevin McClean chipped in with an unbeaten 52 down the order, but the rest of the batting failed to fire. Assad Fudadin took 4 for 42 and Veerasammy Permaul 3 for 58 for Guyana, who were 11 for 1 at stumps.Wavell Hinds and West Indies Test vice-captain Brendan Nash enabled Jamaica to recover after a top-order collapse against Trinidad & Tobago at Sabina Park in Kingston. Hinds came in with his team tottering at 60 for 4 – Marlon Samuels (25) made a rare low score this season – and proceeded to stroke an unbeaten 131, sharing in a 116-run stand for the fifth wicket with Nash, who made 66, and then an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 121 with allrounder Dave Bernard, who was unbeaten on 55 at the close. Hinds was particularly aggressive, smashing 11 fours and seven sixes, to take his team to a position of relative strength at 297 for 5.Fidel Edwards picked up his second five-for of the season as Barbados bowled Leeward Islands out for 277 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound. Edwards took two early wickets as Leeward slipped to 17 for 3 but the two twenty-year olds, Sherwin Peters and Jahmar Hamilton, kept their composure to add 138 runs together. Hamilton, who made 83, hammered 14 fours, while Peters struck seven fours in his four-hour 57. Gavin Stoute, who took 4 for 41, caught Peters off his own bowling, and triggered a slide that saw six wickets tumble for 40 runs to leave Leeward gasping at 195 for 9. However, Anthony Martin (42) and Kelbert Walters (28) combined in an 82-run last wicket partnership to frustrate Barbados until Edwards had Walters caught behind to wrap up the innings and finish with 5 for 57.

Dirk Nannes has always felt comfortable in India and is a definite starter in the IPL tournament beginning on Friday

Cricinfo staff07-Mar-2010Dirk Nannes has always felt comfortable in India and is a definite starter in the IPL tournament beginning on Friday. Nannes left Melbourne on Saturday to join Delhi Daredevils and was confident the security and safety problems would not be an issue during the event.”I have always felt pretty good in India,” Nannes said in the Sunday Herald Sun. “Security can be a bit of perception. If you feel safe, then you probably are safe. But the reality may be completely different.”I wasn’t comfortable in coming to a decision myself, but, luckily, the Australian Cricketers’ Association has done a lot of investigating and has been pushing to make it a lot safer for us. They think if things keep progressing the way they are, then things will be fine from next week and the start of the tournament.”Nannes has retired from first-class action to prolong his career in the shorter formats, which includes representing Australia in Twenty20s. He has played five T20s for Australia and his left-arm fast, which can top 155kph, is a daunting prospect for batsmen as they chase boundaries.”My body simply cannot handle playing first-class cricket,” he said. “Even if I made myself available, there was no chance of me playing the last few [Sheffield Shield] games.”I have a back issue. It’s fine for playing the shorter forms, but if I was asked to bowl 17 overs one day I couldn’t back up and bowl again the next day.” After the IPL Nannes is hoping to be part of Australia’s World Twenty20 campaign, having played in last year’s tournament for the Netherlands.

Leeds United managed to secure their fifth Premier League win of the season yesterday with an impressive 3-2 victory over Champions League-chasing West Ham United at The London Stadium.

Three goals from Leeds winger Jack Harrison secured the much-needed three points for Marcelo Bielsa’s side as they aim to move as far away from the relegation zone in the Premier League table as they can.

Despite the win, Leeds had Adam Forshaw and Junior Firpo forced off the pitch with injuries midway through the first half.

What’s the latest?

After the game, Leeds journalist Phil Hay took to Twitter to share what Bielsa had to say about the two injury issues. Sadly, the reporter revealed another two significant blows, saying that both Firpo and Forshaw had suffered muscular strains in the game.

The fact that there is currently no clear indication of the severity of these muscle strains suggests that it could be a worrying time for the two players and Bielsa until they get more details on the matter and how long the pair could be out of action for.

In full, Hay said: “Forshaw and Firpo have muscular strains. Too early to give timescales etc. Bamford isn’t injured but in the end, Bielsa thought it would have been “premature” to use him. Rodrigo was deliberately limited to a short outing after his injury.”

Bielsa will be worried

Given how the duo have made a combined total of 26 appearances in the Premier League so far this season, it’s safe to say that they are important players for Bielsa and will be missed if they have to spend a significant period of time on the sidelines as a result of their individual muscle strains.

In terms of who could replace the duo, with Stuart Dallas having played in the left-back position on six occasions across all competitions so far this season, Bielsa could rely on him to fill in for Firpo should the 25-year-old be ruled out for a while.

However, that then leaves options rather thin on the right-hand side of defence with Luke Ayling unable to slide over due to injuries in the middle of the backline.

Also, with Dallas having played in a central-midfield role four times this season, he could even fill in for Forshaw depending on the severity of his injury, which could make him a very useful figure for Bielsa in the coming weeks. The midfielder, thankfully, doesn’t look like he’ll be out for too long but the Northern Irishman will still prove invaluable while the former Boro maestro sits out.

That said, the fact he’ll have to shuffle the pack even further heading into next weekend is surely of huge concern. After all, it is a huge game for the Whites.

Leeds are set to take on relegation strugglers Newcastle United in their next Premier League clash at Elland Road on Saturday and everyone at the Yorkshire club will have their fingers crossed that Firpo and Forshaw will be fit enough to play in this match to potentially help Leeds secure a third league win in a row.

In other news: Orta could sign his next Samu Saiz in Leeds swoop for “exciting” £10.8m-rated maestro…

West Bromwich Albion have been expected to make moves in the transfer window this January, after a disappointing start to their Championship campaign that has seen them struggle to keep up with their competitors for the promotion spots in the first half of the season.

Luckily, the Baggies have already done some business to add a new player in a vital position during the opening day of the transfer window, which will be welcomed by the fans.

What’s the word?

On Saturday evening West Brom confirmed the signing of Orlando SC and former Barnsley striker, Daryl Dike, in a deal that secures the forward for four and half year deal.

The £9m-rated striker who has a “rocket right foot” according to former teammate Jordan Williams, joins the Baggies after an impressive run of performances in the MLS, with 18 goals and four assists this season for his former club, and is no stranger to Valerien Ismael.

Dike was signed for Barnsley in a loan deal this time last year and scored nine goals in the five months he spent under the management of the French manager, with the 21-year-old returning to America in the summer and Ismael making the move to manage the Midlands club.

Time to go

The signing has prompted further fuel to the rumours that Jordan Hugill’s loan deal at the Hawthorns will be cut short and the forward will return to Norwich City this January.

Former Baggies striker, Carlton Palmer, spoke out earlier this week to GIVEMESPORT in favour of the termination:

“Well, he’s scored one goal, so it’s not worked out for either party in terms of goals. His work rate, his endeavour and his effort has been fantastic, but what they need is goals, so for both parties, it frees up money.”

The £36k-per-week flop has failed to make an impact on the Championship side since he was signed on a season-long loan deal in the summer from newly-promoted Premier League side, Norwich.

According to data taken from SofaScore, Hugill has made 20 appearances, with only one goal and zero assists, missing nine big chances and a 0.4 average per game for shots on target.

For a team that is trying to boost their chances of promotion, Albion have the least amount of goals scored in the top six, it is a dismal record.

However, judging by the attacking statistics the 29-year-old Hugill has displayed, he is not helping the cause at all and should be axed from the team in place of a much more prolific goal-scorer like Dike.

In other news: Carlton Palmer weighs in on potential Dwight Gayle signing

Hamid Hassan is still soaking up the achievements of the weekend when he helped Afghanistan qualify for the ICC World Twenty20 as they won the qualifying event in Dubai

Andrew McGlashan15-Feb-2010

Hamid Hassan is still soaking up the achievements of the weekend when he helped Afghanistan qualify for the ICC World Twenty20 as they won the qualifying event in Dubai. Hassan, one of the team’s key bowlers, played a leading role in the triumph with a tournament haul of 12 wickets at 11.14, including 3 for 14 in the Super Fours victory against USA, and has since been savouring the messages of congratulation on his blog and Facebook page.While events in Afghanistan are making the news headlines as coalition forces launch a huge offensive against the Taliban, the cricketer’s success a few hours away in the Middle East gave much-need opportunity for some joy. The trophy, which was secured with a thumping eight-wicket victory against Ireland, capped a remarkable rise through the cricket ranks for a side that two years ago were playing in Division Five of the World Cricket League. In March last year they narrowly missed out qualifying for the 2011 World Cup although did enough to earn ODI status and this time ensured they didn’t pull up short of the main prize.”I’ve got a lot of messages on my Facebook fan page and have lots of calls from back home,” Hassan told Cricinfo from Sharjah, where the team are now preparing for one-day internationals against Canada. “Everyone was very happy and when we won the final two nights ago they all came out onto the road and celebrated all night until about three or four in the morning. Everyone is waiting for us to go home so we can celebrate together.”It’s a dream come true for us and a fantastic achievement for Afghanistan so all the people at home are very happy and are waiting for us to come back to Afghanistan,” he added. “Nobody knows about Afghanistan for sports so this is a good step for us to get a title and qualify for the World Cup to play against sides like India and South Africa. Everyone is happy and just wanted to celebrate.”And taking on two of the strongest sides in the world holds no fears for Hassan who is eager to pit his skills against the likes of Virender Sehwag. “I’ll try my best to get him out and hope he doesn’t get many runs against us,” he said.Afghanistan’s story is so remarkable that anything now seems possible for this group of players who have defied huge odds to sit among the top table. Hassan’s ambitions certainly hold no bounds and having fulfilled one dream of reaching the Caribbean he also hopes to be able to continue his career overseas, either in England or the IPL.”I’d love to play county cricket in England and I’m always looking for a chance,” he said. “Or if I get a chance in the IPL I’ll do my best. If I play for a county I’d want it to be with Lancashire because Andrew Flintoff plays for them and he’s my favourite player.”Hassan bowled to Flintoff in the nets at Lord’s while he was an MCC Young Cricketer, but although the England allrounder now lives in Dubai Hassan didn’t have the chance to meet his hero. However, he hopes that in the near future Flintoff will be able to watch an Afghanistan match.”I met him when I was with MCC and practised with him for four days at Lord’s. I bowled at him and he was a very good guy,” Hassan said. “He’s a very nice and a cool man. I’d love to have met him in Dubai but I couldn’t find time out to go and see him and also he didn’t have time to come and see how the Afghanistan team were playing. I wish he would come and see us play.”While he is still idolising Flintoff, Hassan himself is rapidly becoming a national hero back home and hopes to inspire a new generation of Afghanistan cricketers with, Hassan believes, the promise of a better life.”We have had a very short period of cricket but have had a big achievement for the country so lots of players are coming through in the Under-10 and Under-11 age groups,” he said. “They are now playing cricket on the streets, roads and everywhere. People are loving cricket now and I hope after that we have a good future for our youngsters.”

Journalist Luke Hatfield has been reacting to reports linking Aston Villa with a move for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, as per GIVEMESPORT.

The Lowdown: Villa offered Wijnaldum on loan

Wijnaldum has struggled in France since leaving Liverpool over the summer. The 31-year-old, who is thought to be earning more than £300,000 per week at the Parc des Princes, has made just 11 starts in all competitions under Mauricio Pochettino.

The midfielder’s representatives are looking at a possible loan exit in the New Year, with Aston Villa one of several clubs who have been approached.

It is believed that Villa are yet to dismiss the idea of signing Wijnaldum, with NSWE promising Steven Gerrard a big January transfer kitty.

The Latest: Hatfield’s comments

Express & Star journalist Hatfield was giving his thoughts to GIVEMESPORT over the reports linking Wijnaldum with a move to Villa Park.

This is what he had to say in reply, describing it as a ‘huge statement’ and labelling the midfielder as a player with ‘boundless quality’:

“That would be a huge statement signing, for sure.

“Obviously, it hasn’t really worked for him at PSG since leaving Liverpool but he’s someone who has got boundless quality and energy in midfield.”

The Verdict: Avoid

Although Villa’s owners may well be able to afford to sign Wijnaldum on a temporary basis, it could be wise for sporting director Johan Lange to snub a winter deal for the 31-year-old.

Villa’s highest earner is Danny Ings on £120,000 per week and there’s no guarantee that splashing the cash on Wijnaldum’s wage would instantly make Gerrard’s side better. He has struggled in France and has failed to become a regular in PSG’s starting line-up, with Villa having a number of central midfield options already in any case.

Prioritising an out-and-out defensive midfielder could be a smarter idea, with Marvelous Nakamba set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Wijnaldum has occupied a defensive role on just 38 occasions during his career compared to 250 appearances as a central midfielder, so perhaps it’s best to skip a January move for him and look at the long-term project by signing a player under the age of 30.

In other news: ‘On my knees’ – Many Aston Villa fans erupt as Lange makes ‘bold’ January transfer bid

أعلن عمر الغنيمي نائب رئيس نادي سموحة انتقال المغربي عبد الكبير الوادي لاعب الفريق السكندري لصفوف فيوتشر وكشف عن القيمة المالية للصفقة.

وقال عمر الغنيمي خلال مداخلة هاتفية ببرنامج “في الملعب وانت سايق” المذاع عبر أثير محطة “ميجا إف إم” الإذاعية: “نحن لنا لاعب من الأهلي ولكن ننتظر قرار كابتن طارق العشري والأسماء التي سيحددها، ونحن نتفاوض الآن مع الأحمر”.

طالع أيضًا.. خاص | فيوتشر يتعاقد مع لاعب المقاولون العرب في صفقة تبادلية

وأضاف: “اللاعب الذي سنضمه سيكون ضمن صفقة انتقال حسام حسن للأهلي ولم يتم الاتفاق على أي شيء سواء كان بيع نهائي أم إعارة”.

وتابع: “تم الاتفاق مع فيوتشر على كافة تفاصيل انتقال عبد الكبير الوادي لهم بـ16 مليونًا وتم التعاقد”.

وكشف عن تفاصيل رحيل اللاعب محمد متولي كناريا لسيراميكا كليوباترا: “طارق أبو العنين طلب ضمه وتم التعاقد معه مقابل حصولنا على 12 مليون جنيه وتسلمنا جميع الشيكات”.

وأردف: “طارق العشري وضع عينه على بعض اللاعبين لكن نحن تعاقدنا بالفعل مع 11 صفقة وعلى أكمل وجه وهم مناسبون للفترة الحالية، وما زال أمامنا 3 لاعبين بينهم أجنبي والحمد لله عندنا لاعبين على أكمل وجه والفريق مكتمل”.

وتطرق للحديث عن التعاون مع الزمالك ردًا على سؤال إبراهيم فايق: “هناك لاعبون (أحرار) أعلن عنهم الزمالك أرسلتهم للكابتن طارق العشري وهو يتابعهم بالفعل وطبعا هناك تعاون مع الزمالك والأهلي ونادي سموحة يرحب بالتعامل مع أي ناد في مصر”.

واختتم: “نحن نعيد تنسيق عقود اللاعبين والحمد لله لدينا وفرة مالية وكان لدينا إعارات تكلفنا 75 مليون جنيه وكلها رحلت، وكل الصفقات التي جلبناها، كلفتنا 28 مليون جنيه وبعنا لاعبين بأكثر من ذلك المبلغ”.

Taking to Twitter, these Sunderland fans slammed the performance of attacker Aiden O’Brien as their side dropped vital points away to Shrewsbury Town.

Lee Johnson’s men travelled to Montgomery Waters Meadow in search of a victory as Sunderland aim to continue their chase for promotion and finally climb out of England’s third tier.

The Black Cats got off to a fine start mid-way through the first period when Alex Pritchard opened the scoring and originally put Sunderland in cruise control of the contest.

However, as the contest progressed, Sunderland failed to put the result beyond all doubt and Shrewsbury came back into it – with attacker Daniel Udoh netting a 64th minute equaliser.

Sunderland fans slam O’Brien…

Sunderland went on to drop points in their quest for promotion as supporters unleashed on social media, with some taking aim at O’Brien during the contest.

According to SofaScore, the 28-year-old ranked in as their lowest rated player on the night (6.3) whilst taking the least touches out of any outfield player – leaving little wonder some supporters thought he was ‘anonymous’.

The forward also completed just one out of four dribble attempts, managing zero shots on target and winning just 1/6 ground duels (SofaScore).

Here’s how supporters reacted to his display on Twitter:

“I’d have Bailey Wright at 7, Gooch 5, Broadhead 5 and O’Brien 4. Otherwise we would have beaten 10 men surely!! Gooch tried but other than that left foot effort saved by the keeper nothing came off, Broadhead and O’Brien completely anonymous. Subs terrible.”

Credit: @mikesmith145

“Not sure where he’s supposed to be playing he’s been that quiet”

Credit: @Tony_young78

“I’m going to stand outside on Saturday and tell Lee Johnson I work hard, seems to work for O’Brien despite being a totally useless footballer”

Credit: @davis0688

“O’Brien is never the answer”

Credit: @AnderGrim

“O’Brien off for Evans. Not been a great afternoon for the former”

Credit: @SpeakSAFC

“Aiden O’Brien totally anonymous”

Credit: @SPEZIAL73