All posts by h716a5.icu

South Africa batsman Alviro Petersen has stepped down as captain of the Highveld Lions franchise with immediate effect, due to his commitments with the national side

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Dec-2012South Africa batsman Alviro Petersen has stepped down as captain of the Highveld Lions franchise with immediate effect, due to his commitments with the national side. Stephen Cook will captain the team for the remainder of the first-class Sunfoil Series.”When I took over as Lions captain, my immediate focus, together with then coach Dave Nosworthy, was to build a squad who can compete in all three competitions, hence the recruitment of [Thami] Tsolekile, [Gulam] Bodi, [Imran] Tahir and [Hardus] Viljoen,” Petersen said.”We have also seen young talented cricketers emerging and also the squad mature as a whole. I do think the squad is complete now, and ready to win silverware. I would like to thank the Lions board, coaching staff, supporters and most of all the players, for their support and commitment the last three years.”I wish the new leadership team of Lions cricket all the best, while I look forward to the new challenges and opportunities in my career.”Petersen captained the side for three years, during which they played in the final round of four limited-overs competitions and qualified for the Champions League T20 twice. Lions reached the final of the latest edition of the Champions League, losing to Sydney Sixers.

Rajasthan Royals have done several things right in this IPL, but one area where they’ve messed up so far is in utilising the services of Brad Hodge

S Rajesh21-Apr-2012Rajasthan Royals have done several things right in this IPL, but one area where they’ve messed up so far is in utilising the services of Brad Hodge. Quite apart from the fact that Hodge is one of their key overseas players, Hodge is also one of the best batsmen in the Twenty20 format. In 146 Twenty20 innings, Hodge has scored 4355 runs at an average of 36.59 and a strike-rate of 128.15; only David Hussey has scored more runs in this format. Also, Hodge has struck 453 fours in Twenty20 cricket, which is easily the highest – Brendon McCullum, in second place, only has 355. Hodge is also one of only three players – David Hussey and Albie Morkel are the others – to play 150 or more Twenty20 matches (Saturday’s game against Chennai Super Kings was his 150th).His experience and his overall record are compelling enough reasons for Hodge to be regarded as one of the key players for Royals, but perhaps an even more compelling reason is his form in IPL 2012: he has faced 82 balls in six innings, scored 129 runs, and been dismissed just twice, for an average of 64.50 and a strike rate of 157.31. Among batsmen who’ve faced at least 60 deliveries in this IPL, Hodge’s strike-rate is third-best, fractionally behind Kevin Pietersen (158.16) and Chris Gayle (157.69). He has already played two top-class innings in the tournament so far – 44 off 29 against Kolkata Knight Riders, and an unbeaten 48 off 21 against Deccan Chargers in a successful run-chase of 197. Both efforts won him the Man-of-the-Match awards.And yet, Royals’ think-tank, in all their immense wisdom, have decided that Hodge shouldn’t generally be batting in the top four – only twice in six innings has Hodge batted at No.4. Instead, the responsibility of batting in the top four has been thrust upon Ashok Menaria, a 21-year-old with some potential, but with little of the Twenty20 batting skills or track record that Hodge possesses: in 20 Twenty20 innings so far, Menaria has scored 385 runs at an average of 20.26 and a strike-rate of 117.02. In six innings of IPL 2012, Menaria’s returns have been very similar – an average of 19.83 at a strike-rate of 110.18. Despite these modest numbers, Menaria has continued to bat in the top four – he has batted at three or four in five out of six innings – and has considerably slowed down Royals’ momentum in the middle overs. In the match against Chargers, for example, Menaria came in at No.3 and scored 22 off 20 when the asking-rate was around ten an over; Hodge came in at No.5 in the same match and slammed 48 off 21.Perhaps Royals view Hodge as a finisher only, who should come in to bat when the situation gets desperate. Perhaps they want to give ample opportunity to a young Indian player, given that this is, after all, the Premier League. Either way, this strategy defies logic. Of the 146 innings that Hodge has played in Twenty20 cricket, 115 have been in the top three, where he has scored 28 fifties and two hundreds, and has a strike-rate of 128.86. And in a format as condensed as 20-over cricket, there’s no such thing as a batting line-up being too top heavy: the best batsmen to get as many deliveries as possible.The team got away with it a couple of times, but paid the price against Super Kings, when Menaria took 34 deliveries to score 36 and considerably dampened the momentum in the middle overs. When he finally got out and Hodge came in, only seven deliveries remained in the innings. Royals still managed to make Super Kings sweat despite scoring only 146, but perhaps it’s a good thing they lost – the result should hopefully force them to make the key change in their batting line-up. If Hodge does move up the order, Royals will have two of the three highest run-getters in this format in their top four – Owais Shah, with 3825 runs, has the third-highest aggregate in Twenty20 cricket.

InningsRunsAverageStrike rate100s/ 50sCareer146435536.59128.052/ 29In the top 3115371437.14128.862/ 28In IPL 2012612964.50157.310/ 0

InningsRunsAverageStrike rate100s/ 50sCareer2038520.26117.020/ 1In IPL 2012611919.83110.180/ 0

Chris Cairns, the former New Zealand allrounder, was a convenient “scapegoat” for corrupt activity in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) the High Court has heard

Alan Gardner at the Royal Courts of Justice16-Mar-2012Chris Cairns, the former New Zealand allrounder, was a convenient “scapegoat” for corrupt activity in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and the claims against him betrayed a “serial inconsistency of the fundamental kind”, the High Court has heard on the final day of Cairns’ libel action against Lalit Modi.”Mr Cairns’ future and his past achievements are on the line,” Andrew Caldecott QC said. “The allegations against him are wholly untrue and the evidence against him lacking.”Cairns is suing Modi, the former IPL commissioner, over a 2010 tweet that alleged his involvement in match-fixing – claims that Cairns has vigorously contested in court.Summing up for Cairns, Caldecott said that the case made against his client was “back to front”, consisting of contradictory statements, poorly recorded events and a flawed investigation. The evidence, Caldecott said, “all points to Mr Cairns being made a scapegoat of convenience.”He suggested the case put forward by the defence that Cairns had lied about his involvement in corruption was “miles away” from being proven and described some of the evidence as “demonstrably false”. Modi’s defence have previously claimed that the “thrust” of the allegations against Cairns was consistent.Caldecott also questioned the “wholly implausible” suggestion that an offer was made that Cairns be confronted by the players who had accused him of fixing at the hotel meeting that led to his dismissal from the ICL. He criticised the decision of Howard Beer, the ICL’s anti-corruption officer, to tell Cairns’ successor as Chandigarh Lions captain, Andrew Hall, that the investigation had been sound and that Cairns was involved, despite Beer’s own concerns.The insinuation that payments made to Cairns by a diamond trader were anything other than a business deal between friends, “doesn’t amount to a row of beans,” Caldecott added.After the closing arguments were made, judge David Bean asked for submissions from both sides on potential damages, should he find in favour of Cairns. Before retiring to begin his deliberations, Bean said that he would try to deliver a written verdict by the end of the month.

Gloucestershire have suffered a huge blow after the city council rejected plans to develop their homeground of Nevil Road in Bristol.

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2012The future of Gloucestershire has been thrown into doubt after plans to develop their Nevil Road home were rejected. The club could now leave Bristol, where they have played since their formation in 1870.Gloucestershire had hoped to undertake a £10 million project to raise the capacity of Nevil Road to meet ECB standards and keep international cricket but the city council rejected their plans. Gloucestershire are now looking at several options to secure their future, one of which is a move to another part of the county.The ground development was essential to maintaining a one-day international at Bristol, a match which brings £1 million to the city. The project was to be funded by building flats at one end of the ground but permission for this was rejected. Opponents thought the plan for a seven-story block of 147 flats was too big, didn’t comply with sustainability commitments and lacked contributions towards education and green spaces.Chief executive Tom Richardson said the club were angry at the decision to reject plans that were recommended for approval by the council’s planning officers and a move away from Bristol was now a serious possibility. “We’ve said all along if we don’t have international cricket at Bristol, and we’re staring down the barrel at that, then we’ll have to consider moving elsewhere,” said Richardson.Gloucester City Council have already been in touch with the club for early talks over a potential move to the Wagon Works Ground, a venue Gloucestershire used from 1923 to 1992.The club now have to decide whether to appeal the decision to reject planning permission or seek other options. Either way, time against them. “It’s a long term decision and can’t be taken lightly or quickly but the clock is ticking,” said Richardson. “The international in 2013 is now extremely dodgy or maybe already disappeared. With international cricket here we had a very good plan going forward. Now we have to have a serious rethink.”Another consequence on the rejected plans is the impact on the playing budget. A contract offer to Chris Taylor was conditional on the development going ahead. Taylor could now be the second senior player to leave Nevil Road, after Jon Lewis’ departure to Surrey at the end of the last season.

The see-sawing battle at Mutare Sports Club continued into the second day, an imperious century from Hamilton Masakadza matching Keegan Meth’s six-wicket haul

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2011Stumps
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Hamilton Masakadza brought Mountaineers back into the game with a dominant century•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe see-sawing battle at Mutare Sports Club continued into the second day, an imperious century from Hamilton Masakadza matching Keegan Meth’s six-wicket haul as Mountaineers secured a 44-run first-innings lead over Matabeleland Tuskers. Masakadza, the man the selectors rejected for the World Cup, dominated the day and fought a lone battle against the hungry Matabele attack, led by Meth who had already shattered Mountaineers’ top order. By the close, however, Tuskers had fought back with the bat to leave the match well balanced and were 72 runs ahead in their second innings with eight wickets in hand.Mountaineers started the day at 56 for 4 wickets, with all four dismissals having been effected by Meth. With Timycen Maruma as his partner, Masakadza held firm against the seam and swing of Meth, who bowled a further eight overs in the morning, conceding very few runs but failing to break through. Amid a tense atmosphere, with both sides vying for supremacy at a crucial stage of the match, the batsmen cautiously added 20 runs in 40 minutes before Maruma unwisely padded up to a ball from Njabulo Ncube and was adjudged lbw for 7.Then came the largest partnership of the innings, as Prosper Utseya proved a positive and reliable partner for Masakadza, who was now opening up with some impressive pulls and drives. By lunch the score was a much more healthy 149 for 6, but after the interval Utseya paid the price for his aggression when, after hiting a six over long-on off John Nyumbu, he tried to sweep a straight ball from the same bowler and was clean bowled for 39. The pair had added 84 in exactly 20 overs.Benjamin Katsande made 11 before skying a hook to deep fine leg, and then Shingi Masakadza joined his brother. Mountaineers took the lead on first innings with seven wickets down. With Hamilton now into the nineties, Meth came on again, but he had to be satisfied with the wicket of the younger brother, who edged to the keeper for 15. At the other end Hamilton reached three figures in grand fashion, hitting Chris Mpofu, one of Zimbabwe’s fastest bowlers, right over the scoreboard at long-on for a huge six.When Meth did get to bowl at Masakadza, he seemed to concede defeat immediately, putting his field back, dispensing with slips and bowling well outside off stump. The ploy did him little good, as Masakadza hammered him for two fours and a six over long-on from successive deliveries. But at the other end Tendai Chatara gave his wicket away very weakly, and with the last man in Masakadza went for broke in Keegan’s next over. He drove at a full-length delivery and was bowled for 119, one of his greatest first-class innings, given the circumstances. He faced 206 deliveries and hit 16 fours and 4 sixes. His score was almost half of the total of 239, which gave his team a lead of 44.Tuskers began their second innings quietly, but then Brad Staddon began to score freely off Chatara. The arrears were cleared off in the 15th over without the loss of a wicket, and it appeared Mountaineers had lost their advantage. Staddon reached an enterprising 50 off 56 balls, but then tried to swung across the line at Utseya and was out lbw to break an opening partnership with the dogged Mbekezeli Mabuza that had reached 65. Charles Coventry came in and made a confident start, but Shingi Masakadza was then brought back on and yorked Mabuza for 17 off 94 balls to reduce Tuskers to 81 for 2. After that Coventry and Steve Trenchard played safely for the close, leaving the match intriguingly poised.”I think it was a pretty good one,” Masakadza told after his century. “Especially as the wicket wasn’t playing so well, especially in the morning, and also because we were a little bit on the back foot, because we kept losing wickets throughout the whole innings.”The pitch looks a little bit soft on the surface, it’s crumbling a bit, and it’s worse in the morning just after they’ve cut it, so some balls were gripping and doing a bit more than they were supposed to, and it was leaving a few dents when the ball bounced, that you could actually see on the pitch. That was the main thing.”My game plan was just to see off the rest of the day, because there were 20 overs to bat and I went in in the second over, so my plan was just to make sure I played out the day and came back the next morning to continue. This morning I was always in to bat for as long as possible, to try to build partnerships with the guys and just get as close to the target as we could, because at one stage it looked as if we wouldn’t reach it. So being 44 ahead was a major plus.”I thought they bowled very well, especially Keegan Meth, not only because of the fact that he got six wickets, but he hit very good areas and swung the ball both ways. I think he was the most difficult to face, and obviously very well supported by the other seamers, like Christopher Mpofu and Tawanda Mupariwa. The spinner John Nyumbu didn’t bowl too much, but he got a little from the wicket as well. But Keegan was definitely the best. I had one or two half-chances, but not really – I think it was pretty much a chanceless innings today.”Masakadza reached the landmark with his third six in the 65th over of the innings. “We had eight down at that stage, so I was really looking to push it on a little bit, batting with the tail, so I was looking to play a few more shots. It was a slower ball from Chris Mpofu, right in the arc. Now I’m just looking forward to coming back tomorrow and putting some pressure on them, and hopefully we can bowl them out and chase 50 or 60 in the fourth innings.”

West Indians eased to a comfortable 65-run win over Bangladesh Cricket Board XI in Fatullah

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Fatullah07-Oct-2011
Scorecard
Darren Sammy and Denesh Ramdin added 57 crucial runs for the sixth wicket•Associated PressWest Indians eased to a comfortable 65-run win over Bangladesh Cricket Board XI and the abject surrender of the home batsmen, many of whom are in the Bangladesh squad, to the West Indies’ bowling attack would have given a genuine boost to the visitors. West Indians still have areas of concern – their batting against spin in particular – but Ravi Rampaul soothed their nerves after they struggled to 217 for 9 in 45 overs.Rampaul took his time to settle into a rhythm but with the slightly older ball, he hustled the batsmen with his steep bounce and pace. Alok Kapali mustered 41 before Rampaul had him guiding one straight to Denesh Ramdin in the 31st over, the batsman clearly beaten by pace. Naeem Islam’s attempt at a pull shot was embarrassing as he only top-edged the ball to the covers before Nasir Hossain’s swish had him caught behind, both off Rampaul. He took his fourth by removing the last man Robiul Islam, as the hosts were bowled out for just 152 in 41 overs.Mohammad Ashraful had given the BCB XI some momentum when he struck six boundaries in his 29-ball 32, but he had an immovable object at the other end – Shahriar Nafees meandered to 16 off 51 balls before sweeping an Anthony Martin leg-stump delivery down square-leg’s throat.While the BCB XI batsmen struggled to cope with the short ball, West Indians had a tough time handling the slow, turning one. They were stuck in one of two gears after being put into bat: too watchful or going for broke at every opportunity.With the start of the innings going nowhere, Lendl Simmons wound up at the first sight of a loose delivery in the seventh over, only to see his ferocious square-cut go straight to Nasir Hossain at point, while Kieran Powell misread the wicket and was caught at long-off going after Naeem’s offspin despite having already having been dropped earlier trying the same shot.A 59-run stand between Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels followed but that too flickered between a very cautious approach and bravado. Bravo eventually missed his half-century by three runs when he was caught straight down the ground after he hit five sweet boundaries and a six in his 74-ball knock. Samuels’s innings ended similarly when he chipped it right down long-on’s throat while Danza Hyatt’s first outing in the subcontinent ended lasted just 19 deliveries.The next partnership gave the visitors some respectability as Denesh Ramdin and Darren Sammy added 57, out of which 23 were taken from one Robiul over, but the manner of Ramdin’s dismissal left everyone at the ground bemused. He miscued a double-bouncing Ashraful delivery into the hands of long-off, where Shuvogoto Hom ran in to take a good catch.Ashraful’s surprise introduction was the result of Naeem having to keep wicket after Sahagir Hossain was injured in the 21st over, but it was productive as his combination of slow cutters got him three wickets in two overs. It was Kapali, however, who was the pick of the bowlers, the leg-spinner picking up 2 for 32 from his nine overs.

Anil Kumble the former India captain, is at the centre of a controversy over possible conflict-of-interest issues relating to his various roles in cricket administration

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2011Anil Kumble, the former India captain, is at the centre of a controversy over possible conflict-of-interest issues relating to his various roles in cricket administration.Kumble is currently president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, head of the National Cricket Academy and is also mentor of the Royal Challengers Bangalore; he also co-owns a talent management firm called Tenvic that has on its books several young players including R Vinay Kumar and S Aravind, both part of the India squad for the forthcoming series against England.It is the last role that has raised eyebrows. Tenvic – named after Kumble’s ten-wicket haul against Pakistan in 1999 – looks after the commercial interests of the players, his partner Vasanth Bharadwaj told the magazine. “It doesn’t make any sense for someone to do the mentoring and someone else to do the commercial handling,” he is quoted as saying. That is being seen as an area of conflicted interests, given the potential for Kumble to influence selection in both Karnataka and Royal Challengers sides, and given his role at the NCA, the nursery of Indian cricket.Kumble did not respond when contacted by ESPNcricinfo but explained his position to , who first ran the story. “I do not see any conflict of interest here. I am very clear in my mind about this. The important thing is to focus on what you are trying to achieve, and I am trying to do that.”Asked whether it was important to be seen to be above board, he said: “I focus on what has to be done, not on what people might be thinking. The positions with the KSCA and NCA are honorary jobs, and I have to look after myself. At this stage of my career, I have to do that. Otherwise, you would have to become like Gandhi and give up everything.”However, his explanations have not washed with several of his peers. Bishan Singh Bedi, another former spinner and India captain, told Outlook: “I can’t believe it, I don’t want to believe it. I don’t want to sully the image I have of him.”A similar controversy broke out earlier this year, during India’s tour of England, when Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, who were part of the ESPN-Star Sports commentary team, were seen in public perception as compromised given that they are also BCCI employees.A more serious case of conflict of interest is currently being heard by the Supreme Court: it is former president AC Muthiah’s petition that the current incumbent, N Srinivasan, cannot both be a BCCI official and the owner of an IPL franchise (his company owns Chennai Super Kings). The Supreme Court had allowed Srinivasan’s elevation to the president’s position to go ahead last month but said its decision was subject to the outcome of the larger petition.In September 2008, shortly after the first IPL season, the BCCI had amended clause 6.2.4 of the regulations for players, team officials, umpires and administrators. Before the amendment the clause read: “No administrator shall have, directly or indirectly, any commercial interest in the matches and events conducted by the board.” After the change, it read: “No administrator shall have directly or indirectly any commercial interest in any of the events of the BCCI, excluding IPL, Champions League and Twenty20.”

Lancashire’s match against Warwickshire at Liverpool ended in a draw, but only after a late flurry of wickets just failed to secure a dramatic victory for the home side

Jon Culley at Aigburth04-Aug-2011
Scorecard
Gary Keedy had Will Porterfield caught and bowled and picked up two more wickets, but Warwickshire survived the final day in Liverpool•PA PhotosLancashire had not drawn at Liverpool in nine matches since 2004 and only once previously this season, the latter fact a consequence of increasing the value of a win to 16 points and flat pitches becoming a rare commodity.Glen Chapple, the Lancashire captain and a cricketer reassuringly respectful of traditional values, mused recently that in his view there was merit still in a hard-earned draw, so it was a little ironic that he should find himself on the wrong end of one here as Warwickshire ultimately achieved their objective in a gripping finale.Warwickshire were aided by the weather, which restricted play to 31 balls before 1.15pm and cost another half-hour in the afternoon. But they still wound up facing 68 overs on a turning pitch and against arguably the best exponent of such conditions on the circuit in Gary Keedy, Lancashire’s veteran left-arm spinner.In the end it was captivatingly close as Warwickshire, who had seemed home and dry at 217 for 6 entering what they thought was the last over, lost two wickets in the space of five balls to part-time offspinner Steven Croft, then breathed deep sighs of relief only to be told there was time within the limits of the mandatory last hour for another over.These six balls offered a picture of Tim Ambrose, who was Warwickshire’s hero, in the end, with an unbeaten 66, surrounded by a cluster of eight close fielders as well as wicketkeeper Gareth Cross as Keedy wheeled in. Ambrose cannot have had many similar experiences but after two blocks, a sweep, a rejected lbw appeal, a leg-side leave and another soft-handed dead bat, it was all over and after two hours and 17 minutes the former England wicketkeeper had survived.It was a draw deserved, moreover, because Warwickshire had been in no way negative, at least until it was reasonable to be so. Presented at the start with potentially 75 overs to chase 280 and win the match themselves, they sent in Neil Carter, their one-day opener, to take on the new ball, and he and Varun Chopra could not have been more purposeful.They rattled along at almost five an over without giving Lancashire any encouragement, but their ambitions were necessarily scaled down after they lost four wickets for 20 runs in seven overs.Carter edged Saj Mahmood to Tom Smith at second slip and then Keedy, with his fourth ball, took a diving return catch to dismiss Will Porterfield. Chopra perished caught behind to an ugly slash at Kyle Hogg out of keeping with the rest of his innings and then Keedy claimed a second scalp when Jim Troughton flicked one round the corner to leg slip.Now Warwickshire needed to dig in and tough it out and that it took Lancashire another 27 overs to make more inroads was down to Ambrose and Laurie Evans, who does not have the benefit of his colleague’s experience yet who showed exceptional application and concentration for almost two hours before edging Hogg to second slip.When Rikki Clarke – thwarted earlier in his bid to take the world record for catches in an innings when Troughton got under Hogg’s skier off Boyd Rankin – fell for 12 at 210 for 6, caught at slip as Keedy took his third wicket, six overs remained.Time looked to be on Warwickshire’s side and ultimately was, although not until Croft had bowled both Chris Woakes and Jeetan Patel and caused some serious apprehension on the visiting balcony.With Somerset securing a third straight win, the race for the title is splendidly poised, with Warwickshire in a potentially strong position still by virtue of their game in hand, even though the result pushes them back into fourth place. Any one of the top four could be champions, which Lancashire coach Peter Moores acknowledged afterwards.”It is set well for a good run-in,” he said. “It depends on who holds their nerve and who has players in form at the right time. This was a great game of cricket. Both sides got stuck in and had opportunities to win it and it is a shame we didn’t have another session.”Somerset are coming up on the blind side, which we always thought they would. I like playing against sides who are in the title race with us and I’m pleased we have got Somerset in the last game of the season because we can control that fixture.”We have been up there all the way through, we have shown a lot of fight and character and found ways to win games. I don’t think we need to win all four of our remaining games. If we won two we would be in with a shout, three and we would be in with a very big chance and if we do win all four we will definitely win it.”Normally if you win 10 in a season that would be enough and often it would be less than that. This year it is unique because there are so many teams involved.”

Everton flop Cenk Tosun is now unlikely to rejoin his former club Besiktas this summer.

What’s the story?

That’s according to a report from Turkish outlet Sabah, via Liverpool Echo, which revealed that the Istanbul club have ‘cut off contact’ with the forward ahead of a potential move given his fitness issues.

Sabah reported in March (via One Football)  that Besiktas had offered the striker a three-year contract worth £1.3m a season ahead of the expiration of his Everton contract in June.

However, the 30-year-old is not set to return to full fitness until August at the earliest ahead of the expiry of his contract at the end of June.

Everton must part ways with Tosun

It is imperative that the Toffees don’t offer Tosun a new contract and instead allow him to depart next month.

Having made the move to Goodison Park in 2018 for £27m, the £69k-per-week Turkish striker has cost the Merseyside outfit a whopping £42,594,000 in the 226 weeks since signing for the Toffees.

In that period, Tosun has made just 61 appearances for Everton, scoring 11 goals. To put that into perspective, each goal has cost the relegation-threatened side £3,872,182, making him a colossal waste of money.

Claimed to have been “desperate” to play for the Merseyside club according to former Everton manager Sam Allardyce, the forward has only made three appearances this season, with a combination of just 11 minutes played across the FA Cup and Premier League.

The 30-year-old has also endured two brief loan spells whilst struggling for game time at Goodison Park, making five appearances for Premier League rival Crystal Palace whilst also experiencing a return to his former club Besiktas.

These costs have already been damaging for Everton, but relegation to the Championship would make them detrimental.

Frank Lampard’s side still have a decent chance to survive the drop but are in a precarious position in the relegation zone, two points from safety. However, they do boast a game in hand on 17th-placed Leeds, which could prove to be vital.

If they are to suffer a first-ever relegation from the Premier League, the colossal expenditure of keeping Tosun at the club would act as a major dent to their budget for life in the Championship, so they must see through with the Turkish liability’s expulsion from Goodison Park this summer.

AND in other news: Disaster: Lampard set for 1st big mistake as Everton boss, supporters would be fuming

Stuart Law has expressed sympathy with Lasith Malinga’s decision to quit Tests but has also acknowledged that the lure of the IPL makes it difficult for players to continue playing international cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-2011Stuart Law, Sri Lanka’s interim coach, has expressed sympathy with Lasith Malinga’s decision to quit Test cricket due to a knee condition, but has also acknowledged that the lure of the IPL – with its bumper signings and opportunities to secure oneself financially in quick time – makes it difficult for players to continue playing international cricket. He added it was important to keep India “sweet”, as that’s where a significant part of the revenue for several cricket boards lies.Malinga made himself unavailable for Sri Lanka’s upcoming tour of England and announced his decision to quit Tests because of a “long-standing degenerative condition in the right knee”. While the condition made it difficult for him to play in the longest format, he intends to continue playing limited-overs cricket, and is currently the leading wicket-taker in the IPL, where he represents Mumbai Indians.”‘It’s disappointing that he doesn’t want to play [the] longer [format cricket] but you can’t make [force] a guy who goes through hell every time he bowls a cricket ball,” Law told . “I can sympathise with him. I would love him to play every game for us but that’s impossible, no one does that these days.”It’s a tough one for the players because we’re not talking about $10,000 here and there. We’re talking about a million dollars and Malinga, when he bowls, he puts his body through hell, so … two more years of IPL cricket and he can put his feet up and not go through that pain again.”Apart from Malinga, there are three other prominent Sri Lanka players participating in the IPL – Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. The tour of England clashes with the latter stages of the IPL, and there’s been confusion in Dilshan’s case about when he’ll join the Sri Lanka squad. He had said he wanted to join as early as May 10, ahead of the first warm-up game, but the BCCI and the Sri Lanka board are negotiating his release date. Sangakkara and Jayawardene, meanwhile, will join their squad ahead of the second warm-up fixture.”The IPL situation – we’ve got to be smart with that,” Law said. ”India, they are big brother, we’ve got to look after them, we don’t want to upset them. It’s where a lot of the world cricket boards make a lot of their money, so we’ve got to keep India sweet.”The financial incentive of the IPL was a major temptation for players, Law said. ”You want the best for your players and the best Sri Lanka can supply to the players at this stage is nowhere near what other international players are getting.”I think [better pay] will arrive one day but right now it is difficult to attract the players to continue to play international cricket when they can go to the IPL for six weeks and earn five years’ money.”Sri Lanka have undergone a change in leadership since finishing runners-up in the 2011 World Cup, with Sangakkara and Jayawardene stepping down as captain and vice-captain respectively – decisions Law could “totally respect and understand” – and their selection committee resigning. Dilshan has been named the new captain and Law has taken over from Trevor Bayliss, who he worked with as assistant coach.”Sri Lanka will go through a rebuilding phase now,” Law said. “But the amount of talent that is yet to play international cricket at this stage is amazing.”