All posts by h716a5.icu

Desmond Haynes will always be regarded as one of the finest openers of all time

Special Correspondent05-May-2002Desmond Haynes will always be regarded as one of the finest openers of all time. The partnership that he forged with Gordon Greenidge played a major role in making the West Indies the most fearsome side in world cricket through most of the 80s. But surprisingly for a man of his stature, Haynes still carries a few regrets.”I wanted to score more than 8032 Test runs and also score two more centuries in Test cricket to have 20 hundreds beside my name. My average is 40, but I wanted to make it 42. That would have been satisfying for me and I could have retired without any regret. But the cricket board of the country for which I played no less than 116 Test matches didn’t give me the opportunity to do so,” he said in an interview at the Kensington Oval, Barbados.”And yes, I wanted to be the skipper of the West Indies cricket team (after Viv Richards). But the baton was handed over to Richie Richardson. Then why did they sent me to England as the vice-captain of the team? I am still trying to find the answers to these questions. Ask anybody in these islands. You will know that all of them are aware of the fact that the board curbed the international careers of the two openers – Gordon and me – without any reason,” Haynes added.Since the departure of the two great men, West Indies have struggled to find a decent opening pair. “I felt sorry but the board never asked us to help the youngsters. They could have selected a few talented young openers and asked us to develop them into better quality international openers. Had it happened I would have understood that the board has honoured our efforts, but they did nothing,” a visibly hurt Haynes observed.Probably it was this neglect, that made him turn to fresher pastures. Yes, he is a politician now, aiming to become a senator in two years. But how can the once highest run-getter in one-day cricket suddenly wipe out cricket from his mind? When the conversation veers to the West Indies defeat in the second Test at Port of Spain, Haynes does not mince words.”The way they had lost the Test match in Port of Spain was disgusting. I was surprised to see that they failed to play against this bowling-attack of India. When I met Lara, I asked him, what prevented him from going all out against such a weak Indian attack. If a batsman of his calibre takes singles instead of going after this bowling-attack, why blame the others? And when I heard that he asked the crowd not to sing while he was batting, I could not believe it first. In the Caribbeans, you always associate with the noises and the songs and who knows it better than Brian?” he asked.When asked about his experiences of touring India, he was quick to give his opinions about the poor quality of umpiring before going on to talk about the famous West Indies defeat at Chennai. “We didn’t have so much of live coverage those days and we knew it well that there was always a possibility of us being given out lbw if we had padded the deliveries. Hirwani took 16 wickets against us in his debut Test on a wicket where anything but cricket could be played. Afterwards, we thrashed him so much that you don’t find him any more. Personally, I felt Sivaramakrishnan was a better leg-spinner.”He also had an opinion on India’s legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev that he wished to share. “You say Kapil was a fast bowler? Do you know what Viv (Richards) said about him? Viv used to tell that Kapil was so slow that you couldn’t even go for hooking him!”Haynes and Greenidge had more than five thousand ODI runs under their belts, a record which was overthrown by the Indian pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. He, though, has no regrets in this regard. “They are playing more matches and will continue to play more. So, they will break more records definitely,” was his prediction.When asked about the best batsman he had played against, Haynes, had no hesitation in naming Allan Border. “I don’t like to praise the Aussies. But I feel Allan was a great batsman. It was never easy to dislodge him and his appetite for runs was just incomparable.”

Celtic’s transfer plans will be dictated by a variety of different events and scenarios.

The Hoops will firstly need to appoint a new manager and they will have to patiently wait to see how the futures of Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer develop.

Two of Parkhead’s most sellable assets, the funds the Bhoys receive will dictate how much they can spend on replacements.

What’s the word?

Unfortunately, Celtic’s plan to replace Edouard could already be in tatters and it’s through no fault of their own.

One player the club and Eddie Howe were interested in, and were planning to bring into Paradise this summer was Josh King.

The Norwegian is currently at Everton after moving from Bournemouth back in January. He signed a six month deal with the Toffees that expires this summer, meaning he’ll be available on a free transfer.

That sounds like good news but Celtic isn’t King’s only suitor. According to Football Insider, Norwich are now chasing the striker ahead of a summer move.

The report states that Turkish clubs Fenerbahce and Galatasaray also want to sign the 29-year-old.

Celtic in a mess

This doesn’t only represent a blow for the club but it’s also a setback for incoming manager, Howe.

The 43-year-old is close to sealing a move to Parkhead but until he arrives, it would be foolish of Celtic to finalise moves in the transfer market.

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The longer the wait goes on, the more feasible it becomes that King will end up elsewhere. At the moment, he is free to discuss terms with foreign clubs and thus, he could already be in talks with other suitors beyond Celtic.

Considering the Hoops have no manager and no director of football, it’s unlikely the forward would be too sold on the uncertainty at Parkhead.

Therefore, the quicker Howe arrives, the sooner they can begin negotiations for new recruits.

If King decides to move to East Anglia or Turkey, it would be a massive blow for Howe before he’s even walked through the door.

That’s because the former Bournemouth striker is one of his most trusted performers.

The duo worked together on the south coast where they developed a fabulous understanding of they both worked.

King has made 170 appearances under the Englishman, racking up an impressive tally of 50 strikes; that’s a record of a goal every 3.4 matches.

Should Celtic end up missing out on the striker they will only have themselves to blame.

If Dermot Desmond had been swifter in his search for a new manager and bowed down to Howe’s demands, he may already be through the door and talking to potential new recruits. At the time of writing, that isn’t possible.

Consequently, they are likely to be further behind in negotiations with his agent. Celtic’s initial transfer plans appear to be in big doubt here which could throw a spanner in the works for Howe before he’s even taken the job.

Howe’s plans to sign a player who knows his methods and his systems well and use him at Celtic could already be in tatters.

AND in other news, Forget Howe: McKay could rescue Celtic by hiring “outstanding” 63 y/o manager…

The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has approved the following squad and team management that was chosen by the National Selection Committee of the BCCSL to represent Sri Lanka in the 3-Test series in England from April to July 2002

BCCSL02-Apr-2002The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has approved the following squad and team management that was chosen by the National Selection Committee of the BCCSL to represent Sri Lanka in the 3-Test series in England from April to July 2002.1. Sanath Jayasuriya (Captain)2. Marvan Atapattu3. Kumar Sangakkara4. Mahela Jayawardena5. Russel Arnold6. Hashan Tillekeratne7. Thilan Samaraweera8. Aravinda De Silva9. Muttiah Muralitharan10. Chaminda Vaas11. Charitha B. Fernando12. Dilhara Fernando13. Nuwan Zoysa14. Ruchira Perera15. Prasanna JayawardenaManager – Chandra SchaffterCoach – Dav WhatmorePhysiotherapist – Alex KontouriOne more player would be chosen by the National Selection Committee to be added to this squad, after the conclusion of the Sharjah Cup 2002 Tournament and the ICC Six Nations’ Challenge Limited Overs Tournament in Namibia. (BCCSL media release)

Rangers were reportedly extremely close to signing Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks back in 2016 and considering his impressive career since then, you could definitely argue that Mark Warburton missed out on having his quality at Ibrox.

Former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday confirmed in a recent interview with Open Goal (via Glasgow Live), that:

“I remember doing a warm-up and Harry Winks came in for a day. He didn’t train though.

“I think everything was agreed and he was coming anyway. He was at the training ground being shown about. He didn’t train.

“A day later, it didn’t happen. He stayed at Tottenham.”

The 2016/17 season saw Rangers finish third in the Premiership, whilst their Old Firm rivals Celtic were able to win the league unbeaten, so it is not a memorable one for a lot of Bears fans.

Warburton was sacked as manager in February, with Pedro Caixinha arriving as his replacement a month later, and perhaps if the sporting director at the time Mark Allen had been able to complete the loan deal for Winks, then Rangers’ performances would have improved and Warburton could have kept his job.

Clearly, Mauricio Pochettino and the Tottenham Hotspur staff would be won over by Winks and he would go on to make 21 appearances in the Premier League for the North London club that season, suggesting he would have been more than good enough for the Rangers squad at the time.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-rangers-news-transfer-rumours-and-more-copy-copy” title=“Latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more from Ibrox!”]

The Argentine manager was a huge fan of the Spurs academy graduate, describing him as “amazing” in 2019 and even comparing him to Barcelona legends Andres Iniesta and Xavi back in 2018, but unfortunately for Winks, he would lose his regular starting spot following Jose Mourinho’s arrival in 2019.

The England international, who is currently valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, has made just seven starts in the Premier League this season and a summer exit could well be on the cards for the 25-year-old.

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However, he still possesses a lot of quality and would have undoubtedly been an excellent addition to Rangers’ squad back in the summer of 2016, so it could definitely be described as something of a disaster by Mark Allen to have him at the training ground one day but fail to sign him the next.

And, in other news… Bye-bye Hagi: Wilson should seal Rangers swoop for 16 G/A dynamo

In his latest CricInfo Diary entry, Alec Stewart looks ahead to the prospect of captaining England in the second and final Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford, and in the triangular one-day series which follows

Alec Stewart30-May-2001In his latest CricInfo Diary entry, Alec Stewart looks ahead to the prospect of captaining England in the second and final Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford, and in the triangular one-day series which follows.I didn’t have any doubts about taking on the England captaincy for the NatWest One-Day Series against Pakistan and Australia. I’ve done it on a number of occasions – the fact that I turned it down in Sri Lanka at the end of the Test series was purely because of the heat, the humidity and the conditions. I just didn’t feel I’d be able to do all three jobs to the right standard. In this country and most parts of the world there’s no problem. As to leading the side in the Second Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford, we’ve come away from a good win at Lord’s – I also captained the side that won at Lord’s last year. I’m fully aware that it’s a one-off game for me, and I’ll be doing my best to perform well with the bat and the gloves, and anything I can add as captain.I didn’t have any say on team selection. Nick Knight’s started the season very, very well – I remember batting with him for a length of time when he scored a hundred against Pakistan at Headingley four or five years ago. That was his first Test hundred, and I know he’ll be looking to make full use of his opportunity. We know Nasser Hussain will be back soon, but if Knight can score heavily in this game and have a good one-day series, that’s obviously a good way to stake a claim for a place in the Ashes series. At this stage we expect to play seven batsmen, so he can expect to play.As to my own form, I copped a first ball in the B & H, which can happen, but obviously very happy to have scored a hundred in the CricInfo Championship game in between the Test Matches. It’s always nice to spend some time in the middle, and I feel I’ve been hitting the ball well all season.We can’t lose the series against Pakistan, but any games we go into we try to win. This one will be no different. We know that they’re a good side and will bounce back, and I suggest that if there’s one ground in England that they could choose to play us on it would be Old Trafford – there’s always been reverse swing there in the past, which they enjoy; the wicket can turn, and they’ve got quality spinners, and there’ll be strong Pakistani support in the area. It’s been a terrible start to the summer at Old Trafford – Lancashire have just had one one-day game there so far, against Glamorgan. But Pakistan will be looking to make it one all there. We’ll be going for two nil at best, or at worst draw the game and win the series.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League manager Lawrie Sanchez has compared Marcelo Bielsa to Roy Hodgson, and believes the Argentine will stay at Leeds this summer.

Following his outstanding job since his appointment in 2018, the 65-year-old is a hugely popular figure with the Elland Road faithful.

Having guided Leeds back to the Premier League, Bielsa has already turned them into an extremely competitive side, with a top-half finish firmly in their sights despite losing to Brighton on Saturday.

But just like this time 12 months ago, there remains anxiety surrounding his future once again, with his current deal running out in two months.

Bielsa only signed a new one-year contract one day before the season got underway, and a repeat could be on the cards this time around.

However, reports do point towards the fan favourite remaining at Elland Road next season.

And despite the uncertainty, Sanchez has reassured Leeds supporters by saying that he expects the experienced manager to stay on.

He told Football FanCast:

“Where does he go? He isn’t going to another Premier League club. I think he’s a bit like Roy Hodgson. He wants to work, doesn’t he?

“He’s working now in the biggest league in his life, and as much as he comes across as not that interested in it, when people tap you on the shoulder back home and say, ‘I saw you on the TV the other week, your team did brilliant,’ it’s a massive boost to you.

“I think he will stay. They call him a maverick; he dances to his own tune, doesn’t he?

“So, if he did leave you would say ‘that’s Bielsa’. But if he were to stay involved in football and having come all the way to Leeds and having seen how well the team has done this year, and obviously they will be backed next year, so I can see him staying.”

Bangladesh’s performance in one-day cricket: Preview

Arshad Chughtai29-Apr-2001Bangladesh cricket history’s most cheerful day was when they achieved a stirring victory against Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup. It stunned the World since Pakistan, up to that stage of the tournament was leading and well ahead of Australia, the ultimate winners. In fact, that historic victory paved the way for Bangladesh’s admission to the ICC as a regular member, a status granted a year later. Since then, Bangladesh has made a good effort to establish its credentials in International Cricket. Although they lost their inaugural Test match against India at Dhaka in November last and more recently have again been out played in the first Test match of the current two-test series against Zimbabwe, they have fought well and learnt at the same time. One should give them due credit for the amount of effort their cricketers have put in these matches and that also assures their bright future.Bangladesh played its first One-day Internationals in 1985-86 and to date has played 40 ODI’s, losing 38 and scoring a solitary victory each against Kenya, Scotland and Pakistan. It would be worth reviewing their performance in the recently concluded One-day International series against Zimbabwe.Harare – First match:
Bangladesh tasted heavy defeat at the very out set of the series. Zimbabwe taught the babes of International Cricket a tough lesson by seven wickets. Bangladesh reached a relatively low total of 151 for 8 in 50-overs. Akram Khan (35), Mushfiqur Rahman (31) and Mohammad Rafique (22) were the only notable scorers. B Strang (2/25), Mutendera (2/45) and A Blignaut (2/24) all bowled well to contain the visitors and claim wickets. Zimbabwe, slowly but easily reached the target with 6.5 overs and seven wickets to spare. S Carlisle scored 40, A Flower 40 not out and G Flower 32 not out.Harare – Second match:
Alistair Campbell scored his seventh One-day century (103) off 145 balls with 8 hits to the fence. He was associated with S Carlisle in a 2nd wicket partnership of 133 to enable Zimbabwe reach a modest total of 230-7, after being put into bat by Bangladesh. Manjurul Islam returned his career best analysis of 3 for 37 in ten overs. Bangladesh in reply, crashed to 103 all out in 30.4 overs. Only Javed Omar carried his bat for 33. Incidentally, the opener repeated this feat in the second innings of the first Test also. Bangladesh’s last six wickets fell for 28 runs in nine overs. Heath Streak claimed 2 for 20, Mutendera 3 for 23 and Viljoen 2 for 14. Skipper Naimur Rahman struck 25 off 21 balls with four fours.Bulawayo – Third match:
Bangladesh gave a good account of themselves in this match. Zimbabwe scored an imposing total of 308 for 4, mainly built through the 148 runs of a 4th wicket partnership between brothers Grant and Andy Flower. Grant scored 142 not out and Andy 81. S Carlisle scored 42 not out. Though Bangladesh surpassed their previous highest score of 257 yet their valiant effort fell 36 runs short of the target. Opener Javed Omar scored 69, Habibul Bashar hit 74 and their 3rd wicket partnership produced 74 runs off 103 balls. B Strang claimed 3 for 56, Mutendera 2/44 and Andy Blignaut 2/41. Grant Flower who had smashed 65 off the last five overs was the Man of the Match and the Series.For the tourists, Javed Omar, Habibul Bashar, M Rahman and N Rahman batted with determination while Manjural Islam, Mohammad Sharif and Mushfiqur Rahman bowled well. Zimbabwe fully exploited the lack of experience and weaknesses of the minnows of International Cricket and thus convincingly won. However the visitors have surely been enriched with useful experience and exposure to top-level cricket.

Manchester City can secure their first piece of silverware this season as they take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley on Sunday.

City have an excellent record in the competition since Guardiola’s arrival, having now won it three seasons in a row, and the Citizens should be confident against a side whose last trophy came in 2008.

There will be no repeat of Guardiola’s rivalry with Jose Mourinho on Sunday however, as the North London club sacked the Portuguese manager earlier this week, meaning 29-year-old Ryan Mason will be in charge for the game at Wembley.

Whilst City have a huge game against PSG to come on Wednesday next week, Guardiola should try and avoid the same mistake he made against Chelsea in the FA Cup, where resting numerous first-team players resulted in a disjointed display.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects the former Barcelona boss to line his side up against Spurs, with three changes from the team that started in the midweek win against Aston Villa…

Although Zack Steffen has featured earlier in the competition, he was arguably at fault for Chelsea’s goal in the FA Cup recently, so Ederson should start in goal.

There are two changes in defence, as Joao Cancelo replaces Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back, whilst Aymeric Laporte comes in for John Stones, who is suspended after his reckless challenge at Villa earned him a straight red card.

In midfield, Kevin De Bruyne returns from injury to start alongside Ilkay Gundogan and Rodri, which sees Bernardo Silva pushed further forward to feature as a false nine.

He is supported by Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez on the wings, meaning that the “brilliant” £54m-rated Gabriel Jesus is relegated to the bench.

And, in other news… Sheikh Mansour’s huge call is massive news for Pep, De Bruyne will be delighted 

Newcastle United have made an enquiry to Celtic over a potential deal for defender Kristoffer Ajer.

That’s according to a report from CaughtOffside, who claim that the Hoops ‘are preparing for him to leave this summer’, eight worrying words which seem to imply a degree of certainty about his departure.

Ajer was first linked with a move to St James’ Park at the end of March, with the Daily Mail running a story suggesting the Magpies were readying an £8m bid.

The 23-year-old, valued at £3.6m by Transfermarkt, has just over 12 months left on his current Celtic deal, meaning this summer is indeed the time to cash in if he is not going to stay for the long-term.

Transfer Tavern take

Ajer, on £12,500-a-week, has been a great servant to the Hoops, making 173 appearances in total, scoring six times. He’s won eight major honours at Parkhead, but if a new Celtic deal is off the table, they simply must cash in and avoid losing such a quality young talent for nothing.

With just over a year remaining on his contract, the Hoops may have to accept a cut-price fee, as Ajer, should he not move on this summer, could seal a pre-contract agreement as early as January 2022, which would leave the Hoops empty-handed.

Norwich City have also been credited with an interest in the defender – whose former loan manager Lee Clark recently called ‘outstanding’ – so the Hoops may well be hoping for a bidding war between the Canaries and Newcastle to get the best possible deal.

In other news: Fresh DoF candiate emerges who Celtic fans may know well, find out more here. 

According to a report by The Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur -and by extension Daniel Levy – have been eyeing Lille defender Sven Botman over recent months as a possible candidate to reinforce the Lilywhites backline, with manager Jose Mourinho looking likely to prioritise a centre-half signing if he stays for next season.

Tottenham eyeing Botman

Botman – who has been a mainstay for Ligue 1 side Lille over the current campaign, starting 29 matches in the French top flight alone – is reportedly at the centre of Spurs’ interest according to Telegraph journalist Matt Law.

The reporter claims that Botman, alongside Southampton defender Jannik Vestergaard, have been monitored by Spurs over recent months, with centre-back potentially a priority position.

Spurs have long been linked with a new defensive signing, and the Evening Standard recently reported that Mourinho is desperate for his own transformative acquisition in the mould of Man City colossus Ruben Dias or Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk.

Transfer Tavern take

Given his plaudits, despite still being just 21 years old, it’s clear to see why Spurs have been monitoring the 1.95m (6 foot 4) prodigy.

Lille manager Christophe Galtier has already hailed Botman as a ‘leader’ due to his performances, with the Dutchman possessing physical traits similar to that of Van Dijk (Ligue 1).

Furthermore, respected scout and former AS Monaco sporting director Tor Kristian-Karlsen claimed to ESPN that the youngster could be the ideal heir to former Spurs favourite Jan Vertonghen.

Time will tell whether Levy and Tottenham manage a deal, but their interest seems entirely justified.

In other news: Alasdair Gold dropped a claim on this ‘top class’ barely-seen talent, find out more here.