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Nepal, USA, Italy, Cayman Islands, Argentina and Tanzania have announced their squads to compete in the World Cricket League Division 4 in Bologna

Cricinfo staff01-Aug-2010Nepal, USA, Italy, Cayman Islands, Argentina and Tanzania have announced their squads to compete in the World Cricket League Division 4 in Bologna, Italy as the teams continue along the path that may ultimately lead to a place at the World Cup in 2015. The top two sides at Division 4 tournament, which will be played from August 14 to 21, will move a step closer with promotion to the WCL Division 3 to be staged in Hong Kong in January 2011.”We have good knowledge of Nepal who we played against in February and also Cayman Islands and Argentina whom we have regularly played, including as recently as May in ICC Americas Division 1 and we beat them on both occasions,” said USA captain Steve Massiah. “The other two teams we don’t know so well, but I’m confident we’re prepared and ready to continue moving up the World Cricket League ladder.””We’re looking forward to the tournament,” commented Cayman Islands’ coach Theo Cuffy. “It will be the first time to Europe for a number of our team and it’s going to be a tough tournament with strong teams, but we’re confident we can do well.”This will be the first global ICC event to be hosted in Italy. Matches will be played at three venues in the Bologna area – Pianoro, Medicina and Bologna.Ian Gould, a member of the ICC’s Elite Panel of umpires, will be one of nine umpires officiating at the event, which will be overseen by match referee David Jukes. Gould follows in the footsteps of fellow Elite Panel umpire Simon Taufel who officiated in Singapore at WCL Div. 6 in 2009.Argentina: Esteban MacDermott (capt), Grant Dugmore, Agustin Casime, Alejandro Ferguson, Pablo Ferguson, Donald Forrester, Tomas Francis, Carlos Gibson, Diego Lord, Lucas Paterlini, Matias Paterlini, Pablo Ryan, Gary Savage, Martin Siri.Cayman Islands: Saheed Mohamed (capt), Pearson Best, Ryan Bovell, Kervin Ebanks, Paul Chin, Marlon Byran, Ricardo Roach, Jaylon Linton, Abali Hoilett, Conroy Wright, Alassandra Morris, Kevin Bazil, Ramon Sealy, Ronald Ebanks.Italy: Alessandro Bonora (capt), Roshendra Abewickrama, Din Alaud, Dilan Arsakulasuriya, Damien Crowley, Gayashan Munasinghe, Thushara Kurukulasuriya, Damian Fernando, Andrew Northcote, Nicholas Northcote, Hayden dell’Agnello, Peter Petricola, Michael Raso, Stanly Kankanamge.Nepal: Paras Kadka (capt), Gyanendra Malla, Shakti Gauchan, Sharad Vesawkar, Mahesh Kumar Chhetri, Anil Kumar Mandal, Amrit Battarai, Basant Regmi, Binod Kumar Das, Sanjam Regmi, Rahul Kumar Vishwakarma, Mahaboob Alam, Manjeet Shrestha, Pradeep Airee.Tanzania: Hamzi Abdallah (capt), Abhik Patwa, Hasnain Damji, Khalil Rehemtulla, Seif Khalifa, Riziki Kiseto, Kassim Nassoro, Issa Kikasi, Enjo Kiongozi, Shaheed Danani, Rashidi Amiri, Benson Mwita, Harsh Ramaiya, Ally Kimote.USA: Steve Massiah (capt), Muhammad Asad Ghous, Steven Taylor, Rashard Marshall, Sushil Nadkarni, Timroy Allen, Orlando Baker, Carl Wright, Aditya Thyagarajan, Adrian Gordon, Lennox Cush, Khawaja Usman Shuja, Kevin Darlington, Nasir Javed.

Manchester United have suffered a potentially significant setback in their pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong as the January transfer window approaches.

What’s the story?

It was recently reported by Spanish outlet El Nacional (as relayed by the Daily Star), that the Red Devils are interested in securing the highly-rated 24-year-old’s services.

The report claimed that De Jong perfectly fits the profile of the type of player their new interim manager Ralf Rangnick likes to work with and that the club’s chiefs are willing to offer £47m in order to secure his signature.

However, according to well-known journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Dutch international is unlikely to move to Old Trafford over the winter, although he’s not short of potential suitors.

He tweeted: “No negotiations for Frenkie de Jong to Man United in January, as things stand. #FCB #MUFC De Jong father told AD: “Bayern or United? I know Barça need money and a great offer could help, but I don’t see that happening. However, 5 best clubs in Europe have called for him.”

Man Utd fans will be gutted

With Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard all out of contract at United next summer, Rangnick may be forced to strengthen his engine room options over the next couple of transfer windows.

And De Jong could have been the ideal candidate to refresh the 20-time English champions’ midfield, meaning the club’s supports will be left feeling gutted at Romano’s latest revelation.

After rising through the ranks at boyhood club Ajax, the technically gifted star soon established himself as one of European football’s most exciting and promising talents.

De Jong scored five goals and provided 13 assists in 89 appearances for the capital club, claiming a domestic double in 2018/19 while playing a pivotal part in their run to the Champions League semi-finals.

A £65m move to Barca followed at the end of that fruitful campaign, and despite the Blaugrana’s struggles both on and off the pitch, the Dutchman has continued to thrive.

In 112 outings for the Catalan giants, De Jong has produced 24 goal contributions, winning the Copa del Rey in the process to add to his already impressive trophy collection.

But it seems as though a move to the red half of Manchester is off the cards for now, leaving Rangnick to explore alternative transfer targets in January as he aims to bolster his first-team squad at United. He and the Old Trafford faithful will surely be frustrated as a result.

And, in other news…Rangnick keen on signing “spectacular” £22.5m-rated gem, he’d be “exceptional” at MUFC

P Ranganathan, the former Kerala Ranji batsman, has been appointed coach of the state side for the 2010-11 season

Cricinfo staff14-May-2010P Ranganathan, the former Kerala Ranji batsman, has been appointed coach of the state side for the 2010-11 season. A BCCI Level II coach, Ranganathan had previously coached the state’s Under-14, 19 and 25 sides.TC Mathew, the secretary of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), said Ranganathan was appointed based on his impressive work with the South Zone U-25 team in particular. “He is currently the only Ranji Trophy player in the State with a Level II coaching certificate and he knows the players personally,” Mathew told the .A right-handed batsman, Ranganathan played 26 first-class games between 1985 and 1993, scoring 1110 runs at 26.42 with a century and six fifties. His appointment follows the sacking of Vedam Hariharan last season, who was dismissed after just one season. Last November, Hariharan had slapped the KCA with a legal notice claiming Rs 50 lakh in damages for non-payment of salary and unfair dismissal.

Roberto Firmino may consider leaving Liverpool this summer due to Sadio Mane’s shift into the middle, says former top flight manager Alex McLeish.

The Lowdown: Firmino down the pecking order

The Brazilian has become an undisputed Reds legend since joining from Hoffenheim back in 2015, winning the Premier League and Champions League, not to mention leading the line superbly.

Firmino finds himself down the attacking pecking order these days, however, with Mohamed Salah, Mane, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota all arguably seen as stronger options by Jurgen Klopp, especially since Mane moved to a central role after Diaz’s arrival in January.

The 30-year-old’s current Liverpool deal runs out at the end of next season and the idea of him leaving this summer hasn’t been completely ruled out.

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The Latest: Pundit casts doubt over future

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish admitted that he could see Firmino moving on due to the shift Klopp has made in recent weeks with Mane, moving Firmino further down the striker pecking order.

Ultimately, he says, the decision will be up to the player himself:

“I think he’s still making an impact. You see him in games coming on and getting a couple of goals and assists. He’s still, I think, very integral to their success this season.

“Like everybody else, he will want to maybe play more football at the end. Who knows, maybe it suits him, the way it is just now. One thing’s for sure, Liverpool are a great club and will do the right thing by their players.

“They will do whatever Firmino wants to do, I would think. Maybe keep him on and keep doing his cameo. Or does the guy want to play more football? I think that would be in Firmino’s hands.”

The Verdict: Don’t leave, Bobby

While it would be understandable if Firmino decided to enjoy a fresh challenge this summer, the hope with the vast majority of Liverpool fans is that he stays put.

At 30, he still has a huge amount to offer, even if his best days are behind him, and he is a perfect foil for different styles of players around him in attack. If he is content being a squad player, the matter should be settled immediately.

Firmino isn’t a player who is reliant on pace, which further highlights why he can be a force for years to come, and the idea of such a popular player leaving doesn’t bear thinking about.

In other news, an exciting Liverpool transfer update has emerged. Read more here.

James Taylor hit a brilliant double century and Australian Andrew McDonald a career best 176 in a record fourth-wicket partnership as Leicestershire took control of their County Championship game against Middlesex at Grace Road

30-May-2010
ScorecardJames Taylor hit a brilliant double century and Australian Andrew McDonald a career best 176 in a record fourth-wicket partnership as Leicestershire took control of their County Championship game against Middlesex at Grace Road. Taylor and McDonald smashed 360 runs off 73 overs to take Leicestershire to an imposing 464 for 3 declared and earn the home side five batting bonus points for the first time this season.Taylor finished on 206 not out off 271 balls while McDonald’s 218-ball innings beat his previous best of 150 not out for Victoria against New South Wales three years ago. Middlesex then faced an awkward seven overs before the close following Matthew Hoggard’s declaration but reached 19 without loss to trail by 445 at the end of the second day.It was the fourth century of 20-year-old Taylor’s career but his first at Grace Road, while for McDonald it was his second in consecutive Championship matches. Their fourth-wicket partnership beat the previous best of 290 between Peter Willey and Tim Boon – the current Leicestershire coach – against Warwickshire in 1984.Leicestershire’s performance was in stark contrast to their efforts in the last match against Glamorgan a few days ago when they were bowled out for 71 in their second innings. They had begun the second day of this match looking in some trouble on an overnight 23 for 2 but then proceeded to score 441 runs off 88 overs for the loss of just one wicket.Middlesex toiled to make any impact with the ball and were not helped by some sloppy fielding throughout the day and the absence after lunch of seamer Iain O’Brien, who was unable to return to the field because of a suspected thigh muscle injury.The only wicket claimed by Middlesex was that of opener Matthew Boyce, who was beaten and bowled by a perfect yorker from Gareth Berg an hour into the morning’s play. Boyce was out for 42 but from that point on Taylor and McDonald dominated the day. Runs flowed at around four an over as the fourth-wicket pair flayed the Middlesex attack with the boundary count piling up.Taylor, who shot to stardom last season scoring his maiden century against Middlesex at Southgate, clearly loves playing against them. He reached his century this time with a boundary off Shaun Udal – his 15th at that stage – off 138 balls. McDonald was equally severe with some glorious drives both sides of the wicket and despite using eight bowlers Udal was unable to prevent Leicestershire’s march towards the 400-plus total.McDonald reached his century off 158 balls with 13 fours and Taylor’s double century arrived off 267 balls with 27 fours. Soon after that Hoggard called a halt with Taylor on 206 having faced 271 balls and hit 28 fours and McDonald on 176, which included 22 boundaries. It was a magnificent effort from the home side and the partnership was the fourth highest for any wicket for them in a Championship match.

Chris Adams, the Surrey coach, has admitted throwing a huge “curve ball” in the appointment of Rory Hamilton-Brown as the club captain

Andrew McGlashan08-Apr-2010Chris Adams, the Surrey coach, has admitted throwing a huge “curve ball” in the appointment of Rory Hamilton-Brown as the club captain but believes the 22-year-old has all the skills needed to succeed in the demanding role.The return of Hamilton-Brown to his first county to take up the skipper’s armband was one of the major talking points of the winter after he was enticed away from Sussex. He is the youngest captain on the domestic scene and has just eight first-class matches to his name as he takes on the task of leading Surrey out of the doldrums.Although Hamilton-Brown has led all the age-group sides he has played in, as well as county second XI teams, the job of taking control at a county the size of Surrey is a daunting one for a player who is still trying to establish a career. However, Adams insisted he will be able to handle the role.”When I presented Rory’s men [to the club] it was probably a big a curve ball as they have had, but they all saw the potential in him,” Adams said. “It was presented to the committee and was probably biggest curve ball they’ve had as well, but it received a unanimous positive yes vote.”Speaking from 11 years of experience in that type of role you need certain attributes and certain skills which not everyone has. I identified very early on when I met this young man when he came to Sussex that those skills were there in abundance.”With the departure of Mark Butcher last year it was clear this was a very big position and big boots to fill. You look around at your options and something kept coming back to me, his name kept coming back.”Hamilton-Brown led Surrey in the warm-up match against Cambridge MCCU last week and on the pre-season tour of Dubai, but his first serious match starts on Friday with the opening Championship game against Derbyshire at The Oval. There are a number of big-name players at Surrey including fellow winter recruits Steven Davies and Gareth Batty along with stalwart Mark Rampraksh and Hamilton-Brown will have to earn their trust and confidence.”He’s finding out that life isn’t that straightforward and simple and that there are a great deal of aspects to the job,” Adams said. “My job is to give him the very best chance to succeeding when he walks out there. He’s got the attributes to lead the team and make the tactical calls. If I didn’t believe that he would go on and have a fantastic career he wouldn’t be sat here.”Hamilton-Brown knows he has taken on a mammoth task and accepts there is much for him to learn. “To captain your home county is a dream come true,” he said. “I haven’t played a huge amount and have a lot to learn. There are two aspects – my cricket and then the captaincy. I will have to learn the captaincy but am pretty confident I can do it and will give everything I can to make it a success.”

Lalit Modi has made his first public appearance since the IPL final on Sunday, surfacing in Delhi where, it is learnt, he held discussions with two of India’s most respected legal brains, Ram Jethmalani and Harish Salve

Cricinfo staff28-Apr-2010Lalit Modi has made his first public appearance since the IPL final on Sunday, surfacing in Delhi where, it is learnt, he held discussions with two of India’s most respected legal brains, Ram Jethmalani and Harish Salve. The development added to speculation that he would challenge in court the Indian board’s decision to suspend him from all BCCI positions, including that of IPL chairman.Salve, though, refused to divulge any details, citing the client confidentiality. Modi had been incommunicado, barring a few Twitter updates, since Sunday night, when he brought the curtain down on the IPL with a dramatic, emotional speech at the awards ceremony. His tweets, too, have been uncharacteristically low-key, barring a couple that spoke about the IPL’s popularity.However, his brief appearance prompted some angry scenes as he snapped at the media scrum at the airport and the hotel. “Why aren’t you letting me reach my car? Why are you blocking me? Can’t you be gentlemen?” he asked.The media was gathered at the Taj Mansingh Hotel in New Delhi, which houses Salve’s offices, where Modi spent close to three hours. He then went to the Akbar Road residence of Jethmalani, a member of the upper house of Parliament. Modi spent an hour here before moving to the ITC Maurya Sheraton, hotel where his staying.His immediate course of action will be to respond to the charge-sheet and show-cause notice filed against him by the BCCI and the IPL governing council, which, after its meeting on Monday, gave Modi 15 days’ time to reply. His response will be studied by the board’s three-man disciplinary committee – comprising president Shashank Manohar, Arun Jaitley and Chirayu Amin, the interim IPL chairman – and its findings will be tabled before the BCCI’s working committee.Modi essentially needs to react to the five charges pressed against him – and detailed on Monday by Manohar – after what the board felt were serious allegations of wrongdoing by Modi and his team. The charges are the initial franchise bids for Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, the rigging of franchise bids in 2010, the sale of broadcasting and internet rights and his “behavioral pattern”.

Brett Lee has said goodbye to the Test arena but at 33 is desperate to recover from elbow surgery to represent his country again in the game’s shorter forms

Cricinfo staff24-Feb-2010″This is not the end of me. It’s a cricket choice and it’s a lifestyle choice.”Brett Lee has said goodbye to the Test arena but at 33 is desperate to recover from elbow surgery to represent his country again in the game’s shorter forms. Lee has not added to his 76 Tests since he fractured a bone in his left foot late in 2008 and if he thought his aching body could deal with the demands he would be pushing for more time under a baggy green.But after dealing with long-term foot, ankle, side and elbow injuries over the past 15 months he knows his body can’t take the strain. Despite his decision to focus on the one-day and Twenty20 formats – he hasn’t decided whether he will go to the IPL yet – Lee does not want younger fast men to give up on Tests.”Obviously, there’s specialist one-day and Twenty20 bowlers,” he said at the SCG. “But for me, Test cricket is where it’s at. There’s a lot of luck in Twenty 20, a lot of skill and a bit of luck in one-dayers. But Test cricket is a test for the bowlers and a test for the batsmen.”Lee said his best memory was his first Test wicket, which came when he bowled Sadagoppan Ramesh in his opening over on debut at the MCG in 1999-2000. “At that point I could’ve hung up the boots just then,” he said.He exploded on to the scene with 46 wickets in seven Tests before needing surgery following a severe elbow injury that threatened his career. After his recovery he went on to support Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie before becoming a first-choice weapon for Australia between 2005 and 2008.After surgery early in 2009 he was committed to coming back for the Ashes campaign and made the tour squad, but strained his side having proved his potency in the final warm-up match. Another elbow operation was required when he was sent home from the one-day tour of India and he spent the summer working out what to do next.”This hasn’t happened overnight,” he said. “This has been a long process. I’ve had the time to step away from cricket and what I want to achieve. It’s been about a three- to four-month decision that I’ve made and finally I went with it.”Ricky Ponting said Lee, the fourth-highest wicket-taker for Australia, should be remembered as one of the game’s greats. “If we all just take a minute and think about what he’s put himself through in that 10 or 12 years,” he said. “Running 35 metres to bowl every ball, bowling every ball at close to 150kph, and putting his heart on the line every ball he bowls, this bloke deserves a massive pat on the back.”Lee is still not sure when he will be back and is in no hurry to decide on whether he goes to India for the IPL. The security situation in India has led to the Australian Cricketers’ Association combining with other player unions to demand more information from the IPL.”It’s just waiting and seeing,” Lee said. “We’re not in a rushed situation to make a call. We are not experts in that field.” Lee has a US$900,000 contract with the Kings XI Punjab franchise and is a popular figure in India.

As the Carabao Cup proved, the Reds are blessed with a great group of homegrown players that could sustain a new era of success at Anfield

Back in 2020, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp revealed that the club's dream was to have "a team full of Scousers". Four years on, the Reds still have plenty of work to do on that front – despite the continued success of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones' rise to prominence over the past year.

However, on the evidence of the Carabao Cup triumph at Wembley, it might not be long before Klopp – or his successor – picks a team full of academy products, with six homegrown heroes having featured in Sunday's stunning 1-0 win over Chelsea.

Caoimhin Kelleher, who was absolutely sensational in goal from start to finish, and Conor Bradley both started, while substitutes Jarell Quansah, James McConnell, Bobby Clark and Jayden Danns were all brilliant as Liverpool took control of the game in extra-time.

And the incredible thing is, more teenage talent is set to break through in the coming days, weeks and months. Indeed, as GOAL outlines below, Liverpool are blessed with a plethora of young players that could eventually become first-team regulars like predecessors Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones…

Getty Jarell Quansah

Liverpool made the bold call not to sign another centre-back during the summer but the gamble has paid off thanks to Quansah, who has been sensational since being thrown into the fold, particularly after the season-ending injury to Joel Matip. A wonderfully composed and versatile centre-half that can also play right-back, Quansah has gone from strength to strength since making his Reds debut in the most difficult of circumstances, after coming on as a sub in the backs-to-the-wall win at Newcastle in August. Just "a fantastic talent", as Virgil van Dijk put it.

AdvertisementGetty Stefan Bajcetic

Some people have forgotten about the midfielder as this season has been an absolute nightmare for Bajcetic, who has been restricted to just two appearances because of an adductor problem linked to a growth spurt. "He could train today fully and then maybe tomorrow as well, but then not [for] five weeks," Klopp explained at the turn of the year. "And that makes it so frustrating for the boy."

However, it's clear that as soon as the Spaniard returns to full fitness, he will have a big role to play as one of the few specialist No.6s at Anfield. Bajcetic, remember, was described as "Liverpool's best player" by Mohamed Salah when the teenager broke into the starting line-up during a difficult spell for Klopp's team last season.

GettyConor Bradley

Competing with Quansah for the right to be regarded as the revelation of Liverpool's season so far. After a very productive and successful loan spell at Bolton Wanderers, the Northern Ireland international is now up to 12 appearances in all competitions, having done an incredible job filling in for the injured Alexander-Arnold.

"A wonderful kid, a really hard worker, and a good footballer," Klopp enthused after the win at Bournemouth. "He is a defender but he can attack as well." No arguments there: Bradley has already racked up five assists – and one goal – in a Red shirt, meaning Alexander-Arnold's move into midfield could happen sooner than we thought!

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Getty ImagesBen Doak

The teenage winger is presently sidelined with an injury that could well keep him out for the remainder of the season. However, Doak has already done enough since joining from Celtic in 2022 to show why he's considered one of the most exciting players to come out of Scotland in years.

Doak is an incredibly direct dribbler, always willing to take on his man, and was hugely impressive during Liverpool's pre-season programme. He has "obvious quality", as Klopp says, and could become a real crowd favourite at Anfield if he makes a full recovery from knee surgery.

Wolves failed to take all three points from league strugglers Norwich City in their latest Premier League outing this afternoon, having to settle for a 0-0 draw against Dean Smith’s side.

One man who failed to impress at Carrow Road was Nelson Semedo, who played 76 minutes before being replaced by Leander Dendoncker.

During his time on the pitch, the right wing-back failed to have any sort of attacking impact, making no key passes or successful crosses to any of his teammates. The Portuguese international also lost possession of the ball on 19 occasions throughout the game, as well as picking up a yellow card.

Defensively, things weren’t much better for Semedo, who is currently earning just over £76k-per-week according to Spotrac, after losing seven duels and getting dribbled past on two occasions.

Described as being a defensive “liability” in the past by Wolves journalist Tim Spiers, this performance ultimately earned Semedo an overall match rating of 6.4/10, making him the lowest-rated Wolves player on the day according to SofaScore. That was even lower than Fransico Trincao, who failed to make a key pass or even have a shot on goal and was slated by numerous Wolves fans during and after the game.

Birmingham Live also picked up on Semedo’s less-than impressive display by giving him a match rating of 5/10, saying that he found Norwich attacker Milot Rashica “a little hot to handle” for periods of the game.

This performance let Bruno Lage down given that Wolves came away with just a point and failed to score against a team who are battling relegation and have conceded 27 league goals so far this season.

With Wolves set to take on Burnley at Molineux on Tuesday evening, this not only gives the Midlanders an opportunity to move on from today’s draw and get a win under their belts, it also gives Semedo a chance to once again prove himself to Lage that he is capable of playing to a high standard in his team.

In other news: one exciting Wolves deal is reportedly edging closer