The issue of player payments in the Bangladesh Premier League was brought up at the end of the Comilla Victorians – Sylhet Super Stars game, with Mashrafe Mortaza and Shahid Afridi giving contrasting versions. While Comilla’s Mashrafe indicated that all payments to his team-mates were made on time, Afridi, who plays for Sylhet, said that some players told him about their dues.The BPL’s policy, like the 2013 edition, is to clear 50% of all player payments before the tournament begins, 25% during the tournament, and the rest within one month of the tournament’s final, which in this case will be January 15, 2016.Mashrafe said that the Comilla franchise had made 75% of the player payments before the due date of December 11. “All members of our team were paid 75% of the money,” Mashrafe said. “They were supposed to pay us by December 11, they paid us last night. As far as I know, the foreign players have been paid in full though there might be one or two issues. We have no complaints about payment since we got it last night.”Afridi, however, said that some players, without mentioning their names, had told him that they had not received any payments. Nonetheless, he welcomed the BPL and said that if the payment issues were cleared, the tournament would attract more players.”At the moment some of the other players mentioned they didn’t get paid yet,” Afridi said. “The cricket board this time took a responsibility and I must give credit to the BPL and the Bangladesh Cricket Board. They organized this tournament well, and I personally enjoyed it. If they sorted out the problems with the guys, money-wise, hopefully each and every player will come from anywhere and enjoy the BPL.”
Scott Styris will finish his county season a week early after New Zealand became worried that a series of niggling injuries could harm his preparation for the Twenty20 World Championship. Styris has had problems with his lower back, knee and calf during his seven-week stint at Durham and will play his final game for the county against Hampshire this weekend.Lindsay Crocker, the New Zealand team manager, said their priority was to ensure Styris was fit for the Twenty20 tournament in South Africa in September as well as the international season that follows. “In spite of having had a month off before taking up the contract, Scott has had a number of injury issues while with Durham,” Crocker said.”We have decided that he needs to return to New Zealand so we can begin working on his fitness and rehabilitation, ahead of our busy international season. While he is still able to play in a limited capacity, we feel that seeing out his contract to 31 July could potentially limit his chances of being fit for the ICC World Twenty20.”Styris also hurt his back last year while playing at Middlesex and he aggravated the problem at the Champions Trophy. That led to him missing the home series against Sri Lanka and the start of the CB Series, although when he returned he was in fine form and was New Zealand’s leading run-scorer at the World Cup.However, New Zealand gave him a clean bill of health leading into the 2007 county season and before Styris joined Durham Crocker said he had no concerns over the allrounder’s fitness. In his four first-class games so far this season he has struggled for form, scoring 191 runs at 23.87. Styris will have just over a month to prepare for the World Championship before New Zealand depart in the first week of September.
Brendan Taylor, who took Zimbabwe to a thrilling two-wicket win against Bangladesh with a last-ball six, was full of praise for his partner Tawanda Mupariwa. The pair added a record 81 for the seventh wicket, with Mupariwa scoring 33 and giving valuable support to Taylor, the only recognised batsman at the crease.”I should give him (Mupariwa) credit for a job well done because he really was gathered up from the time he came into play and showed good skills that really helped us to win”, Taylor told , a Zimbabwe daily, at the end of the match. “It really feels great to be in the winning team and this was just a sweet victory.”Mupariwa was run-out in the penultimate ball of the final over, and Taylor said that his biggest challenge was to maintain his focus despite the dismissal. “There was a big blow when Mupariwa injured his ankle as he tried to run back to the crease and with the partnership that was going on so fine, and only a ball to go”, he said. “I just kept on telling myself to be calm and I managed to control myself, especially at the last three balls where I had to take the game ball by ball.”With Zimbabwe leading the series 2-1 with two games remaining, Taylor said that this would be the ideal opportunity for his country to clinch the series.”At a stage like this we cannot afford to slacken and in the next game (on Friday) we really have to give it our all because we believe we are going to win. We are at home and we have to show that we are capable of pleasing our fans as did Bangladesh last year.”In the previous ODI series between the two sides, Bangladesh won 3-2 in front of their home crowd, coming from behind after they lost the first two games.
Mickey Arthur, the newly appointed coach of South Africa, has asked his team to stick to their own gameplan on the tour to Australia in December 2005.”When we play against them at the end of the year I want the team to play our own game and not try and follow their play,” Arthur was quoted as saying in News24.com website. “When they bat at four runs per over I don’t want us to try and bat at four-and-a-half runs to the over. We should not worry about what they do, but rather play to our own strengths and as well as we possibly can.”The tour includes three Tests and a triangular series also involving Australia and Sri Lanka, and Arthur said that there was a possibility the team might leave a week early to fit in an extra warm-up game before the first Test, which starts on December 16. “We’d like to play such a game at the WACA where the Test is being played. The match against Western Australia can’t be played on that pitch because it will then be prepared for the Test.”Speaking about Australia’s below-average one-day show against England, Arthur said, “There seem to be a few cracks in the ODI team, but with the return of Shane Warne their Test side is still tops. What I do like, however, is that they are increasingly being put under pressure and they don’t seem to handle it very well. Their major problem is that the senior players are not performing as expected.”
Cricket lost one of its most dedicated and colourful servants on Wednesdaywhen Krish Mackerdhuj, the first black president of South Africa’s UnitedCricket Board (UCB), died in hospital in Durban. He was 64.Mackerdhuj underwent knee surgery on Saturday, and seemed on the mendbefore showing signs of heart congestion on Tuesday. He suffered a fatalheart attack in the early hours of Wednesday morning.Not the least of Mackerdhuj’s achievements was the important role he playedin South Africa landing the right to host the last World Cup. Ali Bacher,the former UCB managing director, explained: “He and I went to Lord’s inFebruary 1993 for a 12-hour meeting on future World Cups, and he played akey role in South Africa securing the 2003 World Cup.”Bacher described Mackerdhuj as a “champion for non-racial sport andcricket”, and an “outstanding ambassador for South African cricket”. Heexpanded: “We had a warm and close relationship. Before unification he wasperceived as a hard-liner, but he was a soft, compassionate person.”Ray Mali, the current UCB president, also paid a fulsome tribute. “SouthAfrican cricket has lost a visionary leader,” he said. “Krish played a keyrole toward unity, both in his position as president of the [non-racial]South African Cricket Board and the UCB. His strength, determination andspirit were inspirational to all as he led South Africa into theinternational fold. He was a fine man and a wonderful leader.”Mackerdhuj, a chemist by profession, crowned a successful career in cricketadministration when he was elected the South African board’s president in1992. He remained in the position until 1998, and was then appointed SouthAfrica’s ambassador to Japan, a job he took to with relish and held untilthe end of 2003.Cassim Docrat, the chief executive of the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union,summed up Mackerdhuj’s important place in the history of South Africancricket. “The first part of his involvement in sport was in the struggle,”he said. “He believed all South Africans should be equal in sport, and thatnon-racial sport could only be played in a free South Africa.” Docrat saidthat Mackerdhuj was a vital figure in the 1991 unification of a previouslyracially divided game in South Africa: “He was pivotal, and he was theright man for the job of UCB president.”Mackerdhuj was an eloquent and persuasive speaker, and a skilled negotiatorwhose lively sense of humour in the midst of heated debates was often hismost effective weapon. He was an executive member of the apartheid-eraSouth African Council on Sport, and served as National Sports Congressvice-president. He was presented with the State President’s award forsports administration by Nelson Mandela in 1994.Mackerdhuj’s funeral will take place in Durban on Saturday. He leaves hiswife, Sminthara, and two sons, Prashim and Arvin.
As Mumbai and Tamil Nadu toil in the morning sun at the Wankhede Stadium, Swamiji walks past me. He is not the kind of man you would expect to see at a cricket match. Lean and white-haired, he wears a cream satin lungi and kurta. An elegant red tilak adorns his forehead.Swami A Parthasarathy is a specialist in Vedanta. And yes, that has plenty to do with sport. Sportstars go to him regularly in an effort to become better at their game – Geet Sethi, former Billiards World Champion, paid him one such visit a short while back. But what draws him to cricket?To begin with, he used to play it. "I played cricket in my youth," he tells me, "and just when I had started to represent Madras in the early 1950s, I left it." He is 76, but looks anywhere from one to two decades younger. The secret of his vitality – and the area in which he has helped many sportsmen in his time: concentration."The human mind is always wandering," Swamiji – as he is known – tell me. "That affects concentration, which is vital for a human being and even more so for a sportsperson. Vedanta helps you concentrate better. What makes you lose concentration is the nature of the mind, which is constantly worrying about what happened in the past and anxious about what is going to happen in the future."In the process of controlling the mind, peace of mind is achieved. Swamiji elaborates: "players are very tense: thinking about past failures or future selections, the cricketer’s mind is always lost." He says that when there is peace of mind one becomes more productive.So what is the route to peace and productivity? Swamiji says: "At the Vedanta Academy in Malavli, in Maharashtra, we have developed this scientific course by which we try to teach the student to achieve the balance between peace and productivity."Swamiji has never worked with any particular cricketer individually, but he had conducted a session for Sourav Ganguly’s men during the India-Australia Test match at the Wankhede in 2000-01. He had spoken to them about the three Cs. "I told them how to concentrate, how to be consistent and how to cooperate with each other."What about sports psychologists? Don’t they teach players the same things? "They are mad men," Swamiji retorts, "some of the psychiatrists attend my sessions themselves." His face turns red, and before he can lose his peace of mind, I change the subject.In all his years of watching cricket, I ask him, how has cricket evolved? Swamiji says that during his time the cricket was more relaxed, but "unfortunately these days there’s a lot of money involved in professional cricket". He has no problem with cricketers earning money – but he feels that the financial stakes can make a cricketer anxious about his performance, and thus affect the way he plays.Swamiji says that there is scope for improvement even in a player like Sachin Tendulkar. "He [Tendulkar] is also a human," Swamiji says. "Where he differs from others is in his talent, but when it comes to concentration, he too needs to train more."
Leicestershire sealed a comprehensive CricInfo Championship victory over Glamorgan by 10 wickets at Grace Road to confirm their Division One status for next season.Glamorgan were bowled out for 245 in their second innings leaving 20 to win which Leicestershire knocked off in just 21 balls.Following-on 236 runs behind Leicestershire the Welsh side had resumed their second innings on the third morning on 126-2, still confident they could get something from the game.Glamorgan, who are now all but relegated to Division Two, needed Jimmy Maher and Mike Powell to build on their overnight partnership of 64 and looked well set until both batsmen went in the space of two overs ending a 97-run partnership.Powell was caught at slip off Darren Maddy and Maher was snaffled behinddown the leg side off the next delivery after he had reached his 111-ball century that had included 17 fours.The innings crumbled after that with Robert Croft adjudged lbw not offering a shot but he did save the ignominy of a third successive championship pair.Mark Wallace, Darren Thomas and Andrew Davies followed rather tamely after that but Steve Watkin hung around long enough with Adrian Dale, who passed 1,000 first-class runs for the season, to ensure Leicestershire had to bat again.By lunch Glamorgan had reached 230-9, an overall lead of four, which they extended to just 20 before Simon Jones was holed out to cover.Leicestershire’s fifth win of the summer was confirmed when Trevor Ward took three consecutive fours off Jones with a day and 62.3 overs to spare.Leicestershire took 19 points out of the match to Glamorgan’s three.
Manchester City travel to Stamford Bridge on Monday night knowing a win over Chelsea could see them extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.
It will be a tough ask for Roberto Mancini’s men to overcome the Blues in West London following their confidence boosting 3-0 wins over Wolves and Newcastle. Andre Villas-Boas’ side turned the Geordies over in their own back yard last week to lift themselves back into the top four and ease the pressure on their managers shoulders. The former Porto coach’s job had come under increasing scrutiny after home defeats to Arsenal and Liverpool in recent weeks whilst a fall out with owner Roman Abramovich was reported in the press. However they’ve snapped out of their turgid run of form with two encouraging performances and two clean sheets despite still looking shaky at the back. John Terry and David Luiz still don’t look comfortable playing beside one another and the latter was lucky not see red after hauling Demba Ba down in the fourth minute as he bore down on Petr Cech’s goal. What has been most impressive about Chelsea in the last few weeks has been the understanding generated by the front three of Juan Mata, Didier Drogba and Daniel Sturridge. The latter was unstoppable on Tyneside last week as he dominated the right side with his speed and strength seeing him win a penalty and score late on to seal the game. Drogba has also rediscovered his form with another powerhouse display at St James’ Park whilst Mata continues to get better every week. All three will need to be in top form if the Blues are to overcome the lead leaders.
City are simply unstoppable at the moment and chalked up yet another high-scoring win last weak sticking five past helpless Norwich at the Etihad Stadium. It’s now 12 victories from 14 for Mancini’s side who continue to lead rivals United by five points at the Premier League summit and they know extending that is a real possibility should the Red Devils drop points on Saturday. Despite extending their unbeaten run last week they’ll travel to West London knowing they won’t be in for an easy ride against Chelsea. Mancini know the Blues forward line is currently in red-hot form and will be keen for his defence to snuff out Drogba and co at every opportunity and prevent them from even testing Joe Hart. However with the brittle nature of the home side’s defence City will be counting on their attacking players to punish any mistakes made the fragile Luiz. Sergio Agüero was inspired aganst the Canaries last week whilst David Silva produced yet another virtuoso performance. Getting the ball to the Spaniards feet and letting him work his magic will be the key to success in the capital.
Chelsea – 4th
Last Five: Won 3-0 v Newcastle (H), Won 3-0 v Wolves (H), Lost 2-1 v Liverpool (H), Won 1-0 v Blackburn (A), Lost 5-3 v Arsenal (H), Lost 1-0 v QPR (A)
Potential Starting X11: 1. P. Cech 2. B. Ivanovic 26. J. Terry [C] 4. D. Luiz 3. A. Cole 6. O. Romeu 7. Ramires 8. F. Lampard 10. J. Mata 11. D. Drogba 23. D. Sturridge*
Injury News: Villas-Boas has no new injury worries with Michael Essien the only player currently in the Stamford Bridge treatment room.
Key Player: Daniel Sturridge
Sturridge was the star of the show once again for Chelsea putting in another industrious display down the right flank at Newcastle last week. The youngster was a constant menace on Saturday giving Magpies full back Ryan Taylor his toughest afternoon of the season. His speed and strength won the Blues a penalty and a goal for himself at St James’ Park although he could have had more if not for goalkeeper Tim Krul. More terrorising forays down the wing will be expected as he comes face-to-face with his old club.
Match Fact: Chelsea have a good record at Stamford Bridge against City winning nine of the fourteen Premier League meetings between the two sides.
Manchester City – 1st
Last Five: Won 5-1 v Norwich (H), Drew 1-1 v Liverpool (A), Won 3-1 v Newcastle (H), Won 3-2 v QPR (A),Won, 3-1 v Wolves (H)
Potential Starting X11: 25. J. Hart 2. M. Richards 4. V. Kompany* 6. J. Lescott 22. G. Clichy 18. G. Barry 42. Y. Toure 21. D. Silva 7. J. Milner 19. S. Nasri 16. S. Aguero
Injury News: Mancini will be without left back Aleksandar Kolarov for the trip to West London whilst Owen Hargreaves also remains out.
Key Player: Vincent Kompany
With the likes of Agüero and Silva doing the business in the City attack it’s been a relatively comfy ride for Kompany and his back four. However when called upon the Belgian giant has completed his tasks with consummate ease. His strength in the air and no nonsense approach will be key to Mancini’s side coming away from Stamford Bridge with maximum points. His tussle with Drogba will be one to look out for.
Match Fact: City’s record in West London doesn’t make easy reading with only two wins in 14 Premier League visits. Their 4-2 success in February 2010 was their first since they beat they had beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge since January 1993.
Last Time at Stamford Bridge
Premier League 20 March 2011
Chelsea 2-0 Manchester City
Luiz (78) Ramires (90)
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Attendance: 41,741
Referee: Chris Foy
PREDICTION
Chelsea’s win over Newcastle last week will have boosted their confidence and lifted the pressure even further of Villas-Boas’ shoulders. With Sturridge, Drogba and Mata leading the attack they have the quality to beat the league leaders. However City are unstoppable at this current time and they don’t look like letting their momentum cease for a second. They’ll be coming out all guns blazing as they look to maintain their advantage at the top ahead of rivals United.
There is a common opinion that footballers are lazy, greedy and arrogant. This is a cheap and easy band wagon to jump on and I want to stress that not all footballers are like this. I understand that footballers are paid to play football and you might think they should be judged on that alone. But, whether they want to be or not, footballers are heroes to kids all across the world and that makes them role models too.
While some footballers are lovely, highly respectable professionals, some are far from that. The worst role models are those who are high profile players, likely to be idolised by thousands of kids. From cheating to being arrested, the ways some players represent themselves is shameful. Here are the top ten footballers who are the worst role models.
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Click on Barton below to see the Top TEN
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Veteran defender Sol Campbell looks set to sign for Newcastle United ahead of the new Premier League season.
The 35-year-old former England international had been in talks with both Sunderland and Celtic alongside Arsenal where he ended last season.
However, he appears to have settled on the Magpies where he is now expected to sign a one-year contract at St James' Park.
Campbell arrived in the north-east on Tuesday morning prior to a medical before being confirmed as manager Chris Hughton's third signing of the summer.
Hughton has added utility man James Perch and former Everton full-back Dan Gosling to his ranks in recent weeks.
However, with first-choice centre-back Steven Taylor struggling with a shoulder injury ahead of the new campaign, the current squad is short on numbers at the back.
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"If I look at what we've got at this moment, defence is probably the area where we're a little bit light," admitted Hughton on Monday.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email