All posts by h716a5.icu

The India offspinner opened up a 37-point lead over the second-placed Rangana Herath in the ICC Test rankings among bowlers after taking 12 wickets against England

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2016R Ashwin, the India offspinner, opened up a 37-point lead over second-placed Rangana Herath after taking match figures of 12 for 167 in the Mumbai Test.Ashwin now has 904 points, the second best by an offspinner after Muttiah Muralitharan (920), and the fifth-best among spinners after Tony Lock (912), Derek Underwood (907) and Shane Warne (905).ICC top five rankings

Test batsmen: 1. Steven Smith 2. Virat Kohli 3. Joe Root 4. Kane Williamson 5. Hashim Amla

Test bowlers: 1. R Ashwin 2. Rangana Herath 3. Dale Steyn 4. James Anderson 5. Josh Hazlewood

Test allrounders: 1. R Ashwin 2. Shakib Al Hasan 3 Ben Stokes 4. Ravindra Jadeja 5 Moeen Ali

Ashwin, who has scored 239 runs in six innings, including three half-centuries, in the ongoing Test series, also consolidated his position as the No.1 allrounder with 483 points, 78 ahead of the second-placed Shakib Al Hasan.Ashwin’s spin partner Ravindra Jadeja is ranked fourth in the allrounder’s list, just one point behind Ben Stokes’ 341. Jadeja’s six wickets in the Mumbai Test meant he rose to a career-best sixth in the bowlers’ list.India Test captain Virat Kohli, meanwhile, reached a career-best second rank among batsmen after his 235 in Mumbai. The knock earned him 53 points and an average of over 50 in Test cricket too. Australia captain Steven Smith occupies the top spot with 897 points, 11 ahead of Kohli.Kohli, who is also placed second in ODIs, and first in T20 internationals, has the chance to secure the top ranking in all three formats next year.India opener M Vijay and offspinning allrounder Jayant Yadav also moved up the batting rankings following their centuries in Mumbai. Vijay jumped up five places to 24th while Jayant vaulted to 56th from 87th.

There has been an update regarding Manchester United's reported interest in Napoli defender, Kim Min-jae…

What's the latest on Kim Min-jae to Man United?

According to journalist Santi Aouna, the 26-year-old is believed to be a standout target for Erik ten Hag this summer, albeit with the Red Devils seemingly making little headway in their bid to sign the South Korean centre-back.

Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider stated: "Kim Min-jae remains Manchester United's top priority. However, negotiations with the player have made little progress in recent weeks.

"Newcastle pass the second these last weeks. PSG & Chelsea have also an eye on him."

As per 90min, the former Fenerbahce ace is believed to have a release clause in his existing deal worth in the region of €45m (£38m), albeit with that option only set to be active in the first two weeks of the window.

What is Kim Min-Jae's style of play?

While hailed as arguably the "best centre-back in the world right now" by Napoli's departing boss, Luciano Spalletti, it is perhaps uncertain as to whether Kim would be able to replicate his recent heroics in the Premier League, particularly amid his apparent statistical and stylistic similarity to current Chelsea flop, Kalidou Koulibaly, according to FBref.

The latter man was snapped up from the Serie A outfit by Blues owner Todd Boehly on a £33m deal last summer after previously starring in Naples, having been described as "remarkable" and an "extraordinary leader" by the aforementioned Spalletti.

Since the move to Stamford Bridge, however, the Senegalese colossus simply "hasn’t been the formidable defender that he was when he was at Napoli", according to pundit ESPN pundit Stewart Robson, having also been described as looking "nervy" by ex-Arsenal man, Ian Wright.

While somewhat impacted by injury, the 31-year-old has seemingly proven something of a disaster as far as Boehly is concerned, with recent reports suggesting that the American could already be looking to cash in on the struggling asset.

To think then that United could be landing Koulibaly 2.0 with the signing of Kim is then likely to be of concern to Ten Hag, with the Dutchman no doubt wanting to avoid a repeat of Chelsea's dismal error.

The likeness between the two defenders is shown by the fact that both attempt to play out from the back, with Kim averaging 80.35 attempted passes per 90 across the last 365 days, as well as 4.81 progressive passes per 90, while the Blues dud has a similar record after averaging 69.59 and 4.07 for the same two metrics, respectively.

In a defensive sense, the pair are also alike as the latter man racked up 45 tackles and 30 blocks in the league in the 2022/23 campaign, while the one-time Beijing Guoan man recorded only just ahead with 55 tackles and 36 blocks.

As such, the likeness between the duo may have alarm bells ringing back at Old Trafford, with United needing to be careful that they don't follow in Boehly's footsteps.

Manoj Tiwary, the Bengal captain, has called for surfaces of the kind that hosted the India-England Tests in Rajkot and Visakhapatnam to be prepared for the Ranji Trophy

Shashank Kishore22-Nov-2016Manoj Tiwary, the Bengal captain, has called for surfaces of the kind that hosted the India-England Tests in Rajkot and Visakhapatnam to be prepared for the Ranji Trophy. His assessment comes after the season’s first two-day finish, Baroda’s 21-run win against Bengal in a Group A fixture in Lahli, where the fast bowlers claimed 38 of the 40 wickets to fall.As many as 23 wickets fell on the opening day, the most in a day so far this season, with neither side managing to pass 100 in their first innings. The remaining 17 fell on day two. That Tiwary’s fourth-innings 39 was the highest score of the match indicated how tough batting was at a venue that has traditionally been regarded as a seamer’s paradise.”I think we should be playing on surfaces close to what the Indian team plays on in the current season so that those who perform and are picked immediately don’t have to make drastic adjustments,” Tiwary told ESPNcricinfo. “I said it even yesterday, when we had a chance of winning despite conceding a lead, that on these kind of surfaces you can’t be chasing more than 120. Not really ideal, isn’t it?”It would be good to play on surfaces that bring not just the fast bowlers but spinners into the picture too. It’s disappointing to lose, we played some bad shots too, but surfaces of this kind take skills out of the picture. It’s understandable if it’s a greentop with consistent bounce, but here it wasn’t. Lahli is probably the toughest surface in the country, but unfortunately this was simply very very tough. Having said that, credit to Baroda. The wicket was same for both sides. “Tiwary pointed to damp patches at both ends as the cause of the inconsistent bounce. “There were green patches at drive-able lengths. Even fast bowlers weren’t sure which way the ball would move if it pitched there. Every time you pitched the ball in certain areas, there were indentations. After a few overs, it was reduced to a guessing game. Some balls reared up, some balls kept low. This contributed to the dismissals no doubt, but it wasn’t ideal to be playing on this kind of surface.”Would his assessment have changed had Bengal won? “Deepak Hooda has made a big double-century just two matches ago. He made centuries in his first two games. Sure, you can have a bad game, but on this surface, he too was struggling. In one game you can’t be that bad,” Tiwary said. “It would be nice to play on surfaces that at least offer consistent bounce.”As a side we are disappointed, no doubt. But without making excuses, I’ll say it was tough. As a state captain, I will highlight these observations to Dada (Sourav Ganguly, head of the BCCI’s technical committee that proposed neutral venues in the Ranji Trophy). The think-tank can then decide. If you ask me, the surface that we played on in Bilaspur [against Punjab] earlier this season was the most ideal, where there was a little bit of everything for everyone.”Tiwary said Bengal’s bowling after they sent Baroda in was the decisive his side’s defeat – surprisingly, considering Baroda only made 97, with Ashok Dinda picking up six wickets. “We shouldn’t have allowed them to get that much,” Tiwary said. “We shouldn’t have conceded more than 60. That made the difference especially with our second-innings scores being identical.”

Barisal Bulls beat Rajshahi Kings by 17 runs to break a six-match losing streak. The result came as a dampener to Rajshahi, whose chances of qualifying for the play-offs suffered another setback

The Report by Mohammad Isam01-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDawid Malan top scored with a 33-ball 56•BCBBarisal Bulls beat Rajshahi Kings by 17 runs to break a six-match losing streak. The result came as a dampener to Rajshahi, whose chances of qualifying for the play-offs suffered another setback.Dawid Malan and Fazle Mahmud set the game up for Barisal, before the bowlers, led by Rayad Emrit, put together a combined effort to choke the runs, increase pressure and eventually seal the game.The 100-run second wicket stand between Fazle Mahmud and Dawid Malan set up Barisal for a big score, but they ended up adding only 54 runs in the last 6.3 overs. Malan struck his second fifty in the tournament, making 56 off 33 balls with six fours and three sixes.But the manner of his run-out was farcical – he lazily tried to complete a leg-bye without noticing Nazmul Islam getting quickly to the ball and aiming at the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Mahmud, who struck four boundaries and two sixes in his run-a-ball 43, was dismissed in the same over after completing his best day in BPL. Eventually they finished with 161 for 4 when a total of 180 looked a possibility.Thisara Perera and Shahriar Nafees tried to give Barisal a final flourish. Perera struck four boundaries in his unbeaten 22-ball 29 while Nafees struck two sixes in the last over. Mohammad Sami was Rajshahi’s best bowler with figures of 1 for 16 in four overs.Rajshahi never felt settled in their chase. Nurul Hasan fell in the third over when he was lbw to Monir Hossain. Sabbir Rahman gave a simple catch to mid-on in the following over before Mominul Haque gave offspinner Enamul Haque a simple caught-and-bowled in the eighth over. When Raqibul Hasan skied Thisara Perera in the 11th over, as Rajshahi stuttered to 68 for 4.The absence of boundaries to go along with a flurry of wickets – they didn’t hit a four from the sixth till the thirteenth over – made it tougher. Samit Patel and James Franklin kept the chase afloat with 44-run stand for the fifth wicket, but Franklin’s dismissal for a run-a-ball 18 set the back.When Samit fell for a 51-ball 62, Rajshahi’s chances were as good as gone. Darren Sammy was on strike in the final over off which they needed 28. He smashed a six over cover, but eventually the task was too steep to pursue.

West Ham have a potential replacement for Gianluca Scamacca lined up it seems, with Firenze Viola via Sport Witness reporting that the club are mulling over a move for Joel Pohjanpalo.

Are West Ham signing Joel Pohjanpalo?

The Finland international, who currently plays for Venezia, had an electric season for the Italian side despite the fact they finished in eighth. The Serie B side turned to the 28-year-old on 37 occasions in the league and he rewarded them for their trust by bagging 19 goals and seven assists along the way. His overall goal contribution rate stood at 26 – which is the highest total he has managed over the course of his career to date.

It was a career year for the player then, having finally found a new permanent home in Venezia. Despite being with former club Bayer Leverkusen for six years, he managed only 23 games for the side with seven goals. Only one of those outings in the Bundesliga was a start too, meaning that the forward really struggled to break into their first-team reckoning. Instead, he had to rely on loans with the likes of Rizespor in Turkey and Union Berlin in Germany.

Now, having been a first-team regular in Serie B, he truly thrived and he is now being lined up for a potential move to West Ham. According to a report from Firenze Viola, via Sport Witness, the Hammers are considering a potential bid to take the player to the Premier League, with the club seeing him as a replacement for Scamacca. No official bid has yet been made but it seems as though he is now firmly on their radar.

No fee has been mentioned either, but CIES Football Observatory suggest that his value could be around 5 million Euros (or £4.2m). It's a miniscule fee for a player who could potentially bag plenty of goals with the club.

When does Joel Pohjanpalo's contract expire?

The forward, having only just agreed to join Venezia, has a relatively short contract that runs until 2025. However, if West Ham make a move, then it could be a very short-lived stay in Italy for the player.

He's certainly a talented player according to numerous sources too, with football journalist Josh Bunting for example stating that the attacker is "perfect" for his national side, Finland, in terms of being clinical in the box and his ability to hold the ball up too.

Considering what the potential fee may be and his goals record when given regular minutes, it could be a real bargain for the Hammers if they do opt to make a bid for Pohjanpalo.

Australia’s chairman of selectors, Rod Marsh, will end his tenure in 2017 after telling Cricket Australia he will not continue beyond his current contract

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2016Australia’s chairman of selectors, Rod Marsh, will end his tenure in 2017 after telling Cricket Australia he will not continue beyond his current contract.Marsh was originally appointed to the selection panel in 2011 under then chairman of selectors John Inverarity, and took over the leadership of the panel when Inverarity departed in 2014.”We can confirm that Rod Marsh has decided not to continue on in his role as national selector once his contract expires in June 2017,” a Cricket Australia spokesperson said. “At this stage no decision has been made on a replacement.”The 2016-17 summer will therefore be the last under the current selection panel of Marsh, Trevor Hohns, Mark Waugh and coach Darren Lehmann.Marsh’s panel oversaw a period during which Australia briefly regained the No.1 Test ranking earlier this year in New Zealand, but there have also been ongoing struggles, especially on tours away from home.The Australians were beaten 2-0 by Pakistan in the UAE in 2014, lost the Ashes in England last year, and were humiliated 3-0 by Sri Lanka this year.In the shorter formats, the 2015 World Cup triumph was the highlight of Marsh’s time at the helm, and Australia continue to be ranked No.1 in the world in ODI cricket despite their 5-0 loss in South Africa this month.

Tottenham Hotspur's manager search has gone exactly as the fanbase knew it would, drawing out a process that takes other clubs mere days.

Take Brighton and Hove Albion for example. Having enjoyed a fine start to the season, it looked like their success would be thrown into jeopardy when Graham Potter moved to Chelsea in September. However, less than ten days after that Sky Sports announcement, Roberto De Zerbi had been appointed as his replacement. They have since gone on to surpass the Lilywhites, claiming one of the European spots that they would miss out on.

Given the relative stature of both clubs, it is a miserable indictment of the shambolic running of the former Champions League finalists.

Having dismissed Antonio Conte in late March, it has now been over two months and they are no closer to naming his successor.

Julian Nagelsmann was first ruled out of the running, before Arne Slot snubbed the offer to stay in his homeland. Now, as of late May, rumours are circulating linking them with a swoop for the out-of-work former River Plate head coach Marcelo Gallardo.

Whilst a newer name on the media merry-go-round, he could actually provide an upgrade to the Dutchman who turned them down last month.

Would Marcelo Gallardo be an upgrade on Arne Slot?

Although the Argentinian has been unemployed since leaving his hometown club in 2022, the 47-year-old is still a revered name by many given the success he earned at River. Pep Guardiola even claimed: "What Gallardo has done with River is incredible."

Across his eight years and 424 games in charge of the club, he would win 12 separate honours, meaning his trophy cabinet is filled to the brim. Although Slot's exploits in this campaign might have made him an attractive proposition, he does not boast half the title-winning acumen of this potential alternative.

Not only this, but Gallardo's time in his homeland also saw him maintain a points-per-match average of 1.88, made all the more impressive given his longevity. He would also concede fewer goals than games, highlighting a defensive solidity that Spurs have lacked this season, having shipped 63 goals in 38 games.

Meanwhile, whilst the Feyenoord boss did lead his team to the Eredivisie title, it marked his first-ever piece of silverware. Levy, whilst he has been lambasted for chasing proven winners like Conte and Jose Mourinho in recent years, must surely avoid going too aggressively in the other direction.

He needs someone young and willing to forge a team to compete in the long run, and there are few in the modern game who can boast such longevity and success as Gallardo, supplemented by his free-flowing 4-3-3 style.

It is the closest they will get to repeating their success with Mauricio Pochettino, which is the very least they must aim for after allowing him to join Chelsea. In fact, journalist Alasdair Gold even suggested in a Q&A: "Gallardo is certainly growing his reputation and some people believe he's similar to Pochettino in style".

With everything Levy needs in a manager, plus that passion and title-winning mentality to boot, Gallardo would mark a surprising but stunning capture to surely surpass what Slot would have achieved in north London.

Glasgow Rangers and manager Michael Beale are believed to be interested in bringing young FC Utrecht striker Tasos Douvikas to Ibrox, and have seemingly made contact over a possible deal.

Do Rangers need attackers this summer?

The Gers have a vital summer ahead of them, with a number of new signings required all over the pitch, in order to find an extra gear next season. There is still a gap in quality between themselves and Celtic currently, as shown by their respective trophy hauls in 2022/23, so the primary aim has to be to narrow it this summer.

Attack is certainly an area where reinforcements will be required, especially with influential duo Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos both expected to move on, having played such a big part in Rangers' success down the years. The duo could leave a void, considering they scored a combined 157 goals for the club, so it is imperative that the right replacements are brought in.

A new transfer update has now emerged regarding Douvikas, who has been linked with a summer move to Ibrox a number of times in the recent past.

Could Rangers snap up Douvikas?

According to Football Insider, Rangers have "expressed an interest" in signing the Utrecht man, who scored 19 goals and reigstered four assists in the Eredivisie this season. It is claimed that the Dutch side are "looking for a fee of around £6.9million in order to part with the 23-year-old", who is described as being a "crucial" player throughout the 2022/23 campaign, sharing the Eredivisie Golden Boot with PSV star Xavi Simons.

Douvikas could be exactly what the Gers are looking for in the summer window, providing the end product that will be so badly needed without Kent and Morelos around. His aforementioned record this season speaks volumes about his productivity in front of goal, but an overall tally of 31 strikes in 73 appearances for Utrecht further highlights it.

The 23-year-old is also a 15-cap Greece international, scoring once his country to date – he also netted eight times in 10 appearances for the Under-19s – and he is someone who could help take Rangers to a different level next season and beyond.

While primarily a centre forward, Douvikas can play on the left-hand side, as he has done once for Utrecht this season, according to WhoScored, so his ability to play across the attack is something that could appeal to Beale, as the Gers look to wrestle the Scottish Premiership title away from Celtic in 2023/24.

The BCB has picked seven members from Bangladesh’s ODI pool in the BCB XI squad that will take on Afghanistan in their only warm-up game on September 23

Mohammad Isam20-Sep-2016BCB XI squad

Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque, Mossadek Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Liton Kumar, Shuvagata Hom, Abu Hider, Sanjamul Islam, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Al-Amin, Subashis Roy, Mehedi Hasan, Alauddin Babu

The BCB has picked seven members from Bangladesh’s ODI pool in the BCB XI squad that will take on Afghanistan in their only warm-up game on September 23. The one-day match, which will be held in Fatullah, will be the visitors’ only chance to gauge local conditions ahead of their three-match ODI series that is being held a few weeks before the usual time for Bangladesh’s home season.The national selectors picked Imrul Kayes, Anamul Haque, Mossadek Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Subashis Roy, Mehedi Hasan and Alauddin Babu from the 20-man pool that has been training together since September 18. At least some of these seven players could also find themselves in the ODI squad for the first two matches against Afghanistan.The selectors will be submitting the squad to the BCB president on Wednesday, and the squad announcement is likely to be made the following day.From the other six players picked for this match, Liton Kumar and Kamrul Islam Rabbi should make the chance count since Bangladesh have a busy schedule ahead. Liton was a regular in 2015, especially in ODIs, but couldn’t even make a half-century. Rabbi, on the other hand, was picked later in 2015, but didn’t make his international debut to show his pace bowling prowess. Both Liton and Rabbi do not feature in the ODI pool.

Australia’s win wasn’t always pretty, but it was comfortable enough. With Aaron Smith and Steven Smith making half centuries, they chased down 228 with three wickets and more than three overs to spare

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Aug-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details0:48

By the Numbers – Starc’s record, and run-machine Smith

Sri Lanka had no fewer than six slow-bowling options – half of them specialists. And by the time Australia batted, the dry Premadasa pitch had begun to bubble and spit. In the Tests, these ingredients had led to humbling defeats for the visitors while the local spinners reaped sackfuls of wickets. But perhaps for the first time on tour, Australia satisfactorily negotiated the spin challenge. The win wasn’t always pretty, but it was comfortable enough. With Aaron Finch and Steven Smith making half centuries, Australia chased down 228 with three wickets and more than three overs to spare.It had been Australia’s quicks’ discipline that had earlier tethered Sri Lanka to a relatively modest total, even given the difficult conditions. Mitchell Starc took three important wickets as he became the quickest bowler in history to 100 ODI wickets, and James Faulkner inflicted even more damage, delivering a double-wicket maiden upon which Sri Lanka’s innings pivoted, and claiming four wickets for 38 all told.Faulkner had cajoled Kusal Mendis into a miscued pull early in the 30th over, then had Angelo Mathews athletically caught at point four balls later. When Starc took another wicket soon after, Sri Lanka had slipped from 124 for 2 to 132 for 5, and though Dinesh Chandimal was at the crease through the rest of the innings, Sri Lanka could not muster the 250 which might have represented a winning score.Starc prospered on a customary full length, and each of his wickets were the result of drawing batsmen into drives. He knocked down Kusal Perera’s off stump in the first over, got Dhananjaya de Silva miscuing a slower ball to claim his 100th wicket, then had Milinda Siriwardana out with a similar delivery. Faulkner bowled his cutters more liberally and generally pitched the ball on a length. Starc did not concede a boundary through his ten overs. Faulkner was exemplary at the death, giving away only 17 in his last three overs, and claiming two scalps in them.Smith’s 58 provided the chase its middle-overs substance, but it had been Finch who made quick ground in the early overs, so as to give the middle order a wide margin for error. He clubbed his second ball for six, and did not slow his rate of scoring while the fielding restrictions were in effect even though balls began to misbehave early on. By the end of the 10th over, he had hit seven fours and two sixes in a score of 48 from 36 balls.Finch departed in somewhat controversial circumstances – when Amila Aponso, the debutant left-arm spinner, had one leap away from the bat off a full length. The ball ended up in the hands of Angelo Mathews at slip, but such was the turn on offer, that it is possible it got there with no interference from Finch’s bat.Whatever the case, Smith took the chase by the collar from then onwards, but his was a steadier innings. Aponso beat his bat virtually every over, but Smith kept out the straighter deliveries and scored off the shorter ones. He was dropped on 15 when, at slip, Mathews failed to hold a catch that had deflected off the wicketkeeper’s pad. The remainder of his outside edges landed safely away from fielders. It was not the most fluent innings Smith has played, but it was the kind of surface on which survival was laudable enough.Aponso was the most accurate of Sri Lanka’s bowlers, and unlucky to finish with only one wicket from his 10 overs. His colleagues left their surge too late. Dilruwan Perera had Smith caught at short leg, but the score was already 190. He took two more wickets towards the finish, and Lakshan Sandakan one more to add to the earlier wicket of Matthew Wade. Australia lost four for 32 through that late period, but that was not a dramatic enough slump to threaten the result.Sri Lanka’s top-scorer Dinesh Chandimal had earlier brought a Test-match zen to the first ODI, as he hit an unbeaten 80 from 113 deliveries. He scored in singles and twos exclusively to begin with, and was content to go without a boundary until his 46th delivery. The majority of his runs came square of the wicket; the cut, sweep, dab and legside flick the more favoured among his strokes. The Australia seamers increasingly rolled their fingers over the ball as the innings progressed, but Chandimal was largely wise to their changes of pace – though his shots did also find infielders more often than he would have liked. He hit only three boundaries in his innings.Mendis was the recipient of much good during his 67 from 95 balls. He was dropped on 14, survived a close lbw shout on 25, was almost run out twice, and mishit plenty of his shots. However, unlike Chandimal, Mendis didn’t completely omit the more exuberant strokes. His most memorable shots was a regal lofted straight drive off Moises Henriques, and a lofted legside flick off Faulkner.Beyond these two half-centuries, three others made bit-part contributions to the score. Tillakaratne Dilshan made 22 before falling to the Dilscoop. Siriwardana hit 19 off 26 in a 41-run stand with Chandimal, and Thisara Perera made 21 off 14 in the death overs. Australia’s seamers were difficult to get away at the finish, conceding only 41 in the final six overs, but much of the damage had been done earlier on.